===== PDF PAGE 2 ===== WHERE HISTORY & PROGRESS MEET 475 Main Street West Chicago, Illinois 60185 T 630.293.2200 F 630.293.3028 westchicago.org Daniel Bovey MAYOR Viviana Ramirez CITY ADMINISTRATOR Draft MEETING MINUTES ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION July 16, 2026, 3:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order & Establish a Quorum a. Dave Shah, Staff Liaison, called the meeting to order at 3:06 P.M. b. Members in attendance included Chair Nazree Williams, Co-Chair Allen Rodriguez, Commissioner Bob Blaus, Commissioner Victoria Burris, Commissioner David Carlson, and Commissioner Matt McClure. c. Aldermanic liaison present included Alderman Christopher Swiatek. d. Staff liaison present included Assistant Director of Public Works, Dave Shah. 2. Tour of the West Chicago/Winfield Regional Water Treatment Plant Discussion: None. 3. Approval of Minutes a. Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes of June 18, 2026 i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by Carlson, to approve the Meeting Minutes. 1. Voting Yea: Williams, Rodriguez, Blaus, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 2. Voting Nay: None. 4. Public Participation/Presentations a. None 5. Items for Consent a. None 6. Review and Discuss the Commission Priority List a. Current List Discussion: None. b. New Additions or Upcoming Events i. Fall Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up Event (Hawthorne Lane) – September 17, 2026, 5:00 PM 1. Meet Up Location: 1400 W. Hawthorne Lane Discussion: None. ii. Pumpkin Composting – November 7, 2026, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM 1. Location: New Hope United Methodist Church, 643 E. Washington St Discussion: None. iii. Holiday Lights Recycling Event – November 27, 2026, to January 15, 2027 ===== PDF PAGE 3 ===== 1. Drop-off Locations: City Hall, New Hope United Methodist Church, Murphy Ace Hardware, Water Treatment Plant, West Chicago Library, The ARC Center, Jewel Osco Discussion: Shah suggested Commissioners let him know if they have additional drop-off locations in mind so he can begin coordinating them as soon as possible. 7. Other Business a. Commission’s FY 2027 Budget Request Due Friday, August 21, 2026 i. Submit to Staff Liaison August 12, 2026 ii. 2026 Budget Request Enclosed Discussion: Rodriguez provided a summary of his meeting with Carlson, Director of Public Works Mehul Patel, and the City’s Business & Community Relations Director, Kelley Chrisse, regarding publicizing the Environmental Commission’s activities and initiatives. Patel suggested the Commission provide Chrisse with a quarterly list or update of the Commission’s activities so that a mailer or postcard could be produced for residents, which would need to be budgeted for. Rodriguez shared that this was a good first step toward moving forward and helping the Communications Department understand that the Commission is highly public-facing and needs the department’s assistance in promoting its events and accomplishments. Shah noted that he would share the draft of the new Sustainability & Stewardship webpage with the Commission for review and feedback. b. 2026 Community Survey Results – Commissioner Kesler Discussion: Shah noted this would be discussed at the next meeting since Kesler could not attend the meeting. c. August 2026 Meeting & Tour Update – Commissioner Blaus Discussion: Commissioners discussed potential dates and availability for tours of the Urban Stream Research Center and Household Hazardous Waste Facility. i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by Blaus, to move the August 20, 2026, meeting to August 28, 2026. 1. Voting Yea: Williams, Rodriguez, Blaus, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 2. Voting Nay: None. d. Data Center Timeline & Discussion Discussion: Commissioner Kesler previously requested a timeline for the data center under construction at 1345 W. Washington Street and wanted to understand why the Commission was not engaged in the development process. Shah discussed this with the City’s Director of Community Development and shared some information with the Commission regarding the development. It is a permitted use in the manufacturing district, so no special use permit was required. There is also no City Code provision that requires Environmental Commission review of private developments. The Community Development Department, Development Commission, and City Council oversee the issuance of permits, not Public Works. Shah asked the Commission what its expectations are of staff and Public Works as it pertains to development, since almost every project has an environmental impact in some capacity. Following some discussion, the Commissioners requested that Shah and Swiatek keep them apprised of what the City plans to do during the six-month moratorium and how the City can ensure that environmental impacts are embedded in the process. Shah noted that the site permit for the data center was applied for on August 21, 2025, and issued on April 21, 2026. Additionally, the building permit was applied for on January 6, 2026, and issued on May 12, 2026. e. How to Get a New ComEd Streetlight in Residential Areas ===== PDF PAGE 4 ===== Discussion: Shah distributed a document previously drafted by the Environmental Commission in 2019. In 2015, the Infrastructure Committee tasked the Commission with devising a policy for streetlight requests, and this document was the result. The Public Works Department has occasionally received requests for additional streetlights, but no formal policy was ever adopted from this draft. Shah brought it before the Commission to determine whether there was interest in reviewing and approving a policy, since it pertains to light pollution. Currently, unless streetlights are installed as part of a Capital Improvement Project, no new streetlights can be added, and City Code is very specific regarding the spacing and locations where streetlights can be installed. Some discussion followed. i. Carlson made a motion, seconded by Williams, to reject the draft streetlight policy and continue with the City’s standing operating procedure of rejecting streetlight requests. 1. Voting Yea: Williams, Rodriguez, Blaus, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 2. Voting Nay: None. 8. Sustainability Subcommittee Updates Discussion: Williams updated the Commission on her involvement with Healthy West Chicago and its task of improving walkability in the City. She noted that many groups are represented, including the Park District, the City, the Township, Public Works, and Forest Preserve, among others. 9. Liaison Updates (e.g., Development Committee, Downtown Revitalization Commission) Discussion: Upon Rodriguez’s request, Shah provided Groot collection data for the Commission. Rodriguez inquired whether there were any goals or metrics by which to measure Groot’s collection, but Shah indicated it was strictly data that could be compared year-to-year to identify trends. Carlson also briefed the Commission on the latest Development Committee meeting. 10. Upcoming Commission Meetings a. August 20, 2026, 6:00 PM, City Hall August 28, 2026, Time TBD, Location TBD b. September 17, 2026, 5:00 PM, Water Treatment Plant 11. Adjournment a. At 4:45 P.M., Rodriguez made a motion to adjourn, and Carlson seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by voice vote. Respectfully, Ashley Heidorn Public Works Administrative Assistant