The City of Thomasville is now accepting applications for volunteers who would like to serve on Citizen Boards. Applications will be accepted through November 1st. According to Interim City Manager Kha McDonald, Citizen Boards are the ideal way for Thomasville residents to get involved and have a voice in City government.
“We have numerous opportunities for citizens to serve their community through boards, commissions and authorities,” said McDonald. “The Citizen Boards all serve different purposes but they share the same mission – to make Thomasville a place in which we can all be proud to live, work and raise a family. It is a great way for someone with an interested in serving their community to become involved in local government.”
Each Citizen Board has specific requirements for voting members. New members would need to be residents of Thomasville and fit the criteria of the vacant board position. Citizens with an interest in serving on a citizen board should contact the City Manager’s Office at (229) 227-6987. Applications are also accepted online at Thomasville.org. Current Citizen Boards include the following:
- Architectural Review & Zoning Appeals Board: Members should be committed to historic preservation and the overall appearance of the downtown Thomasville area. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. This Board consists of five members, each serving a three-year term.
- Building Contractors Examining Board: The Contractors Licensing & Building Board of Appeals is responsible for evaluating the qualifications of contractor license applicants, determining if the license of the contractor should be suspended for violation of City ordinances and to request the Chief Building Official to investigate any complaint made against a contractor. This Board is responsible for hearing appeals to the Southern Standard Building Code. Meetings are held as needed. This Board consists of five members, each serving a four-year term. Members of this board include the City Manager, Chief Building Official, one architect/engineer, and two general contractors or engineering representatives.
- Historic Preservation Board: The Historic Preservation Board is responsible for establishing the designation of historic properties or districts, issuing Certificates of Appropriateness for property owners within these designated districts and to provide for an appeals process to the Thomasville Historic Preservation Ordinance. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. This Board consists of seven members, each serving a three-year term. Board members are limited to two consecutive terms. Members include one architectural representative, one construction representative, one real estate representative, one related discipline, and three citizens.
- Main Street Advisory Board: The Main Street organization espouses “Downtown Economic Development within the context of Historic Preservation.” The Main Street Program follows the “Four Point Approach” of Design, Organization, Promotion, and Economic Restructuring, which work together to build a sustainable and complete community revitalization effort. Meetings are monthly and held on the first Tuesday of each month at 8 a.m. at the Main Street Office.
- Planning and Zoning Board: The Planning and Zoning Board has been created to enable the City of Thomasville to overcome problems in which public input is advisable; to engage in orderly planning for the wise conservation of historic and natural resources; and for the growth of business enterprises providing new or expanded job opportunities throughout the community. Meetings are the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The Board consists of nine members, each serving a four-year term.
- Tree and Landscape Board: The purpose of the Tree and Landscape Board is to educate the public as to the economic and aesthetic benefits of trees and landscaping to the City of Thomasville and its citizens on both publicly and privately owned property. This Board promotes the care, fertilization, protection, and other measures desirable for the health and growth of existing trees in City rights-of-way. Meetings are held as needed. This Board consists of eight members, each serving a two-year term.