[remote or in person] Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Utilities

Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024
10:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. CDT

100 East Erie Street Chicago, IL 60611 (Directions)

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If you choose to document this meeting remotely, visit/refresh https://mwrd.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx at the scheduled meeting time. A link labeled “In Progress” will appear under the Video column for the corresponding meeting (though it may not be until at or a little after the scheduled start time).

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Monique Petty-Ashmeade

Harvey residents and non-residents expressed great concern and disdain about the storm water project that Chicago’s MWRD is helping with.

View notes

Live reporting by Jennifer Guerrero

Harvey residents and non-residents expressed great concern and disdain about the storm water project that Chicago’s MWRD is helping with.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737

Hi! I’ll be live tweeting for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District #CHIdocumenters @CHIdocumenters, starting @ 10:30am. Meeting immediately began with public comments.

01:15 PM Oct 17, 2024 CDT

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 2/25

Jamie Neely on behalf of the Fed. Of Women Contractors expresses her gratitude and support for MWRD leadership for their dedication to their shared ideals.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 3/25

Next is Kevin Coburn speaking on behalf of Insituform Technologies 39th St conduit project and his desire for the reconsideration of their bid for this project. More info about the project here: mwrd.org/news/mwrd-boar…

mwrd.org/news/mwrd-boar…

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 4/25

Lanora Poole, resident of Harvey and one of the families being relocated as a result of an MWRD flood control project, is speaking out against the lack of support with the relocation efforts, lack of clarity about the project, and her unhappiness about the displacement.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 5/25

Pres. Steele interrupts public comment to make a statement about the different information being passed around. She states negotiations are happening with the Poole family and MWRD wants to see her family happy. and that the board doesn’t think less of Harvey

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 6/25

Pres. Steele also goes on to address Laura’s comments that insinuated that MWRD thinks less of Harvey. She clarifies that MWRD values the Harvey community and does not think less of Harvey. The purpose of the project was to help Harvey residents w/ flood management.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 7/25

Joe Poole, the oldest member of the Poole family and owner of the home, states that he has never had any water problems. He says that as one of the oldest residents of the community, the relocation imposes a tremendous strain on him. He is 89 years old.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 8/25

He also states that after experiencing the loss of his wife and his son, no amount of money could ever replace the loss of the home where he raised his children in.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 9/25

Here is an article directly addressing the Poole Family and the MWRD project here: chicagotribune.com/2024/10/04/har…

chicagotribune.com/2024/10/04/har…

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 10/25

The next public commenter, Sharron McGee who is also a resident of Harvey and potentially impacted resident by the MWRD project, says that the community meetings have not clarified what the project looks like or the 200 homes it will potentially save.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 11/25

Also states that she is completely against the hole made by the school as part of the project. MWRD needs to ask the residents directly impacted that they think about the project. She also says that the MWRD’s overpriced of a home will raise property taxes in the area.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 12/25

Another public commenter speaks against the probate process. She states that this process is stealing black people’s property and wants to express her sympathy for Harvey residents and their struggle with this project.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 13/25

North Shore activist Karl Malchut also speaks about the Harvey community. Specifically, about their plight of irresponsive govt. He mentions his own experience receiving a threatening text this morning from a political aid as testament of the diseased political climate of Harvey.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 14/25

He also mentions Christopher Clark’s arrest of an alderman as further proof that Harvey’s city govt’s hostile environment that incapable of providing residents with the proper information and space for public discourse.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 15/25

Zoe Leigh, a Chicago resident who has been victim to the city unlawfully demolishing her family’s building. Since then, her and her family have been involved in federal litigation for over a year. She goes on to state the govt actively engages in theft of black owned property.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 16/25

Ryan Sinwelski, member of the Harvey historical society, states that what is happening to Harvey is clearly eminent domain. He says MWRD has ignored other reasonable alternatives that don’t involve the demolishing of homes such as fixing the city’s drainage system.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 17/25

Also emphasizes Harvey’s irresponsive govt. States the Mayor has gone as far as walking out during the public comment section to avoid residents. Also states funds from FEMA have not been approved, and that FEMA has specifically stated not to do any property acquisitions yet.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 18/25

Ryan also reiterates that the MWRD needs to have another community meeting before the project continues.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 19/25

Resident of Tinley Park speaks about conditions residents in Calumet city during govt meetings. States that Harvey and CC face similar issues given Harvey’s Mayor is the FOIA officer for Calumet City. Mentions that at last meeting she attended, resident was removed for filming.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 20/25

She urges the board to not continue with Harvey’s project until they investigate how these meetings are being presided.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 21/25

Public comment section ends. Once again, President Steele addresses Harvey residents and the Poole family. She says that she is available to hear their concerns. Although unusual, she also makes time for commissioners to make comments in the meeting to address residents.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 22/25

Comm. Spyropoulos says another community meeting is necessary. Comm. Brady-Davis says that MWRD is hearing the community and that she understands their concerns, esp considering the history of these buildings.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 23/25

She highlights that she wants Black and Brown people to get access to storm flood management infrastructure. Comm. Corral Sepulveda also offers her condolences to Joe Poole, and hopes that negotiations are able to be successful for his family.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 24/25

Moving onto the consent agenda: Davis: item 5 & 7 pulled Garcia: deferred item 47 Corral Sepulveda: item 8 pulled Spyropoulos: pulled items 8, 68, 60 Pogorzelski and Garcia speak in favor of ALMA and Tracy Balm for their efforts to bring to light important LGBTQ+ history.

Jennifer Guerrero @Jennife92877737 25/25

Meeting adjourned at 12:04pm.

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Agency Information

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

mwrd.org

(312) 751-6633

public.affairs@mwrd.org

@MWRDGC

See Documenters reporting

Created in 1889 as the Sanitary District of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) today is a special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for residents and businesses in its service area, which encompasses 882.1 square miles and includes Chicago and 128 suburban communities throughout Cook County.

The MWRD serves approximately 10.35 million people each day, including 5.25 million residents of Chicago and 128 suburban communities. To learn more about the agency’s management structure and departments, click here.

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