Citizen Advisory Boards
Vacancies Available:
- Appearance Commission: 4 Vacancies
- Board of Adjustment: 2 ETJ; 2 In-Town Vacancies
- Downtown Development Committee: 5 Vacancies
- Parks & Recreation Commission: 1 ETJ; 1 In-Town Vacancy
- Planning Board: 2 ETJ; 2 In-Town Vacancies
Deadline to Apply: Tuesday, April 30th @ 5:00 PM
For more information, contact Town Clerk Mary Beth Tew at 919-365-3451 or mtew@townofwendellnc.gov
The Town of Wendell has five citizen advisory boards. Each is unique in its size, meeting schedule and purpose; find meeting dates and times in the Town Calendar. The overall mission is the same: To make Wendell a place in which we can be proud to live, work, play and raise a family. Citizens who serve on these advisory boards perform a community service using their skills, interests and initiatives to make Wendell the “Small Town” with “Big Charm.”
Printable PDF of the 2024 Citizen Advisory Boards meeting schedules (coming soon!)
How to get involved:
Whether you are interested in recreational activities, economic development, or land-use practices, the Town of Wendell has opportunities for you to volunteer to share your time and talents. Applications are accepted each spring – date to be announced - for upcoming vacancies.
Things to know about volunteering for a citizen advisory board:
- Most volunteers must live within Wendell’s corporate limits or Wendell’s ETJ*.
- Terms for Town of Wendell citizen advisory boards begin July 1 and end June 30.
- Depending on the by-laws of the board, terms may be for either two years or three years. If an appointment is made to a vacated term, the appointee completes the unexpired term.
- Current Town of Wendell employees are not eligible to volunteer.
- Applications are a public record.
- Appointments to citizen advisory boards are made by the Wendell Board of Commissioners during a regular board meeting.
Wendell’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) is an area outside of the Town’s limits that will potentially become part of the Town’s limits within the next 10 years and is part of the Town’s municipal planning area. An area within an ETJ is subject to the Town’s zoning and building regulations - not the county’s.
Residents within the Town’s ETJ do not pay Town taxes and may not vote for the Town’s elected officials. However, as an ETJ resident you may serve on the Town’s Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. The Wendell Planning Board makes recommendations to the elected officials for all zoning map and text amendments. They also work on other special projects as directed by the Wendell Board of Commissioners. The Board of Adjustment is responsible for hearing and deciding variances and administrative review of appeals. Persons serving on the Board of Adjustment take an oath of office before serving.
Description of citizen advisory boards:
Appearance Commission
The Appearance Commission consists of five regular members and two alternate members whose mission is to help provide public art and guide beautification efforts within the Town. Meetings are open to the public.
Board of Adjustment
The Board of Adjustment is a seven-member quasi-judicial board that hears appeals to the Wendell Zoning Code. The Board meets once an appeal has been filed with the Wendell Planning Department. Due to the irregular nature of variance and administrative appeal requests, the Board of Adjustment has no regular meeting schedule. BOA meetings are scheduled by Planning Staff on a case by case basis, based upon the availability of the applicant and Board of Adjustment members.
Downtown Development Committee
The purpose for which the Downtown Development Committee is organized is to stimulate Downtown Wendell revitalization through organization: encouraging cooperation and building leadership in the business community; promotion: creating a positive image for downtown by promoting the downtown as an exciting place to live, shop, and invest; and design: improving the appearance of the downtown and to make recommendations for the administration and distribution of funds in connection with the above purposes.
Parks and Recreation Commission
The purpose of the Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide citizen input in relation to the operation and development of Town-owned park property. The Parks and Recreation Commission also raises tree awareness in Wendell and makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on trees located on public property within the town limits to maintain the Tree City USA status of the Town. The Board members serve as the lead for the Town’s Annual Arbor Day celebration.
Planning Board
The Planning Board is a nine-member advisory board that makes recommendations to the Wendell Board of Commissioners on rezonings, ordinance amendments, and land use plans within Wendell's corporate limits and extra-territorial jurisdiction [ETJ].
A Fillable Form version of the Application can be found, here!
A PDF version of the Application for Citizen Advisory Board Appointment can be found here.