Obscure boards and commissions play important role in Vallejo’s governance

VALLEJO – When most people think about the city government in Vallejo, the mayor and the City Council come to mind. But the city also has 21 boards, commissions and committees that study vital issues, help draft important legislation, and offer a check on the city government.

Despite their important role in governance, the city often has a hard time finding people ready to take on the role. There are currently 21 vacancies in different boards and commissions, and some of them have proven hard to fill. 

There are several reasons for that difficulty, including a lack of qualified applicants, inadequate publicity, and a lack of compensation for participating. 

Some of the boards and commissions — such as the Design Review Board and the Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission — require members to have particular expertise. But for most, the only requirement is living in the city. 

“Everyone who applies must be a Vallejo resident,” Vallejo City Clerk Dawn Abrahamson said, “with the exception of the Economic Development Commission. If you have a business in Vallejo you can apply even if you’re not a resident.” 

Announcements for open positions are not well publicized. The city posts calls for applicants in its Vallejo Weekly newsletter, but if a citizen has not subscribed to the weekly, they may not notice. 

“That’s part of the problem,” Abrahamson said, “I think people just don’t see it. Maybe we’re not doing enough, or we are not targeting the right group in the right form.”

Vallejo spokesperson Sharon Lund said that the city sometimes sends press releases and posts social media announcements, but only when the city clerk’s office requests it.

For the most part, the citizens that serve on the boards and commissions are volunteers who want to contribute to Vallejo’s success. Those who serve in the Planning Commission and the Civil Service Commission, however, receive a small stipend of $25 for every meeting attended, not to exceed $50 per month.

Despite the struggles to fill vacancies, some commissions are very popular. Abrahamson said that the Commission on Culture and the Arts currently has six applicants for two vacancies. But others lag, like the Design Review Board, the Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee, which has had a high turnover, the Code Enforcement Appeals Board, which currently has two vacancies and only one applicant, and the Housing and Community Development Commission, whose members need to be tenants in a voucher program.

Councilmember Alexander Matias, was involved in government for several years through the city’s Boards and Commissions before joining City Council this year, but acknowledged in an interview that it is not always an easy role. 

“In the past there has been some friction, because commissioners who have served have felt like they were not able to make meaningful change in their community,” he said. 

This has changed in the last few years, according to Matias. He offered his own example as proof of the effectiveness of these organizations.

In 2018, Matias was looking for ways to volunteer and serve the community that didn’t require a lot of time because he traveled for work. “I wanted to use my skill set in operations and compliance in a way in which my city, the place I call home, would benefit from,” he said.

He applied to the Code Enforcement Appeals Board, which was a good fit for his background, and got the position. He served on this board for seven years.

In 2020, Matias also joined the Economic Development Commission after former Vallejo Mayor Robert McConnell encouraged him. 

“I thought about it long and hard because I was already serving in one commission,” Matias said, “but after talking with my family I threw my hat in the ring and I ended up serving in both commissions at the same time.”

Matias said several things need to happen to ensure effective commissions and boards. First, the “City Council needs to signal that partnerships between city staff and commissions are important to move work forward,” he said, “that it is not just the City Council that is making decisions on behalf of the city; there are other ways in which citizens can get involved.”

Second, he added, the commissioners not only need to work on building relationships with staff, but also “do research and brainstorm with your colleagues at the commission level to find things that are the purview of that commission.”

With both conditions in place during his tenure, Matias cited accomplishments like an update to the municipal code that was spurred by the Code Enforcement Appeals Board. 

Homeowners that violate the code get penalized with an extra tax. The board, however, found appeals from senior citizens and disabled or sick residents who couldn’t take care of their properties. Looking for solutions, they researched faith-based organizations or nonprofits that could pick up the slack at no cost to the owners, had Recology set up dumpsters in some locations, and proposed a change to the municipal code so instead of a blanket penalty, the City Council would have the authority to review cases individually.

The Economic Development Commission, according to Matias, also had many wins while he was a part of it. Among them, it re-established relationships with regional and state officials to find ways to collaborate. As part of this effort, they invited representatives of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to present at their meetings and passed the information along to businesses. 

They also conducted a study identifying the benefits of having a nonprofit focused on revitalizing the downtown area, and that led to the resurgence of Vallejo Main Street. Currently the commission is planning to partner with staff to promote local businesses.  

“Given that the current council is looking for solutions and for more engagement from the community,” Matias said, “I would encourage folks to apply, not only to help us realize the vision that we all know Vallejo can become, but because it’s also a great opportunity to build relationships with other residents from across the city, to build community.”

The application process is easy. Interested Vallejo residents can find at the top of the page of each commission and board a link to the section of the Vallejo Municipal Code that describes its purpose and duties. The application is also linked on the page of each commission and board.

The City Clerk’s office sets up interviews for applicants with two councilmembers who then present their recommended appointments to the City Council for approval.