THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997              TAG: 9702020110
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   52 lines

CHESAPEAKE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS TO FILL ITS COMMITTEES EVERY MONTH THE CITY GETS TWO TO THREE RESIGNATIONS FROM BOARDS.

Officials are having a difficult time filling vacancies on a wide range of city committees.

Chesapeake maintains a 950-name database of potential volunteers, but most have no interest in the lower-profile boards and commissions that help the government function.

``The goal is to have the best qualified people on the best board,'' said City Clerk Dolores A. Moore. ``But the reality is that a lot of people don't want to serve on boards they are most qualified to serve.''

Few, for instance, are willing to admit they best fit on the five-member Swine Environmental Quality Control Committee.

There are 55 council-appointed boards in Chesapeake and 13 mayoral boards. Most have staff appointments and council liaisons, who are responsible for monitoring the committee's actions and bringing concerns back to the council.

Last week, the council was forced to delay appointments to the Historic Preservation Committee, a body formed over a year ago to help set a course for future historic preservation in the city.

The committee is still without enough volunteers, who must have competence in history, architectural history, archaeology and historical preservation. The remaining vacancies are scheduled to be filled this month.

Every month the city receives an average of two to three resignations from boards. In addition, volunteers' terms expire.

Next month, the city will have to fill 23 vacancies on five boards.

And as the city has begun purging its database of 2-year-old applications, the number of formal volunteers on file is expected to dwindle.

Serving on committees and boards can be an efficient way to have concerns addressed.

The city's Parks and Recreation Advisory board has become one of the most popular and active in Chesapeake as interest in recreation has increased. Board members recently came to a capital budget public hearing to voice their support for more recreation. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

TO VOLUNTEER

The city is still in need of volunteers for city committees and

boards.

Applications can be picked up in the City Clerk's office on the

sixth floor of City Hall.

Volunteers can also call the clerk's office at 382-6151 for more

information.

Applications for upcoming committee openings must be received by

the clerk's office by the first of the month in which the positions

are to be filled.