Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission

Memorandum TO: Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commissioners FROM: _______________________________________________________________________ Andrew D. DeCanniere, Commissioner, Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission DATE: June 12, 2025 SUBJECT: May 27, 2025 Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission (SEAC) Meeting Minutes Meeting was called to order at 7:07 PM in Conference Room D/E at Skokie Village Hall Present: Chairperson Jennifer Grossman, Commissioners Christopher Buccola, Andrew DeCanniere, Michael Gershbein, Lisa Gotkin, Alma Likic, Olivia Mahoney, Rick Moskovitz, Emily Okallau, Robert Render, Charles Saxe, Assistant to the Public Works Director / Staff Liaison Elizabeth Zimmerman Absent: Vice Chair Jim McNelis I. Approval of Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Okallau to approve the minutes from the March 4, 2025 meeting of the Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission, seconded by Commissioner Mahoney. The minutes were approved as presented. II. Old Business a. Guide to Recycling and Disposal Programs Staff Liaison Zimmerman noted that the newly redesigned and updated Village of Skokie Guide to Recycling and Disposal Programs has been uploaded to the website, and thanked Commissioner DeCanniere for his work on it. Commissioner DeCanniere stated that the guide was a collaborative effort, incorporating suggestions from Sustainability Coordinator Sanzenbacher and Staff Liaison Zimmerman. b. Spring Greening Staff Liaison Zimmerman recapped this year’s Spring Greening, highlighting some of the statistics that she felt to be most pertinent. Page 1 of 4  These included the following: • 22.5 tons of documents were shredded. • Lots of other recyclables were collected. Among these were textiles, paint, construction materials, baby gear, bicycles, batteries, and much more. • 18.8 tons of electronics were collected for recycling. • There were 1,489 vehicles in the south lot, along with 722 vehicles in the north lot. • Participation was at a record high. She also discussed the potential to promote other one-day drop-off events in the vicinity, so that people are aware of the other opportunities that exist in the area as well. c. Hefty ReNew giveaway program Staff Liaison Zimmerman noted that Chairperson Grossman and Commissioners Gotkin and Gershbein handed out Hefty ReNew Starter Kits at the Winter Market in April, and thanked them for doing so. There was a lot of interest in the program overall. An item on Hefty ReNew is also forthcoming in the Village’s e-newsletter (The Scoop). d. Electric Lawn Equipment Rebates Staff Liaison Zimmerman discussed the rebate program for electric lawn equipment. Rebates were $100 for electric mowers and $50 for electric leaf blowers. The program has been completed with 34 electric mowers and 13 leaf blowers. III. New Business a. Sustainability in the FY26 Budget Prior to the meeting, Sustainability Coordinator Sanzenbacher provided all Commissioners with a document outlining environmental sustainability projects among the scheduled capital improvement projects for FY26. Staff Liaison Zimmerman and Commissioners discussed the various items highlighted within this document. Commissioner Saxe inquired as to the color temperature of the LEDs that are to be used in the upgraded light fixtures within the community. Page 2 of 4 Commissioner Buccola noted that there are fixtures that are certified for dark skies. Commissioner Saxe inquired as to the Lawler Avenue improvement mentioned under the Complete Streets section. Discussion ensued as to the use of concrete versus asphalt on some Village streets, as well as the potential to use a more eco-friendly type of concrete. Chairperson Grossman inquired about electric vehicle (EV) chargers for the Village’s new EVs. Staff Liaison Zimmerman said that the Police Department just received new fast chargers, and that there will be new chargers at Village Hall. ComEd has some rebates available for EV chargers. Additional discussion ensued. b. Updating the Village’s Website Staff Liaison Zimmerman stated that there is an overhaul of the Village website underway, and solicited feedback from Commissioners. General discussion of the website ensued, including various improvements that could potentially be made (e.g. ways in which it could be made easier to search and navigate through the site). c. Establishment of 25 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit for Village Wide Residential Streets Chairperson Grossman noted that, at the previous Village Board meeting, a presentation was given about traffic controls, as well as about establishing a 25 mile per hour speed limit (with some exceptions). Discussion ensued. d. Residential Sustainability Awards Commissioner Gershbein noted that nominations have not been received. Commissioner DeCanniere suggested promoting the Residential Sustainability Awards by making information regarding the program available at the Skokie Public Library, Skokie Park District facilities, schools within the Village, and at other locations that may be regarded as centers of the community, just as we previously discussed making climate- related health and safety information available via these venues. Page 3 of 4 IV. Other Business The ComEd rate increase was discussed, as was the Community Solar Program and the Village’s agreement with MC Squared Energy Services. V. Public Comment No public comments were received. VI. Next Meeting At the conclusion of the meeting, the exact date of the June meeting was yet to be determined. Update: On May 29, 2025, it was determined that the next meeting of the Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission will take place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. VII. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM with a motion from Commissioner Gershbein, seconded by Commissioner Saxe. Page 4 of 4