Two civic committees are heading into the new year with vacant seats after what Mayor Cathy Heron described as an "unusual" drop in applicants compared to previous years.
"It's super unusual," Heron said in an interview. "I think this year we had 26 applicants for 25 positions and in the past there's been more like 50 or 60 applicants."
Heron said serving on the local boards is a great way to serve the local community and learn something new.
"If you're interested in running for [elected office], it's a good place to get your feet wet and see what it's all about."
"We need more people applying," she said.
The committees with vacant seats are the Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC), and the Assessment Review Board (ARB). The vacancies are currently advertised on the city's website with instructions on how to apply.
Both vacancies have an application deadline of Jan. 16.
The CSAC comprises nine citizens and a city councillor, although the councillor is not permitted to vote on committee matters. According to the CSAC bylaw, the committee's main purpose is to advise council on community service needs, make policy recommendations, and recommend grant funding for local agencies that apply for the annual Outside Agency Grant.
The CSAC generally meets once a month or as needed. In 2022, the committee met nine times.
The ARB's function is to hear, judge and make decisions on appeals of property assessments, according to the vacancy posting.
"ARB members must exercise their judgment on the specific facts of the complaint using their experience, but without preconceived notions of what ought to be done, and without advocacy," the posting reads. "They are to come to a fair and reasoned conclusion about the validity of the information presented to them."
The ARB is made up of as many as 16 citizens, split into two separate boards. One board, the local ARB, is responsible for hearing all assessment appeals for farmland and residential property with no more than three dwelling units, while the second board, the composite ARB, is responsible for hearing appeals on non-residential property and property with more than four dwelling units.
Prior to serving on the ARB, a person must complete four days of training, although the vacancy posting states that the city will reimburse the successful applicant for any costs and expenses related to completing the training.
The ARB meets as needed, meaning when appeals have been submitted and a decision from the board is required.
Another civic committee nearly had two vacant seats heading into 2023, but on Dec. 6, council passed a bylaw amendment that allows two members of the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) to serve another term, despite already serving the maximum number of consecutive terms.
In a backgrounder the city's deputy city clerk Cheryle Wong wrote, "there were not enough applications received for the allotted number of vacancies needed on the board."
The SDAB, comprising seven citizens, is responsible for hearing, judging, and making decisions on appeals against St. Albert's Subdivision Authority, which is the city's planning and development department.
Once a subdivision plan has been approved by council, developers or homeowners looking to complete builds requiring modifications to lot lines must seek approval from the Subdivision Authority. A developer can appeal decisions made by the Subdivision Authority, and the SDAP is responsible for making decisions on those appeals.
If the vacancies on the CSAC and ARB remain unfilled after the application deadline, city spokesperson Danelle Boivin says council may similarly amend the bylaws for each committee to allow current members to continue serving, despite surpassing the maximum number of consecutive terms.
"If there are insufficient applications received within the stated time frame, it would go back to council to provide direction to administration about how to proceed," Boivin said.
