To: Board of Supervisors
From: Internal Operations Committee
Report Title: RECOMMENDATION FOR APPOINTMENTS TO THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMISSION
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☒ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPOINT Jamin Pursell to the Environmental Organization #1 seat, Louis Flores to the Environmental Organization #1 Alternate seat, Andrew Graham to the Business #3 seat, and Frank Qin to the Business #3 Alternate seat on the Hazardous Materials Commission, all to terms beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
The Hazardous Materials Commission was established in 1986 to advise the Board, County staff and the mayor's council members, and staffs of the cities within the county on issues related to the development, approval, and administration of the County Hazardous Waste Management Plan. Specifically, the Board charged the Commission with drafting a Hazardous Materials Storage and Transportation Plan and Ordinance, coordinating the implementation of the Hazardous Materials Release Response Plan and inventory program, and analyzing and developing recommendations regarding hazardous materials issues with consideration to broad public input, and reporting back to the Board on referrals to the Commission.
The Hazardous Materials Commission includes 14 members, each with an appointed alternate, as follows: Three (3) City Representatives, Three (3) Business seats, Two (2) Environmental Organization Representatives, One (1) League of Women Voters, Two (2) Labor Representatives, One (1) Environmental Engineering Firm Representative (located in Contra Costa County), One (1) General Public Representative, and One (1) Environmental Justice Representative. Terms of office are four years. The Internal Operations Committee reviews Commission nominations for appointment to all but the City and League of Women Voters seats.
Environmental Organization Seats. The terms of the Environmental Organization Seat #1 and the Environmental Organization Seat #1 Alternate will expire on December 31, 2024. The bylaws of the Commission provide that two (2) representatives of environmental organizations, with all applicants to any of the two “Environmental Organization” seats are to be nominated by an environmental organization, but that no particular environmental organization will have an exclusive right to nominate an individual to any one of the two aforesaid seats or their alternates and, therefore, which environmental organizations are represented on the Hazardous Materials Commission rests with the Board of Supervisors.
The Hazardous Materials Commission recruited for the Environmental Organization seat #1 and its Alternate and received two qualifying applications (attached). After conducting interviews, the Commission unanimously voted to recommend Jamin Pursell for the Environmental Organization seat and Louis Flores for the Environmental Organization Alternate seat. The terms for these seats will expire on December 31, 2028.
Business Seats. The terms of Business Seat #3 and Business Seat #3 Alternate will expire on December 31, 2024. The bylaws of the Commission provide that Business Seat #3 and its alternate be nominated by the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, screened by the Internal Operations Committee and appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association has nominated Andrew Graham for Business Seat #3 and Frank Qin for Business Seat #3 Alternate (attached). The terms for these seats will expire on December 31, 2028.
The Internal Operations Committee, at a special meeting on November 14th, reviewed the Hazardous Materials Commission recommendations as well as all of the applications and endorsements received, and supports the Commission’s recommendations.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The seats will remain vacant, necessitating new recruitment.