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Commission debates loosening geographic membership rule as vacancies persist
Summary
Commissioners discussed amending ordinance 277 to ease geographic membership requirements after repeated vacancies; several members favored filling seats at-large now and reviewing geographic quotas later, and the commission agreed to place a brief membership status item on the next agenda.
The Community Engagement Commission discussed potential changes to ordinance 277 governing membership geography after describing persistent vacancies and difficulty recruiting representatives from all neighborhoods.
Commissioners said the commission currently has seven members but the ordinance anticipates nine seats and a mix of geographic-designated and at-large positions. Several commissioners argued it is better to fill vacant seats at-large now rather than delay work while seeking nominees from specific neighborhoods.
"I think it's better to fill a position now than to leave two open," one commissioner said, advocating appointing at-large members while preserving geographic preferences for the future. Other commissioners urged preserving geographic diversity and suggested measures such as outreach to homeowners associations in underrepresented neighborhoods and an "if-empty-for-X-days" clause that would allow an at-large appointment after a vacancy remains unfilled for a fixed period.
No ordinance change was proposed or adopted at the meeting. The commission agreed to keep the discussion alive and to add a brief membership-status and recruitment item to the next agenda; one commissioner said they would draft an outline for an annual report and budget in advance of the August deadline.
Commissioners also discussed helping recruit at the Winterglow town hall and farmers market, and staff said they will provide forms and application materials at outreach events. The commission did not vote on an ordinance amendment and will return to the topic with concrete proposals if recruitment shortfalls continue.
