Public meetings are an important part of the Community Board process. The full board meets monthly. Meetings provide residents with an opportunity to hear and be heard.

Many Community Boards mentioned the ongoing need to increase attendance at meetings. Tools can help in several ways: they can provide information about upcoming meetings, and can make it easier to take part remotely, before or during the meeting itself. Here are some examples.

• CB WebsiteA website with all CB-related info (e.g. calendar, projects, contact details). Most Boards have a website.
• Easier WebsitesWebsites for Community Boards to interact with the public, explain projects and initiatives, take feedback and receive questions and comments.
• FlyerA printed informational document for distribution in the community. Boards usually use flyers for distributing announcements and promoting their activity.
• Meeting Live StreamingBroadcasting and archiving public meetings, for those who cannot attend and for future reference.
• Online CalendarPosting an interactive calendar on the Community Board’s website, and sending it out to mailing lists.
• Public Meeting DirectoryCommunity Boards and residents can add meetings to an online directory, allowing people to track them by topic or location.
• Public Speak-upA dedicated time slot prior to public meetings, where residents can bring up issues of concern or interest to them.
• Rotating Meeting LocationsSeveral Community Boards hold public meetings in various locations, in order to reach a bigger crowd of potential participants.
• SMS Notifications*New Idea* Community Boards can send out meeting announcements, reminders and recaps via text messages, in order to reach a larger audience.
• Social MediaSeveral Community Boards use social media tools like Facebook and Twitter for sharing information and announcements.