Environmental Commission

Agenda Village of Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission Meeting Tuesday, April 21, 2026 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) Approval of Environmental Commission February 24, 2026, 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 Civility Pledge - In the interest of civility, I pledge to promote civility by listening, being respectful of others, acknowledging that we are striving to support and improve our community, and understanding that we each may have different ideas for achieving that objective. Page 1 of 6  ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES February 24, 2026 Board or Environmental Date: February 24, 2026 Commission: Meeting: Regular Called to 7:01 p.m. Order: Quorum: Yes Adjourned: 8:54 p.m. MEMBER ATTENDANCE: Christy Truitt Chairperson Present Jeff D. Abeln Commissioner Present – Late Arrival – 7:24 Jacquelyn Casazza Commissioner Absent John Day Commissioner Present Chris English Commissioner Present Mark Frigo Commissioner Present Barbara Kwiatkowsky Commissioner Present Monica Miller Commissioner Present Tara Sheeley Commissioner Present Also Present: J.D. Barrett Management Analyst – Administration Public Kathleen Hokenson I. CALL TO ORDER The February 24, 2026, meeting of the Environmental Commission was called to order by Chairperson Truitt at 7:01 PM at Glen Ellyn Civic Center. II. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – a. Kathleen Hokenson – Included public comment about her student’s work with Monarchs. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM January 13, 2026 Commissioner Kwiatkowsky motioned to approve the January 13, 2026 meeting minutes as amended and Commissioner Miller seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. III. LIAISON REPORTS A. Trustee Liaison Report: None B. Staff Liaison Report – Staff Liaison Barrett reported that his updates would be included throughout the Old Business and New Business agenda items. Page 2 of 6  Environmental Commission 2 February 24, 2026 C. Park District Liaison Report – None D. Chair Report – Chair Truitt discussed maintaining the date of the March 17th. Land – Tree Canopy Preservation • Native Habitat Restoration Tree Planting Events scheduled: o Locations: GEEC, GEPD, CRTI o Dates: May 8, June 13, October 9 • Canopy Preservation Tree Planting Events: o Multiple sites in progress (GEEC, CRTI, Glenbard West, HOAs, etc.) o April 29 and additional upcoming dates • Residential Oak Tree Preservation: o Strategic planning and partnership development underway o Focus area: Babcock’s Grove • Canopy Expansion: o Beginning strategic planning for expansion efforts across Glen Ellyn • Tree Ordinance: o Attended CRTI Tree Ordinance Workshop (2/13) o Strategic objectives discussed with Village o Village and CRTI collaborating on ordinance development Land – Sustainable Landscape Stewardship • Pollinator Habitat: o Creation and preservation initiatives planned for municipal gardens • Mayor’s Monarch Pledge: o Champion Status actions identified and planned with Village and GEPD • Bird City: o Achievements identified o Collaboration opportunities planned with GEPD and DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center (Willowbrook) • “Summer of the Monarch” Initiative: o Partnership with Downtown Alliance and Go Green Glen Ellyn o Focus: Promote residential engagement Waste – Recycling Services • April 11 Recycling and Reuse Event: o Flyer attached o Opportunity for business sponsor recognition with signage at event stations • Recycling and Reuse Education: o Planned inclusion in upcoming Village print and digital communications • New Corporate-Sponsored Programs: o Free everyday drop-offs for paint and battery recycling o Light bulb recycling available (free and for-fee options) • “Everyday Recycling” Guide: o Draft format complete o To be available at glenellyn.org/recycle Page 3 of 6  Environmental Commission 3 February 24, 2026 Engagement • ComEd Energy Audits: o Discussion regarding promotion for municipal, commercial, and residential participation • LOWV Idling Campaign: o Discussion regarding promotional efforts • Green Initiatives Webpage: o To serve as centralized landing page for environmental achievements and initiatives • Additional activities incorporated within items listed above IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Strategic Planning Priorities 2026 Monarch Pledge – Commissioner English made a motion to approve the 2026 Monarch Pledge as presented. Commissioner Miller seconded. The motion unanimously passed. 2026 Bird City Resolution – Commissioner Frigo made a motion to approve the amount of $200 to go towards the Bird City Resolution. Commissioner Day seconded. The motion unanimously passed. Tree Preservation Ordinance Update – Chair Truitt described her meetings and participation with the Morton Arboretum as well as key Village staff stakeholders regarding the development and implementation of a revised Tree Preservation Ordinance. The Commission discussed the different priorities that the revised Ordinance could include. Commissioner Truitt and Staff Liaison mentioned that the goal was to have three draft ordinances ranging from least stringent to most stringent to present to the Village Board. The Commission recommended including comparable communities in the analysis when presenting the Tree Preservation Ordinance to the Village Board. Recycling Extravaganza – Chair Truitt mentioned that the state is now offering a program for paint collection, as well as battery collection. Commissioner Casazza and Sheeley have been working on the marketing and communications associated with the event. Chair Truitt mentioned that she met with the Communications Coordinator with the Village and there will be an opportunity to add more components to the Village recycling webpage, as well as make the page evergreen. Commission Kwiatkowsky indicated that she wants the event to promote where certain refuse streams should be. Chair Truitt mentioned that she would like to shift the lens of the event to a “reuse” event. Chair Truitt mentioned that there will be a textile vendor at the event, which was a new addition to the vendor list. Quarterly E-News Topics and Spring Print Newsletter – Chair Truitt updated the commission that she is working on the content for the Spring Print Newsletter. Staff Liaison Barrett will get data from the Village refuse servicer on 2025 reporting. VII New Business Page 4 of 6  Environmental Commission 4 February 24, 2026 Environmental Impact Recommendations – 750 Roosevelt Road – Dutch Bros Drive- Through Restaurant – Chair Truitt introduced the discussion item. The Commission will provide environmental impact recommendations. Any recommendations will be forwarded to the Community Development staff to relay to the applicant. Chair Truitt provided a preliminary recommendations document to the Commission. The Commission provided feedback to the list as presented and made recommendations to additions, revisions, and deletions to Chair Truitt. The Commission recommended that “waste management” and “lighting” would be the top priorities for consideration. Zoning Code Update – Chair Truitt updated the Commission the Zoning Code Update. Two commissioners are invited to represent the Environmental Commission at the stakeholder group meeting with the Village zoning code consultant. Chair Truitt gauged the Commission's thoughts on what the two representatives should bring forward to that stakeholder group meeting. Sustainability Action Planning – Chair Truitt provided an update. She is meeting VII Next Meeting & Adjournment A. Commissioner Day motioned and Commissioner Miller seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 8:54 pm. The next EC meeting – March 17th, 2026 Submitted and Reviewed by Staff Liaison, J.D. Barrett Page 5 of 6  Glen Ellyn Environmental Meeting 4/21/2026 7:00 PM Commission Department: Administration 535 Duane Street Department Head: Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 Category: Discussion Item Prepared By: AGENDA ITEM (ID # 2026- DOC ID: 2026-316 316) Strategic Planning Priorities Statement of the Issue: Strategic Planning Priorities Analysis: - LAND Stewardship – Cultivate Green Infrastructure and Resilient Landscapes - Sustainable Landscapes - Tree Planting and Preservation - Tree Preservation Ordinance Update - WASTE Stewardship – Reduce Landfill Waste - Recycling - Recycling Extravaganza Recap - Recycling Alternatives - Composting - Review of Composting Dropoff Service - ENGAGE – Educate & Motivate - Communications - Digital Newsletter Volunteers - Strategic Planning - Sustainability Action Planning Checkpoint Budget Impact: Contribution to Strategic Plan Action Requested: Attachments: Page 6 of 6