Subject:
Title
Legislative Intent and Permission to Advertise Modifications to the Structure of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizen Oversight Committee
End
Fiscal Impact:
None
Dept/Office:
Natural Resources Management
Requested Action:
Recommendation
Approve Legislative Intent and Permission to Advertise Modifications to the Structure of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizen Oversight Committee
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
The current structure of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) Citizen Oversight Committee (COC) includes seven fields of expertise, with a voting member and alternate selected to represent each field. To ensure future representation on the COC of residents whose incomes are tied to the health of the lagoon and who experience changing lagoon conditions daily, the committee recommends changing a field of expertise to “Lagoon Commerce.” This could be accomplished by combining the Education and Outreach field of expertise with the Lagoon Advocacy field of expertise.
In addition, due to impending term limits that will result in large turnover on the COC and the desire to have voices at the table who have heard all the public comment to date and County Commission direction since inception of the SOIRL program, the COC recommends adding 2 non-voting ex officio members to provide readily available historical context for the large number of new members. The League of Cities and the County Commission would each select one ex officio member.
Draft markup of the current policy to incorporate both of these recommendations is attached for Board consideration. The markups also update the policy to reflect current terminology and transition the initial COC appointment process to the ongoing process.
Background:
On May 3, 2022, the County Commission adopted changes to the County’s Uniform Advisory Board Policy including the application of term limits to all appointees. These term limits will apply to 5 of 7 voting members on the COC and 2 of 7 alternates at the end of the current 2-year term. For reference, the current Board policy is as follows:
Term limits. Appointees to advisory boards shall serve no more than eight consecutive years, or ten years in 16-year period, on the same advisory board for which there is not an interlocal agreement or memorandum of understanding or other contractual commitment precluding imposition of a term limit. A commissioner may request the board of county commissioners waive the aforementioned term limits should the commissioner have difficulty filling an advisory board appointee position. A waiver of the term limits will only be granted if the board votes in favor of the waiver by a supermajority vote.
On August 16th, the COC recommended the following changes to the COC structure:
|
Existing |
Recommended |
|
1. science, |
8. science, |
|
2. technology, |
9. technology, |
|
3. economics/finance, |
10. economics/finance, |
|
4. real estate, |
11. real estate, |
|
5. lagoon advocacy |
12. lagoon commerce, |
|
6. education/outreach and |
13. lagoon education/outreach/advocacy |
|
7. tourism |
14. tourism, and |
|
|
15. 2 non-voting, ex officio members |
Clerk to the Board Instructions: