Green Committee Minutes 2010 04-26-10
APPROVED 5/24/10
Meeting Notes
YORKVILLE GREEN COMMITTEE
April 26, 2010
7:00 P.M. -
Yorkville 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:
Keane called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. No quorum; we will have discussion, but no
formal votes taken.
Welcome Members and Guests:
Members: Marta Keane, Anne Engelhardt, Mariann Manthei, Richard
Scheffrahn; Jackie Dearborn, City Staff Liaison; Guest speaker – Paul LaLonde, Director of Kendall Area
Transit (KAT); Citizens: Julie Fisher, Dina Wisniewski.
Approval of Minutes:
Approval of the March minutes is postponed until next meeting, due to lack of
quorum.
Presentation:
Paul LaLonde (KAT). LaLonde explained that the public transportation helps the
environment. KAT took five years to get started in Yorkville. Jeff Wilkins was instrumental in bringing this
to Kendall County. Currently, the KAT office is located in the basement of the Old Kendall County
Courthouse.
Six busses are 12-passenger; one bus is a 22-passenger.
Riders must be registered.
A “Rider’s Guide” is given out to registered users.
The Dial-a-Ride program means that a person calls to arrange a ride from point A to point B, which is
considered a trip. KAT needs 2 – 6 days’ advance notice to line up the trips on their routes.
Kids’ parents will schedule the rides in advance. Kids must be 12 years old to ride alone. A
dispatcher schedules the rides.
KAT is for everyone in county, with priorities for seniors and those with disability.
Trips may be for social occasions, medical appointments, or shopping. KAT will give rides to
anywhere in the county where the roads are safe.
Parents must bring infant and/or toddler seats for young children.
Wheelchairs are definitely allowed.
Trips may be planned to go out of Kendall County for special circumstances. 99% of trips outside of
community will be to locations in contributing communities. Destinations might include Fox Valley
Mall, Train Station, etc.
KAT Started on March 22, 2010. In the first two weeks of Marc, they scheduled 8 rides a day; next
two weeks, they had 16 rides per day.
DeKalb County Transit program averages77,000 rides per year, with Monday - Friday averaging 200
rides per day. DeKalb is about the same size county as Kendall.
Publicity is out to public places and events in the contributing communities.
Farther into the future, some busses will serve a “semi-fixed” route, with designated points at certain
times of the day. The entire county will need to be on-board and ridership numbers higher.
If a group of people are going to the same event, cost must be considered. Individuals, who are
registered, may call in ahead to go places as a group.
Mornings and noon to early afternoon are more demanded times.
KAT is not allowed to do “charter service” via a third party
Curb-to-curb is $3.00 in county, $2.00 more outside of county. Door-to-door is $5.00 in county,
$2.00 additional to a destination to outside of county.
KAT relies on donations and contributions from other agencies and organizations. Senior Services
and RTA have made contributions.
Eventually the goal is to expand the hours of operation to 9 p.m.
New Business:
1.Kendall County Bus Transit Presentation
2.Earth Day this year and next – Keane requested that a sub-committee or member be responsible
for an article about Earth Day from the Green Committee.
Committee Reports:
1.Environmental Fair Committee 2010 and 2010-04-26
2.Share & Care Recycling Event – Fall 2010 Planning
Engelhardt reported that Mike Drendel, President of the Kendall County Fair Grounds said that
the site is available on October 16, 2010 for the Share and Care Recycling Event. There is a
concern over what building we will use. Recycling Day in 2009 was cold with light rain.
Engelhardt suggested that the Recycling Day in 2010 use the Smith Building, which was used in
2008, unless the weather causes the grounds to be too soft. Engelhardt is concerned about getting
a contract in place and has not been able to establish contact with Marlin Hartman of the Kendall
County Health Dept. to learn if the County will sponsor the Fairgrounds again. Engelhardt will
give Drendel a verbal date confirmation until the details are determined
3.Water Conservation Committee – recommendations progress report
a.Storm water Management Program Plan
4.Plastic Bag Reduction
5.Chamber Green Committee – update
Recommendation Progress Reports:
1.Tree Survey Recommendation – progress report
2.Tree City Recommendation
3.Electronic Recycling Perm Program – progress – sign update, Jan and Feb totals
4.Franchise Agreement Recommendation – to be assigned to PW committee
5.Recycling in Parks, Athletic Fields, etc. - grant update
6.Budget Line items – Deposits, Expenses
Old Business:
1.Clean Air Counts
2.Earth Hour 2010 Report
3.Yorkville School Green Efforts Update
4.Building Code Update Committee
a.Update on ASHRAE STD 189.1
5.Zoning Ordinance Committee Update – next meeting Feb. 24
6.Wind Turbine Ordinance Progress
7.Cool City Challenge Action Plan
8.Rain Garden – City Rain Garden Progress
Additional Business:
1.Jackie Dearborn reported.
a.Grand Reserve requested a Green Committee member to participate in their school’s Earth
Day program on April 30. Both Dearborn and Engelhardt replied to the Email.
b.Grant has been received for the Recycling Cans made of recycled plastic lumber for the
parks.
c.Progress on tree survey. More than 8000 trees have been identified in the city’s parkways.
d.Recommendation needs to be sent t o Mayor regarding request for electronic recycling on
Saturdays.
e.There will be no spraying for mosquitoes except for catch basins.
f.Dearborn will be attending the Clear Air meeting in Oak Park on May 6.
2.Dart Container – Polystyrene Recycling. With members of the YCUCC Green Group, Engelhardt
recently toured DART in North Aurora which recycles polystyrene. Styrofoam is a brand name
and the real name of the material is polystyrene, also known as plastic #6. The foam material is
compressed into cubes so it can be transported more efficiently. DART offers machines to
businesses that can compact the plastic. Keane added that when she spoke to the company over
the phone, they said they lease these machines, and then they pick up the material in its
compacted form.
Engelhardt suggested having a polystyrene compacting machine at the Share and Care Recycling
Event and promoting polystyrene recycling in a series of articles prior to the event. Marta
expressed concern that by providing recycling we could be encouraging more people to choose
polystyrene products.
Guest Julie Fisher stated that many people who participate in recycling programs don’t
understand items are actually accepted for recycling, and she suggested that putting an article in
the local paper and/ or the utility bill to list what items are commonly accepted in curbside
programs. The Green Committee agreed that this was a good suggestion and will follow up on it.
Keane adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.
2010 Meeting Schedule
March 22 May 24 July 26 Sept 27 Nov 22
April 26 June 28 Aug 23 Oct 25 No Dec Meeting