Trinidad seeks volunteers for city boards, commissions ahead of April 23 deadline

The Trinidad City Council is taking Citizen Interest Forms for seven open volunteer slots that can shape everything from construction disputes to downtown preservation, with a noon April 23 deadline for residents who want a say without running for office.

The openings include three seats and two alternate seats on the Board of Building Code Appeals, two seats on the Lodging Tax Advisory Board, two seats on the Urban Forestry Board and one seat on the Corazon de Trinidad Historic Main Street Board. The city says applicants must meet residency and voter-registration requirements, depending on the board, and will be interviewed by City Council at a regularly scheduled work session.

For many people in Trinidad and Las Animas County, these are not abstract advisory posts. The Board of Building Code Appeals can affect how the city handles disputes over safety and construction rules, which matters when property owners, contractors and neighbors disagree over what can be built or repaired. The Lodging Tax Advisory Board helps guide how tourism revenue is studied and spent, a sensitive issue in a city where visitors, events and downtown activity feed local business.

The city’s code says the Lodging Tax Advisory Board has five members and advises City Council on policies for lodging-tax revenue. Trinidad’s 2023 voter guide said the tax rate approved by voters in 2001 had stayed unchanged, and that proposed changes would fund sustainable tourism marketing, tourism-related personnel and facilities such as the welcome center. That makes the two open seats especially relevant for anyone who follows how Trinidad promotes itself and pays for visitor services.

The Urban Forestry Board can have up to seven members and is charged with promoting the protection, maintenance, removal and survival of desirable trees and plants, along with controlling Dutch elm disease. City materials list current members Joyce Miller, Sally Miller, Richard Alford, Barbara McKnight and Tony Vasquez, showing the board is active even as the city looks for more help. In a town where shade, streetscapes and tree health affect daily life, the panel has a direct role in how Trinidad looks and feels.

The Corazon de Trinidad Historic Main Street Board carries its own weight. The city says the board is part of the Colorado Main Street program and helps support downtown and commercial district revitalization. Trinidad also says the program was evaluated by its staff and board of directors and by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs in partnership with Main Street America, placing downtown Trinidad within a broader preservation network that reaches beyond Las Animas County.

Residents interested in serving can contact City Hall at 719-846-9843 or submit a form to the City Clerk’s Office at 135 N. Animas Street. Open vacancies are also posted on the city’s Public Notices page, and Trinidad has repeatedly used similar notices in recent years to fill board and commission seats, keeping local decision-making close to home.