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MWRD Finalizes 2022 Budget at $1.294 B, a 7.4% Increase Over Adjusted 2021 Budget

12/20/2021

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 16, 2021

Budget:

The Board amended the Adopted 2022 Budget that had been approved on December 9 by increasing the Corporate Fund by $834,900. Much of this increase is due to an increase in the Maintenance & Operations budget to accommodate the carry forward of a building services contract and to cover higher planned costs for parts and chemicals.
In addition, the Capital Improvements Bond Fund was increased by $65 M from the 2022 Adopted Budget, due to changes in the schedules for several capital projects.
With these changes, the 2022 Budget is final at $1.294 B. (Agenda Item 1, File #21-1219)
The Tax Rate for 2022 is $0.3747 per $100 of Equalized Assessed Valuation, unchanged from the 2022 Adopted Budget. This is slightly less than the $0.3765 rate for 2021. However, the total tax levy for 2022 is $678.9 M, a 2.5% increase over 2021.
Also unchanged from the 2022 Adopted Budget is the number of employees at 1,971, an increase of 31 as compared to the 2021 Adjusted Budget.
An amendment which created an Environmental Justice Section reporting to the Executive Director (but which added no costs) passed unanimously. This new Section will be staffed by an Assistant Civil Engineer (a currently vacant position to be transferred from the Engineering Department) and the Human Relations Manager for diversity, equity, and inclusion. This new Section is to coordinate activities outlined in Strategic Goal 5 in conjunction with the Climate Action Plan. (Agenda Item 3, File # 21-1221)
A proposed additional amendment to the budget, which would have had no impact on the totals, was pulled for discussion and later voted down. Under this amendment, $50,000 would have been moved from one line item to provide funding for legal services for the Board of Directors. Commissioners Davis, Garcia, Morita, and Corral Sepulveda voted for the amendment. President Steele, Vice President McGowan, and Commissioners Du Buclet and Spyropoulos voted “no.” Those voting against cited the fact that the MWRD has a Legal Department, and Comm. Du Buclet said she could find no other body that had its own lawyers on staff apart from that government’s legal department. With the 4-4 tie, the motion to approve this amendment failed. (Agenda Item 2, File # 21-1220)
Apart from the discussion of Agenda Item 2 above, there was no other discussion concerning the specifics of the budget.

Other Board Action:

The Board approved, by separate vote but no discussion, an ordinance establishing the right-of-way for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Flood Control Project in the Worth Woods Subdivision in Worth, Illinois. (Agenda Item 12, File # R21-004)
All items on the rest of the agenda were approved, including the item under Stormwater Management, the authority to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with and make a payment to the Village of Willow Springs for the acquisition of a flood-prone property in an amount not to exceed $465,000. (Agenda Item 51, File # 21-1171)

New Business:

Comm. Garcia pointed to the upcoming review of new policies for 2022 concerning Land Use and Environmental Justice, as well as the review of the existing Affirmative Action policy.

Observer: Priscilla Mims

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Land Use Options Topped the Discussion at MWRD Board Meeting

12/17/2021

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 2, 2021

Board Action:

Of the 40 agenda items, six were pulled for discussion: Among them was a request to advertise for contract farming at the Hanover Park plant. The purpose of the farming is to allow for continued disposal of MWRD created biosolids on the land. By planting corn, the nutrients from the biosolids are absorbed, thereby allowing for continued disposal. Cost of contract to the MWRD is estimated at $628.4 thousand. Commissioner Spyropoulos requested a deferral and asked for a report to include the history of the property, how the growing process came about, and what other options including planting tree samplings can be grown. Commissioners’ Garcia and Morita respectively asked for a status report of the biosolid project and a list of other options for this land including cost. (Agenda Item #11 21-1114)
Another land use issue was the request to advertise for bids on a 5-year lease on 3.78+ acres of vacant district property in Forest View. Initial rental bid set at $155,000. This is the 2nd time this request has been on the agenda; and after initially deferring at this meeting, Commissioner McGowan lifted the deferral. The property would be paved over for truck parking because, according to staff, it is not suitable for recreation due to its location. Commissioner Davis said that the Land Use Policies need to be looked at and applied to this type of property. Commissioner Garcia, Chair of the Land Use Committee, noted that 80% of MWRD land is already in conservancy and that the adjacent canal was created for business. He said that the committee and staff are working on a draft of two polities on Land Use and expects there will be a Study Session in January 2022. (Agenda Item #14 21-1135)
After receiving a report of the significant violations of pretreatment standards or other requirements by industrial users, Commissioner Spyropoulos asked if there is a public list of non-compliant businesses and was told that the staff would provide a list. She noted that in 2019 there were 61 on the list and in 2020, 66. The 2021 data should be available by mid-year 2022. The EPA has said that the MWRD needs to be tougher on industrial users who are non-compliant. (Agenda Item #36 21-1106)

Stormwater Management

The Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with and to make payment to the city of Prospect Heights to acquire flood-prone property in an amount not to exceed $376,000. (Agenda Item #40 21-1142)

New Business

Commissioner Davis noted that the last Inspector General’s report noted significant cost overruns. Davis said that the board regularly receives change orders with more than 5% cost overruns and 20% delays. He said he will be monitoring future requests.
The Board approved a motion to authorize Juneteenth as a District Holiday.
The Board also authorized the extension of the sunset provision of the Affirmative Action Ordinance to be moved from December 31, 2021 to June 30, 2022 to accommodate the yet to be received new Disparity Study.

Board Requests

Commissioner DuBuclet requested a list of Media vendors used by the District to advertise.
Commissioner Spyropoulos requested staff provide a memo on the District’s process and violators for the last five years and also include what other agencies are doing in this regard.

After Meeting Public Hearing on the 2022 Budget

Commissioner Davis said that the Budget is a statement of values and asked that a dashboard on budget progress towards climate change goals be created and an Environmental Justice Office be created within the agency. He also asked that the Space to Grow Project be expanded to include the suburbs of which there are 120+ in Cook County. His third request for future budgets is the hiring of an attorney reporting directly to the board.
There was only one public Speaker, Mr. Michael Archie. He said that the board, based on its current trajectory, cannot reach its goal of energy neutrality by 2023. He said the technology is out there to meet it by 2030-35, but the District has to embrace the technology.

Observer: Diane Edmundson

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MWRD Finalizes 2022 Budget at $1.294 B, a 7.4% Increase Over Adjusted 2021 Budget

Land Use Options Topped the Discussion at MWRD Board Meeting

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