About the Community Involvement Committee
The Community Involvement Committee (CIC) serves as Multnomah County’s advisory body on community engagement and involvement.
The CIC plays a crucial role in bringing community voice into county decision-making. CIC members engage in an ongoing review of the County's community involvement policies and programs, bring community concerns to County leadership, and assist in facilitating communication between the County and the community.
Together, the committee makes recommendations directly to the Office of Community Involvement, County departments and the Board of County Commissioners about opportunities for community engagement and removing barriers to civic participation.
CIC Membership and Meetings
CIC members are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. The CIC meets every other month on the third Tuesday from 6-8pm. Based on member availability, we are currently holding most CIC meetings virtually. Subcommittees of the CIC typically meet monthly, on a schedule determined by subcommittee members and chairs.
CIC Meeting dates, locations, agendas, and minutes are available on the Meetings, Minutes, Documents page. View the CIC, CBAC, and CRC Meetings Calendar for upcoming Community Involvement Committee (CIC), as well as other committees. You can also add the CIC+ Meetings Calendar to other applications such as Outlook or Apple Calendar by using the iCal feed format.
The CIC usually recruits new members in the winter and spring. Please see below for how to apply, and review the Frequently Asked Questions about membership!
How to Apply
Priority Deadline is Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 at 11:59pm. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until filled - apply today!
Online form (preferred):
- Online application (you will be asked to create a Better Impact account)
More information & pdf applications
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review this site and information on how to apply for the CIC.
Interested parties can learn more about the application and preview the questions on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter to stay connected with the Office of Community Involvement and to receive news on other opportunities to get involved with Multnomah County!
Questions about applying
Want to know more? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions on applying for the CIC, and contact us with additional questions.
CIC Recommendations
Each year the CIC produces between one and three recommendation letters or reports. In Fiscal Year 2026 (2025-2026), the CIC created a report on their survey of community engagement staff and a report with recommendations about the Charter Review Process preparations. The CIC is expected to present these letters to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026. A brief summary of recommendations is below- read their recommendations from this and past years on the CIC Recommendations Page.
Report: Community Engagement Survey
The CIC subcommittee chose to continue FY25 work on understanding and strengthening County infrastructure for community engagement. To better understand the experiences and perspectives of county staff who work in community engagement, the CIC created a survey for engagement staff to assess their experiences and where they see strengths and weaknesses in their community engagement. They received 31 responses and analyzed the results. Process, findings and detailed recommendations are linked above. A brief summary is as follows:
Key Observations and Insights On Community Engagement Successes
Themes of Successful Engagement:
- Inclusive, Relationship-Centered Engagement Builds Trust and Participation
- Collaborative Capacity Building Strengthens Long-Term Impacts
- Community Voices Drive Real Decisions and Outcomes
Themes of Needed Engagement Improvements:
- Structural and Resource Constraints Limit Effective Engagement
- Gaps Exist in Communication, Outreach, and Clarity
- Need for More Authentic, Inclusive, and Actionable Engagement
Recommendations for Continued Progress in County Community Engagement
For county leaders:
- Continue to Build and Resource a Countywide Engagement Infrastructure
- Continue to Reduce Barriers to Participation to Advance Equitable
Engagement Backed by Policy and Funding - Continue to Champion and Strengthen Transparency, Accountability, and
Shared Decision-Making
Recommendations for the Office of Community Involvement:
- Co-structure a Countywide Engagement Infrastructure
- Identify Barriers to Participation and Clarify how the County Mitigates those
Challenges - including tangible policies and practices - Continue to Champion Transparency, Accountability, and Shared
Decision-Making through Resources and Feedback Loops
Report: Lessons and Recommendations for the 2027-2028 Charter Review Preparation Process
The CIC selected this topic in anticipation for the upcoming charter review process. They dubbed this period of foundational work, before the charter review process began in earnest, “Phase 0.” During this time the CIC worked closely with the Office of Community Involvement (OCI) to learn about charter reviews, provide feedback, and discuss potential ways to improve the process. Full process, findings and detailed recommendations are linked above. A brief summary of recommendations are as follows:
Recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners
- Invest in Early Planning and Cross-County Coordination
- Build Long-Term Institutional Capacity for Charter Review
- Evaluate Charter and Governance Changes to Strengthen Future Reviews
Recommendations to the Office of Community Involvement (OCI) and the Community Involvement Committee (CIC)
- Conduct Early Planning and Cross-County Coordination
- Continue Leveraging the CIC as a Planning Partner
- Standardize Public Education, CRC Recruitment and Selection Resources
- Maintain a Charter Review Planning Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Past Recommendations:
You can view CIC recommendations and board briefings from prior years on our website.
Find Meetings, Minutes, and Materials
Other important documents for the CIC, including their bylaws, can be found on the Meetings, Minutes, Documents page.
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