County staff move to shorten membership and change terms for Water and Land Legacy Bond Public Review Board

Jessie Black, administrative specialist for the Board of Supervisors, presented proposed changes to the Water and Land Legacy Bond Public Review Board rules and operating procedures. The recommended amendments would reduce the board’s size, simplify leadership, and change term limits.

Nut graf: The Public Review Board was created after the 2016 Legacy Bond to provide a public review step for conservation-board projects seeking bond proceeds. The staff proposal reduces the board from 15 members to nine (there are currently nine members whose terms have expired), changes two co-chairs to a single chair, and eliminates the existing two-term service limit so members may be reappointed.

Details and context Black said the Public Review Board is advisory—it reviews conservation-board proposals for consistency with ballot language and does not make final decisions. She told supervisors the proposed changes have been discussed with county staff and conservation-board leaders; a meeting of the Public Review Board is scheduled for April. Black said there are only two bond-funded projects expected to remain under this program and, when the $40 million legacy bond authority is exhausted, the board would be dissolved.

Action and next steps Supervisors instructed staff to place the bylaws amendments on the consent agenda for Wednesday. Black said she had already discussed the changes with relevant staff (Daniel and Dennis) and that lowering membership reflected lower volunteer participation.

Ending: The board will consider the bylaws amendment on the consent agenda at the next meeting, after which appointments or reappointments can be processed if the supervisors approve the change.