VENTNOR – The Board of Commissioners wants to hear from residents about issues they feel are important. The commissioners May 24 agreed to establish an ad hoc committee of 10 community members who will meet to advise commissioners on issues of concern and offer ideas that help to move the city forward.
The committee, which will be permanent, will be established by an ordinance to be introduced at a future meeting, commissioners said.
“It’s strictly ad hoc,” solicitor Tim Maguire advised the commissioners. “They have no authority to bind the city. They are simply there to give you ideas on any and every subject.”
Members will be appointed by board and their powers would be limited to an advisory status, like the city’s green team and cultural arts committee, Commissioner Lance Landgraf said.
“You are the folks that appoint them. They cannot appoint their own members,” Maguire said.
“It’s an outreach for the community,” Mayor Beth Holtzman said.
“This would be for anything they want to talk about or bring to our attention that we may not see in our daily work with the city,” Landgraf said.
The board is seeking a diverse group of full-time residents and second homeowners from different neighborhoods in the city to volunteer on the committee, Landgraf said.
Resident Christian Bryce, who often attends commission meetings and offers ideas and suggestions, is on a short list of potential members, he said.
“We want to cull people with ideas and solutions to issues that we can address,” Landgraf said. “We don’t want it to be a gadfly or complaining session, but rather allow residents to come up with solutions to issues that we may not have considered,” he said. “We want to pick their brains a little.”
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