Environmental Commission of Cook County

If you want to follow along you can watch the meeting here: https://www.facebook.com/CookCountyDistrict12/
It’s a live video.

@CHIdocumenters downloads each meeting agenda so you don’t have to have a hundred on your computer like I do!

This morning’s agenda is here: https://www.documenters.org/documents/agenda-68282/

Live video is up! https://www.facebook.com/CookCountyDistrict12/videos/5013910461981183

Commissioner Bridget Degnen says that they’re low on attendance today but should still make a quorum. They’re holding the meeting for Victoria Wilson - who just arrived on Zoom.

Quorum is made and minutes are approved. Degnen is introducing a new Commissioner Michael Badame. He works for Chicago Department of Aviation in Facilities Operations & Maintenance and is a adjuct at Triton College

Kim DuBuclet, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in Illinois. is also introduced. She explains that they care for storm water and talks the importance of Lake Michigan to Chicago.

DuBuclet is presenting on the Restore the Canopy Program. “Why are trees so important?” https://t.co/itT2R7ebLq

Storm water is one of the top priorities of MWRD https://t.co/5rHz5pk9DG

Restore the Canopy program is handing out free trees around the county. They raffle off rain barrel. “Whatever we can do to put trees in the hands of our residents” https://t.co/VQDUsaChWe

This year they distributed over 95k free saplings. They will be distributing pin oak, red oak and bur oak sapling.s https://t.co/ebF4YwaiKz

End of her presentation. Commissioner Degnen thanks Commissioner DuBuclet, says that more vegatation reduced crime and she cites a study that looked at two buildings that looked the same and were in the same area. She says that the researchers found that crime was reduced 12-14%. https://t.co/1hferwKowT

Commissioner Mark Potosnak asks why only oak trees. DuBuclet doesn’t have a concrete answer but says that they might be more sturdy and will grow to have a big canopy.

Commissioner Victoria Wilson asks what the goal of the program is for 2022. DuBuclet replies that neighborhoods who are most in need of the trees - underserved neighborhoods that are primarily Black and Brown, ones with vacant lots, food deserts.

MWRD’s goal is to meet or exceed the amount of trees distributed last year. DuBuclet offers a partnership with the Commissioners for distributing the trees.

Sheetal Khedkar Rao comments that she took a class and they said that Oak trees used to be more widespread in Cook County. DuBuclet agreed.

Chelsey Grassfield asked about the statistics apply to mature trees or the saplings also? DuBuclet says that it’s most likely mature trees.

Commissioner Margaret Schneemann is asking what resources are provided to citizens. What type of property is the goal for these free saplings? DuBuclet says they can only plant the trees on private property. No permits are given to plant on public property.

Commissioner Bridget Degnen says that this commission and MWRD have similar missions and that a partnership could be very effective. She asks for a brainstorming session with MWRD. DuBuclet says that they partner on drug takeback.

“We’re the most important agency no one knows about” Kim duBuclet from MWRD.

No public speakers have requested to be present.

Christine Diploma (founder) and Sheetal Khedkar Rao are here from Nordson Green Earth

Christine Diploma talks about her uncle Nordy Dipolma. She hopes that their foundation will bring more canopies to communities https://t.co/EiiY8vXR5K

Christine Diploma (founder) and Sheetal Khedkar Rao are friends from school. Diploma talks about how redlining of communities really impacts tree equity. https://t.co/uJQyczPEWp

Green Earth foundation were recently made 5O3(c) which has opened a lot of doors for them. Khedkar Rao says that their first forest is very small “20 by 40”. https://t.co/EDttbGmsjO

Diploma says they just put in their orders who native plants. They are hoping to have a big planting event in May. They are hoping to put more Miyawaki forests in Chicagoland.

Khedkar Rao explains Miyawaki is a biologist who developed a method to create forests using native species. She says that this works well with dense soil which Chiccago has a lot of. https://t.co/E8r8Uskanw

Khedkar Rao says that the soil is so important. They need to make the soil spongey so that the saplings can survive. You plant the saplings very congested and it’s “survival of the fittest.” These forests can grow to be very mature and can offset carbon emissions.

One criticism is that Miyawaki forests can only be planted in tropical areas but Khedkar Rao says that one of the forests are nearby in Indiana. https://t.co/Z6DzfcWjBw

Khedkar Rao said that Washington State had a Miyawaki forest success and worked with local indigenous people to pick the species of this forest. They hope to do that here in Chicagoland.

They are looking for help with finding a Botanist or even just an intern that’s really interested in this career path.

They are hoping for partnerships with communities or programs. Khedkar Rao says that green spaces impact community health - which she’s seen in her personal work in the medical field.

Bridget Degnen asks for questions at the end of the presentation.... no hands are raised. Degnen comments that she appreciates the two presentations coming together today because they work so well together.

Commissioner Wilson thanks them for reforesting their communities. She especially appreciates this presentation since her family is from Markham. Wilson will be connecting the foundation with her network.

Next up on the agenda is Policy Group Discussion on Tree Planting and Composting

Subcommittee meeting recap from zoom user “msche9” which I presume is Margaret Schneemann. They also had a presentation form Nordson. They had a tree equity map presented. One point was made that trees that are plants should be wanted and cared for.

They also looked at neighborhoods who had tree canopies below average. She asks if anyone has any ideas about tree planting. Tree Planting events are scheduled for April and May.

Bridget Degnen says that Maywood would like 40 trees. There is a partnership cooking with Cook County Commissioner of the 1st district (Brandon Johnson?) where the Maywood plan is. Degnen says they’re looking at Saturday April 2 or 9th.

Degnen reached out to the Botanic Garden … for what I’m not sure because the signal is unstable.

There are no questions, the commission is moving to industrial composting.

A subcommittee recap from Mark Potosnak, who is talking about a internship possibility. Northwestern is involved with this program. There are 5 partners. Undergrads are matching to community partners who have data science needs. They are just getting started.

Potosnak said that applications have “gotten lost in the digital wave.” He is asking about the timing thoughts about the commission.

He suggests summer because of internships period. Wilson and Degnen agreed that summer. Degnen asks when would this start. DePaul and Northwestern are quarterly. Potosnak guesses June.

Potosnak says that students who are selected that end school earlier might start earlier.

Lori (Last name unknown because it doesn’t pop up) continues the update. They are working on trying to get tax incentitives with the county. They are working on composting within the hospital and jails. Jails have a small compost machine for food waste.

Degnen points out if jails have a bigger composter where will the resulting byproduct go? They will have a meeting in the future about this.

Lori continues and says that Stephanie “Canzaros” (spl unknown) about composting in areas. Degnensays that they need to have meetings with areas and larger hotels about food waste. There are significant food waste at these facilities. What can gov do to help with this composting?

End of composting recap

Degnen continues with the meeting. Michael Badame needs to pick a subcommittee but doesn’t need to pick right now. Badame chooses the tree planting committee.

Calendar discussion is next

April 13th is the next meeting.
From the agenda: Calendar: February 2 April 13 June 8 August 10 October 12 December 7

All of them are at 10am. Does anyone object?… None heard. Degnen asks if Badame will lead the approval. Wilson seconded. No nays.

Dates can be amended if there’s a conflict.

Last thing on the agenda before adjourning is River Clean Up Day – Chelsey Grassfield.

Chelsey Grassfield is the Policy Manager of the Friends of the Chicago River. 30th anniversary of the clean-up day. Last year there were 60 sites of the river system. Some of the sites and clean up are on land.

Clean up day is April 14th with 9am-noon. If you’d like to get involved, check out the site here: https://www.chicagoriver.org/get-involved

“Is there an age limit?” No, Grassfield says.

Mark Potosnak puts a link for MCDC - which a quick Google search shows that it’s probably information about “Metropolitan Chicago Data-science Corps (MCDC)” This is a paid internship. https://sites.northwestern.edu/mcdc/

A motion to adjourn is made at 11:06 a.m.

At the height of the meeting there were about 12 viewers of the live - dropping off to 8 toward the end of the meeting.

Cook County Environmental Commission minutes will be posted here: https://cook-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=927653&GUID=FFD61A84-81A2-4B66-B213-E8A3740DC549&Options=info%7C&Search=

Thanks for joining me! This concludes the meeting. Notes were taken by @CaitGuerra. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org. 🌟

Apologies - misspelled Nordy’s last name here. It’s the same as Christine, “Diploma”