The Yakima City Council is asking volunteers interested in serving on the recently-created Sustainable Yakima Committee to submit applications to the City Clerk’s office. 

The committee is comprised of seven (7) members.  One of the seven appointed members shall be designated as a “youth member” and shall be between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two years of age at the time of appointment. There shall be a preference, but not a requirement, for committee members to have expertise in climate science, engineering, energy management, water conservation, planning, environmental policy-making, environmental law, economics, solid waste management, forestry, systems analysis and/or communications. A minimum of five (5) members shall be City of Yakima residents.  The remaining two members may be residents of Yakima County.

The committee generally shall serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council concerning sustainability within the city, specifically in the following capacities:

                        (1)        Serve as an advisory committee on issues related to sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change as directed by City Council;

                        (2)        Provide support, as appropriate, for the 2022-2023 feasibility study and potential development of an anaerobic digester for processing food and plant waste;

                        (3)        Provide advice and/or recommendations to the City Council, as appropriate, to reduce the City’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and explore possible renewable energy use by the City;

                        (4)        Provide advice and/or recommendations to the City Council, as appropriate, regarding City recycling efforts; and

                        (5)        Provide education and outreach to the public on issues as directed by the City Council.

            (b)        Draft a climate action plan and implementation strategy document which includes goals and actions for 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year time frames and present it to the City Council for its review and evaluation.  Said plan should be completed within one year of the committee’s first meeting and presented to the City Council thereafter.

            (c)        Assist the City Council on specific projects delegated to the committee by the City Council.

            (d)        Provide a quarterly report on committee work completed during the prior quarter, either in writing or by presentation at a City Council meeting, as determined by the City Council.  City Council may reduce the frequency of reporting if it so desires. 

            (e)        At the end of each 12-month period, the committee shall submit to the City Council a proposed work plan for the following year, for evaluation.

Additional information on the duties and responsibilities of each committee can be found at https://www.yakimawa.gov/council/boards-commissions/. Anyone interested in applying for openings can download an application from the City of Yakima website – https://www.yakimawa.gov/council/assets/Application-form-for-City-of-Yakima-Boards-and-Commissions.pdf

Contact City Clerk Sonya Claar Tee by phone, 509-575-6037, or e-mail, sonya.claartee@yakimawa.gov, for more information about current or future openings on City of Yakima boards, committees, or commissions,

It is the responsibility of the City Council to appoint people to serve on the governing bodies of those organizations.