The Yakima City Council is seeking volunteers interested in serving on City of Yakima boards, committees, and commissions. The Community Review Board and Tree City USA Board each have one available position.  There is one vacant youth position on the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Historic Preservation Commission has three vacancies and the Board of Appeals currently has two available openings. It is the responsibility of the City Council to appoint people to serve on the governing bodies of those organizations. The following boards and commissions have term expirations in June and may have positions vacant:  Arts Commission, Henry Beauchamp Jr. Advisory Board and Parks and Recreation Commission.

There is no residency requirement for members of the Community Review Board, but the positions must represent different aspects of the public as a whole.  Currently there is a vacancy on the board for a representative of the healthcare community.

The Tree City USA Board consists of five members and must live within Yakima city limits. People with experience related to trees and other plantings, specifically people with training as arborists, are encouraged to apply, although not all positions on the board require such experience.

Youth members of the Parks and Recreation Commission must live within Yakima city limits and be between 16-22 years of age at the time of appointment in order to be eligible to serve a two-year term.   

There are seven members of the Historic Preservation Commission, all of whom serve four-year terms and must live within Yakima city limits. Currently there are three vacancies on the commission, which shall include at least three professionals who have experience in identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic resources and are selected from among the disciplines of history, architecture, architectural history, landscape architecture, historic preservation, planning, folklore, cultural anthropology, prehistoric and historic archaeology, American studies, curation, traditional building crafts, the practice of historic rehabilitation or restoration, finance and banking, law, real estate, or related disciplines.

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.

There are no residency requirements for the current openings on the Arts Commission, whose members serve four-year terms.  The possible available positions on the commission needs to be filled by a community member. The community members shall be from diverse backgrounds and shall have no vested interest in any particular art or cultural endeavor.

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. The board holds quarterly meetings and makes recommendations to the center operator and the City regarding management policies, operations, maintenance, and capital improvement needs. The appointees are based upon the recommendation of the board of directors.

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 – or can pick up an application at the City Clerk’s office at Yakima City Hall.

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