The Cheatsheet for the Group Stage of the Manhattan Community Board Interview

Tips for confidently completing the group stage. Plus, helpful templates you can use!

When I applied, the group interview took place over Zoom (image source)

Note: In this post speak only for myself, not on behalf of Manhattan Community Board 3.

In my previous post, I wrote about Manhattan Community Boards, why you might consider joining, and how to apply. In this post, I’m giving tips on confidently completing the second stage of the interview process: the group interview.

What is the goal of the Group Interview?

I’ve receiving differing opinions on what the goal of the group interview is. Some that mentors have highlighted include:

1. Come off as a normal person who is not crazy 🙂

2. Show that you can work well in a group setting

3. Stand out and come away with artifacts

Note that I have never heard someone say that having deep domain knowledge is important to show off in the group interview. That said, you may encounter that. But this guide should allow you to nonetheless confidently navigate those conversations.

Scheduling

After the application submission deadline, I received a link from the BP’s office to choose a time for a two-hour virtual group interview.

Tip: I would consider choosing a later slot in case you have a fellow applicant who can let you know how the interview structure looks like before your interview.

The Overall Structure

For the 2024 Manhattan CB interview, we started off in a Zoom call of about 90 people. Someone from the Manhattan’s BP office will moderate. You are first asked to change your Zoom name to indicate which CB you are applying to, so I changed mine to “Zachary Thomas (CB3)”.

My memory is a little fuzzy but the schedule of the two-hour interview roughly broke down as:

1. Introduction (15 minutes)

2. Exercise 1: Board Budget simulation in Breakout room (30 minutes)

3. Presentations in the main call from each group about their solution (15 minutes)

4. Exercise 2: Land Use simulation in Breakout room (30 minutes)

5. Presentations in the main call from each group about their solution (15 minutes)

Tip: I only saw one person do this, but feel free to change your Zoom background to an iconic image from the district the CB you are applying to represents! Seems like an easy way to be more memorable.

Recommended Approach and Template for Budget Simulation

Some of the parts of city government that could get funded depending on priorities set in the Budget Simulation (source)

Before you are sent to your breakout room, you will receive the prompt for the Budget simulation. Here a link to the one I received: 2024 Board Budget Simulation doc

Your breakout room room will have ~15 people and have a group number (I was in Group #1, for example). One person in the breakout room will be a silent observer / assessor from the BP’s office, although they play no actual role in the exercise.

Tip: Note who the silent observer is. After the interview, feel free to email them a summary of your group’s discussion and responses alongside a thank-you note.

Here’s the ideal approach to the Budget Simulation question:

1. When you get dumped into the breakout room, be one of the first people to speak — welcome people in, be a friendly presence

2. Optional: suggest people take 3 minutes to read over the prompt and form a first draft of their budget allocation and come up with questions. There is a timer in the breakout room, so you can say to reconvene at 25 minutes on the timer, etc.

   1. In reality, the idea of silently reading may not be intuitive to your group, so people may start talking anyways — be ready for this, it’s fine

3. Feel free to speak up to keep the conversation moving. Especially if one person is hogging the conversation, you can facilitate the discussion some (e.g. “Hey Robert, thanks for sharing you view — Jane, we haven’t heard from you, what do you think?”).

4. Recommend that the group collaborate on a Google/Excel Spreadsheet to see what categories people prioritize. You can share your screen if people are receptive to that. Here’s a template you can copy for that: Board Budget Spreadsheet Template

   1. Tip: fill out everyone’s name in row X before sharing with the group so they can begin collaborating immediately

   2. Tip: back in the main call, you cab present the chart at the right of the template, or feel free to paste it into a slide to present for brownie points

5. At some point during this discussion, your group will have to choose one person to present the group’s findings to the main Zoom call. Especially if you already created and shared the spreadsheet, this is a great opportunity to nominate someone else in the call. Consider someone younger or underrepresented for the presenter role. Feel free to volunteer to share your screen while they talk through the top priorities in the main Zoom call.

   1. The presenter will only have a minute to present in the main call

Recommended Approach and Template for the Land Use Simulation

Image of proposed development from the 2024 Land Use Exercise

For me, this was the most difficult part of the interview — that said, there are some straightforward talking points you can confidently bring the discussion.

Here is the prompt: 2024 Manhattan CB Land Use Simulation doc

The ideal approach is similar to the previous question. Here are some extra things to consider:

• Try and get the group to answer each discussion question sequentially.

• Jotting down bullet points on a shared Google/Word doc works fine. For brownie points, you can do what I my group did and create a three slide deck to show the main call. Here’s a template you can use: Land Use Presentation Template

  • Tip: Question #1 is two-part. Focus more on the different stakeholders discussion than the initial “how” question

• Most groups phrased their final recommendation along the line of “Conditionally approve with the stipulations …”

  • Tip: I appreciated the Groups who made it clear they did not want the stipulations to stall approval or progress on the development

Possible Answers to the Stakeholders question

Here are some responses to have at the tip of your tongue:

• The developer itself

  • What is their track record of success?

  • Have they developed any other properties nearby?

• Prospective tenants

• The local arts community

• Schools

• Local businesses

• Local clergy

• If present, the Business Improvement District (BID)

• Similar projects nearby

• City Department feedback (Sanitation, Education, Human Services, etc.)

Possible Answers to Additional Information Needed question

• Additional information about the building

  • The allocation of unit layouts: how many studio, X bedroom units?

    • Does this align with the neighborhood need?

  • Can we get additional photos / renderings of the buildings? Only one provided

• Additional information about the development

  • If filed, what does the EAS/EIS (Environmental Assessment/Impact Statement) say?

  • What’s the 10/20 year plan for the building?

  • What is the line for affordability?

    • What percent of affordable units are neighboring developments?

  • Any letters of recommendation from neighbors or community organizations?

  • More details on how artists will be supported?

• Additional information about the nonprofit

  • Does the nonprofit have a track record of success?

  • Will the non-profit be renting or owning the space?

  • Since it is an event space: will there late night events / loud noise? Alcohol served?

• Additional information about the neighborhood?

  • Can the CB do a walking tour of the area around the proposed development?

  • What are the most accessible bike, bus, and subway lines?

After the Interview

For most people, this is the end of the Manhattan CB interview process. In 2024, applicants got notified in early May about their application outcomes.

According to the Manhattan BP’s office, an applicant may get interviewed by a City Council member’s office in case they want to offer one of their CB spots to the applicant.

What if you don’t get appointed?

As I mentioned in my first piece, the acceptance rate for new applicants to a CB is probably low, so don’t take it personally if you don’t get appointed! In fact, I’d encourage you to apply again next year if that’s of interest. I know people who were rejected the first time they applied but were successful in a later attempt.

You could also look into becoming a Public Member of a CB. I’m not sure there is a uniform definition of a Public Member, but for example in Manhattan CB2 they only participate in committees and not full board proceedings. The process for becoming a public member seems to vary board-to-board, but I think generally emailing or grabbing a coffee with your board’s chair is a good place to start.