Committee of the Whole

Village of Mount Prospect Committee of the Whole Meeting Agenda 50 S. Emerson St. Mount Prospect, IL 60056 January 13, 2026 Village Hall - 3rd Floor Board Room 6:00 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD 4. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4.1. Sustainability Plan Implementation: Update Report, Direction and Next Village Actions 5. VILLAGE MANAGER'S REPORT 5.1. As submitted 6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING BUT BECAUSE OF A DISABILITY OR NEEDS SOME ACCOMMODATION TO PARTICIPATE, SHOULD CONTACT THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S OFFICE AT 847/392-6000, EXTENSION 5327 Page 1 of 32  Item Cover Page Subject Sustainability Plan Implementation: Update Report, Direction and Next Village Actions Meeting January 13, 2026 - MEETING OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Fiscal Impact N/A Dollar Amount N/A Budget Source N/A Category DISCUSSION ITEMS Type Action Item Information The Village's 2025-2026 Strategic Plan called for an updated report, direction, and next Village steps relating to the implementation of the Village's 2023 - 2028 Sustainability Implementation Guide. The attached report therefore includes a recent update highlighting key sustainability initiatives and an anticipated next step for each of the actions included in the implementation guide. It also reviews actions left to be completed, community input- focused items, and staff recommended actions. Discussion The Village has made several notable accomplishments in the world of sustainability following the implementation of the Village's 2023-2028 Sustainability Implementation Guide. Outcomes and achievements like these are the direct byproduct of a community, staff, and board who all came together and prioritized items that were relevant, and then took the appropriate steps to bring the vision into reality. The Village has a history of valuing sustainability; being an early adopter of recycling during the '80s, being the first community in the area to adopt a Styrofoam collection, and being an active participant in Tree City USA for 40 years, amongst many other initiatives. These achievements and many more highlight the attention Mount Prospect puts into sustainability. All items from the Sustainability Implementation Guide are broken down and presented in a way to show accountability for what has been completed and show what is to come next. Taking the time to review the current course for the Village is important. The topic of sustainability is fluid with many ways for individuals, businesses, and community groups to make a more sustainable future. An update allows the community a moment to review current progress and direction to determine the appropriate route to move forward with. The attached update report focuses on some of the key items that were completed this previous year. 2025 saw the creation of new programs, initiatives, and a significant number of action items being acted upon. Looking further down the road, beginning now in 2026, a list of potential action items are included for consideration. These items are created as a result of Page 2 of 32 many different factors. Certain actions are carried over from the Implementation Guide, items that have yet to be completed and may require additional planning or resources to help make them be achievable. Some items were created as a result of the Village's strategic planning process and these items complement the Village's Sustainability Goals. Lastly, some items are the result of staff and the Village's Sustainability Committee coming together to consider topics that are emerging regionally and items that are of key importance to the broader sustainability community. All future focused items in the plan represent a view that is "a snapshot in time". Priorities can always change, and it's anticipated that not all of these items will be completed moving forward and some may evolve into equally relevant but different actions. It's important to consider these items with the current limitations faced and decide if it is important to advance these items, add new items, or potentially reprioritize items. Alternatives N/A Staff Recommendation This is for discussion purposes and an opportunity for feedback directed to staff. Attachments 1. 2025 Sustainability Report (2) Page 3 of 32  Village of Mount Prospect Sustainability 2025 Report 50 S. EMERSON STREET MOUNT PROSPECT, IL 60056 1 Page 4 of 32  green prospect The Village’s success in advancing the 2023 Sustainability Plan is no small task. Every Department, and individual in those Departments helped play a role in accomplishing this monumental goal. There work is not the end or the beginning, it is one chapter in the Village’s story. 2 Page 5 of 32 Sustainability - Understanding the Plan The Village’s 2023 Sustainability Implementation Guide created a wide range of action items intended to be completed before the end of 2028. Each action item falls under a larger goal that was prioritized by the Village Sustainability Committee. In addition to action items, each goal also includes Management in progress items that were in the process of implementation when the guide was created. Management in progress items and future actions items are followed by the challenges and opportunities associated with each goal. These items and the full entirety of the guide provided the framework for sustainability goals in the Village. While the Village and the community have made strides toward completing the plan that was put forward, it is important to consider that this initiative will never truly be completed . The majority of goals and actions require varying levels of follow-up or additional activity after the listed item is completed. A large portion of the items are communication-related or involve sharing information on sustainability topics. Actions such as “Promote the Village’s solar program for increased participation” require ongoing communication on these topics. For communication-related actions, it is possible to share information once and then consider the actions accomplished. However, effective long-term sustainability success involves changing people’s habits over time and ensuring 3 Page 6 of 32 those changes last. Continued sharing of information is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. With social media being the dominant medium through which people receive information, many ongoing communication-related items will need to be consolidated into a long-term sustainability communications roadmap. In addition to actions with an exclusive focus on communication, some actions in the plan include a continued participation element, such as “continued participation in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge,” “continue to support the Northwest Municipal Conference,” or “continue to look for actions and learn from other neighboring communities.” These are actions that can be performed but can never truly be completed. Similar to communication-focused items, these actions may be completed once (for example, replicating a successful program from another community), but that is not the end of the action item. Instead, they should be approached as ongoing efforts. Another major category of items in the Sustainability Guide includes actions that can be completed once and considered finished, but that also set a precedent for repeated future work. An example of this is “the creation of a map showing where solar panels are installed in the community”. A single map can serve as a snapshot in time, but it can quickly become outdated as installations change. To remain accurate, the map would need to be updated regularly, turning a one-time task into an ongoing responsibility. Similar to the previous category are items that evolve or change after the completion of the original goal. These items are closely related, as both lead to additional actions after completion, but they introduce new considerations. An example is “Explore the feasibility of a shuttle bus program.” Exploring feasibility may lead to the creation of the program or require new approaches to address the underlying transportation needs. Lastly, there are project-based items such as “conducting multi-family recycling audits in 2023” or various walking and biking infrastructure projects. These items can be fully completed and checked off once the work is finished. 4 Page 7 of 32 Village Sustainability Report - 2025 The following Village Sustainability Report was created as a result of the Village Board’s Strategic Planning item “Sustainability Plan Action Plan Implementation: Direction, Update Report, and Next Steps”. The following information includes updates on the action items from the 2023-2028 Implementation Guide, next steps for actions that are being considered for potential implementation moving forward, noteworthy projects that were completed in 2025, and larger direction for items that are included in the implementation guide as well ideas provided from the community. Direction on items can change, and new items may be introduced that require focus from the Village. This plan was created as a snapshot in time to let the Board and the Community know the direction of sustainability at the current moment. Sustainability, by nature, is a topic that can morph into new issues as new knowledge on topics enters into the community. With these changes, current plans and goals will be weighed against the new topics of interests and new threats may address the community. Any large changes that dramatically delineate from the Village’s plans will be brought to the board for consideration. In addition, staff appreciate all topics presented for consideration, but current resource capacity and limitations of scope will be considered in choosing what can be accomplished. 5 Page 8 of 32 GOAL #1: PROMOTE THE USE OF ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES FOR LANDSCAPES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ACTIONS Continue participation with the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, Monarch 1 Waystation Program and the Illinois Monarch Project Progress: The Village is an annual participant in the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. Next Steps: Evaluate the number of space that can be implemented as monarch stations considering the current needs limitations of Village staff. Install signage by planting beds to identify plant types and explain why 2 these plants are beneficial to the environment Progress: Klehm's Island Landscaping. Next Steps: Find additional Village owned locations to install signage. Host informational tables at Village and community events 3 Progress: Staff and Sustainability Committee Members hosted info tables at the Emergency Management Expo, Block Party, Fall Fest, and other community events for the past three years. Next Steps: Continue to implement and host tables at events taking place in the Village and look for new opportunities to expand the community presence. Share these tables with Go Green Mount Prospect. 6 Page 9 of 32  GOAL #1 Find ways to publicize materials supporting alternatives for grass lawns 4 1 and limiting the use of fertilizer and pesticides for lawn care Progress: Information on this topic has been provided in Sustainability News. Next Steps: Find content to share on this topic Add flyer for informational tables. Increase public awareness of natural lawn care techniques and alternatives 5 to turf grass. Progress: Information was shared at public events regarding pollinator gardens and native plantings in home landscaping. Next Steps: Research new methods and communicate information. Host informational presentations/seminars lead by industry experts. 6 Progress: A presentation was held by Mt. Prospect Park District staff on native plantings. Next Steps: Continue looking for future speakers with relevant topics. Have a native plant seed giveaway, possibly in conjunction with a 7 community group. Progress: Helped promote Go Green Mount Prospect seed swap and seeds were given away at public events. Next Steps on Following Page 7 Page 10 of 32  GOAL #1 Next Steps: Evaluate the Village’s role in a seed swap. Connect residents to resources for better lawn care and plant health 8 1 Progress: Information on this topic has been provided in Sustainability News. Next Steps: Continue to find information to share on this topic for Sustainability News. Continue to look for actions and learn from neighboring communities and 9 organizations. Progress: Ideas from other communities have influenced Village activities such as Sustainability News and the SUPUR Program. Next Steps: Continue researching best practices. Create a Sustainability Guide to provide to new residents and realtors (i.e. 10 native plants, natural lawn care, drainage, link to related resources). Progress: This item was changed from a static one time guide, and reimagined as Sustainability News. Past editions are posted on the Village’s website to provide a living document that can grow into new sustainability topics. Next Steps: Regularly share timely and relevant sustainability information with residents and preserve information on the website. 8 Page 11 of 32 GOAL #2: HELP REDUCE SOLID WASTE TONNAGE GENERATED BY ALL USERS ACTIONS Share information to help the community reduce solid waste at the source 1 Progress: Information has been shared in Sustainability News about various solid waste generators and how to reduce the amount generated. Next Steps: Continue to evaluate solid waste sources that need community education. Increase awareness on issues with “wish-cycling” 2 Progress: Information has been shared in Sustainability News about “Wish- Cycling”.. Next Steps: Continue to find new ways to share information on wish-cycling and common items that wish-cycled Create a Village “Recycle Coach” Podcast - Share lessons learned from 3 recycling audits, recycling tips, and recycling information. Progress: Staff has looked into potential starting a podcast on recycling. Next Steps: This item will not move forward in its current format. A sustainability podcast on Mount Prospect recycling is believed to be an ineffective use of resources. 9 Page 12 of 32 GOAL #2 Ask restaurants to reduce single use plastic (provide upon request only). 4 1 Collaborate with the Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants Association to achieve this action. Create a recognition or award for these businesses. Progress: The Village rolled out the Single Use Plastic Utensil Reduction Program in the spring of 2025. Next Steps: Continue sharing information on the program and invite more businesses to participate. GOAL #3: CONSTRUCT NEW SHARED-USE PATHS AND SIDEWALKS TO CREATE GREATER OPPURTUNITIES FOR WALKING AND BIKING ACTIONS Explore the feasibility of a shared shuttle bus program connecting business 1 areas to various stops in the community Progress: Human Services completed a transit study where increased connectivity between residental and commercial areas was a priority. Next Steps on following page 10 Page 13 of 32 GOAL #3 Next Steps: Human Services received results from external consultants and staff are reviewing how best to implement study recommendations. Identify the first and last mile gaps for Mount Prospect’s public transit 2 routes. Progress: Transit Study completed by Human Services will use its findings to help connect last mile connections in larger transit networks. Next Steps: results from study are being reviewed for implementation. Continue to support Northwestern Municipal Conference - Bike & 3 1 Pedestrian Committee efforts to better connect bike paths throughout suburban communities. Progress: Village staff continue to play an active role and participate in the Nonwestern Municipal Conference - Bike and Pedestrian Committee. Staff have helped implement studies and learned what other communities have done to promote bike and pedestrian friendly environments. Next Steps: Staff will continue attending the Committee and assisting when appropriate. 11 Page 14 of 32 GOAL #4: USE ENERGY FOR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES EFFICIENTLY ACTIONS Conduct an energy audit of municipal government buildings. 1 Progress: Staff updated Village Hall doors, HVAC, and windows in 2023. Adjustments based on climate conditions and weather were reviewed and implemented in 2024. Next Steps: Staff will be looking to compare data collected on energy use in 2024, 2025 and 2026 to determine the impacts of these changes. Adopt the 2022 Illinois Energy Conservation Code 1 2 Progress: The 2022 Illinois Energy Conservation Code was implemented. Next Steps: Continue to review and adopt new Energy Conservation Code Greater promotion of the Village’s Community Solar Program through an 3 1 additional postcard mailing informing residents of the program combined with a social media campaign Progress: Staff are working with the program administrator to determine timing to promote Community Solar. Next Steps: A delay in solar project implementation is currently on going, staff are waiting for this to progress forward. 12 Page 15 of 32 GOAL #4 Offer presentations/webinars hosted by industry experts in electric 4 vehicles, energy sources, community solar, etc., and create portal on the Village’s website for people to access these presentations/webinars on- demand. Progress: Staff was working with Comm Ed to get a speaker, but were unsuccessful. A speaker came in to speak about a non energy topic. Next Steps: Find additional speakers to talk about Electrification. Establish a brand/logo for the Village’s sustainability efforts (Applies to all 5 seven goals) Progress: The “Green Mount Prospect” brand was established to create a recognizable and trustworthy Village sustainability brand. Next Steps: The new brand and logo will be used for all Village related sustainability related items. Improve communications with the community regarding the Village’s 6 1 sustainability efforts and link the community to resources to help individuals sustainability efforts. Progress: Created Sustainability News to help share information regarding sustainability, hosted tables at multiple Village events, and helped Go Green Mount Prospect. Next Steps: Information will continued to be shared. 13 Page 16 of 32 GOAL #4 Add a Green Tips section to the Village Newsletter. 7 Progress: Staff is working with the larger Village Communications team to determine the best way to get sustainability information into the Village’s regular newsletter. Next Steps: Work with Communications and create a strategy. Share rebate information from the Inflation Reduction Act & Clean Energy 8 Jobs Act Progress: This item was completed following the release of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Next Steps: Review future acts and share sustainability opportunities. 14 Page 17 of 32 GOAL #5: MAINTAIN LANDSCAPES WITH AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING NEIGHBORHOOD APPEAL, IN A SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE MANNER, WHICH MINIMIZES THE USE OF PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES Connect residents to information on natural alternatives for pesticides and 1 herbicides Progress: Information was included in the spring Sustainability News. Next Steps: Information will continue to be shared in Sustainability News. Continue to look for actions and learn from neighboring communities and 2 organizations Progress: Reviewed neighboring communities for a potential parkway planting code amendment. Next Steps: Continue to research other communities. Create a Sustainability Guide to provide to new residents and realtors 3 Progress: This has been completed through Sustainability News Next Steps: Continue to engage the community and determine what information should be provided to residents and realtors. 15 Page 18 of 32 GOAL #5 Increase public awareness on dangers from coal tar sealants to human 4 1 health Progress: Information on this has been shared. Next Steps: Staff will continue to look for locations to share this information. Install signage in planting beds to identify different plant types and explain 5 why these plants are beneficial to the environment Progress: This has been completed at Khelm’s Landing. Next Steps: The possibility of expanding this as an option for residential properties is being considered. 16 Page 19 of 32 GOAL #6: FORMALIZE PARTICIPATION IN THE ILLINOIS FINANCE AUTHORITIES C-PACE PROGRAM THAT WILL ALLOW COMMERCIAL AND CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES TO FINANCE INVESTMENT IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WATER CONSERVATION, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND RESILIENT DESIGN OF NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS Village Board approves an ordinance for Mount Prospect to participate in 1 the C-PACE Program Progress: Village Board approved an ordinance in 2023 to participate. Next Steps: Action has been completed. Increase awareness of the C-PACE program 2 Progress: Program saw marketing early on following approval and implementation in 2023. Next Steps: Reengage marketing of the program and create a new awareness campaign for Mount Prospect businesses. 17 Page 20 of 32 GOAL #6 Present C-PACE projects for Village Board approval 4 1 Progress: Previous items have been presented to the board, with the last one occurring in 2022. Next Steps: This item is dependent on property owners and developers creating investments that qualify and want to use the financing. Create a recognition or an award for C-PACE projects in Mount Prospect 5 and web page providing environmental impact information for each approved project Progress: This item was pivoted to focus on highlighting all green business actions and not just C-PACE related projects. Next Steps: Continue to encourage green actions from local businesses and highlight those actions in Sustainability News and the Village’s social media platforms. 18 Page 21 of 32 GOAL #7: ENCOURAGE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE VILLAGE’S COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM ACTIONS Promote the Village’s Community Solar Program for increased participation 1 Progress: Program has been shared in the Village Newsletter, post card mailers distributed, and information on Village website. Next Steps: Continue to promote the solar program. Understand climate change on a local level and what it means for Mount 2 Prospect (i.e. increase rainfall, droughts, temperature extremes, etc.) Progress: Steps are being taken to perform a study in 2026 or 2027. Next Steps: Determine scope of the project and work with consultants to determine a cost for completing study. Communicate how climate change will impact the community (i.e. increased 3 energy demand for AC with climate change). Progress: Information was shared in the summer Sustainability News. Next Steps: Develop an effective communications plan to discuss climate change impacts on the community. 19 Page 22 of 32 GOAL #7 Create a map of Mount Prospect showing where solar panels are installed 4 1 Progress: A map has been created of all solar panels in partnership with Public works and Community Development. Next Steps: Post the map on the Village’s website. Create a decision tree resource for residents evaluating if installing solar 5 energy is right for them) Progress: A decision tree has been made and is on the Village’s website. Next Steps: Item is complete. 20 Page 23 of 32  MANAGEMENT IN PROGRESS Management in progress items made up a key portion of the Village’s 2023-2028 Sustainability Implementation Guide. Most items included in this section were in the process of being completed when the Guide was created, or were beginning to be implemented. Not all goals contained Management in Progress items. Each item was created when the original plan was created, some items have seen modifications or changes in direction sense original creation. Check marks next to items in each goals section signify that the one specific item has been completed. Goal 1 - Management in Progress Klehm’s Island Landscape: New New Sustainable Landscaping landscape design for the center Projects: island including perennial planting Rand Road from Schoenbeck beds, trees, hardscape, irrigation, north to 2440 E Rand Road and a new raised annual flower bed Corner of Euclid and Elmhurst Goal 2 - Management in Progress Conduct multi-family recycling Continue with single family audits audits in 2023 that were implemented in 2022 Share SWANCC’s Reusability Guide Continue production of the Village’s with the community Recycling Newsletter Update recycling “How to” decals Launch Styrofoam recycling, and distribute; outcome of the 2022 addresses the biggest contaminant recycling audit in the recycling stream 21 Page 24 of 32 Goal 3 - Management in Progress Sidewalk - Oakton Street from I-90 Sidewalk - Rand Road from Camp to Lexington Drive McDonald Road to the existing sidewalk Sidewalk - Busse Road from Imperial Court to I-90 Sidewalk - Wolf Road from Euclid Avenue to the Prospect Heights Sidewalk - Oakton Street from I-90 Train Station to the Village limits Construct pedestrian crossing at Launch an Arterial Bike Network Busse Ave and Main St Study in 2023 Construct the Rand Road shared Continue to explore the Meadows use path that will connect with Des Melas Bridge project Plaines Algonquin Shared Use Path - Construction of shared use paths, Construction 2026 lighting and associated wayfinding Central Road Pedestrian Crossing signs along corridors that meet the Improvements at Cathy Lane goals of the Village Bike Plan Goal 7 - Management in Progress Increase solar panel adoption within the community (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) 22 Page 25 of 32 2025 Highlights Solar Panel Installation Staff have been working to make the process for solar panel installation easier and attempt to remove some of the hurdles that can get in the way of using the renewable energy alternative. As part of the Village’s SolSmart Gold designation, staff streamlined the process to apply for and install solar panels and they have also received additional information and knowledge on solar panel installation. The chart below reflects the increase in the number of solar panel permits applied for through 2025. Solar Panel Permits 70 63 61 60 53 50 47 40 30 20 10 0 2022 2023 2024 2025 Community Event Outreach Staff and Sustainability Committee members have done an outstanding effort to engage the community and spread awareness for a range of topics relating to 23 Page 26 of 32 2025 Highlights sustainability. One of the best ways to engage a wide range of the community comes during public events. Staff and the Sustainability Committee held tables at the Block Party, Fall Fest, and the Emergency Preparedness Expo. Engaging the community at these events provides an opportunity to get a cross section of the community as a whole. Events are visited by young families, seniors in the community, middle ages adults, and additional demographics. Each interaction allows staff to understand which one of the wide range of sustainability topics is most concerning to the community, staff can find misconceptions on sustainability topics, and also teach people about current topics. Data on the specific number of interactions at these events is hard to pin down, but estimates would range between 100 and 200 people at busier events. Speaker Series One of the goals outlined in the 2023 - 2028 Sustainability Guide was “Host Informational presentations/seminars lead by industry experts...” This objective has proven difficult to achieve in the past with the availability and scheduling of expert speakers being a consistent hurdle. This changed in 2025 when staff were able to get a speaker from the Park District to talk about native plantings. The event was well attended and attendees participation level ranged from listening to actively engaging the presenter with questions surrounding real problems they are facing. More events like this will be considered in the future and topics for future speakers will be considered based on community interest and availability. Sustainability News Sustainability News is an e-newsletter that is a creative way to help share information on sustainability topics and help provide a long term source of information on topics of interest for the community. Sustainability news provides an outlet for the Village to offer updates on Village activities across various 24 Page 27 of 32 2025 Highlights sustainability fields, share information Sustainability News Email Open from other resources, and help address Percentage any potential misconceptions about 60 sustainability. 50 49 51 48 40 46 During 2025, Sustainability News saw an 30 20 email open rate that hovered right around 10 50% percent. These numbers are 0 reasonable and reflect community Spring Summer Fall Winter interest in learning topics of interest, but not all topics. Past newsletters remain Subscribers 400 accessible on the Village's website, where 380 people can access the content as desired. 379 360 365 340 320 334 The subscriber count for the e-newsletter 300 has been steadily rising. Moderate 280 289 quarter over quarter growth is a positive 260 Spring Summer Fall Winter sign for the e-newsletter. Sustainability News - Topics Along with the increasing subscriber base and the steady email open rate percentage, sustainability news has also been able to successfully cover a wide range of topics. Topics are created as a result of community input on topics of interest, staff suggestions, and suggestions from the Sustainability Commission. the topics are ever changing and new sections are constantly being added. See the below list of topics covered in 2025: Micro mobility Lawn Watering Fast Fashion What Are Aquifers? Village Textile Recycling Pool Side Sustainability Cook County EPA News Mayors Monarch Pledge 25 Page 28 of 32 2025 Highlights Cook County EPA News Mayors Monarch Pledge Holiday Portion Sizes Summer Heat LED Holiday Lighting Plastic in Our Environment String Light Recycling Wish Cycling Single Use Plastic Utensil Curbside Recycling Reduction Program Tree Mulching Planning for Solar Panels Lawn Mowing Solar Panel Requirements Soil Aeration Solar Panel Permit Needs Pesticides Cook County Sun and Save Herbicides Community Solar Soil Acidity Landscaping Water Usage Soil Structure The Three Rs Soil Biodiversity Particle Pollution New Sustainability Branding Go Green Mount Prospect Plastic Recycling Fall Leaves Styrofoam Recycling Single Use Plastic Utensil Reduction Program (SUPUR) In March of 2025 the Village launched the Single Use Plastic Utensil Reduction Program, also known as the SUPUR program. SUPUR was launched as a collaborative effort between the Village’s business community and Village sustainability efforts. The program has seen great initial partnership following program launch. Initial feedback has shown that businesses are willing and excited to partner with the program. Follow up emails were sent to businesses following the initial rollout asking about any issues or concerns with the program, and none were received. Marketing for this program has failed to produce additional businesses. This was surprising to staff following the initial success. Alternative recruitment, incentives, and more frequent advertising are being considered for 2026. 26 Page 29 of 32 2025 Highlights Styrofoam Recycling The Village offers Styrofoam recycling on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons between Late September and early November. This program has averaged between 40 - 50 vehicles a week regularly dropping off Styrofoam. To expand on this program, Public Works offered Styrofoam collection on a Saturday with pumpkin recycling collection this past fall. This was a growth of current Styrofoam Recycling and potential program expansion opportunities will be considered in the future. A Focus on Recycling Staff continue to stress the importance of recycling within the community, but one of the largest road blocks is hard to recycle items. Hard to recycle items can lead to frustration from well intentioned community members and can ultimately lead to improper disposal and annoyance in recycling. Village staff have been making efforts to help mitigate these issues and reduce the difficulty for hard to recycle items. See the list of recycling initiatives that were offered to the community in 2025: Pumpkin composting collection CFL Bulb Recycling Household Hazardous Waste Holiday Light Recycling collection Extension Cord Recycling Holiday tree and wreath curbside Medication Recycling recycling Sharps Recycling Curbside organics program Textile Recycling Styrofoam recycling Electronics Recycling Plastic bag recycling Battery Recycling 27 Page 30 of 32 2025 Highlights Village staff, the Sustainability Committee, community groups, and everyone in the Village who has helped work towards the goals in the Sustainability Implementation Guide has been outstanding. Information and resources have been shared with the community, the number of solar panels in the community has grown, residents have learned more about the importance of being sustainable, and business have partnered with the Village to be active in accomplishing goals. The 2023-2028 Sustainability Implementation Guide has been substantially completed to date and a new plan needs to be derived to help sunset the current plan. A part of this sunsetting will be the evaluation of what continuation of the ongoing items will look like, and an effective communication plan to highlight the important items in this plan. Attention will also be given to assessing community feedback prior to a future plan. Until a new plan is created, staff will continue to work on the current 2023 - 2028 Sustainability Implementation Guide and determine how the Village can continue working towards the goals. Five key actions are being looked at in 2026: Single Use Materials Mitigation (Goal 2), Expert Speaker opportunities (Goals 1 & 4), Native Plantings Encouragement (Goal 1), Community Education, and a Global Warming Impact Analysis (Goal 7). 28 Page 31 of 32 Sustainability - The Plan Moving Forward Each of the five items for 2026 very greatly in the degree of resource input needed to make them happen, they also very greatly in what the roll out will look like. Conversations with members of the Village’s Sustainability Committee has highlighted the increased importance and community concern around topics of single use plastics and the want to encourage community native plantings. Speaker series, community education, and a study of global warming impacts will require more tailored and unique handling. Community education can take many forms and what this looks like will need to be considered. Social media and in person engagement are great avenues currently being engaged. What a “Speaker Series” truly is will need to be explored. Engagement for other similar Village activities will need to be considered. The Global Warming Impact study is an action in the current Village Sustainability Implementation Guide, and is a very ambitious item to achieve. What this looks like, what data will be collected, and what the Village is hoping to achieve at the end will need to determined. Staff and the Sustainability Committee will not limit 2026 to just the actions mentioned in this section. Additional and alternative actions to further the Village’s sustainability efforts will always be thoroughly considered. Communication Action Team Single Use Speaker Plan Creation Mitigation Opportunities Native Plantings Community Global Warming Encouragement Education Impact Analysis 29 Page 32 of 32