Do you want to have a voice in the City’s growth and future? Through a variety of boards and commissions established by Asheville City Council, citizens can provide input on the policies that shape their government and their City.
Among board openings this month are those for two newly formed groups.
NEW: Human Relations Commission of Asheville (HRCA)
HRCA duties include, but are not limited to: 1) Making policy recommendations to the City Council which promote and improve human relations and advance equity in the City; 2) Supporting the City’s Office of Equity and Inclusion; 3) Providing a forum where residents can raise issues and complaints relating to human relations in the City; 4) Engaging the community regarding the utilization of City-funded programs and policies for the promotion of human relations; and 5) Promoting and improving human relations and advance equity in the following areas: public safety; educational, art and cultural opportunities; economic development; health and human services; and housing. Members will be eligible to serve two consecutive two-year terms.
Applicants must fill out an application form AND a HRCA application form. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. May 14.
NEW: I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee
The I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee was established as an ad hoc committee to gather information and ideas about aesthetics to make the I-26 Connector project a cohesive and integrated part of Asheville.
The Aesthetics Committee shall serve as a voice for interested parties represented by the Aesthetics Committee members and provide recommendations to the City about the aesthetics treatments. The new committee will typically meet on a monthly basis with special meetings on a case-by-case basis for an estimated one year period.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. June 11.
For more information, visit the I-26 Connector Project webpage.
Openings on existing boards
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT – Alternate Member- The Board 1) hears and decides applications for approval of variances from the terms of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), except where the UDO places responsibility for hearing or considering such a variance with another body; 2) hears and decides appeals from any order, requirement, permit, decision, or determination issued or made by an administrative officer of the City in enforcing any provisions of the UDO; 3) services as the City’s Housing Code Appeals Board; and 4) performs such additional powers and duties as may be set forth elsewhere in the UDO and in other laws and regulations.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. May 7.
HOMELESS INITIATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE – Preference will be given to a currently homeless, or formerly homeless candidate. The purpose of the Committee is to: 1) Serve as an advisory body, in collaboration with the Asheville-Buncombe Homeless Coalition, to the Asheville City Council or its designated subcommittee for the NC 501 Continuum of Care; 2) Address homelessness through a coordinated community‐based process of identifying needs and building a system of housing and services that meet those needs; 3) Foster a community‐wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; 4) Secure funding and make recommendations for allocations to support efforts to quickly re‐house individuals and families who are homeless, which minimizes the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; 5) Ensure access to and effective use of mainstream programs; and Promote self‐sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness; 6) Collect data and conduct research and investigation into issues around homelessness, including local causes and effects; 7) Formulate and make recommendations to local governmental entities and social service agencies to reduce the incidence of homelessness; and 8) Act as a clearinghouse for information on local homelessness issues.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. May 7.
How to apply
If you are interested in serving on a Boards or Commission, download an application or request one from the city clerk’s office. After your application is received, you will receive a receipt of application e-mail. If you do not receive that receipt within a day after submittal, please contact Deputy City Clerk Sarah Terwilliger at sterwilliger@ashevillenc.gov or 828-259-5839 to make sure that your application has reached the City Clerk’s Office. Once an application is received, the City will place your name on the resource list for the particular board. When vacancies occur, the City Council will review the resource list and schedule interviews. You will be contacted directly if it is necessary for you to interview for an appointment.
For more information, visit the City of Asheville’s Boards and Commissions webpage.