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Security for Fulton County Farm Site

9/25/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
Thursday, September 18, 2025

Board Action:

Item #20, 25-0689 accepted a contract for D & S Private Detective, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $259,999.80 to provide security for Fulton County Prairie Plan site. This site was a strip mine that is now being used to store bio-solids and also for research on phosphorus use. Tours are available for the public to see this site.
Item #22, 25-0693 promotes a 401(a) plan as an investment plan for employees to help with their pension.

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items

Item #19, 25-0679 for a flood control project on Central Road was deleted.

New Business

Discussion and promotion for the conference WEF Tech that is coming to the McCormick Center. The Water Environment Federation Conference will have people from around the world attend and discuss the future of water and it’s use in our lives. This conference goes from 9/27 to 10/1.
Staff were commended on their drafting HB 2391 to harmonize MWRD’s authority for water reuse with the Illinois EPA.

All Commissioners in Attendance. No Executive Session Meeting Time: 50 minutes

Observer: Peggy Kell

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MWRD Thanked for Helping to Make the Chicago River Clean Enough for Swimming

9/12/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
August 14, 2025

In opening public comments, Tessa Murray of the Friends of the Chicago River announced the first annual Chicago River Open Water Swim, slated for September 21, and sponsored by the Friends. She thanked the Board for the vision and investment of the MWRD for making the river clean enough for human contact, saying even a decade ago such an event would have been unthinkable at a time when people considered the River an extension of the sewer system. She credited new EPA water quality standards enacted in 2018 and the MWRD’s compliance as instrumental in creating conditions allowing the first Chicago River swimming event in more than a century. She said access to swimmable rivers enhances recreation opportunities for all urban residents. In addition to swimming, the cleaner river now boasts 77 different species of fish.

Agenda Items Discussed

Commissioner Davis pulled agenda item 2. 25-0631 asking for a roll call vote and saying he intended to vote no on a motion to hire David Ormsby, Inc as public relations consultant for an additional year at a cost not to exceed $48,000. In discussion Commissioner Davis and Commissioner Waller said they thought the District would benefit from someone with different skills in this position. Commissioner Flynn countered, saying the firm was qualified. The motion passed, with Davis the only Commissioner to vote no.
Commissioner Davis also pulled agenda item 14. 25-0621 which authorized paying annual membership dues of $35,000 to the Chicago Area Waterways Chloride Workgroup. The Commissioner understood this was to be a temporary working group, and asked when it’s work, and the need for dues, would end. Staff explained the importance of the MWRD’s lead working with municipalities reducing salt impacts on waterways, and acting Executive Director Murray said he expected to group to continue indefinitely. The item was returned to the agenda and approved.
Commissioner Garcia pulled item 39. 25-647-11, a $1.2 million dollar boiler service contract without discussion, and asked for its deferral. The deferral passed in a roll call vote.

Items approved without discussion:
Stormwater Management

Item 17. 25-0590 The Board agreed to seek bids to purchase Rain Barrels at an estimated cost of $450,000.
Item 40. 25-0578 The Board awarded a $2.2 million contract to construct a Green Schoolyard Pilot project at Burnham Elementary School to Foundation Mechanics LLC and other partners. The project, which combines stormwater management with a new playground in Burham, was approved to go out for bid at the October 17, 2024 Board meeting.
Item 18. 25-0593 The Board agreed to seek bids to rehabilitate the Upper Des Plaines Intercepting Sewer at a cost between $16.1 and 19.5 million dollars.

Pollution Control-Phosphorus Removal

Item 48. 25-0609 The Board agreed to increase the amount of a previously contract award to IHC Construction Companies LLC to modify phosphorus removal equipment at Battery D of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, to $15.5 million from the previous $15.4 million; an increase of $117,170,72.

New Business

President Steele announced three ribbon-cutting events celebrating MWRD project completions, including a dam removal at Salt Creek in DuPage County; completion of a new levy providing flood relief to 29 structures in Glenwood; and green alley stormwater management projects in Markham.

Observer: Laurie Morse No Executive Session Held All 9 commissioners in attendance

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Security for Fulton County Farm Site

MWRD Thanked for Helping to Make the Chicago River Clean Enough for Swimming

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