Pasco staff proposes semiannual recruitment, incumbency review and aligned term starts for city boards and commissions

Assistant City Manager Angela Pichon presented proposed process improvements for recruitment and appointment to Pasco’s boards and commissions on Aug. 25. The three recommended changes were: (1) move from a continuous-application model to semiannual recruitment windows to allow focused outreach and predictable timelines; (2) evaluate eligible incumbents for reappointment before advertising vacancies (so incumbents who qualify could be reappointed without repeating the full public posting/interview cycle); and (3) align term start dates to either Jan. 1 or July 1 to standardize onboarding and training. Staff noted the municipal code requires the mayor to appoint members subject to council confirmation and that Resolution 42 62 amended the process in 2022. Pichon said incumbents may be reappointed twice without interview under current rules; after two reappointments they must interview. Councilmembers generally reacted favorably but asked questions about the subcommittee composition, eligibility checks, and whether some rarely used advisory boards (for example, Franklin County Law and Justice Committee representation) should be continued; staff said proposed changes would come back by resolution and, if start dates change, an ordinance would be necessary.