Boards and Commissions Membership Appointment Policy

(Approved by Resolution No. 4162 on August 19, 2024)

The City Council is excited about residents serving as members of a board or commission in the City of Denison. As an interested citizen and/or community leader, you can provide an invaluable service to the City through your membership and participation. Board and commission members volunteer for many hours annually to help the City grow, by sharing their time and expertise, and learning more about City operations through their service. Boards and commissions are established to offer citizens an extraordinary opportunity to participate in the City’s governmental affairs and influence public policy in various areas. Denison has several boards, commissions and committees that endeavor to reflect the varied interests of our residents, including such subjects as parks, planning, library, zoning, downtown and historic preservation.

Structural Overview

Some of the City’s boards and commissions are “quasi-official”, such as the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals and the Planning and Zoning Commission, being required and established by State statute. Others result from provisions of the City Charter or from the City’s Code of Ordinances, and are only advisory in nature, as no authority exists to establish policy independent of City Council. However, all boards and commissions add value by helping guide some aspects of City government and by making recommendations on a wide range of topics that may eventually come before the City Council.

Boards and commissions are established to work with and through the City staff to develop policies, procedures and long-range planning of projects that will affect the area of interest. The City has a variety of advisory boards and committees, some of which are standing boards and committees (that remain in existence year-round) and some of which are ad-hoc boards and committees (which are created on an as needed basis, and which expire once the assigned work has been completed).

Member Expectations

Members of the City’s boards and commissions are governed by local and state guidelines and regulations that affect all boards and commissions, including, but not limited to, the State’s laws governing Open Meetings, Public Information/Open Records, Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest. Moreover, members of City boards and commissions are expected to conduct themselves, both on and off of the dais, so as to give no occasions for distrust or raise questions of integrity or professionalism.

Members of the City’s boards and commissions are also advocates of the City’s adopted Comprehensive Plan and all other applicable long-range planning policies and documents. Since members serve at the will and pleasure of the City Council, a demonstrable commitment to the long-range goals of the City is expected.

Eligibility

The following minimum qualifications apply to all prospective applicants seeking appointment to a board or commission:

• Residency. Applicants shall be a resident of the City prior to appointment to a board or commission, except where provided by State law, or where a vested interest in the well-being of the community otherwise qualifies the applicant, such as property or business owners pursuing appointment to the Main Street, Inc. or Main Street Advisory Board.

• Terms of Office. No person shall be appointed to nor eligible to serve on the same board, agency or commission of the City for more than three (3) consecutive two-year terms of office.

• Attendance. Board and commission members shall maintain an annual attendance record of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of all regularly and specially called meetings of such board or commission. Each board or commission shall review annually the attendance of members and report to the City Council any noncompliance, along with a recommendation of appropriate City Council action. In the event the City Council determines that any person subject to the requirements of this section has failed to meet such requirements, the City Council may declare such member’s seat to be vacant.

• Relevancy. Applicants should show some degree of qualification or special interest for participation on the board or commission for which they have applied.

• Ex-Officio. Each board and commission shall have Ex-Officio members as set forth in the City’s Code of Ordinances. Such Ex-Officio Members do not possess voting privileges unless otherwise authorized by state or local law.

• Nepotism. Applicants to sovereign boards or commissions may not be related, within the first two degrees, to an existing board member of the same board or commission.

• Opposition. Applicants should not be in arrears to the City for citations, fees, bills or taxes either at time of application or during term of service. Applicants should not be adverse parties to (nor employees of nor business associates of an adverse party with) pending litigation or a claim against the City or a City employee.

• Removal. The City Council may discretionarily remove any board or commission member at any time, with or without cause, including for, but not limited to, failure to adhere to attendance regulations, residency, or improper conduct unbefitting an appointed official of the City.

Appointment Process

Applications for all boards, commissions and committees can be accessed through the City’s website or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office. The open period for submitting applications for consideration for appointment to a board or commission is October 1 through October 31 annually. Applications are considered current for twelve (12) months after their original submittal, after which the application will not be considered eligible for appointment. After twelve (12) months, the applicant will need to submit a new application to be considered for future appointment to a board or commission.

For those citizens who are considering appointment to a board or commission, it is recommended that they contact the City Clerk to receive information on the approximate time commitment required, as well as the meeting times and places.

All applications received, including those from incumbents, will be reviewed and considered for interview. Interviews are typically held in November. Appointments are made in December and effective January 1, except where term effective dates differ, such as the Parks and Recreation Commission, Cemetery Advisory Board, etc. (These interviews will be conducted one month prior to the term start date and appointments will be made at the City Council meeting closest to the term start date.) The interview committee will be made up of four members, one Council Member, the City Manager, or their designee, the staff liaison and Board or Commission Chair for the board or commission for which an applicant is being considered.

If scheduling constraints or other circumstances prevent the interview committee from conducting applicant interviews, the committee may use an alternative evaluation process to ensure timely appointments. Under this process:

• All complete applications shall be circulated to each panel member for individual review.

• Each panel member shall independently score applicants using the established evaluation criteria approved for that board or commission.

• Scores from all panel members shall be compiled by the designated staff liaison or chair to produce a composite ranking of applicants.

• The panel may convene briefly—virtually or in person—to discuss the compiled scores and finalize recommendations.

• The alternative scoring process shall be applied uniformly to all applicants within the affected appointment cycle to ensure fairness and transparency

Onboarding

Members of boards and commissions are expected to attend all formal and informal orientation offerings by the City and its support staff. Some boards and commissions may receive specialized training.

Each board and commission member will receive a Boards and Commissions Policy Manual, which explains in more detail the responsibilities and expectations of your role as a member.

Meeting Management

City support staff serve as advisors and liaisons to boards and commissions and can provide research and administrative services; however, support staff shall not be tasked nor assigned work by board and commission members, as no authority exists to assign work to city staff. City support staff is responsible for the coordination, set-up and compliant posting of all meetings, agenda and minutes.

The City Council thanks you for your interest in serving in Denison and encourages you to continue to be involved with the community whether appointed at this time or not. Boards and commissions examine many of the vital issues that face our City, so you are encouraged to engage and become a part of the solution. You have an opportunity to help maintain and improve the quality of life that we desire in Denison.