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Board establishes Environmental Lands Oversight Committee to implement sales-tax land acquisitions
Summary
Following the November sales-tax referendum, the commission voted to create an Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC) to advise county staff on natural‑lands acquisitions; staff will circulate nomination forms and return with a Public Lands Acquisition Manual and candidate appointments.
The Martin County Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution creating the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC) to provide citizen oversight of the county's natural‑lands acquisition program funded by the recently approved sales tax.
Michael Houston, senior project manager for the county's Environmental Resources Division, told commissioners the ordinance establishing the sales-tax program requires a citizen oversight committee and that staff had prepared a draft resolution and a Public Lands Acquisition Manual to guide operations. The manual and nomination forms will be circulated to designated organizations and the board will consider committee appointments at the Feb. 25 meeting.
Under the draft resolution staff presented, the committee will include representatives from specified categories — including environmental organizations, agricultural interests, and citizen groups — with staggered terms to avoid total turnover at once. John Mayall, Environmental Resources Division manager, said the county used descriptive categories in the ordinance so the board can adjust the specific organizations by resolution later if an organization becomes inactive.
Commissioners emphasized ethics, attendance and sunshine‑law training will be integral to the committee's work; staff said the manual will address those safeguards and the board will have final authority on appointments and on any future changes to the committee's membership list. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
