Good evening.

Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the City of Neurochell Civilian Complaint Review Board on July 8th, 2026 at 5.30.

Pam taking place in the City Council Conference Room at Neurochell City Hall.

The meeting of the City of Neurochell Civilian Complaint Review Board is now called to order.

Will the deputy city manager please call the role?

Yes.

Renee Baron.

Aaron.

Aaron.

Damon Meller.

Here.

Julie Mercer.

Present.

Christian Walker.

Here.

Donna O'Keefe.

Here.

Michael Kamer.

Present.

And Fabiolia Fabiola Brito Briseno.

Present.

Okay.

Also in attendance tonight is the following individual, Todd Costaldo, Deputy City Manager and Staff liaison to the C CRB.

Okay.

So welcome everyone.

First on the agenda is a discussion item to introduce the civilian complaint review board board members.

City city staff and to provide an overview of the civilian complaint review board.

To begin, my name is Renee Barry, and I am raised here in Neurochell.

And I moved back about 11 years ago, and I want to be involved in the life of the city.

I think because of my experience here in Neurochell and my training as a scholar in African American history, literature, and culture, I feel like I'm in a good I'm an Americanist, so I feel like I'm in a good place to understand many of the dynamics that inform policing, and I just wanted to participate.

I suppose in portfolio.

And I was also on the uh task force uh for the county for police reform and reimagining one of the um uh boards that was uh created in the aftermath of the George uh Floyd killing um in that capacity uh I'm proud to say I I was able to get that board to approve two very important things um a countywide uh mental health um mobile mental health response unit to respond to situations where there were um disturbed individuals in tandem with the police or in the move of the police we got that uh implemented we we um uh recommended but did not get implemented on a county wide basis with something like this a a police oversight board um so that made this all the more important and and and uh it made it important for me to to um apply beyond this board and happy to be here hi um I'm Michael Cammer I'm a long-term Neurochell resident um I've been very concerned about the balance of the need for law enforcement and community fairness um and this also includes problems of systemic racism so I'm hoping that as part of the CCRB we can do a really good job for abortion thank you very much um I am an immigrant from the Dominican Republic um study five years ago uh since my first day I've been Eugen in Helen I am the president of the Thanks Association of Ferris Chess A Road for the last probably 10 years uh because I'm immigrant also um I think that's a good um what can I say that a little a good point of view for me to see how um uh for the furtherness of the police department so that's what I'm here for my name's Julie Mercer I've lived in Ne Rochelle for eight and a half years um I am a parent of a young child in the New Rachel School District and I'm an employment attorney with uh long background in discrimination harassment disparate treatment and I'm passionate about equity and being a part of that in the community and I love Neurochell as a place to live and raise a family and I want to make it better for everyone hi my name is Donna O'Keefe I'm a resident of Neurochell for 28 years my son went through the school system I was on the Neurochell Little League board for quite a couple of years um loved what I was doing there I was secretary and then when this came along I applied and I was very excited

Hi, my name is Donna O'Keefe.

I'm a resident of Neurochell for 28 years.

Um my son went through the school system.

Um I was on the Neurochell Little League board for quite a couple of years.

Um, loved what I was doing there.

I was secretary, and then when this came along, I applied, and I was very excited to um to know that I was accepted, and I can't wait to see what we're gonna do.

Christian.

Hey everyone, my name is Christian Walker.

Um I'm from Los Angeles, California.

Um I spent the last five years living in Europe.

Uh I recently moved to Neurochelle about a few years ago, and I witnessed policing done the correct way and incorrect way.

So when I moved to Neurochelle, I wanted to understand how it was done here in the city uh as it grows, and I want to make sure that it's done the correct way.

So once I heard about this board, um I applied and I wanted to be a good representative and a good liaison between the uh community as well as the police force.

Thank you.

Will city staff please introduce themselves as well?

Sure.

So I am Todd Costaldo, I am the deputy city manager of the city of Neurochell.

I uh I've lived in Neurochell my whole life, other than a semester at Fordham.

And uh I went through all Neurochell schools, Trinity Isaac and the high school.

Um and I've worked for the city since 2019 and worked in a bunch of different capacities, but now as a deputy civil manager, I am the staff liaison to the C CRB.

So glad to be here.

Thank you, Ruby Audio.

Um so right now we're going to move on to an overview of the civilian complaint review board.

I'm going to ask Damon, my co-chair, to take that, please.

Um I guess the the question is uh the folks I wanted to know is uh why is this taking so long and and what have you done so far?

So the the um legislation was very carefully thought out.

There are a lot of things in it many of us agreed with, didn't disagree with, but the legislation is is the legislation.

Um and in essence um our role will be review of uh determinations made internally by the uh police internal affairs unit uh comment on those, a comment on fact-finding, um, and uh recommended disposition of the case before it gets to the commissioner.

Um so we're giving a recommendation to the commissioner who ultimately commissioner police will have the ultimate uh say and determination on these on these cases.

However, to the extent um that any any uh his findings of fact or um consequences that he meets out uh vary from what we have recommended is a requirement that he give uh a full detailed written explanation and um you know to the the idea is that there'll be um certainly wide input public input by us and and in these recommendations which the public will see and you'll see in writing what the commissioner has to say.

Um you know we we hope this will develop as a uh good working relationship that we respect that the our opinion and our work is is respected.

And you so underlying that I'll go into you know what what we've been doing so far and adding up the hours I was I was very impressed with what we've been doing.

Uh we we had um three hours it sort of bled into four hours of a live session of a presentation by uh the uh council to something called the New York State Committee on Open Government, uh which told told us uh all about the open meetings laws and uh freedom of information law in New York State, which um every board starting with the the uh city council in this city and every other board uh really needs to know.

And in fact, it would be different probably will do for refreshers on that.

We had three that and that was in uh person here.

We had three uh three-hour online sessions with um a an executive at the National Association for the uh civilian oversight of law enforcement, NACO, just on um the history of civilian uh in uh enforcement boards, how they're constituted, how they operate, all the different uh um kinds of um rubrics and and benchmarks there are in that area, and all and also just uh talking about how organizations work and how uh we can all get along to do our work.

So that was nine hours.

Uh we did uh it's four hours plus of a memorable um faculty member giving us uh background on history of uh racial relations uh specifically with the board to police and bringing it up to um the specifics of of um neurochell.

Um now we're in the midst of all taking the Neurochell Civilian Police Academy courses.

Uh we've done seven evenings or live.

Uh supposed to be two and a half hours, it mostly delegated to three hours, three and a half hours.

It's like it's like a little bit over 20 hours of that done so far.

So far we've done about 38 hours.

Excuse me, uh civilian uh uh CPA weeks.

Three more sessions, which again could be two and a half to three hours, so it could be another nine hours there, and finally each of us uh has volunteered to do a four-hour uh ride-along with uh a police officer since it's always gonna be a Saturday night.

So we're all told it's gonna add up to about 50 hours when we're done.

So we will know a lot about um police procedure.

Um as you say, how to do the right things, and uh you know, those who uh cautioned us about they don't know do the right things, and and uh and how how we can contribute to meeting the right thing more.

I think that's I think that's the overview of uh where we are right now, yeah.

But um, and then our strategy is too.

Oh, okay.

So um yeah, so we we will be, and actually we have been um looking at um the models set for us.

We're not you know we haven't we're not gonna completely uh reinvent the wheel.

Um we have uh some very strong um precedents in how things operate, for example, with the um Albany City um police oversight board and have a slightly um different name.

Um I think we we really need to employ a committee system as well, busy people and just uh sort of um talking about what they need, of course.

First bylaws, and again uh both um other cities have these kind of oversight boards that we can work with their models, which we have to fit to our our ordinance, and we also will be looking at um uh bylaws uh um governing other boards within the city of Neurochell.

But just as a a general um discussion between co-chairs and and also individually with some of the other members, yes, by laws.

Um there's got to be a committee that does the the initial work of looking at the complaints, working them up and getting the details.

Let me stop here.

Okay, so this is the next item on the agenda.

So let's so um we're going to just so we should discuss um bylaws, suggested standing committees, uh conducts of meeting the conduct for meetings, and uh which include community conduct guidelines, right?

Community conduct guidelines, excuse me.

So I worked up uh a little bit of something so we could just talk about it for a second.

So my suggested uh standing committees would be there would be a bylaw committee, and then uh a committee for the initial review of complaints, and an outreach committee, which would be focused on interacting with the public and how we could sort of make ourselves available and visible to the larger community.

Um does that sound like the any a good beginning, and then also are there any other committees that you think that we should have a standing committees?

We'll have ad hoc committees at some point when we have a project, something that's short, but for standing committees, yeah.

I think that maybe is that about is that about Brian?

Yes, yeah.

Okay, so if that's the case, could you just tell me what not at this moment, but could you consider what would be your where you would be best placed, and then we could talk about making those finalizing those committees.

All right.

Um yes.

We forgot first thing at the beginning of the meeting about so it's been set up as a co-chair setup.

Only one person can preside at a meeting, and we're gonna work out some sort of alternating um, you know, either month to month or as a you know, six months, six month periods like they do in the United Nations, so have a one country, three, four.

Um but we've we've been chatting together, so I mean we've been collaborating well, so it doesn't really for me it doesn't matter who runs the meeting, but yes, we will we'll follow the Roberts rules of orders.

By the way, I bought everybody uh it looks like a placemat, but I didn't have Amazon did not deliver it on time, but when oh but you can look forward to I I'll bring it next time.

You can look forward to your own little Robert's room, he called it a placemat.

It's laminated, yeah.

It's laminated, so you can know what what to do at every at every given moment.

Um does help with the dinner table too.

Okay, definitely.

So we're gonna do a little like more like world hot hurry.

Okay, so then um in addition to that, we should talk about conduct.

Um I have um three suggestions, and we can add for group agreements.

I believe that we need to always have uh rules for how we interact, so speak in turn, don't interrupt, respect each other's opinions and differences, which is hard because we all we won't always agree.

And um, so I don't know if we should make a motion on that or if we should have more discussion, and then also if we should add things to that.

Um could we talk about that a little bit of time for time?

We have time to talk about that.

I would discuss it.

I wouldn't make any motion.

I wouldn't make a motion, but we could we don't need to make a motion, but we could talk about um how we're going to interact.

And that can be in your bylaws.

Right.

Yeah, I was going to suggest that we put some base rules of conduct in the bylaws and we could expand on speaking respectfully, like you know, swearing and that kind of thing.

So um yeah, speaking in turn, no interrupting, no raised voices, obviously.

But I think that makes sense to be in the bylaws.

Okay.

Um what about community community conduct?

So can community uh for community engagement in terms of the public speaking, do you have suggestions as to how you would like to have add that to meetings?

So we just have it in the notes.

So at the I I know the Board of Ed has uh three minute comments, is that correct?

For right, three minutes.

City Council three minutes.

Yeah.

Is that the standard?

Is that what you'd like to see?

I think that makes sense.

Yeah, and we can go over if necessary, but you know, leave at least three minutes.

Three minutes.

Again, in your bylaws you'll talk about it.

Right, so we'll add that to the ILO.

So the bylaws committee will be super important, but it's important to me at this point, just speaking for myself, that we at least hear from everybody that that's some important so that the when the standing committee goes off to work on the bylaws, we have some sense of what everybody wants.

Um one other item to add to the bylaws.

I think we need to have something about um public comments.

If there's any press reach out, we should designate someone to be the point person.

Could you say that louder?

I'm sorry.

Um we should designate someone in the bylaws to be the individual who will speak for the board in the event that there's any request for public comment.

Okay, yeah.

So we speak together.

I think so.

And if there is any internal dissent, we can also decide, you know, if if the board has decided to take this position and you disagree, here's how you stay together.

Yeah.

Can we talk about the emails?

Uh sure.

Yes, yeah.

I I've requested that we get uh emails like not to have to have people reach out in our private emails.

Yeah, that's very important to me, especially since this is sensitive material.

I would prefer that.

Yeah, yes.

So yes, that is that is possible.

Um you guys will everyone who receives the city email will then be bound by the city email policy.

Of course not.

Um there's a uh cybersecurity training that everyone will need to take.

We have much factor.

That's just a condition.

It's it's a quick webinar, it is maybe 15-20 minutes if that um but if you don't take it, they shut the email off.

Um so that's something we can I will work on with our ID our IT department.

So cool.

Um and I would just add, sorry, just with regards to public comment.

City council is a one-way comment.

So citizens communicate to city council, but they do not communicate that.

So that's another decision you guys will want to make is whether you will engage in in two-way conversation.

Yeah, just right if I'll talk about that.

But also just to be clear, you turn it inquiries from the public and press specifically, yes.

We so you know my my thought is if somebody contacts me, I say put your request, put your questions in writing.

Yeah, right.

And then we have a little discussion as a so the public is gonna have to wait to convenient carefully.

So we're second part of the second right.

So I think the second part has to follow the first part, right?

So if if we're having a meeting, we would need to allot time so that community members can can say what they have on their mind.

This is a community we're civilians, this is a community situation, right?

So we have to let people who are in the community speak, right?

The question um that Todd is bringing up is that some boards only let the com community speak one way and other boards let people answer, right?

And but if we're going to speak together, as I don't think it's possible for us to speak back unless it's a point of clarification.

Like if there's some factual point that needs that can be clarified easily, I think that we can respond.

Can we put that in the bylaws?

But so if it's just someone who's operating under some our misapprehension, right?

So we can clarify that right away.

But if it's something about like a an opinion or something like that, I think that we have to we can't comment on those kinds of things.

Right, right.

Exactly.

So uh so I was uh formerly on the library board during a time when uh it was very exciting times, but put it uh you know to understand it was when there was an issue as to sale the library to develop them.

We found it very helpful um to listen to the public comments and yes to clarify it would be you know clarify or you know, like uh I'm not sure that fact is correct.

Could you could you respond and then you know give the speaker another 30 seconds or a minute to respond?

If we talk, they should be allowed to have the public allowed to have the last word.

It's not like city council where there can be 40 speakers.

You know, I I assume there's gonna be fewer speakers well, and maybe issues.

Um in fact, you know, we we are starting our training session in five minutes, but I would think already.

It's five to six.

So six thirty, so I have plenty of time.

So we find time for you so I mean I would I would I would make a motion for this evening, uh if if there are people who want to in the audience who want to speak for three minutes, three minutes at most, that um you know that we could do it.

And I'm not sure there are any.

Oh, somebody's waving.

See, I see Damon.

I mean we don't have public comment on the agenda, but if you guys want to well, maybe if there's time at the end, right?

We can bring it up again.

Okay.

Fair enough.

I asked another question about email.

Yes.

So in addition to each of us having an individual address, should there be a C C RB at Nourishell.gov address that gets forwarded to all of us.

Um let me talk to we can look at that, yes.

If if IT can do it, I would be very supportive of that.

I think that makes a lot of sense.

Do we even need individual?

Could could there just be a C C R B.

No, because we need to communicate with each other.

Amongst our settlements because if we don't, then your whole Gmail could get it.

So all right, thank you.

Um we'll have to talk about how the intake of complaints goes on the website.

Or speak up.

We're gonna have some kind of we'll we'll have a page on the city.

You already do.

We do.

There is already a C C R B page on our website, which is where your agenda was posted over a week ago.

Um people watching right now, no, there's no that we haven't gotten that far yet, but we're gonna say so.

We're gonna be learning through this process.

Um minutes for this meeting will be posted on that website as well.

Um so doesn't need to be in the bylaws that we get to decide what content goes on the web page in addition to whatever the city thinks should be on the workage.

Right now, what's on the web page is well it is a city website.

Um right now it's just identities who the members are, when it was created, the adopting legislation, including the newest legislation that uh changed some of the rules.

Um and then the agendas agenda packet, if there's a full packet, this is just an agenda, the minutes, um and we can tweak as we go along as we build it out.

So that could be a function of one of the the committee on outreach or licenses.

So you know how it is when you ask a question about this.

Chosen to do it.

Oh, right.

So motion right.

So old business, we have none.

No, okay.

New business, um, we haven't scheduled our new meet and our next meeting.

We anticipate our next meeting will be in September.

But now that Damon is put on the floor that he would like to have public comment today, we need to make a motion and second, if you want to have public comment today.

So they so I'm making a motion and making the case that um we always want to start as quickly as possible to hear from the public um as to what they think what their vision is of what we what we should be doing and how we should be and how we should be proceeding.

Right.

Can I just back for a second?

I think his concern is that even if we are not hearing cases, we should hear from what the commun about what the community wants from us.

And I don't disagree.

Oh but we have a time uh thing.

So can you can you put a time frame in ten minutes?

We can do three minutes per person, but we can't go more than uh ten minutes.

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes.

We can hear from maybe three people.

Is that fair enough?

It's we're just winging it at this point.

What are we doing two minutes in person for 10 minutes?

Oh that's okay.

Just this week, make it two minutes?

Yes, okay.

All right, so someone makes the votes?

No, you have to sign up and then we have to can someone second that motion, please?

Second, you want to vote, please?

Aye.

Uh all in favor say aye.

I think unanimously to do the timer?

Yes, unanimous.

Okay, so it's unanimous.

Michael, did you?

Yes, okay, so unanimous.

Okay, very good.

What are we doing when it's two minutes?

10 minutes.

So maybe the stopwatch would be better than the timer.

Because then you can like to keep it rolling.

Okay.

Thank you.

I don't know.

Cotine.

So you need a second.

All right, two minutes.

Okay.

Yeah.

Nice.

I have all this nice.

Oh, I know.

I'm not worried about that.

So are we able to discuss committees while we're waiting for people to sign up?

I think that we can't sign.

Oh, he's got the sign up.

So super efficient.

So we've got two people sign up.

We have two people signing.

I think there's another gentleman who had raised his hand, but he left, so he comes back.

So Jean Tausey, would you like to speak?

Uh yeah, I just wanted to concern.

Hold on one second.

Oh, the mic hatred.

Okay.

I'll tell you what, I'll tell you when to see I live at 8 Sigor Avenue, and I just want to congratulate you all and thank you for uh stepping up to this job.

Uh I remember being active in March of 2001 when the first police reform uh just legislation was being put forth and pushing council members and the mayor that we needed to see CRP.

Uh I have been active behind the scenes, uh uh harassing various public officials to get your training done.

I don't know if I had any effect.

Uh but anyway, they were harassed and and uh you know needed to state in a public way uh what was going on.

So I I think you've been entrusted with a great uh service, uh and I wish you the best and lots of support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And now Daphy Tourist Douglas.

Good evening.

Um very excited to have you all put this together.

This has been a long time waiting.

We have really been pushing for this.

I am part of uh against racism, so this has been on our agenda since the executive order.

Um, and we've really been fighting for better practices amongst the police department.

We have some rate police um and we also have some negative policing.

And so we definitely want to uh look at how uh these incidents are occurring and to um have the community more involved in the process.

Um I was hoping that you all were meeting more regularly, but uh understand quarterly as we have a landing and and that's okay.

Um sitting back there, one of my requests would be that uh you speak louder, it's really hard.

Um we do have a uh large variety of people who come in terms of community and and some um you know struggle with the hearing, so it's it's it was hard for me also um to hear back there.

Um so really excited.

Thank you all for your service.

Thank you for the training that you're going through.

Um definitely something that's needed, and I'm just curious to know what would be the um the influence that the community has on all of you.

Um community has a very different perspective, um, and different perspectives are good, right?

Um but I'm just wondering what would be the influence the community has on your making decisions and elevating that to the commissioner.

Thank you.

Thank you.

you all for your service thank you for the training that you're going through um definitely something that's needed and I'm just curious to know what would be the um the influence that the community has on all of you um community has a very different perspective um and different perspectives are good right um but I'm just wondering what would be the influence the community has on um your making decisions and elevating that to the commissioner thank you thank you thank you thank you everyone has signed up who wants to speak is that correct I think the other gentleman who raised his hand last oh okay well I believe did you want to speak what never mind we were taking public comment all right so um with all that said I think that we have our our marching orders so why don't we adjourn is there a motion to adjourn okay is there a second second the meeting is officially adjourned we gotta vote in favor we have to vote I'm sorry I think those Robert Rules order okay um all in favor aye okay the meeting is officially adjourned did we say that loudly