City of Neurishell Civilian Complaint Review Board Regular Meeting - August 13, 2026

The regular meeting of the City of Neurishell Civilian Complaint Review Board was called to order at 6:45 PM on August 13, 2026, in Conference Room B1 at New Rochelle City Hall. Co-chair Damon Maher presided, with co-chair Renee Barron and members Julie Mercer, Christian Walker, Donna O'Keefe, Michael Cammer, and Fabiola Sibrito Bercenio present. Staff in attendance included Deputy City Manager Todd Costaldo and Deputy Corporation Counsel Jeffrey Bream. The board addressed training status, proposed bylaws, committee structures, public comment procedures, and heard public testimony.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The minutes of the July 8, 2026 regular meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote (no opposition or abstentions).
• Agenda Amendment: The board unanimously approved a motion to adjourn by 6:30 PM, regardless of agenda completion, to allow time for a follow-up meeting with the Internal Affairs lieutenant.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lisa Burton (357 Center Avenue) thanked the board for its formation and urged members to seek input from individuals negatively impacted by policing, as well as from social workers and organizations such as Choice. She cautioned that community relationships and unconscious bias could affect the board’s objectivity, emphasizing that incidents in one part of town could happen elsewhere and that benefit of the doubt is not equally afforded.

Discussion Items

• Training Status: Co-chair Damon Maher reported that all board members have completed the Citizens Police Academy, NACOL training, Monroe College training, and COOG (Committee on Open Government) training. A meeting with the Internal Affairs lieutenant is scheduled immediately after this meeting to review complaint referral processes, and a future training session with labor counsel on collective bargaining agreements is being arranged.
• Proposed Bylaws: The board reviewed a redlined draft of bylaws provided by corporation counsel. Julie Mercer moved to provide corporation counsel with a memo outlining the board’s concerns and goals, along with the redlined draft, and allow corporation counsel to decide whether to draft from scratch or work from the redline. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Members discussed the need to include topics such as media communications, speaker/training vetting, and committee structures as working groups rather than formal committees.
• Working Groups vs. Committees: Members debated the use of working groups (advisory, flexible under open meetings law) versus committees. Todd Costaldo advised against delegating core functions like complaint review to a subgroup, as it could undermine the board’s purpose. It was agreed that working groups could handle bylaws or rules changes, but all members should review every complaint.
• Complaint Review Logistics: Corporation counsel clarified that complaint review meetings are private (not open to the public) and will be held monthly with IA. Members may schedule additional individual review times with IA, but notes must remain confidential and retained by IA. Four public meetings per year are required.
• Co-Chair Role: The board discussed Article 4 of the proposed bylaws regarding co-chair duties. The redline suggests co-chairs jointly serve as presiding officers, with disagreements resolved by board majority vote. Members expressed preference for flexibility, allowing the co-chairs to decide who presides each meeting, and agreed that the presiding co-chair is a facilitator, not a unilateral decision-maker.
• Public Comment Procedures: Members supported allowing public comment early in the agenda (before executive session) with a flexible time limit (e.g., 3 minutes per speaker, total not strictly 30 minutes). The chair may ask follow-up questions and allow speakers additional time to respond. Speakers are expected to stay on topic related to the board’s oversight.

Key Outcomes

• Motion on Bylaws: Passed unanimously – the board will send a memo to corporation counsel with concerns, goals, and the redlined draft, requesting a revised draft within approximately three weeks.
• Next Meeting: The next regular meeting date is tentatively set for the second Wednesday of September (September 9) at 5:30 PM, but will be confirmed via digital poll to ensure member availability. The meeting must be an open meeting if discussing bylaws and procedures, requiring notice at least seven days prior.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time after the public comment period and discussion.