AWC Ad Hoc Bylaws Review Committee
The AWC Board of Directors created the Ad Hoc Bylaws Review Committee to conduct a thoughtful process to evaluate the districts of the AWC Board. The committee is comprised of a 14 engaged city/town elected officials representing each of the current districts. (See additional background information and committee membership below.)
The Ad Hoc Bylaws Review Committee is charged with working within the following parameters:
- Preserve strengths of the Board composition by ensuring representation from cities across the state, of a variety of sizes.
- Evaluate whether to modify existing structure, or whether there is a need for a wholesale change in districts and seats.
- Strive for geographically equitable representation of 281 cities and towns.
- Strive to work within the framework of current Board size (25 members or less).
- Utilize an equity lens to evaluate different scenarios before a decision is made.
View cities and towns by board district.
Next steps and member engagement
The ad hoc committee has met since February 2024 to review data related to board composition and update the criteria for evaluating board districts. A membership listening session was held on May 2 to inform the members about committee considerations and seek input.
In the interest of transparency, the committee made the decision to extend their work to include discussion at AWC’s annual district meetings. The revised goal is to bring any recommended changes, if any, for potential adoption by the membership to the 2025 Business Meeting in June (hosted during the Annual Conference).
View District Meeting fact sheet.
Criteria for evaluating districts
The committee has adopted the following criteria for evaluating districts and board representation:
- Average percentage of city population.
- Average percentage of number of cities.
- East and west city representation.
- Small, medium, and large city representation.
- Geographically equitable representation.
- Representation from all types of cities, including rural.
- Geographic commonality (i.e., economic similarities, county boundaries).
The guidelines provide that the committee will support outcomes that benefit the entire city family and AWC and seek win-win solutions; evaluate unidentified consequences; and come to consensus before forwarding recommendations to the membership.
Background information and committee membership
The AWC Bylaws Review Committee is established by AWC Bylaws and convenes at least once every five years to review the size, make-up, and structure of the Board and the bylaws for consistency with modern practices, legal requirements, and efficient parliamentary actions, which shall be submitted to the board or voting delegates prior to the beginning of the annual membership meeting in that year as provided in Article 8.
By recommendation of the 2023 Bylaws Review Committee, the AWC Board of Directors created an ad hoc committee to conduct a thoughtful process to evaluate the districts of the AWC Board.
In recognition of the scope of work outlined in the AWC Board’s charter, the engagement level of the committee, and to have more time to ensure members throughout the state are well informed, work will continue throughout the fall and into 2025. Recommendations to update the AWC Bylaws or Board districts, if any, will be presented to the AWC membership in advance of the 2025 Business Meeting.
2024-2025 Bylaws Review Committee
AWC President Betsy Wilkerson appointed the following members to the 2024 Ad Hoc Bylaws Review Committee.
- District 1: Cristella Kaminskas, Mayor, Liberty Lake
- District 2: Jillian Henze, Councilmember, Waitsburg
- District 3: Matthew Schuh, Councilmember, Bridgeport
- District 4: Nancy Goodloe, Councilmember, Ellensburg
- District 5: Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor, Vancouver
- District 6: Julie Door, Councilmember, Puyallup
- District 7: Angela Birney, Mayor, Redmond
- District 8: Brett Gailey, Mayor, Lake Stevens
- District 9: Betsy Wilkerson, Council President, Spokane (Chair)
- District 10: John Hines, Deputy Mayor, Tacoma
- District 11: Dan Strauss, Councilmember, Seattle
- District 12: Julie Struck, Mayor, South Bend
- District 13: Dana Ralph, Mayor, Kent
- District 14: Paul Cocke, Councilmember, Sedro-Woolley
Recruitment for the Bylaws Review Committee was open fall 2023. Appointments were made in January 2024.
Questions?
Alicia Seegers Martinelli or Betsy Hildreth
(360) 753-4137