MWRD Board Hosts First Remote Audio Meeting

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting  
April 16, 2020

Eight of the nine Board members participated in an audio only board meeting that included input from public speakers via phone hookup.

Decisions

• Agenda Item #5, 20-0177 - Authorizing membership dues payment for the 2020 Federal Water Quality Coalition in the amount of $12,500 was voted down. This item was deferred at the March Board meeting by Commissioner Davis. He stated that he remains troubled by the number of dues payments to various organizations - some of which have no obvious benefit to the District. Commissioners Garcia and McGowan voted NO with him and Commissioner Spyropoulos voted Present. J. Morita was absent. With only four YES votes, the expenditure was rejected.
• Agenda Item #8, 20-0205 - Deferred on March 5 by Garcia for authority to amend an engineering project related to the future of Lincoln Yards Project was approved without discussion
• Agenda Item #30, 20-0314 - Commissioner Shore questioned a requested increase in an agreement with a professional engineering services firm to, among other things, do more stakeholder outreach for a flood control project on Midlothian Creek in Robbins, IL. She stated that the previously approved contract included provisions for outreach. Staff said that this is for attending community meetings on the next phase of the work, and the final design is due by December 2020. The expenditure increase was ultimately approved.
• Agenda Item #40, 20-0217 - The reappointment of Jose A. Lopez as Commissioner on the MWRD"s Ethics Commission for a two-year term was approved after being deferred at the March 5, 2020 Board Meeting. There was no discussion.
  
• Agenda Item #45, 20-0285 -The purchase of the last mobile home would then clear the way for the construction of the Addison Creek Channel Improvement Project which is a Stormwater Management project. Friends of the Chicago River asked that staff consider the use of green infrastructure on this project, and Davis supported the Friends comments.

New Business

• Commissioner Davis asked the Exec. Director and staff to provide a summary of the status of getting federal assistance for water infrastructure projects in the next stimulus package. He offered his assistance to obtain a grant, and Commissioner McGowan also asked that the District's lobbyist in DC be included in discussions.
• Commissioner Shore requested that staff look into whether the residue from toxic dust from the demolition of the Crawford Coal plant’s smokestack in Little Village has or will impact MWRD’s treatment plans.  Ex. Director, Perkovich, responded that it is part of the regular monitoring program.
• Commissioner Shore requested a detailed report be given to the Board on operations over the last month and what the potential impact of dealing with Covid-19 accommodations will be on the District's budget due to changes in operations, water flow, etc.

Deleted or Deferred Items

• Agenda Item #42, 20-0279 - Authority to enter into a 25-year lease with the City of Evanston on 16+ acres of District real estate located east of the North Shore Channel between Dempster Street and Main Streets for a nominal fee of $10.00 was deleted by the Executive Director.
  
• Agenda Item #17, 20-9392 - Authority to issue a purchase order and enter into a Contract for a Compensation and Benefits Study with MGT of America Consulting, LLC for $80,224 was deferred by Commissioner Garcia.
  
• Agenda Item 20-0184-Deleted from the March 5 Agenda for a $3,883,400 request to advertise for Scavenger Services was not on the April 16 agenda. However, smaller scavenger contracts were approved.

Commissioner Requests

• For Item #30, McGowan requested the dates of the held meetings and a report on the PCE participation goals as a result of the increase in the contract [$416,614].
  
• Garcia requested that in the future, Board letters or attachments have details on the participation goals as well as any changes to the goals.

Observed by: Diane Edmundson                                       Meeting Length: 1 hr.