Board staff briefed members on a recurring practice where City Council solicits prioritized guidance from boards and commissions ahead of a January retreat. The clerk's office provides a template and requests concise priorities so council can identify and adopt a small set of work-plan items for the next cycle.

Staff told the board that the deadline to submit letters to the clerk's office is Dec. 19. Members discussed process options: drafting suggestions individually for a shared Google Doc, having volunteers consolidate items into a draft for group editing at the December meeting, or requesting staff assistance to produce a draft. Staff and members emphasized open-meeting law constraints on serial electronic meetings; the board agreed to collaborate via a shared document and finalize priorities at the December meeting.

Why this matters

City Council will use the submitted priorities in its retreat and in setting its formal work plan. For boards and commissions, concise, program-level recommendations are more likely to be incorporated; staff recommended submitting one to three prioritized items with brief justifications rather than long lists.

What board members proposed and next steps

Board members suggested items that align with ongoing departmental work: advancing nature-based solutions and biodiversity commitments (e.g., Berlin Pact signatory actions), continued emphasis on water-wise and fire-wise landscaping and conservation, deconstruction and building deconstruction ordinance enforcement, and integrating equity and resilience lenses across energy, food systems, and public health policies. Staff offered to circulate the board's December packet and the council priorities website to help members shape proposals.

The board agreed to create and share a Google Doc where members can add short proposals and supporting links ahead of the December meeting and to finalize a short letter for submission by Dec. 19.