City Commissions - Davis

The City of Davis has a large and diverse number of City Commissions on which citizens (that's you!) can volunteer their time to help plan the future of our city. As you must be a resident, that excludes those who reside outside the city limits, including on UCD campus.

City Commissions act as policy advisory boards as directed by the City Council. The work of each Commission should coincide with stated City Council goals. Commissions serve as a conduit for citizen input. When contentious matters arise in the community, Commission meetings can serve as a more informal setting for all interested citizens to find and forward solution-oriented proposals to the City Council.

The Davis Voice often comments on City Commissions, such as this post, and the regular liveblog from the Civic Arts Commission. Every Monday, Davis Voice also posts a listing of commission meetings, which are not always up to date on the city website.

Controversy over Merging of Commissions

In February 2010, The Davis Voice proposed the merger of several commissions into a more powerful "Mobility Commission" in order to truly emphasize bicycle riders, pedestrians and transit users over automobiles in this post.

In September 2010, the City Council proposed the merger of a number of City Commissions, which would have the effect of reducing the number of citizens who have direct input and could arguably weaken the attention to certain issues. The merger is being proposed in the name of cost savings (see link for details). The Vanguard has posted editorials criticizing the proposed mergers here and here.

Serving on a City Commission

Only residents who live within the city limits of Davis are eligible, thus excluding people who reside on the campus of UC Davis or in El Macero.

The commissions are focused on policy subjects, so applicants should have some background and experience in that subject matter to bring to the group. A regular appointment lasts four years and members should expect to meet monthly throughout the year. Commissioners are also expected to "do their homework" by studying their agenda packets and doing any outside research to fully understand the issue at hand.

The following is a complete list of current City Commissions on which Davis citizens can serve.

Bicycle Advisory Commission (Public Works) — Phone: 757-5686 City information
Business and Economic Development Commission (Community Development) — Phone: 757-5610 City information
City / UCD Student Liaison Commission (Community Development) — Phone: 757-5610 City information
Civic Arts Commission (Community Services Department) — Phone: 757-5626 City information
Finance and Budget Commission (Finance) — Phone: 757-5607 City information
Historical Resources Management Commission (Community Development) — Phone: 757-5610 City information
Human Relations Commission (City Manager’s Office) — Phone: 757-5602 City information
Natural Resources Commission (Public Works ) — Phone: 757-5686 City information
Open Space and Habitat Commission (Parks & General Services) — Phone: 757-5656 City information
Planning Commission (Community Development) — Phone: 757-5610 City information
Recreation and Parks Commission (Community Services) — Phone: 757-5626 City information
Safety and Parking Advisory Commission (Public Works) — Phone: 757-5686 City information
Senior Citizen Commission (Community Services) — Phone: 757-5626 City information
Social Services Commission (Community Services) — Phone: 757-5626 City information
Telecommunications Commission (Community Services) — Phone: 757-5656 City information
Tree Commission (Parks & General Services) — Phone: 757-5656 City information

Commissions with Available Vacancies

(as of November 19, 2010)

Human Relations Commission (City Manager’s Office) — Phone: 757-5602 City information - 1 Alternate Position
Safety and Parking Advisory Commission (Public Works) — Phone: 757-5686 City information - 1 Regular and 1 Alternate Position
Telecommunications Commission (Community Services) — Phone: 757-5656 City information - 1 Alternate Position