Commissioners Emphasize Community Engagement

Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board (MWRD) Meeting - December 3, 2020

All 8 current Board members in attendance. Eira L. Corral Sepulveda will be sworn in as the 9th Commissioner at the MWRD’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 1 pm.

A common theme running through all the discussions of designated items was the importance of engaging the communities involved.  In some cases, the Commissioners verified that the communities had been involved prior to approving items.  In other cases, the Commissioners encouraged the staff to be sure the communities knew what was being done for them by the MWRD.

All items on the agenda were approved unanimously.  Following are some of the items discussed:

Stormwater Management:

• Item 33, 20-1079:  Authorization to negotiate intergovernmental agreements to assist with green infrastructure projects.  This is a revised version of Item 53, 20-1022, which was deleted from the Nov. 19 meeting agenda and was the focus of the Observer Report for that meeting.  In contrast to the Nov. 19 meeting, there was no discussion about what communities within the MWRD’s stormwater management area were contacted and asked to submit proposals.  In fact, the list of projects that were approved is identical to what was on the Nov. 19 agenda:  14 municipal projects plus 2 with the Cook County Forest Preserve District.  The only difference is in the description in the cover memo of what will be included in the agreement.  The agreements will require that the MWRD’s participation goals for Minority-owned Business Enterprises, Women-owned Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises, and Veteran-owned Business Enterprises be met for that portion of the project funded by the MWRD and will encourage that such goals be applied to the entire project.  Comm. Garcia said how pleased he was with the redrafted cover submission, but asked that these agreements also require the entities to purchase any needed bio-solids from the MWRD.  Once each agreement is negotiated, it will come before the Board for approval.
• Item 15, 20-1068:  Purchase order for professional engineering services for final design of a Flood Control Project in Robbins involving the Midlothian Creek.  This involves both grey infrastructure (that is adding pipes to carry stormwater runoff) and green infrastructure.  Staff assured Comm. Du Blucet that residents had been heavily involved at meetings and helped define the parameters of the project.
• Item 32, 20-1038:  Intergovernmental agreement with DesPlaines for acquisition of flood-prone properties.  Comm. Davis said he’d like to have staff develop a means to determine whether the MWRD’s acquisitions of land, such as this, are as effective as possible, especially taking into account disproportionately affected areas.

Prescription Drug Take-back Program:

• Item 26, 20-1073:  The existing agreement which provides for the Cook County Sheriff to collect excess prescription drugs which have been dropped off in MWRD-sponsored collection boxes, was extended through 2021.  Comm. Shore, who was acknowledged as the key Commissioner who got this program going with the County, said she hoped this would be the last year that the MWRD would be paying for this collection (about $6,000/month).  This is because the County ordinance setting up this program provides for the County to go back to the manufacturer of the drugs to obtain payment, rather than taxpayers who fund the MWRD.  The Sheriff is now able to determine who the manufacturer was.  Comm. Shore said the Sheriff has reported that about 20 to 25% of the drugs collected are opioids.  Collection of all these drugs means that they do not enter the waste water causing harm to living things.  Commissioners complained that when “googled” locations of these collection boxes, the MWRD’s do not come up.  Public Affairs has been trying to rectify for well over a year.  President Steele said she had a contact at Google, and Public Affairs will follow-up with her.

Installation of odor-control equipment at the Stickney Plant

• Item 11, 20-1049:  Purchase order for installation and maintenance.  Comm. Garcia wants to make sure Staff will be informing the communities with whom they previously met that the MWRD is being responsive to their complaints.  President Steele informed the Commissioners that the MWRD has just created a brochure on reporting odors, which is in both English and Spanish, which should be distributed in this area.  Comm. Shore asked that the information be summarized for use in a text message Commissioners and staff could send out, and Comm. Du Blucet mentioned there are a lot of neighborhood groups that could help get the word out.

New Business:

• Executive Director Perkovich gave an updated report on Covid’s impact on MWRD employees:  57 have tested positive, but 30 of these have recovered and returned to work.  Commissioners expressed concern for the workers and wanted to make sure there was ongoing review of the need for PPE, including face shields, and whether more can and should work from home given the current surge of cases in the area.  
• MWRD Annual Meeting:  Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 1 pm.  In addition to the President’s report, the 3 Commissioners who were elected on Nov. 3 for 6-year terms will be sworn in:  present Commissioners Davis and Du Blucet, and new Commissioner Selpuveda.

Length of meeting:  2 hours, 10 minutes (including a 25-minute pause for an Executive Session)
Observer:  Priscilla Mims