I said "volunteering to help in any capacity in any forum". So your first part doesn't match the request. As to the lack of recourse, when you PM the Community Director, you are going to the top. She is the final authority, and by definition there is no further recourse.
That applies to any request from anyone on FT on any subject. All businesses run this way. You accept the decision of the person at the top or you fire that person. No picking and choosing allowed.
Perhaps people want to volunteer as a moderator, and receive those responses I mentioned before.
What is wrong with adding additional options for recourse, especially if those additional options rotate out due to term limits? That gives greater chance for new ideas to be shared.
While "not in TalkBoard's purview," I favor not only term limits on TalkBoard members but also term limits on moderators. Give more people a chance to help by serving FT and I think you'll see increased engagement.
I do think that one of the reasons for such a low voter turnout was because to some, it was more of the same people running for the same positions.