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MWRD Board Bids Adieu To Executive Director Perkovich

3/31/2025

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
March 20, 2025

Resolution lauding retiring Executive Director Brian Perkovich. Commissioners joined in wishing the ED well and thanking him for his 31 years of service at the MWRD.

Board Action:
Commissioner Garcia requested agenda items #21 and #22 be considered together.

The items involved the awarding of a contract to Furnish and Deliver Glass and Plastic Labware, etc.
Commissioner Garcia had many questions about how many vendor bids were received, how long the procurement would take and whether there were participation goals. How many were one-year contracts vs multi-year? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to do multi-year contracts which would increase the amount so that MG goals can be applied?
ED Perkovich was not able to answer these detailed questions at the meeting but said he would respond.
Commissioner Garcia’s requested deferral of both items.
Commissioner Kirkwood stated that asking these questions before the meeting would be better. Commissioner Waller suggested that smaller contracts were good for diversity.
Commissioner Sepulveda stated a need to understand the logic for smaller contracts, asking how do we assess which is better? 25-0225 and 25-0227

Agenda Item #31 gave authority to approve an Amended Agreed Order of Settlement for MWRD v. Electronic Plating Co.

The MWRD Legal Department stated that compliance with the hearing officer ruling is best for the MWRD. Commissioner Davis asked if this would deter future noncompliance and asked what monitoring device would be used to ensure this. Would the monitoring be daily? weekly? Answer: there would be sampling every day
Commissioner Waller expressed wish for deferral and an exploration of a new settlement. She stated that she would be voting no.
Commissioners Flynn and Brady-Davis expressed reservations but would vote yes.
Commissioner Sepulveda chastised the company for violating board orders; MWRD will be increasing penalties in the future.
Counsel for the company stated that his client will comply.
ommissioner Davis stated that this is a lesson that the Board needs to revisit the compliance penalties. Commissioner Kirkwood requested a roll call vote. Aye: 8 Nay: 1. 25-0154

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items:

Deleted by Executive Director: # 19 (25-0201) and #27 (25-0224)
Deferred: Items #21and #22 by Garcia (see above)
#23-0236 by Steele with no discussion. Resolution to award a $14.9 million contract for chemical phosphorus removal in treated water at the O’Brien plant before release into the river.

New Business:

Commissioner Flynn raised issue of industrial hemp as a new cultivar. She proposed that the Board investigate this.

Observer: Georgia Gebhardt Meeting Length - 109 minutes - No Executive Session

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MWRD Board Seeks Information on PFAS-Related Operations

3/17/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting –
March 6, 2025

PFAS Toxins (Bio-solids disposal)
Commissioner Dr. Sharon Waller pulled three items from the consent agenda for public discussion and asked they be considered together. All are linked to the District’s regular disposal of sewage by-products (biosolids) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS are commonly known as “forever chemicals.” The three items were:

Item #17. 25-0118 (deferred from February 20th meeting).
Staff sought authority to pay Synagro Central, LLC (an Agricultural resource company) $3.8 million to remove, transport, distribute and use air dried solid by-products from the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants.
Item #19. 25-0168. In a similar request staff asked for approval to pay Stewart Spreading, Inc. $29.1 million to remove air dried solid by-products from the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants.
Item #18. 25-0166. This item awards $3.8 million to McGill Construction for heavy equipment and operators. The contract includes the use of minority subcontractors. It appears the men and equipment will load the PFAS-affected biosolids into trucks for transport.

During discussion:

Commissioner Waller noted the District produces 150,000 dry tons of biosolids each year and she would like to see the MWRD end current practice of land application of sludge products on farm fields. Her constituents are concerned about this issue. She’d like the agency to adopt a policy to reuse water and solids after treatment. Current practice of selling biosolids for application on farmland meets “evolving” EPA regulations, but change is needed. She requested roll call vote on items 17 and 19.
Commissioner Davis agreed the District needs a solution to the biosolids disposal issue and asked when a Black & Veech engineering report commissioned in July 2024 would be available to the Board. Executive Director Perkovich replied the consulting contract goes through 2026, and that preliminary results might not be available until late 2025. Operations Director John Murray said the Biosolids removal “season” begins in late March and early April, and encouraged the Board to approve the items and allow staff to answer questions later.
Commissioner Corral-Sepulveda said the Board has been waiting for Federal direction on how to proceed with this issue—an EPA mandate. It doesn’t appear that’s coming. The District needs a contingency plan, which is the point of the engineering study. Without information from the study, the Board doesn’t have new options.
President Steele Directed Mr. Perkovich to transmit to the Board a report on the information the District currently has on the solids disposal issue.
After a roll call vote, Items 17 and 19 were passed 8 to 1; Commissioner Waller voted no on each item. Item 18 passed with all commissioners voting yes.

Industrial pollution settlement deferred

Item #25. 25-0154 The MWRD legal department presented the Board with an Amended Agreed Order of Settlement in a case of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago v. Electronic Plating Co.
Commissioner Davis deferred the item, saying the settlement raises concerns voiced at earlier meetings by several commissioners about the District’s penalty process. He noted that Electronic Plating was a chronic offender – 27 violations over a decade. Given the District’s cap on penalties, he suggested circuit court as an effective deterrent.

Executive Director Perkovich to retire April 1

Item #32. 25-0196. The Board approved without discussion a motion to appoint John Murray as Acting Executive Director. There was not a formal announcement, but Commissioners mentioned during the meeting that Mr. Perkovich would retire April 1.

St. Patrick’s Day resolutions and labor recognition:

The morning’s meeting opened with a 16-minute celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and recognition of the Irish heritage of the many labor unions that helped build and maintain the MWRD’s infrastructure.
Vice President Flynn introduced James Coyne, business manager of Plumber’s local 130 and Chair of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Mr. Coyne entertained the Board with the Parade’s history and introduced the 2025 Parade Queen and her court. The celebrants were piped in and out of the meeting by the Shannon Rovers Pipe Band in full regalia. The Board passed 2 Resolutions related to St. Patrick’s Day, and President Steele introduced more than a dozen leaders of various local unions who were in attendance.

Observer: Laurie Morse Meeting length: 2 hours and 23 minutes including executive session.

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MWRD Board President Defers Public Discussion of PFAS-tainted Bio-solids

3/7/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting –
February 20, 2025

PFAS Toxins in sewage byproducts (Bio-solids)

Staff asked the Board for authority to pay Synagro Central, LLC $3.8 million to remove, transport, and use air dried solid by-products of the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants. Commissioner Dr. Sharon Waller pulled the item from the consent agenda for public discussion. #22 25-0118
Board President Kari Steele followed and stated that she was removing Item #22 from the agenda without discussion. President Steele then deferred the item to the March 6 Board meeting.
The Board of Commissioners unanimously sponsored and approved a resolution supporting legislation in the Illinois General Assembly that addresses per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Neither the Board nor the agenda identified the bill the resolution addressed. #6 25-0147

Stormwater Management/Flood Control

The Board approved rights of way required to allow long-planned flood control projects to proceed near the Midlothian Country Club, improving drainage of Cal-Sag Channel area C; and on Prairie Creek in Maine Township at and near Lutheran General Hospital. That right-of-way will facilitate installation of new storm sewers and excavation of a stormwater storage pond. #3 and #4, Ordinances #R25-001 and #R25-002
The Board raised the amount it would pay the Law firm Neal & Leroy by $48,500 to a total of $2.3 million for legal services required to acquire flood-prone properties in six communities within the Addison Creek Channel Improvements project area. #25. 25-0135
The MWRD continues the buy back of flood-prone properties, with the board approving $115,000 to purchase and remove a flood-prone residence in Flossmoor. #35 25-0150

Recreation:

As part of the consent agenda, the Board granted the City of Palos Hills a 16-year easement to construct and operate a bicycle path on District real estate along the north side of the Cal-Sag Channel between Roberts Road and Southwest Highway in Palos Hills, Illinois. #34 25-0135

Other:

Executive Session: Yes. Personnel issues
Commissioners absent: Marcelino Garcia
Meeting length: 2 hours and 40 minutes including executive session

Observer: Laurie Morse

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MWRD Board Bids Adieu To Executive Director Perkovich

MWRD Board Seeks Information on PFAS-Related Operations

MWRD Board President Defers Public Discussion of PFAS-tainted Bio-solids

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