Board Members
The Board shall consist of no more than seventeen (17) members appointed by the Mayor and City Council. Membership of the Board will reflect the diversity of residents of the City of Wichita, including ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic and age. Board members selected should be individuals with an interest or experience in diversity, equity, inclusion and/or civil rights.
Qualifications
Individuals must possess the following qualifications to be appointed to the Board:
- Must live or work within the City of Wichita.
- Not be employed by the City of Wichita or be the immediate family member of an employee of the City of Wichita.
- Not be a member of or the immediate family member of any member of the Wichita City Council.
- Is not registered as a sex offender with any state, county, or local government.
- Is not an elected local, state, or federal public official or a candidate for any such office.
- Is not a party or representative of a party making a claim against the City of Wichita for any action or inaction of an employee of the City of Wichita.
In addition to the above qualifications, all applicants (or members, where applicable) for appointment to the board must submit to a background check.
If appointed to the Board:
- Complete diversity and inclusion training to be developed/identified in partnership with the City Manager.
- Participate in KOMA/KORA training provided by the City of Wichita prior to voting on any item before the Board.
Terms of Office and Removal
Members of the Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board shall serve two-year terms.
- All appointments to the Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board terms shall commence January 1st and expire December 31st. The maximum term of all members shall be not more than two terms. A term is equal to two years of service. A vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term of a member in the same manner as an original appointment.
- The minimum number of members of the Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board shall be seven (7) members.
- The members of the Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board shall be appointed from the broadest possible base of the community at large, with consideration from the following groups:
- Youth (high school student).
- Young Adult
- Disability Services
- LGBTQ
- Veteran
- Faith Leader
- NAACP
- USD 259
- League of Women Voters or Junior League
- Homeless Services
- Seven Community members, one appointment per Council Member and Mayor
- In the Board’s first year, appointments shall be limited to a total of 11 individuals, seven of whom will be the individual appointments of the Mayor and Council Members pursuant to Section 3(k) and four of whom will be at-large appointments by the Mayor from the groups identified in Section 3(a-j), all of which are to be approved by the City Council.
- The City Manager will assign staff to serve as the ex officio secretary to Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board for purposes of gathering data from city departments, maintaining records, minutes and the handling of administrative matters without the right to vote or to perform any other function than provide administrative services, with the oversight of the Board’s Secretary. The ex officio secretary will submit minutes to the City staff liaison to post along with the agenda package.
- Any member of the advisory board shall be removed from office by the City Council after due notice and hearing for nonattendance at three consecutive meetings, or for absence of more than fifty percent of the meetings held during any twelve-month period of time. A meeting canceled for lack of a quorum is considered a meeting for purposes of recording attendance. The ex officio secretary will provide written notice to the non-attending board or commission member and the City Manager. A vacancy shall be declared unless the board member requests a hearing before the City Council within ten days after notice is provided.
- Each member of the advisory board shall disclose any conflict of interest, as defined in the bylaws to be adopted by the Board, as may arise in connection with matters being considered by the advisory board of which they are a member and shall refrain from discussing or voting on any such matters.
8. All appointments shall be made to city boards and commissions by written notice of appointment, which notice shall clearly state that such appointment is made subject to all the provisions outlined within, the term of the appointment, and that members so appointed may be removed by the City Council for violation of any of the rules and regulations hereby established.
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