A community coalition blog concerned with the Carroll Gardens and Greater Gowanus communities in Brooklyn, NY: our land-use and development; our safety; our historical context; and our protection from extreme environmental hazards.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Gowanus Canal CAG Charter Ratified!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
NEWLY REVISED VERSION OF THE CAG CHARTER
rom: Jeff Edelstein [mailto:jledelstein@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2011 5:59 PM
To: 'edelstein@psouth.net'
Subject: Revised CAG charter & 4/26 RSVPs still needed!
Dear CAG members,
Please see the attached newly revised version of the draft CAG charter. Based on comments received, the Operating Procedures Committee has sharpened the focus on how the CAG will function, and has clarified certain sections that may have been unclear. They will answer any questions about the changes at next Tuesday’s CAG meeting.
If you have not yet RSVP’d to me about your attendance at next Tuesday’s CAG meeting (6:30 at Metrotech), please do so ASAP.
NOTE: You are welcome to arrive on 4/26 any time after 5:30 pm for informal discussion with members of the Operating Procedures Committee about the charter. There will be light snacks and beverages.
It is my hope that we can have a good discussion about the charter for the first hour (6:30 – 7:30), resulting in a clear decision about moving forward, and be able to spend the second hour of the meeting discussing the important work that is happening in the various committees.
Please also mark your calendars for the May CAG meeting – Tuesday, May 31, 6:30 p.m. Topic: Christos Tsiamis will discuss the Feasibility Study getting underway.
--Jeff
Saturday, April 16, 2011
CAG Drafts Charter on behalf of the Operating Procedures Committee
Please see the message below and the blog link concerning the proposed Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Charter. Members of the public are welcome to comment on the draft charter and/or to attend the April 21* meeting to discuss the charter (see details* below) and the general CAG meeting on April 26 at 6:30 pm at Metrotech Center in downtown Brooklyn.
RSVPs to edelstein@psouth.net are requested as space may be limited.
As always, we welcome all of our readers' questions and comments. Be assured that your comments will be brought to the meetings.
Email comments to: cgcord@gmail.com
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION....
and A SPECIAL MEETING INVITATION to tell us what you think …...
The Operating Procedures Committee of the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) respectfully submits the attached CAG Charter draft for your approval
(Please see the draft in full at the CORD blog set up for longer documetns at http://www.cgcord.blogspot.com/)
We have crafted this charter with care and diligence. We hope you will recognize the strength of the basic structure, the thoughtful design of the overall framework and the breadth of our consideration.
The next step is yours. It is our hope that you can review our work and be ready to ratify it by the full CAG meeting on April 26. Yes, we know it is close, but please consider that while we have been working, the CAG committees have been hobbled by the absence of this charter. We are hoping that you will be ready and willing to consider its adoption at the coming meeting.
We are asking you to:
-- Scrutinize this document.
-- Present this to your assorted Memberships and/or Boards for their consideration, if necessary
-- If board/membership approval is a requirement of your organization, please advise us if anything about the timing suggested here would make it impossible to attempt a vote on April 26th.
While reviewing keep in mind:
-- The CAG is an advisory body only, a group that has no real authority. Therefore our greatest strengths will lie in our commitment to adhering to the principles we set for ourselves as a group and our ability to publicly express our wishes from a stance of great solidarity.
-- We opted for an' inclusive of all' policy with a variety of decision making tools including consensus based decisions to demonstrate that solidarity.
-- We opted for structure that put the emphasis on the CAG as a whole instead of a hierarchy.
-- and most importantly, we took great pains to produce a living document capable, willing and expectant of change -- complete with a mechanism built into it with that specific purpose in mind.
-- We had the good fortune and ability to obtain guidance and direction from our Facilitator's wealth of experience.
-- At the end of the day, this committee has built this charter based on the shared values of community, transparency, commitment and honesty; we hope you agree.
Respectfully yours, from the Operating Procedures Committee Members:
Craig Hammerman (Community Board 6)
Rita Miller (Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development)
Steven Miller (At-Large)
Maria Pagano (Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association)
RSVPs to edelstein@psouth.net are requested as space may be limited.
Friday, April 15, 2011
UPCOMING CAG MEETINGS
April 26: CAG general meeting. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Metrotech Center. Agenda: 1) Draft CAG Charter; 2) Proposed resolution from Water Quality Committee: The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group supports the use of NYC DEP grant funds for green infrastructure improvements within the community of the Gowanus watershed. 3) Committee updates: water quality, real estate, archeology.
AS WE HAVE SAID IN THE PAST:
PLEASE CONTINUE TO WRITE TO US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS RE: THE CAG/THE GOWNUS CANAL CLEAN-UP AT: cgcord@gmail.com
We will do our very best to answer, or to get some answers, for you. Thank you.
CORD HISTORY:
To: Our Elected Officials, Community Leaders, The MTA:
(MAY, 2007)
We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the "as of right" ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes........
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?crlgrdns