MWRD Board Holds Meeting Without Discussion on any Items

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 5, 2024

MWRD President Kari Steele commented that this might have been the shortest Board meeting ever.  For the first time (at least since the League has been observing), none of the Commissioners identified any of the 38 agenda items for discussion at the meeting.  The Commissioners said that all their questions had been answered by the Executive Director prior to the meeting.  All items were passed unanimously, and included:

• An amendment to the User Charge Ordinance which is to recover each user’s proportional share of the operations, maintenance, and replacement costs incurred by the MWRD for the treatment and disposal of sewage, industrial waste, and other wastes generated by the user.  This amendment will be effective January 1, 2025.  (Agenda item 1, #UC24-001)
• A number of purchase orders and awards of contracts.  Several of the low bidders for the contracts were well under the District’s estimate of the expected costs, including Items 21 (#24-1054, 25% lower), 22 (#24-1056, 34% lower), and 24 (24-1058, 14% lower).
• Authority to negotiate and enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Villages of Crestwood and Midlothian for the design, construction, land acquisition, maintenance, operation, and ownership of the Flood Control Project on the Calumet-Sag Tributary C for up to $5.5 M. (Item 38, #24-1099)

During the time for Public Comment a person from the Historical Society of Harvey raised objections to the taking of homes for the proposed flood control project there, which has been the subject of public comments over many recent meetings.

This was newly-elected Commissioner Sharon Waller’s first meeting. The seat formerly held by Mariyanna Spyropoulos, who was elected as Cook County Clerk for the Circuit Court, has not yet been filled by an appointee of the Governor.  All other Commissioners were present except Eira Corral Sepulveda.

Length of meeting:  50 minutes, including a 15-minute Executive Session.

Observer - Priscilla Mims