Ethics Ordinance Approved by MWRD Board

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 21, 2021

The meeting was to begin at 10:30 but was delayed for 15 minutes due to Com. McGowan’s having technical issues with her zoom software’s ability to mute and unmute.  The meeting began in earnest shortly before 11 am.  

Public Comment

• Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council, was the only public comment speaker.  Her comments addressed the Ethics ordinance that MWRD has been working on for almost a year.  She worried that $150 lobbying fees were still quite high for non-profit organizations like the Friends of the Chicago River to afford.  She pointed out that technical assistance offered to the MWRD should not be considered “lobbying”, and she worried that legal requests to the MWRD would now be considered “lobbying”.  She indicated that other Cook County governments have a more streamlined lobbying definition.

Board Discussion/Action
Commissioners asked for a number of items to be discussed, but in the end, there were three significant discussions:

• Item 34-21-0081 was singled out by Debra Shore for discussion.  This contract had to do with drop shafts for TARP (Tunnel and Reservoir Plan) control in prairie restoration areas.   According to an environmental group doing restoration work there was heavy damage from gravel surges out of the drop shafts that damaged deer control fences and prairie plantings.  Com. Shore requested closer supervision from MWRD personnel for remediation by the contractor.  She also requested that plainer English be used so that the public understands what a “hydraulic transient surge event” might mean.  Habitat restoration is important and she requested the contract increase be deferred until staff could investigate.  Unanimous approval to defer.
• ​Item 39-21-0037:   Authority was being sought once again to lease 21+ acres of Cal-Sag Channel Parcel in Alsip to be used to construct a parking lot for semi-trucks.  (This item had been deferred from January 7 meeting.)    Coms. Shore, Davis, and Sepulveda had singled out this item for discussion.  The concern from Com. Shore was why in this time of climate change would the MWRD consider a 39 year lease for a diesel truck parking lot.  Instead, she suggested that the MWRD should either seek a shorter lease or plan ahead for a better use regarding land for future climate change.  Coms. Morita, Davis, and Sepulveda agreed that long term strategic planning was important in dealing with future climate change.  Diesel truck traffic pollution is often located in areas where issues of environmental justice have long existed, like Alsip.  Com. McGowan strongly urged that this was a local issue for Alsip to deal with, to decide what kinds of business they would allow, and what kind of environmental rules they would institute.   Com. Garcia suggested that there needed to be a study session and the issue needed to be viewed as part of the MWRD strategic plan.  The item was deferred to be discussed in a study session, unanimously. 
• The third discussion was about the ethics ordinance, Item 48-021-002.  Inspector General Blanchard reminded the board of commissioners that the State of IL required a lobbying fee even for non-profits.  Blanchard told them it would be easy to automatically remind lobbying groups that they needed to update their monthly reports and pay fees.  It can be made user-friendly so as to allay fears of penalties imposed for forgetting to report contact.  This was a fear brought up during public comment.  The ordinance was finally passed by unanimous consent.  Commissioners agreed to revisit the ordinance as necessary to make it friendly to the public.
• Frank Avila, a retired MWRD commissioner, was appointed as a trustee to the MWRD retirement fund.

Amy Little, Observer