Title
Discussion of Recommendations Related to City Council Appointed Advisory Bodies
Recommended Action
Discuss recommendations related to City Council appointed advisory bodies.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss recommendations related to City Council appointed advisory bodies.
Staff Contact:
Margo Morales, Community Engagement Program Specialist, Organizational Development and Performance, 360.753.8150
Presenter(s):
Margo Morales, Community Engagement Program Specialist
Background and Analysis:
The City is committed to meaningful and inclusive engagement. Council Appointed-Advisory Bodies are a key component of this effort, providing community perspectives to support City Council in formulating public policy and making decisions on specific programs. The City of Olympia currently has 14 standing bodies with nearly 100 volunteers.
Over time, engagement strategies have adapted based on experience and the development of more sophisticated tools and techniques A comprehensive evaluation of Council-Appointed bodies hasn’t been performed, so in 2025 staff undertook an evaluation an analysis to learn if there are opportunities to enhance their effectiveness.
On May 14, 2025, the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee (CLPS) discussed the findings of an analysis on Council Appointed Advisory Bodies. The purpose of the analysis was to assess the effectiveness of how well Council Appointed Bodies are serving the Council, Staff, and volunteer members. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee directed staff to recommend strategies to improve the effectiveness of council appointed bodies and outlined the following four goals:
1. Community members provide meaningful input to guide policy and decision-making
2. Ensure equitable and inclusive engagement
3. The experience of community members is impactful
4. Resources to support advisory bodies are sustainable
In September 2025, the City contracted with Genevieve Canceko Chan to complete a comprehensive review of the City’s current public engagement and advisory body systems and to identify opportunities to improve. Genevieve built upon the work previously presented to CLPS, supplementing it with additional stakeholder meetings, and further identifying systemic issues, barriers to participation, and common challenges for both staff and community participants. She also contacted other cities that had recently, or were currently, engaged in similar evaluations of their advisory bodies. She also met with council appointed advisory body staff liaisons to share and receive feedback on draft recommendations.
On February 25, 2026 staff updated CLPS which included sharing recommendations focused on two general themes: improvements to the current system focused on administrative process improvements, and a scenario that introduces additional engagement opportunities and multidisciplinary approach to some of the Advisory Bodies. At the conclusion of the briefing, CLPS directed staff to further explore these recommendations.
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Social Justice and Equity Commission (SJEC) to provide feedback to staff on these recommendations, with particular attention on how they address equitable and inclusive engagement. The Commission’s feedback will inform the final draft recommendation which will be presented to CLPS on May 27, 2026.
Climate Analysis:
This discussion is not expected to have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
Public engagement that is equitable and inclusive of diverse community member perspectives is foundational to building trust in government, formulating effective policies, and developing programs that best meet community needs and priorities. The assessment of the current advisory body system is intended to identify barriers to participation and explore additional engagement strategies to allow for more diverse perspectives to be represented in Council and staff decision-making.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The Olympia community has a high interest in participating in local government decision making. Advisory bodies have historically provided opportunities for more direct Council engagement with the community around policy decisions and Council decision-making. Over the last several years, however, staff and Council have explored and experienced success in using a variety of other ways in which to engage community members, broadening the voices and perspectives represented in planning efforts and community conversations.
Options:
Discussion only.
Financial Impact:
There is no cost associated with the action. To reduce barriers to community member participation, the City offers stipends of $25 per advisory body meeting attended to eligible members. Those members who certify as low income are eligible to receive stipends of $50 per meeting attended. Advisory body members may waive the stipend. In 2025, the total cost of stipends was $11,425.
Attachments:
None