HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 7/27/2021 - Memorandum From Land Conservation & Stewardship Board Re: Maintaining Lcsb Membership And ExperienceMEMORANDUM
Land Conservation & Stewardship Board
July 14, 2021
TO – City Council
FROM – Land Conservation and Stewardship Board
SUBJECT – Maintaining LCSB membership and experience
Maintenance of Membership
Kelly Ohlson resigned from the Land Conservation and Stewardship Board in April to assume his
seat on City Council. With Kelly’s resignation, our Board lost nearly eight continuous years of
experience and reduced its roster from nine to eight members . That loss led us to contemplate the
further deficit of membership and experience that will happen at the end of 2021.
Terms of four members expire in December (particulars are listed below). Thus, it is possible that
the LCSB will have only four carry-over members, and without additional appointments or re-
appointments, the LCSB will not have a quorum.
Assuring a continuous quorum is essential. Our first request, therefore, is that Council immediately fill
the LCSB position vacated by Kelly Ohlson. An immediate appointment will allow a new member to
gain several months of important experience before the potential turnover of half the Board in 2022.
Maintenance of Experience
Matters before the LCSB are numerous and complex. The Board not only considers land purchases;
it also advises the Natural Areas Department (NAD) and Council on matters of policy, granting of
utility easements, balancing of conservation and recreation values, staffing levels for NAD,
intergovernmental collaboration on open spaces, budget planning, and many other matters. None of
these subjects occurs in isolation, and insightful advice comes from understanding their interactions
and their history. That takes time.
To ensure that meaningful and relevant participation continues during this time of great change in
City leadership, NAD senior management, and the LCSB itself, we urge flexibility and forward
thinking in managing membership of the LCSB. Actions that might be taken on behalf of the LCSB
would benefit other Boards as well:
• Maintain a roster of applicants with strong qualifications.
• Complete vetting of one or two candidates in addition to those needed for immediate
placement; ask these candidates whether they would like to be held on a wait list for future
vacancies as they occur.
• When a vacancy occurs, fill it quickly so that the new member can start the learning process.
• Track the years of experience of all the members on the Board.
• Project the years of experience that will be maintained when appointments expire or
resignations occur.
We ask whether current staff levels and processes are sufficient to support these functions.
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Schedule of LCSB Term Expirations
Ray Watts (current chair) is completing eight years on the Board and is ineligible for reappointment.
David Tweedale is completing a four-year term. Joe Piesman and Vicky McLane are ending interim
one-year appointments, and their reappointments are uncertain. Four members have terms
extending into 2022, one of whom (Cole Kramer) was appointed in 2021, leaving only three members
(Andrea Elson, the current vice-chair; Alycia Crall; and Mike Weber) who have multiple years of
experience on the Board.