HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppointment to the Wetlands Review Board
CommissionMemorandum
REPORTTO:
HonorableMayorandCityCommission
FROM:
AimeeKissel,DeputyCityClerk
StacyUlmen,CityClerk
ChrisA.Kukulski,City Manager
SUBJECT:
WetlandsReviewBoardAppointment
MEETINGDATE:
November2,2009
MEETINGTYPE:
Action
RECOMMENDATION:
AppointonenewmembertotheWetlandsReviewBoard.
BACKGROUND:
OnevacancyexistsontheWetlandsReviewBoard.Onenewapplication
hasbeenreceived.
TheWetlandsReviewBoardisestablishedtopreparefunctionalassessmentsofregulated
wetlandsthatmaybeimpactedbyproposedregulatedactivities,evaluatetheimpactsproposed
regulatedactivitiesmayhaveondelineatedwetlandsandtoprovidewetlandsprotection,
mitigationand/orenhancerecommendationsregardingsuchproposalstothePlanningDirector
andCityCommission.TheWetlandsReviewBoardwillbeconvenedasnecessarytoreview
proposalsthatinvolveregulatedactivitiesandmayimpactregulatedwetlandsbasedonthe
provisionscontainedinChapter18.56,BMC.
Inselectingthemembers,theCityCommissionshallgivepreferencetoresidentsofthe
CityofBozeman.However,whereaqualifiedresidentisnotavailabletoserve,theCity
Commissionmayappointamemberwhopracticesprofessionally,ownspropertyor
ownsabusinesswithintheCity.TheWRBshallconsistofsixmembers.Anappointmenttoa
termofserviceontheWRBisfortwoyears.Membersshallbedegreedintheirrespective
disciplinesand/orotherwiselicensedorcertifiedbytheirrespectiveprofessionalauthorities.
NewApplicant:
PurcieBennett–wetlandsrelatedprofessional
ALTERNATIVES:
AssuggestedbytheCityCommission.
Attachment:Board Application
CITYOFBOZEMAN,MONTANA
APPLICATIONFOR THE WETLANDSREVIEWBOARD
Date:__10-21-09_____________
Name: _____Purcie Bennett_____________________________________________
PhysicalAddress: __Bozeman,MT 59715__________________________
MailingAddress(ifdifferent): _______________________________________________
Email: _____ __________________________________________
Phone(s): __
LengthoftimeintheBozemanarea: _____3.5 Years______________________________
Occupation:___Attorney_______________________________________________________
Employer: ____Earthjustice___________________________________________________
HaveyoueverservedonaCityorCountyboard? __no______________________________
(Ifso,where,what board,andhowlong?)
Applicantsshouldapplyasone(ormore)ofthefollowing:biologist,soilscientist,plant
otherwetlands-relatedprofession
scientist,hydrologist,or.
-Otherwetlands-related professional
Pleaseexplain yourrelevantqualifications,interests, andexperiences.
Iamcurrentlydoingcontractworkforanenvironmentallawfirm,Earthjustice.I
havealaw degreefromWashingtonandLeeUniversityandamastersinEnvironmentaland
ResourcePolicyfromGeorgeWashingtonUniversity.Mymastersthesiswas onthe
sufficiencyofwetlands protectionintheUnitedStatesfromamultidisciplinaryperspective
includinglaw, policy,naturalscience,andethics.AtGWItookclassesinwetlandsecology,
environmentalpolicy,environmentaleconomics,and resourcemanagement.Inadditionto
my graduate programatGWIaugmentedmypolicyeducationwithwater-basedscience
coursesatMSUincludingwatershedshydrology,troutstreamecology, restorationecology,
limnology,andaquaticfieldecology.Iattendedto2009MontanaWaterLawSeminarin
Helenaandamcurrentlyinterestedinexpandingmyknowledgeoflocalandstatewaterlaw,
policy,and procedure.IlovelivinginMontanaandamacutelyawarethatwater,watershed,
wetlands,andtheecosystemsthatareconnectedtothemaregoingtobecentraltofuture
environmentalstrugglesinourcommunityasitcontinuesto growand develop.Ihopethat
involvementwiththeWetlands Review Boardwillallowmeto bothlearnmoreabouthow
Bozeman dealswithwetlandsinGallatinCountyaswellasallowmeto beinstrumentalin
ensuringthatthevalueandhealthofwetlandsareappropriatelyconsideredintheCity’s
developmentchoices.
References
(IndividualorOrganization)Name:Phone:
_Scott Brennan______________________________________ ___406-600-7846____
_BobEkey__________________________________________ ___406-586-1600___
_JoeWojciechowski__________________________________ ___406-599-5831____
Thisapplicationisconsidered public record.Applicationcontactinformationmaybe
displayedontheCityofBozemanwebsite.
PLEASENOTE:PerOrdinanceNo. 1759, revisingChapter 2.01 oftheBozemanMunicipal
Code,allboardmembersare requiredtoattendayearlyethicsworkshop providedfreeof
chargebytheCityasaconditionofserviceasamember ofaboard.
K. E. PURCIE BENNETT, ESQ
.
Bozeman, Montana 59715
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009 Present:Montana State Bar
Member
2000-Present: Virginia State Bar
Member: current status, inactive
9/14/09 Present: Earthjustice
Contract Associate Attorney
- Legal research, Administrative record review
6/01/09 Present: Volunteer -
Greater Gallatin Watershed Council Stream Water Quality Monitoring
- Trout Unlimited Stream flow monitoring
12/1/2008 4/1/2009
The Wilderness Society, Intern Climate Change Project.
- Compiling scientific journal research on the effects of climate change in the Northern Rockies.
- Writing fact sheets on the effects of climate change in the Northern Rockies.
2003-2005: Leibig, Moseley, & Bennett. P.C.
- Partner, Alexandria, Virginia.
- Practiced criminal law in Federal and Virginia State Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Courts, including Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax County, and
Eastern District Federal Court, Alexandria Division.
- Litigated cases including attempted murder, drug possession, robbery, burglary, DWI, larceny, credit
card theft and fraud, forgery, RICO, eluding, assault, domestic assault, malicious wounding,
juvenile offenders, conspiracy, auto theft, fugitive from justice, and others.
- Researched, wrote, and argued pre-trial, post-trial, and suppression motions.
- Handled probation violation and sentencing hearings including arranging placement of clients in
treatment facilities for mental health, alcohol, and drugs.
2000-2003: Fairfax Virginia Public Defenders Office
- Assistant Public Defender - Attorney II, Fairfax,
Virginia.
- Practiced criminal law in Fairfax Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Courts.
- Litigated cases including murder, carnal knowledge, sexual assault, assault, domestic assault, larceny,
burglary, robbery, DWI, credit card theft and fraud, forgery, drug possession, malicious wounding, fugitive
from justice, and others.
- Researched, wrote, and argued appeals to the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Virginia Supreme
Court.
- Handled probation violation and sentencing hearings including arranging placement of clients in
treatment facilities for mental health, alcohol, and drugs.
- Researched, wrote, and argued pre-trial, post-trial, and suppression motions.
- Participated in the hiring process of new attorneys to the office.
Summer, 1999: Washington DC Federal Public Defenders Office
- Intern, Washington, District of
Columbia.
- Researched and wrote memos on criminal defense legal issues.
- Interviewed witnesses and defendants.
- Assisted in argument preparation.
Summer, 1999: Washington DC Public Defender Service
- Intern, Washington, District of Columbia
- Same as above.
Summer, 1998: Alexandria Virginia Public Defenders Office
- Intern, Alexandria, Virginia.
- Same as above.
1996-1997: American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland
- Volunteer, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Interviewed potential clients and assessed cases for potential civil rights litigation.
- Researched death penalty issues in Maryland.
1995-1996: Bacharach Rasin Lacrosse Sporting Goods
- Manager, Catalog Div, Towson, Maryland.
- Managed the catalogue division, including all catalogue sales, shipping, and nine employees.
1994-1995 - Charles H. Hickey School, Juvenile Penitentiary -
Intern, Towson, Maryland
- Managed Juvenile inmate case files
- Tutored struggling students.
Summer, 1993: Earthwatch
- Intern, Canary Islands, Spain.
- Member of a research team that collected data on Parrot Fish population, a major indicator of the impact
of tourism on the area.
Summer, 1991: Pacific Whale Foundation of Hawaii
- Intern, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.
- Member of a research team that collected data on the location, environment, population, behavior,
community, communication, and the impact of tourism on Humpback Whales.
Spring, 1991: Earthwatch
- Intern, Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Assisted in behavioral data collection on Bottlenose Dolphins in captivity as part of a research team
directed by Dr. Lewis M. Herman at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory through the University
of Hawaii at Manoa.
Fall-Winter, 1990: Pacific Whale Foundation of Australia
- Intern, Harvey Bay, Australia.
- Member of a research team that collected data on location, environment, population, behavior,
community, communication, and the impact of tourism on Humpback Whales.
- Conducted public education programs on the behavior, tourism impact, and community of Humpback
Whales in Australia.
EDUCATION
2006-2008: Montana State University,
Bozeman, Montana.
- Non-Degree graduate student.
- Coursework: Aquatic field ecology, limnology, restoration ecology, watershed hydrology, water
resources, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems, trout stream ecology, and impacts of tourism on the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem.
2005-2009The George Washington University,
: Washington, District of Columbia.
- Degree-Masters of Arts in Environmental and Resource Policy.
- Thesis topic: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on the Sufficiency of Current National Wetland Protection.
- All required coursework completed: Thesis in progress.
- Coursework: Environmental economics, wetlands ecology, resources and the environment, and
environmental and resource policy.
1997-2000: Washington and Lee University School of Law
, Lexington, Virginia.
- Degree - Juris Doctorate
- 1998-2000: Member of the Virginia Capital Case Clearing House clinic. Assisted attorneys in the
community in defending capital cases, writing motions, and researching arguments.
- Authored and published "Proportionality Review: The Historical Application and Deficiencies" in the
Capital Defense Journal, Volume 12, Number 1.
- Competed in the school negotiations competition, placed second advanced to regional competition.
- Represented Washington and Lee Law School in the Regional Negotiations Competition, placed
third in the region. Advanced to the National Negotiations Competition.
- Represented Washington and Lee Law School in the National Negotiations Competition.
1991-1995: Goucher College
, Towson, Maryland.
- Degree - Bachelors of Arts; Major Philosophy.
- Internship at the Charles H. Hickey School, Juvenile Penitentiary. Case manager and
- Four years Varsity Lacrosse.
- Two years Varsity Soccer.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/AWARDS
May, 2003:
Award: Outstanding and Dedicated Service to the Fairfax Office of the Virginia Public
Defender.
Summer, 2002:
Participated in a bike ride to support AIDS research and AIDS vaccine research. Bicycled
from Amsterdam, Holland to Paris, France and raised over $5000.00.
Summer, 2001:
Published photograph on the back cover of the 2001 Bittersweet Manics Album.
Fall, 1997:
Award: Jack Levin Volunteer Service Award: American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland.
Fall, 1996:
Organized a youth vote concert in Baltimore, Maryland.
INTERESTS
Skiing, hiking, climbing, ice climbing, camping, biking, SCUBA diving, kayaking, surfing, bird and
wildlife watching, traveling, reading, yoga, cooking, and time with my dogs.