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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 04-26-22; 6-c - Report of the Climate Council Review Sub-Committee 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 26, 2022 Action Agenda Item No. 6-c SUBJECT: Report of the Climate Council Review Sub-Committee DEPARTMENT: County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Sub-Committee Report Travis Myren, 919-245-2308 Steve Arndt, 919-245-2658 PURPOSE: To discuss the report and recommendations of the Climate Council Review Sub- Committee and authorize staff to draft an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding that details the membership, charge and boundaries of work, meeting frequency, appointment process, and staff responsibilities of the Climate Council as outlined below. BACKGROUND: The Board of Commissioners created a Climate Council Review Sub- Committee to review the Orange County Climate Council in the Fall of 2021 . The Board appointed Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Amy Fowler, and Anna Richards to serve on the Sub-Committee. The petition that initiated the Sub-Committee stated that the Sub- Committee may recommend a restructuring of the Climate Council as a result of this assessment. The Sub-Committee reviewed background materials, conducted a survey of current and former climate council members, interviewed Climate Council members, and reviewed other models for intergovernmental information sharing and coordination. This work is described in detail in the Sub-Committee Report (attached). Based on the research conducted by the Sub-Committee, the Sub-Committee is recommending a reorganization of the Climate Council that is modeled after the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group. This new structure and charge would be codified in an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that details the membership, charge and boundaries of work, meeting frequency, appointment process, and staff responsibilities. The Sub-Committee also offers the following specific suggestions regarding the content of the MOU. These suggestions are more fully described in the attached report. • Decrease the overall size of the Council from thirty-one to sixteen members • Focus membership on public sector entities 2 • Clarify that the Council's charge: o Provide opportunities to engage with the community on concerns and ideas regarding climate change and climate justice; o Gather and exchange information on climate change mitigation and prevention; o Maintain and update an inventory of climate change initiatives of the entities represented on the Council; o Promote communication between the municipalities and the County on future opportunities and collaborative efforts; o Provide updates on the Climate Action Plans of the entities represented on the Council; o Provide feedback on public education and public outreach conducted by the entities represented on the Council or any collaborative education and outreach activities as requested by those entities. • Establish a meeting frequency of three times per year consistent with the Intergovernmental Parks Work group. • Charge each entity with appointing its own members • Clarify that, as an intergovernmental entity, the Climate Council should not be considered an advisory board of any of its constituent entities. • County staff will work with the appointed County representatives to prepare agendas and coordinate meetings. Each entity represented on the Council will be responsible for providing individual agency updates and engaging in collaborative activities. Importance of a County Climate Action Plan The Sub-Committee also recognized the need for the County to create its own Climate Action Plan to identify the County's goals and strategies. The creation of the Plan would be led by the County's Sustainability Coordinator and advised by and facilitated through the Commission for the Environment. This Plan is a prerequisite to successful information sharing and collaboration with other jurisdictions. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed reorganization of the Climate Council does not have a fiscal impact. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable to this item • GOAL: ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE LAND-USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes and educational levels with respect to the development and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, policies, and decisions. Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies. 3 • GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The following Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal impacts are associated with this item: • ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WASTE REDUCTION Initiate policies and programs that: 1) conserve energy; 2) reduce resource consumption; 3) increase the use of recycled and renewable resources; and 4) minimize waste stream impacts on the environment. • CLEAN OR AVOIDED TRANSPORTATION Implement programs that monitor and improve local and regional air quality by: 1) promoting public transportation options; 2) decreasing dependence on single-occupancy vehicles, and 3) otherwise minimizing the need for travel. • ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING Promote the use of chemicals, materials, equipment, and systems which are officially recognized as to minimize environmental impacts. • RESULTANT IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND AIR QUALITY Assess and where possible mitigate adverse impacts created to the natural resources of the site and adjoining area. Minimize production of greenhouse gases. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the recommendations of the Sub-Committee and authorize staff to draft an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding that details the membership, charge and boundaries of work, meeting frequency, appointment process, and staff responsibilities of the Climate Council as outlined above. 4 Attachment 1 Report of the Climate Council Review Sub-Committee April 2022 The Board of Commissioners created a sub-committee to review the Orange County Climate Council in the Fall of 2021. The Board appointed Commissioners Bedford, Fowler, and Richards to serve on the sub-committee. The petition that initiated the sub-committee stated that the sub-committee may recommend a restructuring of the Climate Council as a result of this assessment. The sub-committee reviewed background materials, conducted a survey of current and former climate council members, interviewed Climate Council members, and reviewed other models for intergovernmental information sharing and coordination. Climate Council Background The Orange County Climate Council began as an Ad Hoc Climate Change Committee. The original informal group was composed of four elected officials to explore opportunities to accelerate collaborative action on climate change. The Committee provided a report to the Assembly of Governments meeting on January 29, 2019 where the concept of establishing a more formal committee structure was discussed noting that the composition and charge for the new committee would need to be discussed and approved by the boards of the constituent jurisdictions. Following the Assembly of Governments meeting, each jurisdiction took different approaches to their appointments to the Climate Council • Orange County Orange County approved the formation of a Climate Council and proposed membership structure of thirty-one (31) positions. • Hillsborough On April 8, 2019, the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners reviewed the proposed membership list of thirty-one (31) positions with no formal action to approve the composition and appointed a representative. • Carrboro At the May 7, 2019 meeting, the Board of Aldermen endorsed a participant list of 26 positions, rather than the 31 positions approved by Orange County. The listthe Board of Aldermen endorsed did not include 4 at-large positions for each jurisdiction or a representative from UNC Hospital. On March 19, 2019, the Board of Aldermen appointed a representative. 5 • Chapel Hill On April 10, 2019, the Chapel Hill Town Council passed a resolution approving the membership list of 31 positions and appointed a representative. The current membership structure is included in the following table: Organization Representatives # of Positions Orange County BOCC Sustainability Director, Commissioner 2 Hillsborough Designated staff, Commissioner 2 Carrboro Sustainability Director, Alderperson 2 Chapel Hill Sustainability Director, Council person 2 CHCCS Sustainability Director, Board member, 3 Student Orange County Schools Designated staff, Board member, student 3 UNC Sustainability Director, Student 2 OWASA Sustainability Director, Board member 2 CH-Carrboro NAACP Representative, youth 2 Northern Orange NAACP Representative, youth 2 Orange/Chatham Sierra Club Representative 1 NC Cooperative Extension Representative 1 Durham Tech Representative, student 2 At Large Appointments Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough 4 UNC Hospital Representative 1 Total Members 31 County records indicate that the Council met seven times during 2021 with an average attendance of 15.9 members at each of the meetings. Mission Statement The Climate Council has adopted a mission statement to, "...accelerate joint action addressing the climate emergency by sharing successful strategies and identifying equitable opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide stewardship of the natural world, and protect all County residents from climate impacts. Recent Accomplishments The Climate Council prepared a report for the Board of Commissioners in April of 2021 that outlined the following accomplishments. • Created the Climate Action Reporting Database (CARD) where all 12 active member organizations documented over 200 climate actions taken to date by at least one of our members. 2 6 • Generated a list of climate actions and policies which might be used by local governments in North Carolina, and categorized by cost estimates, general impact on emissions, and additional benefits: • Consulted a local communication professional to identify the most impactful and appropriate way for the Climate Council to communicate. • Won a technical assistance grant from the US Green Building Council to pursue LEED certification for Orange County under the new LEED for Cities and Communities Rating System. • Conducted our First Annual Community Update on Thursday, October 22nd, engaging with more than 80 participants to share our work to date and answer community questions. Request for Memorandum of Understanding In December of 2021, the Climate Council submitted a letter to the Mayors, Chair, and Managers requesting a process to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would govern the work of the Climate Council moving forward. The letter proposed an eight member Climate Council Executive Committee composed of the Climate Council governing body liaisons, the Climate Council Chair, Vice-chair and two other representatives from the Climate Council elected by that body. That group would draft an MOU based on the experience of the Council to date, the latest draft Climate Council bylaws, and other intergovernmental governing documents that may serve as appropriate models. The letter indicated that the draft MOU would be shared with the other Climate Council members for feedback, followed by a potential presentation to the Assembly of Governments meeting or to each governing board detailing the Climate Council's work, and, finally, distribution to each governing board for approval. The Mayors and Chair discussed the request for an MOU and subsequently asked their attorneys to begin the drafting process using the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group as the model structure. Feedback from Current and Former Climate Council Members The Sub-Committee sought feedback from current and former Climate Council members regarding what work is going well and what could be improved. That feedback took the form of a survey that was distributed to 48 current and former members as well as a meeting with the Council Chair and Town of Carrboro representative with the members of the Sub- Committee. 3 7 The Sub-Committee received a total of twelve responses from elected officials, a community organization, at large members, and staff. Commissioners Richards and Bedford received the survey as former members of the Council, but they did not complete it. What was/is your role on the Climate Council? Elected OffaciallBoard Member 33.33% Community Organization Representative &33% 1 At-Large Resident Appointee 41.671% 5 Staff 16.67% 2 Student 0.000/0 0 1 ntern 0.00% Q TOTAL 12 Seventy percent (70%) of those respondents indicated that the Climate Council added value to the existing work on sustainability and climate change. Does the Climate Council add value to existing work on sustainability and climate change happening in public sector or in non-governmental organizations? Yes r-0 C? tr?. 20% 30% 40% 54% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% The survey also asked more qualitative questions from which themes could be discerned. • From your perspective, what is the primary purpose of the Climate Council? Primary Themes: Collaboration, Information Sharing • What elements of the Climate Council's work are going well? 4 8 Primary Themes: Collaboration of technically competent council members, development of relationships between members, foundational work of council • What elements of the Climate Council's work are not going well? Primary Themes: No clear understanding of mission, purpose, goals and responsibilities. Inconsistent attendance/participation by some council members. • What is your perspective on the size, structure, and representation on the Climate Council? Primary Themes: No consistent opinion on size. Many commented on representation, indicating the council should seek wider representation outside of government, and more diversity. • What role should staff play? Primary Themes: Pretty evenly split between active members and technical support only. • What would be included in an ideal Climate Council work plan? Primary Themes: A specific charge from the governments, Definition of the relation of the council to the county (i.e., advisory?) and municipal governments, Brainstorming Existing Models for Collaboration Based on the feedback from members, the Sub-Committee recognized the value of an intergovernmental group focused on information sharing and collaboration. The County and the Towns currently have three formal models for collaboration. • Intergovernmental Parks Work Group The Intergovernmental Parks Work Group was created through a resolution that was adopted by the elected boards of Orange County, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Carrboro. That resolution was accompanied by a governing document that outlined the membership, detailed a meeting frequency of three times per year, and established the group's charge. The charge to the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group included seven (7) goals. 1. To gather, exchange and share information on parks planning and development in the municipalities and County. 2. To maintain and update the Inventory of Parks and Recreation Facilities developed as part of the Joint Master Recreation and Parks report, including new properties acquired or dedicated 3. To foster communication between the municipalities and County on future opportunities and collaborative ventures 5 9 4. To provide a coordinating mechanism for updates to parks and recreation plans in each jurisdiction 5. To review and inform the municipalities and County concerning parks needs and potential opportunities 6. To develop parameters for parks standards (leaving flexibility for the actual standards to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction within these parameters) 7. To develop and coordinate public education and public outreach on parks issues (coordinated brochures, etc) The governing document also indicated that the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group is inter-jurisdictional group, providing information to all elected boards on the areas listed above. It is not a formal advisory board of any jurisdiction. • Partnership to End Homelessness The Partnership to End Homelessness started in April 2008 as the Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough endorsed the Orange County 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and entered into a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to fund and support the Plan's implementation. The 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness has evolved into a living document that the Partnership updates over time to reflect its accomplishments and the evolution of policies, evidence-based practices, and funding. It is currently supported by two professional staff and program expenses funded by the County and Towns through a population based funding formula. The County provides administrative support and oversight of the staff. The Partnership to End Homelessness MOU created a Leadership Team consisting of representatives appointed from each of the above governmental partners and a cross- section of community representation, charged with providing oversight and direction to the Plan. The MOU also designates the four elected appointees to serve on the OCPEH Executive Team to ensure that the interests of all four funding jurisdictions are consistently represented and clearly specifies the role of the Towns and the County. • Food Council The Orange County Food Council was formally created in June of 2015 as each jurisdiction approved an MOU specifying the role, governance, and funding model to support the work of the Council. This MOU modeled on the Partnership to End Homelessness MOU. 6 10 Although the Food Council did not have a ten year plan to guide its initial work, the MOU specifies that the Council's role is to "...provide advice and recommendations to the four jurisdictions on issues related to the county community food system and also facilitate communication between community groups, committees, commissions, and other boards whose work supports a thriving local farm economy, access to healthy food, food related economic development, strong communities, sustainable ecosystems, and healthy people. The MOU also specifies a sixteen member Council consisting of elected representatives appointed from each of the above governmental partners and a cross-section of community members, food access and food provider representation, charged with providing direction for the council's work. Sub-Committee Recommendations The Sub-Committee recommends that the Climate Council be modeled after the Intergovernmental Parks Work group. Both groups serve as forums to share information, promote communication among jurisdictions, identify areas of potential collaboration, and educate the public. The Partnership to End Homelessness conducts these activities but also serves a more formal role as the County's designated Continuum of Care under rules established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and both the Partnership to End Homeless and the Food Council have staff dedicated to implement programming and funding from each of the jurisdictions to support those staff. The Climate Council offers an important opportunity for communication but does not have the same level of responsibility. The Sub-Committee also recommends that the participating jurisdictions create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to govern the new Climate Council. This is consistent with the request from the Climate Council and the direction from the Mayors and Chair to their respective attorneys. The MOU should detail the membership, charge and boundaries of work, meeting frequency, appointment process, and an understanding of staff responsibilities. Pending completion of that MOU, the County's participation in the Climate Council should be suspended. Suggestions for Moving Forward The Sub-Committee also offers the following suggestions regarding the content of the MOU. Membership The Sub-Committee suggests that the overall size of the Council decrease to increase the number of meetings at which a quorum of members is present. More specifically,the membership should be limited to the government agencies that create the group and the entities and employers that could have the most impact on operations and behaviors that drive climate change. 7 11 Organization Representatives • Positions Orange County BOCC Commissioner 1 Orange County Commission for the Representative 1 Environment Hillsborough Commissioner 1 Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board Representative 1 Carrboro Alderperson 1 Carrboro Environmental Advisory Board Representative 1 Chapel Hill Council person 1 Chapel Hill Environmental Stewardship and Representative 1 Advisory Board CHCCS Board member 1 Orange County Schools Board member 1 UNC Sustainability Lead 1 UNC Health Sustainability Lead 1 OWASA Sustainability Director 1 NC Cooperative Extension Representative 1 Durham Tech Sustainability Lead 1 The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill Representative 1 Carrboro Partnership for Sustainable Community Total Members 16 Charge The Charge to the group should be focused on information sharing and collaboration and not on joint action or programming. Like the Intergovernmental Parks Workgroup, goals should include • Providing opportunities to engage with the community on concerns and ideas regarding climate change and climate justice; • Gathering and exchanging information on climate change mitigation and prevention; • Maintaining and updating an inventory of climate change initiatives of the entities represented on the Council; • Promoting communication between the municipalities and the County on future opportunities and collaborative efforts; • Providing updates on the Climate Action Plans of the entities represented on the Council; • Providing feedback on public education and public outreach conducted by the entities represented on the Council or any collaborative education and outreach activities as requested by those entities. 8 12 Meeting Frequency The Sub-Committee suggests a meeting frequency similar to the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group of three times per year. This will provide a meaningful interval for updates while not consuming a considerable amount of staff time. Appointment Process Appointments should be made through each entity's respective appointment process. The Board of County Commissioners will appoint its own member. The Town of Carrboro will appoint its own member, etc. The Clerk to the Board of Commissioners will coordinate this process with the Town Clerks. Nature of the Work Group As an intergovernmental entity, the Climate Council should not be considered to be an advisory board of any of its constituent entities. Staffing Arrangements County staff will work with the appointed County representatives to prepare agendas and coordinate meetings. Each entity represented on the Council will be responsible for providing individual agency updates and engaging in collaborative activities. Importance of a County Climate Action Plan The Sub-Committee also recognized the need for the County to create its own Climate Action Plan to identify the County's goals and strategies. This Plan is a prerequisite to successful information sharing and collaboration with other jurisdictions. 9