County Commissioner Ken Cornell has been appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Land Use Subcommittee and Vice Chair of the Florida Association of Counties’ (FAC) Water and Environmental Sustainability Committee.
“I am honored and ready to roll my sleeves up and get to work,” said Cornell. “I am determined to make sure that the vision and values of Alachua County are represented in these discussions at both the state and national level.”
The NACo Land Use Subcommittee is part of the Environment, Energy, and Land Use Steering Committee (EELU). The EELU advises the NACo Board of Directors on matters pertaining to air, water, energy, and land use, including water resources/management, stormwater, pesticides, air quality standards, climate change, solid, hazardous and nuclear waste handling, transport and disposal, national energy policy, renewable/alternative energy, alternative fuel vehicles, energy facility siting, electricity utility restructuring, pipeline safety, oil spills, superfund/brownfields, eminent domain, land use, coastal management, oceans, parks, and recreation. Members of the EELU can introduce policy resolutions and platform changes and vote on other proposed resolutions and platform changes. They participate in conference calls and receive regular updates from NACo staff.
As Vice Chair of the FAC Water and Environmental Sustainability Committee, Commissioner Cornell is responsible for helping determine the legislative initiatives for the 2021 Legislative Session. Cornell will lead the committee as it addresses state and federal issues related to water and environmental policy, including but not limited to, water quantity and quality, water infrastructure, waste and pollution, climate change, and utilities and energy. The committee’s recommendations on legislative policies will be presented to the full membership during the Association’s Legislative Conference in November. If approved, the recommendations will become part of FAC’s legislative platform.
“I’ve chosen the chairs and vice-chairs for the FAC policy committees based upon their subject-matter expertise and experience as well as their commitment to and involvement with the organization,” said FAC President and Palm Beach County Commissioner, Melissa McKinlay. “I have absolute faith that, with their leadership and guided by a robust legislative platform, Florida’s counties will be at the forefront of every policy discussion.”
For more information, contact the Alachua County Commission Office at 352-264-6900.