[The Stranger] The Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation that would establish a Green New Deal Oversight Board. Establishing the board is a crucial step in making the Seattle Green New Deal (GND), a resolution the council passed in August, a reality.
The board will lay out how to follow and implement a GND, which is an extensive list of environmentally conscious goals. The board will advise all city departments and make sure that they are following the tenets of the GND and the overarching goal of reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, eliminating climate pollution by 2030.
A point of discussion among the city council was how many people and who would make up the board.
The board as it stands, including a new amendment proposed by Council Member Lisa Herbold to add two more labor representatives, will be made up of 19 people. There will be 11 representatives of environmental justice organizations and communities impacted directly by climate change. Additionally, "three people with professional backgrounds in climate pollution reduction strategies, two labor union representatives, and a workforce development specialist," according to 350 Seattle, one of the groups responsible for putting forward the GND proposal.
Council Member Abel Pacheco proposed an informal amendment to add four more positions that would give "philanthropy and tech" seats on the board. It was received poorly.