Conservation Commission

Village of Brookfield Agenda Conservation Commission Meeting Tuesday, February 24, 2026 @ 6:00 PM Edward Barcal Hall 8820 Brookfield Avenue Brookfield, IL 60513 I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Approval of Minutes 1. Conservation Commission Minutes - Dec. 9, 2025 2. Conservation Commission Minutes - Jan. 27, 2026 IV. Reports 1. Chair 2. Staff Update 3. Trustee Liaison V. Old Business 1. 2026 Sustainability and BCC Planning  Set dates for Meet the Creek, Pumpkin Smash and Electronics Recycling  Tentatively schedule 2026 events and sustainability goals 2. Planning for Village Board sustainability Update and Public Update VI. New Business 1. Workday Planning 2. Planning for Finished Compost/Project NICE VII. Public Comment VIII. Adjournment Page 1 of 6  Village of Brookfield Minutes Conservation Commission Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 @ 6:00 P.M. Edward Barcal Hall 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513 I. Call to Order at 6:16 P.M. II. Roll Call Conservation Commissioners Present: Jennifer Dowd, Iris Overstreet Strupp, Megha Patel, Logan St. John, Conservation Commissioners Absent: Bridget Jakubiak (Chair), Wyatt Widmer, Kevin Leodinh Conservation Trustee Present: Katie Kaluzny Staff Liaison: Robert Uphues Guests: Allen Goodcase, Rebecca Fiala III. Approval of Minutes - Approved IV. Reports Chair: • No report for this meeting. • Meeting with Commissioner St. John, to discuss MWRD Pre-Application workshop for permeable pavers Staff: • A lead service line replacement presentation will be held with Hancock Engineering in January 2026. • Village passed 2026 budget. • Village is substantially ahead of regulatory deadlines for lead water service line replacement • AARP Bike Audit identified north-south routes on Kemman or Prairie Trustee Avenues as priorities Liaison: • Project Nice will be Saturday May 16th • 8th Grade student “Leo” is interested in birds and would like to volunteer for a project. St. John will reach out to him. V. Old Business Final 2025 • Staff Liaison Bob Uphues will notify the Conservation Commission when a Sustainability presentation should be prepared to highlight 2025 accomplishments. and Project • Commissioners to complete 2025 summary spreadsheets and notify Updates Commissioner Dowd once complete. Individuals with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield at 708-485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access may be gained through the police department (East) entrance of the Village Hall. Page 2 of 6  VI. New Business Commissioners discussed potential sustainability goals for 2026 • St. John: Draft a new utility fee to fund stormwater management projects • Uphues: Ask Groot if Pumpkin Smash may replace an e-waste bin • Overstreet Strupp: Homeowners stormwater management panel • St. John: Survey to document residential flooding 2026 Preliminary • Overstreet-Strupp: Promote West Cook Wild Ones July 25th Plant Planning Walk (Sustainability Goals) • Patel: Preliminary engineering for bike lane between Arden Avenue and Creekside Park • Dowd: Promote Recycle Coach and/or offer to help • Patel: Identify next two EV charging station locations for future grants • Patel: Finalize bike rack style guide and site specifications • Dowd: Host a water education event Cub Scout Event • Cub Scouts may potentially volunteer for a sustainability event Planning Workday Scheduling • Deferred VII. Public Comment – Ms. Fiala provided full support of any watershed management projects undertaken by the Village. VIII. Adjournment at 7:30 P.M. Individuals with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield at 708-485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access may be gained through the police department (East) entrance of the Village Hall. Page 3 of 6  Village of Brookfield Minutes Conservation Commission Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 @ 6 P.M. Lower Level Conference Room 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513 I.​ Call to Order at 6:00 P.M. II.​ Roll Call Conservation Commissioners Present: Bridget Jakubiak (Chair), Jennifer Dowd, Megha Patel, Kevin Leodinh, Wyatt Widmer Conservation Commissioner Absent: Logan St. John, Iris Overstreet Strupp Conservation Trustee Present: Katie Kaluzny Staff Liaison: Robert Uphues Guest: None III.​ Approval of Minutes 3 Yes, 2 Abstain Will revote at the next meeting IV.​ Public Comment V.​ Reports Commissioner Overstreet Strupp will have conflicts on Tuesdays for Jan-Mar. Chair: Commission did not adjust future meeting dates. Groot is willing to donate a roll off dumpster for future pumpkin smashes, in addition to the E-Waste event. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Conceptual Project Application (Pre-Application) -​ The Pre-Application was received byCommissioner St. John for stormwater initiatives. -​ Application is due in March -​ Uphues met with Derek Treichel (Hancock Engineering) for collaboration. -​ January 21st meeting with MWRD, Hancock Engineering, Village Engineers (Derek Treichel and Dan O’Malley) discussed specific intersections prone to Staff: flooding, such as Blanchan Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Lincoln Avenue to Washington Avenue. Logan was unable to attend but will continue participation. -​ The team needs data on the property impact of flooding damage. -​ The commission suggested FEMA because of payments to residents on Forest Avenue (per Chairperson Jakuiak), Cleveland Avenue (per Commissioner Dowd) -​ Commissioner Dowd suggests FOIA from FEMA Sustainability Plan -​ Update will likely arrive in Q2 along with Annual Report due in April -​ Stevie suggests filling in the spreadsheet until then. Individuals with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield at 708-485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access may be gained through the police department (East) entrance of the Village Hall. Page 4 of 6  -​ Commissioner Dowd suggests library event to recruit volunteers and then bring to Village Board. -​ Will aim to complete event before April 13 Board Meeting New Parks Director is hired. Cross-Community Climate Collaborative (C4) -​ Noah attended this month’s meeting -​ Commissioner Dowd shares that in C4, Darnell and Widmer gave updates on Trustee community activities. Not much applicable. C4 website will be launching in Liaison: the next couple months. Focus on creating a narrative for each municipality. GreenTown is coming back in 2026 -​ Trustee Kaluzny and Commissioner Dowd may be on the steering committee VI.​ Old Business Sustainability Plan - 2025 Highlights -​ Commissioner St. John conducted an update event with Hancock Engineering at the Brookfield LIbrary in January event 9 attendees -​ Creekside Woods with National Parks Service -​ 2026 effort is figuring out which should be bike accessible (hardscape) vs crushed limestone, else keep it natural -​ Meet The Creek timing and weather is acceptable with less traffic at North Kiwanis -​ Kevin showed beta dashboard for GHG Emissions inventorying to C4, first of all municipalities -​ Green Neighbor Guide Sustainability Plan - 2026 Ideas -​ Green Neighbor Guide -​ No 2026 dates for Duck Race or Art Fair, but the last major Public Works event is September 26. Parents Weekend is September 19th. -​ October 3rd, 2026 is best date. Final 2025 -​ Land: Resilient Land Use Policies to mandate oRdinance for native plants on Sustainabilit redevelopments or new developments for stormwater requirements, greenspace y and requirements Project -​ Lawn Treatment Phase Out UPdates FOR ALL - look at zoning draft 2. Check for all native ordinance. Due tomorrow. -​ Some Trustees had a lot of comments -​ Trustee Kaluzny to figure out timeline for ordinance Draft 2 deadline -​ Jason Phillips is new 2026 liaison for Cycle Brookfield Bike racks: Bob suggested putting all data into one easily digestible place to show Village staff understand PEOPLE WANT THIS and we budgeted this. -​ For Megha to draft a Memo Slow Roll is opportunity to advertise BCC events -​ 6 french market events this summer on Friday nights are good for 0 Waste Events Jeremy wants to GoGreen again, they want to do Native Plants Sale RBHS ECO Club is wanting to start a Compost Program in cafeteria Individuals with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield at 708-485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access may be gained through the police department (East) entrance of the Village Hall. Page 5 of 6  Native Plants for Spring (Wyatt) -​ Project NICE (May 16) Staff meeting decided to pursue ComEd grant funding for lighting ComEd due March, Nicor Mar-May; -​ C4 will send energy related funding -​ Commissioner Leodinh to catch up with volunteer to Commissioner Dowd for funding Posts, hardware is all in the garage waiting to be assembled. We need a location until a date is ready. Signate -​ Chairperson Jakubiak has already identified location. -​ Uphues has emailed PW Director Moore about getting this on track VII.​ New Business Saturday July 25, 2026. 10-12 Native Gardens per tour in Brookfield around Wild Ones Garden 1-5PM. Host will lead the tour, but Wild Ones will provide volunteers to Walk Update direct traffic and general chit-chat with guests. One invitation sent to Barb Cassidy and Bri. Trustee Kaluzny and Commissioner Patel were invited. 2026 Preliminary Planning Cub Master said they wanted to do two fundraisers with Love Food Pantry, Planning for Boy so we will not have volunteers for April. Scout Event 8th graders and 3rd graders February 8 - difficult to haul buckthorn from trail, so will lay branches to Workday Scheduling overhand banks to slow down water erosion. Treat as hydraulic break. -​ Chairperson Jakubiak suggest using sticks to make a wall along path. Cook County EJ Plan We should discuss next month VIII.​ Adjournment at 7:29 P.M. Next meeting on 2/24/2026.​ Individuals with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield at 708-485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access may be gained through the police department (East) entrance of the Village Hall. Page 6 of 6