Citizens who are interested in helping the City of Tacoma and the community reduce greenhouse gas emissions are encouraged to apply for membership on the Sustainable Tacoma Commission.

The Tacoma City Council is looking for two members for the commission, which is designed to provide a balanced representation of various stakeholders, including the environmental community, small business, labor, housing, industry and port, transportation, education, the building industry and residents.

Commission members serve three-year terms.

The Commission is intended to bring citizen accountability, transparency and vigilance to the long-term implementation of Tacoma’s Climate Action Plan. The Commission is also charged with overseeing, coordinating, communicating and encouraging public involvement regarding broader sustainability initiatives.

The Commission works with the City’s Office of Sustainability, which is responsible for implementing the strategies in the Climate Action Plan and measuring the City’s progress towards meeting its sustainability goals. Both the Office and the Commission were created by a City Council resolution in October 2008.

Duties of the Sustainable Tacoma Commission include overseeing the implementation of Climate Action Plan strategies; coordinating with the Office of Sustainability to obtain greenhouse gas emissions reduction reports; obtaining updates from the Office of Sustainability on Climate Action Plan strategy implementation efforts and periodic result reports; providing annual progress reports to the public; communicating barriers to and incentives for implementation to the City Council; and creating a forum for regular public comment and community involvement.

Applications must be submitted to the Mayor’s Office by Thurs., March 15. To apply, visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/sustainabletacoma or contact Cindy DeGrosse (253) 594-7848, Mayor’s Office, Room 1200, Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Tacoma, WA 98402.