Bakersfield City Clerk Julie Drimakis explains how residents can apply to serve on city boards and commissions

Bakersfield City Clerk Julie Drimakis and Assistant City Clerk Cari Cowling outlined how residents can apply to serve on local boards and commissions and described the roles those bodies play during an episode of the Something Better Podcast hosted by Eric Galvan.

The clerks said boards and commissions provide citizen expertise and recommendations to the city council and help manage specialized work such as land use, historic preservation, public safety oversight and vector control. “What the clerk’s office really does is we manage a lot of democratic processes,” Drimakis said, adding the office also ensures public access to records and serves as the city’s compliance and filing officer for the Political Reform Act, the Public Records Act and the Brown Act.

Cari Cowling, assistant city clerk, said her duties include coordinating Form 700 statements of economic interest and state-required ethics training and organizing Teen Government Day, which the clerks said will mark its 78th anniversary this November.

The clerks described several standing bodies and their functions. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews applications for locally significant historic sites and districts. The Planning Commission maintains and interprets Bakersfield’s general plan and offers recommendations for zoning and implementation. The Public Safety Vital City Services (PSVS) Citizens Oversight Committee reviews expenditures tied to a public-safety measure. Bakersfield also participates in a mosquito abatement and vector control district with trustees appointed by the county and by city councils; that board focuses on eliminating breeding areas through education and control measures.

Other bodies mentioned include civil service boards for police and fire that set employment rules, the Keep Bakersfield Beautiful Committee — a 16-member body that recommends policies and runs community cleanups — and the Youth Commission, made up of high-school students who identify youth needs and volunteer opportunities.

To apply, the clerks said residents should go to the City Clerk department page on bakersfieldcity.us and click the “boards, commissions and committees” link to open the city’s online portal. The portal lists each board’s description, meeting schedule and eligibility requirements and lets applicants copy a completed application into other open positions. Drimakis and Cowling said clerks perform an address verification, check other specific eligibility requirements where applicable, and compile a packet of applicants for mayor and city council review. Appointments are made at regularly scheduled council meetings; the clerks said the council’s appointment meeting currently takes place at 5:15 p.m.

Some seats are ward-specific and are filled by the council member representing that ward; most other vacancies are at-large and require only city residency. The Youth Commission allows students who either live in the city or attend school in the city to serve. The clerks said annual recruitment opens around October for terms that expire in December and that vacancies occur year-round when members resign or otherwise leave a post.

The clerks encouraged listeners who are interested to apply or to contact the City Clerk’s Office for help. They provided the main clerk’s office number (661) 326-3767 and the online portal on the City Clerk department page as the primary ways to begin the application.

The episode concluded with the host thanking the clerks and reminding listeners to subscribe to the podcast.