Environmental Commission

Agenda Village of Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission Meeting Tuesday, June 17, 2025 7:00 PM Glen Ellyn Civic Center, Room 306 Members of the public are welcome to speak to any item not specifically listed on tonight's Agenda. For those items which are on tonight's Agenda, the public will have the opportunity to comment at the time the item is discussed. Individuals wishing to address the Commission shall exercise proper decorum and respect for the proceedings and the business of the Environmental Commission, and shall refrain from abusive demeanor and language. Commissioners are not obligated to respond to questions. A. Call to Order B. Public Comment C. Approval of Minutes 1) Environmental Commission May 5, 2025 & May 20, 2025 Meeting Minutes D. Reports 1) Park District Liaison Report 2) Trustee Liaison Report 3) Staff Liaison Report 4) Chair Report E. Old Business 1) Strategic Planning Priorities F. New Business G. Adjourn 1) Next meeting August 19, 2025 Village of Glen Ellyn Page 1 of 12  ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES May 5, 2025 Board or Environmental Date: May 5, 2025 Commission: Meeting: Special Called to 7:00 p.m. Order: Quorum: Yes Adjourned: 9:00 p.m. MEMBER ATTENDANCE: Present/Absent Christy Truitt Chairman Present Jeff Abeln Commissioner Absent Jacquelyn Casazza Commissioner Present Karen Lilly Commissioner Absent Mark Frigo Commissioner Present Barbara Kwiatkowsky Commissioner Present John Day Commissioner Present Chris English Commissioner Present Maggie Frigo Student Commissioner Absent Also Present: Kristina Christie Management Analyst – Public Works Present Elisa Pollina Recording Secretary Absent Kelli Christiansen Village Trustee Absent Sonia Desai Bhagwakar Village Trustee Present Chris Gutman Glen Ellyn Park District Absent PUBLIC A. CALL TO ORDER The May 5, 2025 special meeting of the Environmental Commission was called to order at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center. B. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – C. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SPECIAL WORKSHOP – 1. Workshop to Develop Recommendations for Strategic Goals as outcome of the Sustainability Baseline Assessment. (See attached notes) D. NEXT MEETING & ADJOURNMENT 1. The meeting adjourned at 9:00pm. 2. The next EC meeting – May 20, 2025 Submitted by Christy Truitt, Chair Reviewed by Kristina Christie, Staff Liaison Page 2 of 12 2035 Goals - Proposed by PaleBlueDot for Village of Glen Ellyn April 2025 Waste Management 38% reduction in GHG emissions from 2015 5% less solid waste 70% increase in organics diversion 33% increase in recycling diversion Greenspace and Ecosystems 5% increase in Tree Canopy 7% reduction in turf / increase in prairie grass/native plants 5% reduction of dark impervious surfaces Increased resilience and biodiversity of ecosystems Water and Wastewater 7% reduction in GHG emissions from 2015 5% reduction in water consumption 5% reduction of wastewater Increased stormwater and climate resilience Increased water quality and restoration Health and Safety Reduced vulnerability Increased Infrastructure Resilience Increased Community Capacity Transportation and Land Use 44% reduction in GHG emissions from 2015 2.5% fewer vehicle miles traveled 22% increase in public transit use 15% registered electric vehicles Villagewide 1.7% increase in population density Buildings and Energy 48% reduction in GHG emissions from 2015 15% on-site or purchased renewable energy 5% reduction in electricity use 20% reduction in on-site fuel combustion 10% fuel switching from on-site combustion Page 1 of 9 Page 3 of 12 Waste Management SRS Objective 3, 4 | Mitigation 1, 3, 7 WM 1: Decrease total annual municipal solid waste generated by 5%. WM 2: Increase organics and compostable diversion from 14% to 24% of total MSW handled. WM 3: Increase recycling diversion from 26.4% to 35% of total MSW handled. Greenspace and Ecosystems SRS Objective 1, 4 | Mitigation 8 | Adaptation 4, 5 GE 1: Increase tree cover, particularly in the priority neighborhoods, over the existing tree canopy coverage, by 5% by 2035 and 7.5% by 2040 (equal to an increase of 1.9% and 2.8% of Villagewide land area respectively). GE 2: Increase pollinator supportiveness of lawns and achieve a 7% turf replacement with native grasses and wildflowers (approximately 8 acres annually). GE 3: Reduce heat island effect through “dark” impervious surface coverage reduction of at least 5%, particularly in neighborhoods identified with higher heat island impacts (approximately 4.5 acres annually). GE 4: Reduce invasive species and increase climate resilience and biodiversity of the Village’s tree canopy, parks and greenspaces. Water and Wastewater SRS Objective 4 | Mitigation 7 | Adaptation 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 W 1: Promote reduced water consumption and wastewater generation Villagewide with a targeted reduction of 5% each. W 2: Update design standards and implement plans to meet projected climate-change stormwater and flood mitigation requirements. W 3: Increase groundwater, stream, river and wetland water quality protection and restoration. Health and Safety SRS Objective 4 | Adaptation 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 HS 1: Assist the Village's climate vulnerable population in preparing for and mitigating climate change impacts (prioritized based on elevated risk sensitivities as outlined in the Village’s Climate Vulnerability Assessment). HS 2: Increase resilience of Villagewide buildings, infrastructure, mission critical, emergency services and health care facilities to potential impacts of climate change. HS 3: Educate, engage, and empower the public on health and safety risks of climate change impacts. Page 2 of 9 Page 4 of 12 Transportation and Land Use SRS Objective 2, 4 | Mitigation 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 Villagewide TL 1: Increase battery electric vehicle (BEV) use to 15% of vehicles on the road (from approximately 277 vehicles to 2,727 vehicles Villagewide). TL 2: Decrease community wide Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by 2.5% . TL 3: Increase public transit commuter ridership from 9% to 11%. TL 4: Increase average population per developed acre by 1.7% (from 8.1 to 8.4 ppl/developed acre). Municipal Operations TL 5: Achieve 25% or greater conversion of municipal operations non-emergency response gasoline vehicles and equipment within the municipal fleet to EVs. TL 6: Achieve 15% conversion of municipal operations diesel fuel utilization to renewable fuels. TL 7: Increase fuel efficiency of remaining combustion engine fleet by 7.5%. Buildings and Energy SRS Objective 2, 4 | Mitigation 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 Villagewide BE 1: Improve total Villagewide building energy efficiency by 5% for electricity and 10% natural gas (all building sectors). BE 2: Increase adoption of high performance building construction technology, achieving 0.5% Net Zero households and commercial properties Villagewide. (Net Zero buildings are energy efficient buildings that produce as much energy on-site as they consume in a year) BE 3: Achieve 10% residential and commercial and industrial building "fuel switching" from on-site fossil fuel combustion to electrification or renewable fuels. BE 4: Increase customer owned or purchased renewable electricity to 15% of Villagewide residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial building electric use (10% on-site and 5% green source purchase). Municipal Operations BE 5: Improve total government building energy efficiency by 7.5% for electricity and 12.5% natural gas. BE 6: Achieve 20% government building thermal “fuel switching" from on-site fossil fuel combustion to electrification. BE 7: Increase renewable energy to 100% of government building electric use (on-site and green source purchase). Page 3 of 9 Page 5 of 12 Environmental Commission Feedback The Environmental Commission recognizes that the % goals proposed by PaleBlueDot are sized to enable the Village to achieve Net Zero carbon goals by 2050. The Environmental Commission had general agreement with the proposed high-level goals, but Chair Truitt expressed a desire to better understand the assumptions for the proposed % change in each area - and suggested deferring support for the % goals until discussion at the workshop with PaleBlueDot. Chair Truitt also expressed concern about asking the Village to agree to measurable goals in areas outside of municipal responsibility. An example, Glen Ellyn’s responsibility is to provide a residential recycling service, however, it is outside municipal scope to notably impact how that service is used by residents or to impact the scope of what the provider recycles, therefore we hesitate to encourage the Village to set a measurable goal for change. This same concern applies in areas other than Waste Management. Some goals compete with each other - for example, increasing tree canopy reduces land area that can support native prairie plants and/or solar panels. Further evaluation of scope is warranted. There may be value in setting Municipal vs. Villagewide goals in Greenspace and Ecosystems category, enabling the Village to set measurable goals based on municipally-owned land. In the Health and Safety category, suggested updating the goals with specific threats (hazards such as flooding or drought, extreme temperatures, pollutants, or energy outages) vs. “climate change impacts” as specificity would help in action planning. The Environmental Commission recommends moving forward to Phase 2: Action Planning, where each goal area can be explored further. After collaborative Action Planning with Trustees, Staff, and other Commissions, measurable goals per category can be set with support from all groups. Page 4 of 9 Page 6 of 12  ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES May 20, 2025 Board or Environmental Date: May 20, 2025 Commission: Meeting: Regular Called to 7:00 p.m. Order: Quorum: Yes Adjourned: 9:09 p.m. MEMBER ATTENDANCE: Christy Truitt Chairperson Present Jeff D. Abeln Commissioner Absent Jacquelyn Casazza Commissioner Present John Day Commissioner Present Chris English Commissioner Present Mark Frigo Commissioner Present Barbara Kwiatkowsky Commissioner Present Karen Lilly Commissioner Absent Maggie Frigo Student Commissioner Present Also Present: Kristina Christie Management Analyst – Public Works Elisa Pollina Recording Secretary Sonya Desai Bhagwakar Village Trustee-Elect Chris Gutmann Park District Liaison Monica Miller Commissioner Candidate Steve Heller Commissioner Candidate Public Nathan Lamkey 600 Euclid Avenue I. CALL TO ORDER The May 20, 2025 meeting of the Environmental Commission was called to order by Chairperson Truitt at 7:00 PM at Glen Ellyn Civic Center. Chairperson Truitt introduced Environmental Commission (EC) commissioner candidates Monica Miller and Steve Heller. Miller has been a Glen Ellyn resident since 1987 and recently retired after 16 years in academic support at the College of DuPage. Heller, a Glen Ellyn resident for the past nine years, is also recently retired from his role as a high school English teacher and currently volunteers at the Morton Arboretum. II. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Glen Ellyn resident Nathan Lamke shared concerns about the visible algae buildup around Lake Ellyn and inquired whether any plans are in place to address the issue. Chris Gutmann from the Park District responded Page 7 of 12  Environmental Commission 2 May 20, 2025 that Lake Ellyn is an open system lake, and its location creates ideal conditions for algae growth. While there is no long-term remedy currently in place, the Park District began physical removal efforts yesterday, with the initial focus on cleaning up the shoreline. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM APRIL 15, 2025 Commissioner Day motioned to approve the April 15, 2025 meeting minutes as amended and Commissioner Kwiatkowsky seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. IV. LIAISON REPORTS A. Trustee Liaison Report: No report B. Staff Liaison Report – Staff Liaison Christie reported that the minutes from the May 5 meeting will be included in next month’s meeting packet for commission approval. She also noted that if the commission moves forward with hosting two recycling events, only one certificate of insurance will be needed to cover both events. C. Park District Liaison Report – Park District Liaison Gutmann shared several updates, noting that the Park District, in partnership with Go Green and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI), recently planted 33 trees at Churchill Park. A total of 31 volunteers, including children, participated in the planting effort. Long-term care for the trees has begun, and they will be caged this fall to ensure protection. Additionally, the Park District has welcomed two new team members: Hannah, a tree care specialist, and Ryan, a forestry assistant. The Park District has also officially assumed management and restoration responsibilities for Panfish Park and Manor Woods. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Priorities Recycling Extravaganza Update – Commissioner Kwiatkowsky provided a recap of the recent recycling event, reporting a turnout of 533 cars—approximately 100 fewer than last year. Despite the lower vehicle count, many collection numbers increased: 673 pounds of food were donated to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry (up from 597 lbs. last year), and 491 eyeglasses were collected compared to 210 last year. Paint collection was lower than average, with 463 cans collected versus the typical 1,000. Eco Ship, the packaging materials vendor, collected 2,667 gallons of materials, including enough bubble wrap to fill two vans—some of which was donated in advance. Electronics collection totaled 14,874 pounds, and 65 bikes were donated. Commissioner Kwiatkowsky noted the event’s overall success and emphasized the need for more mini recycling events. She is still waiting for final data from a few vendors. Page 8 of 12  Environmental Commission 3 May 20, 2025 Commissioner Casazza shared that many attendees praised the event’s organization and extended thanks to Barbara for her hard work. Kwiatkowsky added that Eco Ship’s total cost was $250, with no additional expenses incurred by the Environmental Commission. Looking ahead, she suggested diversifying future vendor participation, potentially adding sneaker recycling, light bulb collection, and textile vendors. She will follow up with Wheaton to learn about any vendors Glen Ellyn may be missing. Barbara noted that the commission hosts its large annual event in April, with mini events in June/July and October/November. Commissioner Casazza suggested promoting the DuPage County website’s “Recycling Coach” tool as a resource for residents to find year-round recycling options. The commission discussed holding the November mini event on either the 1st or 8th to coincide with the Pumpkin Smash. Commissioner Kwiatkowsky will check with vendors regarding their availability for those dates. Sustainability Baseline Assessment - Chairperson Truitt provided a recap of recent discussions, noting the Environmental Commission was asked to identify top priorities from the baseline assessment—specifically, which goals have the greatest impact and which may be less relevant. She emphasized that while the assessment is broad in scope, narrowing it too much could undermine its purpose. The Sustainability Baseline Assessment document is designed to set a high-level direction for the Village and serve as an ongoing reference point. Clarity in presenting the data is essential. The next phase will involve identifying actionable steps tied to each goal, but ultimately, it is the Village Board that will determine the priorities and allocate funding. Truitt shared that she spoke with Ted, the consultant, and clarified that the intent of the May 5 meeting was for the EC to review and align on the high-level goals ahead of the June 3 workshop. Actionable items will follow later in the process. Commissioner Frigo supported keeping the goals as presented by Ted, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the high-level approach. Staff Liaison Christie added that after the workshop, Ted will refine the goals and document based on feedback before it is presented to the Village Board. Commissioner Casazza noted the importance of including percentages for each goal to quantify impact and guide decision-making. Truitt asked the commission if they were comfortable with the percentages currently included in the draft. Casazza further emphasized that the overarching goal should be reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the EC should determine if that should remain the central objective for the Village. The commission discussed how best to present the goals, which will require both Village and resident engagement. Commissioner Kwiatkowsky reminded the group Page 9 of 12  Environmental Commission 4 May 20, 2025 that the purpose of the baseline assessment was to understand where Glen Ellyn stands today in order to plan effectively for the future. Commissioner English expressed support for the plan as presented, reiterating that its primary aim is emissions reduction. He acknowledged that while the Village may ultimately pursue a different overarching goal due to other strategic priorities, the baseline provides clear, actionable targets for achieving net-zero emissions. He stated that even if not all numbers are fully understood, he supports the direction and framework outlined in the assessment. Commissioner Kwiatkowsky concluded by noting that the Sustainability Baseline Assessment should be treated as a living document—one that is revisited annually and adjusted as needed. Phase one will be considered complete once Ted issues his final report following the upcoming June 3 workshop. Sustainable Landscapes Update – Chairperson Truitt shared that the Conservation Foundation has agreed to promote the residential initiative and has offered to host a “Yard Certification Blitz Day,” providing free consultations to residents. The proposed date for the event is June 18. Truitt is currently waiting to hear if the Conservation Foundation would like the commission to manage the sign-up process. The event will be promoted through the Village newsletter, and Truitt will also reach out to Go Green to see if they’d like to assist with promotion. Additionally, Volunteer Park is scheduled to be planted next week, with plant deliveries expected between May 27–29. Truitt will notify the Environmental Commission once a planting date is confirmed. Waste Stewardship – Recognition of restaurants that reduce distribution of plastic silverware - Commissioner Kwiatkowsky shared an update on her research into local restaurants. She found that Glen Ellyn has a total of 66 restaurants, with 27 affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and 23 with the Downtown Alliance. Of the 66, 23 are classified as fast food, meaning approximately two-thirds are not. This insight will help guide efforts to recognize and support restaurants that actively reduce or limit the distribution of single-use plastic silverware. VII Next Meeting & Adjournment A. Commissioner Frigo motioned and Commissioner English seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 9:09 pm. The next EC meeting – June 17, 2025 Submitted by Elisa Pollina, Recording Secretary Reviewed by Staff Liaison, Kristina Christie Page 10 of 12  Glen Ellyn Environmental Meeting 6/17/2025 7:00 PM Commission Department: Public Works - Internal Services 535 Duane Street Department Head: Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 Category: Discussion Item Prepared By: AGENDA ITEM (ID # 2025- DOC ID: 2025-507 507) Strategic Planning Priorities Statement of the Issue: a. LAND Stewardship - Cultivate Green Infrastructure and Resilient Landscapes i. Sustainable Landscapes 1. Residential Initiative - Yard Certification Blitz Days – discuss Summer Promotions 2. Community Initiative * Pershing Ave / Bridge Communities Landscaping Project (status update) 3. Municipal Initiative – Sustainable Transformation of Volunteer Park (status update) ii. Tree Planting and Preservation 1. Residential Initiative - Ordinance Discussion (status update) 2. Community Initiative - Preserving Babcock’s Grove (status update) 3. Municipal Initiative * Arbor Day Tree Planting at Volunteer Park (event recap) * 50 Trees for EC’s 50th Year (event update) iii. Municipal Sustainability Certifications – recommendations for near-term and long- term goals 1. Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, Bird City, Bee City, Dark Skies Community, NWF Wildlife Habitat Community b. WASTE Stewardship - Reduce Landfill Waste i. Recycling 1. Recycling Extravaganza – Event Recap 2. Mini Recycling Event – Checkpoint Page 11 of 12  ii. Composting 1. Compost Give-back (event update) iii. Reduce – discussion of municipal or commercial recognition of restaurants that reduce distribution of plastic silverware c. ENGAGE - Educate & Motivate i. Communications 1. STROLL Articles – Series recommendations (update) 2. Website Resources - Green Initiatives Status (status update) 3. Digital Newsletters – Solar, Babcock’s Grove Preservation (update) ii. Events and Education 1. 2025 – 50 Year Anniversary of GEEC * Planting 50 Trees with CRTI (event updates) * Celebration – Monarch Migration (September) or Oaktoberfest (defer) 2. Review July Events (also referenced in other sections of the agenda) * July 19 The Conservation Foundation Yard Tour * July 26 Recycling Mini * July 26 Compost Pickup at Village Green iii. Plans and Publications 1. Sustainability Baseline Assessment – Workshop Recap & Next Steps Analysis: Budget Impact: Contribution to Strategic Plan Action Requested: Attachments: Page 12 of 12