To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Thru: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Shannon Eklund, Executive Assistant
Title
Update: Annual Recruitment of Citizen Volunteers to Town Boards and Commissions
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
Each year, the Town of Castle Rock solicits applications from citizens interested in volunteering to serve on the Town’s Boards and Commissions. Town Council has previously adopted a policy (Attachment A) outlining the process for recruitment, interview and appointment of citizens to these vacancies. Recruitment information is also provided in the Council packet each time an appointment is brought to Council for approval.
In April 2025, there are approximately 35 upcoming vacancies on the Town’s 11 Boards and Commissions (Attachment B). The recruitment timeline in this memo proposes an application period through April 28, then interviews with applicants during the Special Council Meeting on May 13, and recommended appointments would be presented for Council action on May 20.
Staff is also welcoming input from Council as to whether the current practices should be continued, or whether there are changes or amendments to the practices which Council would like to implement.
History
At the April 6, 2016 Town Council meeting, the Town Clerk presented an overview of the interview and appointment process for Board and Commission members and sought Council direction whether to continue or change the process (DIR 2016-012).
On March 28, 2017, Council approved a Resolution Adopting a Policy Regarding the Process for Appointment of Citizen Volunteers to the Town Boards and Commissions (RES 2017-033).
On May 7, 2019, Council approved Resolution 2019-048 (Attachment A) amending the Policy to provide that the Town Manager’s Office assumed overseeing and coordinating this process, rather than the Town Clerk.
On February 1, 2022, Council approved Ordinance 2022-033 amending Town Code regarding the residency requirement as “preference is given to Town of Castle Rock residents, followed by those who reside outside Town but within Douglas County”, and other changes regarding membership, term-limits and bylaws.
The majority of the Town’s Boards and Commissions have terms which run from June 1-May 31. Most commission members serve staggered two-year terms (three term limited), and with the exception of the Board of Building Appeals and the Election Commission, which are limited to two three-year terms; and, the Historic Preservation Board which is limited to two four-year terms, in accordance with Section 2.14.020B of the Municipal Code.
The Design Review Board has one-year terms for members representing the Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Downtown Development Authority Board; and two-year terms for two Downtown property owners, with a two-term limit. The Downtown Development Authority Board has four-year terms, with a two-term limit. Partial terms served of less than one-half of a term do not count toward term limits.
In order to maintain staggered terms, each board and commission has some vacancies each year. Town Code also requires that current members of a board or commission who wish to continue serving must apply for reappointment.
Process Overview
Annual recruitment typically starts in early April. A display advertisement is placed in the Castle Rock News-Press, inviting candidates to submit an application online at CRgov.com/Boards. Additionally, an advertisement is posted on all of the Town’s social media outlets and in a press release, and is included in the Your Town Talk newsletter which is distributed with water bills. Each year, the Town receives on average 60-70 applications during the recruitment period.
Traditionally, interviews are conducted at Town Hall during a Special Council Meeting in the second week of May, by interview panels comprised of the Board/Commission Chair or designee, the Council liaison, and the staff liaison. Recommended appointments are then voted on at the Council meeting in the third week of May, to be effective June 1.
Proposed Timeline
Staff is proposing the following schedule for the 2025 Annual Recruitment for Town Boards and Commissions:
April 1-28: Applications Open - active advertising, social media posts
April 28: Applications Close at end of business day
April 28-May 8: Review applications, schedule interviews with candidates
May 8: Council Packet - Interview schedules finalized
May 13: Special Council Meeting for Interviews - In person at Town Hall in various conference rooms; Alternate dates may be scheduled as needed
May 20: Town Council Meeting - Appointments ratified, effective June 1
June 17: Town Council Meeting - Additional appointments of representatives on Design Review Board and Downtown Development Authority Board
In recent years, some boards have opted to schedule alternate interview dates based on best availability of the interview panel and the volume of applications received, so that the Council Liaison may participate in all interviews for their designations (Attachment C). The interview panel may also opt to accommodate remote participation. Staff would like to poll Council interest in either of these options for this year.
Attachments
Attachment A: Resolution 2019-048 Process for Town Boards and Commissions Appointments
Attachment B: Roster of Current Boards and Commissions Members/Terms
Attachment C: 2025 Council Liaison Designations