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SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	02/22/2021
Subject: DISCUSS and RECOMMEND to the Board of Supervisors candidates for at-large seats on the Contra Costa County Sustainability Commission.
Submitted For:	Jody London, Sustainability Coordinator
Department:	Conservation & Development
Referral No.:	N/A
Referral Name:	N/A
Presenter:	Jody London, DCD	Contact:	Jody London (925)674-7871

Information

Referral History:

On November 15, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the creation of a Contra Costa County Sustainability Commission. The mission of the Sustainability Commission is to:

Provide advice to staff and the Board on successful implementation of the Climate Action Plan, including suggestions on how that work can be performed more efficiently and effectively.
Advise the Board on opportunities to realize equity and fairness across the diverse communities of Contra Costa County in sustainability programs that support the Climate Action Plan.
Provide suggestions to staff and the Board on how to better engage Contra Costa County residents and businesses on sustainability issues and implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

The Sustainability Commission has been operating since June 2017. On August 6, 2019, the Board of Supervisors created an additional seat on the Sustainability Commission for a member representing environmental justice issues and who lives in a frontline community. With the creation of the second environmental justice seat, the composition of the Commission is as follows with twelve members and five alternates:

Five District representatives nominated by individual members of the Board of Supervisors (representatives must be a resident of that district);
Five alternate District representatives nominated by individual members of the Board of Supervisors (alternates must be a resident of that district);
Two members representing community groups whose mission includes sustainability and/or environmental issues ("At-Large, Community");
Two members representing commercial groups or organizations whose business focuses on sustainability and/or environmental issues ("At-Large, Business"); and
Two members representing environmental justice issues and who live in frontline, or “disadvantaged” communities, and who reflect the geographic diversity of the County ("At-Large, Environmental Justice").

The terms of each seat were staggered so that about half expire every two years. This allows for continuity on the Commission.

The Board directed the Sustainability Committee to review and interview applicants for the At-Large seats and recommend candidates for those seats as they become vacant.

Referral Update:

Four of the At-Large seats expire on March 31, 2021: At-Large, Community Group Seat #2, At-Large, Business Seat #1, At-Large, Environmental Justice Seat #2, and At-Large, Education or Research Institution. The Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) advertised the opportunities to serve starting on January 7, 2021 and accepted applications through February 12, 2021.

11 people submitted applications to serve in the vacant At-Large seats described above, including the incumbents in the business, environmental justice, and education/research seats. Three (3) have applied for the seat representing business; four (4) have applied for the seat representing a community group; two (2) have applied for the environmental justice seat. Only the incumbent has applied for the education/research seat.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

DISCUSS and RECOMMEND to the Board of Supervisors candidates for at-large seats on the Contra Costa County Sustainability Commission.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

N/A.

Attachments
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