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Committee reviews boards and commissions structure, discusses virtual options and outreach to applicants
Summary
City staff reviewed the types and administration of appointed boards and commissions and outlined next steps including bylaws review, outreach to applicants and research into virtual meeting options for advisory bodies.
City staff provided the Transparency, Engagement and Communication Committee with an overview of the city’s appointed boards and commissions, the statutory origins of some bodies, and potential next steps to standardize procedures and increase public participation.
The city attorney described three categories of appointed bodies: legislative (the Planning and Zoning Commission), quasi-judicial (the Board of Adjustment and the Historic Preservation Commission) and advisory (other appointed boards and commissions). The attorney noted that some boards are created by state statute and others by the city code.
Sandra Keaney, city clerk, reviewed administrative practices for appointments and vacancies, including that applications are kept on file for two years and that the clerk’s office maintains vacancy reports and rosters on a OneDrive accessible to council. Keaney highlighted specific bodies listed in the presentation, including the High Point Housing Authority and the Guilford County Historic Preservation Commission, and said vacancy reports identify council members responsible for appointments and expiration dates.
The committee discussed virtual meeting options for appointed bodies. The city attorney explained that the municipal authority to hold remote meetings largely arose during declared state emergencies and that, outside an emergency declaration, the legal authority for routine virtual meetings is unclear. The attorney said advisory boards might present opportunities for virtual options because their recommendations are not binding in the same way legislative or quasi-judicial bodies’ decisions are.
Councilmembers discussed outreach and how to encourage applicants. Keaney said the clerk’s office could assist with promoting openings and put interested residents in contact with staff liaisons. The clerk and attorney said they would begin visiting boards and commissions to gather and review bylaws, assess operations and develop operational recommendations to bring back to the committee if improvements are needed.
The presentation also noted an annual gender-equity report the city files with the state (submitted by September each year) and that the reporting requirement dates to 1999; the clerk said the requirement is a reporting obligation rather than a sanctionable compliance threshold.
No formal action was taken; staff said they would research virtual meeting options for advisory boards, review bylaws, and prepare operational recommendations where appropriate.
