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MAY 2 6 !98
F \EPWM\AOMIN\WPDOCS\STAFFRPT\TAKFORMI WPD
Council Meeting May 26, 1998 Santa Monica, California
TO Mayor and City Council
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT. Recommendation to Adopt the Task Force on the Environment MIssion
Statement
I ntroductl on
This report discusses the role of the Task Force on the Environment and recommends
Council adoption of the attached miSSion statement for the Task Force
Backaround
The Task Force on the Environment was established In July, 1991 to adVise the City
Council and staff on proposed environmental policies and specific environmental
programs The Task Force IS compnsed of seven members who either reSide or are
employed In the City of Santa Monica and who have expertise In a specific
environmental area They are appointed by the City Council In response to the first
International environmental summit held In RIo de Janeiro In 1991, the Task Force
contnbuted their expertise to, among other Important environmental Issues, the
formulation of the Santa MOnica Sustainable City Program The Santa MOnica
Sustainable City Program was adopted by the City CouncIl In September 1994
I q..e,
MAY 2 6 1998
Over the past seven years, the Task Force has provided adVice and support for vanous
City environmental efforts Including the formulation of the urban runoff mitigation
ordinance, volume-based solid waste fees, the sustainable development gUidelines,
tOXIC chemical reduction policies and programs, public education and community
outreach strategies, water quality efforts, and procurement policies
OIScusslon
On March 18, 1997, the Chair of the Task Force on the Environment presented the first
Sustainable City Program Progress Report to the City Council The Progress Report
Included a set of recommendations to the City Council on speCific areas the Task Force
believed required additional focus City Council discussed the recommendations and
directed the City Manager to review the Task Force's miSSion to ensure that It did not
duplicate the work of the City staff and that the Task Force IS structured so as to
optimally accomplish Its miSSion
The Task Force discussed these Issues with City staff at several of their meetings and
adopted a formal miSSion statement In October 1997 (attached) The miSSion
statement descnbes the role of the Task Force as serving In an adVISOry capacity to
City CounCil and staff on Issues related to the Sustainable City Program It defines the
role of the Task Force as advocates and as a resource In public outreach The miSSIon
statement also recommends attendance and partiCipation gUidelines for each Task
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Force member and sets forth the areas of expertIse that indIvIdual members should
represent
The Task Force and staff also discussed at length the advantages and disadvantages
of proposing the converSion of the Task Force Into a board or commiSSion The clear
consensus of this diScussion was that the eXisting Task Force model was continUing to
work qUite well and that there were no convincing or compelling reasons, at present, to
change
BudaetlFlnanclal Impact
There IS no budget or financial Impact associated With the recommendation of this staff
report
Recommendation
It IS recommended that City Council adopt the attached Task Force on the EnVironment
MIssion Statement
Prepared by Susan McCarthy, ASSistant City Manager
Craig Perkins, Director of EnVIronmental and PubliC Works
Management Department
Susan Munves, Conservation Coordinator
Attachment Task Force on the EnVironment MIssion Statement
...
.)
Mission
Task Force on the Environment
October 1997
Henceforth, the role of the Task Force on the Environment shall be defined by the
following MIssion Statement
To advise City staff and leadership (decIsion makers) on determining and setting
environmental policy and deCISions, In accordance With the gUiding principles, goals
and objectives of the Sustainable City Program To be a limited advocate, In a
manner consistent With City policy, for Task Force recommendations to the
community The Task Force role IS both pro-active and reactive
Specifically, the Task Force Will
-Identify areas of City operations or policy that could/need to be adjusted to move
the cIty toward becoming a Sustainable Community
-ReView programs and poliCies related to environmental Issues as they are brought
to the Task Force by staff, elected City offiCials, or concerned members of the
public
-Make recommendations In the form of formal motIons directed to the City Manager
and/or City Councilor Planning CommiSSion members and prOVide quarterly
reports to City Council
-Pursue a limited advocacy role through resolutions, formal statements, and
presentatIons at City Council and other publiC meetfngs Task Force advocacy will
not extend Into lobbYing, writing editOrial articles. or Similar actiVities
-Address only those development projects In Santa MOnica that have a Significant
potential to Impact the Sustainable City Program goals
All members of the Task Force on the Environment are reqUired to
-Attend at least nine Task Force meetings per year Except for special
cIrcumstances (e 9 extended Illness, maternIty) failure to attend the reqUisIte
number of meetings Will result In forfeiture of Task Force membership
-Work on at least one project of relevance to the Task Force miSSion per year
-Attend and/or make a statement or presentation at one City Councilor Planning
CommiSSion meeting per year
-Attend and/or make a presentation at one community group or Chamber of
Commerce meeting per year
Task Force members must have expertise In one or more of the follOWing areas
-Energy EffiCiency, Conservation, Alternatives
-Water EffiCiency, Conservation, Qualtty
-Transportation, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas EmiSSions
-Stormwater, Wastewater and Coastal Issues
-Waste Reduction and PubliC Health Solid Waste, Recycling, Hazardous Matenals,
Procurement Issues
-Land Use and Sustainable Development
-Public Education and Community Outreach