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Light Agenda for Water District Board Results in Short Meeting

4/24/2018

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting - April 19, 2018

What did the Board decide?
Passed consent agenda unanimously. Several items were pulled for additional comment / question:

Commissioner McGowan questioned the need to purchase Plant Information Management Software. Could this have been created in-house? Staff explained that this is an off-the-shelf purchase of standard software. Another commissioner asked if MWRD would be responsible for maintenance of software. Staff answered in affirmative.
President Spyropoulos asked why it was necessary to retain two firms to do legal work connected to Workers Compensation cases. Staff explained that there is a large volume of work and if one of the firms drops out for some reason, the other is there to provide back-up and continuity.
Commissioner Walsh questioned payment to Fox River Water Reclamation District for Anaerobic Digestion Improvements. He has a concern that the MWRD has no oversight function on this project. Staff agreed that this was an issue that needed further investigation. Walsh requested that this item be deferred.
It was explained that Contract 18-617-11 will be for consulting only, with no “wrench work.” This is to ensure there is no infringement on the collective bargaining contract.
President Spyropoulos requested breakdown on the value of the land to be leased to tenant farmers in Fulton County, Illinois.

What else did the Board discuss or refer to committee?

Under New Business, Commissioner Shore highlighted upcoming Earth Day and stressed the important role of the MWRD in guarding the environment. She quoted Rachel Carson (1953) who wrote that “the real wealth of a nation lies in the earth…” We should celebrate Earth Day every day.

Other Comments/Observations

First twenty minutes of the meeting were devoted to resolutions recognizing three different parties and the subsequent photo sessions.

Observer - Georgia Gebhardt

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Water District Board Recognized for Excellence in Accounting and Financial Reporting

4/9/2018

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting - April 5, 2018

What did the Board decide?
There were 46 items on the consent agenda. Highlights include…

Approved entering into a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program Subrecipient Agreement with Cook County for joint funding of flood-relief management projects and storm water management planning studies located in Cook County. Estimated cost to MWRD is $200 million and cost to Cook County of $10 million.
Approved Boeing’s request for reimbursement of $128,960 in property taxes pursuant to a Tax Reimbursement Agreement dated 9/6/01.
Issued purchase order to Black & Veatch for flood control project on Deer Creek not to exceed $647,745.72.
Issued purchase order to Nu-Recycling Technology for automatic misting and odor control systems at the Stickney and Calumet Water Reclamation Plants not to exceed $433,500.

Unexpected Votes, Events, Testimony or Items to Watch for in the Future

During the public comment portion, 2 members of the West End Area Plumbing Task Force expressed concern that adequate meeting notices regarding the pumping station for the Morton Grove-Niles Water Commission at 2525 Church Street in Evanston were not provided. They wanted the work stopped. William Balling, Supt. Morton Grove-Niles Water Commission (MGNWC), responded to the citizens’ concerns, noting that the work is fully contracted and did not start until the project was fully approved. He answered numerous questions from Commissioners Shore, Steele, Avila, and Durkan. The public comment on this topic, including the Q&A session, lasted about 25-30 minutes. In the end, MGNWC was encouraged to continue the dialogue with the citizens to address their noise and other concerns. After this exchange, Mr. Blakemore spoke up and suggested the decision on where to locate the pumping station was an environmental justice issue. This article summarizes the concerns mentioned.

Other Comments or Observations

MWRD staff were recognized for accounting and financial reporting excellence by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) in the form of several awards.

Observer - Peggy Pissarreck Meeting Length 1 hr 45 minutes

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Light Agenda for Water District Board Results in Short Meeting

Water District Board Recognized for Excellence in Accounting and Financial Reporting

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