Category: Contracts

MWRD Board Signals Intent to Press Affirmative Action Goals in Intergovernmental Partnerships

4/13/2021

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
April 1, 2021

Board Action
Agenda Items: Commissioners pulled 10 agenda items for discussion. Once discussed, all but item #34 were returned to the agenda and approved.

Administrative:
Executive Director (ED) Brian Perkovich deleted item 32 (21-0300).

This item was the subject of 3 public comments at the start of the meeting. Homeowners in the Ropolo subdivision asked Commissioners to vote in favor of Item 32 and end an annexation agreement between Elk Grove Village and the MWRD that would have allowed the Village to use MWRD land to “take our homes.” The annexation involved about 41 acres of MWRD land near the Majewski Reservoir.
Language in item 32 required the District in future annexation agreements to limit a municipality’s ability to pursue involuntary annexations of private property contiguous to District land.
ED Perkovich deleted the item prior to public comments, apparently because a letter from an attorney representing the homeowners noted item 32 was not sufficient to meet a court order that required both the termination of the annexation agreement and a disconnection of the private properties from the Village.

Affirmative Action Goals

Most of the discussion in this meeting revolved around item 33 (21-0253) with Commissioners asking how MWRD affirmative action goals are enforced in project partnerships. The MWRD often enters into intergovernmental partnerships to complete infrastructure projects.
Item 33 authorized $3 million payment to the Village of Mount Prospect to design, construct, and operate the Aspen Trails’ storm sewer and reservoir project. The Village was unwilling to apply affirmative action goals to the entire project, reportedly because specialized equipment was involved that was difficult to source from minority or women-owned firms.
Commissioner Corral Sepulveda asked staff if the MWRD requires documentation of good faith efforts to apply the goals in these cases. Director of Engineering, Dr. O’Connor, said no.
Commissioner Corral Sepulveda noted the Board was about to receive the 2021 disparity study, and asked staff and fellow Commissioners for suggestions on how the District can strengthen affirmative action goals in its intergovernmental agreements.
Commissioner Garcia agreed hiring goals in partnership agreements should be stronger.
Commissioner McGowan said “We have a lot of these partnerships. I’d like to know who the PCE’s (minority contractors) are who are hired, along with the dollar amount they received. We need to keep up with all of this. It’s quite a lot of money.”
Commissioners requested a memo from staff showing all partners of intergovernmental agreements, with dollar amounts provided by each partner; identifying the contractors and minority contractors hired and how much each were paid. Commissioners want data to give them a sense of what dollars the MWRD, and its partners, are allocating to minority contractors. Executive Director Perkovich agreed to provide the memo.

Stormwater Management

Item 34 (21-0254) was deferred by commissioner Shore to allow staff time to determine if the MWRD’s stormwater watershed management ordinance was more or less stringent than the one in Kane County. Item 34 would have allowed the Village of East Dundee to enforce the Kane County ordinance in portions of Cook County.

Executive Session:

The Board meeting opened at 10:30 am. At 11:45 the meeting was closed for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining agreements. The meeting was reconvened at 12:45 pm.

Observer - Laurie Morse Length of Meeting: 3 hours including a one hour executive session

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MWRD Board Elects 2021 Officers

1/13/2021

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 7, 2021

Board Action:

#1-3- 21-0018-0020 Election of 2021 Board officers: President, Commissioner Steel - Vice President, Commissioner McGowan and Finance Chair, Commissioner Garcia.
#4- 21-0021 Board suspended the Rules of the Board and moved the appointment of the Chair & Vice Chair of standing committees to the next regular board meeting.

The following contracts were withdrawn from the consent agenda for further discussion. Many of the questions centered on resource recovery and on verifying that all green options were being actively pursued.

#21- 21-0030- This contract involved collection, shipment and analysis of water samples at Thornton and McCook reservoirs. Commissioner Spryopoulos questioned why this was not done in-house. Staff said that MWRD does not currently have the special equipment required.
#22- 21-008 - Commissioner Davis pressed to broaden and expand the resource recovery in scavenger service contracts. Traditionally, much of the refuse has gone to landfill. Glass is one product that can be recovered.
#28- 21-0036- The Board granted authority to enter an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of Chicago Ridge for construction of a Permeable Paver-Parking Lot. Commissioner Davis asked how early in the process they could put green infrastructure on the map. Can it be built in at the conceptual stage? Staff agreed that this was possible.

Deferral Of Agenda Item #27- 21-0037

Authority was being sought to lease 21+ acres of Cal-Sag Channel Parcel in Alsip. It would be used to construct a parking lot for semi-trucks. One public comment asked that this not be granted, or at least deferred. Several commissioners questioned whether environmental impact studies had been done. Staff assured them that all tenants are expected to follow requirements. Legal stated that there is no current MWRD need for the property. Commissioners Davis, Sepulveda, Shore and Spryopoulos all urged for deferral. Roll Call vote: Ayes 9 Item deferred.

New Business:

Commissioners made remarks in reference to the January 6 assault on the U. S. Capitol.
Commissioner Shore asked for Board support in two areas: 1) Joining the Strategic Plan working group. 2) Joining the ethics study session where many administrative items need to be completed.
Commissioner Spryopoulos asked staff to look into the Water Resource & Development Act to ascertain what grants the MWRD might be qualified for.

Observer - Georgia Gebhardt Length of Meeting: 110 minutes

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MWRD Board Ramps Up Oversight Responsibilities

10/22/2020

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
October 15, 2020

By deleting one high profile item and deferring two others, Commissioners are increasingly expressing their desire to receive information 2-4 weeks before board meetings on large contracts, ordinance and policy changes, and even some legal settlements. Comm. Davis suggested that committees be used to vet these requests before bringing them to the board. [See “Deleted/Deferred section].

Approved General Agenda Items

20-0876: The staff rejected bids from Odor Control Systems at two Tarp Shafts and the decommissioning of the Thornton Transitional Reservoir because of low bids. This is second time bids were rejected as too low. Staff is worried about the safety risks involved if there is a lot of rain. The staff estimated the costs should be $14.5 to $17.6 million dollars. Commissioner Spyropoulos said she would have more questions before the contract goes out for bid for the third time.
20-0870: The Board approved the District executing an Intergovernmental Agreement to receive $212,000 in Federal Covid-19 funds from the Cook County Bureau of Finance. Commissioners thanked County Government for sharing these relief funds.
20-0845: The Board authorized staff request to advertise for Legal Advisory Services related to the District Financing Program for a period of 5 years at a cost of $235,100. In approving this request, staff noted that a goal of 30% minority and female participation was set and it will hire five legal firms for each bond sale which increases opportunity for minority and female participation. Per Commissioners requests, Staff will include participation goals in the RFP for this and other bond sales.

Deleted/Deferred Items

Deleted: 20-0773 After two previous deferrals, Comm. Garcia asked for the $300,000 contract with Next Generation Technology, Inc. to enhance the District’s new website be rejected. His concern is with the platform Word Press which is not the platform the District is currently using and is not highly regarded by several of the Commissioners. In previous deferrals, Comm. Shore said that she was underwhelmed with New Generation’s presentation. Comm. Garcia wants the new RFP to be tightened to state specifically what the District needs. Staff indicated New Generation’s does have experience with the District’s platform; and in public comments at the end of the meeting, the Director of Business Development for New Generation confirmed that it did and also stated that Word Press is actually newer than the platform currently in use by the District.
Deferred: #41 20-0880 The Legal Department brought to the board a settlement proposal with Peoples Power and Light and Coke Company which included a 50-year easement for continued operation and maintenance of a natural gas pipeline and remediation of District property in Chicago under an IEPA consent decree. The concern is the 50 year easement, and would Peoples stretch out the remediation. Ans: There is no drop dead settlement date for remediation but the company has agreed to clean up the site to Residential vs Commercial level. The District set the rent for 28 acres which is 22.5 more acres than Peoples actually needs at a cost of $500,000 per year. The Legal Staff urged the board to approve this settlement as it has a court date the next week and wanted to bring the settlement to the judge. During the 2nd comment period, the lawyer for Peoples called in and tried to assure the board by saying that if good weather prevails, the remediation will be done by mid-2021. However Comm. Spyropoulos did not withdraw the deferral.
Deferred: #42-20854 [Stormwater Management]. The District requested approval to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of Niles. The agreement is in the amount not to exceed $2M most of which will be paid by the Illinois EPA and is for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the Greenwood Stormwater Park. Comm. Garcia asked for the deferral based on questions about participation goals.

New Business

Comm. Morita requested a comprehensive update regarding the District’s role and goal in collaborations with cities or the state for studies on COVID-19 and wastewater. Comm. Shore requested a memo or briefing to the Board on updates in regards to COVID-19 and fiscal impacts, savings, unexpected costs and employees returning to work.
Comm. Davis thanked President Steele for considering the League of Women Voters of Cook County’s recommendations on modifying its practice on meeting roll-call votes. Effective with this board meeting, individual roll-call votes were only taken on agenda items that were removed for discussion. All non-discussed items were bundled together for a single roll call vote.

Future Items

Comm. Shore gave a brief update on the District’s Strategic Planning Team’s efforts to date including internal and external surveys, wide and comprehensive outreach, and a Stakeholder’s Workshop on October 22. Comm. Garcia is co-chairing the planning team with Comm. Shore.
The 2021 Board Meeting Schedule has been set and posted on the website.

Observer: Diane Edmundson Length of Meeting: 2.5 hours

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MWRD Commissioners ask for a Sharper Contract Bidding Process

10/11/2020

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
October 1, 2020

In general, the commissioners are digging deeper into the way contracts are defined and bidders’ responses screened. Comm. Davis asked the rhetorical question "can we sharpen the process to screen in/out bidders with response components that are incomplete or inaccurate”.

Approved General Agenda Items

20-0799 The staff received commissioner commendations for its efforts to diversify Bond underwriters and for the Districts AAA bond rating.
20-007 Request to amend the Resources Recovery Ordinance to reduce the tipping fee and increase breweries' willingness to sell and haul their waste to the Calumet Plant was approved without comment after being deferred at the September 17, 2020 board meeting. One of the reasons for deferral was the commissioners repeated request that ordinance and policy changes be presented to the board 30 days prior to placing on the formal agenda for a vote.
20-0738 Authority to advertise for a Management Services Contract to perform real time energy reverse actions and advisory services passed after considerable comment. Comm. Shore noted that it has been 10 years since the District adopted the reverse auction process for procurement of electricity. Comm. Shore indicated that she wants a determination made as to how this fits into the District's Climate Action Plan and that it is time for a systematic review of green energy options. It was also noted that the County and the City use a sealed bid process.
20-0821 Authority to advertise for Biogas Combined Heat and Power System contract at a cost of $2 million was approved after discussion. Comm. Spyropoulos asked the Executive Director (ED) to state his level of confidence in this project and then asked for a six month progress report. ED Perkovich stated that he feels "good" about the approach and that it is an example of/for the future.
20-0776 A contract to furnish and deliver salt and calcium chloride for year at various plant sites for sidewalks and driveways was approved. Comm. Spyropoulos asked for a memo on the environmental impact.
20-0787 Approved a contract for television inspection and recording of sewers and manholes at various locations to National Power Rodding Corporation for just under $2.6 million.
20-0790 Approved a contract to install mechanical mixers at the Stickney Water plant in an amount not to exceed $8.7 million plus a 5% allowance for change orders.

Deleted/Deferred Items

Agenda Item # 14-20-0789 Authority to advertise a contract for Farm Management Support Services at a cost of $375,000 was deleted by the ED without comment.
Agenda Item #21 -20-0773 Authority to cut a purchase order with Next Generation Technology for enhancements to the District's new website in the amount of $300,000 was again deferred by Comm. Garcia. This is the contract Comm. Shore said in September that she was underwhelmed by the contractor's presentation. Garcia asked for a second deferral because his questions to the staff were "not answered appropriately"

Future Items

Watch for a new date and time as the afternoon Study Session on non-profit organization's concerns with the implementation of the updated Ethics Ordinance was postponed due to repeated virtual technical difficulties that could not be corrected.
The 2021 budget session is scheduled to start on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 2:00 pm. Topics: Budget and Employment and/or Capital Improvement Items

Observer: Diane Edmundson Length of Meeting: 2.5 hours

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MWRD Board Meetings Continue During Coronavirus Crisis

6/12/2020

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
June 4, 2020

The nine Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Board members participated in an audio/visual board meeting that included input from public speakers via phone hookup.

Agenda Items - The Board approved all consent agenda items. The four below are included here either because of the size of the contract, interest of the Board, or interest of the Observer.

Agenda Item 20-0444 Authorization to amend the agreement with The Gordian Group, Inc., for professional services for the development and implementation of the Job Order Contracting System, for a one-year period, in an amount not to exceed $78,000.00. Commissioner McGowan inquired about the fees concerning this company, and staff answered that the $78,000 is the maximum contracted payout and included the per assignment fee.
Agenda Item 20-0445 Authorization to increase Contract 17-942-11, Job Order Contracting Services, with McDonagh Demolition, Inc., for an additional twelve month period (first term), in an amount not to exceed $4,000,000.00, from $8,000,000.00 to $12,000,000. A Presumptive Ethnicity Summary Report was attached.
Agenda Item 20-0437 Authorization to increase Contract 13-806-2S Television Inspection and Recording of Sewers and Manholes at Various Locations to National Power Rodding in an amount of $180,000.00, from an amount of $1,944,450.00, to an amount not to exceed $2,124,450.00.
Agenda Item 20-0440 Authorization to extend until July 31, 2020, the terms of the collective bargaining agreements between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the unions representing MWRD workers.

Stormwater Management

Agenda Item 20-0446 Authorization to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with and make payment to the Village of Forest Park for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Storm Sewers Connection to Existing Des Plaines River Outfall in Forest Park, SSA (18-IGA-21), in an amount not to exceed $1,955,206.00

Deferred or Deleted Items - None

New Business

Commissioner Avila commented on Covid-19's impact on declining revenues, the need to reduce future expenditures while ensuring the health and safety of employees.
Commissioner Shore commented on MWRD's Covid-19 response in providing essential services without interruption while protecting the health and safety of its employees. Since MWRD's Covid-19 Response Plan will guide the district through the remainder of the crisis, Commissioner Shore requested the Board hold a study session to review this plan and the District’s Return to Work Plan.
President Steele said her office will check with the staff as to their readiness and with the board for their availability.

Commissioner Requests

Commissioner Davis asked for a report on the District’s plans for Bond Issuance, which he said, typically occurs every 3 years. Staff answered that it is currently evaluating two RFP’s for a bond underwriter and a financial advisor.
Commissioner McGowan asked for the total amount paid to the Gordian Group for its services over the last two years. [20-0444].

Observer: Michele Niccolai Meeting length: one hour

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MWRD Board Hosts First Remote Audio Meeting

4/30/2020

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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.

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MWRD Board Signals Intent to Press Affirmative Action Goals in Intergovernmental Partnerships

MWRD Board Elects 2021 Officers

MWRD Board Ramps Up Oversight Responsibilities

MWRD Commissioners ask for a Sharper Contract Bidding Process

MWRD Board Meetings Continue During Coronavirus Crisis

MWRD Board Hosts First Remote Audio Meeting

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