===== PDF PAGE 1 ===== [Extraction: embedded PDF text] WHERE HISTORY & PROGRESS MEET Approved (11/20/2025) MEETING MINUTES ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION September 18, 2025, 5:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order Establish a Quorum a. Dave Shah, Staff Liaison, called the meeting to order at 5:12 P.M. b. Members in attendance included Chair Nazree Williams, Commissioner Bob Blaus, Commissioner Victoria Burris, and Commissioner Tyler Kesler. Co-Chair Tom Cherrington and Commissioner Allen Rodriguez were absent. c. Aldermanic liaison present included Alderman Christopher Swiatek. d. Staff liaison present included Assistant Director of Public Works, Dave Shah. 2. Approval of Minutes a. Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes of August 21, 2025 i. Williams made a motion, seconded by Burris, to approve the Meeting Minutes. 1. Voting Yea: Williams, Blaus, Burris, Kesler 2. Voting Nay: None 3. Public Participation/Presentations a. None 4. Items for Consent a. None 5. Review and Discuss the Commission Priority List a. Current List i. Sustainability Plan – Subcommittee Update 1. Single-Use Bag Fee Discussion: Burris shared some estimates of the number of stores in West Chicago that would be affected, plastic and paper bag costs, and potential revenue that could be gained by instituting a single-use bag fee. Some discussion followed regarding City staff’s email to the Commission concerning the implementation of a single-use bag fee, while the State may also implement one statewide eventually. Staff also noted that bandwidth to work on such a project would be extremely limited, and the City is additionally facing many budget cuts due to a $1.4 million budget deficit. Some suggestions for use of potential revenue from a single-use bag fee included investing in wind power, water/pond cleanups, energy audits, or supplementing public works programs such as tree planting. ii. Annual Report 1. November 20, 2025 – Present Draft Report at the Commission Meeting 475 Main Street T 630.293.2200 Daniel Bovey MAYOR West Chicago, Illinois F 630.293.3028 Tia Messino 60185 westchicago.org INTERIM CITY ADMINISTRATOR ===== PDF PAGE 2 ===== [Extraction: embedded PDF text] 2. December 15, 2025 – Present Annual Report to City Council Discussion: None. b. New Additions or Upcoming Events i. Fall Adopt-A-Highway Event – September 18, 2025, 5:00 PM 1. Location: Water Treatment Plant, 1400 W. Hawthorne Lane Discussion: None. ii. Pumpkin Composting Event – November 8, 2025, 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. 1. Location: New Hope United Methodist Church, 643 E Washington St, West Chicago, IL 60185 Discussion: Shah noted a typo on the original agenda, and the correct date of the event is November 8, 2025. It was also suggested that yard signage be made to advertise the Event in front of the church. Blaus also suggested distributing the business card-sized advertisements to kids along with their candy during trick-or-treating and providing local businesses with copies to give out as well. iii. Holiday Lights Recycling Event – November 28, 2025, to January 16, 2026 1. Locations: WC City Hall, WC Water Treatment Plant, WC Public Library District, New Hope United Methodist Church of WC, Murphy Ace Hardware, The ARC Center, Jewel Osco Discussion: None. 6. Other Business a. FY 2026 Budget Request Discussion: Shah noted the Commission’s budget request has been submitted. b. Cooking Oil Recycling Coordination with SCARCE Discussion: Shah suggested using flyers and social media to advertise the proposed cooking oil recycling locations when the time comes. Internal discussions with staff are ongoing to discuss the feasibility of the two proposed collection sites. c. Proposal for a Single-Use Plastics Education Campaign Discussion: Kesler believes that education and outreach regarding single-use plastics should be strategically aligned with single-use bag fee implementation. Discussion followed regarding the consultant proposal for education and outreach concerning single-use plastics. Shah noted that City staff believe much of what the proposal entails could be done in-house to save money. Kesler expressed strong support for the proposal. Williams did not find the proposal to necessarily support the Commission’s mission and doubted that staff would approve the proposal if they believed it could be done in-house. Some discussion followed. i. Kesler made a motion, seconded by Burris, to bring the proposal to City staff for approval. 1. Voting Yea: Burris, Kesler 2. Voting Nay: Williams, Blaus 7. Adjournment a. At 6:18 P.M., Blaus made a motion to adjourn, and Williams seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by voice vote. Respectfully, Ashley HeidornPublic Works Administrative Assistant 475 Main Street T 630.293.2200 Daniel Bovey MAYOR West Chicago, Illinois F 630.293.3028 Tia Messino 60185 westchicago.org INTERIM CITY ADMINISTRATOR