Working With (or Without) Staff
Chapter 4: Starting a Preservation Commission, Page 4 of 5
A preservation commission may or may not have a paid staff depending on a variety of factors. Of course, a key factor is the available budget. Most preservation commissions in Wisconsin do not have a paid staff.
Sharing Support Staff
For some communities, it is feasible for commissions to share staff support with other departments or boards of the local government. For other communities, a committed group of volunteers ensures that the commission runs smoothly. At the very least, a commission will require someone to perform clerical duties. These include sending notices to property owners, processing applications, arranging meetings and preparing agendas, and keeping minutes. If a commission shares staff resources with another local government entity, it is best if a single person works with the commission to perform these clerical duties.
Filling a Need for Specialized Knowledge
Whether or not a commission has a hired staff, it is a good idea to identify one person with design knowledge and/or historical training and experience. This person may be a local government staff person who is shared with other entities, such as the planning board, or it may be a dedicated volunteer or a salaried employee of the commission. The person with this specialized knowledge can provide the commission with technical assistance and help property owners with design review applications. The review process will be more efficient by ensuring that applications are properly completed and all required documentation is in order before it reaches the commission, which also saves the applicant time, money, and frustration. The person in this "expert" role can also aide the commission by making sure its members have the information they need to make thoughtful decisions.
When a commission undertakes a project such as conducting a survey or creating an inventory of historic resources, it may need to reach beyond volunteer or shared staff resources. These projects are labor-intensive and time-consuming, and they require people with special knowledge and experience. These types of projects generally place too much burden on shared staff and often make it necessary to hire either temporary employees or consultants to conduct the work.