CBs ON THE OUTS?

The U.S. Census Bureau's Martin Brennan (at podium) speaks to Board 6 about job opportunities with the federal agency. Rumors of a possible revision to the city charter that would eliminate community boards and borough presidents topped the news coming from Community Board 6's Dec. 10 meeting at the Kew Gardens Community Center.

In his report, District Manager Frank Gulluscio noted that whispers abound of a charter revision commission being seated for the summer of 2009, which would recommend the dissolution of all 59 community boards citywide and all five borough president's offices, reasoning that it would save the city money in a difficult economy.

"We haven't seen something like this in a very long time," Gulluscio stated.

According to the district manager, a charter amendment would have to be voted on by the public, and then the state would have to approve it.

"We're not taking this sitting down. When the time does come ... we have to be super-united because we don't want the voice of the people to get squashed," he stated.

MTA Bus Company Vice President of Operations Norman Silverman explains the Q60 bus stop changes to Board 6 at the body's Dec. 10 meet. When asked by board member John Dereszewski how concrete this possibility is, Gulluscio claimed that a news organization is currently beating the bushes doing research.

"It's a serious situation. It really is," he told the board.

Board 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy claimed that the 311 service is intended to replace community boards.

"It's good. It had problems initially. It's not perfect," he stated of the service, "but guess what? 311 is now referring complaints to the community boards."

"We don't get (campaign) contributions," insulating them from pressures from developers and other interests, he added. "We're freelancers, we're volunteers."

Sears takes a survey

City Council Member Helen Sears came by to update the board on the state of the city budget.

According to Sears, local law- makers submitted a preliminary budget in November instead of the usual January 2009 date.

"The reason why we did that was the cuts are going to be so severe," the lawmaker said.

Cuts will be coming to the NYPD as well as to the Department of Education and other city agencies, Sears said.

She also noted that the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg are at odds over proposed rebate checks; the mayor does not want to send out the checks but courts have ruled that the rebates are the City Council's jurisdiction, and the body has demanded that they be issued.

"Do you want to see the money?" Sears asked the board, adding that "we're going to have to do it legislatively."

Most board members, however, joined Dereszewski in calling for not raising property taxes in the New Year instead, calling the rebate "fluff."

"If we have to choose between one of the two," Dereszewski, the president of a local co-op board, said, "let's get rid of the rebate and not raise the real estate (tax)."

In response, Sears noted that the property tax increase would bring the property tax to 18.5 percent— the same level as the levy in the budget following Sept. 11, 2001.

The property tax and the city's hotel tax (which also could be raised) are, Sears said, "things we can directly vote on and it has instant effect."

The city's current fiscal crisis, she added is "no comparison to 9/11" due to the global nature of today's economy.

However, board member Samuel Bloom noted that since his home is worth more now than it was in 2001, raising the property tax would result in a larger bill.

Sears was asked about several initiatives that are not in the pipeline, namely reinstating the commuter tax and rebates for renters.

"I'm not hopeful about the commuter tax," Sears told the audience, claiming that a decision on the tax is largely up to state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. "Once that was taken off (the table), I never saw it coming back."

As for assistance to renters, Sears stated that while there was an effort led by Council Speaker Christine Quinn to provide it, "it didn't fly because the mayor wouldn't hear of it."

Census is coming

Martin Brennan of the U.S. Census Bureau briefed Board 6 on the federal agency's plans to count area residents.

"We know the tremendous changes in Queens over the last 10 years and the importance of getting everyone counted in Queens," he began.

According to Brennan, the agency will begin its efforts next year, hiring 1,000 people for time periods ranging from 10 weeks to three months to follow up in April on residents who fail to fill out and mail census forms.

The jobs will be part-time to full-time, and pay $18.25 per hour. Residents interested in working for the Census Bureau must be 18 and over, registered with the U.S. Selective Service, and will have to pass an 30-minute test as well as an FBI background check.

Preference will be given to U.S. Citizens and those without criminal records, however, they are not barred frim working for the bureau.

Residents who are unemployed can take the job knowing that the pay will be deducted form their unemployment benefits; when the job is complete, they can return to receiving full benefits.

As for the required examination, Brennan also announced that the agency is looking for testing sites; although they have an agreement with all City University of New York campuses, still more sites are needed, such as schools, churches and community centers, "any place where people can sit down and take a test."

"Queens is a much more interesting place to be in today than it was 10 years ago," Brennan, a Queens resident, said. "We want to count everybody."

Residents interested in working for the Census Bureau should call 1- 646-233-2406.

Other news

Gulluscio also noted in his report that the city Department of Transportation, under its Safe Roads to Schools program, is working on initiatives without Community Board input. "That is a problem," he stated.

The district manager also congratulated the board area for the high marks it received in the city's community questionnaire, the results of which were recently unveiled at the Forest Hills branch of the Queens Library.

"We set the tone for the rest of the city of New York," he announced.

Community Board 6 generally meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the Kew Gardens Community Center, located at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd.