SR 07-13-2021 7B
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: July 13, 2021
Agenda Item: 7.B
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records and Election Services
Department
Subject: Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance adding Chapter 2.67 to the
SMMC converting Task Force on the Environment to the Commission on
Sustainability and the Environment
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce for first reading an Ordinance
adding Chapter 2.67 to the Santa Monica Municipal Code to convert the Task Force
on the Environment to the Commission on Sustainability and the Environment.
Executive Summary
At the April 27, 2021 Council meeting, the City Clerk made a recommendation to City
Council to change the status of the Task Force on the Environment to a permanent
commission called the Commission on Sustainability and the Environment. Council
approved this recommendation and directed staff to return with an Ordinance codifying
the change of status by adding to the Santa Monica Municipal Code a new Chapter 2.67
titled Commission on Sustainability and the Environment.
Background
The Task Force on the Environment was established in 1991 by City Council to advise
City Council on environmental program and policy issues. The Task Force on the
Environment was the driving force behind the development of Santa Monica’s
Sustainable City Plan in the early 1990s and continues to closely monitor the plan and
advise Council on plan implementation.
The Task Force is an expert panel made up of seven members selected by City Council
with no fixed terms. Task Force members must have significant expertise in one or
more areas of environmental policy and must reside or work in Santa Monica.
7.B
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At the December 17, 2019 City Council meeting, the City Clerk brought forth a
recommendation to convert the Task Force on the Environment to a permanent
commission called the Commission on Sustainability and the Environment. At that time,
Council directed staff to establish a Community Working Group (CWG) to perform a
comprehensive review of the boards, commissions, and task forces, as well as to take
up consideration of such items as changing the status of the Environmental Task Force
to a permanent commission. The CWG arrived at the same conclusion that since the
Task Force on the Environment has been in existence for nearly 30 years, and since
there are now more practitioners in the environmental field with the required expertise to
serve on the task force, that the Task Force on the Environment should be changed to a
permanent commission with the same term limits as other boards and commissions.
The City Clerk brought forth this and other recommendations for procedural changes
relating to boards, commissions, and task forces to Council at the April 27, 2021 City
Council meeting. Council approved the recommendations and directed staff to bring
back Resolutions adopting the procedural changes, including a standard bylaws
template, as well as an Ordinance codifying the conversion of the Task Force on the
Environment to a permanent commission. The Resolutions were adopted by Council at
the June 8, 2021 City Council meeting. The Ordinance is now presented to Council.
Discussion
The newly established Commission on Sustainability and the Environment would be
required to adopt the same term limits as all other boards and commissions for its
members in addition to the standard bylaws template/rules of procedure as approved
and adopted by Council. The Commission would retain the criteria requiring its
members to have environmental expertise and that its members live and/or work in the
City of Santa Monica as previously required for members of the former Task Force.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
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Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, Assistant City Clerk
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Proposed Ordinance
B. PowerPoint Presentation
7.B
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City Council Meeting: July 13, 2021 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA CREATING THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABILITY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT; APPOINTING ALL CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SANTA MONICA
TASK FORCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT TO THE COMMISSION ON
SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT; AND SUNSETTING THE TASK FORCE
ON THE ENVIRONMENT UPON THIS ORDINANCE TAKING EFFECT
WHEREAS, in 1991, the Santa Monica City Council created the Task Force on the
Environment to advise the City Council on environmental program and policy issues.; and
WHEREAS, the Task Force on the Environment was the driving force behind the
development of Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Plan in the early 1990s and continues
to closely monitor the plan and advise Council on plan implementation; and
WHEREAS, at the December 17, 2019 City Council meeting, the City Clerk
brought forth a recommendation to convert the Task Force on the Environment to a
permanent commission called the Commission on Sustainability and the Environment;
and
WHEREAS, at the April 27, 2021 City Council meeting, the City Council directed
staff to return with an ordinance codifying the conversion of the Task Force on the
Environment to a permanent commission.
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 2148 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the Commission on Sustainability and the
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 2.67 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code, titled ‘Commission
on Sustainability and the Environment,’ is hereby created as follows:
2.67.010 Creation of Commission on Sustainability and the Environment
(a) Pursuant to Section 1000 of the Santa Monica City Charter, a Commission on
Sustainability and the Environment is hereby established. The Commission shall
consist of seven members appointed by the City Council. All Commissioners shall
reside or work in the City.
(b) All Commission members must have expertise in one or more of the following
areas: (1) Energy: Efficiency, Conservation, Alternatives; (2) Water: Efficiency,
Conservation, Quality; (3) Transportation, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas
Emissions; (4) Stormwater, Wastewater and Coastal Issues; (5) Waste Reduction
and Public Health: Solid Waste, Recycling, Hazardous Materials, Procurement
Issues; (6) Land Use and Sustainable Development; and (7) Public Education and
Community Outreach.
(c) The Commission and Commissioners shall be subject to all of the terms of
Article X of the City Charter setting forth procedures for appointment of
Commissioners, terms, and meetings.
(d) The current seven members of City’s Task Force on the Environment are
hereby appointed as the first seven members of the Commission. The seven
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 2149 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the Commission on Sustainability and the
commissioners shall classify themselves by lot such that two shall serve terms
expiring on the next succeeding July 1st, two shall serve terms expiring on the
second succeeding July 1st, two shall serve terms expiring on the third succeeding
July 1st, and one shall serve a term expiring on the fourth succeeding July 1st.
2.67.020 Powers and duties of the Commission
The Commission on Sustainability and the Environment shall have the power and
be required to:
(a) Identify areas of City operations or policy that could/need to be adjusted to
move the city toward becoming a Sustainable Community.
(b) 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.
(c) Make recommendations in the form of formal motions directed to the City
Manager and/or City Council or Planning Commission members and provide
quarterly reports to City Council.
(d) Pursue a limited advocacy role through resolutions, formal statements, and
presentations at City Council and other public meetings. Task Force advocacy
will not extend into lobbying, writing editorial articles, or similar activities.
(e) Address only those development projects in Santa Monica that have a
significant potential to impact the Sustainable City Program goals.
SECTION 2. The Task Force on the Environment shall sunset on the effective
date of this Ordinance.
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 2150 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the Commission on Sustainability and the
SECTION 3. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to
effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this
Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining
portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed
this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not
declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance
would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 5. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of
this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official
newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become effective 30
days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
GEORGE S. CARDONA
Interim City Attorney
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 2151 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the Commission on Sustainability and the
Conversion of the Task on
the Environment to the
Commission on
Sustainability & the
Environment
Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk
Nikima S. Newsome, Assistant City Clerk
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2152 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
Recommended
Action
Staff recommends that the City Council
introduce and approve on first reading an
Ordinance adding Chapter 2.67 to the Santa
Monica Municipal Code to convert the Task
Force on the Environment to the
Commission on Sustainability and the
Environment.
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2153 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
History on the
Ta sk Force
vEstablished in 1991 by Council
v7 Members with no term limits
vMembers must have significant expertise in one or more areas of environmental policy
vEnergy: Efficiency, Conservation, Alternatives
vWater: Efficiency, Conservation, Quality
vTransportation, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
vStormwater, Wastewater and Coastal Issues
vWaste Reduction and Public Health: Solid Waste, Recycling, Hazardous Materials, Procurement Issues
vLand Use and Sustainable Development
vPublic Education and Community Outreach
vDriving force behind the development of Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Plan and continues to closely monitor the plan and advise Council on plan implementation
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2154 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
History on
Conversion
vDecember 17, 2019 Council Meeting
vStaff brought forth the recommendation
vTask Force has existed for 28 years
vMore practitioners in the field
vSolidifies Santa Monica’s Commitment
vCouncil deferred the recommendation to the Community Working Group on Boards and Commissions (CWG)
vApril 27, 2021 Council Meeting
vStaff returned to Council and brought forth the same recommendation from CWG
vCouncil directed staff to bring back an Ordinance codifying the conversion
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2155 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
Changes as a
Result of
Conversion
vSubject to the terms of Article X of the
City Charter
vCurrent 7 Members of TFE
vTe rm Limits Established–Terms to be
determined via lot
v2 Terms expire July 2022
v2 Terms expire July 2023
v2 Terms expire July 2024
v1 Term expires July 2025
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2156 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
Recommended
Action
Staff recommends that the City Council
introduce and approve on first reading an
Ordinance adding Chapter 2.67 to the Santa
Monica Municipal Code to convert the Task
Force on the Environment to the
Commission on Sustainability and the
Environment.
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2157 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the
Thank You Questions?
7.B.b
Packet Pg. 2158 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (4603 : Converting Task Force on the Environment to the