City Clerk Nicole Bolden Invites Applications for Vacant Positions on the Environmental Commission and the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission.

The City of Bloomington Office of the City Clerk is accepting applications to fill vacant positions on the Environmental Commission and the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission.

Established in 1971 by municipal ordinance, the Bloomington Environmental Commission (EC), formerly known as the Environmental Quality and Conservations Commission, is a voluntary advisory body composed of citizens appointed by the Mayor and Common Council. The mission of the EC is to advise the City on how its actions and policies may preserve and enhance the quality of Bloomington’s environment, including the life-supporting processes that natural ecological systems provide to humans and other organisms. The EC actively participates in the city planning process; researches and reports on environmental topics; develops educational materials; responds to inquiries from residents; and coordinates with other municipal boards and commissions, and other organizations on issues of mutual interest.

Commissioners must reside within the municipal boundary. Preference will be given to applicants with expertise in one or more areas of physical, biological, or environmental sciences; sanitation and recycling; public health; or conservation. Currently there are two vacancies.

Regular meetings are generally on the third Thursday every month and working group meetings convene as needed. It is expected that all members will be active in EC projects by attending monthly meetings and working group meetings. The time required to fulfill the EC duties are approximately four hours per month. There is no compensation for serving on the Environmental Commission. For more information, please see the Bloomington Municipal Code 2.12.050.

The Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission’s goal is to increase the safety of all Bloomington community members, especially those often marginalized due to race, disability, gender, sexual identity, or sexual orientation.

The CAPS Commission will perform research and gather data on the perceptions and preferences about public safety from community members, with specific focus on data gathered from minority community members, individuals who are disabled, and other often marginalized community members. The CAPS Commission will research evidence-based alternatives to traditional policing, identify best practices in public safety globally and evaluate the efficacy of such practices for implementation in Bloomington, and will make recommendations to the Common Council, the Board of Public Safety, and/or the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee on policies and programs that enhance public safety for all community members. The CAPS Commission will be composed of eleven voting members appointed by the Common Council. Each member shall have one vote and shall serve without compensation. The Commission typically meets on the fourth Tuesday each month. Committees convene as needed. There is no compensation for serving on the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission. There are three vacancies. For more information, please see the Bloomington Municipal Code 2.12.120.

To learn more about each of the City’s boards and commissions, including mission statements, membership requirements, current membership listings and term lengths, meeting schedules and location, visit the city website, here: bloomington.in.gov/onboard. If you are interested in applying to a vacant seat on a board or commission, you may apply, here: https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/applicants/apply.

All board and commission meetings are free and open to the public. Potential applicants are urged to attend a meeting of their desired board or commission prior to applying.