Title
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Body
Summary and Background Information:
The purpose of this resolution is to seek City Council authorization of an Environmental Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC), providing critical and key input in the formation of community wide environmental policy developed under the Environmental Consulting Services (ECS) contract. The EPAC's purpose is to support the development of and provide critical feedback on environmental quality and environmental equity policy outcomes. While policy development is intended to benefit all members of the community, the inclusion of equity and diversity is an intentional and focused approach by the city. The goal is to ensure policy development is reflective of disproportionately impacted communities members concerns and present those that are most directly impacted by environmental impacts a meaningful form of participation to ensure that progress is achieved in an equitable manner.
Specifically, the role of this committee will be to provide recommendations to Staff, Planning Commission, City Council on methods to improve community environmental quality outcomes in an equitable manner. Anticipated areas to explore in this work are intended to include:
• Energy efficiency and energy reduction
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction at a community wide and municipal level
• Water use and water quality
• Brownfield remediation
• Land use policy
• Air quality
• Health equity
• Sustainability
The committee will also be tasked with advising City Council and staff on meaningful methods and strategies for the City to engage the community on environmental issues, help facilitate conversation in the community, and analyze data and draft policies developed.
The committee is intended to convene 7 times, with the final meeting occurring no later than December 31, 2022. The committee is intended to be disbanded following the conclusion of the final meeting. No meeting will be held in the absence of at least 50% of the participants. City staff or the City’s consultants will lead meetings.
The committee will be comprised of eleven (11) members and three (3) alternates. The committee will consist of representatives from existing Commerce City Boards and Commissions, as well as additional members including residents, community advocates, members of nonprofit and community organizations, and business owners. It is envisioned that to ensure the previously stated goals of equity are met, there would be a focus on greater representation from residents within the Core City, as well as efforts to ensure the group as a whole represents a diverse range of economic groups, backgrounds, age groups, genders, nationalities, languages, and abilities. Participants will not be compensated. Each participant will be either a resident, business owner or development stakeholder in the City. City employees and Council members, their immediate family members, and other elected officials are not eligible for participation.
Advertisement and recruit for the committee will begin immediately following Council’s approval of this resolution. Notification of this opportunity will be shared on the City website, over social media channels, and via other methods if necessary. The application process will be coordinated through the City Clerk and will close towards the beginning of July. Staff is requesting Council’s input on the duration of the recruiting period during this item, and whether or not establishing an ad-hoc boards and commissions subcommittee interview is necessary to ensure adequate time is provided for the recruitment of this committee.
Staff Responsible (Department Head): Jason Rogers, Deputy City Manager of External Services
Staff Member Presenting: Domenic Martinelli, AICP, LEED AP ND, Environmental Planner
Financial Impact: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Approval
Suggested Motion: I move to approve Resolution 2021-07, establishing an Environmental Policy Advisory Committee for the development of policy as outlined in the Environmental Consulting Services Scope of Work.