BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Consider the January 7, 2021 Board Policy and Planning Committee Recommendations Regarding Modifications to Valley Water Environmental Justice Board Governance Ends Policies.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Consider the January 7, 2021 Board Policy and Planning Committee recommendations to adopt the proposed modifications to Board Governance Ends Policy General Principles E-1 and Glossary to add Environmental Justice Policy Language; and
B. Adopt the proposed modifications to Board Governance Ends Policy General Principles E-1 and Glossary to add Environmental Justice Policy Language.
Body
SUMMARY:
On September 22, 2020, the Board approved a Resolution titled "Addressing Systematic Racism and Promoting Equity." The resolution provides a new framework and model to inform potential changes to Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) internal policies, procedures, and trainings, including calling for the creation of an Ends Policy relative to environmental justice.
At the September 28, 2020 Board Policy and Planning Committee (BPPC) meeting, Watershed Stewardship staff presented and discussed revisions to Board Governance Ends Policy E-4 and a proposed new Ends Policy E-5. The BPPC provided feedback to ensure that environmental justice language is incorporated into the new policy on climate change, and all Board Governance Policies. Following that meeting, Office of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) staff began working on modifying the first set of Governance Policies, beginning with Ends Policy General Principles E-1.
At the November 23, 2020 BPPC meeting, REDI staff presented proposed modifications to Board Governance Ends Policy General Principles E-1 and the Glossary relative to environmental justice. Proposed changes included a more precise definition for environmental justice and disadvantaged community, after surveying best practices in current policies and definitions from other w...
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