Minutes - Environmental Policy Board - 11/04/2013

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Board Member Lewis stated that in his experience the Board is not functioning fully in this setting and has historically dumped a lot of the work onto Associate Planner/Environmental Coordinator Anderson, which he did not believe was fair. Board Member Bentz noted that a number of the subcommittees would not be meeting year round and they could shift during the year. Associate Planner/Environmental Coordinator Anderson agreed that the intent was to just have a subcommittee for a short period to get the ball rolling on some of the Work Plan items, rather than have a subcommittee run with an item from start to finish. Chairperson Max noted that there would be some groups that would be fluid where members come and go. He also asked for the regulations regarding subcommittees, specifically if work can be done over the telephone and through email. Associate Planner /Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that he believed that as long as no more than three members were participating that would not be a violation. He explained that can get tricky with email, as one member could bring in an outside opinion, which would violate the open meeting laws. He noted that he would clarify that information. Board Member Lewis asked for input from Councilmember LeTourneau regarding the resolution needed to join the GreenStep Cities program. Councilmember LeTourneau stated that he could not count votes but believed that the Council would support the resolution. He advised that one discussion could arise regarding whether this would be another layer of government and whether you would need to follow regulations or if the program is completely voluntary. He stated that he would be pleased to introduce the resolution to the Council. Board Member Hiatt suggested parameters for the subcommittees including limiting participation for Board Members in only one subcommittee at one time. He believed that the process could become cloudy if the Board attempts to start multiple subcommittees at one time. He suggested that to start each Board Member should only have participation in one subcommittee. Associate Planner/Environmental Coordinator Anderson noted that this item was simply a discussion topic based on discussions last month and was not mandating that the subcommittees be formed right now. He advised that the list included in the Board packet was simply a jumping off point. Chairperson Max noted that the Board has talked about subcommittees for a long time and believed that now was the time to move forward. Board Member Hiatt also believed the Board should jump into this and begin work as it will take time for the Board to trust the subcommittees. Environmental Policy Board / November 4, 2013 Page 4 of 6