Green Committee Minutes 2010 02-22-10
APPROVED 3/22/10
MINUTES
YORKVILLE GREEN COMMITTEE
February 22, 2010
7:00 P.M. – Yorkville Public Library
Mission Statement: To advise the City Council of the United City of Yorkville, Illinois on ways to enhance the
community environment and ways to equip and encourage citizens and businesses to participate in sustainable
ecological practices.
Call to Order:
Marta Keane called the meeting to order at 7:11 p.m.
Welcome Members and Guests: Members:
Marta Keane, Chair, Cheryl Lee, Mariann Manthei, Anne
Engelhardt, Richard Scheffrahn; City Staff Liaison Jackie Dearborn, and Public Relations Officer Glory
Spies. Guests: Jonathan Jackson, Citizen; Steve Lord from the Beacon News.
Approval of Minutes:
January Minutes. Al Scheffrahn motioned to accept the January 25, 21010
minutes. Manthei seconded the motion. Vote: All ‘yes’. Al Green pointed out a needed correction to one
word. Engelhardt motioned to make the change to the word. Scheffrahn seconded the motion. Vote: All
‘yes’.
New Business:
1.No Presentations Scheduled
2.Committee Caps and Visors – Engelhardt handed these out prior to the start of the meeting. The caps
and visors cost $12.60 each, which included tax.
3.Stormwater Management Program Plan – Joe Wywrot, City Engineer, has requested help from the
Yorkville Green Committee, specifically to provide information and evidence for two measurable
goals on the Stormwater Management Plan: “related to public education and outreach, and (b) goals
related to public participation and involvement” Wywrot will use documentation from any
discussions and recommendations from the Yorkville Green Committee which will help meet the
measurable goals.
4.Earth Hour 2010 - Saturday March 27. 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Marta would like to get a picture to show
the difference in light if the businesses in town participate. Lee will do an E-blast to the Chamber
through the Chamber’s Green Committee to encourage participation.
5.Yorkville School Green Efforts Update – Keane will contact Abitibi to get a report on the total of
paper deposited in the school bins. The environmental group at Yorkville High School is SAFE.
Engelhardt suggested inviting them to the Environmental Fair with an exhibit and to have a student
representative attend our meetings.
Committee Reports:
1.Environmental Fair Committee – Update, Discussion and Volunteer Sign-Up
2.Water Conservation Committee – Recommendations progress report
3.Plastic Bag Reduction
4.Chamber Green Committee
Engelhardt motioned to accept the reports as written. Scheffrahn seconded. Vote: All ‘yes.”
Recommendation Progress Reports:
1.Tree Survey Recommendation
2.Tree City Recommendation
3.Electronic Recycling Perm Program progress – sign update. Dearborn showed a picture of the design
for the sign for the E-waste site.
4.Franchise Agreement Recommendation – to be assigned
5.Recycling in Parks, Athletic Fields, etc
6.Budget Line Items – Deposits, Expenses
Engelhardt motioned to accept the reports as written. Scheffrahn seconded. Vote: All ‘yes.”
Old Business:
1.Clean Air Counts – no action
2.Zoning Ordinance Committee Update – next meeting Feb. 24
Scheffrahn is the Green committee representative on this committee.
3.Kendall County Solid Waste Plan Update – Public hearing was held on 2/4/2010. Public comments
can be submitted until March 4, 2010.
4.Wind Turbine Ordinance Progress - Wrigley Gum business is considering putting up a wind turbine.
5.Cool City Challenge Action Plan – no action
6.Rain Garden – City Rain Garden Progress
Additional Business:
1.Report from Jackie Dearborn, Green Committee Staff Liaison
Franchise Agreement is still being handled of Bart Olson’s
2.Lee reported that the Chamber of Commerce’s Green Committee is formally promoting and giving
recognitions to Green Businesses.
3.Discussion about letter to editor, drafted by Engelhardt. Discussion gave direction to Engelhardt to
divide the letter: first half for paper this week, March 22; send in second part the Monday after the
Environmental Fair. All agreed to add names to the letters. Engelhardt will Email the newly drafted
letters to receive Emailed signatures.
4.Discussion on Bloom boxes, from a recent report on 60 Minutes. The Bloom box is a device, using
stacks of fuel cells, to generate power on the spot without going into the electric grid. Large
corporations testing the Bloom boxes include Google, EBAY, Staples, and Wal-Mart. The large
boxes have $700,000 price tag, while Bloom envisions that in the future smaller boxes will cost about
$3000 for residential use.
Adjournment:
Keane adjourned the meeting at 7:56.