Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-012 Ordinance adding Section 1.40: Sustainable Yakima Committee, to the City of Yakima Municipal CodeORDINANCE NO. 2022-012 AN ORDINANCE adding Section 1.40: Sustainable Yakima Committee, to the City of Yakima Municipal Code. WHEREAS, the City Council has taken a number of steps to formalize its commitment to addressing environmental and sustainable issues in Yakima; and WHEREAS, the 2040 Yakima Comprehensive Plan includes Goal 2.7 which addresses resource protection and sustainable design in comprehensive planning for the City; and WHEREAS, on May 18, 2021, the Yakima City Council adopted Resolution No. R- 2021-067 endorsing the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, a federal policy that will help reduce the country's carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting the United States on track to reach net zero by 2050; and WHEREAS, on June 1, 2021, the Yakima City Council adopted Resolution No. R-2021- 080 supporting the Fossil Fuel Non -Proliferation Treaty and committing the City to take a SAFE Cities climate change stand. In this resolution, the City Council declared that a climate and ecological emergency threatens the City, and resolved to address climate change issues through future policies and legislation; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to add a committee to study matters related to sustainability in Yakima and provide recommendations to the City Council; and WHEREAS, this ordinance formalizes the creation, administrative and organizational details of the Sustainable Yakima committee; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Yakima finds it is in the best interests of the City and its residents to create a committee which evaluates sustainability practices for the City of Yakima; now, therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA: Section 1. Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 1.40: Sustainable Yakima Committee, shall be added to read as follows: Chapter 1.40 Sustainable Yakima Committee 1.40.010 Establishment 1.40.020 Purpose 1.40.030 Membership 1.40.040 Terms of Office 1.40.050 Meetings 1.40.060 Functions and Duties 1.40.070 Vacancies 1.40.080 Removal 1.40.090 Expenditures —Budget 1.40.100 Staff assistance 1 1.40.010 Establishment. There is hereby established within the city of Yakima a Sustainable Yakima committee to be appointed by the City Council to carry out the purposes listed herein. 1.40.020 Purpose. The purpose and intent of the Sustainable Yakima committee is to advise the Yakima City Council on sustainability, sustainable practices, relevant environmental matters, and provide additional review of relevant policies, ordinances and resolutions if requested. 1.40.030 Membership. (a) The committee is comprised of seven (7) members. One of the seven appointed members shall be designated as a "youth member" and shall be between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two years of age at the time of appointment. (b) There shall be a preference, but not a requirement, for committee members to have expertise in climate science, engineering, energy management, water conservation, planning, environmental policy -making, environmental law, economics, solid waste management, forestry, systems analysis and/or communications. (c) Members shall serve without compensation. (d) A minimum of five (5) members shall be City of Yakima residents. The remaining two members may be residents of Yakima County. (e) Staff members may be appointed to the committee by the city manager to serve as liaison members of such committee to provide information and assistance to the committee, but shall not be entitled to vote on any matter voted on by the committee. 1.40.040 Terms of Office. (a) The term of office for a committee member shall be four (4) years. (b) No member may serve more than two full consecutive terms on the committee unless the City Council determines special expertise is required which the member possesses, or there are no other qualified applicants. If no such determination is made, a member who has served two full consecutive terms may again serve after two years from the end of the member's previous second term. (c) For the initial round of appointments, three of the non -youth member positions will serve two-year terms and three of the non -youth member positions will serve four-year terms. After the conclusion of the initial terms, all subsequent terms of each position shall be for four years. 1.40.050 Meetings (a) At its first meeting of each calendar year, the committee shall elect its own chairperson, vice -chairperson and secretary; which persons shall hold office for one year and until their successors are appointed. (b) The committee should hold regular monthly public meetings that will be open to the public and may be broadcast by the City. The date and time of the monthly public meeting will initially be determined by City staff. The committee may change the date and time of its meeting upon unanimous vote of the members of the committee and approval by the City. The committee may create subcommittees and conduct subcommittee meetings during other times and at other dates the committee deems necessary or appropriate. Such subcommittee meetings shall be limited to conducting internal discussions regarding specific projects and formulation of recommendations to the committee. 2 (c) Minutes of each meeting shall be kept by the secretary and sent to the staff liaison appointed to the committee and any other City staff person or Council person as determined by the City. (d) To constitute a quorum for the transaction of business there shall be four committee members present. (e) An agenda shall be prepared and distributed by the chairperson prior to each meeting which includes a list of individual items of committee business that are intended to be discussed. 1.40.060 Functions and Duties (a) The committee generally shall serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council concerning sustainability within the city, specifically in the following capacities: (1) Serve as an advisory committee on issues related to sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change as directed by City Council; (2) Provide support, as appropriate, for the 2022-2023 feasibility study and potential development of an anaerobic digester for processing food and plant waste; (3) Provide advice and/or recommendations to the City Council, as appropriate, to reduce the City's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as possible renewable energy use by the City; (4) Provide advice and/or recommendations to the City Council, as appropriate, regarding City recycling efforts; and (5) Provide education and outreach to the public on issues as directed by the City Council. (b) Draft a climate action plan and implementation strategy document which includes goals and actions for one-year, five-year, and ten-year time frames and present it to the City Council for its review and evaluation. Said plan should be completed within one year of the committee's first meeting and presented to the City Council thereafter. (c) Assist the City Council on specific projects delegated to the committee by the City Council. (d) Provide a quarterly report on committee work completed during the prior quarter, either in writing or by presentation at a City Council meeting, as determined by the City Council. City Council may reduce the frequency of reporting if it so desires. (e) At the end of each 12-month period, the committee shall submit to the City Council a proposed work plan for the following year, for evaluation. 1.40.070 Vacancies. Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. 1.40.080 Removal. The committee may, by majority vote, recommend to the city council removal of an appointed member upon such grounds as may be deemed appropriate. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings may be cause for removal. The city council, either after recommendation by the committee, or independently, by majority vote, may remove any appointed member of the committee and declare the position vacant. 1.40.090 Expenditures —Budget. The expenditures of the committee shall be limited to appropriations as determined by the City Council. All services requiring appropriations shall be submitted through the budget of the City Council; provided, however, the City Council may specifically authorize expenditures pursuant to its rules. 1.40.100 Staff assistance. Staff acting as the liaison of the committee, as assigned by the city manager, shall provide reasonable staff assistance and may serve to facilitate communications from the committee to the City Council. 3 Section 2. Severability. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence or clause of this ordinance is declared invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portions of the ordinance. Section 3. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage, approval, and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 17th day of May, 2022. ATTEST: 111 11 Sonya ar Tee, City Clerk WASH_ Publication Date: May 20, 2022 Effective Date: June 19, 2022 4 "D a/A.4114- anice Deccio, Mayor 1 BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEM ENT Item No. 11. For Meeting of: May 17, 2022 ITEM TITLE: Ordinance adding Section 1.40: Sustainable Yakima Committee, to the City of Yakima Municipal Code SUBMITTED BY: Sara Watkins, City Attorney SUMMARY EXPLANATION: City Council initiated the evaluation of whether the City should create a sustainability committee to advise the Council on matters related to sustainability. The Council discussed its vision for the committee at its April 12, 2022 Study Session. This ordinance creates a sustainability committee and incorporates the discussion of April 12, 2022 except for the following: 1. Term of Office. It was suggested that the term of office for a member of the committee should be three years. For consistency sake, this was increased to four years, which is what the majority of committees and commissions in the City of Yakima have for a term. 2. Quarterly Reporting. Quarterly reporting is to be done as determined by the City Council, with the additional language that the Council may reduce the frequency of reporting if it desires. 3. Additional sections: a. Vacancies this outlines how a vacancy on the committee is filled. b. Removal this states that members can be removed on the majority vote of the Council. c. Expenditures —this section makes clear that there is no budget for this committee unless the City Council specifically allocates money to the committee for its work. Currently there is no budget for the committee. d. Staff Assistance —this section outlines that there will be reasonable staff assistance as assigned by the city manager. It should be noted that agendas are to be drafted by the chair and minutes are to be drafted by the appointed secretary. This is consistent with other committees, such as the Community Integration Committee. ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Neighborhood and Community Building 2 APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: Pass ordinance. ATTACHMENTS: Description Ord -Adding Section 1.40 Sustainable Yakima Committee Upload Date Type 4/28/2022 Ordinance