Rain Barrel Program and Subsidies Approved

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
February 18, 2021
​         The meeting was held virtually.  All 9 Commissioners were in attendance.

Agenda Items
Several items were pulled from the Agenda for discussion.  After the discussions, all items were returned to the consent agenda and all passed unanimously.

• Items #9  21-0007, authority to advertise a contract for furnishing, delivering and administration of rain barrels, and #32  21-0103, authority to subsidize the cost of rain barrels provoked questions, comments, and suggestions from all Commissioners.   (Both items had had been deferred from the previous board meeting.)  Commissioner Sepulveda questioned whether the program was meant to be for public education or for storm water management.   Commissioner Shore asked if staff had considered subsidizing other types of installations for capturing storm water, such as water gardens.  Commissioner Spyropoulos was interested in discussing other kinds of price reductions by age or by impact.  Commissioner Davis pointed out that there is urgency to the matter because of the increasingly wet springs this region has recently experienced.   All commissioners  support the rain barrel program and the items were sent back to the Agenda to be passed in its current form with tracking information on distribution and installation to be gathered and available in the 4th quarter this year. 
• Item #21  21-0158, authority to increase purchase order with AT&T for point to point communications:  Commissioner Davis noted that the Board receives frequent requests for AT&T services, and because they see these requests only incrementally they don’t know what the total annual cost is for AT&T, even though it is a “big ticket” item.  Executive Director Perkovich stated that the cost for AT&T services is approximately $2.3m annually.  He further explained that the staff is in the process of negotiating two RFPs with AT&T:  Agenda item #7 for mobile data and cellular communications, which will replace item #22, and #8 for point to point and internet services, which will replace items #21, #23, and #24, all of which authorize increased payments to AT&T.  When the new RFPs go into effect, the Board will see requests for a 3-year period instead of the frequent incremental items like those on today’s Agenda.  Requests for services will be bundled into the RFPs, increasing the District’s leverage in negotiating for possible price reductions; the budget will be stabilized and there will be fewer unplanned costs.  

Stormwater Management

• #29-21-0153    Authority to approve, execute and make payment to the owner of 2001 W. Cermak Rd. in Broadview for permanent and temporary easements in connection with the Addison Creek Channel for $124,370.40.
• #30-21-0154    Authority to pay final just compensation of $1,114 through summary judgement in an eminent domain lawsuit, from the Stormwater Management Fund.
• #33-21-0168    Authority to enter into an intergovernmental agreement and payment not to exceed $165,000 to the Village of Elmwood Park for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Elmwood Park Stormwater Treatment Train [also known as Treatment Practices].

Commissioner Requests (by Agenda Item)

• #21 Commissioners Davis and Spyropoulos requested a  summary report of the services the District utilizes under the AT&T contract and the associated costs to the District.
• #9 Commissioner Shore requested staff look into the possibility of incorporating installation to the furnish and deliver contract in order to ensure the implementation of the District’s rain barrel program as intended by the Consent Decree.  Commissioner DuBuclet requested including community engagement as part of the Strategic Plan.
• #32 Several Board members requested data collection and analysis of the amount of rain captured through the District’s rain barrel program. The analysis should also be used to make the necessary changes to the implementation of the program in the Strategic Plan.  Commissioner Morita requested to see the survey questions before the updated program is posted on the website.  President Steele requested all information used in the past rain barrel program be provided for the new Commissioners.  Commissioner McGowan requested a memo on the past Consent Decree.

Ann Bolan, Observer                                            Length of Meeting:  2 hours, 30 min.