Environmental Improvement Commission

Tuesday, January 26, 2021 7:30 I. Call to Order: Chairman Ted Witte called the meeting to order at 7:30. Present on Zoom were Shamili Ajgaonkar, Cathy Coleman, Nancy Flynn, Tony Majszak, Brian McKee, Kay McKeen, Tony Pope, David Popham, Allison Torrence, and Bob Young. Absent were Bill Cavanaugh and Christine Richardson. Also in attendance on Zoom was Jacqueline Reed, a Wheaton resident and COD student who was attending for a class. II. Approval of Minutes: Bob moved that the minutes from the November meeting be approved. Tony Pope seconded. The minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote. III. Budget Report: Bob reported that our expenditures for fiscal year 2020 totaled $6,002.36. This left $15,497.64 unspent, due to cancelled events, especially the Native Plant Sale. IV. Public Comment: None V. Reports: 1. Electronic Recycling (Jan. 9): Tony Pope reported that 275 cars came through, and 66% were Wheaton residents. Over 200 fluorescent bulbs were processed and 25 gallons of cooking oil were collected. The oil bin was full and has been collected, and the holiday lights have been picked up. Kay received a report from DuPage County which showed that Wheaton collected over 155,000 pounds of electronics in 2020, in spite of being closed in April and May. VI. Upcoming Projects: 1. Electronics Recycling (Feb. 13): Tony Pope, Bob, Kay, and David will work this event. 2. Arbor Day (Apr. 30): Wiesbrook and Sandburg Schools planted trees in October and held ceremonies with individual classes. This year’s event will be at Jefferson Preschool and a native sugar maple will be planted. 3. Recycling Extravaganza (Apr.10): This is the second Saturday, the regular electronics weekend, so electronics, textiles, scrap metal, and cooking oil will be collected in the parking lot. Kay has the DuPage County Sheriff’s office collecting syringes and possibly medicine, Working Bikes, three shredding trucks, Flat Can for aerosol paint, Lion’s Club for eyeglasses and hearing aids, SCARCE for books and records, and hopefully Ace Hardware for liquid paint. VII. Unfinished Business: 1. Nurses’ Closet: postponed due to COVID 2. New Green Plan/Strategic Plan: City did a survey of citizens. Most of the environmental action items will take place post-COVID. Shamili and Nancy will work to identify a process for  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 26, 2021 nominating and selecting people who live or work in Wheaton and have made an environmental impact on our city for the Green Citizen Award. 1. Battery Recycling: Kay is working with a company to set a price. At electronics recycling the batteries would be weighed and residents would be charged by the pound. The company would collect the batteries. Meanwhile, Lowe’s on Army Trail in Carol Stream collects batteries and takes them to Zeus, which remains closed to the public. 2. No Idling Signs: no report 3. Native Plant Sale planning: Tony Pope reported that the event application has been submitted and is awaiting approval from the event committee. He shared the plan for the event to be held in the yard area, so it will be outside. The plants can be closed into the bins overnight. Customers will park in the commuter lot at Carlton and Liberty, walk down the sidewalk and enter at the yard entrance, shop, and exit through a gate that leads to the commuter lot. Payment will be by check or charge only. Kay moved that we allot $10,600 for the Possibility Place order; Allison seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Kay moved that we allot $6000 for the Midwest Groundcover order; Allison seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Rain barrels will again be available by preorder. Tony will investigate what signs for social distancing and masks are available from the park district and/or the City and if there are any Plexiglas partitions they could borrow. VIII. New Business: 1. Funding for EIC events: Kay moved that we allot up to $400 for the Arbor Day tree; Bob seconded. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 2. DuPage Animal Care and Control is seeking newspaper for use in their facility. 3. PADS is seeking individually wrapped disposal silverware like you receive with carryout meals. There is a plastic bin in front of their facility on Liberty to collect it. 4. Kay worked with the DuPage County Sheriff’s office to designate the first parking space for residents dropping off medicine and syringes. IX. Adjournment: Cathy moved that the meeting be adjourned. Bob seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35. The next regular EIC meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2021, at 7:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Cathy Coleman 2