Beautification and Improvement Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2024-04-04

Village of Skokie Beautification and Improvement Commission
 Meeting Agenda
 April 4, 2024, from 6:30 to approx. 8 pm (okay if you need to leave at 7:30)
 Rooms D & E (upstairs)


 I. Approval of March 7, 2024, Minutes

 II. New Initiatives Committee, Tree Canopy Campaign & Arbor Day, Awards Program-
 Valerie & Bob

 III. Education Committee, April Speaker, Edible Gardens-Brook

 IV. Outreach Events: Festival of Culture, Parade-Chuck & Bob

 V. Spring planting-Mike

 VI. Report (optional) by Cathy Stevens, Forester, Public Works

 VII. Report (optional) by James Johnson, Trustee Liaison

 VIII. Old Businesses

 IX. New Business

 X. Adjournment


Email me if you have an agenda item you would like to be considered for a future meeting.
Thanks.

Bob Quane, quane@siu.edu
847-271-3868

Minutes – 4/4/24 Beau�ﬁca�on and Improvement Commission

Roll Call:

Commissioners Present:

 Sherwin Ditlove

 Vernell Ellison-Smith

 George Hubchak

 Frederick Lisiewicz

 Ed Potash

 Mitchell Sandler (vice chair)

 Valerie Shuman

 Brooke Sprague

 Bob Quane (chair)

 Mike Madalinski

 William Oney-Paige

Commissioners Absent:

 Rachel Rosenberg (excused)

 Ross Del Rosario (excused)

 William (Tony) Barney

 Katy Darr (excused)

Forester Cathy Stevens – Present

Trustee James Johnson – Absent



Mee�ng called at 6:35PM

 1. Minutes approved
 2. Commissioner Shuman (New Ini�a�ves)
 a. Calendar put together
 i. Edible garden
 ii. Arbor day
 iii. Emily Oaks
 iv. Wednesday on the Green
 v. Nomina�ng
 vi. Parade
b. Commissioner Quane to turn over Emily Oaks project to Commissioner Lisiewicz and
 Forester Stevens
 i. Commissioner Lisiewicz reads email from Lee Hansen (Park District, Manager of
 Emily Oaks Nature Center)
 1. B&I will sell trees at the na�ve plant sale
 2. Include a handout on how to care for tree
 3. Have a QR code/link to Chicago Regional Tree Ini�a�ve on Forestry Page
 4. Na�ve plant sale will be on 5/19 – 12-2:30PM
 5. Commissioner Lisiewicz to talk to Lee Hansen about residents buying
 trees from commission
 ii. Commissioner Potash and Commissioner Del Rosario will be heading outreach to
 the Farmers’ Market
 iii. Commissioner Oney-Paige will work on outreach to Wednesday on the Green
c. Commissioner Shuman asks “How are we tracking outcomes?”
 i. How are we reaching people?
d. Commissioner Oney-Paige talks a bit about what he wants to do for Wednesday on the
 Green
 i. Small table, couple �mes over the summer atend
 ii. Commissioner Oney-Paige has connec�ons within the Skokie Chamber of
 Commerce
e. Farmers’ Market – Possibly work with Shady Grove Nursery that sells na�ve plants at the
 Farmers’ Market
 i. B&I may need/want to only atend a couple of weekends.
f. Buton samples passed out
g. B&I pu�ng together a “kit” for these appearances around the Village.
h. Items that must be done:
 i. Discuss everywhere we can adver�se our presence
 ii. Must reach out to Communica�ons Manager Meredith Gioia
 iii. Recruit tree advocates
 iv. Make sure everything is live on the Forestry page
 v. How do people tell the Village if they plant their own tree? (ideas below)
 1. Maybe take a pic and get entered in the raﬄe
 2. Possibly take a photo and upload to a form
 3. Communica�ons Manager Gioia is running current form for ge�ng
 photo
 4. Images of people having trees planted
 a. B&I needs more photos of people plan�ng trees
 5. B&I needs to be consistent about hashtags
i. Awards brochure en route
 i. Basically same brochure with updated dates
 ii. QR code goes to B&I site
 iii. Only prin�ng for event at library due to FY end
j. Commissioner Madalinski shows places that he and Commissioner Darr scoped out for
 possible plan�ngs
 i. Around Lincoln & Oakton
 ii. Forester Stevens recommends against plan�ng in middle of Oakton
 iii. Main and Lincoln – another spot by Niles Township
 1. Commissioner Oney-Paige says Niles Township may be willing to help
 iv. Dempster – Forester Stevens talks about the island on Dempster and how it was
 revitalized
 1. Commissioner Stevens would like to drive around with Commissioner
 Madalinski & Commissioner Darr to look at sites
 2. Not a one-and-done – if B&I decides to do one plan�ng now, B&I can
 wait for another site
 3. Chair Quane asks Commissioner Madalinski to narrow down what and
 where B&I wants to do everything this Spring
 k. Arbor Day – Chair Quane
 i. Chair Quane goes over schedule for 2024 Arbor Day 2024 program at Madison
 and what interac�ons we will have with the school/kids
 ii. 3 trees will be planted
 iii. Forester Stevens to make site visit to see where trees should go
 iv. Chair Quane’s thinking there may be more of the general public at this event
 v. There will be a blurb in Skokie News
 vi. Communica�ons Manager Gioia will be at the event as well
 vii. Forester Stevens needs to ﬁgure out how many children will be atending the
 event
 l. Door Hanger – design already mostly ﬁnished – Forester Stevens says there may be edits
 i. Awards/Nomina�ons Form – some edits and back and forth with
 Communica�ons Manager Gioia
 ii. Some diﬀering language regarding people entering their own property directly
 online
 iii. Nomina�ng other proper�es – reach out to B&I directly
 m. Commissioner Sprague – April 16th talk
 i. 48 out of 50 seats ﬁlled
 ii. Commissioner Sprague will be ac�ng subcommission head for Educa�on since
 Commissioner Rosenberg has some personal issues to atend to.
 iii. Check via raised hands at mee�ng how everyone heard about the talk
 n. Forester Stevens – update on tree plan�ngs
 i. Most going on week before Arbor Day
 ii. East Prairie – plan�ng 4/19 at 9:30AM
 iii. Oakton Community College – 4/18 in the morning
 iv. Middleton and Myer – ﬁgured out where to plant trees for next year
 v. 50 trees at Ida Crown next year
 vi. Cathy will leave 4 books at each school
 vii. Might try to get one at Lincoln Jr High

Mee�ng Adjourned at 7:30PM