Some of Marin County's volunteer advisory boards could be dissolved, merged or restructured after the Board of Supervisors reviews staff recommendations for 19 bodies at a public meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The review, detailed in a county news release Aug. 20, examined whether each board, commission or committee still has a clear and relevant purpose, can operate effectively and has the membership, governance structure and staff support needed to carry out its work.

Staff recommendations include keeping a body as it is, making improvements, restructuring or combining it with another body, ending it through a process known as sunsetting, or conducting further review.

County staff said most of the 19 advisory bodies continue to provide value, but a small number may need restructuring, consolidation, more study or possible sunsetting.

The review also identified broader improvements for the county's advisory-board system, including clearer bylaws and legal authority, better vacancy management, consistent staff-liaison roles, annual work plans, regular reporting and stronger public outreach.

The effort builds on the county's 2024 Equity Modernization Plan and survey findings presented to supervisors May 19.

That earlier work identified common challenges among county boards and commissions, including vacancies, difficulty reaching quorum, outdated bylaws, unclear roles, inconsistent onboarding and varying levels of staff support.

The county oversees 54 boards, commissions and committees with roughly 431 authorized seats, 57 of which were vacant as of the May 19 staff report.

Tuesday's recommendations are staff proposals only. No decision is final until the Board acts at a public meeting.

If supervisors direct changes, the county will contact affected commissioners, staff liaisons, departments and other stakeholders. Some changes may require additional legal review or another Board action.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. The full agenda, staff report and participation information are available through the county's Board of Supervisors meetings website.