Greetings,
One of the great joys of serving as your mayor is the extraordinary volume and quality of input I get from residents. Evanstonians are highly engaged and active, and the ideas I hear from people are instrumental in shaping my plans for our community.
Perhaps the most straightforward way for residents to share their input is, for some reason I don’t fully understand, arguably one of the most overlooked: service on a City board, commission or committee (BCC). BCCs focus on a broad range of topics, and their volunteer members research issues, craft policies, and ultimately advise our City Council on what actions to take.
Vacancies currently exist on a number of BCCs, including:
Citizen Police Review Commission
Equity and Empowerment Commission
Liquor Control Review Board
Minority, Women and Evanston-based Enterprise (MW/EBE) Development Committee
Parks & Recreation Board
Social Services Committee
As you can see, these BCCs touch on literally the most important things our government does, and so they represent a very real and meaningful opportunity to have your voice heard. I hope you’ll give the prospect of serving on a BCC a serious look, and that you’ll share this idea with others as well, so we draw from as broad and diverse a cross-section of our community as possible. The brief application is here.
Who should apply to serve on a board, commission or committee?
Whether you’re a certified expert or just passionate about a particular issue, serving on a BCC is a great way to share your expertise and enthusiasm. Although qualifications vary depending on the board, commission or committee, it’s critical in every case that our candidate pool is deep and diverse to ensure that BCCs are representative of the many voices in our city.
What is the time commitment?
Most BCCs meet monthly at a time agreed upon by members of the board, commission or committee.
How are BCC members chosen?
Board, commission and committee members are appointed by the mayor and are subject to approval by the City Council.
How can I apply?
Apply here to serve on a board, commission or committee. You can submit additional applications if you’re interested in serving on more than one. After completing the form, your application will be kept on file and considered as vacancies occur.
If serving on a BCC isn’t right for you, don’t worry – there are plenty of other ways to be involved. But even in that case, please do spread this application far and wide so nobody misses out on an opportunity to serve. Thank you for your continued partnership in our community’s success.
Sincerely,
Daniel Biss
Mayor, City of Evanston
dbiss@cityofevanston.org