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Volunteer working group recommends 28 changes to city boards and commissions, urges centralized support and formal review process
Summary
A volunteer Realignment Working Group delivered 28 recommendations to council to standardize advisory board roles, formalize review processes, centralize staff support (likely in the clerk's office) and expand measures to improve representation and accessibility for board members.
A volunteer Boards and Commissions Realignment Working Group presented 28 recommendations to the Asheville City Council that aim to standardize advisory board practices, improve alignment with council priorities and centralize operational support.
Elise Marter, speaking for the working group, said the recommendations grew from a membership survey and staff liaison survey, and emphasized formalizing goal‑setting, instituting regular board reviews, improving recruitment and accommodations, and creating a public database to track board recommendations. "We recommend that council reviews each board's annual goals and confirms that all board goals are aligned with council priorities," Marter said, and urged a transparent review process that does not automatically equate review with dissolution.
The group recommended centralizing logistical and operational support — likely within the city clerk’s office — while preserving departmental staff liaisons as subject matter experts. The working group highlighted underrepresentation of Black residents, people under 35 and people without four‑year degrees on boards and recommended options such as stipends, childcare, translation and alternative materials to reduce barriers to participation.
Members asked council to restart paused boards that have not met since the aftermath of recent storms, including the recreation board and the Citizens Police Advisory Committee, and to prioritize creation of a water advisory board as recommended by an independent water outage review. Marter said the group complied with open‑meetings law for its work and encouraged council committees to take up the proposed review and implementation steps; council members responded that follow‑up meetings will be scheduled in late April or early May.
The working group presentation did not trigger an immediate vote; council members thanked the volunteers and said staff and council will follow up on scheduling and next steps.
