The agenda is posted for July 21st Board Meeting

Among the various items for discussion:
Pedestrian Benches to be Replaced Downtown
Bridge Communities' Sleep Out Rally
Sports Complex at Ackerman Park

Also, if you look at the Workshop Agenda, which is held directly before the the Board meeting, recycling cart specifications will be addressed. Not sure what that means, but it is on the agenda!

Why in the world does one need to discuss replacing benches in the CBD? The Gary Webster specials have been rotting in their frames for years. With 25% of the U.S. tipping the scales over the obese numbers...I'm surprised nobody has fallen through one.

if the village refuses to enforce the smoking laws they have instituted, can they at least put ashtrays on the new benches so that the homeless (to wit, the only users of the benches) have a place to drop their butts?

Amen glellyn.

Went to have a bite to eat after church, it was the cavalcade of bums in Einstein's this morning. Nice after a two week stretch on the road to meet up with our "guests" again.

quote:

Originally posted by JustAResident:
Also, if you look at the Workshop Agenda, which is held directly before the the Board meeting, recycling cart specifications will be addressed. Not sure what that means, but it is on the agenda!

I know Wheaton just started using recycling carts that look like our garbage cans. Maybe they will get rid of our bins and give us another cart?

Looks like the Board Meeting is 7/28 while the Board Workshop is 7/21?

Yes, the Board meetings are the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month.

The Workshop meetings are the 1 hour before the 2nd Monday Board Meeting, the entire 3rd Monday evening and the half hour before the 4th Monday Board Meeting.

At each Workshop, they review the agenda for the next board meeting to make sure they have all their questions answered and are prepared to vote at the Board meeting.

So tonight, it is all Workshop. At the meeting, they will be discussing the workshop only items as well as the next Board meeting's items. Then, on the 28th, the Board will vote on the items discussed tonight and discussed at the 1/2 hour prior to the Board meeting on the 28th.

I just love bureaucracies!

On the recycling carts: the Village is looking to purchase big blue recycling cans (much like the garbage cans you use today) to replace the buckets we currently use. The Village actually receives money back from the recycling items we send, so it is in our best interest to recycle as much as possible.

Also discussed:
A Water System Cross-Connection Control Regulation ordinance. While the board members did not seem particularly keen to pass this, it is a required EPA mandate. What it means to the residents is that for those who have sprinkler systems, you will be required to have an annual inspection and send the report to the Village. If you do not comply, the Village will have the authority to shut your water off. Much more discussion on this is expected, however the EPA is encouraging passage as soon as possible.

A new Stormwater and Flood Plain Ordinance to update to the current DuPage County's. New house permits will be affected by this. I could not quite follow the discussion as the ordinance was not printed out for the audience, so if you are interested in this, you can call or email the Village for a copy of what they are changing.

The new Ackerman Sports Complex was presented and expected to pass at the next board meeting. Variances passed included a height variance to allow the building to be almost 54 feet high instead of the max 35 feet (this is measured from the lowest grade point), parking variance which allows for fewer parking spaces (I believe if you count the surrounding current spaces, they are okay and they have grass area surrounding the building that they can always turn into a parking lot if needed), and a sign height variance which allows the sign to be much higher, I didn't write down the actual numbers. I think that passed because the building is so far back from the road.

11 new benches will be purchased for the downtown area to replace old ones.

Several other projects were discussed, including a major road project on Kenilworth (between Linden and Oak) scheduled to start in August and complete in November.

Have they reviewed any comments from the Wheaton residents that already have the giant blue recycling cans? All recycled items are now co-mingled in these cans and it seems like it would cost more to process than if the paper were separated from the plastic and aluminum. What about shredded paper? Old bills, Credit Statements, etc. With the method of disposal pick up, I can only imagine what Western and other streets will look like when this blows all over the place.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for a better recycling disposal process, but this does not seem to be it.

GE's paper and metals are mixed together the second they leave the curb. Savvy recyclers already know that they can mix glass/alum/paper in the same bin at home. Don't make no difference. Once they get picked up they are thrown together.

FWIW, I do not want yet another gigantic bin in my life, but I will live with it if it arrives.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Clamato:
GE's paper and metals are mixed together the second they leave the curb. Savvy recyclers already know that they can mix glass/alum/paper in the same bin at home. Don't make no difference. Once they get picked up they are thrown together.[QUOTE]

That is the point..Do they waist their money on the pick up of all this co-mingled crap and not pass along the savings because of increased sorting costs? If residents go to the trouble of separating and recycling all these materials, shouldn't that save some money? Also, the trucks with the arms already are proven not very good at reducing blowing waste. Now we need to add another to the arsenal of debris spewing haulers.

I applaud the larger capacity and the lids, though.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Herbold:
Also, the trucks with the arms already are proven not very good at reducing blowing waste.

Don't you think the blowing waste can be attributed to the morons that try to overfill their garbage cans and then try to close the lid? The garbage companies are never going to get rid of the armed trucks. The reduction in workers comp claims have to paying for themselves over and over again..

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Herbold:

That is the point..Do they waist their money on the pick up of all this co-mingled crap and not pass along the savings because of increased sorting costs? If residents go to the trouble of separating and recycling all these materials, shouldn't that save some money? Also, the trucks with the arms already are proven not very good at reducing blowing waste. Now we need to add another to the arsenal of debris spewing haulers.

I applaud the larger capacity and the lids, though.

Rob, not all residents would comply with the separate bins, so then you've got the recycling companies complaining to (and perhaps contractually penalizing) the Village. Plus it takes more labor in the field with sorted bins. The liftable bin system is all about reducing labor in the field, truck turn around times, etc.

Sorting comingled recyclables is not too difficult. The waste companies have the specialized machinery and trained "hand pickers", who are much more efficient/reliable than the general public.

Youtube - sorting line

Co-mingling is a moot point, as Glen Ellyn switched to mixed recyclables a couple years ago. That people still separate is just habit or that they are unaware of the change.

Thanks for the vids M87, very informative. I guess I will have to tour the plant someday to get a better feel for the process. I just get so damn angry watching the arm shake the remnants of the cans onto my parkway.

quote:

Originally posted by JustAResident:
The new Ackerman Sports Complex was presented and expected to pass at the next board meeting. Variances passed included a height variance to allow the building to be almost 54 feet high instead of the max 35 feet (this is measured from the lowest grade point),
...
and a sign height variance which allows the sign to be much higher,
...

Sounds like this will be a stunning ediface indeed. Nothing like blending in with a "green-ish" site.

quote:

Originally posted by Dinsdale:

quote:

Originally posted by JustAResident:
The new Ackerman Sports Complex was presented and expected to pass at the next board meeting. Variances passed included a height variance to allow the building to be almost 54 feet high instead of the max 35 feet (this is measured from the lowest grade point),
...
and a sign height variance which allows the sign to be much higher,
...

Sounds like this will be a stunning ediface indeed. Nothing like blending in with a "green-ish" site.

Oh, it will be stunning indeed.

Learned on a cub scout tour of a recycling processing center:

If your remote control goes awol- it probably was accidentally recycled- boxes and boxes of 'em at the recycyling center as they seem to go into the bin with the newspaper.

Heck, if you break yours they probably have an exact replacement they'll give you for free.