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Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Members of the Vestavia Hills City Council interview David L. Halpern for a position on the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation board during a public work session Dec. 14 at Vestavia Hills City Hall.
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Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Library board member Larry Cochran attends his first board meeting on Feb. 27 at the Library in the Forest.
In Vestavia Hills, many are aware of the city’s basic form of government.
The mayor and four city councilors make up the governing body and vote on resolutions and ordinances to conduct city business, and work with an employed city manager, who acts as the city’s chief executive officer for day-to-day work.
However, fewer residents know that a lot of the work that goes on in the city — whether it be organizing events or deciding what programs the city offers — is done by seven boards, and even fewer residents apply each year for the handful of openings for board positions.
The Parks and Recreation Board, Library Board, Beautification Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, Design Review board and Board of Zoning Adjustment all operate and act as part of the city. The Board of Education is legally a separate entity than the city, but its members are chosen by the city council.
The size of each board differs, with most having five members as well as a representative from the city council who acts as an ex-officio or non-voting member.
“We’re all working together for the same good of the city,” said Library Board Chair Jimmy Bartlett.
Mayor Ashley Curry, who himself served on the library board, parks board and beautification board before running for office, said that volunteering as a board member is an easy way for residents to get to know their fellow citizens.
“I know from my time on there that it gets you involved with the community,” he said.
Ashley Tucker Hicks, who is a teacher at Pizitz Middle School and vice chair on the library board, said she grew up in Vestavia, but really started to get involved when she moved back after school.
“I knew when I came back, I wanted to give back in some capacity,” she said. ““I just think it brings the community together.”
Bartlett said he thinks that most people have no idea that there are boards governing the services the city provides, and that’s why there are only a handful of names each time the city posts a vacancy — particularly for the library and park boards.
Positions on city boards are filled in the manner dictated by the Alabama Open Meetings Act, which stipulates that vacancies must be posted as a public notice, interviews must be conducted publicly and the conversations between council members determining the final appointee also done in a public meeting.
Hicks said that while, initially, the process of interviewing in front of the council in a public setting seemed daunting, it wasn’t as bad as most people might think.
“After the first question, the city council and the mayor make you feel right at home,” she said.
While it is a way to connect and not an unduly arduous process to apply and interview, board members such as Bartlett and Hicks as well as BOE President Nancy Corona said the most important thing people should consider is the time commitment.
“It can be a significant time commitment,” Corona said, especially if there are major changes going on, such as the BOE’s search for a new superintendent or the Community Spaces Plan work for the Parks and Recreation Board.
“Those are important things that have to be done,” Curry said, urging anyone considering applying for a vacancy to make sure they have the time.
Most boards require only a few hours a week and one or two monthly meetings, but if members are absent, boards run the risk of not having a quorum and being legally unable to conduct business.
“Mentally or psychologically you might say ‘Oh yeah, I’m behind it,’ but if your job schedule isn’t going to allow you to be there, it’s really not fair to the other members,” Curry said.
Additionally, board members are subject to the laws and requirements of the Alabama Ethics Commission.
While Curry said he doesn’t know of any issues the city has had, board members must be cognizant of any conflicts of interest, and recuse themselves when necessary.
This month, the council is accepting applications for the upcoming vacancy on the board of education. Applications are due April 9, and interviews will be conducted on April 12 and 17, with the council voting on their selection on April 23.
Vacancies for the library and parks boards typically come up around the holidays, which Bartlett said can also reduce the number of interested individuals, but he hopes more Vestavia residents will get engaged.
“I think they’ll see it as their legacy, their ultimate legacy,” he said.
Vestavia Hills City Boards
Board of Education
► Members: 5
► Term: 5 years
► Council Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Fourth Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Parks and Recreation Board
► Members: No less than 3
► Term: 5 years
► Council Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Third Tuesday, 7 a.m.
Library Board
► Members: 5
► Term: 4 years
► Council Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Fourth Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Beautification Board
► Members: Varies
► Term: 2 years
► Mayor Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Third Monday, September through May, 9:30 a.m.
Planning and Zoning Commission
► Members: 9
► Term: 6 years
► Mayor Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Second Thursday, 6 p.m.
Design Review Board
► Members: 7
► Term: 4 years
► Council Appointed at request of Mayor
► Usual Meeting Time: First Thursday, 6 p.m.
Board of Zoning Adjustment
► Members: 5, with 2 alternates
► Term: 3 years
► Mayor Appointed
► Usual Meeting Time: Third Thursday, 6 p.m.
