City seeking interest for BCCs

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on September 7, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The City of Lethbridge is encouraging residents to take part on city council’s Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCCs) so they can make a difference in their community.

City councillor Belinda Crowson spoke to reporters Friday morning and said a recruitment campaign has started and those interested have until Oct. 4 to apply.

“If you want to make a difference in your community, we need you. We need you to volunteer for this, to give your opinions and to help us decide the future of our city,” said Crowson.

Each public role provides an opportunity to participate in the present and future direction of the city. Whether they are advisory, decision-making, quasi-judicial or governing roles, all of City Council values the input of residents appointed to these groups.

“If you are someone who has great ideas, your ideas are required to make Lethbridge as best we can be,” said Crowson.

 She said last year there was overwhelming support and she is hoping residents step up once again and apply. Last year there was a long wait as council sorted through the applications, but this year the process should go a bit smoother.

 “Last year you were waiting a long time to hear back from us. This time it’s going to be much more efficient and effective, so people will know very quickly if they’ve been accepted and we’ll make sure we match them up with the best possible board,” said Crowson.

Earlier this summer, council directed a review of their Boards, Commissions and Committees. This review is still ongoing and is scheduled to be before the Governance SPC on Oct. 24.

 “By the time people have applied they may be changing, but what we’re letting people know is that if you applied for one of the BCC’s that may change, we may ask if you’d consider another one,” said Crowson.

The Office of the City Clerk coordinates, on behalf of council, board member recruitment, appointments and training, as well as the establishment and classification of new committees and assists Council in developing guidelines for these bodies.

Ryan Westerson, Legislative Services Manager with the City Clerk’s office, said the time commitment for those who apply to serve on one of the BCCs may vary according to which one they are serving under.

“Something like the police commission, some of our volunteers may see 10, 20 or 30 hours in a month or even in a week type of commitment depending on what they are working on, while other committees, like those who advise council may see a less of a commitment,” said Westerson.

He said this does not mean other BCCs will have the same amount of hours all the time. He added that depending on what they work on through the year, those hours of commitment may increase.

“Something like our reconciliation advisory committee, being involved in the downtown reconciliation awards and other events like Sisters in Spirit, they might see more of a presence and more of a time commitment,” said Westerson.

Those interested are encouraged to refer to the BCC toolkit and list of Boards, Commissions and Committees for more information on eligibility, length of term, meetings times etc. 

For more information, people can contact the Office of the City Clerk through 311 or by email at committee@lethbridge.ca.