Agenda - 05-18-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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9 1 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a plan in place to coordinate with other local 2 climate plans, in order to avoid duplication and promote synchronization. 3 Melissa McCullough said it is challenging because all entities are in different stages, but 4 the Climate Council is made up of representatives from all of various governments who are all 5 working very closely together. 6 John Roberts said Commissioner McKee asked him two questions prior to the meeting. 7 He said the questions were related to how the Climate Council is a public body. He said the 8 council is a public body under state statutes, and serves the function of policy and providing 9 information. He said the Climate Council cannot fill vacancies or create additional positions, 10 unless the BOCC expressly gives permission to do so. 11 Commissioner McKee said his questions stemmed from the last full paragraph on the 12 first page of the abstract. He said he wanted clarification on the council as an advisory board. 13 Commissioner McKee asked if the number of people originally on the Council could be 14 identified. 15 Brennan Bouma clarified that there were 12 active member organizations on the Climate 16 Council, with a roster of 30 spots. 17 Commissioner McKee asked how many of those positions are filled. 18 Brennan Bouma said he would check. 19 Commissioner McKee asked if staff is working with the Clerk's office to fill the vacancies. 20 Brennan Bouma said yes, staff is working to fill those vacancies. 21 Commissioner McKee asked for clarification on the number of vacancies. 22 Brennan Bouma said that three vacancies were recently filled, and there are still about 23 7-10 vacancies. He said some positions have never been filled, and the by-laws and 24 membership rosters would help clarify the roles. He said it would be approved by the Board of 25 County Commissioners. 26 Melissa McCullough said the council is also concerned about vacancies. 27 Commissioner McKee said he is concerned about keeping vacancies filled, and 28 sometimes boards and commissions are just too large. 29 Commissioner Bedford said she was glad the council received a grant for membership 30 and training. She said the group has capacity to do a lot of work and collaboration across many 31 areas. She said she was glad the council could provide an update this evening, and their list of 32 things to tackle is very large, and she looks forward to seeing how they proceed. 33 Commissioner Bedford said the new Deputy Clerk to the Board could assist as a liaison. 34 Commissioner Bedford asked if there has been any success in recruiting minority 35 members. 36 Chair Price clarified that there are specific seats for different organizations for the 37 council, and the Deputy Clerk may not have the ability to help. 38 Chair Price said there have been efforts to diversify. 39 Brennan Bouma said the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 40 (NAACP) is one of the active participants on the Council. He said there is some minority 41 representation, and efforts are getting more serious in this regard. He said it is an active part of 42 the council's discussions. 43 Commissioner Bedford said the by-laws might require legal assistance. She suggested 44 speaking with the managers and mayors to see if things need adjusting, now that some time 45 has passed. She said it is important to consider what is feasible, and to have focused clarity. 46 She said it is important to be confident in the mission. 47 Commissioner McKee said given the high number of members, he would expect to have 48 a more straightforward number of how many members represent diverse groups. 49 Melissa McCullough explained how each organization that makes up the Climate 50 Council is allotted seats on the council. She said each organization makes a recommendation 51 for who represents them. She said the local governments set aside a seat for the NAACP and