REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Al Zelinka, City Manager
VIA: Travis K. Hopkins, Assistant City Manager
PREPARED BY: Sandie Frakes, Management Aide
Subject:
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Approve the re-appointments of KC Fockler, Kathleen McGowan, Bud Benneman, Joan Siegal, and Eric Bornstein to the Environmental & Sustainability Board as recommended by City Council Liaisons Rhonda Bolton and Natalie Moser
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Statement of Issue:
The Environmental & Sustainability Board (ESB) is scheduled to have five vacancies starting July 1, 2023. The City Council is asked to consider the re-appointment of the following current ESB members for varying terms: KC Fockler and Kathleen McGowan for 2-year terms (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025); Bud Benneman, Joan Siegal, and Eric Bornstein for 4-year terms (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027).
Financial Impact:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the recommended action.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Approve the re-appointment of the following current ESB members: KC Fockler and Kathleen McGowan for a 2-year term of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025; Bud Benneman, Joan Siegal, and Eric Bornstein for a 4-year term of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.
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Alternative Action(s):
Refer the matter back to the Council Liaisons for selection of other candidates to fill the upcoming vacancies.
Analysis:
The ESB is a volunteer Board consisting of seven voting members, which includes five citizen appointees and two City Council liaisons. The Board also includes a Planning Commission liaison who attends meetings but is not a voting member.
The ESB’s duties include supporting and guiding the development and implementation of the City's Sustainability Master Plan that will propose measures to improve efficiency and sustainability within City municipal operations. Such operations may involve energy conservation in City facilities, resource recovery/waste management, transportation and mobility infrastructure, City fleet and other pertinent matters within the City’s control. The ESB is also able to perform such other duties as may from time to time be properly assigned or delegated to it by the City Council.
Currently, the ESB’s five citizen appointees include KC Fockler, Kathleen McGowan, Bud Benneman, Joan Siegal and Eric Bornstein who have served successfully on the Board throughout their terms. All of their terms are scheduled to end on June 30, 2023, and each member is seeking reappointment. Their reappointment requests are attached for consideration.
Per HBMC 2.100.065, terms must be staggered, so that the majority of terms end in odd-numbered years following the election of four Council Members and the remainder end in odd-numbered years following the election of three council members. If the Council chooses to reappoint all five members, staff proposes assigning them to two or four year terms. Members Fockler and McGowan are willing to serve two year terms ending in June 30, 2025; thereafter, their seats will be reopened as four year terms. Members Benneman, Siegal and Bornstein are willing to serve four year terms that end on June 30, 2027 and every 4 years thereafter.
Environmental Status:
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment do not constitute a project.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Community Engagement
Attachment(s):
1. Updated Environmental & Sustainability Board Roster
2. Re-appointment Request from Environmental & Sustainability Board Member KC Fockler
3. Re-appointment Request from Environmental & Sustainability Board Member Kathleen McGowan
4. Re-appointment Request from Environmental & Sustainability Board Member Bud Benneman
5. Re-appointment Request from Environmental & Sustainability Board Member Joan Siegal
6. Re-appointment Request from Environmental & Sustainability Board Member Eric Bornstein