Covington is looking to establish the eligibility requirements for boards, commities and organizations.
City Attorney David Davidson made the recommendation to the Covington Board of Commissioners at their caucus meeting on Tuesday.
The new ordinance would grant eligibility to anyone who lives, works or does business regularly within the city.
It would also open eligibility to anyone who lived, worked or engaged in civic life who has established “such a connection… that makes the person’s interest in the City and its future obvious and the person’s appointment compelling,” even if they don’t currently reside in Covington, as stated in the ordinance.
The city has several boards and committees to help govern specific operations, such as building code enforcement, finance and human rights, among others.
Members of these boards are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the commission members, although people can pitch themselves as candidates to the mayor for consideration. City staff may also recommend people they feel are qualified.
Although Davidson said that some boards have specific requirements for services depending on its role, there’s no standardized eligibility for service on a board in the neighborhood development code.
Mayor Joe Meyer said that the ordinance came about as a response to the city’s struggles in recruiting people to civic boards and similar bodies.
Additionally, Meyer said that the ordinance arose out of changing patterns of residence, where people may move in and out of the city many times over the span of several years but remain engaged with city life.
“It’s harder and harder to get people to accept appointments of these various boards,” Meyer said. “So by broadening the pool to other people who are familiar with [city] operations, we have a better opportunity to take advantage of their expertise to benefit the people of Covington.”
Commissioner Tim Downing said that he thought the ordinance was a good idea but wanted to prioritize current residents of the city, especially younger residents, for board positions.
“I would rather in the mindset where we’re looking to encourage that next generation to attend and that next generation to participate,” Downing said.
Meyer didn’t take issue with this suggestion and even said, “Whenever we get somebody that’s on the younger side that wants to get involved, we put them at the head of the list.”
Downing requested that Davidson add additional language codifying the prioritization of local residents to the ordinance.
The board of commissioners will perform a first reading of the ordinance at the legislative meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at Covington City Hall on Pike Street.