Island County commissioners are considering ways to increase diversity on volunteer-led advisory boards.
During a work session last month, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager Kenesha Lewin led a presentation recommending best equity practices for the boards. Among the suggestions includes providing a family-friendly environment – so board members can access child care, food and snacks during meetings – and providing compensation for gas, mileage and time.
Reevaluating time commitments, location and travel was another recommendation. During the meeting, Commissioner Melanie Bacon spoke about the importance of the Planning Commission, in particular, meeting later in the day instead of at 2 p.m. Fellow Commissioner Jill Johnson agreed things had to change and that it was difficult for people to participate. She pointed out that when meetings are held during the work day, that means board members either don’t work, own their own business or have enough seniority at their job to attend.
Since then, the Planning Commission appears to have heeded the commissioners’ advice, and beginning in October plans to start meeting at 6 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
Part of the commissioners’ discussion revolved around the prevalence of South Whidbey community members – mostly retirees – who are part of the advisory boards.
“We want young people, we want working people, we want families, we want people from all economic perspectives,” Bacon said in an interview with the South Whidbey Record this week.
Johnson, whose district encompasses the greater Oak Harbor area, expressed concern that not enough North Whidbey residents are represented on the boards.
County commissioners appoint members to the advisory boards. They cover a wide variety of topics, from use of lodging tax funds to historic preservation to resources for veterans. A good number focus on environmental issues, such as salmon recovery, mosquito abatement and noxious weeds. Some require members to be from certain parts of the island.
Currently there are vacancies on the Civil Service Commission, the Community Health Advisory Board and the Housing Authority of Island County, among several other boards.
Bacon noted that the Clinton and Coupeville Ferry Advisory Committees, which both have openings, are especially important in representing the voices of citizens.
“Serving on an advisory board is really a great way for citizens to get a better handle on really what their government does, and have a place that they themselves can contribute in a real tangible way,” she said.
For a full list of advisory boards and current vacancies, visit islandcountywa.gov/567/Boards-and-Commissions. To apply to serve on a board, download and complete an application form and submit it with a letter of interest and a list of qualifications via email to Taylor Cavender, the deputy clerk for the Board of Island County Commissioners, at tm.cavender@islandcountywa.gov.
