MWRD Board Extends Lobbying Contract

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board Meeting - October 6, 2016

President Spyropoulos called the 10:30 meeting to order at 10:50 am, and ended proceedings at noon.  Public Speaker, Mr. George Blakemore, passionately questioned how a one-term MWRD Commissioner (no longer in office) could receive free lifetime health insurance from the district.  No one at the meeting responded to this comment.

​Significant Decisions Made:

• Lobbying Contract: The extension of an existing contract with the lobbying firm of O’Connell & Dempsey LLC for Federal Legislative Consulting Services, was pulled from the Consent Agenda by Commissioner David Walsh to be voted on separately. (Agenda Item 32) This firm specializes in lobbying for municipal water resources agencies in Washington. Commissioner Walsh was joined by Commissioners Debra Shore and Kari Steele in voting against the extension of this contract, while the remaining commissioners, in a voice vote, voted in favor, and the contract was extended. No Commissioner made a comment about the firm or their vote on this issue. The extension increases the current contract amount by $360,000 to a total of $742,800, and extends the contract that is due to end in December through 2017.
• A great many audience members attended this meeting to witness the MWRD’s acceptance of “Great Rivers Chicago, Our Great Rivers” report, which details a vision for the Chicago, Calumet and Des Plaines Rivers.    Agenda Item number 45 commends the visioning report done under the leadership of Josh Eillis of the Metropolitan Planning Council, and commits the MWRD to be an active implementation partner in the visioning. It was approved  by the MWRD Board of Commissioners. 
• The MWRD’s free rain barrel program ends December 31, 2016, and has been more popular than expected.  This legislation increases payment to the rain barrel provider, Greenland Environmental & Recycling Services by $768,450, to an amount not to exceed $2,305,350.  The contract extension will allow the vendor to deliver the free rain barrels in 2017. This contract increase passed as part of the consent agenda vote.
• DuPage River Salt Creek Workshop project: The District’s Egan and Hanover Park water reclamation plants discharge into Salt Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River, respectively.  As a special condition of its NPDES discharge permits, the MWRD has agreed to voluntarily support restoration projects on these targeted water bodies.  In this consent agenda item the Commissioners were asked for authority to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with the DRSW for collaboration on stream restoration projects consistent with previous conversations, including the target of $2 million in funding.  This measure was approved. (Agenda Item #33)
• Personnel:  In the Consent Agenda, the Board of Commissioners approved the permanent appointment of Beverly K. Sanders as Director of Human Resources for the MWRD.  Ms. Sanders had been acting as Director since July, had been Assistant Director since March of 2015, and began her administrative career at the agency in 1998.
• The Board also approved the appointment of John P. Murray as Director of Maintenance and Operations for the MWRD. Mr. Murray until last May had been the MWRD’s senior engineer in charge of stormwater management for the Agency, and in that position had interacted with many Cook County communities and community organizations on issues of flooding and storm water quality.  He has served in his new position as Acting Director for 5 months.  The Board approved this appointment in a roll call vote.

Observer: Laurie Morse