Green Committee Minutes 2008 04-14-08 United City of Yorkville Green Committee Meeting
Seventh Meeting—April 14, 2008APPROVED
The meeting was called to order by Jill Fleishman at 7:15 pm
Present:
Stephanie Bretteher, City of Yorkville liaison
Anne Engelhardt, Member
Jill Fleishman, Chair
Al Green, Member
Laura Haake, City of Yorkville Parks Designer
Debbie Horaz, Member
Marta ISeane, Secretary
Mariann Manthei, Member
Joe Plocher, Alderman
Robyn Sutcliff, Alderman
Committee Members Absent: Tony Graff, Chuck Roberts, Phil Stuepfert, Ralph Pfister,
Guests: Cheryl Lee, Guest (C/Lee Design-Build, Inc), Tedd Lunderquist,
Minutes:
Minutes from March 24 meeting approved as presented, moved by Al Green, seconded by Mariann
Manthei,unanimous.
E-Scrap Permanent Collection Program
Ms. Engelhardt attended a meeting with the City's grant writer to obtain a grant for an electronic
recycling drop-off. Bart Olson and Eric Dhuse from the Public Works Department attended the meeting
as well. Location possibilities and costs under various scenarios were discussed. The grant from DCEO
is up to $60,000; it requires matching funds of at least 25%. The project is now primarily on the City
staff shoulders. Space issues arose at the meeting and the idea of a mobile trailer was discussed. Ms.
K.eane's e-mail regarding the grant, the cost of pick-up with a CDL's licensed driver using a semi-trailer
and the possible lower cost of using non-CDL driver with a 24' truck was discussed.
Water Conservation Seminar
Ace Hardware will be at the April 28`h presentation with raffle items for attendees. Cheryl Lee will be
there with some energy saving appliances and presenting ways builders may help homeowners reduce
water usage. Ms. Fleishman has some pamphlets that will be placed on Ms Lee's table and a box of
water reduction devices that will be given as a door prize.
There needs to be a few extra people to assist with greeting attendees, assist with rain barrel sales and to
assist with CFL distribution. All assistants should be at the library by 6:00 p.m. The Environmental Law
&Policy Center will be setting-up much earlier and will be bringing some refreshments.
The Conservation Foundation will not be present but we need to have at least 30 people to sign-up for
the barrels to get the price of$50 per barrel. Ms. Lee offered to take the Rain Barrel sign-up sheets to
St. Patrick's Building Green and Energy Efficient event scheduled for April 26`h. Ms. Engelhardt offered
to take the Rain Barrel sign-up sheets to the showing of Inconvenient Truth at the Yorkville
Congregational Church on April 20`h.
Tree Ordinance
Laura Haake, City Park Planner, covered the existing landscape ordinance. She explained that a
landscape plan for a new development includes a tree inventory, tree removal plans, sign plans, street
plans, etc. If any trees are considered highly valued but must be removed, a replacement is required—for
instance a 30" diameter tree removed requires 6 smaller diameter trees be planted as part of the
landscape plan when the development plan is submitted. If a 30" diameter tree is removed after the plan
approval that was not designed in the original removal plan, then the developer must replace it with 12
trees.
In response to questions, Ms. Haake stated that plans are created to require spacing of trees to allow for
tree maturity widths. These requirements do not apply to single home properties, but apply to larger
parcels being developed.
Many questions arose about various development and single-family parcels related to tree loss. Ms.
Haake explained that the first step might be to do a citywide tree inventory to learn where trees are
needed, what trees are highly valued, etc. A tree canopy ordinance can be enacted to differing degrees,
targeting only lots being improved (subject to building permits) or all parcels. These types of programs
do have costs. A tree inventory may cost $650 to $850 per day, while a strict tree canopy ordinance may
require full-time arborists or contracted oversight.
Currently one tree is required every 50 linear feet, two are required on corner lots, one on each street.
At this time the engineering department checks the trees that builders plant, but the engineers are not
arborists and don't always recognize if trees are planted properly or if the species is appropriate. Part of
Ms. Haake's job is to assist the engineering department but a staff arborist would be more appropriate.
The City has funding available for an inventory of street right-of-way trees. Ms. Lee suggested
contacting a high school teacher (Tony Robbins) to arrange to have students inventory trees as part of a
class that already includes some outdoor tree identification. Everyone liked the idea of partnering with
the school but then how much additional time would this project take? If this project is delayed, more
trees would remain unprotected. The concept generally accepted was a contractor might be asked to
work with students, if Mr. Robbins agreed to incorporate some of the work into his class schedule;but to
keep the tree inventory project on a feasible time schedule, working with students should not become a
requirement.
Ms. Lee volunteered to ask Tony Robbins, a Yorkville High School teacher, if he would be willing to
utilize students as part of his curriculum to perform any of the tree inventory duties. Ms. Fleishman
asked Ms. Lee to work with Ms. Horaz to create a recommendation to the City from the Committee
requesting funding of a professional Parkway Tree Inventory and a teacher/student private property
survey. Ms. Fleishman suggested this recommendation be ready for the April 22"d City Council
Meeting to be presented with the Water Conservation ordinance.
Alderman Sutcliff suggested contacting alderman prior to a meeting to explain our upcoming
recommendations.
Special Joint Meeting Invitation
On May 20" the Yorkville City Council will be meeting with the Oswego City Council in a special
meeting. The Green Committee has been invited to attend this special joint meeting. The time has not
been set but Ms. Boettcher will let us know via e-mail soon.
Water Ordinance
AI Green gave a brief description of the fully rewritten water ordinance that will be e-mailed to
everyone tomorrow, The Committee was asked to provide feedback via e-mail so this can be presented
at the next Public Works Committee meeting. Emphasis was placed on educational elements including
public outreach including presentations such as the Committee has already arranged, door hangers,
brochures, newsletter articles, usage contests between residents, student poster contests, rain garden
contests, effluent water treatment, etc.
The second part of the plan addresses conservation through ordinances. Peale demand rates after a base
amount, building codes for fixtures, banning of sod (although such a step is unlikely — simply
encouraged), addressing sod requirements in homeowner associations, encouraging native plantings,
replacement trees on private property and not just in parkways.
Announcements
Ms. Fleishman expressed appreciation to AI Green for all his work on revising this draft water
conservation ordinance.
Ms. Fleishman received several calls this week, including one from Mr. Cliff dahp and wants a speaker
to attend the May 6`h Lions Club about the Green Committee's activities.
A request was made from an apartment dweller that wants recycling. We should make this an item on a
future Committee meeting.
A complaint was made regarding the water park development in light of the Committee's effort to
reduce water usage. The park recycles water but is still expected to utilize 6 million gallons a year due
to evaporation. A conservation consideration plan was made by the park development in conjunction
with the Bristol Bay subdivision development. It includes swales and a passive recreational facility. A
question was raised as to what happens to the water at the end of the season and Ms. Fleishman hoped to
have an answer by the next meeting. Ms. Engelhardt suggested that the newspaper should put an article
together on these issues,
Ms. Engelhardt and Ms. Fleishman met with Bob Browning of LLC to learn how the transfer station
proposed for Plano will operate. They acknowledged that the facility will do some valuable recycling of
yard waste but the City of Yorkville will be negatively impacted by traffic from this site. The City of
Yorkville has written a letter to the Village of Plano about this issue and no further action will be taken
by the Committee but individual action is encouraged. Alderman Sutcliff suggested e-mailing Plano
alderman directly.
A survey was developed for Committee members to express their perspectives on being a member of the
committee, on how issues are being handled by the committee and to provide suggestions for
improvements. Ms. Fleishman requested its completion and return by the next meeting.
A press release was passed out by Ms. Boettcher about the Building Green and Energy Efficient Homes
Expo. at St. Patrick's Church. It will be on April 26 from 9am-3pm.
Meeting adjourned at 9:17pm