Independent Citizens Oversight Committee

The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee is a group of six individuals, operating independently from the Advisory Committee, Governing Board and staff of the Authority to provide an unbiased annual analysis of the work of the Authority. The group is responsible for the following tasks:

  1. Annually review the Authority's conformance with Measure AA;
  2. Review the Authority's audits and expenditure and financial reports; and
  3. Publish an annual report of its findings, which will be posted on the Authority's website.

The Oversight Committee will meet at least twice each year: once to discuss and make initial comments on the Authority's annual reports and financial documents; and a second time to discuss, amend, and adopt its findings and recommendations to the Authority, in the form of a written report which will be posted on the Authority's website. Go to the meetings page to view meeting agendas and minutes. For more on the operations of this group, see the official procedural document, Guidelines for the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.

On June 26, 2022, the Oversight Committee completed their fifth review of San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority’s Conformance with Measure AA, covering the period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. 

Their full report on FY 2021/2022 can be found here.

Previous reports from the Oversight Committee can be found below:

 

Contact: Karen McDowell, Deputy Program Manager, Karen.McDowell@sfestuary.org.

 

The Oversight Committee consists of one representative from each of the four regions (North, South, East, and West Bay), and two members from counties not already represented, currently Alameda and San Mateo. Its members are below.  Past members are listed here

Arthur serves as Managing Member of Environmental Pollution Solutions LLC. His experience in water quality and pollution prevention includes storm water management and remediation of contaminated soil and ground water. He has also conducted budget reviews for public, private and non-profit organizations. Arthur serves as a board member for the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, whose main mission is habitat restoration. He most recently served on the Authority’s Advisory Committee, participating in the Annual Report Ad Hoc Committee and Project Application Reviews. With a focus on the Authority’s funding and conformance with Measure AA, he decided to bring his skills and experience in service of the Oversight Committee.  

Jim Fiedler retired in 2017 from the Santa Clara Valley Water District.  He served as Chief Operating Officer from 2007 until retiring. Over his 34 year career he amassed leadership, management and engineering experience in the areas of water supply, water quality, pollution reduction, flood protection, watershed stewardship and public financing.  Mr. Fiedler presently serves on the Board of Catholic Charities East Bay and as Officer Emeritus on the San Francisco Estuary Institute Board.  He has also served on a variety of boards including: San Francisco Bay Planning Coalition, WateReuse Association, The Water Research Foundation, and the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA). He also served on the Contra Costa County 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury. He currently volunteers with the Knights of Columbus and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. 

Demece serves as Controller for Farallon Geographics, which provides open source geomapping for cultural and environmental preservation. From this she brings experience in financing, contracting, and monitoring of cultural heritage and urban planning projects around the San Francisco Bay.  In addition, Demece volunteers with the San Francisco Parks Alliance and writes guidebooks for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to showcase sites accessible along the SF Bay Trail and Water Trail. Demece also served as a board member for the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center and Housing Corporation. 

Garth is retired and spent his career in the electric and power industry in the San Francisco Bay Area at Pacific Gas & Electric, East Bay Municipal Utility District, and Santa Clara Valley Water District. He also served on Palo Alto's Utility Advisory Commision from 2013 to 2016. Garth brings experience in budgeting and financial management, having managed multi-million-dollar budgets during his career, as well as in program management and pollution reduction. 

Doug Wallace retired in 2019 from the East Bay Municipal Utility District after 25 years of service. For most of his tenure he was the Environmental Affairs Officer, responsible for policy analysis and direction on a wide range of issues including water supply and water quality, ecosystem restoration, the CALFED Bay-Delta program, and sustainability. He co-authored EBMUD’s Climate Change Monitoring and Response plan and helped guide the agency to an industry leadership position on climate change. He was also responsible for external relations with environmental NGOs, state and federal agencies, and the business community. He continues to consult on climate change and natural resource issues, particularly sea level rise adaptation. In addition, he sits on the Tamalpais Design Review Board and works with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby to advance federal carbon fee and dividend legislation.   

Dr. Young has dedicated her professional life to protecting the environment.  From 2006 - 2019, she was a member of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, serving as Chair from 2014 – 2019.  For nearly four decades prior to her service on the Board, Dr. Young advised Bay Area environmental organizations and selected corporations on environmental science and policy, primarily in the areas of water pollution, ecological indicators, and the use of economic incentives.  Dr. Young also was an appointed member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board for twelve years, where she chaired the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee.   In addition, Dr. Young served on panels of National Research Council; helped to develop “The State of the Nation’s Ecosystems” in 2002 and 2008 for the H. John Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment; and was a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences Committee on Puget Sound Indicators.  Dr. Young holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Chemistry from Yale University.    

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