Title
Discuss Recommendations Related to Council Appointed Advisory Bodies
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Discuss recommendations related to City Council appointed advisory bodies and provide guidance related to recruitment processes and timelines.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss recommendations related to City Council appointed advisory bodies and provide guidance related to recruitment processes and timelines.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager, 360.753.8150
Presenter(s):
Stacey Ray, Assistant City Manager
Background and Analysis:
On May 14, 2025, the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee (CLPS) discussed the effectiveness of City Council appointed advisory bodies in meeting the communication and community engagement goals for which they were created.
Assistant City Manager Debbie Sullivan presented an extensive evaluation of the existing bodies that included analysis of advisory body works plans, referrals from Council, attendance and member survey results. Following discussion of the results, CLPS directed staff to continue the evaluation process, and to bring back recommendations on possible changes for the Committee's consideration.
In September 2025, the City contracted with Genevieve Canceko Chan to build upon the work previously completed by Assistant City Manager Sullivan, supplementing it with additional stakeholder meetings and further identifying systemic issues, barriers to participation, and common challenges for both staff and community participants. Her additional research included contacting other cities that had recently or were currently engaged in similar evaluations of their advisory bodies and meeting with council-appointed advisory body staff liaisons to share and receive feedback on draft recommendations.
On February 25, 2026, CLPS received a briefing on this work, including recommendations centered on two pathways for i...
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