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CM:CP:cp:task Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting: July 16, 1991
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City staff
Subject: Recommendation to Establish a Task Force on the
Environment
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council establish a seven
member Task Force on the Environment. A discussion of the purpose
of this task force and a description of the seven individuals who
will be appointed as its inaugural members are presented below.
DISCUSSION
On February 19, 1991, Council authorized the City Manager to work
towards the establishment of a task force which would be a source
of expert advice to the City on environmental issues. This task
force, which is proposed to be named the Task Force on the
Environment, was envisioned as a working group comprised of
individuals with specific expertise in environmental issues who
either live or work in Santa Monica. The scope of environmental
issues upon which this task force would deliberate was defined in
very broad terms. Specifically, the city is interested in input
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and leadership from the proposed task force on the following
environmental issues:
-- Integrated Solid waste Management
-- Hazardous Materials Management
-- Santa Monica Bay Pollution
-- Water Conservation and Water Quality
-- Air Quality
-- Environmental Law/Compliance
-- Energy Conservation and Alternative Fuels
-- Environmentally Responsible Land Use
One of the primary reasons why the establishment of a special task
force on the environment is now advantageous is that the breadth
and complexity of the City's existing and planned environmental
programs have reached the point where implementation constraints
are a serious concern. At the same time, City Council and City
staff are strongly committed to not only maintaining but enhancing
Santa Monica's leadership position in the state and, indeed, the
nation with respect to the implementation of proactive
environmental programs.
An important task which must therefore be undertaken by the
Council, city staff and the task force is the crafting of a
comprehensive environmental policy agenda for the City. This goal
setting process must consider the fiscal, legal and political
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; constraints which impinge on the City's ability to carry out new
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environmental programs. since it will not be possible for Santa
Monica to accomplish all of the desired goals immediately, another
important part of this goal setting process will be the
establishment of priorities and realistic timelines to ensure that
the most important environmental tasks are accomplished as
expeditiously as possible.
The Task Force on the Environment will playa critical role in this
review and goal setting process vis a vis the City's broad
environmental agenda, but it will also constitute an on-going
reservoir of knowledge and experience on discrete environmental
issues. It is expected that this knowledge and experience will
prove invaluable to both Council and staff as specific program
implementation strategies are formulated or when an early sounding
board is needed for staff ideas and proposals. The proposed members
of the Task Force on the Environment are:
Robert Gottlieb -- Professor, UCLA school of Architecture
and Urban Planning, and former Santa Monica
representative on Metropolitan Water District Board:
Mark Gold -- Staff scientist for Heal the Bay, member of
the Project Management and Technical Advisory committees
of the Bay Restoration Project:
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Lisa Weil -- Policy Director for American Oceans
campaign, member of the Project Management Committee of
the Bay Restoration Project;
April smith -- Environmental planner, specialization in
environmental policy development and institutional
environmental audits;
Gero Leson -- Project Manager for an environmental
consulting firm based in Santa Monica, experience in air
quality, energy and hazardous waste issues;
Miriam Koral -- Environmental planner, experience in
environmental compliance, environmental assessments and
public information/education, member of the Public
Advisory Committee of the Bay Restoration Project;
David Phillips -- Professor and Chair, Santa Monica
College Behavioral Studies Department, and Director,
Santa Monica College Center for Environmental Studies.
It is anticipated that the first meeting of the task force will
take place within the next four weeks. At that time, the task force
will decide on the regular time, location and frequency of their
meetings. The city Manager or his designee will be the official
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staff liaison with the task force and will attend all meetings.
other city staff from various departments will participate in task
force proceedings as is appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City council establish a Task Force on the
Environment and authorize the City Manager to appoint the first
seven members of the task force as is detailed in this report.
Prepared by: John Jalili, City Manager
craig Perkins, Environmental Services Manager
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