Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has weighed in on the dispute between Community Board 3 and the LES Dwellers neighborhood organization.
CB3 Chairperson Gigi Li made the decision earlier this month to suspend the group, saying that it had been acting as a “shadow community board,” in her view, failing to work collaboratively with CB3’s office in the liquor license approval process. While Li said the city’s law department found the community board had “done nothing legally out of bounds” (Li’s words), Stringer takes issue with the board’s handling of the situation.
I’m amazed Scott Stringer knows where CB3 is. I’d like to think this letter was about high minded principle but my fear is it is just a petty way to get back at people who didn’t endorse him in the last election.
The Community Boards don’t have to partner with Neighborhood/Block Associations like this, but when they do those associations need to act like partners. And you need to be sure that these associations actually represent the people they claim to (such as by holding regular public meetings on their block). Don’t like the responsibilities that come with that? Then you don’t get the benefit. Simple. If the City’s law department signed off on it as legitimate then I will leave that issue to the experts who would know.