photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

The Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., is pictured Monday, July 24, 2023.

The Lawrence Community Shelter’s new board of directors is hosting its first public meeting this evening.

The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., according to a release that the shelter sent about two hours before the meeting was scheduled to begin. This is the first board of directors meeting since the shelter’s recent change to a shared-governance model with the City of Lawrence and Douglas County.

According to the release, the meeting is intended to focus on “some fundamental and high-priority items that are essential to the future success” of the shelter and its board.

“In the future, it is our intention to make our board meetings more inclusive and interactive,” the release reads. “We aim to enhance transparency in our decision-making processes, demonstrating to the community that LCS is responsible and dedicated to providing valuable service to our community.”

According to the meeting agenda, one item the board will be considering is whether to voluntarily recognize a labor union of shelter employees. Staff at the shelter announced their intent to join CWA Local 6400, the union that represents hourly school staff in the Lawrence school district, earlier this month.

Members of the public interested in attending the meeting can also do so via Zoom.