MWRD Board Focuses on 2022 Legislative Program

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 6, 2022

Board Action: 
The MWRD Board singled out four items for discussion: 

• the 2022 Legislative Program  
• translation expenses
• IGA with the Village of Glenview.
• the expenses under $9900

All roll call votes passed unanimously.

2022 Legislative Program: (Agenda Item #21-22-0013)

• Commissioner Davis expressed concern with the program on two fronts. 1) Commissioners submitted sixteen items and only one was included; 2) Timing was a problem. Commissioners did not see the memo until hours before the December adjournment. He said he needed assurance that this would change to at least two months to discuss.  Executive Director Perkovich stated that the timeline could be adjusted. 
• Commissioner Spyropoulos expressed a need for more research on pension bonds. President Steele said the Board might need a study session on this topic.
• Commissioner Corral Sepulveda questioned legal aspects of communicating notifications such as late filing fees, expressing confidence in the traditional method of communicating via certified mail rather than email. The Executive Director said that users preferred the electronic opt-in because of its convenience. 
• Office of Independent Inspector General (IIG): Several Commissioners questioned why the MWRD would need to have their own IG when the current partnership with the Cook County IIG was working so smoothly. Mr. Perkovich said using the Cook County IIG is going well, however, the proposed legislation  would allow another option for the MWRD to have their own IIG. The current agreement with Cook County expires this year. President Steele stated that the MWRD initially did not have the authority to establish an IIG, but that they should have the option to do this.
• Several commissioners supported Commissioner Davis’s call for more in depth discussions on the legislative program. They called for regular updates from the MWRD staff in Springfield. Mr. Perkovich committed to these updates. He also stated that the legislative information had been sent out in September.
• Commissioner Sepulveda asked how the Board could be sure that their messaging was consistent when they lobbied representatives in the General Assembly. Mr. O’Connor, the team legislative leader, said he would issue a weekly email to be sure the commissioners were well informed.

Translation Expenses (Agenda Item #18-22-0015)

• Commissioners requested more detailed information on translation increases.
• The Executive Director explained they are expanding dissemination of information to more groups. Currently, information is sent in Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and English.
• Commissioner Garcia commended the outreach and asked staff to expand to Arabic as well

Storm Water Management: 
IGA with the Village of Glenview for flood abatement: (Agenda Item #22-22-0007)

• Commissioner McGowan expressed concern about the MWRD’s reimbursement process, considering that the Village of Glenview does not have its own diversity program.
• The staff reassured her that funds would only be transferred after Glenview had demonstrated compliance. The affirmative action department pays in increments and no funds are disbursed unless the goals are met. Dr. Barry of the diversity department monitors this. 

Deferred or deleted items:  None

New business: 

• The MWRD Board of Commissioners welcomed Chakena D. Perry, the commissioner appointed by Governor Pritzer to fill the vacancy left by Debra Shore. Commissioner Perry was formerly a staff member for Commissioner Morita, a former Deputy Press Secretary for Chicago Public Schools, and one of Chicago Scholars “35 under 35.” She earned a BA in history at Connecticut College and is currently a candidate for an MA in public policy from the Harris School of Policy at the University of Chicago. 

Observer - Georgia Gebhardt