Are Lexington's boards and commissions accessible enough? Council group wants to make changes

On Tuesday, November 10th, a group of Councilmembers and staff will present their recommendations to make Lexington's various boards and commissions more accessible, transparent and effective.

Lexington has more than 70 boards and commissions, made up largely of volunteers. On affordable housing and homelessness, environment, public safety and many more local issues, they help shape decisions and government services offered here.

What began in 2023 as a review to see if seats on certain boards and commissions could be reserved for renters has since expanded into a broader effort. That included a study by CivicLex that found several issues with representation and accessibility and made 14 recommendations to make local boards and commissions more effective and responsive to residents.

For more than a year now, Council's Boards and Commissions Subcommittee has been meeting to reimagine how these groups operate. It will present its recommendations during Tuesday's General Government and Planning Committee.

What changes is the subcommittee recommending?

One of the major goals of Council's Boards and Commissions Subcommittee is to look at how the recommendations in CivicLex's Boards and Commissions report could be implemented.

To that end, it's recommending the Council should take action on several changes, either by passing legislation or by signaling its support through official resolutions.

New reporting and accountability requirements

The subcommittee is recommending the Council improve its oversight of local government boards and commissions by requiring them to provide annual reports.

Each board and commission would be required to report on activities and accomplishments, along with meeting attendance, operational challenges, membership, vacancies and other information.

The proposed changes to Lexington's Code of Ordinances also standardize operating procedures for boards and commissions, including by requiring them to adopt and maintain regular meeting schedules, advertise them on the city's calendar, make agendas publicly available in a timely manner before each meeting and record meeting minutes, to name a few examples.

For new and existing board members, the city would create a handbook advising them on their responsibilities and expectations.

The changes also lay out how the Urban County Government could restructure or dissolve boards or commissions that are inactive, duplicate another body's work or no longer serve a purpose.

Stronger ties between Council and boards

Another proposal seeks to create a clearer connection between Council's standing committees and relevant boards and commissions.

Every two years, standing committee chairs would be required to decide which boards and commissions are closely aligned with its work and notify them. The proposal stresses that this doesn't erode boards and commissions' independence or place them under Council committee control, but it does set up the annual reporting process.

Additionally, Council liaisons would be appointed to keep communication lines open between each board or commission and Council. Liaisons would not have voting authority over board decisions.

Support stipends for some boards

The subcommittee also recommends Council consider a resolution that supports budgeting money at some point in the future to fund stipends for members of the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Civil Service Commission and Administrative Hearing Board.

To be clear, passing the resolution doesn't guarantee stipends for these groups. As a resolution, it's more of a symbolic show of support from Council.

One of the recommendations of CivicLex's report was to consider providing stipends for a limited number of boards and commissions members, as service on these bodies can often be time-consuming and a barrier for working people. The report's findings also reveal that boards and commissions are generally older, tend to be homeowners and have higher levels of education.

What's next?

The subcommittee is asking Council to approve these changes by passing legislation or resolutions. It's also recommending Council's General Government and Planning Committee periodically review this work and continue studying compensation for boards and commissions members.