Will County Gazette

Village of Homer Glen Environment Committee met Oct. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order.

The special meeting was called to order at 5:37 pm by Chair Consolino. 2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

3. Roll Call.

Members present were Chair Jennifer Consolino, Chris Chiappetta, Andy Panelli, Fran Perveiler, Joe Turrise, Staff Member Melissa King and Staff Member Taylor Udarbe.

4. Approval of Amendments to the Agenda.

There were no amendments to the agenda. Member Perveiler made the motion to approve the agenda, seconded my Member Turrise. The motion passed.

5. Minutes.

a) August 1, 2023

The motion was made to approve the August 1, 2023 Minutes by Chair Consolino and was seconded by Member Chiapetta. The motion passed.

6. Public Comment.

There was no public comment.

7. Old Business.

a) 2023 Environment Committee Event/Activity Dates

1. Community and Nature in Harmony Awards, Update

Chair Consolino told the committee they just had the Community and Nature in Harmony awards. Member Perveiler said the winners were so delighted. Chair Consolino asked if they liked the signs and Member Perveiler confirmed and added that they look so good, classy, permanent and they get to keep them Staff King added that Frankfort does not let their winners keep the signs.

Member Perveiler explained to the committee that she brought flowers for her garden walk winners at the ceremony but was seen as a committee member and didn’t get flowers that meeting for Haseeb and his family. She said she dropped off a bouquet at their house the next day. Fran said she just felt bad since they were the most gracious hosts. Chair Consolino said it was an honest mistake.

Staff Udarbe said she liked the flowers and Chair Consolino said she will write it down and maybe they can incorporate it into next year’s ceremony.

Member Perveiler reiterated everyone was so pleased and Chair Consolino said everyone showed up and the businesses were happy with the recognition. Staff Udarbe said Lube Master and Softway was very excited, and Member Perveiler added that the Phoenix was, too. The committee said everyone was very happy with the recognition and Staff Udarbe explained that they made stickers for their windows, which were little version of the residential signs.

2. Stargazing, Update

Member Turrise said him and Member Panelli were there. Chair Consolino said she heard there was decent turnout despite the weather and Staff Udarbe confirmed that the owls were a hit and that she saw the moon early in the evening.

Staff King and Member Turrise talked about how the cookies and refreshments were a hit. Member Perveiler asked how many people may have been there and Staff King estimated around 50, which was a little low since it was cloudy. They said they had 4 astronomers come but within the first hour they couldn’t see anything.

Staff Udarbe said they asked about doing a pop-up fall/winter viewing here. Chair Consolino asked, isn’t it best when its colder and Staff King said yes in January but she gets resistance when she brings it up, thinks nobody will come. The committee talked about how to get people to come by maybe during winter break, providing hot chocolate, and it should be a pop up so they know it won’t be -10 degrees out.

They will explore the idea, and Staff King said the astronomers would not care and they will come and they have asked in the past. She added that event staff isn’t crazy about the idea but Trustee Steilen is maybe on board with it. Member Chiappetta added that they can do hot coca and Chair Consolino said they have the community room open for people to warm up and the kids would have something to do – they have shown movies in the past. Staff King confirmed they have played the stargazing education video on a loop.

Staff King explained they opened the whole board room this year and they set up a barricade to block the dais and had 6 or 8 tables instead of sitting against the wall and it was perfect for breaks and for the owl craft. They said they should do that setup again. Member Turrise said the timing for the owl was perfect. The committee said the kids loved the owls and they had a snow owl that was very Harry Potter like.

Staff Udarbe said they do holiday lights in the park and Staff King said they could probably turn them off. Chair Consolino said if they are planning for January, then the lights are probably removed. Member Perveiler said the lights stay up awhile into January and remembered seeing them with her daughter when she was in town.

Member Turrise suggested they maybe they can get someone local for the indoors because of the weather, it easier to have someone come to the event if they were closer. Member Consolino asked if there were any new suggestions and Member Turrise said he liked the rotation they have. Chair Consolino said stargazing is their biggest event and they get a larger draw every time.

3. “Hike and Haul”, Homer Glen Lands Day Cleanup, Update

Staff King said it was fun and said she saw Member Turrise went with his grandson and Chair Consolino added that Viv came, Andy came, and Brent Woods came, too. Chair Consolino asked how many teenagers they had and Staff King said they only had 2 because they found out it was homecoming.

Staff King said Member Turrise’s grandson picked up so much trash and Member Turrise joked he also did but he was slower.

Staff King said they also had a mom with 2 middle schoolers there for confirmation credit and another mom with 2 small children and a 5-year-old that came to pick up trash to teach her kids that it is important. Staff King said it was nice to see people show up from Facebook and not need to get extra credit or community service hours and who just wanted to come.

Member Turrise said the food and refreshments were a great idea and staff confirmed it went well

Member Perveiler said she invited her women’s club but they had a Feed My Starving Children event. Chair Consolino asked how many high schoolers they had last year and Staff King confirmed they had 9. The committee noted that they will need to check homecoming and other calendars next time.

Member Panelli said they can do target mailings for immediate neighbor around the park and explained they should be there since it is their park and they should be out there helping since they live right there.

Chair Consolino asked if they liked the Culvers Park location and Staff King said she likes both ideas, staying or switching, but Jacquelyn recommends keeping it the same until they get legs and kinks worked out. Chair Consolino asked which subdivision are around – Pebble Creek and Woodbine – and they should do mailings. Staff King also said they could post an event sign on the property. Chair Consolino said they can do both.

Staff King said she liked being on a trail and if they do pick another location in the future that they should pick one where people can walk around, too. Chair Consolino said Sendra park is like that. She said they talked about doing others but only sticking to one. Member Turrise said they get a lot of trash along the road, too.

Staff King suggested said she could ask Jen Vittori where they have a problem and added that they pick up a lot of trash along trails. Member Turrise said along Will-Cook Road between 159th and 167th always has so much trash being thrown out of their cars. Chair Consolino said it is safer in the parks than on the road but said it is food for thought if they do an adult clean up. Member Turrise said if the park employees can lend them their bright vests, it would be helpful.

4. Fall Tree Planting

Staff King said they switched out one of the species, since Jen Vittori was not happy with the leader on one of them, so they planted 1 Shingle oak and 2 Chinkapin oaks. They originally had 3 different oaks picked out, but these are still very nice trees.

Member Turrise asked to go back to the stargazing and wanted to add that the events staff, Jacquelin, Alana, and Kris did an amazing job. Chair Consolino said thank you for saying that since they really stepped it up through the turnover at the Village when everything fell into their laps. Member Turrise explained they did amazing and had a great owl craft and just overall contributions to the event. He wanted to make sure they knew they did an amazing job.

8. New Business.

a) OAKtober Proclamation

Chair Consolino said she is reading the proclamation at the Village Board meeting tomorrow, and asked if the committee has any add ons. There were none.

b) Spring Newsletter Inserts

Staff Udarbe said he had put it down for October that they should discuss the insert for the newsletter. She reminded the committee that they had discussed doing a no residue static cling film sticker and wanted to see if the committee was still interested. Member Perveiler asked for a re-cap of the conversations as she couldn’t recall the conversations.

Chair Consolino explained they last minute used the spring newsletter, since it would cost less and goes to every household, for a perforated page for info on what is and is not recyclable. She said they wanted to do this again for plastic free July by piggybacking on the spring newsletter distribution. She added they looked into magnets but cost a fortune so they were looking for other options.

Chair Consolino asked Member Panelli if he liked the static cling and he asked how the static worked. She explained it peels off but its not a sticker it’s a cling decal that can cling to metal, glass, plastic. They can look into the insert again, too.

Member Chiappetta said people may not have used the perforated page and said that people still might not use the static cling even if they put it in there. Staff Udarbe said Kris had the same concern since we didn’t know how many people actually used the information and was concerned for us to send out plastics for people to throw out. They talked about the Nuway magnets that went out and Chair Consolino said that would be a good way for us to get info out and we can go in on that with them.

Member Panelli said they should explore this. He said, for all the work that the committee does for inserts or perforated sheets, if it gets on the fridge or someplace they can look at it then it has value. But if it is a label that gets stuck on top of a recycling bin, then it is something they would see every time.

Chair Consolino wanted to confirm, he wanted a sticker and he said yes, even though it is expensive. She said they can look into it. Member Panelli suggested they contribute maybe $1000 to NuWay’s effort to produce them and put them on every can with the Village’s logo on it. Member Chiappetta asked if they can work that into NuWay’s contract with the Village and Chair Consolino said Trustee Fialko was looking into it last year. They asked if the contract was yearly, and she said she believed it was. Member Chiappetta said Villages make requirements all the time in negations like eliminating diesel and stuff like that.

Member Panelli said it is in their best interest since they spend a lot of time trying to clear the junk from their conveyor belts and it nuts that they haven’t done it yet. Chair Consolino said maybe she can bring this up during new business tomorrow.

Member Turrise said he saw a tribune article where we found out we recycle like that 10% of recyclables. He explained San Francisco is a leader and other west coast city recycle over 70%. Member Chiappetta added that they get fined heavily for improper use.

Chair Consolino said she may not bring it up tomorrow since there is a long agenda but she will bring it up next time.

Member Panelli said that would free up space, so they can go back to including information on reducing plastic and Member Chiappetta agreed and said they need to educate people on single use to get people thinking. He said they can send out tips but the best would be to get stuff on the trashcan. Chair Consolino

said they want to send them to the school because more people don’t know what is recyclable. Member Chiappetta said if the kids get stickers in school, parents won’t be able to say no when they want to put it on the fringe at home. Member Turrise talked about how manufacturers should help by adding yes or no for recyclable, but they are purposely trying to confuse us.

Member Consolino said she will hold off talking about it for another meeting. Member Panelli asked if they should reach out to NuWay to see if they are interested. Staff King said they have a marketing contact but they may not be involved in the contract negotiations. Member Panelli asked if they re

negotiate every year and Chair Consolino said she thought they did.

Member Turrise asked if we should contact Will County Green since they also do a lot of things in the area. Staff King said they can, maybe, if NuWay isn’t interested in working with them.

Staff Udarbe confirms the committee wants to pair with NuWay for the magnet or sticker instead, but include other info in the newsletter. The committee members confirmed.

9. Announcements/Committee Member Communication

Member Panelli told the committee that he was speaking with member Chiappetta about Pope Francis’s letter from 2015, which was uniquely addressed to all instead of only Catholics, and was 125 pages titled On Care of Our Common Home. He said, for the first time, he mentioned climate change around 15 times and explained that us harming our environment harms us back. He explained the pope wrote a follow up recently, which was shorter but laser focused on climate change and the urgent need for action. He said it is triggering conversations among all people, not just Catholics and other faith based.

Member Chiappetta added that it was important that climate change was acknowledge at this level, because it is all very real. Member Perveiler said she was surprised that it was not covered more in the news.

Member Turrise said there is room for common ground even with people who don’t believe in climate change. Member Panelli agreed and said yes, maybe these people can agree on moving toward cleaner air together.

Chair Consolino told the committee that Europe is also very dirty, even though they tell others to do this or that, even though they themselves have a lot of garbage. She said they have gone greener in some aspects and they avoid plastics more over there.

The committee members wished Chair Consolino a happy birthday.

10. Adjournment/ Committee Members Communication.

Member Perveiler motioned to adjourn the meeting at 6:18 pm and Member Chiappetta seconded. Motion passed.

http://www.homerglenil.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10102023-2621