A Sparks Citizens Advisory Committee was restructured in September with the aim of making the group more representative and forging a stronger link with the city council. However, as the city tries to recruit representatives to serve on this committee, some areas of town are attracting more applicants than others.

“We really need applicants from Wards 1 and 2,” said city spokesman Adam Mayberry.

He added that as of Monday, the city had enough applicants to make some appointments. However, the application process will remain open until Nov. 30.

Before the committee was restructured, most of the membership and input came from Ward 5, according to Mayberry. The committee contained one member from Sparks’ Ward 1, two members from Ward 2, two members from Ward 4 and 13 members from Ward 5.

There was little participation from Ward 3.

“It was operating under a model that wasn’t ... representative of the city at large,” Mayberry said. “The purpose of the citizens advisory committee is to reflect the community at large.”

As of Nov. 9, the city had eight applications in their hands – six were from Ward 4 and two were from Ward 5, according to Councilman Mike Carrigan. These wards extend north to the developing Spanish Springs area.

“It is not a surprise that Ward 5 has the most applicants,” Mayberry said.

As of Jan. 1, 2010, the committee will be made up of two citizens from each ward in Sparks, as well as one alternate for each ward.

Each city council member will appoint two members to the committee from that council person’s ward. The mayor would appoint members to represent the Sparks Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Sparks Advisory Committee for the Disabled. One representative from each of these groups would serve on the SCAC.

According to Mayberry, once the application period closes and the city has received a sufficient number of applications, each council member will appoint representatives. Council members must also choose one alternate for each ward.

Some council members said at the Nov. 9 city council meeting that their recruitment efforts were kicking into a higher gear.

“One applicant (from my ward) will be in by the end of the day and one will file by the end of the week,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Julia Ratti.

Councilman Ron Smith of Ward 3 said that he was approaching members of his homeowners association at its next meeting in an effort to recruit.

“It was a good group of people before,” Mayberry said of the former members and makeup of the committee. “But the council needs to have a better link ... a committee that is more effective.”

Committee members could be asked by a council member to research a particular neighborhood problem or provide input on a specific area-wide topic, Mayberry said. He added that the time commitment for membership would require one meeting a month that could last a few hours.

The committee was reorganized with the aim of formalizing what was formerly a loose-knit group of people wanting community involvement in city council decisions. The new group will also play a greater role in supporting volunteer work throughout Sparks, Mayberry said.He added that the input could come in a written report, a quarterly presentation or several other forms.

“It is really up to the committee what form it comes in,” he said.

Before the committee was reorganized by city council vote, group members could come from any part of the city and there were no formal membership requirements.

Now, the committee’s membership is more formalized. Each council member must appoint two SCAC members and one alternate from their respective wards. Interested applicants can visit the city’s Web site at www.ci.sparks.nv.us to fill out an application.