Sustainability Committee

Minutes of the regular meeting of the Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Advisory Committee held Thursday, June 22, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. at the Ogden City Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Blvd., room 310, Ogden, Weber County, Utah and via electronic web conferencing in accordance with Utah Code 52-4-202. Members Present: Heather Root Adam Tobey Bonnie Christiansen Joe Linford Members Excused: Bill Hackett Stephen St. Peter Ex-Officio: Jay Lowder Ross Watkins Leesa Brinkerhoff Guests: Jenn Bodine - WSU CALL TO ORDER / WELCOME / ROLL CALL • Heather welcomed the committee members and called the meeting to order. • Leesa called the roll. INTRODUCTION OF NEW CHAIR • Heather introduced Adam as the new Committee Chair. APPROVAL OF APRIL 22nd MEETING MINUTES • The committee did not have enough voting members in attendance to form a quorum. The approval of the April 22nd meeting minutes was postponed to a later date. PROCEEDINGS – ADAM TOBEY, CHAIR • Ross Watkins introduced himself and his role with the City Council and as an Ex-Officio member of the committee. He said he has a background in geography and political science, with experience in planning and zoning. • Ross told the committee that his role is a liaison to communicate back and forth from the committee to the council. He said he is not an opinionated liaison. He will follow-up with the council to find out the status of the Air Quality recommendations report that was submitted several months ago. STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE • Adam started by saying that, at the last meeting, the committee had a discussion about each committee member’s personal goals as they pertained to the strategic planning survey results. From this discussion, the following three goals emerged as the major priorities for the committee: 1. Fill vacancies in the committee and flesh out subcommittees with energetic and connected community members. 2. Build stronger connections between our committee and the city council and mayor. 3. Address issues of climate change on a local level in a twofold way: a) reactively — by minimizing Ogden's impact on climate change and reacting to existing impacts in sustainable ways; and b) proactively — by implementing preventative measures that will help to ensure our community does not add to the climate crisis. • Adam read the responses of the committee members: Heather 1. Build a regular communication with city council and/or the mayor. 1|Page  2. Fill vacancies on the committee and flush out subcommittees with non-committee members, such that each subcommittee has at least five members, then add subcommittees with energy to give, and potential connections to other organizations that could help with our goals. 3. Prioritize efforts to support a sustainability staff member at the city to target policies and actions that either prevent or respond to risks associated with climate change. 4. Find opportunities to become efficiently involved in outreach to the broader community, particularly through work parties that accomplish something, including more presence at community events. Bonnie 1. Care for our community and take responsibility where we can in regards to growing damage to our climate, such as increased drought by risk and heat waves. 2. Host discussions on what the community sees is our top risks in regards to those things, as well as what opportunities we have to implement solutions to care for our citizenry and to make climate solutions as a point of pride for Ogden. Bill 1. Prioritize the goals of the committee members, particularly in regards to strategic planning. Adam 1. Fill the vacancies on the committee and subcommittees. 2. After completing the strategic planning, reorganize and restructure subcommittees with clearly outlined responsibilities and goal setting strategies. This may involve taking some of the subcommittees and combining them to make fewer, with a more concentrated effort, and more focused goals as a committee based on stakeholder input. Joe 1. Fill the vacancies on the committee. 2. Add non-committee members to subcommittees. • Heather added that another thread within the responses is to have a stronger connection with council so that the committee understands more about their expectations. • Bonnie added that, as much as we can with the resources that we have, looking to doing a little bit of climate action planning, both from the sides of how do we care for our climate to solutions. Then, how do we address the challenges that are coming our direction, and think about those ahead of time, so we really can get in front of the train instead of behind the train. • Bonnie said she has talked so some people who are serving on other city commissions, who said they have meetings with the council once per month and the mayor’s office once per week. She added that there is concern with bias one way or the other, and the communication we’ve been using so far hasn’t been working for the committee or the council. It’s difficult understanding through liaisons, so she would like a way to have communication that’s really working for all groups. • Bonnie feels that the overarching challenge of the committee is looking at climate and making sure that we’re caring for that as we go along in our process, as well as looking at the impacts that are coming in our direction. Because of its importance, perhaps we need to make this a priority over processes. Adam agreed, adding that this may be one we focus on over the next year in particular. Heather said to consider practical things like responding to an increase in storms and drought, then separately or in tandem, how we prevent climate change from getting worse by reducing emissions. • Adam said one of the items he noticed that was common in the suggestions was needing better avenues for understanding what our community members want the committee to be focusing on. Doing a public survey by using Google forms may be one option. Leesa said it was mentioned a long time ago, that the city has used an 2|Page  individual at Weber State University (WSU) to assist with developing surveys, and perhaps the committee could look into that as an option. SUBCOMMITTEE RESTRUCTURING DISCUSSION • The committee agreed that this should be postponed until the strategic plan is in place to provide direction to the subcommittees. COMMITTEE OPEN DISCUSSION • Adam asked how the committee moves forward to remove a member who has not met the attendance requirements. Jay said the chair has the authority to remove a member. Once removed a name can be submitted to replace that member. • Jay told the committee that the new committee rules have been reviewed, implemented, and pushed through administration. The committee recommendation forms are now with the recorder’s office, which is gathering additional information that the council has requested. Once complete, they will be forwarded as packets to the council for review, then they will be scheduled for approval on the council agenda. The council only meets twice in July, so it’s likely they won’t go before council until sometime in August. • Bonnie asked if the committee will still be involved in reviewing and recommending new members. Jay said yes. She went on to say that it’s important to know potential member’s connections to the community when considering them. • Leesa said Aimee Urbina, Makenzi Truong, Riley Allen, and Bridget Barkema have all been submitted for approval by the council. She is also working with IT to get the new committee interest form posted on the city’s website instead of the council’s website. • Adam asked Leesa to email the list of those who have applied. • Jay asked Heather how the meeting with the Diversity Commission went. Heather said they established a connection and introduced each other. The commission wants us to show that we’re interested in diversity and to be more inclusive. Adam said there are some crossovers between sustainability and diversity, and it would be worthwhile to figure out what those things are and work together to align them. Leesa added that the amended committee ordinance now includes language regarding diversity, which is why the member interest forms are being carefully audited and currently taking more time in the approval process. Bonnie said there were other people outside of the commission and committee who have a common interest. • Adam suggested that the committee be thinking about who they want for the new vice-chair position. Once a quorum is formed, it can be voted on. • Adam questioned if the July meeting should be held, since the new members won’t be approved by council by that time, which means there still won’t be a voting quorum. Jay said that a lot of people may be out of town for the July 24th holiday. Adam asked if there is a notice time requirement as to when a meeting can be cancelled or postponed. Leesa said she thinks it’s up to 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting, but she will double-check. PUBLIC COMMENT Jenn Bodine • Jenn told Jay that she emailed him and Monica the questions and deliverables for the electric vehicle charging station project for this fall. She wanted the committee to know that the project is underway and she has students signed up for the class. 3|Page DELIVERABLES FOR NEXT MEETING • Committee members to be involved in the email chain regarding the strategic plan goals. • Leesa to email the names of nominated committee members and link to the interest form. ADJOURNMENT • With no further business, Adam adjourned the meeting at 4:57 p.m. NEXT MEETING Thursday, July 22, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Jay M. Lowder Adam Tobey, Chair Ogden City Public Services Director Date Approved: ________________________________ 4|Page