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MWRD Board Focuses On Environmental Justice Policy & Approval Of Legislative Program

1/25/2023

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 19, 2023, 10:30 a.m.

Board Action:

#39-23-0085 The environmental justice policy was strongly supported by the commissioners. Commissioner Davis voiced support for the policy which advances equity and diversity. Commissioner Spyropoulos echoed that support, highlighting it as a “living document” that can adapt to changing times. Commissioners Garcia, DuBuclet and Brown also spoke in favor.
#40-23-0086 The commissioners adopted criteria for leasing district lands. Commissioners complimented Director Perkovich and the staff for their work. Commissioner Garcia stated that the district is more than a waste water treatment facility. It is the second largest property owner in the county. He complimented the Friends of the Chicago River for their work. The district receives $25 million per year in income from its leasing. Commissioner Spyropoulos expressed appreciation for the fact that the policy was broad in scope, allowing for flexibility, while Commissioner Brown approved the policy’s openness to input from municipalities.
#42-23-0091 MWRD Legislative Program for 2023. Commissioner Davis complimented Director Perkovich and his staff on building in adequate time for the board to consider the program. He highlighted the plan to facilitate solar and wind initiative and strongly urged the agency to push for a Department of Diversity (JEDI-Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion). He asked Director Perkovich if the staff was ready to act on the will of the board. Commissioner Steele spoke for the director and assured Commissioner Davis that the staff was prepared to address this issue. Commissioner Spyropoulos expressed support for an equity department and urged that it go beyond the creation of the department to being specific in its goals, authority and method of reporting.
#45-23-0109 The Board accepted the appointments of the chairs and vice chairs for the standing committees as revised. Commissioner Steele stated that these assignments were for a period of two years.

No New Business - No Executive Session

Observer: Georgia Gebhardt

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MWRD Commissioners Elect Board Leaders for 2023-25 Term

1/7/2023

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 5, 2023

MWRD Commissioners elected

Kari K. Steele for another term as President of the Board
Kimberly Neely Du Buclet as Vice President, and
Marcelino Garcia for another term as Finance Chair

They also postponed until the next meeting on January 19 the appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs of the standing Committees.

Other Board Action:

Passed a resolution to acknowledge and review studies regarding disparities affecting Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) people. Currently MENA people are not a protected class under affirmative action or otherwise recognized as a category by the U.S. Census Board. During discussion it came out that the City of Chicago is doing such a study and, once it was finished, the MWRD would review it and consider whether it should take any action to deal with any identified disparities of this group. (Agenda #5, File # 23-0043). One of the public speakers of the Arab American Association on behalf of the MENA Community thanked the MWRD for this resolution.
Passed all other items on the agenda except for one item deferred and the other item deleted as described below.
With regard to one Stormwater Management item (Agenda #35, File # 23-0015), the authority to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Board of Education to install green infrastructure at 24 schools, Comm. Spyropoulos asked where the staff was with creating a similar program for the suburban schools. Executive Director Perkovich stated that the memo was being finished and should be brought to the Board soon.

Item Deferred:

A purchase order for EMS PRISM Compliance Softward License Renewal. Comm. Garcia said he had questions about whether PRISM was the right program to use. He asked for deferral to allow the Executive Director time to provide a memo answering the Commissioner’s questions. (Agenda #17, File # 23-0017)

Item Deleted by the Executive Director:

Purchase orders to enter into agreements with 4 different entities for State Legislative Consulting Services. (Agenda #22, File #23-0038)

Observer: Priscilla Mims

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MWRD Board Approves 2023 Budget

1/7/2023

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 15, 2022

Board Action

The 2023 budget of $1,624 Billion with 1957 FTEs was approved with no discussion. The number of FTEs was a reduction from 1972 FTEs in the 2022 Budget with most of those reductions at the Stickney plant.
Also approved without discussion were amendments to the Sewage and Waste Control Ordinance. The primary changes were to replace the term Standard Methods with US-EPA Approved Methods; and to increase and simplify the Noncompliance Enforcement Charges Table which has not been changed since 2012. (Agenda Item #IW22-001A)
Resolutions calling for the payment of 2023 dues to the U.S. Water Alliance and the Water Research Foundation were approved after twice being deferred by Commissioner Davis over his concern that these two organizations were not being sufficiently pro-active in lobbying for legislation and regulation holding PFAS chemical manufacturers responsible for cleanup and removal. (Agenda Items #22-1190 & 1191). Note: The 3M Corporation recently announced that they will eliminate the production of PFAS chemicals by 2025.

Stormwater Management

Blue Island Washington Street Flood Control purchase order previously approved was rescinded. The staff expects to resubmit with Blue Island and MWRD sharing the costs. #22-1129.
Additionally, ten other inter-government projects were approved without discussion most for either green alley or permeable pavement contracts.
Two end of year reports were accepted: Prioritized Projects covering 2022 and into 2023; Future projects to be considered; and a map showing the locations. #22-1148.

Commissioner Requests

Commissioner Sepulveda asked for a list of projects that were not accepted for consideration under #22-1148.
Commissioner Davis asked that the recent PSAS Board Directions be transmitted to both the U.S. Water Alliance and the Water Research Foundation and the “Polluter Pay Principle” applied to these two and any other Water organization membership that the MWRD has. Commissioner Sepulveda asked for quarterly reports on these requests; a list of MWRD activities on this issue, and a list of the organizations’ activities. She also requested a list of committees with whom our staff is in conversation.
Commissioner Garcia asked if there is an increase in participation goals when change orders increase by significant dollars including those contracts where change orders take them from under to over the $100,000 floor.
Commissioner Garcia asked for a Study Session on Procurement. He listed several issues to explore. The League will monitor this request.
Commissioner Sepulveda attended an EPA meeting on the Robbins water problems and suggested that when projects are considered for water main replacements, the MWRD also look at whether the sewers should be replaced at the same time so as to perhaps qualify for some state and federal monies.

Board Attendees: Davis, DuBuclet, Flynn, Garcia, Pogorzelski, Sepulveda, Steele, Spyropoulos
Absent: Yumeka Brown

Observer: Diane Edmundson Length of Bd meeting: 75 min.

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MWRD Board Focuses On Environmental Justice Policy & Approval Of Legislative Program

MWRD Commissioners Elect Board Leaders for 2023-25 Term

MWRD Board Approves 2023 Budget

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