Charlotte Observer----
Boards let Citizens shape Policy
Hundreds of residents have a chance each month to steer issues like parks, zoning and water rates.
They do it by serving on the dozens of advisory boards and committees appointed by local governments.
For some, the volunteer work can be a steppingstone for higher office.
For most others, the boards offer a way to help shape decisions made in the city and county without the more substantial time commitment and cost of serving as an elected official.
Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said the advisory boards have “played a very important role in helping us formulate policy,” and have helped the county earn high marks from its rating agencies about public accessibility to government.
Appointments to the boards happen throughout the year, and both the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County currently are accepting applicants for vacancies that will be filled in the coming weeks.
While all the boards give their members an ear to the local political process, some committees are more popular and can wield more influence than others.
For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission reviews all petitions for zoning changes. And the joint Citizens Capital Budget Advisory Committee helps recommend how much in construction bonds voters are asked to approved.
Still others also help to shape growth and development in the community.
Members of the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee successfully pushed for a policy requiring the city to study whether a road is wide and safe enough for a bicycle lane when the street is being repaved, said chair Hal Bouton. Some committee members also helped shape a master plan around bicycling needs, approved by the city last year.
Bouton, a retired president of WTVI, said he signed up for the bicycling group as a way to help give back to the community. It's also given him an inside look at how many decisions about transportation are made.
City Councilman Warren Cooksey said he knew he wanted to run for office some day, and saw the planning commission as a way to learn more about land-use issues, which he called one of the most significant matters over which the council has control. He also served on the board for the Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Cooksey said his seven years on the planning commission let him give input into zoning and development decisions without worrying about the political pressure or concern that elected officials can face. He said that's helped him while on the council to think more about the long-term impact about proposals coming before the board and not “the pressure of the moment.”
While he and other local leaders laud the work of the advisory committees, they also acknowledge there is some room for improvement.
Some argue the boards aren't visible enough, and aren't always on the radar of the elected officials. Cooksey said a city council committee has been charged with looking at ways to make advisory boards more effective.
Others say they want to make sure the boards better reflect the local community. City Clerk Stephanie Kelly and others said they'd like to see more women seek appointment to the boards.
County commissioner Vilma Leake said she has encouraged some in her district to apply, adding she thinks many people don't realize the groups exist.
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Sources: Charlotte Observer, Charmeck.org, Google Maps
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