>>
good morning and welcome to the metropolitan
water
reclamation district of greater chicago,
my name is kari steele and I'm the
president of the
board of commissioners, it is january
22nd, 2026 and our regular board meeting
will come
to order, madam assistant clerk, can
you please call the
roll ?
>> commissioner
brady-davis, commissioner davis, vice
president
flynn, chairman
garcia, commissioner mcelroy kirkwood
, commissioner
waller , nine present constituting
a quorum madam
president.
>>
so ordered, if there is anyone from
the public that would like to
make a comment, please fill out the
yellow card being held up by jennifer
right now
in the back of the room, she will
receive that card and you will
have three minutes to address the
board. At
this time will everyone please rise
for the pledge
of allegiance. I pledge allegiance
to the flag of
the united states of america and to
the republic for which
it stands, one nation under
god indivisible with liberty and justice
for all.
>> motion
to
accept the minutes from the last regular board
meeting of january
8th, 2026 without having to read them
into the record
moved
by commissioner brady-davis, second
by vice president flynn, all
in favor say
aye.
so ordered. Once again if there's
anyone who would like to
make a public comment, please fill
out that yellow card and staff will
make sure
I receive it and you will have three
minutes to address
the board. Right now we have one speaker,
joe macarthur, if you could please
step to the microphone, clearly state
your name
and spell your name, state your affiliation and
you have three minutes
to address the board, welcome.
>>
thank you, I'm joe
we macarthur
,
macurthur, case number
77 oh 2239,
I'm here to report ongoing
encroachments of transportation
on highway
palatine, the city of
rolling metals and harper city college,
additionally
for fairness, I request
the board to amend minutes from the
january 8th public comments
to fully reflect my
minutes. Additionally,
sorry, lastly, I think
everyone agrees that you, kari
steele
can say teamwork makes the dream work
better than
I
do. Thanks.
>> thank you and we appreciate your
participation, do we
have anyone else that would like to make
a
public comment? Okay. Motion
to recess and
convene as a committee as a whole
moved by commissioner brown, second
by
vice president flynn, all
in favor say aye. All opposed?
hearing none,
so ordered , we will jump right into
business, the
committee of the whole meeting will
come to order, we will move into the
consent agenda, right now I will call
on
each commissioner individually and
you can let me know what items you
would like
to be pulled for discussion. Let's
start with commissioner
brady-davis. Do you have any items
you would like to be pulled
for discussion?
>>
good morning madam president, all
of my questions have been addressed.
>>
thank
you commissioner brady-davis, commissioner
brown, do you have any items you would
like to
pull for discussion?
>>
thank you, my questions have been
answered.
>> commissioner davis, do you have
any items
you would like to have pulled for
discussion?
>> all of my questions
have been answered.
>> thank you,
vice president flynn,
do you have any items you would like
to have pulled
for discussion? Thank you, chairman garcia,
do you have any items you
would like to have full for --pulled
for
discussion?
>> yes, items one
and five.
>> thank you chairman
garcia.
commissioner mcelroy kirkwood, do
you have any items you would like
to have pulled for discussion?
>> thank
you, all of my questions have been
answered.
>> thank
you, commissioner waller, do you have
any items you
would like to have pulled for discussion
?
>> yes,
items two and
15.
>> thank you, and I
have no items to be pulled at this
time, and my questions have been answered
so
we will jump into business starting
with item number one, madam assistant
clerk, will
you please read item
number
one?
>>
memorial resolution, sponsored by
the board of
commissioners, celebrated by the life
of rick garcia.
>> thank
you.
>> good morning madam president and
colleagues, I would like to recognize
the life of the pioneer
rick garcia, I first met rick many
many
years ago when I worked in springfield
at the governor's budget office, but
you can see that rick was somebody
passionate
about his community and
that
community [indiscernible]
at that time, there was not a profit
to be gained and
at that time people would shy away
from you because of who you were,
your
sexual orientation and what he stood
for. I was not a friend of rick way
back when
and it took me time to develop as
a person
to appreciate all these things that
he was doing for our community, our
nation and our society. I want to say
thank you to rick
for everything that he did to push
unpopular agendas starting in the early
2000 and his work and tenacity and
that of many
other leaders in our society way
back when, they have stood
the ground to where I am right now
as
a person, to where my colleague is
as a
person and to where all of us are
as people in this society so
thank
you rick, your movement to bring equality
to everyone regardless of who
you are make you
a pioneer in our community,
you sacrifice
and your tenacity
really yielded results for all of
us, so
that you --
thank you.
this saturday I think there is a memorial
service at 11:00 a.m. But
if you
can join and make a prayer,
not only for rick
but for our society in general so
we can all become better people,
thank you rick.
>> thank you
chairman garcia, commissioners do
you have any additional comments or
questions,
yes commissioner
brady-davis ?
>> thank you for
bringing forth today's resolution
along with myself
and I want to say thank you to the
board
of commissioners for supporting this
resolution, today we honor
the life and legacy of rick garcia,
a trailblazer whose
courage to
shape illinois moral and political
landscape,
rick understood long before it was popular
or safe that trans rights
are human rights and he never wavered in
that truth, he was before his time,
moving fearlessly through
religious communities and public institutions
alike, insisting that faith and equality
not be
treated as opposites but partners
in justice. Rick held elected
officials accountable, he pushed institutions
to do better
and he helped lay the
groundwork that made marriage equality
possible
in illinois. His advocacy was
relentless, fierce, rooted in love
for our
community and as commissioner garcia and
I sponsor this resolution, we do knowing
so that we stand on the great shoulders
of rick garcia. We
are eternally grateful for
his life , for
his life's work and we commit to carrying his
legacy forward with the same courage,
tenacity, clarity
and conviction that
defined him. Anyone who ever knew
rick garcia knew
he was tenacious. My
deepest condolences to rick's family
and his
loved ones and we will
forever keep his memory alive. Thank you
to the board of commissioners for
sponsoring
this resolution today.
>> thank you
commissioner brady-davis, commissioners
do you have
additional comments? Yes, vice president
flynn .
>> just a fun fact, I met
rick garcia years ago on the campaign
trail, he was a
contender for mwrd,
he was witty, smart and a very kind
man, we
became friends during that season,
but yes, god bless rick,
thank you.
>> thank you
vice president flynn,
thank you, I was going to touch on
that exact
point. Rick, much
earlier, probably towards the end of my
young democrat days, but what I can
say is, one, everything you are saying
is spot
on but, I appreciated
rick's ability
to collaborate and communicate
with everyone and always
be professional. You know now we are
in a time
where we have a lot of agitators in
the room and we think we have
to yell and scream or diss someone to
get
their point across or to
make them view things the way we
view
them. I never saw him like that, so
if you was, I didn't know about it,
he was always professional and always
just respectful and talked to you
and that's what
we need more, just regular conversation
to make people be
able to work together, so obviously
he
was a
fan of all the reclamation's,
so we lost a good one but thank you
all for doing this resolution
and I encourage everyone to read the
resolution when you have a minute,
to know
a little bit more about his history
and
his life. Thank you, we will return
this item back to
the
consent agenda. Madam assistant clerk,
please read item number
two.
>> request authority
to reviews
the proposed amended sewage and waste
control ordinance of the
metropolitan water reclamation district of
greater chicago and proposed procedural
rules governing all
administrative proceedings before
a board appointed hearing officers
brought pursuant to the amended
ordinance.
>> commissioner waller. >>
thank you madam
president, I understand one of the
substantial changes is the
added section 5, article five,
section 15 to classify non-discharging
categorical
industrial users, I'm seeking clarification
on why
industrial user that is not discharging
what have to file a report and I understand
and acknowledge this is a
federal requirement, but if
you could opine us as to why, that
would be
great.
>> good morning everyone, so
this is
a recommendation from epa that
we include in our ordinance, so that
is why we are including it.
it's also,
the feeling is that would make us
aware of these types of entities are
out there and that would be on our
radar. That is
the basic reason for
that.
>>
it is interesting to me how this might
be used for
noncompliant utility, or significant
industrial users such as we have
talked about during this
board meeting. Just to keep track
of them. So,
is that a use we are going to see
for that, just tracking the folks
that maybe are
not allowed to discharge due
to noncompliance?
>> we have already
compiled a list
of what these entities are, we believe
that they are.
this allows
us to
provide notification, certifying they
are
not disparaging waste to
our system.
>> I
would welcome an opportunity to think of
that as a
business opportunity, so we can help them
with
on-site treatment and this is
in the vein of water use.
thank you.
>> thank you commissioner
waller . Commissioners, do you
have any additional comments or questions
for item
number two? Okay,
let's move this item back to the
consent agenda. Madam
assistant clerk, please read item
number
five.
>> report on investment inventory
statistics at
december
31st, 2025.
>> thank you, chairman
garcia.
>>
thank you. I wanted to
pull
this item on
our investment inventory statistics to
call out
the 2025 green
bonds report
which was just released, it is important
because some of these investments
are from investments in
green bonds, as you know the district
has been issuing green bonds since
2014, where
we are able to ensure green bonds
aced on
the environmental work. Treating wastewater and
storm water and we are able to
have a wider array
of investors, please take a look at
the 2025 report
and see the depth and irony of categories
that issuing green bonds have allowed
us to
fund
which includes stormwater management
and resource recovery
and critical enhancements and improvements
to our reclamation plants. I want
to say
thank you to the
financing and all the staff who worked
so diligently and
respectfully, responsibly, we have
more updates throughout the year.
thank you to the
teams and please look for
the report which is posted online
and
you can get it in paper form I think
from allison.
>>
thank you chairman garcia. Commissioners,
do you have any additional questions
or comments
for item
number five? Okay, let's move item
number five
back to the
consent agenda.
madam assistant clerk, will you read
item
number 15.
>> authority to advertise
contract 26-rfp-06
employee benefits consulting services,
for a
three-year
period, effective july 1st.
>> commissioner
waller .
>> in light of this
being one of the more expensive things
on the agenda, can you tell
us what the operational lifespan of
these items
would be?
>> with this, this is for
the calumet tarp deep tunnel
pump system
, so very critical like all of our
large pumping stations, so we
have the rotating assemblies waiting
to
be overhauled, both have a
life expectancy
of 10 years, so 10 years from now
we will be doing that again. The
same thing with the medium voltage,
on a 10 year
maintenance cycle, so about 10 years
from now we will be doing that again
and as far as
the suction valve, they have a water
lifespan of approximately 40 years.
>> thank you executive
director
marie.
>> commissioners, do you have
any additional
questions, comments for item
number 15?
okay, let's move that item back to
the
consent agenda. Commissioners, do
you have any items that you would
like to be pulled for discussion at
this
time that you did not
mention earlier?
madam
assistant clerk, will you please identify
the items on the agenda to bring
forth to the regular board
meeting?
>> the following items have been
recommended
to bring forth to the regular board
meeting, agenda items
one through 32, that concludes the
agenda for each standing
committee, madam president.
>> moved
by
vice president flynn, seconded
by commissioner davis, all in
favor say
aye. So ordered. Are there any items
to be discussed in
executive session?
okay, the committee of the whole meeting
is adjourned,
we
will take a five-minute break and reconvene
in the regular board meeting, quick
five minute break,
thank you.
>> in the
regular board meeting will come to
order, madam assistant clerk, we have
an ordinance and travel
request this morning, please read
industrial waste ordinance
item number
two.
>>
request authority
to review the proposed amended sewage and
waste control ordinance of the metropolitan
water reclamation district
of greater chicago and proposed procedural
rules governing all administrative
proceedings before board appointed
hearing officers brought to the pursuant
of the
amended ordinance.
>> thank
you, moved by vice president flynn,
chairman garcia, roll call.
>> commissioner brady-davis, commissioner
brown, commissioner davis,
vice president flynn, chairman
garcia, commissioner mcelroy kirkwood,
commissioner waller, madam
president .
item 11, authority
to approve travel expenses from the
board of commissioners and
board executive .
>>
moved by flynn,
seconded by
chairman
garcia.
>> commissioner mcelroy
kirkwood, commissioner
corral sepulveda,
commissioner waller, madam president?
>> yes, so ordered, madam assistant
clerk, please recite the items for
consideration.
>> yes, madam
president, item one was red, item
two was
right,
item three,
report on the investment interest
income during december 2025, four,
report on investment
purchased during
december 2025, item five was red,
item six, report to the board of commissioners
on payment of restricted interest
earnings in the amount
of $544,619.52 for
the 2025 calendar year, pursuant to
the terms of
a project partnership agreement with
the united
states army corps of engineers approved
by the board on january
24th,
2019. Eight, authority to transfer
up to $6
million $650,000 from the
construction working cash
fund to finance construction fund
operations of the district in the year
2026, pursuant
to the provisions of 70 ilcs
2605/9 c.
authority to transfer up to $64,125,000 from
the storm water
management working cash fund to finance
stormwater management fund
operations of the district in the year
2026, pursuant to the provisions of
chapter
70 and the illinois compiled
statute 6205/9
e. Item 12 was
red, 13, to
advertise contract
26-rfp-06 employee benefits consulting services,
for a
three-year period, effective july
1st. 14, authority
to advertise contract 26-rfp-07 flexible
spending plan administrator,
for a four-year period,
effective january
1st, 2027 to december 31st. Item 15
was
red, 16, authority to advertise
contract
26-360-11 for public tender of bids
for a 14 year lease on approximately
2.5 acres
of district real estate located
at 15680 canal bank
road in lemont, illinois, known
as maine
channel parcel . 17, authority to
advertise
contract 26-713-11,
scavenger
services at the o'brien water reclamation plant, estimated
cost
of $1,423,000,
account 101-67000-612520,
requisition 165-2776.
20, issue purchase order for
contract 26-100-11 preventative maintenance
for laboratory
balances and meters to certify balance
and skill corporation in the amount
not to
exceed $58,800. 21, authority to award
contract 22-377
raw sewage discharge pipe
support modifications for pumps one
through
three, to john burns construction
company llc in an amount not
to
exceed $9,657,000
. 22, authority to award contract
25-821-21 furnish,
deliver and install grit
screw conveyors at the
calumet water
reclamation plant.
23,
authority to award contract 26-65-11,
diving services at various locations
to global
infrastructure llc doing business as chicago
underwater in
the amount not to exceed $190,000.
24, authority to increase the
purchase order and amend the agreement
with a
via llc for telecommunications equipment,
maintenance and
support and
e911
calling in an
amount
of
$43,900. 25, authority to decrease
contract 17-135-three
, roof replacement
of the
lue-hing m&r
complex, sticky water
reclamation plant.
28, authority to settle
the workers compensation claim of
kevin
matthew versus
mwrdgc,
claim number
w003639421, illinois
worker's compensation commission in
the
sum
of
$23,427. 31,
authority to issue a five-year permit
to the united states department of
the interior u.s. Geological survey
to continue to operate and maintain
and
remove a gauging station on the summit
conduit outflow
located on maine channel parcel
in
summit, illinois. Consideration shall
be a nominal fee
of $10. 32, consent
to assignment of easement agreement
dated may 5th, 2016, from american
grading company to use and maintain an
access
road on
71,226 square feet of district real
estate located along the eastern edge
of the district's mainstream pumping
station in
hodgkins, illinois. That concludes
the recital of agenda
items for consideration
madam president.
>>
thank you.
are
there any items that the board of
commissioners would like to
discuss further? Okay, madam clerk
please identify the items on the consent
agenda.
>> the following consent agenda
items have and submitted for
board approval, items one through
32 with the exceptions of items
two and 11, that concludes the consent
agenda madam president.
>>
thank you, moved by
vice president flynn, second by
commissioner corral sepulveda, roll
call please.
>> commissioner brady-davis,
commissioner brown,
commissioner davis, vice president
flynn, chairman garcia, commissioner
mcelroy
kirkwood,
commissioner corral sepulveda, commissioner
waller, madam
president ?
>> yes.
so ordered. We will move into
new business.
thank you, so our black history month
flag raising ceremony
will be coming up soon, I would like
to take this time to
remind all mwrd staff
and colleagues to join us for the
seventh annual pan african american
flag raising ceremony, or I
like to call
the black flag raising
ceremony, february 2nd, 2026 at
10:00 a.m. At this building, the main office
building, the barbara
j mcgowan main office building, the
flag raising will take place
directly outside the main entrance
of the building.
this ceremony is an
important opportunity to honor the
history, culture and lasting contributions
of african
americans while reaffirming
mwrd's continued
commitment to diversity, inclusion
and unity throughout our organization
and of
course this kicks off black
history month.
and that is all
the new business I have, I will call
on each commissioner individually
and you can let me
know if you have new business or lead
all of us know what your new
business is, let's start with commissioner
davis. Do you have any
new business?
>> thank you, I do not.
>> thank you commissioner
davis. Commissioner mcelroy kirkwood,
do you have any new
business ?
>> [indiscernible] >> thank
you commissioner mcelroy kirkwood.
commissioner waller, any new
business ?
>> thank you, yes, I would
like to say thank
you to my fellow commissioners, executive
director john murray
and staff and the public for our collective
value of public health, the federal administration
has revised the cost benefit analysis
associated with setting pollution
limits
to consider only the cost to
industry and a limit consideration
of public
health, despite our
total --anyway,
despite this to public health, I would
like to take this moment to just reaffirm
our mission, mwrd will protect the
health
and safety of the public and its service
area, protect the quality of water supply and
lake michigan, improve the quality
of
water in the service area, protect
businesses and homes from
flood damage and manage water as a
vital resource for our service
area. To put these words into action,
I request that we seek
continued funding for our wastewater
public health
surveillance program, thank you madam
president.
>> thank you commissioner
waller, commissioner corral sepulveda,
any new
business quest mike
>> just wanted
to say thank
you to dr. O'connor for joining us
yesterday in
the environmental town hall, we had
a great session
working with our county
government and sharing awareness
and resources available to our residents
on lead poisoning and resources
for
families to particularly in
the home childcare sector to address
those
and replace their lead waterlines
and we also provided some information
on how
they could better use
green infrastructure
in our green neighbor guide to protect themselves
from flooding so thank
you, we had really good participation
and registration of over 100
interested parties and I appreciate
dr. O'connor taking
the time to engage with our residents
and share
more about what we do at
mwrd . And thank you commissioner
waller
for bringing that to
the front. We are the front-line
in ensuring that the public health
of
our residents continues to be protected
from polluters,
thank you.
>>
thank
you commissioner corral sepulveda.
commissioner brown ?
thank you commissioner brown. Commissioner
brady-davis ?
>> thank you madam president,
first I would like to thank the executive
director for looking
into fixing the livestream
on the
reservoir, there was a part that needed
to be fixed, the executive
director ordered that, I don't know
about you all but I enjoy
watching that reservoir fill up
during storms, something I enjoy checking
on so thank you
executive director murray. I also
want everyone to stay
warm , tomorrow the wind chill is
going to
be -35, I heard
it's going to be the coldest day this
year, so everyone
stay warm,
stay home, have some hot cocoa if you can,
that
is all I have madam president.
>>
thank you commissioner brady-davis.
chairman garcia, do you have any new
business?
>> nothing today,
thank you.
>> thank you chairman garcia.
vice president flynn,
do you have any new business
?
>> just a comment
regarding commissioner waller's statement, I'm
so grateful, you
stated what we do every day
all day and how great it is to have
the forefathers of this agency set
the ground rules and get it rolling. But
all this happens whether
we sit in the seats or not, so I'm
so grateful for the whole show putting
it together, thank you
very much.
>> thank you vice
president flynn. Madam
assistant clerk, will
you please read the motion to
adjourn?
>> yes madam president, I
move that when the board adjourns,
it adjourns to meet again on january
25th,
at 10:30 a.m., and also that today's
meeting is adjourned.
>> moved by
vice president flynn and
seconded by
commissioner
davis.
>> vice president flynn, chairman
garcia,
commissioner
mcelroy kirkwood, commissioner
waller, madam
president ?
>> yes,
so ordered, the regular meeting is adjourned,
everyone have a
productive day,
thank you.