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JUNE 22. 1998 80CC REGULAR MEETING <br />DRAFT 47 <br />I Proposal to form a new Environment and Resource Conservation <br />Deoarbment <br />The Board considered establishing a new Environment and Resource <br />Conservation Department, <br />Commissioner Gordon said that we have been talking about having this as a <br />separate department instead of a separate function. She recommends that this <br />department be established and she read the steps for implementation as included in <br />the agenda <br />Commissioner Crowther said that he does not want this to be a separate <br />department He supports bringing resource conservation to a higher level. However. <br />he believes we already have the Soil and Water Conservation Department and that <br />some of the things we would like to do are being done at the state and federal level. <br />He also wants to see what functions our Economic Development Department will be <br />doing. <br />Commissioner Carey said that he has some similar concerns. He would like <br />to sae a comprehensive report before they take any further action on creating a new <br />dePSrWWMIt He feels that the cost of County Government will increase if we add <br />another department He would like to see it in an existing department until we see how <br />it progresses. He feels that the Soil and Water Conservation Department does a great <br />job. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis supports what Commissioner Gordon is proposing. <br />He would like to see this move ahead. He would hope that the County Manager could <br />W existing resources to put into resource conservation. He feels this concem goes <br />far beyond what the static is supporting and he does not see this as a part of the <br />Planning Deparment. <br />Commissioner Gordon feels that people are interested in environment and <br />resource protection and that hardly anything the County does is directed toward these <br />two areas. She fools the department is sorely needed. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Chair Brown <br />to establish a new Environment and Resource Conservation Department to include the <br />four steps as outlined in the agenda abstract and incorporated here by reference. <br />VOTE:_ Ayes, 3; Nos, 2 (Commissioners Carey and Crowther) <br />DRAFT <br />