Olympia receives 99 applications to fill 28 advisory committee vacancies for 2024

Olympia accepted a total of 64 individual applicants to fill 28 vacancies across various advisory boards and committees, Strategic Communications Director Kellie Braseth announced at the Community Livability and Public Safety meeting on January 24.

Braseth said 99 applications were received, with some applicants applying for multiple committees.

"The community members can apply for several committees with one application," she explained.

Braseth breaks down the number of vacancies and applications they received for the 2024 advisory board and commissions:

• Arts Commission - three vacancies, with 15 applications
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee – four vacancies, with 15 applications
• Cultural Access Board – one vacancy, three applications
• Design Review Board – two vacancies, 11 applications
• Heritage Commission – five vacancies, five applications
• Metropolitan Park District Advisory – one vacancy, two applications
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee – three vacancies, 14 applications
• Planning Commission – three vacancies, 11 applications
• Social Justice and Equity Commission – one vacancy, 11 applications
• Utility Advisory – three vacancies, two applications
• Use of Force Board – two vacancies, ten applications. Braseth said she has yet to confirm to the Olympia Police District if the vacancy is two or three.

Braseth noted that she saw a pattern where many eligible members for reappointment to specific commissions chose to avoid seeking reappointment. She said these members were either stepping off the commissions or ending their terms soon.

The Communications director said it was unusual compared to typical patterns for those commissions.

Braseth cited the Arts Commission, where many members did not seek reappointment and opted to end their terms.

For the Heritage Commission, Braseth said four positions were eligible for reappointment. However, of those four positions, only the chair chose to be reappointed.

The application period for the advisory committee positions closed on December 15. Braseth said the advisory committees are screening all the applications received to develop interview recommendations to present to the CLPS by February 15.

However, Braseth requested reopening recruitment for the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) position. She noted a particular need for more applications for the UAC.

As Braseth suggested, the committee agreed to reopen applications for the UAC position for another three weeks.

The committee also agreed to hold the advisory committee interviews remotely on March 18 and 20.