Thanks to a grant secured by former Councilmember Vincent Gentile on his way out of office, at least the next five Community Board 10 general meetings — held monthly for both the full board and the public — can be live-streamed from just about anywhere.
The meetings will be streamed via YouTube courtesy of Thirteen, the flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area.
“I think it’s a great way for local residents who aren’t able to make it out to a meeting to get involved,” said Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann. “It’s also a way to increase our transparency while reaching a wider audience. We think it’s a wonderful opportunity and we’re so grateful for the grant.”
Zoning and Land Use Committee Chair and lifelong Bay Ridge resident Brian Kaszuba agreed.
“Being able to live-stream our meetings, and make the video recording public afterwards, not only allows the community board to be more transparent, but gives the community more access and helps educate the public as to what CB 10 does,” he said. “The board does a great job holding meetings throughout the district at accessible locations, but through technology we hope even more people will tune in, pay attention and show interest in the community issues that we focus on each month.”
The first meeting to be streamed — the board’s January 22 meeting at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center — is still available for viewing. The next monthly meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 26 at 7 p.m. at the Norwegian Christian Home, 1250 67th Street. It will also be streamed live.
Beckmann told this paper that she’ll be looking into whether or not Board 10 can again qualify for the grant once the first six meetings are streamed.
CB 10 encompasses Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton.
