LAKE PLACID — The town of North Elba announced on Tuesday that it’s seeking volunteers to join its newly-formed Community Engagement Commission, which will serve as an interface between the community, town government and the state Olympic Regional Development Authority for the town-owned venues that are operated by ORDA.

Those include Mount Van Hoevenberg, the Olympic Jumping Complex, the Olympic Center and the Olympic Speedskating Oval. The Olympic Center and oval are considered one joint venue for the commission. There is also one at-large member, for a total of four town-appointed members.

They will join three ORDA appointees, representing each of the venues. ORDA Legacy Sites Vice President Chadd Cassidy said ORDA was still in the process of selecting its appointees.

“We’re in the beginning stages of figuring out who the best people are for that,” he said. “Obviously, we want people who are invested in the community, have relationships there and can also communicate on a regular basis.”

North Elba Town Councilwoman Emily Kilburn Politi said the commission’s purpose is to bridge communication and offer a conduit for questions, comments, suggestions or concerns to be addressed promptly and considered in good faith by ORDA.

“It’s bridging communication and making sure that everyone feels heard and that issues are being resolved quickly,” she said.

Cassidy said ORDA is looking forward to the commission’s formation.

“I’m really excited about this,” he said. “We care a lot about our community. ORDA and all of our venues are a big part of our area here and a big part of our success in bringing people to the area and keeping our businesses vibrant. As busy as we are, we need feedback from people on the things that we’re doing, and we just view this as a great opportunity to do that.”

The town appointees will have a listed email, will be tasked with receiving communication and communicating that to the ORDA point person in a timely manner, then the subsequent response back to the community member, detailing how it is being addressed.

The ORDA appointees will be tasked with listening and responding to the community feedback, and incorporating that “to a reasonable extent” in venue operations and planning, according to the commission’s bylaws.

“As we came to a new agreement with the town about our relationship with them, one of the things we wanted to improve on, on both sides, was our communication,” Cassidy said. “I think, like anything in life, sometimes we can end up being a little bit siloed and think that everybody knows what’s going on, and there always seems to be some holes in the communication. So from our vantage point, this was a great opportunity to be in constant communication with our community, with the town board.”

The town and ORDA reached a new 20-year agreement in March. An earlier report on that is available at tinyurl.com/ydyb2k78.

Kilburn Politi said that applicants should have familiarity with that venue and the sports it serves, but they don’t need to be experts. She said the role’s most important attribute is being community-minded.

“The goal of the commission, and ORDA was very much behind this as well, is just to really have a platform for better communication,” she said. “If you don’t have the appropriate mechanisms for communication, everything breaks down.”

Besides working with the town and ORDA appointees working bilaterally to address feedback as it arises throughout the year, the commission will meet twice annually, in May and November. Those meetings are primarily meant to serve as a chance to summarize the past six months and review feedback and outcomes in aggregate to see what is working well and what could be improved. The meetings also allow ORDA officials to communicate upcoming major events and planned improvements for their venues.

The commission will also elect a chair, who will report back to the town board at its June and December meetings. The chair is to be elected at the spring meeting and serve a term of two years.

Those interested in joining the commission should email a letter of intent to Haley Breen, the North Elba Community Development Director, at hbreen@northelba.org. The letter should include the position of interest (venue-specific or at-large), relevant experience or connection to the venue(s) and a demonstration of interest in community engagement and collaborative service.

Letters are due by the close of business on Feb. 3. More information on the commission is available at tinyurl.com/2j5wdwkz.