Community involvement encouraged by joining Joplin boards and commissions

(From the City of Joplin)

Interested in helping your community? Serving on a City of Joplin board or commission is a way that citizens can provide input on the policies that shape their government and their city. 

Board members and commissioners generally serve as volunteers, but the rewards can be gratifying, including meeting other residents with similar interests, learning about the city, and helping shape the community’s future.

The City has over 20 organizations that citizens may serve. Each board/commission represents a specific area of City government, and citizens may designate which board(s)/commission(s) they are applying to offer their service. These groups serve in diverse roles, including assessing needs, reviewing plans and policies, making recommendations to City departments, and providing guidance on projects and programs.

Joplin citizens may submit applications to serve anytime during the year. Applicants must be registered voters of the State of Missouri. Some boards may have specific requirements for their members. The City Council makes appointments to these organizations semi-annually or on an “as needed” basis. A full listing of the boards and commissions is available on the City’s website, www.joplinmo.org.

Those interested in serving on City Boards and Commissions may apply through the City’s website For other options, contact the City Clerk’s office at hnagy@joplinmo.org or call 417-624-0820, ext. 1220 or 1221.

Currently, the City Council is seeking applicants to fill numerous board openings, with some boards not having any applicants on file. These include:

BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: 5-year term; the board meets on an as-needed basis on the third Friday of each month at 11 a.m. at City Hall. This quasi-judicial board grants variances from the strict letter of the law as written in the Zoning Code, Subdivision Regulations, Historic Preservation Ordinance, Sign Code, Mobile Home Code, and Flood Plain Management Code and decides appeals to the decisions of the Chief Building Official or City Planner. Opening: One alternate position.

BOARD OF HEALTH: Acts as an advisory board to the City Manager, Health Director, and the Council on all matters pertaining to public health and sanitation. Performs such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by ordinance. Opening: two members in the physicians category.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OVERSIGHT SALES TAX COMMITTEE: Reviews and provides capital improvement oversights. Opening: one member.

CITY TREE BOARD: This board has a 3-year term and meets on the fourth Tuesday of every other month at 5:30 p.m. at the Athletic Complex. Its role is to promote and protect the public's health, safety, and general welfare by regulating the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees, shrubs, and other plants within the city of Joplin. The board also manages Joplin’s community forest to ensure its strong, healthy condition today and in the future. Opening: one member.

CONVENTIONS & VISITORS ADVISORY BOARD - Promotes tourism, conventions, and other related activities. Opening: one member from the media category

JOPLIN HISTORICAL & MINERAL MUSEUM INC. BOARD - 3-year term; The Board operates and manages the Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum and the Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum. Opening: one member.

JOPLIN RE-DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (353 COMM.) – The Board’s goal is to reduce blight and promote economic redevelopment. Opening: one member.

SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION: 3-year term; The Board meets on call, once per quarter at City Hall. Its purpose is to confer and advise the Council and the Administration on all matters concerning procedures or practices that involve the collection, storage, and disposal of solid waste generated within the city limits of Joplin. Current openings: two individuals in commercial retail category and one in the industrial at large field.