Environmental Advisory Board

Legal basis

• BRC 2-3-16 · creates · Environmental Advisory Board source source
• Ordinance No. 5505 (1992) (1992) · creates source
• Charter Sec. 130 · authorizes · General provisions concerning advisory commissions source source
• BRC 2-3-1 · governs · General Provisions source

Appointed by

City Council. City Council appoints all five members and fills vacancies (BRC 2-3-16(a), 2-3-1(a), Charter Sec. 130). source source source as of 2026-10-29

How

The city recruits applicants each winter (for 2026: Dec. 8, 2025 to Jan. 25, 2026). Each applicant has an individual recorded virtual interview with staff and at least one council member; the recordings go to the full council, which appoints by motion at a regular meeting before April (2026: public hearing and 9:0 vote on March 5, appointments effective April 1). Council fills vacancies for the rest of the term. · annual; applications December-January, council appointment by March, terms start April 1 · city-council (motion at a public hearing) source source source source source source source as of 2026-03-05

Seats

5 source as of 2026-10-29

Seat types

• City resident (Charter Sec. 130: 18 or older, one year's residence, council may not appoint all of one gender identity) ×5 at-large

source source as of 2026-10-29

Term

5 years source as of 2026-10-29

Term limit

none set: BRC 2-3-16(a) sets the five-year term and no limit on reappointment; BRC 2-3-1 (general provisions) and Charter Sec. 130 set none either; members serve until their successors take office source source source as of 2026-10-29

Staggering

Staggered: the 5 five-year terms are set so about one seat expires each year; council appoints each spring and terms now run April 1 to March 31 (e.g. a 2022 appointment runs through 3/31/27); a vacancy is filled for the unexpired remainder source source source as of 2022-02

Powers

advisory. Decides: Nothing binding. It advises on waste management and recycling, energy efficiency, environmental risks and pollution control (except matters assigned to other boards), the city's environmental advocacy, and the environmental effects of city master plans; it stays out of Title 9 land use review and city environmental assessments unless council asks, and holds a public hearing before any recommendation.. To council: Recommendations to City Council and the City Manager; advice on master plans also goes to the affected board. source source source as of 2026-10-29

Council liaison

not applicable: City Council assigns no council member as liaison to its boards and commissions: in late 2022 council rejected a one-board liaison pilot, the May 2025 status report lists the liaison recommendation as on hold, and the January 2026 council committee assignments name no board liaisons (only intergovernmental bodies, internal committees and sister cities). source source

Staff liaison

Climate Initiatives Department · Jonathan Koehn source source as of 2026-10-23

Relations

• City Council appoints Environmental Advisory Board source
• Environmental Advisory Board member of Greenways Advisory Committee · each board sends one of its members as its representative source source
• Environmental Advisory Board recommends to City Council source
• Environmental Advisory Board recommends to City Manager source
• Climate Initiatives staffs Environmental Advisory Board · staff liaison and board support (the department director is the board contact) source source source

History

• 1992 · created · Created by Ordinance No. 5505 (1992), now BRC 2-3-16. source