Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2025-05-27

Village of Skokie
 Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission
 AGENDA

 March 27, 2025
 7:00 pm
 Village Hall Room D/E
 Public Comments: sustainability@skokie.org


  I. Approval of Minutes

 II. Old Business

 a. Guide to Recycling and Disposal Programs (now on SEAC webpage)
 b. Spring Greening
 c. Hefty ReNew giveaway program
 d. Electronic Lawn Equipment Rebates

III. New Business

 a. Sustainability in the FY26 Budget
 b. Updating the Village’s Website
 c. Establishment of 25 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit for Village Wide
 Residential Streets
 d. Residential Sustainability Awards


IV. Other business

 V. Public Comment

VI. Next meeting:

 a. TBD

VII. Adjournment




Document Number: 511765

Memorandum
TO: Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commissioners

FROM: _______________________________________________________________________
 Andrew D. DeCanniere, Commissioner, Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission

DATE: June 12, 2025

SUBJECT: May 27, 2025 Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission (SEAC)
 Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:07 PM in Conference Room D/E at Skokie Village Hall

Present: Chairperson Jennifer Grossman, Commissioners Christopher Buccola, Andrew
DeCanniere, Michael Gershbein, Lisa Gotkin, Alma Likic, Olivia Mahoney, Rick Moskovitz,
Emily Okallau, Robert Render, Charles Saxe, Assistant to the Public Works Director / Staff
Liaison Elizabeth Zimmerman

Absent: Vice Chair Jim McNelis

I. Approval of Minutes

A motion was made by Commissioner Okallau to approve the minutes from the March 4, 2025
meeting of the Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission, seconded by Commissioner
Mahoney. The minutes were approved as presented.


II. Old Business

 a. Guide to Recycling and Disposal Programs

 Staff Liaison Zimmerman noted that the newly redesigned and updated Village of Skokie
 Guide to Recycling and Disposal Programs has been uploaded to the website, and thanked
 Commissioner DeCanniere for his work on it. Commissioner DeCanniere stated that
 the guide was a collaborative effort, incorporating suggestions from Sustainability
 Coordinator Sanzenbacher and Staff Liaison Zimmerman.


 b. Spring Greening

 Staff Liaison Zimmerman recapped this year’s Spring Greening, highlighting some of the
 statistics that she felt to be most pertinent.



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 These included the following:

 • 22.5 tons of documents were shredded.

 • Lots of other recyclables were collected. Among these were textiles, paint, construction
 materials, baby gear, bicycles, batteries, and much more.

 • 18.8 tons of electronics were collected for recycling.

 • There were 1,489 vehicles in the south lot, along with 722 vehicles in the north lot.

 • Participation was at a record high.

 She also discussed the potential to promote other one-day drop-off events in the vicinity, so
 that people are aware of the other opportunities that exist in the area as well.


 c. Hefty ReNew giveaway program

 Staff Liaison Zimmerman noted that Chairperson Grossman and Commissioners Gotkin
 and Gershbein handed out Hefty ReNew Starter Kits at the Winter Market in April, and
 thanked them for doing so. There was a lot of interest in the program overall. An item on
 Hefty ReNew is also forthcoming in the Village’s e-newsletter (The Scoop).


 d. Electric Lawn Equipment Rebates

 Staff Liaison Zimmerman discussed the rebate program for electric lawn equipment.
 Rebates were $100 for electric mowers and $50 for electric leaf blowers. The program
 has been completed with 34 electric mowers and 13 leaf blowers.


III. New Business

 a. Sustainability in the FY26 Budget

 Prior to the meeting, Sustainability Coordinator Sanzenbacher provided all Commissioners
 with a document outlining environmental sustainability projects among the scheduled
 capital improvement projects for FY26. Staff Liaison Zimmerman and Commissioners
 discussed the various items highlighted within this document.

 Commissioner Saxe inquired as to the color temperature of the LEDs that are to be used in
 the upgraded light fixtures within the community.

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Commissioner Buccola noted that there are fixtures that are certified for dark skies.

Commissioner Saxe inquired as to the Lawler Avenue improvement mentioned under
the Complete Streets section.

Discussion ensued as to the use of concrete versus asphalt on some Village streets, as well
as the potential to use a more eco-friendly type of concrete.

Chairperson Grossman inquired about electric vehicle (EV) chargers for the Village’s new
EVs. Staff Liaison Zimmerman said that the Police Department just received new fast
chargers, and that there will be new chargers at Village Hall. ComEd has some rebates
available for EV chargers.

Additional discussion ensued.


b. Updating the Village’s Website

Staff Liaison Zimmerman stated that there is an overhaul of the Village website underway,
and solicited feedback from Commissioners. General discussion of the website ensued,
including various improvements that could potentially be made (e.g. ways in which it
could be made easier to search and navigate through the site).


c. Establishment of 25 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit for Village Wide Residential Streets

Chairperson Grossman noted that, at the previous Village Board meeting, a presentation
was given about traffic controls, as well as about establishing a 25 mile per hour speed
limit (with some exceptions). Discussion ensued.


d. Residential Sustainability Awards

Commissioner Gershbein noted that nominations have not been received. Commissioner
DeCanniere suggested promoting the Residential Sustainability Awards by making
information regarding the program available at the Skokie Public Library, Skokie Park
District facilities, schools within the Village, and at other locations that may be
regarded as centers of the community, just as we previously discussed making climate-
related health and safety information available via these venues.




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IV. Other Business

The ComEd rate increase was discussed, as was the Community Solar Program and the Village’s
agreement with MC Squared Energy Services.


V. Public Comment

No public comments were received.


VI. Next Meeting

At the conclusion of the meeting, the exact date of the June meeting was yet to be determined.

Update: On May 29, 2025, it was determined that the next meeting of the Sustainable
Environmental Advisory Commission will take place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.


VII. Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM with a motion from
Commissioner Gershbein, seconded by Commissioner Saxe.




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