“All residents, including those representing under-represented and under-served communities must have the opportunity to participate in the City’s decision making and planning processes, said Mayor Ed Murray, of the citys new Community Involvement Commission.
“All residents, including those representing under-represented and under-served communities must have the opportunity to participate in the City’s decision making and planning processes," said Mayor Ed Murray, of the city's new Community Involvement Commission. CITY OF SEATTLE

The City of Seattle is calling for local residents to apply to join the Community Involvement Commission (CIC), a group of 16 representatives who will make sure growing communities, particularly communities of color, are involved in city policy-making decisions.

“This new commission will guide the City’s efforts to create policies and initiatives that are more inclusive for residents," said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray in a statement. "If Seattle is to become a more equitable place for all, we must bring more voices at the table to ensure that we are representative of Seattle’s diversity.”

CIC was born out of Murray's decision (announced in July 2016) to demolish the neighborhood district council system. That system included a group of 13 councils intended to represent neighborhood interests, including zoning and growth. The problem: They were disproportionately comprised of white, middle-aged homeowners, which was no longer representative of Seattle's growth, Ansel Herz reported.

As part of the declaration, Murray charged officials with the Department of Neighborhoods to "[i]mprove and expand inclusive outreach and engagement, as well as the creation of more equitable representative systems that are more reflective of, and accessible to, communities throughout the City of Seattle."

Here's the breakdown of the CIC appointment process from Murray's statement:

The Board will be composed of 16 members—seven appointed by City Council (by Council District) and seven appointed by the Mayor with one of his appointments reserved for a young adult through the Get Engaged program. The final two members will be selected by the Commission once established. All the appointments are subject to City Council confirmation.

Initially, the Commission will meet monthly at Seattle City Hall. Commissioners will serve without compensation and must commit approximately 3-6 hours per month to Commission business

Interested? You can apply online or mail in a print application, which can be written in any language, to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, PO Box 94649, Seattle, WA 98124-4649. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 1.

Application instructions are available online and in print in Korean, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese. Contact Tom Van Bronkhorst at 233-3954 or email NewDON@seattle.gov with any questions.