MWRD Board Holds 3 Meetings on Dec. 4

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meetings
December 4, 2025

The Board held  

• The Annual Meeting at which President Steele presented her Annual Message which can be found HERE by clicking on the link “President’s Message 2025” (item 25-0893). 
• The regular Board meeting, with information provided below. 
• The public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget for the public to provide any comments, but no one spoke.  

At the regular Board meeting, all items were approved, except for Agenda Items 20, 33, and 34, which were deleted by the Executive Director; and Agenda Items 9 and 32, which were deferred.

• Commissioner Sepulveda requested a second deferment of an authority to advertise a contract to furnish, deliver and install web-based compliance software at an estimated cost of $250,000.  (See the observer report for the November 20 meeting.)  Since this was the second deferment, a vote had to be taken and the deferment was approved. There were no comments or questions about this Item 25-0848 (agenda item #9).
• Commissioner Davis deferred Item 25-0885 (agenda item #32), the proposal to amend and extend the intergovernmental agreement with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office for its prescription drug take-back program at a cost of up to $80,000 for 2026.  Comm. Davis said that he continued to have problems (also raised last year) with using taxpayer money for the take-back program which, now under law, the drug companies are required to pay for.  Comm. Flynn and President Steele both expressed support for the MWRD continuing in the program, with President Steele saying that the MWRD contribution allows for receptacles and drug pick-up in communities where there otherwise would be none.  

Also discussed:

• Authority to advertise a contract to create in Harvey a 23-acre stormwater detention basin to provide flood storage and installation of storm sewer to convey the stormwater to the basin and allow discharge into the Wood Street storm sewer system.  Cost is estimated to be between $11.4 M and $13.8 M.  This project is expected to provide flood reduction for 209 structures. Comm. Davis asked about the annual maintenance costs for these facilities should Harvey not perform its duties to maintain.  Exec. Director Murray said that they would be nominal.  In response to a question from Comm. Sepulveda, Exec. Director Murray said that the MWRD had the sole authority to pick the vendors for the construction, with Harvey playing no role. (Agenda item 10, Item 25-0897)
• Comm. Garcia thanked the Board members who back in 2007 created the Other Postemployment Benefits Fund, which is used to cover the costs of the MWRD providing medical and prescription drug benefits to qualifying employees and their eligible spouses and dependents.  Under the existing policy, $5 M was to be provided to the Fund in 2026.  However, the Fund is above 100% of its funding goal.  So no payment will be made in 2026 and the Policy for the Fund has now been amended to provide that funds will only be deposited in the future to maintain the 100% funding goal.  (Agenda item #1, Item 25-0908)

During public comments, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, a former MWRD Commissioner, presented a resolution from herself and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle congratulating John Murray on his appointment as the MWRD Executive Director.

Length of regular Board meeting:  55 minutes

Observer:  Priscilla Mims