Helping Hands: Setting City Boards and Commissions Up for Success

By Suzy Frisch

Municipal boards and commissions can be a city government’s most helpful resource or a persistent challenge. These citizen bodies often help city leaders and staff make informed decisions and train residents for future roles in government. But they can also struggle when they lack a clear mission or when members aren’t given the tools to participate effectively.

Cities big and small have the potential to gain a great deal from their advisory groups. The key is investing time to ensure that these groups have enough members and that participants are well-trained and given clear directions, said Amber Eisenschenk, managing counsel for research with the League of Minnesota Cities.

“When commissions, committees, and boards are working well, they have great goals. Achieving them can help the city get a lot more work done,” Eisenschenk said. “Councils get more perspectives on a community’s interests and needs and take them into account when they make decisions. These groups can be a positive way to get the community more involved in government operations.”

Some commissions have more power than others, like an economic development authority, while others are purely advisory. Typically, smaller cities might have two to five boards, while larger municipalities often have dozens or more. Regardless, these panels open doors for residents to lead and share feedback, building trust between cities and their communities.

As Eisenschenk notes, these groups don’t operate on their own. They need dedicated staff time and support. Fortunately, supporting them well doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focusing on a few critical areas can help cities get the most from their boards and commissions.

Set clear goals and objectives

City leaders should determine want kind of guidance they want from a board or commission and define its scope. The group’s mission, responsibilities, and relationship to the city council should be documented.

“Not having clear goals can be a challenge,” Eisenschenk said. “Some boards and commissions have always been there, so it’s known. Others aren’t really sure what their charge is.”

She recommends that cities evaluate all their existing panels. “Look at whether they are helpful and providing good insight into city operations, and what they could be doing better. Have a conversation about what might be consolidated or realigned or have different goals, and make sure the goals are clear.”

If a board has run its course and accomplished its objectives, there’s nothing wrong with decommissioning it. “The tendency is to keep everything ever created. There probably was a great reason to start it,” Eisenschenk said. “If the council decides that a committee has met its goals, communicate that to committee members, thank them for their service, and perhaps have a conversation about whether they are interested in doing something else.”

Get members ready to serve

Once citizens join a board or commission, it’s vital to prepare them for their roles. Do a session of onboarding to go over the panel’s objectives, relevant data practices, Open Meetings Law requirements, and parliamentary procedure. Eisenschenk recommends offering this training annually as a refresher for all members.

Cities may also find it helpful to host regular training sessions for members, either annually or quarterly, to cover specific topics in more detail. Presiding officers should also be trained in how to guide respectful conversations and provided tools they can use for managing meetings if they become heated, she said.

Set expectations

Clear expectations help resident members contribute meaningfully and act appropriately in their roles. Cities should outline clear expectations around attendance, participation, preparation, and decorum.

“It’s important for them to be able to reach the goals that the council is going for,” Eisenschenk said. “Making sure they understand their powers and limits is important to avoid frustration.”

Communicate clearly and consistently

A lack of communication is a common point of frustration for commission members. Commission members can become frustrated if they feel disconnected from the city council or unsure of their purpose. Assigning a staff or council liaison can help bridge the gap.

“That is the biggest gripe we hear from advisory board members — the lack of communication. They aren’t sure what they are supposed to be doing as far as their goals or the work they hope to deliver,” Eisenschenk said. “They want to make sure they are being included in the process and that the work they are doing is being recognized.”

Bring in new voices

Many cities benefit from experienced board and commission members. But it’s also important to continue to invite new participants with fresh perspectives. Some local governments have gotten creative in how they advertise openings.

They might hold commission or council meetings at a school, faith-based location, or community center and encourage audience members to get involved. They also can boost participation by holding remote meetings — thanks to an expanded state law that allows public bodies to participate from anywhere as long as one member is in the normal meeting room.

“Cities can get stuck in a rut with the same people volunteering for everything,” Eisenschenk said. “These are great people, but we want to make sure we’re getting even more people involved in the process.”

A highly engaged population

Red Wing has a long history of resident involvement in boards, committees, and commissions. In recent years, the city has strengthened its effectiveness by creating a solid infrastructure to support them, said City Clerk Melissa Hill.

Today, Red Wing’s 11 boards — covering areas like housing, historic preservation, arts and culture, library services, and sustainability — include nearly 100 resident participants.

“Red Wing has always had a strong culture of citizen involvement in lots and lots of areas. We’re a thriving arts community that’s driven by volunteers,” Hill said. “People in Red Wing tend to be very politically aware and engaged. For us, engaging citizens has been crucial in making policy that citizens agree with.”

Every group meets monthly, alternating between workshop sessions and formal decision-making meetings. A designated city staff member and a City Council member attend, with the council member serving as an adviser and information resource. The councilor also helps communicate the board’s work to the full City Council, serving as liaison and sharing information like what the commission is working on, what decisions it’s made, and pending issues or concerns.

Another critical move involved adding two new positions to centralize core board and committee duties instead of spreading responsibilities among their assigned staff. In 2018, Red Wing created an administrative support manager role, which Hill was the first to hold. This staff member publishes meeting notices, recruits members, coordinates onboarding, and manages communications, including through the city’s public access channel. The city later added a public information and engagement officer to take a broader, policy-level view of board operations.

“That has made a significant improvement by looking at old policies that weren’t serving us well,” Hill said.

Red Wing also takes a flexible approach to structuring its boards. In recent years, it reduced its number of boards from 14 to 11 to streamline operations. The city retired its youth commission, which struggled with membership during the pandemic, and reorganized its airport commission into a committee, since federal regulations limit its role.

To have a strong system of advisory boards, Hill emphasizes the importance of training. Participants gain an understanding of their mission and how being on a municipal commission differs from other kinds of boards. That way, they know how to best serve the City Council and Red Wing overall.

“Onboarding is key,” she adds. “If you’re going to have the boards and dedicate staff, then dedicate the staff time to run them well.”

Suzy Frisch is a freelance writer.