Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission

Memorandum Public Works Department - Administration Division TO: Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commissioners FROM: _____________________________________________ Liz Zimmerman, Assistant to the Public Works Director DATE: February 21, 2024 SUBJECT: January 23, 2024 Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission (SEAC) Meeting Minutes Meeting was called to order at 7:03 pm in Village Hall Meeting Room D/E. Present: Chairman Jennifer Grossman, Chris Buccola, Lisa Gotkin, Michael Gershbein, Trustee Liaison Ralph Klein, Alma Likic, Oliva Mahoney, Emily Okallau, Jim McNelis, Rick Moskovitz, Bob Render, Charlie Saxe, Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Sanzenbacher, Public Works Director Max Slankard and Assistant to the Public Works Director Elizabeth Zimmerman. Absent: Commissioners Andrew DeCanniere, Olivia Mahoney I. Approval of minutes – edit year to 2023, then Motion by C. Okallau, seconded by L. Gotkin. Unanimously approved. II. New Business Presentation from the Buildings and Energy Sub-committee, Commissioners Jim McNelis and Michael Gershbein. C. McNelis reviewed strategies and actions of the B&E sector of the Environmental Sustainability Plan. In summary, action item BE1-3 calls to work with SEAC and other partners to develop a plan to drive residents to action through an annual awards program, with a goal of 220 households annually. The sub-committee worked with Village staff and Go Green Skokie to develop and launch a new program for Skokie Residential Sustainability Awards. The program was advertised in SkokiEnews on the homepage. Several commissioners commented that they saw the advertisements. C. Okallau asked about recognition; C. Saxe suggested the commissioners check out the Beautification and Improvement Commission’s award brochure. Earth Week is the anticipated deadline for submittal with a possible Board date of April 29th for the award ceremony. C. McNelis then reviewed progress in BE 3-1: Promote existing local residential, commercial, and institutional programs through Grow Solar Chicagoland and the Citizens Utility Board (CUB)…Goal of 150 households and 1.1% of commercial/industrial electrical consumption solarized annually. There are two upcoming Sketchbook presentations – Navigating Solar Options on February 20th and Decarbonization on March 19th. C. Grossman requested that the Village make a Facebook event to publicize. C. Render asked for a pdf to distribute. Document Number: 511786 Page 1 489823v4  C. McNelis announced that for action item BE 6-2: Streamline approval process of “green roofs” – that the Village will prioritize green roof projects by placing them first on the agenda. S.C. Sanzenbacher announced that the Village was accepted into a U.S. Department of Energy cohort with 14 other counties and municipalities across the U.S. to improve energy efficiency in municipal buildings and to transition facilities to cleaner fuel sources. The Village will prioritize two buildings and do a level two assessment. S.C. Sanzenbacher said that community solar cards will be mailed to Skokie households soon. C. Likic asked if the 10% net metering credits is listed on the postcard. S.L. Zimmerman recapped the food compost program as the drop off program celebrates its first anniversary. The most popular drop-off site is Central Park. She has submitted a budget to expand the drop-off program in 2024/2025. Save the date: March 18th is the Boards and Commissions dinner. III. Next meeting February 27, 2024. Discussion at the February meeting on whether to hold a March meeting. The regularly scheduled April 23rd meeting will need to be moved to April 30th. IV. Adjournment at 8:17 p.m. – Motion by C. Okallau, seconded by C. McNelis Document Number: 511786 Page 2 489823v4