THE COUNCIL
OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY, 10007
August 30, 2019

To: District Managers and Community Board Members
Re: Community Boards Enhancement Initiative
In the Fiscal 2020 Adopted Budget, the City Council, for the second consecutive
year, allocated supplemental funding for each of the 59 Community Boards through
the Community Board Enhancement Initiative. This initiative grants each of the
Community Boards an additional $42,500 in Other than Personal Services (OTPS)
funding.
The initiative provides supplemental funding directly to each Community Board
with the intent to aid the critical work you do for your local communities.
Below are guidelines for the use of these funds. With respect to the $42,500
allocated by the Council, all purchases with a value of $10,000 or more should be
approved by a vote of the full Community Board. OTPS purchases should be made
within the boundaries of the scope of work of the Community Board and should be
limited to the items listed in the following categories:
1) Information Technology Upgrades:
 Computers/laptops;
 Computer monitors;

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Projectors;
Copiers/printers/scanners;
Sound/Audio systems;
Tablets;
Desk phones;
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System;
Software upgrades;
Community Board website upgrades;
Software licenses;
Hardware upgrades;
Network equiptment;
Webcast live-streaming and translation tech services; and
Faster internet speed packages.

2) Community Outreach/Community Events:
 Community correspondence (i.e. mailings, notifications, and other
advertisements of services);
 Operating expenses for board member/community meetings (i.e. rental
space costs, live streaming services and other expenses, to exclude food
and catering costs);
 Sponsoring/co-sponsoring events in the local community (i.e. street fairs,
local entertainment events, Charity walks/runs, health and safety
workshops – to include space and equipment rental costs); and
3) Professional Development/Staff Trainings:
 Staff training relevant to the work of the Community Board
- Computer training;
- Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) training;
- Skills training (software/hardware);
- Sensitivity training;
- Management training; and
- Health and Safety training.

 4) Consultants:
 Urban planning consultants;
 Land-use consultants;
 Demographic consultants;
 Historical District Preservation consultants;
 Affordable housing study consultants;
 Computer consultants;
 Temporary office help to cover short staffing issues (i.e. parental/medical
leave); and
 Other consultants for studies on local issues relevant to the work of the
Community Board.
5) Office-wide Upgrades:
 New furniture;
 Equipment/equipment rentals;
 Office supplies;
 Office renovations;
 Energy efficiency retrofits;
 New air conditioning (A/C) units/fans;
 New paint coating for the office;
 Security cameras;
 File cabinets/Storage cabinets;
 Desks;
 Carpeting; and
 Cleaning supplies.
In order for the Council to evaluate the efficacy of the initiative, each Community
Board will be required to report on the use, or intended use, of the City Council’s
discretionary funding. Similar to last year, the Council will provide a survey midyear, which all Community Boards must complete and return to the Council.
Additional information regarding the survey will be forthcoming.

 For any questions or concerns, please contact Sebastian Palacio Bacchi, Financial
Analyst for the New York City Council Finance Division at (212)-482-2958 or
sbacchi@council.nyc.gov or John Russell, Unit Head for the New York City Council
Finance Division, at (212)-482-2931 or jrussell@council.nyc.gov.