Environmental Quality Commission

DRAFT MINUTES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION VILLAGE OF NORTHBROOK September 17, 2015 Chairman Reynolds called the EQC meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Shermer Study of the Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane. The following Members were in attendance: Chairman Jeremy Reynolds, Members Michael Beeftink, Scott Robson, Dale Duda and Brian Bruce. A full quorum was met. Also Present: Staff Liaison Emily Creer Members absent: Member Marjorie Satten Minutes The minutes of the August 20, 2015 meeting were reviewed. Member Brian Bruce requested 1000 Skokie/Dundee be changed to the 2300 block of Waukegan. A motion was made by Member Bruce and seconded by Member Robson to approve the minutes as altered. On a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. Chairman’s Report New Member Search Chairman Reynolds noted an additional member was still needed to have a full committee. There was a discussion about how to get additional new members with diverse backgrounds. All members were asked to reach out to those in the community who might be interested. Citizen Concerns Hear from the Audience There were no members of the public who wished to speak. Village a. Strategic Planning Staff Liaison Creer walked the Commission through the strategic planning work sheet outlining the discussion of strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the Commission. The strengths of the Commission were noted. The Commission has diverse members and lots of expertise on the topic of the environment. It also has a good relationship with the board as noted through the green building ordinance. In terms of weaknesses, the members noted that the green building ordinance is currently out of date and needs to be redone; there is a need for increased engagement of the public. Chairman Reynolds commented he would like the Commission to be reactionary and more involved in decision making. They also noted being asked for input from the Board is desired. The final weakness mentioned was the lack of having a complete Commission, making decision-making difficult. In terms of opportunities, there was mention of community events that the Commission could participate in such as Earth Day and the Farmers Market. Member Duda requested that staff participate in the upcoming Green Day at the Farmers Market. The newsletter was mentioned as an opportunity to get the Commission to be more well-known. Member Duda suggested getting involved in the Monarch Project by having staff look into using Milkweed in the Village-owned detention ponds. She also suggested the Commission be involved in the farmers market regularly. Chairman Reynolds mentioned the desire to have a layer in GIS that showed the rain gardens in town and to develop an adopt-a-river program. The threats to the Commission were noted as limited staff time, limited resources such as money and a lack of a complete Commission. New Business No new business was discussed. Next Meeting The next regular meeting of the EQC will be held on October 16, 2015. Adjourn Member Bruce made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m. The motion was seconded by Member Duda. On a voice vote, the motion passed. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Emily Creer_ Liaison