Sustainability Commission

MEETING MINUTES SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION June 4, 2015 The Sustainability Commission met in Community Conference Room of the Village at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 2015. In attendance were: Present: Don Anderson, Chairman Daniel Dorfman Richard Heller Laurie Leibowitz Michael Shalen Gloria Threats Jerry Witkovsky Brian Wolkenberg Absent: None Also Present: Andrew Lichterman, Assistant to the Village Manager Approval of Minutes Commissioner Shalen motioned and Commissioner Heller seconded to approve the minutes from the April 16, 2015 meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved. Public Comment There was no public comment Energy Assessment Program Commissioner Wolkenberg provided an update on the success of the partnership that was created with Kipling Elementary and District 109. He noted that this is a repeatable model for getting content/activities/messages into the classrooms and into the households. 200 kids completed the activity, which is 40% of the student body. 16% of the participants made it to the website. He met with Principal McConnell who expressed his appreciation and support for continuing the partnership. It was noted that the program can be made more effective by making the classroom activities mandatory, not optional; and by making the content more relatable for young children. Commissioner Wolkenberg also noted that Principal McConnell has extended an invitation for a Sustainability Commission member to serve on the PTO Green Committee. Chairman Anderson thanked Commissioner Wolkenberg and the Energy Sub Committee for all their extra work. He was glad that the program was a success and measureable. Commissioner Witkovsky inquired about the children’s reactions to the activities. Commissioner Wolkenberg noted that from the experience of his children, the activity started out fun but took too long to complete so children got frustrated. Commissioner Wolkenberg noted that Kipling is following the Green Ribbon Award roadmap and as part of this will be making sustainability a key part of the classroom curriculum. He noted that this message is making it to all of the District 109 schools and the hope is to pilot test ideas with Kipling and then expand to other schools. Based on his discussions with Principal McConnell he noted future ideas and partnership could be created around: - Setting up gardens for classrooms in the courtyards – outdoor learning spaces.  - Recycling stations in the school for batteries, ink cartridges, cell phones and change the way kids get rid of waste in the lunch room, including an opportunity for composting in the schools. - Setting a goal for reducing energy usage in the village. Chairman Anderson recommended Commissioner Wolkenberg participate on the Kipling PTO Green Committee and advocate broadening the partnership to other schools, including water conservation and composting initiatives. Commissioner Leibowitz requested that the dates of the Green Committee be shared with the Commission and believes Commissioner Wolkenberg will be a great representative. Commissioner Wolkenberg noted that next steps should include developing ideas over the summer that can be shared with the district at the beginning of the school year. He reminded the Commission that we should be willing to revise the activities after the school has had their input. Commissioner Witkovsky recommended writing a thank you note to the Superintendent, Principal, PTO and other faculty that were involved. Chairman Anderson requested Mr. Lichterman prepare a draft letter for review. Water Assessment Update Mr. Lichterman reported that he researched information on the feasibility of the Water Smart program. He noted that Water Smart advised our community does not have enough households to allow for a control group. They would like to see a minimum of 2000 households in the control group, which then would only leave 4,000 households to be the beneficiaries of the program. The program costs $88,000 in year 1 and $63,000 each subsequent year. The consensus of the Commission was that this was too expensive. Commissioner Leibowitz inquired if pricing would be more efficient if other communities partnered with us. Commissioner Witkovsky noted that we should determine if this is worthwhile before spending a lot of time reaching out to other communities. In order to determine the significance of the program, Chairman Anderson requested that Mr. Lichterman provide the expected water savings Deerfield residents would realize if the program was implemented. Mr. Lichterman noted that the City of Highland Park has taken a different approach to water conservation and is using legislative action to drive results. For instance, they have tiered water rates and a requirement for smart irrigation systems to be installed in new construction homes. Chairman Anderson requested information regarding the City of Highland Park’s success with the tiered rates so that can be compared to the expected water savings of the Water Smart program. Commissioner Threats also would like to know how much resistance the City of Highland Park received when the implemented the tiered water rate structure. Chairman Anderson requested the Commission think about ways that we could partner with Kipling Elementary on a water conservation initiative next school year. Other Items Gas Powered Leaf Blowers Chairman Anderson noted that the Commission has been asked to look into noise pollution as it relates to gas powered leaf blowers. Mr. Lichterman reported that he conducted a brief survey and 10 communities responded. Of those that responded, only two communities had bans or regulations specific to gas powered leaf blowers. The City of Highland Park banned gas powered leaf blowers from May 15 – October 1 of each year. The City of Lake Bluff regulates gas powered leaf blowers and prohibits their use from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. on weekdays; from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays from May 15 – September 30. Lake Bluff has an exception for ordinary public property maintenance activities occurring at least one hundred feet from the lot line of any residence. The hours of permitted use are even more restrictive in Lake Bluff from October 1 through May 14 of each year. Commissioner Heller noted that he acknowledges the noise and gas pollution caused by gas powered leaf blowers but is surprised that the regulations target gas powered leaf blowers only and is interested to know if the City of Highland Park and Lake Bluff actually enforce these ordinances. Commissioner Leibowitz noted that this type of regulation could certainly affect landscaper’s operations and in an ideal scenario landscapers would only operate in town and a specific day of the week. This would potentially offer landscapers economies of scale and limit the noise pollution to residents. Commissioner Dorfman noted that Deerfield has a lot of corporate campuses that have landscaping and that the needs in our community may be different from the needs in Highland Park or Lake Bluff. Chairman Anderson requested that Mr. Lichterman determine the number of complaints the Village receives in regards to gas powered leaf blowers each year. Chairman Anderson and Commissioner Witkovsky offered to consult with landscape companies to evaluate the potential impact on their businesses. ZipCar Mr. Lichterman noted that ZipCar has advised they will be terminating their lease with the Village effective June 30. He noted that ZipCar is terminating other underperforming leases in the area including the lease with Metra at the Lake Cook Road station. Household Chemical Waste Collection Mr. Lichterman noted that SWALCO will be hosting a household chemical waste collection event on July 18 at the Deerfield High School from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Information will be included on the Village’s website and electronic newsletter. Adjournment Commissioner Witkovsky motioned to adjourn. Commissioner Shalen seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:17 PM. The next meeting will be held on July 9 at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andrew Lichterman Assistant to the Village Manager