Stormwater Management Projects Lead MWRD Agenda Items

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
June 1, 2023

Authority to enter into thirteen [13] intergovernmental agreements with local communities for flood control was approved at this board meeting ranging in cost from $207,000 to $1 million dollars.  An additional two were approved including:  
(a)  Authority to negotiation agreements to assist various local municipalities with the condition assessment and the rehabilitation of sanitary sewers; and
(b) Authority to negotiate with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for a multi-benefit Flood Control Project located between the village of Glenwood and the Village of Ford Heights.

In addition, eight (8) Furnish and Deliver contracts were approved two of which included Affirmation Action goals. Until the December 2022 update of the District's Affirmation Action Plan (AAP), Furnish and Deliver contracts were excluded from AAP goals.

With the exception of Item #24-0526 for landscape work which was deleted by the Executive Director without discussion, all agenda items were approved including the three items that were deferred at the May 18, 2023 meeting.  Several new items include:

• #9 23-0520.  Authorization to almost double the cost estimate for a project at the Stickney Plant prompted Commissioner Garcia to ask how many other government agencies include cost estimates in their bidding process.  Staff said only Chicago, and it is anticipating a discussion at the upcoming Procurement Study Session as Staff would like to start excluding a cost estimate in  RFPs. 
• #13 23-0459.  A purchase order and agreement with Deloitte prompted Garcia to repeat a request made in May that staff send a letter to contractors outlining the District’s new bidding policy.  This is one of the items that was deferred at the May 18 board meeting.  The goal is to allow for more bidders to qualify thru cross-certification with other government bodies such as the city and county.
• #15 23-0475. A purchase order and agreement with Princeton University for greenhouse gas monitoring and quantification at the MWRD facilities.  This item had also been deferred in May.
• #33 23-0555.  Authority to enter into a 50-year lease with the Chicago Board of Education for the nominal fee of $10, for the use of District real estate to include the development of a new soccer field for Northside College Preparatory High School.  Commissioner Davis requested that the staff extend its best effort to include a condition that the artificial turf used for the soccer field does not contact PFAS chemicals. 

No Exec. Session                     Absent:  Commissioner Sepulveda

Observer: Diane Edmundson