Chicago City Wire

City of Wheaton Environmental Improvement Commission met Oct. 24.

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

I. Call to Order: Chairman Ted Witte called the meeting to order at 7:30.

Present were Susan Bachraty, Cathy Coleman, Brian Matone, Kay McKeen, Tony Pope, David Popham, Stephen Siemer, Allison Torrence, Jim Wozniak, and Bob Young. Absent were Nancy Flynn and Seema Wadia.

II. Approval of Minutes:

Bob moved that the minutes from the September meeting be approved. Tony seconded. The minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.

III. Budget Report:

Bob reported that expenditures to date equal $26,377.70, leaving a negative balance of $877.70. This is misleading, because sales of plants leftover from the native plant sate were not added in.

IV. Public Comment: NONE

V. Reports:

1. Adopt a Highway: Nancy emailed that she, her husband Brent, Susan, Nancy Allured, Bob, Brian, and Seema did EIC's fourth clean up of the year on September 30. They collected 7 bags of garbage.

2. Electronics Recycling (October U): Tony reported that he, David, Brian, volunteers, Jim Truesdale, and high school students Brooks Connelly and Elleson Connelly from St. Francis High School, Mia Little and Ava DiGiulio from Wheaton North High School, and seven workers from E Works handled a steady stream of participants in the rain. The usual amount of etectronic, textiles, clothing, shoes, and scrap metal was collected. Approximately 200 fluorescent bulbs and 5 gallons of cooking oil were recycted.

VI. Upcoming Projects:

1. Electronics Recycling (November 11 ): Bob and Tony will be crew chiefs.

VII. Untinished Business:

1. Leaf Blower Noise Issue: Susan prepared a memo on behalf of the EIC which was sent to Andrea to be included in City Council packets for review by the Mayor and City Council.

2. No Mow Mothers Day/May: no report

3. Single use plastic bags: Stephen had prepared a memo to be discussed. He added that only 10% of plastic bags are recycled. In places where a fee has been instituted for single use bags, they have seen a 60-70% reduction in use within two years. The memo was approved by the EIC and is ready to be sent for inclusion in the City Council packets for review by the Mayor and City Council. The Chair will forward to the City Clerk.

4. Business Composting: Funds for a pilot program were included in our 2024 annual report. Pending approval, the EIC will prepare a plan. Kay suggested a plan that uses 5 gallon buckets with tight lids for restaurants and a larger container for florist shops. Volunteer participants and their staffs would receive training, food scraps or plant waste would be weighed for a period of time to determine collection needs, and a hauler would eventually need to be selected. The plan would have full containers being exchanged for clean ones probably every few days or weekly. For the pilot, careful evaluation and recording of what and how much is being discarded would be necessary for success.

5. Light Pollution—Energysavings: tabled

6. Bio-swales/Rain Gardens/Composting—PublicAwareness: no response yet on Kay's offer to do staff training

7. Erosion Control Blankets: tabled

8. Scented Dryer Sheets and Pollinators: tabled

9. Pumpkin Smash (November 4, 2023): Kay reported that there are 91 locations in lllinois this year. 

10. Pick Up 5 Day: Kay has been working to get this to be a county-wide event. Warrenville did a successfut event.

11. Annual Recycling Extravaganza (April 13, 2024): Kay reported that the DuPage County Fairgrounds; three shredding trucks; the DuPage County Sheriff for medicine, sharps, and syringes; E-Works for electronics, scrap metal, and textiles are all set.

VIII. New Business:

1. Funding for EIC Events: Cathy moved that we allocate $100 for food and supplies for the reception for Sustainability Award winners. Kay seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 

2. Cosley Zoo Parking Lot expansion discussion: Allison will write a memo to the City Council that eight people attended our September meeting with many environmental concerns about the proposed parking lot.

3. Sustainability Awards: The nominations were presented with identifying information redacted, and winners in the adult, student, organization, and business categories were chosen and will be forwarded to city staff.

4. Trees and Arbor Day: Kay proposed that next month we discuss ways to increase the number of trees in Wheaton in light of the huge numbers of recent forest fires and the resulting toss of oxygen and lowering of air quality.

IX. Adj'ournment:

Cathy moved that the meeta'ng be adjourned. Tony seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55.

https://www.wheaton.il.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10242023-2405