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Development Plans for Energy Neutrality Approved at MWRD Board Meeting

2/22/2022

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
February 17, 2022

The Board Meeting started at 10:30 am and was routine with minimal discussion. There was no public comment at either time allotted.

Agenda Items Discussed:

Item # 16, a contact for professional services for developing conceptual plans for energy neutrality at MWRD in the amount of $1.1 million was discussed. It was requested that there be a reporting out to the Board on the timeline for this plan to ensure it happens in a timely manner.
Item # 23 and #24 were discussed. Both these items related to the purchase of fleet cars that were hybrid models. Questions centered on why these purchases weren’t for electric vehicles and how this purchase would effect goals of making fleet all electric. Supply chain issues and scarcity of EV inventory was also discussed.

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items

Item #14, was deleted from the agenda by the Executive Director. It was for the authority to advertise for Professional Engineering Services to Design New Activated Sludge Battery for the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant for a five-year period, with an estimated cost $8,000,000.00.
Item #8, to advertise for a contract for Job Order Contracting Services, with an estimated cost $8,000,000.00, was deleted after some commissioners requested changes be made to the document involving renewal clauses and the possible parceling of the contract so more vendors can be involved.

New Business

Black History Panel Discussion dates were reported for February 24 and 28. Sign up for these virtual events can be done on the MWRD website.

Note: Placement of Executive Session remained unchanged between the Committee of the Whole and the business meeting. There was no executive session at the February 17 meeting.

Observer’s Name: Peggy Kell Length of Meeting: 1 hour 6 minutes

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Tax Levies Abated by the MWRD Board

2/5/2022

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
February 3, 2022

Board Action:

The Board approved an $11.2 reduction of the levy of taxes in the Capitol Improvement Bonds for levy year 2021. With early redemption of outstanding General Obligation Improvement Bonds in advance of their maturity, there was also a tax abatement of $56 million.
Discussion of the procurement process centered on Agenda Item #8, which was the only bid for glassware and chemicals, that was rejected because of an error. The online process of submitting a bid was reviewed along with how vendors are guided through the bidding process. Could better software be used to make the online process easier?
Agenda Item #9 was questioned because the bids were over the estimates. The Executive Director will be coming back with goals that may have influenced these bids.
Agenda Item#28 was discussed because no goals for affirmative action were met because of insufficient transportation to transport sludge. If there are not enough vendors to bid on an item, vendors from Chicago, Cook County, and IDOT are approached to apply. It was suggested that a purge list of contractors/vendors be generated, since many companies may have closed because of the pandemic. This will be done by email and USPS.

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items

Agenda Item #4, Amending the MWRD Ethics Ordinance, and #11, payment for JULIE underground project coordination, were deleted from the agenda by the Executive Director.

Commissioner Requests

Update on Disparity Study
Update on vendor purge process
Process to increase list of approved vendors/contractors

Observer - Peggy Kell

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Development Plans for Energy Neutrality Approved at MWRD Board Meeting

Tax Levies Abated by the MWRD Board

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