The City of Seattle is looking for candidates to serve on the Seattle Planning Commission beginning in April 2016. Planning Commission members are appointed by the Mayor or the City Council and may serve up to two consecutive, three-year terms. This year, three positions will be open in total; all appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the full City Council. The City is committed to promoting diversity in the City’s boards and commissions. Persons of color, women, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Commissioners must reside in Seattle and serve without compensation.
Who We Are
We are a 16-member commission of neighbors that care about the future of our city. We are a group of individuals that have served on neighborhood councils, community design review boards, as well as many other community focused volunteer roles. We have a broad range of skills and perspectives that include architecture and design, land use and transportation planning, low-income housing development, and community engagement specialists.
What We Do
We advise the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on citywide planning goals, policies, and plans and provide them with independent and objective advice on land-use and zoning, transportation, and housing issues.
The commission is the steward of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, our citywide vision for how Seattle grows. We debate the benefits and impacts of these important policies and advise on how best to plan for the future.
In the recent past, the commission has helped to raise important issues such as:
- Affordable housing, creating an action plan for affordable housing that had a special focus on housing for families with children
- How to better align investments in transportation with investments in needed community spaces, creating vibrant and successful transit communities
What We Are Looking For
We have a broad range of skills and perspectives but we are always looking for new voices that bring to light issues facing all parts of the city. We are looking for people who:
- Bring a commitment to making Seattle a great place to live and have knowledge and experience in land use and planning
- Have a commitment to community-building and community engagement
- Have an understanding of transportation investments and how they impact the neighborhoods around them
- Can speak to the needs of affordable housing or have an understanding of what role affordability plays in the city
- Have a passion for communicating planning to a diverse set of stakeholders
Participation in the Planning Commission is a significant volunteer commitment. This includes attendance at monthly meetings (the second and fourth Thursdays of each month) and participation on at least one sub-committee that meets monthly. Commissioners also attend and participate in relevant public meetings and events.
How To Apply
To be considered for appointment to the Seattle Planning Commission, please send a letter of interest and resume by post or e-mail by February 26, 2016 addressed to:
Vanessa Murdock, Executive Director
vanessa.murdock@seattle.gov
Seattle Planning Commission
City of Seattle
Office of Planning and Community Development
PO Box 34019
Seattle WA 98124-4019
Please consider including any voluntary personal information regarding your cultural background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability that might assist us in meeting the City’s goal to create diverse boards and commissions.
For more information, please contact Vanessa Murdock, Commission Executive Director at 206-733-9271 or via e-mail at vanessa.murdock@seattle.gov.
For more information about the Seattle Planning Commission please visit our website at www.seattle.gov/planningcommission.