Environmental, Forestry, & Sustainability Commission

Village of Winnetka Environmental, Forestry, & Sustainability Commission Meeting April 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM Winnetka Village Hall Council Chambers - 510 Green Bay Road AGENDA 1. Introduction & Chair's Remarks 2. Public Comments 3. Review and Approval of Minutes a. March 11, 2026 Meeting Minutes 4. Old Business Updates 5. New Business a. Prep for April 21 Council Meeting b. Solar event/ panel concept and organization c. Climate Action Plan update/ schedule d. Upcoming events: Waste program @ library, Switch Together @ Sketchbook, Chi River Day @ Lagoons 6. Communications 7. Committee/Staff Reports 8. Open Forum 9. Adjournment NOTICE All agenda materials are available at villageofwinnetka.org (Government > Council Information > Agenda Packets & Minutes); the Reference Desk at the Winnetka Library; or in the Manager’s Office at Village Hall (2nd floor). The Village of Winnetka, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, requests that all persons with disabilities who require certain accommodations to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting or have questions about the accessibility of the meeting or facilities, contact the Village ADA Coordinator, at 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois 60093, 847-716-3543; T.D.D. 847-501-6041. Page 1 of 4  WINNETKA ENVIRONMENTAL FORESTRY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES March 11, 2026 A record of a legally convened meeting of the Environmental and Forestry Commission of the Village of Winnetka, which was held in the Council Chambers at Village Hall, 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Call to Order: Chair Eck called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Voting Members present: Chair Peter Eck and Commissioners Gregory Frezados, King Poor, Ben Dietz, and Liz Kunkle. Members absent: Tim Ring, Dave Varca. A quorum of presently appointed members was present. Village Council Representative present: Kim Handler. Student Representative Present: Scarlett Harper. Student Representative Absent: Louisa Hernandez. Staff Liaison present: Elyse Steiner and Hannah Lipman. 1) Introduction & Chair’s Remarks: Chair Eck welcomed new commissioner Ben Dietz and new Deputy Village Manager Hannah Lipman. 2) Public Comment: Ellie Dunn, Winnetka resident and New Trier student, spoke about the threat of invasive Buckthorn to biodiversity and native plan species. The Village could do much more to eradicate Buckthorn including education, update the weed ordinance, and offer financial incentives. Tri Cross, Winnetka resident, spoke about utility billing for homeowners with solar panels to improve transparency into net metering of kWh generated to the grid. Also suggested benchmarking or comparisons to inform homeowners. 3) Review and Approval of Minutes a) Approval of the February Regular Meeting Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Poor, seconded by Commissioner Frezados to approve the minutes as presented. AYES: ECK, FREZADOS, KUNKLE, POOR. NAYS: NONE ABSENT: VARCA, RING 4) New Business Updates: Page 2 of 4  a) EFSC update to Council The EFSC periodic update is on the Council agenda for March 19. The EFSC reviewed the slides to finalize the content. Commissioners also agreed on recommendation to take no further action on ground-mount solar panels in the Village code at this time. b) Green Awards Commissioners discussed the nominations for North Shore Country Day School, the Park District, and resident Stacy Lucier. Commissioner Poor motioned and Commissioner Kunkle seconded awarding all three candidates. The consensus was unanimous that all three are deserving of recognition. Elyse will notify the winners and order the personalized awards. c) Green Events Guide There is a final draft of the Green Events Guide thanks to Commissioners Kunkle and Varca. The Guide makes recommendations for waste reduction, making decisions with sustainability in mind, communicating what goes where, and considering transportation options. The Guide will be added to the Village website. d) Speakers/ Topics for upcoming meetings EFSC members are interested in inviting Forester Andrew Lueck and Friends of the Green Bay Trail volunteer Bryan Lammers back to speak in May. They want to focus of the Buckthorn problem/ solutions and tree removal policies. e) Public Solar Event More planning needs to be done to plan a panel of speakers or other type of event to help residents interested in exploring solar energy. f) Compost Proclamation Commissioner Kunkle proposed supporting a compost proclamation. She will share some draft examples. Elyse and Hannah will work this internally and look for the right opportunity to bring it forward. 5) Communications: Elyse will share the next draft of the Climate Action Plan with the EFSC members when available. Page 3 of 4 6) Commission/Staff Reports: Chair Eck reminded commissioners about the Post Office survey. He also commented on the Tower Rd pier conditions. 7) Open Forum: 8) Adjournment: There being no further business, Chair Eck asked for a motion to adjourn which was moved by Commissioner Kunkle and seconded by Commissioner Frezados. The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote; the meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m. Page 4 of 4