Volunteer Opportunities on City Boards, Committees and Commissions

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The Yakima City Council is seeking volunteers interested in serving on City of Yakima boards, committees, and commissions:

  • Arts Commission and Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee each have one opening.
  • Board of Appeals currently has two available openings and three upcoming openings.
  • Community Integration Committee has four openings (including two youth openings) and two upcoming openings.
  • Henry Beauchamp Advisory Committee and Tree City USA Board each have two upcoming openings.
  • Housing Authority has one upcoming opening.
  • Parks and Recreation has three openings (including one youth opening) and one upcoming youth opening.
  • Planning Commission has one opening and three upcoming openings.

It is the responsibility of the City Council to appoint people to serve on the governing bodies of those organizations.

More about the volunteer opportunities:

  • There is no residency requirement for the Arts Commission, whose members serve four-year terms.  The community member shall be from diverse backgrounds and shall have no vested interest in any particular art or cultural endeavor.
  • The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has seven members.  Members serve a three-year term and must live within the Yakima city limits.
  • There are seven members on the Board of Appeals who serve three-year terms. The board currently requires a mechanical contractor or a developer to fill one of its vacancies and a building industry individual to fill the other.
  • Positions on the Community Integration Committee serve four-year terms while youth positions serve two-year terms. Youth applicants must live within Yakima city limits and be between the ages of 16-22 at the time of appointment. Appointments shall be made to ensure that varied community perspectives are represented to the extent possible.
  • There are seven members of the Henry Beauchamp Community Center Advisory Board, all of whom serve four-year terms and must live within Yakima city limits. This board holds quarterly meetings and makes recommendations to the center operator and the City regarding management policies, operations, maintenance, and capital improvement needs.
  • The Housing Authority has five members. Members serve a five-year term and City of Yakima residency is not required. Members meet every fourth Wednesday at the Housing Authority Office.
  • Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission must live within Yakima city limits and youth members must be between 16-22 years of age at the time of appointment in order to be eligible to serve a two-year term.  Currently, there are two vacancies and one youth vacancy.
  • There are seven members of the Planning Commission, all of whom serve four-year terms and must live within Yakima city limits or own a business or real property within city limits. The Planning Commission meets twice monthly and works on long range planning issues within city limits.
  • The Tree City USA Board consists of five members and two terms are expiring. People with experience related to trees and other plantings, specifically those with training as arborists, are encouraged to apply.

Additional information on the duties and responsibilities of each committee can be found at https://www.yakimawa.gov/council/boards-commissions/.

Anyone interested in applying for openings can download an application from the City of Yakima website – https://www.yakimawa.gov/council/assets/Application-form-for-City-of-Yakima-Boards-and-Commissions.pdf

Contact City Clerk Sonya Claar Tee by phone, 509-575-6037, or e-mail, sonya.claartee@yakimawa.gov, for more information about current or future openings on City of Yakima boards, committees, or commissions.

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