You CAN have an impact. Whatever you want out of city government, you have a much better chance of getting it if you get involved. In Birmingham as elsewhere, the squeeky wheel is more likely to get the grease. Here are some of the best ways to get involved:

* Attend City Commission meetings. Listen and contribute. They're held bi-weekly (or sometimes even weekly) on Monday night's at 8 p.m. at City Hall. An agenda is posted in advance on the City's official website. Minutes are posted later. The meetings are televised on Comcast Channel 15, and replayed several times throughout the week. The Birmingham Area Cable Board website has a schedule. Sure, parts of them are boring. So bring a good book. For all the boring parts, there's plenty of good entertainment. This is the best way to get to know your city commissioners and staff. There's plenty of opportunity for public comment, too. Why let Dorothy Conrad and Clinton Baller have all the fun? You can join in, too!

* Attend meetings of other city boards, including the Planning Board, Board of Zoning Appeals, Historic District and Design Review Commission, Traffic Safety and Parking Advisory.