Queens Community Board Terms Extended Amid Coronavirus Crisis

QUEENS, NY — The incoming cohort of Queens community board members will start their terms on May 31, instead of on April 1, to account for the "extraordinary circumstances" wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee announced Monday.

Community board members whose terms expire Tuesday will continue serving for an additional 60 days, which is the maximum extension permitted under the New York City Charter, according to Lee.

Lee said she will announce the 2020 appointments to the borough's 14 community boards in the coming weeks. Their terms will last from May 31 to March 31, 2022.

The Office of the Queens Borough President received 501 applications to serve on one of the borough's 14 community boards, including 246 applications from individuals who have never previously served on a Queens community board, according to Lee.

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"I thank those Community Board members for serving for at least an additional 60 days on their respective community boards, in light of the extraordinary circumstances," Lee said in a statement Monday. "I also thank all 14 Community Boards for remaining operational and continuing to serve constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic."

"At times of crisis and great uncertainty, any semblance of short-term predictability, continuity and steadiness is invaluable," Lee said.

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