To: Board of Supervisors
From: Sustainability Committee
Report Title: At-Large Sustainability Commission Member Appointments
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPOINT Gelberg Rodriguez to Environmental Justice Seat #1 and Joseph Donaldson to Commercial Business Seat #2 to serve on the Sustainability Commission for a term ending on March 31, 2027, as recommended by the Sustainability Committee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None to the County. Appointments to the Sustainability Commission are voluntary.
BACKGROUND:
The Commission is comprised of twelve (12) members and five alternates. This includes five District representatives and District alternates from each Supervisor District nominated by individual members of the Board of Supervisors as well as the following seven (7) At-Large seats:
• Two members representing community groups whose mission includes sustainability and/or environmental issues ("At-Large, Community");
• Two members representing commercial groups or organizations whose business focuses on sustainability and/or environmental issues ("At-Large, Business"); and
• Two members representing environmental justice issues and who live in frontline, or “disadvantaged” communities, and who reflect the geographic diversity of the County ("At-Large, Environmental Justice"); and
• One member representing Education or a Research Institution.
The term for each seat is four years with about half the seats expiring every two years to allow for continuity of the Commission.
The Board of Supervisors directed the Sustainability Committee review and interview applicants for At-Large Sustainability Commission seats and recommend candidates when seats become vacant.
The Commercial Business Seat #2, and Environmental Justice Seat #1 were vacated due to Commission member resignations. The Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) advertised the opportunities to serve starting on March 2, 2026, and accepted applications through April 12, 2026.
On May 11, 2026, the Sustainability Committee interviewed three (3) applicants and selected the following individuals for the two (2) At-Large Commission seats vacated:
• Gelberg Rodriguez to Environmental Justice Seat #1, and
• Joseph Donaldson to Commercial Business Seat #2
The term for these seats will end March 31, 2027.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Two (2) of the twelve (12) Sustainability Commission member seats would continue to be vacant.