Citizens' Environmental Commission

AGENDA CITIZENS' ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION Thursday, December 3, 2020, 4:00 p.m. DeKalb Police Department Training Room 700 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115 A. Roll Call B. Approval of Agenda C. Public Comment D. Approval of Minutes 1. Regular Monthly Meetings on August 6 and November 5, 2020 E. Commission Reports: 1. DeKalb County Health Department: Vacant 2. DeKalb Park District: Amy Doll 3. Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District: Mike Holland 4. Northern Illinois University: Sarah Fox 5. City Staff Liaison: Vacant F. New Business: 1. P.R.I.D.E. Award nominees 2. Subgroup of CEC on climate resiliency 3. CEC public presentations for 2021 G. Old Business: 1. Sustainability Plan Updates 2. Monthly Daily Chronicle articles 3. Update on Monarch City registration 4. Update on beekeeping ordinance 5. Leaf burning ordinance 6. Other updates on previously discussed items H. Announcements 1. New announcements 2. Next Meeting: January 7, 2021 – 4:00 pm. I. Adjournment  MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB Citizen’s Environmental Commission August 6, 2020 The Citizens’ Environmental Commission (CEC) held a regular business meeting on August 6, 2020 at the DeKalb Police Department. Chair Clare Kron called the meeting to order at 4:06 p.m. A. Roll Call Roll call was recorded by Management Analyst, Jason Blumenthal, and the following members of the CEC were present: Chair Clare Kron, Rachel Farrell, Steven Honeywell, Sharon Skala, and Adrian Lopez. Those absent were Ken Koch and Virginia Wilcox. Also present were Mayor Jerry Smith, Citizen Matt Anderson, Citizen Jonathan Chabin, and Management Analyst Jason Blumenthal. B. Approval of Agenda Chair Kron asked for a motion to approve the agenda. MOTION Mr. Honeywell moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Ms. Farrell. VOTE Motion carried by a unanimous voice vote of those present C. Approval of Minutes a. Regular monthly meeting of May 7, 2020 The minutes from the May 7, 2020 meeting were approved. Motion by Mr. Honeywell, seconded by Ms. Farrell. D. Public Comment Chair Kron asked for public comment. Matt Anderson appeared stating he was in favor of Backyard chickens and asked the commission to move forward with the proposal. John Chabin agreed with Mr. Anderson’s remarks. No further public comments. E. Commission Reports a. DeKalb County Health Department- Vacant Position is currently vacant.  b. DeKalb Park District- Amy Doll Ms. Doll stated that native planting is still occurring throughout various different parks. c. Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District- Mike Holland Mr. Holland echoed his last remarks on having natural habitats being formed at their various locations. d. Northern Illinois University- Sarah Fox Was unable to attend but will come when possible. e. City Staff Liaison: Jason Blumenthal Management Analyst Blumenthal stated that the electronic charging stations should be installed by the end of the year. It should be one charging station with two plug ins. F. New Business 1. Welcome to new commissioner, Adrian Lopez Chair Kron welcomed Mr. Adrian Lopez to the commission and stated a bit of his background. 2. Report on climate resiliency webinars and book Chair Kron reported on the recent webinar she participated in as well as the book she read. It was topic discussed with the Mayor and sent out to the commission. The commission would encourage the City to be more proactive with environmental changes. In addition, the Commission may want to have a subgroup on the matter. 3. Decentralized Fireworks: Environmental Effects People were upset with how much fireworks were set off at Fourth of July. In addition, there are environmental consequences to all of these different fireworks. Members stated that due to it already being illegal it was hard to enforce. 4. Two cosponsored presentations in June Chair Kron presented the Commissions goals to the City Council in the past weeks. They were receptive and approved them. In addition, there was a presentation on coyotes and how they are very much around. It is something to be mindful with regardless of it being a city. 5. Adoption of two DeKalb park district flower sites Chair Kron stated that the Commission has adopted two the Park District Parks to assist in the weeding and maintenance of the flower beds. Mr. Honeywell, Ms. Farrell and Chair Kron have spent time weeding them. If interested in helping, coordinate with Chair Kron. 6. Article in Daily Chronicle Chair Kron stated she prepared an article; however, the former Editor-in-Chief is no longer there, and the Commission needs to reestablish their ties to get the article space. Mr. Honeywell will continue to look into this. 7. Ford Police Interceptor reconsideration Management Analyst Blumenthal stated the City is in the process of switching over to a leasing system on vehicles and will need to coordinate with the company in order to see if this is an option. 8. Lead Reduction The Commission would like to see assistance on lead abatement throughout the City. Management Analyst Blumenthal indicated that there might be some federal grants available, but staff is thin, and it is difficult to apply for these big grants. However, it will be assessed. 9. Revision of City Ordinance to allow backyard chickens Chair Kron said this is an issue many community members have continued to contact her about. This was something that should be brought to the Commission again. Members kept indicating the benefits and positives of the resolution, echoing the public comments earlier in the meeting. Management Analyst Blumenthal stated it will still be an enforcement issue for the City. After continued discuss a motion was made. MOTION Mr. Honeywell moved to approve the backyard chicken ordinance; seconded by Ms. Farrell. VOTE Motion was approved by unanimous voice vote. G. Old Business 1. Sustainability Plan Updates Management Analyst Blumenthal has been working on the conversion of the Sustainability Plan. Work still needs to be done on it to make it finished. 2. Monthly Daily Chronicle articles Mr. Honeywell says he hasn’t had anyone suggest something as well as his contact is no longer with the Chronicle and needs to double check with the new Editor-in-Chief. 3. Update on Monarch City registration Management Analyst Blumenthal said the bill just needs to be paid. 4. Update on beekeeping ordinance Mr. Honeywell and Management Analyst Blumenthal need to determine the size of the lot. Would like to have done by February. 5. Leaf burning ordinance Mr. Koch is still working on this and will update when possible. 6. Plastic bag ordinance: address major provisions This has been placed on hold until post COVID-19. 7. Other updates on previously discussed items Chair Kron will send Management Analyst Blumenthal PRIDE award information who will then send it out. H. Announcements 1. New Announcements Mr. Lopez is excited to be on the Commission. 2. Next Meeting: September 3, 4:00 p.m. I. Adjournment Chair Kron called for a motion to adjourn: MOTION Mr. Honeywell moved to adjourn; seconded by Mr. Lopez. VOTE Motion was approved by unanimous voice vote. Chair Kron Adjourned the meeting at 5:44 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Jason Blumenthal, Management Analyst.  2020 P.R.I.D.E. AWARDS --NOMINATION FORM-- The DeKalb Citizens’ Environmental Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2020 P.R.I.D.E. Awards (People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Environment Awards). Completed nominations may be sent by regular mail, email, fax, or hand delivered to: Ruth Scott, Executive Assistant City of DeKalb Municipal Building 164 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115 Email: ruth.scott@cityofdekalb.com Phone: 815-748-2090 Fax: 815-748-2091 The deadline for receipt of nominations is 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. The P.R.I.D.E. Awards recognize local residents, organizations, or businesses that have significantly improved the quality of life in DeKalb through projects, activities, or programs emphasizing resource conservation, energy efficiency, beautification, waste reduction, or similar environmental improvements. Awards recognizing individuals are referred to as Jim Grosklags P.R.I.D.E. Awards in honor of James H. Grosklags, based on his long-term service to the community and his unwavering commitment to improving the environmental quality of DeKalb. Those conducting projects or programs aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge of specific environmental issues are also eligible for consideration for a P.R.I.D.E. Award. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the P.R.I.D.E. Awards. These awards are sponsored by the Citizens’ Environmental Commission, a diverse group of community volunteers appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Its main goal is to promote an increased awareness and understanding of environmental issues in DeKalb and to recommend practical means for improving the City's environment. Nominee (please provide full name): _Carl Kron________________________________________ Nominee Contact Information: Address: _ _______________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _______ Email Address: __________________ The Nominee is a/an: _X_ Individual ___ Business ___ Other (please specify: ____________) (continued on page 2) 1 Person(s) Making Nomination: _Rachel M. Farrell_________________________________ Current Address: Phone/Email Address: In the space below, describe how the nominee has contributed significantly to the improvement of the environment in DeKalb based on the criteria described on the previous page. For questions, please contact Ruth Scott at ruth.scott@cityofdekalb.com, or Phone: 815-748-2090. Carl Kron has served the City of DeKalb as an essential worker in the position of United States postal carrier for many years, and in this capacity he has also coordinated the very successful annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drives which have provided thousands of pounds of food to local food banks. This year, Mr. Kron has expanded his contributions to the community by collecting thousands of pounds of materials for reuse or recycling that were otherwise destined for landfills. During his daily postal delivery route duties, Carl was increasingly troubled by the large quantities of items being left on curbs and loaded into garbage collection trucks. Inspired by youtube videos posted by Paul Laino, AKA Scrap and Pallet Man, Carl began to salvage these items in his free time to take to DeKalb Iron and Metal Co. (DIMCO) for recycling. Impressively, these truck loads weigh an average of 400 to 800 pounds of reclaimed metal. In addition to significant contributions of metal for recycling, Carl is also compelled to channel his frustration over the “unbelievable” quantities of useful items thrown out by NIU students during annual move-out times. His efforts to retrieve these items before the garbage truck hauls them off led him to significantly help his grandson by helping to furnish his rental house. Many items were also contributed to the local yard sale held annually to benefit students in Tanzania. When Carl first began his reclamation efforts he noticed that other people were also engaged in this important line of work and he became concerned that he may be interfering with what may be the means of putting food on some of these people’s tables. Upon waiting for several days to retrieve curbside items and then experiencing the heartbreak of seeing these items “consumed” by garbage trucks, he realized that in fact there are not enough individuals dedicated to this work and his goal is to keep as many useful items out of landfills as he can. As he separates the non-recyclable plastic from the metal, Carl views disassembly as “relaxation therapy,” saying, “it’s the opposite of putting together a jigsaw puzzle with the benefit of learning how things work.” During the winter, Carl plans to continue his work by disassembling items collected during the warmer months. Receipt of the completed nomination form is due no later than 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. 2  2020 P.R.I.D.E. AWARDS --NOMINATION FORM-- The DeKalb Citizens’ Environmental Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2020 P.R.I.D.E. Awards (People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Environment Awards). Completed nominations may be sent by regular mail, email, fax, or hand delivered to: Stephanie Turner, Administrative Assistant City of DeKalb Municipal Building 164 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115 Email: Stephanie.Turner@cityofdekalb.com Phone: 815-748-2093 Fax: 815-748-2091 The deadline for receipt of nominations is 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. The P.R.I.D.E. Awards recognize local residents, organizations, or businesses that have significantly improved the quality of life in DeKalb through projects, activities, or programs emphasizing resource conservation, energy efficiency, beautification, waste reduction, or similar environmental improvements. Awards recognizing individuals are referred to as Jim Grosklags P.R.I.D.E. Awards in honor of James H. Grosklags, based on his long-term service to the community and his unwavering commitment to improving the environmental quality of DeKalb. Those conducting projects or programs aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge of specific environmental issues are also eligible for consideration for a P.R.I.D.E. Award. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the P.R.I.D.E. Awards. These awards are sponsored by the Citizens’ Environmental Commission, a diverse group of community volunteers appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Its main goal is to promote an increased awareness and understanding of environmental issues in DeKalb and to recommend practical means for improving the City's environment. Nominee (please provide full name): _______Paul Laino______________________ Current Address: _____DeKalb, IL 60115_______________ Contact Phone Number: ___ ________________ (continued on page 2) 1 The Nominee is a/an: _X_ Individual ____ Business ____ Other (please specify: ___________________) Person(s) Making Nomination: ___________Clare Kron_________ Current Address: Phone/Email Address: ___ In the space below, describe how the nominee has contributed significantly to the improvement of the environment in DeKalb based on the criteria described on the previous page. For questions, please contact Stephanie Turner at Stephanie.Turner@cityofdekalb.com, or Phone: 815-748-2093 Paul has significantly contributed to improving the environment in DeKalb for over 3 ½ years by recycling metal items left for the landfill by local residents. He became interested in this work, informally called “scrapping,” by watching youtube videos. He was inspired to start a youtube scrapping channel of his own, called Scrap and Pallet Man, when he began his full-time job of scouring the curbs and dumpsters of DeKalb, seeking out small and large items alike that include metal in their components, from vacuum cleaners to washing machines. As he collects items he wears a video camera on his cap, recording and commenting as he makes his rounds. As individuals noticed the items that piled up in his truck they began to contribute to his collection and he now has several “spotters” who keep him informed of items he can pick up before the waste hauler arrives. Each load of goods is transported to Dimco in DeKalb for recycling, yielding tens of thousands of pounds of recyclable metal. Interest in Paul’s work has expanded across the globe and over 150,000 individuals subscribe to his youtube channel to watch him make his collections. He now covers areas of DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa, Malta, and Maple Park. His hope for the future: “ I want more people doing what I do but doing it more. Just think if we had 10 or 100 people doing this?” Paul is inspiring others to take up the same task of keeping recyclable metal waste out of the landfills. This has the positive effect of both reusing natural resources and eliminating the pollution and additional energy used to mine new minerals, with an overall benefit to the environment in DeKalb and beyond. Receipt of the completed nomination form is due no later than 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. 2  2020 P.R.I.D.E. AWARDS --NOMINATION FORM-- The DeKalb Citizens’ Environmental Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2020 P.R.I.D.E. Awards (People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Environment Awards). Completed nominations may be sent by regular mail, email, fax, or hand delivered to: Ruth Scott, Executive Assistant City of DeKalb Municipal Building 164 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115 Email: ruth.scott@cityofdekalb.com Phone: 815-748-2090 Fax: 815-748-2091 The deadline for receipt of nominations is 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. The P.R.I.D.E. Awards recognize local residents, organizations, or businesses that have significantly improved the quality of life in DeKalb through projects, activities, or programs emphasizing resource conservation, energy efficiency, beautification, waste reduction, or similar environmental improvements. Awards recognizing individuals are referred to as Jim Grosklags P.R.I.D.E. Awards in honor of James H. Grosklags, based on his long-term service to the community and his unwavering commitment to improving the environmental quality of DeKalb. Those conducting projects or programs aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge of specific environmental issues are also eligible for consideration for a P.R.I.D.E. Award. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the P.R.I.D.E. Awards. These awards are sponsored by the Citizens’ Environmental Commission, a diverse group of community volunteers appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Its main goal is to promote an increased awareness and understanding of environmental issues in DeKalb and to recommend practical means for improving the City's environment. Nominee (please provide full name): Nick Newman Nominee Contact Information: Address: Phone: Email Address: The Nominee is a/an: _x__ Individual ___ Business ___ Other (please specify: ____________) (continued on page 2) 1 Person(s) Making Nomination: Amy Doll Current Address: 1403 Sycamore Road, DeKalb, IL Phone/Email Address: In the space below, describe how the nominee has contributed significantly to the im rovement of the environment in DeKalb based on the criteria described on the previous page. For questions, please contact Ruth Scott at ruth.scott@cityofdekalb.com, or Phone: 815-748-2090. While Nick works for the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District and has coordinated the community “Pollinator Project” in his role there, he goes above and beyond in working with staff at other agencies to serve the entire community with this project. Information about this project (From the DeKalb Park District website): A joint collaboration between the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District and the DeKalb Park District, the Pollinator Prairie Restoration Project aims at restoring native grasslands and wetlands at both Hopkins Community Park and Rotary Park. The Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) began the process of converting 3.15 acres of mowed turf grass within the treatment plant facility, located at 1301 Sycamore Road, to native habitat in May 2017. This project was initiated in an effort to reduce mowing costs and lawn maintenance, as well as to improve the KWRD facility's ability to capture stormwater and reduce runoff. With these sites in the KWRD facility now established and positively received, the restoration of additional acreage was discussed and encouraged by the KWRD Board of Trustees. In 2019, the DeKalb Park District informed KWRD of their desire to convert open areas of park property to native habitats. Subsequent discussion between the two organizations led to the determination that a cooperative partnership could allow for the economical implementation of these projects by drawing on the strengths and experiences of the two groups. The Park District has designated two major areas to be restored to native habitat. One such area is within Hopkins Park, a roughly 78.5-acre park that consists predominantly of mowed lawn and large oak trees. The Park District has determined that between 3-7 acres of Hopkins Park would be a suitable location to begin engaging in native habitat restoration. This area is not heavily trafficked for recreational purposes, and so would not impede citizens' enjoyment of the park amenities. Additionally, a portion of the proposed Hopkins Park native habitats would be adjacent to a proposed KWRD native habitat. The Park District and KWRD are interested in the possibility of maintaining these adjacent habitats as one continuous unit. The other major area that has been proposed for native habitat restoration is Rotary Park, a roughly 23-acre park located at 1504 State Street. Rotary Park is a recreational park that is comprised of two large retention ponds and a bike trail that forms a ring around them. The existing vegetation currently consists of mowed turf grass on the outer edge of the bike path, with a mix of mowed turf grass and some taller vegetation alongside the retention ponds. 2 Herbicide applications in select areas at both parks (see site maps below) by staff licensed by the State of Illinois, will take place in August and September 2020, followed by native seeds being planted sometime in October/November 2020. Native habitat restoration is a process that requires patience, as it takes at least three years for the native plantings to become established. In time, the restored areas will return to a natural state that provides a safe ecosystem for local pollinators. This project is funded in part with the ComEd Green Region Program. It is Nick’s passion for this project and for improving the environment has really helped move this project along. He has coordinated things with the DeKalb Park District, the Soil and Water Conservation District and the KWRD. Nick led the process of a successful grant application for the project and has continued to follow up with all of the parties involved in the project. However, more than just getting this project underway, Nick has addressed the long term maintenance of this project and has created a guidebook for plant identification that will allow for the successful maintenance by staff and volunteers of these native plant installations. This tool will be invaluable as the project hopefully begins to pull in public spaces owned and maintained by other agencies. Receipt of the completed nomination form is due no later than 3:00 p.m., November 15, 2020. 3