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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9 8 15 Minutes  Minutes    Tuesday,  September  8,  2015    6  PM   Robert  Gilliam  Municipal  Complex,  City  Hall   Second  Floor  South  Conference  Room   150  Dexter  Ct.,  Elgin,  IL  60120     A. Call  to  order  (chairperson)     B. Roll  Call  (staff  liaison)   Chairwoman  Knoerr  and  Commissioners  Aageson,  Frazier,  Hernandez,  Jacobs,  Keare,  Masterson,   and  Segel  present.       C. Approval  of  previous  meeting’s  minutes   August  2015  minutes  were  approved.     D. Communications   1. Welcome  recently  appointed  Commissioner  Amber  Keare.     E. Discussion  Items   1. Presentation,  “New  Stormwater  Management  Technologies  and  Funding  Sources”   Bryan  Miko,  Engineer  with  Advanced  Drainage  Systems,  Inc.,  will  present  on  new  ideas   and  technologies  being  utilized  across  the  country  for  dealing  with  the  increased   stormwater  demands  on  municipalities.    Both  engineering  practices  and  funding   mechanisms  will  be  the  central  focus  of  the  presentation.    Additionally,  a  short  segment   on  how  green  infrastructure  does  not  always  have  to  be  the  color  green  will  be  included.   Bryan  Miko  introduced  himself  and  his  company,  Advanced  Drainage  Systems,  Inc.  He’s  a   regional  engineer  that  works  a  lot  with  municipalities.  Bryan  is  a  new  resident  to  Elgin  and   he  wants  to  gauge  where  the  city  of  Elgin  is  at  with  water  projects,  and  what  they  may  be   looking  to  do  regarding  sustainability.  ADS,  Inc.  is  the  largest  recycler  of  HDPE.  He   described  stream  health  and  that  the  desired  impervious  cover  is  10%.  When  you  reach   above  10%,  there  are  negative  effects  for  the  entire  ecosystem.  They  help  provide   technologies  to  mimic  the  water  flow  and  water  volume  of  areas  prior  to  construction.   Their  strategy  is  to  attack  the  problem  at  its  source,  and  help  provide  funding  for   infrastructure  upgrades.  We  could  implement  a  green  infrastructure  incentive  program   based  upon  that.  Native  soils  don’t  tend  to  let  a  lot  of  infiltration  in.  ADS,  Inc.  are  experts   in  underground  detention/retention  systems,  and  there  are  a  variety  of  surface  and   subsurface  infiltration  systems.  He  explained  that  subsurface  infiltration  systems  have   superior  performance  in  cold  weather,  with  less  variability  than  surface  systems.  He  also   discussed  rainwater  harvesting,  like  rain  barrels  and  gray  water  applications,  which  are  use   both  above-­‐ground  and  below-­‐ground  storage  tanks.  Commissioner  Masterson  asked  what   he  would  recommend  for  repairing  watersheds  with  such  bad  erosion.  Bryan  explained   that  even  with  ordinances  in  place,  you  need  infrastructure  to  help.  There  are  several   factors  that  affect  each  creek/stream.  Commissioner  Frazier  said  that  while  the  city’s   efforts  are  minimal,  more  of  the  responsibility  falls  on  the  property  owners.  She  suggested   have  been  more  reactive  at  this  point,  when  we  communicate  our  ordinances,  so  we  that   are  making  more  of  an  effort  to  educate  people.  Commissioner  Hernandez  asked  since  he   moved  here  a  year  ago,  if  he  had  noticed  anything  in  particular  that  needs  work.   Commissioner  Frazier  said  he  should  definitely  sit  down  with  Kyla  to  talk  about  ways  to   help  the  Swan  and  eastern  Elgin  neighborhoods.  Liaison  agreed  to  send  Byran  Kyla   Jacobson’s  contact  information.  Bryan  described  FlexStorm,  a  product  collects  all  sediment   from  construction  runoff.  It  sits  under  the  grate  and  it  has  a  bypass  that  allows  water  to   flow  over  the  sides  with  high  flows,  but  sediment  in  first  flush  is  still  caught  in  the  fabric.   This  may  be  a  technology  the  city  of  Elgin  would  be  interested  in.     2. Solar  Ordinance       Discussion  on  permits  applied  for  and  issued  since  the  adoption  of  the  solar  ordinance,   and  how  we  can  help  market  this  option  to  residents.   Liaison  introduced  the  discussion  item  and  filled  in  commission  on  current  ordiance   standings.  The  city  of  Elgin  has  currently  only  had  one  application  for  solar,  and  given  a   permit  to  that  company.  Commissioner  Jacobs  brought  this  discussion  item  to  the  agenda   as  he  finds  the  current  ordinance  to  be  extremely  cumbersome,  costly,  and  overall  difficult   for  a  homeowner  to  both  obtain  the  permit  and  install  the  solar  panels.  In  his  experience,   he  had  to  hire  an  engineer  to  verify  a  brand  new  roof  was  in  place  could  handle  the  weight   of  a  solar  panel  on  the  roof.  This  seems  to  be  counter-­‐productive,  as  the  city  does  not   require  a  permit  to  get  a  new  roof,  which  is  much  heavier  in  comparison.  He  suggests  we   need  to  adopt  a  more  resident-­‐friendly  system,  and  he  believes  it  needs  to  be   fundamentally  changed.  There  was  no  advertising  to  community  groups,  in  monthly   newsletters,  etc.  to  educate  residents  on  the  ordinance.  He  suggests  that  how  would  one   cope  with  trying  to  put  solar  panels  on  their  building  as  well  as  rebates  and  tax  incentives   need  to  be  understood.  The  state  of  Illinois  has  stopped  grants  for  2015,  and  future  grants   will  depend  upon  how  the  state  budget  pans  out.  Federal  income  tax  gives  30%  credit  on   the  cost,  but  that  expires  at  the  end  of  2016.  Commissioner  Frazier  asked  how   Commissioner  Jacobs  would  like  the  ordinance  to  read  and  suggested  we  get  all  the  key   players  involved  in  a  discussion.  Commissioner  Jacobs  suggested  it  should  look  similar  to   other  nearby  city’s  solar  ordinances,  like  Aurora,  Schaumberg,  and  Naperville.   Commissioner  Aageson  commented  that  Aurora  teams  up  with  the  EPA,  where  they  put   the  city  on  their  website  and  help  promote  city  efforts.  Their  ordinances  are  less   restrictive.  The  City  of  Chicago  has  “solar  express,”  where  you  submit  an  application  and   receive  a  response  within  24  hours.  Commissioner  Frazier  asked  if  we  go  back  to  the   drawing  board  and  submit  another  amendment.  Commissioner  Masterson  suggested  we   do  our  homework  and  find  regional  municipalities  to  compare  their  ordinances  to  ours.   Chair  Knoerr  suggested  we  also  talk  to  installation  companies  to  see  what  issues  they  run   into  with  solar  legislation.  Commissioner  Keare  suggested  we  ask  the  communities   themselves  what  the  benefits  are,  what  they  are  getting  from  the  solar  ordinance,  success   rate,  how  many  people  are  doing  using  solar,  etc.  Commissioner  Jacobs  said  the  Illinois   Power  Association  could  help  advise,  and  maybe  we  should  ask  them  to  review  our   ordinance.  Commissioner  Masterson  agreed  to  look  into  solar  in  Oak  Park,  Evanston,  and   Rockford.  Commisioner  Jacobs  and  Chair  Knoerr  agreed  to  research  the  City  of  Chicago,   while  Commissioner  Aageson  looks  at  Aurora  and  Commissioner  Frazier  at  Naperville.   Commisioner  Keare  will  contact  Illinois  Power  Association  and  inquire  if  they  have  a  list  of   registered  contractors,  requirements,  etc.  Most  cities  have  it  set  up  their  ordinance  that  if   you  have  a  licensed  electrical  contractor,  that’s  all  you  need.  Commissioner  Aageson   suggested  we  also  ask  people  what  they  did  to  market  it  and  let  people  know  they  have   the  option  to  use  solar.  It  seems  most  of  the  issues  faced  with  our  ordinance  have  to  do   with  safety,  that  being  the  weight  of  the  solar  panels.  Commissioner  Jacobs  had  panels   that  were  5x5  feet,  each  weighing  4  pounds.  If  you  have  a  tree  blocking  solar  panel  area   (Item  8,  page  6),  you  are  required  to  have  a  tree  survey  to  see  what  trees  will  be  removed.   The  ordinance  also  says  utility  companies  must  be  notified.  The  main  topics  of  research   and  improvement  to  the  City  of  Elgin’s  current  ordinance  include  response  time,  utility   companies,  tree  issues,  solar  panel  weight  &  available  hookups,  marketing  of  opportunity,   number  permits  of  permits  issued,  and  whether  or  not  they  allow  leased  solar  panels.   Commissioner  Keare  asked  if  we  should  survey  residents  to  see  how  they  feel  about  solar   and  their  related  interest  levels.  There  was  a  suggestion  made  that  Commissioners  send   Liaison  ideas  for  questions  to  ask  other  localities  about  their  solar  power   ordinances.    Liaison  was  to  incorporate  all  suggestions  into  a  data  base/spreadsheet,   which  would  be  used  by  each  Commissioner  when  gathering  information  from  other  cities.   Commissioner  Masterson  motioned  for  everyone  to  do  his  or  her  research  and  we  would   discuss  the  item  further  at  our  October  meeting.  The  motion  was  passed.     3. 2016  Sustainability  Commission  Budget  Review   Review  proposed  budget  for  the  Sustainability  Commission  funds   Liaison  provided  a  breakdown  of  the  commission’s  2016  budget  into  4  categories  (Friends   of  the  Fox,  Mighty  Acorns,  Event  Sponsorship,  Education  &  Outreach).  The  commission  has   a  budget  of  $24,000  for  the  2016  year,  with  agreements  to  pay  $5000  to  Friends  of  the  Fox   and  roughly  $4000  to  the  Conservation  Foundation  for  Mighty  Acorns  programming  at   Hillcrest  Elementary.  The  commission  passed  the  budget  with  seven  in  favor,  and  one   abstention  (Commissioner  Segel).  Chair  Knoerr  suggested  we  need  a  project  that  people   can  see,  feel,  touch,  etc.  and  we  need  to  focus  on  that  project.  Chair  Knoerr  has  looked   into  projects  done  in  the  name  of  sustainability  and  transit  is  one  idea.  She  thinks  we  need   to  focus  on  a  big  community  project,  and  maybe  we  need  to  look  at  grants  for  funding,   than  relying  on  our  budget  that  can  be  spent  otherwise.       F. Old  Business   1. Plastic  Bag  Ordinance   Continued  discussion  on  the  research  and  possibility  of  developing  a  plastic  bag   ordinance  for  the  city  of  Elgin.   Commissioner  Masterson  discussed  his  research  and  that  many  things  suggested  engaging   with  big  retail  stores  and  entice  them  to  give  away  bags,  or  sell  that  at  a  very  reasonable   cost.  He  thinks  this  would  be  a  better  alternative  than  the  thick  plastic  option,  like  Chicago   is  using.  Commissioner  Keare  said  having  a  incentive,  like  5  cents  off  for  each  bag  you   don’t  use  is  an  option.  She  went  somewhere  and  they  let  her  put  her  name  in  a  raffle  for   bringing  her  own  bag,  and  liked  that  idea  as  well.  Commissioner  Jacobs  had  contacted  the   Meijer  environmental  compliance  and  sustainability  contact,  and  Meijer  is  not  currently   affected  by  a  plastic  bag  ordinance,  but  he’d  be  willing  to  work  with  us  on  a  local  policy.   Commissioner  Masterson  said,  “why  not  go  back  to  paper  bags?”  Commissioner  Aageson,   who  works  for  Aldi  Corporate,  said  either  big  box  stores  need  to  come  around  to  the  idea   or  we  will  need  to  impose  an  ordinance.  She  suggested  it  could  be  beneficial  to  have  on  a   survey  to  the  public  as  well.  Money  talks,  and  maybe  we  approach  companies  with  the   Aldi  business  model  of  efficiency  to  show  them  how  much  money  both  they  and   customers  could  save,  and  the  environment  would  win  too.    She  also  said  Ireland  enacted   such  an  ordinance  and  their  plastic  bag  use  went  down  94%.  It’s  working  in  other  places,  it   could  work  here.  Commissioner  Keare  suggested  it’s  like  smoking  in  restaurants,  there’s  an   uproar  at  first,  but  over  time,  it’s  embraced  and  becomes  the  norm.  Commissioner  Jacobs   suggested  we  work  with  Waste  Management  to  help  with  the  effort,  as  they  could  also   provide  insight  and  statistics.  Commissioner  Jacobs  said  that  he  would  contact  Waste   Management  to  learn  about  the  problems  associated  with  plastic  bags  in  the  garbage.   Chair  Knoerr  motioned  to  keep  this  item  on  Old  Business  for  next  meeting,  and  that  the   group  continue  to  research  this  topic  and  have  conversations.  The  motion  was  approved.     2. Partners  for  Places  grant  proposal   Continued  discussion  on  project  idea,  requirements,  and  timeline.     Chair  Knoerr  made  a  motion  to  table  this  item  until  next  meeting.  The  motion  was   approved.     3. Freedom  Field  trip   Discuss  marketing  plan  for  September  26  visit  to  Freedom  Field.   Liaison  will  post  and  boost  post  for  trip  on  City  of  Elgin  social  media  pages.  Commissioner   Masterson  made  a  motion  for  the  commission  to  pay  up  $150  for  promotion  of  the  event.   The  motion  was  approved.         G. Commissioner  comments/announcements   Liaison  stated  there  was  still  no  driver  arranged  for  the  Freedom  Field  trip,  but  she  would  update   on  the  status  via  email  as  soon  as  available.     H. Adjourn   A  motion  to  adjourn  was  passed.      The  City  of  Elgin  is  subject  to  the  requirements  of  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  (ADA)  of  1990.  Individuals  with  disabilities  who  plan  to  attend   this  meeting  and  who  require  certain  accommodations  in  order  to  allow  them  to  observe  and/or  participate  in  this  meeting,  or  who  have  questions   regarding  the  accessibility  of  the  meeting  or  the  facilities,  are  requested  to  contact  ADA  coordinator,  at  (847)  931-­‐6076,  or  TTY/TDD  (847)  931-­‐5616   promptly  to  allow  the  City  of  Elgin  to  make  reasonable  accommodations  for  those  persons.