===== 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 September 17, 2026, 5:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order & Establish a Quorum a. Dave Shah, Staff Liaison, called the meeting to order at 5:07 P.M. b. Members in attendance included Co-Chair Allen Rodriguez, Commissioner Victoria Burris, Commissioner David Carlson, and Commissioner Matt McClure. c. Aldermanic liaison present included Alderman Christopher Swiatek. d. Staff liaison present included Deputy Director of Public Works, Dave Shah. 2. Approval of Minutes a. Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes of July 16, 2026 i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by Carlson, to approve the Meeting Minutes. 1. Voting Yea: Rodriguez, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 2. Voting Nay: None. b. Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes of August 28, 2026 i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by Carlson, to approve the Meeting Minutes. 1. Voting Yea: Rodriguez, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 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 Discussion: None. b. New Additions or Upcoming Events i. Fall Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up Event (Hawthorne Lane) – September 17, 2026, 5:00 P.M. 1. Meet Up Location: 1400 W. Hawthorne Lane Discussion: None. ii. Pumpkin Composting – November 7, 2026, 9:00 AM to 1:00 P.M. 1. Location: New Hope United Methodist Church, 643 E. Washington St Discussion: Shah stated that New Hope United Methodist Church agreed to participate again this year, and the dumpster has been coordinated with Groot. Commissioners approved the draft flyer and requested copies to distribute at Jewel and Sonny Acres. ===== PDF PAGE 3 ===== a. McClure made a motion, seconded by Burris, to approve the Pumpkin Composting flyer. i. Voting Yea: Rodriguez, Burris, Carlson, and McClure ii. Voting Nay: None. iii. Holiday Lights Recycling Event – November 27, 2026, to January 15, 2027 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: Rodriguez suggested posters or larger signage to post near the collection bins to increase awareness of the event as well as small flyers to hand out to customers. 6. Other Business a. Commission’s FY 2027 Budget request was due Friday, August 21, 2026. The budget request was verbally discussed between the Staff Liaison, Chair, and Co- Chair on August 20, 2026. The following request was proposed by the Public Works Department: i. $5,000.00 – Promotional and Educational Materials ii. $10,000.00 – 2027 EC events postcards and postage fees Discussion: Shah summarized the budget discussion held on August 20, 2026, and advised that the $15,000.00 request was presented to City Administration for consideration in the FY 2027 Budget. b. 2026 Community Survey Results (Pending) – Commissioner Kesler Discussion: Shah summarized the findings provided by Commissioner Kesler regarding the 2026 Community Survey Results. Waste and recycling remain the dominant environmental concerns. Kesler wrote that leadership should focus on improving operational performance, communication, and public awareness in these areas. Residents believe the community to be generally clean, although not uniformly so. Visible local improvements, including improvements to parks, green spaces, and trails, as well as community clean-up efforts, generate strong resident support. Survey participants also indicated that education is a high- impact enabler for long-term success. 7. Sustainability Subcommittee Updates Discussion: Burris presented a draft letter addressed to the Mayor concerning train schedules and the noise pollution caused by train whistles. Commissioners expressed interest in receiving a future update regarding the City’s handling of future proposed data centers. Burris also raised the topic of reducing single-use plastic bag usage. 8. Liaison Updates (e.g., Development Committee, Downtown Revitalization Commission) Discussion: Carlson noted that the most recent Development Committee meeting had been cancelled. Rodriguez inquired about the status of the possible development of futsal courts downtown. Carlson confirmed that an ordinance had previously been passed to allow recreational development at the location, but construction would not begin until at least next year. Funding for the project remains unresolved. 9. Upcoming Commission Meetings a. October 15, 2026, 6:00 P.M., City Hall i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by Carlson, to move the next meeting to October 22, 2026. 1. Voting Yea: Rodriguez, Burris, Carlson, and McClure ===== PDF PAGE 4 ===== 2. Voting Nay: None. b. November 19, 2026, 6:00 P.M., City Hall c. December 17, 2026, 6:00 P.M., City Hall i. Rodriguez made a motion, seconded by McClure, to cancel the December meeting. 1. Voting Yea: Rodriguez, Burris, Carlson, and McClure 2. Voting Nay: None. 10. Adopt-A-Highway Clean-Up Discussion: None. 11. Adjournment a. Following the conclusion of the Adopt-A-Highway Clean-Up, the meeting concluded at 7:10 P.M. Respectfully, Ashley Heidorn Public Works Administrative Assistant