Sustainability Commission

MEETING MINUTES SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION December 1, 2016 A meeting of the Sustainability Commission was held on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm at Deerfield Village Hall, 850 Waukegan Road, at 7:00 PM in the Community Conference Room 206. Chairman Don Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. In attendance were: Present: Don Anderson, Chairman Laurie Leibowitz Brian Wolkenberg Michael Shalen Richard Heller Absent was: Daniel Dorfman Chenlin Zhao Gloria Threats Also present: Andrew Lichterman, Assistant Village Manager Joe Taylor, DHS Assistant Principal Rob Rubin, Water Conservationist Approval of Minutes Commissioner Heller made of motion, seconded by Commissioner Shalen to approve minutes of the October 27, 2016 Sustainability Commission meeting. The minutes were approved unanimously. Public Comment There was no public comment. Water Conservation Chairman Anderson welcomed Deerfield High School Assistant Principal Joe Taylor, along with Rob Rubin, a water conservationist assisting DHS. Mr. Taylor noted this year’s interdisciplinary topic will be water. Specifically, the topic of water conservation will be incorporated into all the classrooms. Mr. Rubin reported that he spent a lot of time in Israel successfully bringing the topic of water conservation into the schools. It is a salient issue in Israel as the country is a leader in water conservation. He noted water conservation programs are in place in 150 schools in Israel and they use water harvesting as a means of teaching water education. It is a very hands on activity and has successfully been adapted to work for all age levels. He described the process of water harvesting whereby the schools collect water in settlement tanks, the water then gets filtered and flows into collection tanks for repurposing. Mr. Rubin’s partner on these activities is an Israeli microbiologist that developed the water harvesting system. He has installations in Kenya, Israel, and most recently San Diego. Mr. Taylor noted DHS has committed to pilot testing the water harvesting system this year and estimates start-up costs to be approximately $15,000. He noted there is a lot of support a district level and sees a great benefit to partnering with the Village. He noted the instillation will occur in the atrium near X Hall, which is adjacent to the school’s garden. Long term they would like to create a greenhouse at the school that can utilize the water. This project will occur Sustainability Commission December 1, 2016 Page 2 of 2 over several years. The hope is that the Village can also find ways to repurpose the water that is harvested through the school’s collection system. Chairman Anderson thanked Mr. Taylor and Mr. Rubin for their report and assured them of the Village’s interest in partnering around this endeavor. Mr. Lichterman noted that students are welcome to tour the Village’s Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) as well. Mr. Taylor stated he would schedule a time for the classes to tour the WRF. Commissioner Leibowitz shared a variety of sustainability practices she found by searching various municipal websites including Oak Park and Evanston. Mr. Lichterman noted that he is preparing a draft timeline of activities centered around water conservation for the Commission’s review. Commissioner Leibowitz noted that the timing of the activities will largely be driven by the seasons. Commissioner Heller noted that he began discussions with the Library regarding hosting a Water Taste Test Challenge in their lobby on Earth Day. The Commission supported the initiative and requested Mr. Lichterman prepare a draft press release for use in the Library’s newsletter promoting the event. Energy Conservation Commissioner Wolkenberg reported the subcommittee met with many of the district 109 schools. He confirmed that a variety of activities have been created for the various grade levels. Activities include an essay contest, lighting technology demonstrations, and a presentation by Walgreens on their net zero store. Wilmot School is the only one that has yet to confirm their participation. Commissioner Wolkenberg will work to identify an appropriate contact at Wilmot to garner interest. Commissioner Wolkenberg will convene a meeting with the various stakeholders from the schools and try to finalize everyone’s participation level by the end of January. Chairman Anderson thanked the subcommittee for their good work and asked that they let the Commission know how they can help. Commissioner Wolkenberg noted they can use assistance defining the marketing and awareness plan. He suggested utilizing the various Village platforms as well as the schools’ social media presence. He noted that the Commission could also brainstorm ways to celebrate the success in the classroom. Commissioner Wolkenberg noted that the subcommittee is trying to setup a meeting with District 109 staff to review the programs. Mr. Lichterman noted that he would reach out the District and organize a meeting. Mr. Lichterman reminded the Commission to take pictures of any events they participate in as this will help with future promotions. As a follow-up to an inquiry at the last meeting, Mr. Lichterman confirmed that he will be able to obtain the Village’s aggregate electricity data from ComEd. He will plan to share the data at the next meeting. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for January 19. Respectfully submitted, Andrew Lichterman Assistant Village Manager