City of Duluth Still Looking for Public Board, Commission Members

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth is still looking for Duluthians to fill openings on their boards, commissions, and authorities.

Over a dozen of them have one or multiple spots available for people to help decide how city services could operate this year.

“There’s everything from what the airport’s doing,” says Public Information Officer Kate Van Daele, “to being involved with the DECC, to our zoning opportunities that we have in our planning commission, to the trails and other programs that we have coming out of parks.  So really a huge gambit of targets.”

Unlike how non-profits select their board members, Van Daele says all those interested in applying to a city volunteer position will go through an approval process.  “You don’t need board experience to apply.  That’s one of the things that we look for to bring a more diverse lens to each of these boards and commissions.  We’re review the applications and contact them.  They’ll go through kind of an interview process, and then we will put them forward to council for people that we’re asking for them to approve.”

Van Daele says taking part helps people learn more about their work, while also learning more about what the public wants. “A lot of times we hear a lot of positive remarks from those that are participating.  They want to participate again.  Some want to participate in more than one.  So I think, again, it’s just a great opportunity for people to get involved in their community, help make decisions on what’s happening here, and also feel valued as a community member.”

People can go to the city’s website to find out which boards, commissions, and authorities have current openings.  Van Daele is encouraging people to only apply for those positions, and monitor the website for other opportunities in the future.