In an initial move toward fostering diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the county’s governance, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider taking some initial steps toreview its boards and commissions.   The proposed changes come after the Supervisors requested that all discretionary boards and commissions be evaluated following the outcome of the 2023 Boards and Commissions Equity Survey. The survey reviewed membership, meeting frequency, roles, and original purpose of each board or commission as it relates to current community needs. Under direction of the County’s Office of Equity and the Clerk of the Board, County staff is motivated to improve diversity on all boards and commissions so representation aligns better with Marin’s changing demographics. Recruitment for new members typically results in a pool of candidates that are not as diverse as Marin’s modern-day population.  The County of Marin has 59 boards and commissions designed to provide advice to the Supervisors on various policy areas. While some are mandated by law, most serve as discretionary bodies formed to address specific issues or needs within the community. On March 19, the Supervisors will receive a report regarding staff’s review and recommendation to sunset five boards and commissions. Staff recommendations emphasize the rarity of appeals, staffing challenges, recruitment and retention challenges, and the need for a more efficient alternative process consistent with local and state law. The Access Appeals Board, Architectural Commission, and Building Board of Appeals are staffed by the Community Development Agency but have not met in several years or heard any appeals in more than seven years and have no active members.  Similarly, the Fair Advisory Board, staffed by the Department of Cultural Services, does not have any members. The proposal calls for creating an ad hoc committee representing each district to meet before and after the County Fair, providing advice as outlined in the Marin County Code. Additionally, staff is recommending sunsetting the Human Rights Commission (HRC) because its scope is overly broad and overlaps with the focus of some other commissions. Over the past two years, the HRC has largely focused on supporting the County’s effort to explore the creation of a Sheriff’s Oversight Commission. Sunsetting the HRC would allow staff to focus efforts on a successful launch of the new Oversight Commission. All existing Human Rights commissioners would be invited to embed the principals of human rights in a broader array of policy areas with vacancies in any of the other Marin County board and commissions, including the new Oversight Commission, Behavioral Health Board, Commission on Aging, Health Council, Women’s Commission, or Child Care Commission, for example. The analysis found some discretionary boards and commissions are less active than intended or do not have enough members to reach a quorum. On any given day, there are dozens of vacancies on the various boards and commissions. Final recommendations were formulated by staff from the Office of the County Executive, County Counsel, and by a Board subcommittee comprised of Supervisors Dennis Rodoni (District 4) and Eric Lucan (District 5). Sunsetting these initial group of advisory boards and commissions would be the first in a multistep process and must be formalized through a subsequent Board resolution or ordinance. “The goal is to accomplish this broader review and restructuring effort prior to launching new training and outreach or before the creation of any new commissions, such as the new Sheriff Oversight Commission,” said Dan Eilerman, Assistant County Executive. “Subsequent steps will include efforts to enhance membership diversity and training board and commission members and the many County staff which support them.” Reducing the number of boards and commissions would lead to an ability to provide greater focus and attention to the remaining boards and commissions. “This evaluation and the initial restructuring steps make sense to ensure we begin the important work of enhancing diversity among our boards and commissions,” said Board President Dennis Rodoni. “I look forward to subsequent phases, including new training on the Brown Act and conducting effective public meetings for all our boards and commissions to ensure we receive feedback and advice from our changing community.”  Details of the proposed changes are in the staff report.