Kane County Energy and Environmental Committee met June 16

By Philip Gonzales

Aug 17, 2023

Kane County Energy and Environmental Committee met June 16.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call To Order

Madam Chair Bates called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM.

PRESENT Board Member Mavis Bates

Board Member Bill Tarver

Board Member Chris Kious

Board Member Bill Roth

Board Member David Young

REMOTE Board Member Cherryl Strathmann

ABSENT Board Member Deborah Allan

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Vern Tepe

Also present: Bd. Member Gumz* & Lewis; Envir. Res. Coord. Klee; Rec. Res. Coord. Ryan; Dev. Exec. Planner Miller; Envir. & Wtr. Res. Dir. Wollnik; FP Exec. Dir. Haberthur; ITD Peters; and members of the press & public.

2. Roll Call

Discussion ensued regarding meeting attendance protocol.

3. Approval of Minutes: May 12, 2023

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Chris Kious

4. Public Comment

None.

5. Environmental (J.Wollnik)

A. Presentation: ISWS Water Supply Study Update

Envir. & Wtr. Res. Dir. Wollnik provided updates on the ongoing three-part groundwater study with Illinois State Water Survey. She noted that this project is funded by ARPA. She stated that the assessment of shallow groundwater sustainability will run through December 2025. A real-time monitoring network will eventually be available to all municipalities and citizens via the Kane County website. The third assessment of shallow groundwater quality will be done in the Fall of 2023. She mentioned that the shallow groundwater sustainability assessment is currently in the first phase and will retrieve background water quality data from municipalities, which will be gathered for accurate modeling efforts. The second assessment phase will estimate sustainability supply at a municipal level and evaluate any contamination. She detailed the process and history of groundwater modeling. She stated that fifteen well sites will be the focus of the upcoming monitoring network along the Fox River. Information collected from this monitoring network will provide insight into what happens during droughts and withdrawals over time. The third part of this study will identify contaminants of concern in the shallow aquifer systems and if any remedies are required. Discussion ensued.

6. Recycling/Solid Waste (C. Ryan)

A. Single Use Bags: Review of State Regulatory Approaches

Rec. Res. Coord. Ryan provided a presentation that detailed the issue of single-use plastic bag recycling. She presented data on how local municipalities are tackling this issue and how a solution may be applied to Kane County. She explained that only 10% of single-use plastic bags are recycled, which adds to landfills. She spoke on legislation that aims to regulate and/or ban the use of plastic bags across the nation. She highlighted a study in which fees were utilized as a deterrent from using single-use bags. This study found that disposable bag use had dropped precipitously. She inquired on whether or not the Committee sees any value of a future state single-use bag regulation. Much discussion ensued.

7. Sustainability (I. Klee)

A. Sustainability Memo

Envir. & Wtr. Res. Dir. Wollnik announced that Envir. Res. Coord. Klee has accepted a new position with the Federal Government and will be leaving Kane County at the end of June 2023. Wollnik detailed the position and requested to move forward with applicants to take over Klee's role. Discussion ensued regarding the process of adjusting the environmental department budget.

Madam Chair Bates requested consensus to raise the salary range of the position. Additional discussion ensued regarding the reasons for the large salary range.

B. Sustainability Program Updates - June

Envir. Res. Coord. Klee provided updates on the Judicial Center solar project. She presented progress photos on the electrical work being done, as well as the upcoming panel installation. She spoke on the success of the recent Office Supply SWAPapalooza and the necessity of this campus event. She noted that the Climate Action Implementation meeting had over 45 individuals in attendance. She expressed confidence in its future success. Discussion ensued.

Madam Chair Bates provided a slide show of local trees.

Committee member Young spoke on solar panels being installed near his house and the difficulty with recycling silica, which is a main solar panel component. Rec. Res. Coord. Ryan stated that she would research the matter and return with more information for the July 2023 Energy & Environmental Committee meeting. A. Urban Forest Management Plan and a Tree Preservation Ordinance Consensus

Dev. Exec. Planner Miller presented a procedure to develop an urban forest management plan, which would determine a funding source to hire a consultant that would implement a Kane County tree preservation program. She spoke on various grant applications that can be completed to cover these costs. She requested consensus to initiate this process. The Committee provided consensus.

FP Exec. Dir. Haberthur reiterated Miller's explanation. He provided the history of losing trees and tree species in Kane County. He spoke on research that has been done regarding the preservation of local trees through the Forest Preserve.

9. Chairs Comments

None.

10. Reports Placed On File

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Chris Kious

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Bill Roth

SECONDER: Chris Kious

11. Executive Session (if needed)

None.

12. Adjournment

This meeting was adjourned at 10:24 AM.