Bronx Community Board 11 Full Board Meeting
By Robert Press
The November 30th meeting began late due to technical problems and with a large number of members online, but there were still enough members in person so a quorum was in order. During the gallery session the majority of speakers spoke in favor of the Vice-Chair because later in the meeting there was an agenda item for a discussion to remove him and the Chair of CB 11.
After the Gallery session Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson spoke to the board. She spoke for twenty- five minutes first talking of where the Bronx has come from to where it is today. She then chastised board members of the emails and phone calls she had received concerning the behavior and lack of professionalism of some of them, which was a part of her Code of Conduct. The BP continued by saying how disappointed, frustrated, angry, and pissed off she was at the chaos and dysfunction of CB 11. There is no respect for one another and it is a distraction to the goal she needs everyone to be a part of which will move forward whether the board is dysfunctional or not. She continued with projects that are happening, handing out copies of her 2022 Strategic plan for the Bronx. She said that if you are in violation of her Code of Conduct, there will be changes, and nothing is personal and that it would not be the last time she will be at CB 11, as well as her other eleven community boards.
After the borough president finished and left, the meeting continued and unfortunately during the course of the meeting the dysfunction of the board came out. At the Old Business part now almost three hours into the meeting Demotion of Board officers discussion, the district manager asked, “Does anybody have any Old Business.” Board member Cynthia Rodriguez began to speak and was told by the DM to use the microphone. She made a motion to go into executive session to discuss the agenda item regarding the board officers. The DM then asked for the record, what about the officers? She said demotion of the board officers. The DM then said thank you, a motion made by Cynthia, seconded by Miguel, discussion, O.K. no discussion, Bernadette err Cynthia you made the motion do you want to call for the vote, abstentions, objections. Cynthia said doesn’t that fall under the leadership, the chair then said we have to call for a vote. After a roll call vote was taken the DM just announced that the motion passed without giving any numbers. The DM was also heard calling one member who appeared to be leaving the room to stop and come back. The DM told members of the public they would have to leave and would be called back in when the executive session was over.
The executive session lasted for almost an hour when the public was let back in with board members already leaving. According to video of the meeting shot by a member of the public, as the board chair spoke the Sergeant of Arms raises his hand and what looks like a finger appears to be seen. Members of the public who witnessed the gesture said it was the middle finger. There were also calls to adjourn the almost four hour meeting without giving the results of a vote that was taken in the executive session. It looks like Bronx Borough President Gibson has continued dysfunction on CB 11 after talking to the board for twenty-five minutes. What is she going to do to get rid of the dysfunction? Who is she going to remove from CB 11, and how many board members will it be or will it have to be the entire community board? There is also a question of whether the executive session was legal, since removal of CB 11 members has been discussed in public in the past. According to the minutes of the June 2023 Executive Board meeting there was discussion of removing a board member that was done in public and not executive session, and it has happened to other current and former CB 11 members also in public, not in executive session. It seems there is plenty to hide when it comes to CB 11 since Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson came into office.
A photo from before the CB 11 meeting where Mr. Malcolm Gray’s hands can be clearly seen from his coat.
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