Episodes
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In our last episode, Tia & Erik covered the November 12th Elgin Sustainability Commission meeting and unpacked the commission's discussion about their Single Use Bag Fee ordinance proposal to the city council (which happened almost two years ago).
They also reported on what commissioners were saying, which was they were hearing the city manager's office was warming to the idea of a single use bag ban instead of the commission's recommended bag fee.
Tia & Erik also shared feedback they had received from an unscientific online survey they distributed via social media on this issue.
With all that being said, this SPECIAL EDITION episode focuses on the city manager's office's response to The Elgin Watchman's online survey and previous podcast episode.
Tia & Erik specifically talk about a leaked email letter from the city's Director of Communications & Engagement on behalf of the city manager to senior staff and city council members. In that leaked letter, the city manager tries to address "inaccuracies" in The Elgin Watchman's coverage.
In this SPECIAL EDITION podcast episode, Tia & Erik try to address "inaccuracies" and "misrepresentations" in city hall's leaked email letter.
***NOTE 1*** Despite city hall's denials, The Elgin Watchman stands by its coverage and reporting on this issue because it was what was discussed at an open public meeting. The Nov. 12th meeting was attended by city council appointed members of the Sustainability Commission with a former city staff member chairing the meeting, a current city staff member in the room whose job is to advise and support the commission, and an elected member of the city council.
***NOTE 2*** It is important to note that no one shut down discussion about the City Manager's Office alleged support of a single use bag ban . . . nor did anyone question it. Everyone at the Nov. 12th commission meeting accepted it as fact, which is why The Watchman report on it and stands by its coverage of this open meeting.
***NOTE 3*** A leaked copy of Jeff Knox's email to senior staff and city council members is posted on The Elgin Watchman's website in the Blog Section with our critique and responses. (Please note . . . the Blog Section is behind a $0.00 pay wall that you simply need to set-up your login credentials to access) CLICK HERE to read that email with paragraph by paragraph commentary by The Watchman.
***NOTE 4*** Finally, it is also interesting for our loyal listening audience to note that city hall has not reached out to The Elgin Watchman to deny any of this coverage.
***INVITATION TO CITY MANAGER*** We extend an invitation to City Manager Rick Kozal to sit for an interview, straighten out the record, and clearly explain his Office's position on single use bags, their impact on the city's waste hauler, the effect they have on local landfills, and city hall's point of view on the bigger picture of "sustainability" beyond just one issue like single use bags.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, November 12th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin. The following issues were discussed by commissioners on November 12th and cheerfully shared with you by Erik & Tia after the fact:
Climate Action Planning processCarpentersville Fox River dam removalStatus of t-shirt purchase for commissionersCommission's recommendation to Elgin City Council to remove the Kimball Street damProposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinanceGuest speaker from School District U-46 and former sustainability commissioner Deb McMullen talking about science standardsTia & Erik dedicated this episodes "deep dive" segment to talking about a strange development regarding the proposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance. Commissioners disclosed an alleged shift inside the Elgin City Manager's office where city staff, who allegedly opposed to the proposed bag fee, are now discussing the possibility/feasibility of a bag ban ordinance.
The Elgin Watchman launched an unscientific opinion poll after the meeting, asking local Elgin residents whether they favored a bag fee or a bag ban and why. Erik & Tia shared those responses and discuss some of wisdom behind some of the feedback.
This episode is a long one . . . so buckle-up . . . because you won't want to miss some of these twists and turns.For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.
***UPDATE*** After recording this podcast episode, The Elgin Watchman was informed that the city's new Director of Communications and Engagement, Jeff Knox, sent an email to senior city hall leadership and members of the city council denying that "the City Manager's Office is in support of a single-use grocery bag ban."
Despite city hall's denials, The Elgin Watchman stands by its coverage and reporting because this was what was discussed at an open public meeting by city council appointed members of the Sustainability Commission with a former city staff member chairing the meeting, a current city staff member in the room whose job is to advise and support the commission, and an elected member of the city council.
It is important to note that no one shut down discussion about the City Manager's Office alleged support of a single use bag ban . . . nor did anyone question it. Everyone in that room accepted it as fact, which is why we are report on it and stand by our coverage of this open meeting.
A leaked copy of Jeff Knox's email to senior staff and city council members is posted on The Elgin Watchman's website in the Blog Section with our critique and responses. (Please note . . . the Blog Section is behind a $0.00 pay wall that you simply need to set-up your login credentials to access) CLICK HERE to read that email with paragraph by paragraph commentary by The Watchman.
Finally, it is also interesting for our loyal listening audience to note that city hall has not reached out to The Elgin Watchman to deny any of this coverage.
We extend an invitation to City Manager Rick Kozal to sit for an interview, straighten out the record, and clearly explain his Office's position on single use bags, their impact on the city's waste hauler, the effect they have on local landfills, and city hall's point of view on the bigger picture of "sustainability" beyond just one issue like single use bags.
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Missing episodes?
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The Elgin Watchman welcomes special guests Brian Pinion, Downtown Neighborhood Association Vice President and Jamie Berry, owner of Vern's Tavern as they explain the complex issue of simply throwing things away in Downtown Elgin. As a business owner, Jamie provides insight into the long-standing issue of trash contracting in a confined space like the downtown area and exposes some of the challenges that come along with how we collectively (or not) manage waste.
Brian explains the partnership that was coordinated among business owners via the Downtown Neighborhood Association with the help of city staff to finally resolve the question of where to put our garbage?
The collaborative nature of this discussion highlights ways in which our waste streams are often overlooked or neglected, creating inefficiencies and lost opportunity in reduction or diversion.
We appreciate Jamie and Brian for their patience as this episode was recorded earlier this summer and wasn't immediately released due to waste contract coverage.
As an additional update, the Watchman is pleased to hear that the solution the DNA and some of the Elgin businesses came to will include recycling services- progress!
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, October 8th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.
Climate Action Planning processIllinois Green Alliance's website resources on net zero building constructionNov. 2nd Pumpkin Smash composting eventActive Mobility Plan RFP responseSustainability Commission's 2025 priorities and preliminary budgetProposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance & the commission's open invitation to the community speak on this issue and present ideas at its Nov. 12th meetingFox River Dam removal
While Tia was off this month celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, Erik and his Siamese Cat (aka Luang) summarize this month's commission meeting using a multiple choice question format.
The following issues were covered by Erik & Luang:Erik also shared his thoughts about what he thinks the city council's next steps should be regarding the proposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance and specifically:
Placing the issue back on an upcoming agendaClarifying what questions city council members still need answer before they vote on the ordinanceTasking city staff with reporting back and providing a deadline dateNot sending any of this work back to the Sustainability Commission because that work is not within the defined roles & responsibility of the commissionVoting on the proposed ordinance before the April 2025 city council electionsFor more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.
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The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, September 10th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.
Elgin's Climate Action Plan (CAP) processResignation of a commissionerThe city's new "bronze status" as part of the EV Ready programCity council's decision to enter into negotiations with a new waster haulerVideography project focusing on documenting CAP project and other miscellaneous sustainability topicsEast Side Neighborhood Garden project, community work project, and recognition of organizations and businesses that made it all possibleCommission's recommendation to city council to remove the Kimball Street dam of the Fox RiverCommission priorities and budget process for the upcoming fiscal year 2025
Tia and Erik unpack the run-of-the-mill agenda items. It did not seem as if there was very many new topics being discussed this month.
Until . . .
Tia and Erik accidentally stumbled upon the agenda topic of the East Side Neighborhood Garden workday. It was during this discussion, they discovered a potential city hall cover-up. (Or maybe it was just city hall incompetence, which seems to always be the answer)
Is your curiosity piqued? Good . . . more on this in moment. First, let's run through a list of issues discussed on this episode:It is possible that Tia and Erik might be listening to too many crime drama podcasts. However, they ended up revisiting an old discussion topic from last season -- the fate of former commissioner Chris Flaherty.
What happened to former commissioner Chris Flaherty? Did he get screwed? Who had it in for him? Was the law broken?Now that there is a vacancy again on the commission, will city council members do the right thing and ask him to serve again?Will this deep-dive topic inspire the commission to put more relevant and interesting items on future agendas in an effort to keep Tia and Erik focused on important local sustainability issues?
Tia and Erik stumbled into this conversation because of the resignation of commissioner Katie Gronke and the discussion about the East Side Neighborhood Garden workday, which is where Flaherty's name came up a few times.
And like TV character Adrian Monk, Tia and Erik pondered lots of questions and even tried to unpack some of the evidence -- both for and against -- behind the reasons Flaherty is no long on the Elgin Sustainability Commission.For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Our season three special series on Waste continues with this episode in which Tia, Kendra, and Erik unpack what happened at the August 28, 2024 city council meeting.
Every council member weighed in with their opinionsThere was a motion to enter contract negotiations with Lakeshore Recycling (LRS)There was a amendment to that motion to NOT move forward with LRS and instead enter contract negotiations with Waste Management (WM)The mayor tossed in the equivalent of a 3rd grade math problem for the council to solve (spoiler alert ... apparently no council member has passed 3rd grade math)WM officials spoke. LRS officials spoke. WM truck drivers spoke. Elgin Sustainability Commission members spoke. Even a three-time-losing city council candidate spoke and leveled serious allegations at a current council member.In short, it was a s***show, which is not unusual for the Elgin City Council.
If you want to subject yourself to a few hours of torture, you can watch the Committee of the Whole (COW) and Regular City Council meetings on the city's YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.
Inspired by local students recently going back to school, Tia led Kendra and Erik through a discussion where each council person received a letter grade for their effort and participation.
This episode might be one of the longest ones in The Elgin Watchman's three seasons of podcasting, but we promise . . . you won't want to miss this episode.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
Our season three special series on Waste continues with this episode in which Tia chats with the Elgin City staff recommended waste hauler in the 2024 RFP, Lakeshore Recycling Services. She is joined on this hot August day by Katie Neary, Manager of Municipal Services and Josh Connell, Co-Founder and Board Director and Vice President of Government Affairs from LRS.
Staff is recommending your bid to council- why do you think your bid was compelling and what do you think council finds interesting or valuable within it?There was a lot of discussion around Elgin being the "Crown Jewel" of your contract portfolio- how do you feel your company is trending within the market place and what other ambitions do you have? Why Elgin?What do you think the citizens of Elgin would appreciate about your services more than other haulers we've had in the past?Council decided to wait until next week to make a determination- has the city asked for any additional information from you or have there been clarifications provided to your bid that you can share?
The Watchman wanted to hear from the bidding haulers and in this episode, and got a chance to ask a few follow-up questions after the city council meeting in which they were recommended to city council for the contract award. You can review the conversation on that city council meeting here.
The Watchman asks LRS the following questions and learns that there has been a request for two additional alternate bids to the originating RFP from the city to the haulers.CLICK HERE to see the RFP and all the addendums provided by the city to companies wishing to submit a proposal for consideration. This material may provide listeners with some context.
The Watchman is requesting the alternate bid communication to the haulers and will provide links upon receipt.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
In today's sixth episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia, Kendra, and Erik discuss the August 14, 2024 meeting of the Elgin City Council.
Four waste/recycling companies submitted proposalsCity staff provided their recommendation to switch from Waste Management (WM) to Lakeshore Recycling Services (LRS)LRS showed up to the meeting to answer questionsCuriously, WM also showed up to lobby council members to reject city staff's recommendationAnd as you can imagine, the council meeting got weird
Last month, Tia and Kendra unpacked and discussed (season 3 episode 9 on July 8, 2024) the city of Elgin's request for proposals (RFP) from area waste/recycling companies for a potential five to 10 year contract. In today's episode, they continue that discussion.CLICK HERE to see the RFP and all the addendums provided by the city to companies wishing to submit a proposal for consideration. This material may provide listeners with some context.
CLICK HERE to view the August 14th city council meeting being discussed in this episode.
CLICK HERE to check out LRS' website, and CLICK HERE for their Better Business Bureau rating page.
CLICK HERE to check out WM's website, and CLICK HERE for their Better Business Bureau rating page.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, August 13th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.
Climate action plan process, consultants, and structure in addition to summaries from the first round of meetings2025 Elgin Earth Summit planning processShared Harvest's newest plans and path forwardEfforts to hire a videographer to document the climate action planning process (or perhaps some other sustainability initiatives?)Developing a recommendation memo for the Elgin City Council re. the commission's position on removal of the Kimball Street Fox River DamDeep dive conversation about the new Strong Towns Elgin organization, its mission, objectives, and how people can get involved
To summarize the commission agenda items, Tia and Erik typically play fun little podcast games to keep things interesting. However, this month's podcast studio vibe was different. Kendra Kroiss, who is part of Team Watchman and a periodic guest on the show, was in the house. AND it was her birthday. Needless to say, this episode was celebratory and the monthly podcast game was . . . hmmmm . . . shall we say . . . different.
The following issues (and probably more) were discussed in between the singing and merriment:Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to The Elgin Watchman's favorite person in the world -- Kendra Kroiss.
If you are looking for more information about Strong Towns Elgin, CLICK HERE and HERE and HERE and sign up to receive email updates HERE.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts. -
In today's fourth episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia talks with Clair Ryan, who is Kane County's Recycling Program Coordinator. Lots and lots of ground was covered throughout this episode, but here is a summary
Electronics recyclingKane County's Solid Waste PlanRecycling and waste data collectionLandfill capacity monitoringLocal municipalities and their efforts to secure proposals from waste haulersWhat the heck is recyclable when everyone is saying something different?The Recycling Contamination Task Force ... huh?Packaging lawsAnd so darn much moreThis wonky episode is soooo interesting. You totally want to tune in.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform.
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The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, July 9th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.
Elgin's tree inventoryElgin's Tree Management PlanElgin's Treebank Planting ProgramKimball Street dam removal recommendationProposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance and draft communication/education planSuperintendent of Parks and Facilities Greg Hulke's impersonation of a filibustering U.S. Senator Governance and agendasDropBox, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and Open Meetings Act (OMA)
To summarize the commission agenda items, Tia and Erik typically play fun little podcast games to keep things interesting. This month's game was based on the 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Erik and Tia covered all of the following issues and probably more:Are you interested in Elgin's tree assessment, plans, misc. information, and other external sources about trees? Here are some links the city of Elgin is sharing on its website:
Elgin's Urban Forest Reports & MapsTree AssessmentExternal ResourcesDo you want the city to plant a tree on your parkway? CLICK HERE
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts. -
In today's third episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia and Kendra go through the request for proposals (RFP) for the city of Elgin's waste hauler contract starting in 2025.
How long will the waste hauler contract be? Will there be a renewal trigger? Will there be an opt-outWhat changes are being asked for from bidders?Will there be garbage stickers or not?What are the odds our garbage fees will be going up in 2025?Tia & Kendra cover all of these questions and more. CLICK HERE to see the RFP and all the addendums Tia & Kendra talk about.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, June 11th at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin. (Spoiler alert . . . the meeting was adjourned at 7:28pm for the second month in a row ... so, kudos to Commission Chairperson Tom Armstrong).
Elgin's tree planting programClimate Change Action planning process (and consultants)Grant proposal re. Eastside Community GardenGrant proposal re. Native Garden Demo ProjectElgin Farmers MarketKimball Street Dam proposed removal and commission recommendation to city council
The agenda was small, but it felt like everyone had something to say on the following topics:Honestly, the star of the meeting was Friends of the Fox River's Art Malm, who was also the city's first water engineer and was primarily the person who wrote all the operating protocols & procedures for the city's water plant. Lots of learned during this portion of the meeting, including:
removal of the Kimball Street damn is a separate issue from the city's need to move the water intake pipe for the water plantthe recommendation to remove dams on the Fox River is the result of years and years of work done by the Fox River Study Groupopposition to dam removal is loud but spearheaded by a very small group of residents throughout the watershedMalm cited an opinion poll where almost 50% of people in the watershed believe the Fox River is dangerous because of perceived water quality concerns (which dam removal would address)allegedly deciding not to remove Fox River dams would trigger the EPA to require implementation of a phosphorus mitigation plan that could cost an estimated $60 million dollarsand so very much moreDuring the deep-dive segment of this episode, Tia decided to focus on the uncomfortable tension in the room by looking more closely at governance issues related to commissioners and the staff liaison.
whose role is what?what responsibilities belong to who?who reports to who?who has the authority to do what?setting commission priorities and how to prioritize projects/work?The deep-dive segment of this episode is certainly not as sexy as the Kimball Street dam removal issue, but it certainly may be the most important issue on the table that's not being talked about enough in open public sessions.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, May 14th at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin. (Spoiler alert . . . the meeting was adjourned at 7:28pm and Erik came to this episode in a great mood.)
Elgin Earth SummitElgin Climate Resiliency Plan consultantNew Sustainability Coordinator hireWaster Hauler request for proposalsEV readiness programElgin Farmers MarketKimball Street dam removal recommendationPromotion of city's tree programSustainability Grant Program -- Shark Tank conceptTurf Reduction pilot program proposalVine weeds murdering native plants at East Side Neighborhood Garden
The commission meeting contained lots of discussion on a variety of different topics. There was no action, but lots of talk. So, Tia & Erik used one of their podcast games to summarize all the chatter. The following is a laundry list of topics you will hear discussed in this episode:As per Tia & Erik's tradition, they did a deep-dive on one of the topics. This month they talked about the organization "Blacks In Green," which was a participant in this year's Elgin Earth Summit. While the discussion revolved around "environmental justice" (EJ) and how many EJ neighborhoods exist in Elgin, the essence of the conversation was focused on the organization's interesting "Sustainable Square Mile" they have created.
Blacks In Green has a great website filled with lots of resources and tools. We echo commission chairperson Tom Armstrong and strongly encourage you to check it out at https://www.blacksingreen.org/resources.
A special thank you to the Elgin Sustainability Commission for providing a word casserole for all of our listeners this month. Please tune in next month to see if they can serve some dessert.
Since the May 14th commission meeting and the publication of this episode, city of Elgin published the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Waste Recyclable Yard Waste and Organics Collection. There are exhibits associated with this proposal. If you are interested in reading that RFP, you can find it here: https://elginil.gov/bids.aspx?bidID=1859.
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our -
In today's third episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia interviews Elgin City Council Member Carol Rauschenberger.
To say Council Member Rauschenberger's "mind is blown" on so very many topics related to the city's Waste/Recycling contract is an understatement. What seems logical to this council member appears to be an foreign concept to waste haulers.
[TEASE] For example, should the city council consider NOT renewing recycling services with a contracted waste hauler and divert that monetary savings into operating its own recycling center where it would have more control over what actually gets recycled (and could create a baseline and annual benchmarks to track community progress)?
You're going to have to click-thru to find the answer to this question and many more ideas that Tia and Carol explore.
This episode is a load of FUN!
Oh, and Happy Elgin Earth Month! If you want to participate in our Elgin Earth Month community project that we're calling "Is This Recyclable Or Not Recyclable?" you can CLICK HERE to learn more.
Even if you don't want to participate, you can follow along and learn surprising things about what you can and can't put in your curbside recycling cart by checking out our blog at https://www.elginwatchman.com/blog. For example, can you recycle steel aerosol cans (e.g., Lysol, anti-perspirant, etc.)? Hmmmm? I guess you'll need to click-thru and check out the blog. ;-)
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, April 9th at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin.
2nd Annual Elgin Earth Summit event scheduled for April 20, 2024Zero Emission Yard Equipment Rebate programSingle Use Bag Fee (proposed ordinance) Community Education ProgramSustainability Grant ProgramProposed Removal of the Fox River Dam at Kimball StreetProposed Turf Removal Program
Surely, this meeting occurred in an alternative universe because: 1) 100% of the city council appointed commissioners were in attendance AND 2) the commission got through a very busy agenda within the 1.5 hour time limit they recently mandated for themselves in 2024.
In this episode, Tia Aagesen & Erik Anderson summarize the agenda items and discussions. They also jump into their time machine, travel back in time, and have a deep dive conversation on the commission's multi-year drama -- the Single Use Bag Fee ordinance. (queue up the Jack Benny music)
The following is a laundry list of topics you will hear discussed in this episode:If you are interested in getting caught up on previous episodes pertaining to the Single Use Bag Fee ordinance, then you can CLICK HERE, and CLICK HERE, and HERE, and HERE (interview with council member Tish Powell), and HERE (interview with council member Corey Dixon), and HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and HERE, and HERE (interview with Batavia council member and commissioners), and HERE (more Batavia updates after they passed their ordinance), and OMG HERE. And if you want to listen to the most boring thing ever, CLICK HERE to listen to the audio from the March 22, 2023 Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole meeting where they talk about the Elgin Sustainability Commission's proposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance before "tabling it" for another day (and quite possibly "never").
Oh, and Happy Elgin Earth Month! If you want to participate in our Elgin Earth Month community project that we're calling "Is This Recyclable Or Not Recyclable?" you can CLICK HERE to learn more.
Even if you don't want to participate, you can follow along and learn surprising things about what you can and can't put in your curbside recycling cart by checking out our blog at https://www.elginwatchman.com/blog. For example, can you recycle steel aerosol cans (e.g., Lysol, anti-perspirant, etc.)? Hmmmm? I guess you'll need to click-thru and check out the blog. ;-)
For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our -
In today's first episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia interviews Elgin City Council Member Tish Powell.
Process for securing proposals from interested waste haulers . . . aka "requests for proposal" (RFP) . . . and when the city will make the RFP available to waste haulersProcess for evaluating and selecting one of the bids for garbage/recycling servicesTransfer Stations and whether Elgin might need to site a second one if the council chooses a waste hauler other than Waste Management (WM)State of our local landfills and the importance of reducing wasteOrganics Collection Program -- benefits of use and why participation is low (CLICK HERE to learn how to subscribe to this service)At Your Door Service for items not allowed in the garbage or recycling carts (CLICK HERE to learn more about the program; it is FREE)Various ideas that came out of a 2023 community-wide survey about waste/recycling (CLICK HERE to view the survey results in their entirety)Spoiler alert . . . the cost of trash/recycling services is likely going up in 2025 with the start of a new waste hauler contract.
Broadly, they discuss the city of Elgin's upcoming decision on who to hire for garbage and recycling services for the next 3, 5, or possibly even 10 years. Throughout this discussion, the following topics are discussed and explored:In addition to being an elected member of the Elgin City Council, Tish Powell is a former city employee who managed the waste hauler contract from the staff side of things. Today, she is an employee of Republic Services, which is a business offering waste treatment and disposal, field and industrial services, E&P services and emergency response.
Tish is a highly knowledgeable expert on waste management, and The Elgin Watchman appreciates her willingness to come on the podcast to share her insights with its listeners.
Happy Elgin Earth Month . . .
In celebration of 2024 Elgin Earth Month, The Elgin Watchman is inviting YOU and every other Elgin resident to participate in a community project focused on waste reduction and recycling.
The rules are easy. Simply take a picture of an item in your house that you're not sure whether it is recyclable or garbage. Send it into the Elgin 3-1-1 center and ask them which it is -- garbage or recycling.
Share your question, answer, and picture with us here at The Elgin Watchman, and we will upload it to our blog section. By doing this, we can all learn from each other and help reduce the amount of garbage being sent to our already overloaded landfills.
You can get more information about this Elgin Earth Month community service project, by CLICKING HERE.
For more information on other topics and previous podcast episodes, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, March 12th at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin. An efficient meeting by all measurements with virtually no tangents, side conversations, talking over each other, and long-winded echoing of each other. Maybe it was because the commission's City Councilperson liaison -- Carol Rauschenberger -- wasn't in attendance. *wink* (Just kidding, Carol). Truthfully, it is more likely the influence of the commission's new lion tamer (aka Sustainability Analyst/city staffer) Kristin Youngmeyer.
Kimball Street dam removalElgin Earth Month in April 2024Elgin Earth Summit on April 20thElgin Climate Action Plan RFP and submissionsSoon-To-Be new addition to the city's sustainability staff team2024 Budget for the Elgin Sustainability CommissionZero Emissions Yard Equipment Rebate programSingle Use Bag Fee ordinance2024 Priorities for the Sustainability Commission
In this episode, Tia Aagesen & Erik Anderson summarize the agenda items and discussions. They also do another deep dive on the issue of the commission's 2024 Priorities. The following is a laundry list of what you will hear talked about in this episode:There were two kinda/sorta big announcements at the end of the meeting:
The next Strong Towns Elgin meeting is happening on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Light Lounge at Vern's Tavern. Click here to RSVP on FacebookThe next Elgin Earth Summit planning meeting is happening on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 6:00pm at Elgin City HallThe first episode of The Elgin Watchman's WASTE WARS Season Three deep-dive series dropped a few weeks ago. If you missed it, click here to listen.
The Elgin Watchman also announced a community-wide WASTE WARS project that everyone is invited (in fact ... encouraged) to participate in. In involves collectively seeking clarity from the city of Elgin and its private sector waste hauler on questionable recycling items. Click here to read about the details and how you can get involved.
We're only at the beginning of this Season Three and hope you and your friends will join us for what is shaping up to be an amazing season.
Get involved . . . Be engaged . . . AND . . . Always keep watch!
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Welcome to Season Three of The Elgin Watchman podcast. As you know, we got off to a slow start with this podcasting season . . . winter weather, public meeting cancellations, etc. Regardless, we're back in the saddle again. We appreciate your patience as we find our podcast publishing rhythm again.
There is a waste transfer station located in ElginElgin's waste transfer station is owned by Waste Management (WM)Starting this podcast series with the topic of transfer stations makes sense because it links to the topic of negotiating a contract with a new waste hauler (or renewing the current contract with Waste Management). How? Because WM's waste transfer station gives them a competitive advantage by lowering their internal operating costs.And what happens if the city council decides to contract with a waste hauler other than WM (aka our current hauler)? Could there be a future push to site a second waste transfer station in Elgin (similar to what West Chicago is dealing with)?What are the implications surrounding waste transfer stations? Who in the community bears the brunt of those public decisions?And so on and so forth . . . you get the idea. We will explore many topics associated with Elgin's waste and recycling efforts. Hopefully, we will all learn something along the way.
As we've done in the past, the first podcast drop of each month is coverage of the Elgin Sustainability Commission. The second podcast of each month is an episode that is part of a deep-dive topic series that runs throughout the course of a the season. For example, we focused on Lead in Elgin's Drink Water System during Season One. In our second season, we partnered with Friends of the Fox River and collaborated on a series focused on a variety of Fox River watershed issues including the recently proposed dam removal project.
THIS SEASON, we will dedicate the second episode of every month to a new topic -- Waste Wars -- where we will explore waste/recycling issues for Elgin and surrounding communities. We feel this topic is especially relevant in 2024 because the Elgin City Council is seeking proposals from waste haulers with whom they want to contract the community's waste and recycling services for the next 3, 5, and perhaps even 10 years.
In today's first episode of our Season Three deep-dive series -- Waste Wars -- Tia interviews Cristobal Cavazos of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage about Environmental Racism. Specifically, they discuss the City of West Chicago's fight with LRS (Lakeshore Waste Recycling Services) over trying to site a second waste transfer station in their Latinx majority community.
Why is talking with someone outside of Elgin about a waste transfer station located outside of Elgin important? Because . . .We're only at the beginning of this Season Three special series, so buckle up buttercup. Things are going to get interesting at city hall. Get involved . . . Be engaged . . . AND . . . Always keep watch!
For more information, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform. -
The Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, February 13th. After cancelling the January 2024 meeting due to weather, the February meeting touched on a lot of different topics. Unfortunately, the commission couldn't vote on anything because of an agenda snafu that entangled the group in Illinois Opens Meetings Act hell.
Starting meetings on time (or not) and respecting each other2024 commission priorities2024 commission budgetSustainability Grant ProgramApril 2024 Earth SummitCommission sponsored 2024 sustainability eventsArtificial turf controversy and Councilwoman Rauschenberger's disappointment in the commissionCity's RFP for consultant to help develop a Climate Action PlanCity's RFP seeking bids on citywide waste/recycling servicesUpdate: Single Use Bag Fee Ordinance -- Status DOAKimball Street dam removal (or not removal) issuesRiverlife Elgin updates and the city's proposed North Grove Street redevelopment projectAnd so much more
In this episode, Tia Aagesen & Kerry Kelly summarize the whole enchilada, which included all of these topics:For more information, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform.
Did you like Season Two's deep dive coverage of The Fox River Story in collaboration with Friends of the Fox River? If so, then you're going to love our Season Three deep dive coverage focused on local Waste & Recycling issues leading up to the Elgin city council's 2024 decision about which waste hauler to hire for the next 3, 5, 10 years?
Don't miss the first episode in this special series when Tia talks about Environmental Racism with Cristobal Cavazos of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage and the City of West Chicago's fight with LRS (Lakeshore Waste Recycling Services) over trying to site a second waste transfer station in their Latinx majority community. - Show more
