City seeking citizens to sit on its numerous boards, committees

The deadline is Jan. 31, at 4 p.m., for citizens to apply for a seat on one of 22 city boards, agencies, commissions and committees. Most are volunteer positions, city clerk Valerie Critchley said Wednesday.

They include city council’s development and heritage standing committee, which has a combination of city councillors and regular citizens. Three citizens are needed to deal with Planning Act issues such as zone changes for new developments, and five are needed for Heritage Act issues, such as an application to demolish a historic property. The committee meets the second Monday of each month and the members vote on recommendations that go to council for approval.

Other advisory committees to council that require volunteer citizens include the community public art advisory committee, the diversity committee, the housing advisory committee, the international relations committee, the mayor’s youth leadership team, the property standards committee, the seniors advisory committee, the Town and Gown committee dealing with university and college issues, the Transit Windsor advisory committee, the Windsor accessibility advisory committee, the Windsor bicycling committee and the Windsor-Essex County environment committee.

The city is also looking for citizens to sit on various agencies, boards and commissions, including: the committee of adjustment, court/committee of revision, Roseland Golf Club board of directors, Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corp., Windsor Essex Community Housing Corp., Windsor Licensing Commission, the Windsor Police Services Board, and the YQG (Windsor Airport) board of directors, which is a paid job.

You can apply online to these positions on the city’s website, and also add a resume and provide details on your education, experience and relevant credentials. The cityowned Enwin Group of companies, which provide electricity and water in Windsor, are also looking for citizen board members with the same Jan. 31 deadline.

The mandates of many of these committees and boards can be viewed on the city’s website. Critchley said usually a person is appointed to just one of the many boards and committees.

She said people may be attracted to this work because they want to give back to, or get involved in, their community. “Perhaps people have a particular passion or interest, such as accessibility, bicycling or heritage, that might lead them to be part of a committee,” she said. Council will decide on the appointments at a meeting of its striking committee, possibly on Feb. 25, she said.