[remote or in person] Board of Commissioners

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Utilities

Thursday, May 2, 2024
10:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. CDT

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100 East Erie Street Chicago, IL 60611 (Directions)

MWRD Headquarters, Board Room

You have the option to document this meeting in person or remotely, via live stream.

If you attend the meeting in person, an additional hour will be added to your pay for this assignment. You will be required to go through a metal detector and show government-issued photo ID.

If you choose to document this meeting remotely, visit/refresh https://mwrd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx at the scheduled meeting time. A link labeled “In Progress” will appear under the Video column for the corresponding meeting (though it may not be until at or a little after the scheduled start time).

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Eric Sutton

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Live reporting by Will Reynolds

Will Reynolds @willinois

Good morning! I'll be live tweeting/x-ing the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board of commissioners meeting for @CHIdocumenters at 10:30am. #CHIdocumenters

10:27 AM May 2, 2024 CDT

Will Reynolds @willinois 2/21

@CHIdocumenters The meeting starts on time at 10:30. After the usual opening ceremonies they start with public comments. I'm watching remotely.

Will Reynolds @willinois 3/21

The first public comment is by Tessa from Friends of the Chicago River, speaking in support of the green infrastructure partnership program.
She invites the board and public to participate in Chicago River Day.

Will Reynolds @willinois 4/21

Next speaker is Erin from Resource Environmental Solutions who wants an extension of a program regarding stormwater management.

Will Reynolds @willinois 5/21

Chicago River Day is May 11.
All rivers should have their own day, imo.

chicagoriver.org/get-involved/v…

Will Reynolds @willinois 6/21

The MWRD board begins meeting as a committee of the whole to discuss agenda items.
Commissioner Garcia is asking about agenda item 10 but response from staff is not audible online.

Will Reynolds @willinois 7/21

Commissioner Davis brings up agenda item 40 about the Green Infrastructure Partnership Project and thanks Friends of the Chicago River for their supportive comments.

Will Reynolds @willinois 8/21

A staff member, Dr O'Connor, speaks about green infrastructure projects underway. Many involve permeable pavement. "We're very excited about these projects."

Will Reynolds @willinois 9/21

Davis asks about project criteria and encourages new partnerships. Both talk about "DIAs" repeatedly without saying what that is.
O'Connor says equity is hard wired into their process.

Will Reynolds @willinois 10/21

President Steele thanks staff for a handout about the Green Infrastructure program, but it's not made available online. She wants to make sure they continue to serve disadvantaged areas.

Will Reynolds @willinois 11/21

Commissioner Spyropoulos praises the program. When the concept of green infrastructure was first raised she got skeptical reactions and side eyes. The district has come a long way.

Will Reynolds @willinois 12/21

Commissioner Corral Sepúlveda wants to make sure the entire county is served by the program fairly, including areas facing excessive flooding. Mentions a specific project that may not be a good return on investment.

Will Reynolds @willinois 13/21

Steele responds that many goals go into selecting projects. Suggests a meeting with Dr O'Connor to talk about details.
More info on the green infrastructure program:

mwrd.org/what-we-do/sto…

Will Reynolds @willinois 14/21

They adjourn the committee of the whole after passing the consent agenda and are taking a 5 minute break before reconvening as the MWRD board of commissioners regular meeting.

Will Reynolds @willinois 15/21

Coming back from recess, the clerk reads the title of all agenda items.
There will be a change in the board after the November election. Commissioner Pogorzelski lost the primary election to Sharon Waller. Info on her:

news.wttw.com/elections/vote…

Will Reynolds @willinois 16/21

They pass the consent agenda and then go into executive session to discuss a personnel issue.

Will Reynolds @willinois 17/21

I've been watching MWRD meetings for a while and it's unusual for them to enter executive session. This one feels unbearably long because I'm getting hungry for lunch.

Will Reynolds @willinois 18/21

MWRD returns from executive session. They take no action and President Steele doesn't say anything about what they discussed.
She recognizes Cinco de Mayo and Asian American and Pacific Islander month.

Will Reynolds @willinois 19/21

Commissioner Garcia recognizes May Day as an international day for workers' rights.
Corral Sepúlveda recognized an upcoming Greek Orthodox holiday. Also adds, "May the fourth be with you."

Will Reynolds @willinois 20/21

Commissioner Pogorzelski's mic keeps cutting out so I can't hear him. But he sings something in...Polish, I guess?

Will Reynolds @willinois 21/21

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board of commissioners adjourns at 11:55. This concludes my posting for #CHIDocumenters.

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Attachments

Meeting details

By India Daniels 5/2/2024

Notes

By Eric Sutton 5/2/2024

Agency Information

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

mwrd.org

(312) 751-6633

public.affairs@mwrd.org

@MWRDGC

See Documenters reporting

Created in 1889 as the Sanitary District of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) today is a special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for residents and businesses in its service area, which encompasses 882.1 square miles and includes Chicago and 128 suburban communities throughout Cook County.

The MWRD serves approximately 10.35 million people each day, including 5.25 million residents of Chicago and 128 suburban communities. To learn more about the agency’s management structure and departments, click here.