City commissioners reviewed three waiver requests tied to advisory-board appointments and pressed staff for clearer vetting and application information before bringing items back to the commission.

Commissioners said several waiver requests were prompted by applicants who live outside the city limits. Some applicants checked a box saying they “own a business” in the city, but staff later confirmed at least one of those businesses operates only online and lacks a physical storefront. Commissioner Kelly urged that applications require proof that a claimed city business is an established brick-and-mortar operation.

Shauna, staff, confirmed the city’s ordinances already permit waivers because some advisory boards have had trouble filling seats, particularly boards that need specific expertise or a quorum. “That was the purpose of the waivers,” Shauna said, noting some waivers request an additional term on boards where the applicant already serves as an alternate.

Commissioner Kelly pushed for clearer documentation on the agenda packet. “When we get these appointments, we’re assuming that everything has been vetted,” Kelly said, adding that commissioners should not have to reconstruct vetting from memory after an agenda review. Staff agreed to change the application form to ask explicitly for a brick-and-mortar business name and location when business ownership is claimed.

Commissioners also discussed whether residency requirements should remain strict so city residents have priority for advisory-board seats. One commissioner said the city should give residents first opportunity, while another urged flexibility where boards struggle to recruit qualified members.

Outcome and next steps: staff proposed pulling the waiver items from the upcoming agenda to revise the application form and to include a short vetting dossier in the packet that documents which eligibility checks were performed. The commission asked staff to return the items after those clarifications so commissioners can vote with complete information.