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There are 24 separate and independent Boards and Commissions in the City of Oak Park operating in an advisory capacity to the City Council and City Administrative Staff. All are primarily composed of citizen volunteers and perform vital functions for our City.

Section 4.18, Independent Boards and Commissions, of the City of Oak Park Charter, states: "The Council may not create any board or commission, other than those provided for in this Charter, to administer any activity, department or agency of the City government except (a) a municipal hospital, (1)) recreation or (c) any activity which by statute is required to be so administered. The Council may, however, establish (a) quasi-judicial appeal boards and boards or commissions to serve solely in an advisory capacity. The following Boards and Commissions have been created.

To be a member of a Board or Commission, you must be a two (2) year resident of Oak Park. If you would like to volunteer for a position on one of the Boards or Commissions, please contact the City Manager at 248-691-7410 or complete the e-mail form in the forms and brochure page.

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Arts and Cultural Commission 691-7480

The Arts and Cultural Commission performs the following functions: considers, studies and recommends plans for City-wide cultural programs; promotes, coordinates and develops the performing and creative arts with the objective of bringing together the arts of the community; makes recommendations for cultural opportunities to facilitate communications with the Michigan Council of the Arts.

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Beautification Advisory Commission 691-7497

The Beautification Advisory Commission considers and advises the City Council on the following: consider and propose programs which would improve the physical appearance of the community; annually organize and carry out a short term campaign to encourage citizen participation in activities designed to beautiful the City.

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Board of Review 691-7550

The Board of Review hears citizen’s assessment complaints. If the Board determines that any person or property has been wrongfully assessed or omitted from the roll, the Board may act in any manner it deems just.

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Board of Trustees - Employees Retirement System 691-7410

The Board is vested with the general administration, management and responsibility for the proper operation of the retirement system, as well as for construing and making effective the provisions of the retirement system.

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Building Board of Appeals 691-7410

The Building Board of Appeals has the duty, responsibility and authority to hear and decide such appeals under the Building Code of the State of Michigan.

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Cable Television Advisory Commission 691-7589

The functions of the Commission are: strengthen locally originated programming in order to meet the need and desires of its audience; assist in developing guidelines for integrating local C.A.T.V. programming with community needs; encourage and coordinate the best use of public facilities and channels of the system; prepare an annual report outlining the accomplishments of the commission; perform advisory functions to the City Council.

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City Board of Canvassers 691-7544

The Board of Canvassers convenes on the day following each City election, at the usual time and place of meeting of the Council, to determine the results of the City election upon each question and proposition voted upon. Once the Board determines which persons are duly nominated or elected to the several offices, it then gives each candidates or nominee written notification of their nomination or election.

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Compensation Commission 691-7410

The Oak Park Local Officers' Compensation Commission shall determine the salaries of all elected officials of the City of Oak Park.

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The Down Spout Board of Appeals is authorized to exempt property owners from disconnecting their down spouts from eaves trough on buildings (Ordinance 85) because the property will be damaged out of proportion to the benefit sought.

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The Economic Development Corporation's purpose is to alleviate and prevent conditions of unemployment; assist and retain local industries; provide means and methods to encourage and assistance industrial commercial enterprises in locating, purchasing, constructing, reconstructing, modernizing, improving, maintaining, repairing, furnishing, and expanding in the City.

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The Election Commission appoints the inspectors for each precinct and controls all activities relating to elections in the City.

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The Emergency Services Council advises the City Manager and the Emergency Services Director on matters pertaining to emergency management, especially in plan development.

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The Energy Conservation Advisory Committee shall perform the following functions: a) Increase public awareness of the need to conserve energy. b) assist in a concentrated City-wide energy conservation program. c) Assist in the development of statistics on energy conservation in private business and local government and to measure its effects. d) Evaluate the impact of measures to conserve energy. e) Work on energy conservation programs. f) Receive energy conservation suggestions. g) Recommend regulations that might reduce consumption of energy. h) Encourage energy audits.

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The function of the Ethnic Advisory Commission is to improve ethnic relations within the City of Oak Park. It is appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council. Its mission is to recognize, maintain, communicate and celebrate the cultural richness of our community.

COMMISSIONERS:

• Lisa Clark-Woods, Secretary

• Rosetta Kinkaid, Vice Chair

• Sean Kosofsky

• Elaine Stephens

• Roy Srini, Assistant City Manager, Staff Liaison

• Ingrid Z. Anderson, Chair

• Nathaniel Warshay

Top Row
Elaine Stephens, Roy Srini, Sean Kosofsky, Nathaniel Warshay

Bottom row
Rosetta Kincade, Mike Seligson, Lisa Clarks-Woods, Reatha Richmond

INFORMATION:

The function of the Ethnic Advisory Commission is to improve ethnic relations within the City of Oak Park.  It is appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council.  Its mission is to recognize, maintain, communicate and celebrate the cultural richness of our community.

DEMOGRAPHICS (2000 CENSUS):

Races in Oak Park:

• White Non-Hispanic (46.4%)

• Black (46.0%)

• Two or more races (4.1%)

• Hispanic (1.3%)

• American Indian (0.8%)

• Filipino (0.7%)

• Other race (0.6%)

• Vietnamese (0.6%)

Ancestries:

• Polish (5.7%)

• German (5.1%)

• Russian (4.9%)

• United States (4.0%)

• Irish (3.5%)

• English (2.9%)

MEETINGS (ALL MEETINGS ARE AT 7:30 PM IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER ROOM 1A):

• Thursday, January 11, 2007

• Thursday, February 8, 2007

• Thursday, March 8, 2007

• Thursday, April 12, 2007

• Thursday, May 10, 2007

• Thursday, June 14, 2007

• Thursday, July 12, 2007

• Thursday, August 9, 2007

• Thursday, September 13, 2007

• Thursday, October 11, 2007

• Thursday, November 8, 2007

• Thursday, December 13, 2007

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Plan, promote, execute and evaluate the City of Oak Park's Independence Day celebration including a parade and any activities held in the park.

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It shall be the duty of the Library Advisory Board, operating under bylaws adopted by the City Council, to consider and study reasonable needs and requirements of the library facilities of the City, and to formulate and to report its findings from time to time to the City Council.

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The purposes of the Municipal Building Authority are the acquiring, furnishing, equipping, owning, improving, enlarging, operating and/or maintaining a building or buildings, or additions to buildings, and the necessary site or sites therefore, for the use of the City of Oak Park, Michigan. (Articles of Incorporation of Municipal Building Authority of Oak Park, June 24, 1960)

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The Personnel Board shall: (a) Advise the City Manager on matters of personnel policy and problems of personnel administration, including the development of personnel rules, a job classification plan, and a uniform pay plan. (b) Represent the public interest in the improvement of personnel administration in the City service.

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The City Planning Commission shall consider and advise the City Council on: a) Creation of a master plan. b) The removal, location, widening, narrowing, vacating, abandonment, change of use, or extension of streets, alleys, ground, open spaces, building, public utilities and terminals. c) All proposed changes in the zoning ordinance. d) The approval of plats subdividing land within the City.

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Recreation Advisory Board 691-7555

It shall be the duty of the Recreation Advisory Board, operating under bylaws adopted by the City Council, to consider and study reasonable needs and requirements of the recreation program, to serve in an advisory capacity to the Director of Recreation when so requested, and to act as a recommending body to the City Council on matters of general Recreation Department policy, and to formulate and report its findings from time to time, to the City Council.

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The Recycling and Environmental Conservation Commission advises and assists the Department of Public Works on programs and projects such as, Recycling and Composting, Waste Reduction, Environmental Education, Energy Savings and Efficiency, and Tree Planting, to sustain and improve the environment and quality of life in Oak Park.

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The purpose of the Sports Commission is to further Department of Recreation sports programs by acting in an advisory capacity to the Director of Recreation on matters pertaining to the operation of sports in Oak Park.

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The Zoning Board of Appeals shall have the following powers: a) To hear and decide appeals of any decision made by the building inspector or any other administrative official. b) To permit the erection or use of a building to a greater height or of a larger area than the district requirements established. c) To hear and decide requests for special exceptions and for interpretation of the zoning map. d) To authorize, upon an appeal, a variance from the strict application of the provisions of the zoning ordinance.

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Request for Appointment to Boards & Commission Application (pdf file) 
 

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