The city has 33 positions up for appointment by City Council or Mayor Jeff Cheney, including spots on the boards of the Planning & Zoning Commission, Economic Development Corporation and Visit Frisco.
“We like each board to be balanced and diverse, and even [have] a diversity of thought,” Cheney said. “Part of [that] goes into the makeup of the current board and what we think may be missing. But really, the main thing we're looking at is people that are going to put the time and effort into it because there's more people that apply than we have positions for.”
Cheney said Frisco has had more than 100 applicants for board positions in past years.
“We hear from other communities [that] they struggle to find people willing to step up and volunteer,” he said. “That's never been an issue here in Frisco. We have an abundance of residents that want to raise their hand and give back to their community.”
Positions up for appointment include:
• Four seats on the Board of Adjustments/Construction Board of Appeals;
• Two positions on the Community Development Corporation board;
• Three spots on the Downtown Advisory Board;
• Two seats on the Economic Development Corporation board;
• Two positions on the Housing Authority Board;
• Three spots on the Parks and Recreation Board;
• Two seats on the Planning & Zoning Commission;
• Three positions on the Public Art Board;
• Three spots on the Social Services and Housing Board;
• Three spots on the Urban Forestry Board; and
• Six positions on the Visit Frisco board.
“A lot of [the positions] can be pretty significant time commitments, not just in the number of meetings, but really just to get up to speed on the subject matter of the board,” Cheney said. “Some boards like Planning and Zoning and Parks [and Recreation] require site visits and sometimes out of town visits to look at projects to develop that knowledge and skill to be able to make recommendations to us.”
All open positions are appointed by council except for the Housing Authority Board positions, which are appointed by the mayor. Those appointed will begin their terms Oct. 1. All board appointments are two-year terms, except the Planning & Zoning Commission, Community Development Corporation board and Economic Development Corporation board, which have three-year terms.
Council is scheduled to make appointments to the boards and commissions during its Sept. 15 meeting.
Those interested in applying must have lived in the city for at least a year and be a qualified registered voter. The online application asks for a resume and responses to four essay questions for each board to which they wish to apply.
In addition to the board and commission seats, Cheney said there are always other opportunities for people to volunteer with the city.
“Even if a board and commission isn't the right fit for them, we still want them reaching out so we can get everyone plugged in into an area that they're passionate about,” he said.
One of the positions up for appointment by council from the Visit Frisco board is the seat vacated when Jason Young resigned earlier this month. Council accepted his resignation from the board during its July 7 meeting because his business Verona Villa qualified for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding, which is administered by the city.
“As part of our ethics policy, it says that an elected board or someone on a board or commission is not eligible for CARES funding while they sit on a board,” Cheney said before council accepted Young’s resignation. “We certainly respect Mr. Young’s desire to take care of his business and his family first even though we hate to lose him here in the city of Frisco.”
