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County staff recommend dissolving Climate Emergency Council; supervisors approve resolution
Summary
County sustainability staff reported the Climate Emergency Council had fulfilled its scope and recommended dissolving the advisory body; staff said community engagement on greenhouse-gas programs will continue through expanded outreach and working groups. The board approved the resolution dissolving the council.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted on March 18 to adopt a resolution dissolving the Ventura County Climate Emergency Council (CEC) after hearing a report from county sustainability staff that the CEC had completed its assigned scope.
Heather Allen, program administrator in the county executive office sustainability division, told the board that program COSLL in the General Plan established the CEC and set a timeline for greenhouse-gas reduction recommendations. "The CEC has met 31 times with the last meeting occurring in September 2024," Allen said, and the division concluded the group had fulfilled the scope of work described in COSLL.
Allen and County Sustainability Officer Alejandra Daez described a shifted approach: instead of maintaining the standalone CEC, the sustainability division plans to expand community engagement through annual workshops, program-specific working groups, tabling at events such as Earth Day and regular outreach connected to grant-funded programs. Allen noted the county will update the greenhouse-gas inventory for the unincorporated area later in the year and will continue to post progress to the county’s electronic climate action plan at ecap.ventura.org.
Supervisor Long moved to approve staff’s recommendation; Supervisor Lavere seconded the motion. The Board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution dissolving the CEC and to direct staff to continue the outreach approaches described in the report.
Board members praised the CEC’s work and said the sustainability division’s proposed expanded engagement would bring broader community input to greenhouse-gas and adaptation programs.
