AGENDA #9
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Proposed New Environmental Affairs Board
DATE: November 22, 1999
This memorandum responds to a November 8, 1999 petition, outlining procedural options for considering creation of a new Environmental Affairs Board.
BACKGROUND
A Council member suggested on November 8 that the Council consider creating a new Environmental Affairs Board. A copy of the petition is attached. The petition was referred to the Town Manager for comment.
The proposal suggests creating a new, 9-member permanent Advisory Board to advise and make recommendations to the Town Council. The new Board would advise the Town Council on policies, ordinances, and administrative procedures regarding environmental protection and conservation.
The suggested charge for the new Board is proposed to include evaluating current regulations and programs, making recommendations on new strategies and programs, and reviewing new development applications.
The proposal suggests that professional staff support be provided to the new Board, and that minutes would be prepared by Board members on a rotating basis.
DISCUSSION
The practice of having citizen advisory boards has been an ongoing feature of Chapel Hill’s procedures for decades, and provides an opportunity for citizens to become involved in the policy issues facing the Town Council. The current array of permanent and temporary advisory boards includes 15 boards: some established by language in the Development Ordinance, some established by language in the Town Code, and some established by Council-adopted resolutions. Some of the boards have a specific statutory basis, with language in federal or North Carolina Statutes that either authorizes or requires creation of such boards. The following table summarizes our current situation:
Current Array of Citizen Advisory Boards
Name of Board |
Specific Statutory Base? |
Established by: |
|
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board |
No |
Town Code |
|
Board of Adjustment |
Yes |
Development Ordinance |
|
Cable TV Advisory Committee |
No |
Council Resolution |
|
Community Design Commission |
Yes |
Development Ordinance |
|
Comprehensive Plan Work Group |
No, except that the base of this group is the Planning Board |
Council Resolution |
|
Energy Committee |
No |
Council Resolution |
|
Greenways Commission |
No |
Town Code |
|
Historic District Commission |
Yes |
Development Ordinance |
|
Housing Advisory Board |
Yes (federal) |
Town Code |
|
Noise Committee |
No |
Council Resolution |
|
Parks and Recreation Commission |
Yes |
Town Code |
|
Personnel Appeals Board |
Yes |
Town Code |
|
Planning Board |
Yes |
Development Ordinance |
|
Stormwater Management Committee |
No |
Council Resolution |
|
Technology Committee |
No |
Council Resolution |
|
Transportation Board |
No |
Town Code |
We offer the following comments about the proposal to add a new Environmental Affairs Board.
Areas of Review: Many of the boards and commissions noted above currently include consideration of environmental issues regularly in their ongoing work. This is particularly true in the case of the Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, Stormwater Management Committee, and Transportation Board. We believe that, prior to creation of a new Board with potentially overlapping responsibilities, it would be helpful for the Council to discuss and articulate what would be the distinctive purview of this new Board.
We believe that it would be helpful for the Council to discuss the proposed charge to clarify expectations. While some of the components of the proposed charge are self-explanatory (e.g., “Improve tree preservation and planting efforts along entranceway corridors”), we believe that others are less clear (e.g., “Implement an effective quality performance review process”).
Staff Support: A Council member asked on November 8 about the potential cost of creating a new advisory board. We note the following staff responsibilities involved in staffing an advisory board:
· Preparing meeting agendas, discussing procedures with chair of board
· Conducting research on topics under discussion by the board
· Writing reports and memoranda on topics under discussion by the board
· Providing information and notification to citizens; answering citizen questions
· Preparing and distributing meeting agendas and packets
· Attending meetings
· Preparing summaries or minutes of meetings
· Writing draft reports of work as desired by the Committee for presentation to the Council.
The proposal suggests that minutes be prepared by board members. For reasons of consistency and legal record-keeping, we would not recommend such an approach.
It is difficult to estimate precisely the cost to the Town of creating a new advisory board. Our experience is that, for a typical board that meets once per month, execution of the above staff responsibilities consumes about one-quarter of a full-time professional position, plus related administrative support. This would translate into an annual cost of approximately $10,000 - $15,000. However, we note that the proposed scope of the board would be broad, and the staffing requirements could be greater than for a normal board.
It is suggested in the petition that staff support be provided by the Planning or Engineering Departments. We note that both of these departments are currently over-committed with ongoing assigned tasks. We would not recommend that staff support for another advisory board be assigned without either (1) hiring additional personnel, or (2) deciding to adjust current work assignments to remove some current assigned tasks.
Review of Proposal by Other Advisory Boards: A Council member suggested that this proposal might benefit from review and comment by existing advisory boards. We believe that this review could be helpful, particularly by the boards whose charge and work currently include attention to the environmental issues suggested as the charge for the new board.
OPTIONS
We suggest the following options for the Council’s consideration of this proposal:
Option 1: Proceed as recommended in the petition. Approve the formation of a new Environmental Affairs Board and advertise the positions for a month. The attached Resolution A would approve this concept, direct the Town Manager to prepare an amendment to the Town Code of Ordinances to create this new board, and direct the Town Manager to begin advertising for applications for appointment, with a stated intention of enacting an ordinance and making appointments at the next regular business meeting, January 10, 2000.
Option 2: Refer this proposal to the following boards for review and comment: Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, Stormwater Management Committee, and Transportation Board. Schedule a time for public comment on the proposal. Adoption of Resolution B would do so.
Option 3: Refer this proposal to the Town Manager for preparation of a draft charge and staffing plan, to be submitted to the Town Council for consideration on January 10, 2000. Adoption of Resolution C would do so.
Option 4: Decide to discuss this proposal further at the Council’s January planning session. Adoption of Resolution D would do so.
Option 5: Take no action.
We look forward to the Town Council’s discussion and direction.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolutions A, B, C, and D (p. 5)
2. Council petition (p. 7)
RESOLUTION A
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FORMATION OF A
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOARD (2000-1-10/R-21a)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has received a petition requesting formation of a new advisory board; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council believes the creation of an Environmental Affairs Board is desirable;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council directs the Town Manager to prepare an amendment to the Town Code of Ordinances to create this new board, and directs the Town Manager to begin advertising for applications for appointment, with a stated intention of enacting an ordinance and making appointments at the next regular business meeting, January 10, 2000.
This the 10th day of January, 2000.
RESOLUTION B
A RESOLUTION REFERRING THE IDEA OF CREATING
A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOARD TO ADVISORY BOARDS FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT
(2000-1-10/R-21b)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has received a petition requesting formation of a new advisory board; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council believes the creation of an Environmental Affairs Board should be investigated;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council directs the Town Manager to take the idea to the following boards for review and comment: Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, Stormwater Management Committee, and Transportation Board with comments received for consideration at the meeting on January 10, 2000.
This the 10th day of January, 2000.
RESOLUTION C
A RESOLUTION REFERRING THE IDEA OF CREATING
A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOARD TO THE TOWN MANAGER FOR PREPARATION OF A
DRAFT CHARGE AND STAFFING PLAN (2000-1-10/R-21c)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has received a petition requesting formation of a new advisory board; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council believes the creation of an Environmental Affairs Board should be investigated;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council directs the Town Manager to prepare a draft charge and staffing plan, to be submitted to the Town Council for consideration at the meeting on January 10, 2000.
This the 10th day of January, 2000.
RESOLUTION D
A RESOLUTION PLACING DISCUSSION OF THE IDEA
OF CREATING A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOARD ON THE AGENDA OF THE COUNCIL’S
JANUARY PLANNING SESSION (2000-1-10/R-21d)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has received a petition requesting formation of a new advisory board;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council places the proposal to create a new Environmental Affairs Board on its agenda for discussion at its January, 2000 planning session.
This the 10th day of January, 2000.