Historical Information

Environmental Review Board Creation:

The Roane County Environmental Review Board (ERB) was established in 1989 by Resolution #1975 and Resolution #1975 was modified in September 1991 by Resolution #2271 to increase the membership to from five (5) to seven (7).

After being inactive for a number of years the ERB was re-activated in August 2007 by Resolution #08-07-04, increasing the membership to eight (8) general members and one (1) student member. Finally, Resolution #03-11-12 was adopted in March 2011 amending and clarifying the creation, purpose, and membership of the Environmental Review Board as follows:

  • WHEREAS from time to time activities are proposed in Roane County that need to be studied in some depth to estimate the likely environmental consequences, and
  • WHEREAS the County Executive, the County Commission, and the Planning Commission have extensive obligations that may limit their own investigations of such matters, and
  • WHEREAS it is helpful to have a committee of qualified individuals to serve as an advisory group to study matters referred to it by the County Executive and the County Commission, having the power only to make recommendations  to the County Executive and the County Commission  after studying said matters; and
  • WHEREAS, the membership of the Roane County Environmental Review Board shall consist of five (5) to seven  (7) general members, and one (1) to two (2) student member(s), which shall be appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Commission; and
  • WHEREAS, the requirement for a quorum for committee business, and for making recommendations, shall be set as a majority of the total membership of the Board; and
  • WHEREAS, the general members shall serve overlapping terms of three (3)  years with all terms expiring on the 30th day of July of the respective  term-ending year; and
  • WHEREAS, if a high school student he/she shall serve until the end of his/her senior year, or a maximum  two (2) year term, and
  • WHEREAS, if a college student  he/she shall serve until the end of his/her senior year, or a maximum  two (2) year term, and
  • WHEREAS, should the County Commission not confirm replacements for Environmental Review Board members whose terms are ending before such terms end, the terms of said incumbent members shall be automatically extended until such time as appointments are confirmed; and
  • WHEREAS, all meetings of the Environmental Review Board shall be announced and shall be open to the public, and comments from non-members shall be allowed after recognition by the Chair, with the provision that the Chair may limit such comments to permit the ERB time to deliberate; and
  • WHEREAS, the Board shall elect its own Chair as well as other needed officers; and
  • WHEREAS, the Chair may call special meetings on his own, or after being requested to do so by a majority of the members; and
  • WHEREAS, minutes showing persons attending and any actions of the Board shall be submitted to the County Executive for submission to the County Commission.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Roane County Executive and the Roane County Commission will consider recommendations from the ERB in making their judgments.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the ERB as of the date this resolution is adopted is:

Hailey Caldwell – Student representative
Riley Collins – Student representative
Mary Anne Koltowich
David Reichle
Frank Kornegay
Bruce Kimmel
Gail Okulczyk
Brian Niekerk
Robert W. Peelle – Member Emeritus