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Application Deadline to Join Local Community Boards Extended to March 8 at 11.59 p.m.

HELENE HARTMAN KUTNOWSKY and Jean Hill both members of Bronx Community Board 7 hand out flyers and speak to people walking by Mosholu Parkway train station on Jerome Avenue near Tracey Towers on February 21, 2024, during a day or action hosted by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson to encourage participation in local community boards.
Photo by Miriam Quiñones

In efforts to encourage Bronxites to join their local community boards ahead of the upcoming application deadline which has now been extended from March 1 to March 8 at 11.59 p.m., Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and her staff held a Community Board Day of Action across the borough on Feb. 21, finishing up in the north Bronx at Mosholu Parkway subway station, located in Bronx Community District 7.

 

The borough president’s team started the day at 7.30 a.m. at the Pelham Parkway and White Plains Road train station, located in Bronx Community District 11. The Community Board Day of Action continued in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., both at the Hunts Point train station at 163rd Street and at Mosholu Parkway station on Jerome Avenue Station. Applications are available at bronxboropres.nyc.gov. To apply to join Bronx Community Board 7, click here.

 

The BP’s team were joined by district managers and community members to answer questions and talk about the process. While some residents took the application form away with them to consider, others took the flyers and kept walking. The flyers had a QR code on them to scan the application form. One little girl was seen looking at the flyer and in efforts to assist her father, said, “Look Daddy, it’s in Spanish.”

 

As previously reported, Gibson hosted an inaugural swearing-in ceremony for 145 of the Bronx’s then-newest community board members at Lehman College on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.

 

Held in the Music Building’s Faculty Dining Room, located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, the borough president highlighted earlier efforts to ensure fairness, equity, and broader participation on the boards, mirroring what she described as the diversity on all 12 Bronx community boards. To that end, the borough president launched last year the Bronx’s first-ever online community board digital application, made available in English and in Spanish.

STEVEN OCHOA-CAMACHO, a young employee of Bronx Community Board 7 hands out flyers and speaks to people walking by Mosholu Parkway train station on Jerome Avenue near Tracey Towers on February 21, 2024, during a day or action hosted by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson to encourage participation in local community boards.
Photo by Síle Moloney

“I am excited and energized about our new class of community board members who represent the rich diversity and mosaic of our borough,” said Gibson at the time. “From single parents and caregivers to high school students, veterans’, LGBTQIA+ residents, and others who have a vested interest in seeing change in their communities, this entire group is ready and prepared to contribute in their new role to ensure that our neighborhoods run efficiently, with all the resources and tools necessary to thrive.”

 

She continued, “I look forward to this opportunity to work with our new and returning members to advocate for the needs of our residents and families.” After the official swearing in, and the obligatory and collective Bronx “X”sign photo, various members of City government provided training to the members and an overview of how they should conduct themselves as board members to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

MEMBERS OF BRONX Community Board 7, Jean Hill and Helene Hartman-Kutnowsky, (second left and center) join members of The Office of Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Kenny Agosto (left), Ciara Gannon (second right), and Arlene Mukoko (right), as part of a daylong community board drive hosted by the BP’s office across The Bronx in front of Tracey Towers by Mosholu Parkway subway station in Bedford Park on Wednesday Feb. 21, 2024, to encourage Bronx residents to join their local community board by March 8, 2024.
Photo by Miriam Quinones

According to the borough president’s office, out of New York City’s 59 community boards, 12 are located in The Bronx, with each playing what was described last year as a critical role in advising on Land Use & Zoning, New York City’s budget process, and in service delivery within districts.

 

They said that while the borough president’s office does not directly manage community boards, this year, efforts were made to effectively onboard new members through the scheduling of various courses and seminars made available through the office and city agencies “to ensure the continued effectiveness of each district.”

FLIER FOR DETAILS of how to join Bronx Community Board 7
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7

BP office officials said that out of a total of 548 online applicants, 145 were appointed by the borough president to serve, with each taking part in the Bronx’s first swearing-in ceremony in decades.

 

A demographic break-down of last year’s appointees show 25.1% (35) identified as parents / guardians of a child (Pre-K to 12 grade), 13.6% (19) were immigrants, 8.6% (12) were members of the LGBTQIA+ community, 7.1% (10) were people with disabilities, 5.7% (8) were parents / guardians of a pre-school aged child, 5.7% (8) were caregivers and 5% (7) were veterans or military service members, 4.3% (6) were non-native speakers of English and 2.8% (4) were union members.

 

In terms of age, 25.1% (35) were aged between 30 and 39, 21.5% (30) were aged between 40 and 49, 18.7% (26) were aged between 20 and 29, 17.2% (24) were aged between 50 and 59, 8.6% (12) were aged between 60 and 69, 4.3% (6) were aged 70 and over, 2.1% (3) were aged between 18 and 19, and 1.4% (2) were aged between 16 and 17 years (by April 1, 2023).

SOME OF THE 145 of the Bronx’s newest community board members are seen being sworn in during a ceremony hosted by Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson at Lehman College in Bedford Park on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023.  
Photo by Síle Moloney

In terms of gender, 60.4% (84) were female, 38.816% (54) were male, 0.7% (1) was gender non-conforming. We spoke to some of the community board members, who are unpaid volunteers, after the swearing-in event.

 

Second-year board member, Elliot Elias Contreras, said, “I think it was very informative, very insightful. It was a great introduction into what to expect and who’s who of the community, and the different organizations that kind of help lead the change that we can bring about into the community.”

BRONX COMMUNITY BOARD  7 District Profile based on the 2010 Census (latest available) 
Source: NYC Department of City Planning

Meanwhile, first-time board member with Bronx CB9, “Derek” said he found the event long but said it was meaningful and important. Asked if he felt differently about putting himself forward to become a board member after the presentation, he said, “No, I’m equally excited. I think it’s just really important. It may be long but it’s worthwhile. I’m ready to go.”

 

Another first-time board member, LaTicia Thompson, who lives in the vicinity of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the birthplace of Hip Hop, said she had attended board meetings as a resident in the past, but that this was her first time to get actively involved.

 

“Glad we got out to see everybody,” she said. “I’m also on the community education council for District 8 as well, so I’m really coming in as a parent and as a Bronx born and bred.” She said the Harlem River Waterfront [project] was important to her. “I hate that they’re calling it that because it’s a little auspicious but I’m ready to get to work,” she said.

BRONX COMMUNITY BOARD  8 District Profile based on the 2010 Census (latest available) 
Source: NYC Department of City Planning

Attached are the Bronx Community District Profiles for Bronx Community District 7, which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, University Heights, Fordham and Kingsbridge Heights, and Bronx Community District 8, which covers the neighborhoods of Kingsbridge, Fieldston, Marble Hill (Manhattan) Riverdale, North Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil.

 

Both are based on 2010 census data and other community survey estimates taken since then. Norwood News asked NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), which compiled the profiles, for updated versions based on the 2020 census and were informed that the 2020 census data is available at a new separate location. However, having accessed the links provided, we cannot see the same information as was previously provided in the attached profiles. We are continuing to follow up with DCP and will share any further updates we receive.

 

Click here for details of discussions held at different Bronx community boards on the Mayor’s City of Yes program.

 

 

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

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