Executive Order Establishing the Commission on the Environment and Sustainability

County Executive of Howard County, MD

Executive Order: 2007-02
Date: February 19, 2007
Subject: Commission on the Environment and Sustainability

WHEREAS, The County Executive wishes to ensure our community has the best environmental quality and that we live and work sustainably; and

WHEREAS, The County Executive wishes to have guidance from the citizens of Howard County in reviewing our environmental procedures, policies and practices; and

WHEREAS, Howard County’s environmental efforts can be strengthened by an understanding of best practices in environmental protection and sustainability from local governments throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, Our county, our state, our country, and our world are faced with serious environmental concerns that endanger our quality of life; and

WHEREAS, The County Executive wishes to bring Howard County to the forefront of environmental protection, open space preservation, green building and development, and the use of green products, materials and vehicles

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED that a Commission on the Environmental and Sustainability is established. The duties and responsibilities of the commission shall be to:

1. Review and evaluate in detail all of the County’s existing environmental policies, practices, and procedures.

2. Review the environmental efforts of other counties around our region and throughout the country.

3. Explore opportunities for the County to advance and strengthen its environmental programs.

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the commission shall present to the County Executive, on or before August 31, 2007 a report including:

a. Analysis of review

b. Recommendations on government reorganization

c. Recommendations on existence of permanent Commission

d. Other findings and/or recommendations to launch Howard County as a model of environmental protection and sustainability

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Commission on the Environment and Sustainability shall consist of 21 citizens and representatives of major organizations, three of which will be named by the County Council. All commission members must live in and/or work in Howard County and have an interest and/or expertise in the environment, conservation, sustainability, or renewable energy. The following citizens are appointed to the Commission:

Kenneth Boras
James Caldwell
Chein-Chi Chang
Richard Deutschmann
Candace Dodson-Reed
Ian Kennedy
Alex Kopicki
Laura Lee
Wanda MacLachlan
Betsy McMillion
F. Fenby Moore
David Pratt
Jennifer Seinfeld
Zack Shariff
Elizabeth Singer
Mark Southerland
Richard Thometz
Ned Tillman
Lee Walker-Oxenham
Bert Wilson
Shari Zaret

BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that:

Mark Southerland and Elizabeth Singer will serve as the Commission’s Co-Chairs, the Commission will be staffed by an Executive Director, and that the following county staff members will serve as ex-officio members of the Commission:

Director Department of Planning & Zoning or her designee
Director, Department of Public Works or his designee
Director, Department of Recreation & Parks or his designee
Howard County Health Officer or his designee

IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I, Ken Ulman, as County Executive of Howard County, Maryland have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of Howard County to be affixed this 19th day of February, 2007.

__________________________

Ken Ulman,
County Executive