ESC_2025_09_09 MINUTESENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 – 7:30 A.M.
Lake Forest City Hall – 220 E Deerpath
I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chairman Novit called the meeting to order at 7:30 A.M. Aldermen Alice
LeVert and Alderman Bothfeld were present. Staff in attendance included
Keri Kaup, Assistant to the City Manager. One member of the public was
present.
II. ACTION ITEMS
a. APPROVAL OF THE JULY 21, 2025, MEETING MINUTES
Alderman LeVert moved to approve the July 21, 2025, meeting minutes.
Alderman Bothfeld seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously
by voice vote.
III. DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. PROGRAM UPDATES
i. SWALCO PARTENERSHIP
Assistant to the City Manager Kaup notified the committee of the
SWALCO Household Chemical Waste Event that will be hosted at
Municipal Services on September 20, 2025. She also notified the
committee that Lake Forest is one of the top ten textile recycling
locations in Lake County and one of the top five for shoe recycling
(out of 60 participating entities).
ii. CURBSIDE COMPOST PROGRAM
Assistant to the City Manager Kaup reviewed the WasteNot Compost
five-year agreement that will be before the Council on September 15.
The terms of the five-year agreement remain the same with modest
price increases in year two and four.
iii. ELECTRIC AGGREGATION PROGRAM
Assistant to the City Manager Kaup reviewed the bid process for
electric aggregation and notified the committee of the NSEAC
decision to renew with MC-Squared for an additional two years. The
contract will be before Council on September 15.
b. LANDSCAPING NOISE HOURS
Environmental Sustainability Committee Minutes
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Page 2 of 2
The Committee reviewed a memo prepared by City Attorney Kurt Asprooth
providing guidance and recommendations for updating the landscape
noise hours ordinance. The Committee discussed the available options and
agreed to proceed with the original recommendation of prohibiting noise
hours on Sundays and holidays for commercial contractors. The
Committee would like to keep landscape hours for residents status quo for
Sundays and holidays.
c. COUNCIL PRIORITIES SURVEY
The Committee discussed issuing a Council survey regarding sustainability
issues as the last one was conducted in 2024. The Committee reviewed the
questions that were asked in the previous survey and refined what should
be asked in a new survey. Assistant to the City Manager Kaup stated she
will draft the survey and share it with the Committee for review.
IV. PUBLIC COMMENT
One member of the public commented that Gorton Center is hosting a
screening of “The Way of the Rain – Hope for Earth – A Symphony for our
Planet” on September 27, 2025 at 6:30pm.
V. NEXT MEETING DATE(S)
The Committee agreed the next meeting should be after the Council
survey results are returned. Assistant to the City Manager Kaup stated she
would email potential dates to the committee members.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
Alderman LeVert moved to adjourn the meeting of the Environmental
Sustainability Committee at 8:29 A.M. seconded by Alderman Bothfeld. The
motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
Respectfully Submitted,
Keri Kaup
Assistant to the City Manager