Environmental Policy Board Work Plan Update

The Environmental Policy Board (EPB) has a draft Work Plan that was prepared as the City Council was initiating their Strategic Planning.  On June 22, 2021, it is anticipated that the City Council will adopt the attached Strategic Plan.  As was noted during the development of the draft Work Plan, once the City Council adopted their Strategic Plan, the EPB would need to review that document and their Work Plan and make any necessary adjustments.  Please note that this case has been drafted prior to formal adoption of the Strategic Plan.  If there are revisions to the draft Strategic Plan prior to adoption, Staff will provide a verbal update at the meeting.

Action Item #19 of the Strategic Plan is to "Consider Local Open Space Preservation Funding, if Initiated by Ballot Referendum".  This item is currently assigned to the EPB (and Staff) with the intended outcome of preservation of high/exceptional quality ecological areas (as identified by the Natural Resources Inventory).  This item is not included presently in the EPB's draft Work Plan.  Assuming the Strategic Plan is adopted (as presented), the draft EPB Work Plan will need to be modified to incorporate this item.  There do not appear to be any other items on the Strategic Plan that would impact the EPB or the EPB's draft Work Plan.

Attached to this case are the City Council Work Session meeting minutes from May 18, 2021.  This includes the brief discussion around the addition of Action Item #19 to the Strategic Plan and provides slightly more context.  It seems that the City Council wanted to further explore whether there is public support or not for an open space referendum that would levy public dollars for acquisition and protection of open space.   The City Council was interested in the EPB's thoughts on how best to approach this (e.g. a public education campaign, survey, etc.). 

Alternatives

Alternative 1: Amend the draft Work Plan to include the language from Action Item #19 of the City Council's Strategic Plan and direct Staff to add the Work Plan to a future City Council Work Session agenda for review and discussion.

Alternative 2: Do not amend the draft Work Plan and direct Staff to add it, as presented, to a future City Council Work Session agenda. 

As part of either alternative, the EPB would have the opportunity to further discuss Action Item #19 with the City Council as part of the Work Session when the Work Plan is reviewed.  
 

Motion to direct Staff to update the draft EPB Work Plan to incorporate Action Item #19 from the City Council's Strategic Plan.