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MWRD Board Approves 13 Stormwater Management Projects across the County

5/29/2024

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
May 16, 2024

Board Action:

The Board, with no discussion on the merits, approved all items on the Consent agenda, except for #13 which was withdrawn by the Executive Director (authority to advertise a contract to remove and replace pavement at various locations, Item 24-0396). The items approved included authorizing the staff to negotiate and enter into intergovernmental agreements for 13 projects dealing with stormwater management in different areas across the County: Broadview, Brookfield, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Glenview, Hoffman Estates, Markham, North Riverside, Northlake, Willow Springs, Hillside, Chicago, and the Cook County Forest Preserve District. (Agenda items 47 through 59)
The intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserve District is for land acquisition, concept planning, and preliminary engineering for a flood control project near the confluence of Deer Creek and Third Creek that is expected to provide increased flood protection for Ford Heights, Glenwood, Thornton, South Hollland, Calumet City, and Lansing. Friends of the Chicago River expressed its support for this item during Public Comments. (Item 24-0415)
While not directly related to the merits of the rejection of bids for another proposed flood control project on Midlothian Creek in Robbins, Commissioner Davis did raise questions which he said would further his understanding of the effectiveness of the MWRD’s procurement process. Commissioner Davis asked what factors lead to a determination that a bid is incomplete. The response was failing to properly address diversity requirements, failing to provide signatures, and failure to provide the required bond. (Agenda Item 5.)
The Board then went into Executive Session and took a lunch break before returning to open session to complete the meeting with New Business. Because of the expected length of the break (well over an hour), this Observer left and watched the remaining few minutes via video.

Time of meeting (without break and executive session): 1 hour and 15 minutes

Observer: Priscilla Mims

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MWRD Board Receives Report On Green Infrastructure Partnership Program

5/17/2024

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board of Directors Meeting
May 2, 2024-10:30 a.m.

Board Action:

Agenda #40 (24-0338) The MWRD staff presented a report on the DIA (Disproportionately Impacted Areas) communities that will receive infrastructure assistance.

Commissioner Davis asked about the current criteria for selection. The original criteria list was developed in 2019. Has this criteria been updated? And did commercialization penalize some of the communities?
Staff spokesperson, Dr. O’Connor, assured the commissioners that they are eager to work with them to update the criteria. There are many projects underway on the south side that will slow down the flow to the Thornton reservoir. If communities are not selected (e.g. Cicero), they can still benefit by the Green Schoolyard initiative.
Commissioner Corral-Sepulveda asked E.D. Perkovich about the goals of the program. She urged development of clear measurable goals and noted that developing these requires great expertise. Commissioner Garcia asked for an update that includes what Chicago is doing in this area. He stressed the importance of knowing how other governmental entities are solving these issues.
Final consensus was that the commissioners were pleased with the staff work and were interested in being actively involved in updating the criteria for the infrastructure program.

Agenda #3 (024-005) The Ordinance to give authority to amend the Watershed Management Ordinance-Wetlands Jurisdictional Determination was passed. Ayes: 8 Nays: 0 Ab. 1

PUBLIC COMMENTS:

Friends of the Chicago River spoke in support of agenda #40, the Green Infrastructure Program.
Resource Environmental Solutions spoke for a 3-year extension to the program that identifies stormwater projects.

DELETED ITEMS: Executive Director Perkovich deleted #1, 2 and 27.

#1- Ordinance 024-003- providing the transfer of an amount from the 459 Capital Improvements Bond Revenue Sub-Fund to pay for certain non-Tunnel and Reservoir Plan related expenditures….
#2-024-004-Ordinance providing for the transfer of an amount from the 459 Capital Improvements Bond Revenue Sub-Fund to pay for certain Tunnel and Reservoir Plan related expenditures…
#27-24-0327-Authority to award Contract Landscape Maintenance at Various Service Areas to Lizzette Medina & Company.

Consent agenda (#1-41, except for #1,2,3, 27) was passed unanimously.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: Commissioners met to discuss personnel matters.

Meeting adjourned: 11:55 a.m. on an unanimous vote.

Observer: Georgia Gebhardt

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MWRD Board Approves 13 Stormwater Management Projects across the County

MWRD Board Receives Report On Green Infrastructure Partnership Program

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