Environmental, Forestry, & Sustainability Commission

Regular Meeting

Winnetka, IL · January 14, 2026

Minutes

WINNETKA ENVIRONMENTAL, FORESTRY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES January 14, 2026 A record of a legally convened meeting of the Environmental, Forestry and Sustainability Commission of the Village of Winnetka, which was held in Council Chambers, 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Call to Order: Chair Eck called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Voting Members present: Chair Peter Eck and Commissioners Liz Kunkle, King Poor, Gregory Frezados, Dave Varca, and Tim Ring. A quorum of presently appointed members was present. Voting members absent: Brendan Andrew. Village Council Representative present: Kim Handler. Student Representative present: Scarlett Harper. Student Representative absent: Louisa Hernandez. Staff Liaison present: Elyse Steiner, Sustainability Manager. 1) Introduction & Chair’s Remarks: Chair Eck shared that student representative Louisa Hernandez will be studying abroad this semester and will return to share her experience in the summer. 2) Public Comment: None. 3) Review and Approval of Minutes a) Approval of the December Regular Meeting Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Poor, seconded by Commissioner Ring to approve the minutes. AYES: KUNKLE, FREZADOS, VARCA, RING, POOR, ECK NAYS: NONE ABSENT: ANDREW 4) Old Business: Solar ordinance part 2 to address ground-mounted solar systems is being deferred until further study can be completed. The decision was to take a “wait-and-see” approach for the time being. Without any applications, there is not a rush to take action right now. EFSC will give an update on the current status but will not be presenting recommendations to Council in March. Commissioners are interested in promoting recent “wins” for solar including the updated ordinance, fee waiver, and rebate incentives. They also would like better tracking/ reporting of new solar additions to gauge the impact of these policies. 5) New Business Prepare for February 21 Council presentation on 2025 achievements/ 2026 priorities. Commissioners reviewed and prioritized the working list of initiatives for the year. Chair Eck will work on a draft presentation before the February EFSC meeting. This has been rescheduled for the March 3 meeting. Earth Day/ Earth Month brainstorming. Elyse presented the Eco Ship partnership proposal. Commissioners wanted to explore other possibilities involving solar installers, the Climate Action Plan launch, a recycling event, or promoting events of other organizations. Commissioners agreed to continue thinking of ideas. Green Awards cycle coming up. Elyse asked that Commissioners help market and identify nominees for this year’s award. Some potential candidates include the Park District, D36 schools, and North Shore Country Day School. Special sustainability issue of Winnetka Report. Elyse shared the copy from Wilmette and will get more copies to have on hand. With Council’s support, plan to move this forward in the spring. List of guest presenters/ topics. EFSC has invited speakers on various topics in the past and will put this back on future agendas. 5) Communications: 6) Commission/Staff Reports: Commissioners agreed to reschedule February’s meeting for Thursday February 12. 7) Open Forum: None. 8) Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m.

Agenda

Packet

Village of Winnetka Environmental, Forestry, & Sustainability Commission Meeting January 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM Winnetka Village Hall Council Chambers - 510 Green Bay Road AGENDA 1. Introduction & Chair's Remarks 2. Public Comments 3. Review and Approval of Minutes a. December 10, 2025 EFSC Meeting Minutes draft 4. Old Business Updates a. Solar ordinance - Part 2 b. Winnetka Report sustainability issue 5. New Business a. 2025 Look Back and 2026 Look Ahead b. Earth Month/ Earth Day 6. Communications 7. Committee/Staff Reports a. February meeting date and Council meeting dates 8. Open Forum 9. Adjournment NOTICE All agenda materials are available at villageofwinnetka.org (Government > Council Information > Agenda Packets & Minutes); the Reference Desk at the Winnetka Library; or in the Manager’s Office at Village Hall (2nd floor). The Village of Winnetka, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, requests that all persons with disabilities who require certain accommodations to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting or have questions about the accessibility of the meeting or facilities, contact the Village ADA Coordinator, at 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois 60093, 847-716-3543; T.D.D. 847-501-6041. Page 1 of 6 WINNETKA ENVIRONMENTAL, FORESTRY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES December 10, 2025 A record of a legally convened meeting of the Environmental, Forestry and Sustainability Commission of the Village of Winnetka, which was held in Council Chambers, 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois, Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. Call to Order: Chair Eck called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Voting Members present: Chair Peter Eck and Commissioners. A quorum of presently appointed members was present, Liz Kunkle, King Poor, Gregory Frezados Brendan Andrew, Tim Ring. Voting members absent: Dave Varca. Village Council Representative absent: Kim Handler. Student Representative present: Louisa Hernandez. Scarlett Harper. Student Representative absent: None. Staff Liaison present: Elyse Steiner, Sustainability Manager. 1) Introduction & Chair’s Remarks: Chair Eck recapped the November Climate Action Plan discussion as an introduction for the Community Open House. 2) Public Comment: Bryan Lammers and Steve Huels spoke on the importance of preserving the Village’s population of native trees and ongoing restoration work on the Green Bay Trail. 3) Review and Approval of Minutes a) Approval of the September Regular Meeting Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Ring, seconded by Commissioner Kunkle to approve the minutes. AYES: KUNKLE, FREZADOS, ANDREW, RING, POOR, ECK NAYS: NONE ABSENT: VARCA 4) Old Business: NONE 5) New Business c) Climate Action Plan Emilee O’Neill from Keramida led the CAP Community Open House session with the EFSC members and residents starting with some background and results of the greenhouse gas Page 2 of 6 inventory. The meeting moved into an interactive portion with attendees writing their ideas on posters. 5) Communications: 6) Commission/Staff Reports: 7) Open Forum: None. 8) Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Page 3 of 6 Ground-mount solar options 1. Prohibit ground-mount solar energy systems. This would be a step backwards from current policy. 2. Allow ground-mount solar energy system by special use permit. This, too, would be a step backwards if put into practice. 3. Allow ground-mount solar energy systems as a permitted accessory use as long as they meet some basic requirements a. Not allowed in front or street-facing yards b. Footprint size limitations c. Height limitations d. Setback minimums e. Separate rules for canopy/ parking structure designs Examples from other communities 1. Northbrook ordinance allows regular ground-mount and canopy up to 15 ft. • Maximum height of 5 ft and 1 ft clearance minimum • Minimum 5 ft setback • Exempt from Impervious surface requirements if ground planted beneath Page 4 of 6 2. Highland Park ordinance allows 10 or 15 ft maximum • Principal use maximum height of 15 ft; Accessory use maximum height of 10 ft • Up to 10% of lot size not to exceed 1,750 ft2 • Setbacks apply. Not allowed in front or side yards 3. Wilmette ordinance allows up to 15 ft • Maximum height of 15 ft • Up to 100 ft2 for lots up to 20,000 ft2 and up to 200 ft2 for lots over 20,000 ft2 • Minimum 5 ft setback 4. Evanston ordinance allows up to 10 ft • Maximum height of 10 feet • Footprint not greater than twenty five percent (25%) of the principal building footprint • Not located in front- or street-facing yards Page 5 of 6 DRAFT IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILTY ISSUE OF WINNETKA REPORT • Reducing red tape for solar panels: Updating zoning ordinance for solar panels (achieving Sol Smart Silver) • Leading by example on clean energy: the Yards solar project • Recognizing environmental examples: Green Awards • Taking action on climate: GHG Inventory and Climate Action Plan • Reducing waste: Recycle Coach, composting, Hefty ReNew • Residential and business composting options • EVs and EV charging: EV Readiness commitment, updating checklists and resources, rebates for residential chargers • Raising the next generation: School actions? Education? Clean up the Park? • IMEA energy efficiency rebate awardees and expanded offerings for 2026 • Partnerships: Chicago River, Openlands, Friends of Green Bay Trail, Go Green, etc. • Introducing the Green Team: Village employees getting involved • Zero-waste/ sustainable event guidelines • Saving water, electricity, and money with better technology: Automated Meter Initiative (AMI) • Stormwater update? • Native Plants/ Monarchs – could mention Go Green Winnetka Yards That Work sustainable yard tour on Sun 7/12 and / or the Fall Native Plant Sale on Sat 9/12? • Earth Month/Day Page 6 of 6