MWRD Commissioners Debate Rain Barrel Program

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting  
February 4, 2021

The meeting was held virtually.  All 9 Commissioners were in attendance.

Board Action:
The following items were passed unanimously without discussion:

• Agenda Item #3 21-0126 and #4 21-0127, resolutions recognizing February as Black History Month and honoring Dr. Elizabeth Lockhart.
• Agenda Item #2 021-001, an ordinance directing the County Clerk to reduce the levy of taxes on Capital Improvement Bonds for the levy year 2020, had been deferred from the January 21 meeting.
• Agenda Item #22 21-0118, authority to award a contract for small streams maintenance in Cook County, Illinois, (in two parts) in amounts  not to exceed $2,800,000.00 and $1,750,000.00, respectively.    
• Agenda Item #23 21-0081, authority to increase a contract for modifications to TARP control structures & drop shafts,  in an amount of $321,566.44, from an amount of $3,226,745.33, to an amount not to exceed $3,548,311.77.  This item also had been  deferred  from the January 21, 2021 meeting.
• All other items on the Consent Agenda were also passed unanimously and without discussion.

Deferred Agenda Items

• Agenda Item #11 21-0007, authority to advertise a contract for furnishing and delivering rain barrels and #28 21-0103, authority to subsidize the cost of rain barrels, prompted questions and  suggestions by several Commissioners.  Ultimately they agreed that they would like to have much more information about how well the program has worked in the past and what changes would make sense and be fair going forward.  Both items were deferred by Comm. McGowan.     
• Agenda Item #15 21-0106, a purchase order to Equipment Depot of Illinois, Inc., to furnish and deliver a new 2021 Mitsubishi electric forklift,  Comm. Garcia questioned whether this equipment was made in the US with American labor.  The item was deferred until Exec. Director Perkovich can make that determination.
• Agenda Item #20 21-0120, authority to issue a purchase order for several kinds of new vehicles.  Comm. Shore asked if it would be possible to lease instead of purchase these gas-powered vehicles in light of the fact that the nation and the MWRD district are moving toward an all-electric fleet.  Comm. Spyropoulos requested an analysis of the MWRD fleet and staff recommendations.  The item was deferred by Comm. Davis pending the delivery that information.   

Ann Bolan - Observer                                                    Length of Meeting:  I hour, 55 min.