Environment commission discusses status of steering committee

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Environment commission discusses status of steering committee
(Photo/Arwen Clemens)
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By James Matheson | jmatheson@alextimes.com

The Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission met on Aug. 1 to discuss the state of the organization’s subgroup, the Environmental Action Plan Steering Committee.

The 13-member EPC consists of local environmental experts from fields like the sciences, urban planning and business. It includes citizen-at-large members and individuals who have been involved in federal or state environmental statutes, regulations and procedures. The Environmental Policy Commission currently has two vacant seats for people in the business community and the environmental laws and regulations community.

According to the City of Alexandria website, the EPC advises and makes recommendations to the City Council, the Planning Commission and city manager, when appropriate, in matters relating to the climate crisis and its effects; clean air; land use; noise pollution; pesticides, herbicides and contaminants; solid waste; water quality and supply; and other topics relating to conservation and protection of environmental conditions in the city.

Among the topics discussed at the meeting were the relationship between the committee and City Council as well as the committee’s purpose, membership make-up and logistics of the group. Throughout the hour-long discussion, attendees attempted to create more defined answers to these questions.

“There’s a whole team now that works on environmental action plans, maybe that’s not the purpose anymore,” Julia Slayden, who led the meeting, said. “Maybe we think through how we want to engage the Council, where can they really help us with our strategic goals and how often do we want to engage with them?”

The EAP Steering Committee was created to help implement phase two of the Environmental Action Plan. The commission is now reconsidering basics for the committee like outcomes they’re eyeing and expectations from City Council, all the way down to logistical adjustments like the frequency of meetings and who should lead the committee.

“Part of what we’re talking about today is how we are as effective as possible,” Slayden said. “I also appreciate the identification of constraints and I’m going to mark them down.”

Councilors Sarah Bagley, Kirk McPike and John Chapman all state that they are members of the steering committee in their Council bios on the city’s website. They were not present in the meeting.

The next EPC meeting is Sept. 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The EPC will continue their discussion of what structure their Environmental Action Plan Steering Committee will take on.

“Should we have the same or should we narrow the scope that seems to be quite large,” Slayden asked in regards to the size of the committee. “I’ve found that sometimes, if you have too many folks, you don’t actually get a lot done.”

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