Post-November Meeting

Meeting Agenda for Wednesday, 11/10/21, 9 am - 10 am
Next Meeting: 1/12/22, 9 am (skips December)
 
 Conference Info: Meeting ID: 829 1770 2982 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82917702982 
+13126266799,,82917702982# US

Kick-Off 2 min

• Sign in & Zoom overview (All)
  
• Statements on justice, Indigenous land acknowledgment, climate emergency declaration (By Renee this week)
  
• Admin & Technology Overview (Renee)
  

Focus Areas Discussion 40ish flex min
Space to build out conversation & actions

Transportation:

• Walkable Winters Campaign w/ Better Streets Chicago (Michael/Alex)
  
• A grassroots organization focused on transit justice and mobility, shared streets, bike lanes 
  
• Long term- restructuring lakeshore drive 
  
• They are focusing now on walkable winters. This means the city should plow the sidewalks as they do with the streets. 
  
• The city fines people if they do not, racial and class lines are there 
  
• If you are strapped for cash and time, it doesn’t happen 
  
• If you have a disability it cannot be done as well, but they still get fined 
  
• Some suburbs do it, but Toronto, Canada does it
  
• Walkable winters really started last year when the snow fall were huge last february 
  
• They would go out and shovel themselves, especially at bus stops and crosswalks 
  
• Property owners are responsible for the shoveling 
  
• Funding- asset building phase, the range, estimated $20million a year to $100million a year (based off Montreal and Toronto) (probably around $75 million for Chicago but that would include bicycle racks and bus stops) 
  
• Second wednesday every month= meetings, they have a slack page too  
  
• https://www.betterstreetschicago.org/walkable-winters - the website
  
• https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e94fcbb2b85ce7fcd6a9f03/t/6160a7354481c73361deabea/1633724213502/%23walkablewinters+Handout.pdf - the walkable winters handout 
  
• To get involved email: Michael@betterstreetschicago.org 
  

Housing/Development Updates

• Affordable Housing Preservation Ordinance Goals w/ One Northside (Chris/Killian/Tricia) - https://bit.ly/ChiTransitHousingJustice
  
• Growing problems with people buying old buildings, moving the people out, then knocking it down 
  
• Wilson’s Men’s Hotel was bought, everyone was moved out, then it was renovated with little to no affordable housing units in there and now there are barely any people in there
  
• Expand and strength Pilsen area, we want to charge vacancy fee and have a fee if they are going to demolish a building and make it have less occupancy availability 
  
• FInd funding for people to buy their buildings back so it does not get converted or funding for people to rally the tenants to get together to buy it back 
  
• Fight for rules that have the buildings to make sure they meet the market (the Men’s Hotel is now expensive housing, but it is near the L stop so it does not meet the market and it stays fairly empty)
  
• Next steps: fight for affordability near transit, working with lawyers 
  
• Nonprofits can tear down these older buildings without fees which is a double edged sword
  
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1be3gErsj7Oj3THz6kY0weyFyFs_7O9z0/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117352637898327007219&rtpof=true&sd=true - ordinance 
  
• https://bit.ly/ChiTransitHousingJustice 
  
• https://www.change.org/p/friends-of-epworth-church-landmark-epworth-church?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_30232885_en-US%3A7&recruiter=12309732&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&fbclid=IwAR3xC0C4lW-AjE9EokYFqMJgxb4jgfWt8ODhjHtgQQBQztaEOIM3BEOxQt0 
  

Stewardship 

• Vote Yes for Clean Air, Clean Water, and Wildlife (Emily w/ Openlands)
  
• Referendum for the forest preserve in Cook County November 8, 2022
  
• 70,000 acres, protect air quality, biodiversity, and provides scholarships 
  
• This is the first time it has come to ask for more funding 
  
• It can’t raise its own taxes 
  
• It was not in good management until 10 years ago, made great strides, but isn’t enough 
  
• It has tried before, but still hasn’t yet 
  
• Next Century Conservation Plan- public plan about what the forest perseveres strives to do 
  
• Increase job and youth programs
  
• More than 67 organization  
  
• Small increase on property tax $1.66 addition/month  (estimated average)
  
• ereusswig@openlands.org 
  

Energy

• Climate Plan Ready for 100 Policy Recs (Quinn & Dany w/ Ready for 100)
  
• Trying to create climate action plan to get money from C40
  
• Seeking feedback from communities 
  
• Increase household savings through energy efficiency (different building codes, etc.) 
  
•  Empower people to have renewable energy 
  
• Transportation access, push CTA to electrify buses by 2035 
  
• Expand Bike Lanes by 2025 
  
• Reduce vehicles from the road 
  
• Creation of jobs, reduction of waste and improve air quality 
  
• Yes the city did a climate action plan, but years ago 
  
• Now they have a sustainability office 
  
• Bringing policies to EEC so Renee can give official feedback 
  
• https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/illinois?actionid=ar0344085&id=70131000001iOuIAAU
  
• RF100's Chicago Climate Action Plan Policy Priorities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CD8PxkB7gKPpiSAe7pOqPjGFuiHZuvMxKkFjYjbJhDQ/edit
  
• https://readyfor100chi.org/about-us/
  

Internal Organizing  5 min  - Renee/Tricia/Nick

• Preparation for annual accomplishments review- will be working on, if you want to be involved, please let us know!
  
• Annual vision check in & preparation for 2022 Planning- planning mid january 
  
• Ideas & planning for December gathering- winter solstice get together!  
  
• Non-Profit Status Update, Board & new By Laws - 14-15 responses on interest form. Nick is the co-chair, Becky Bakeman is a CPA who is going to be the treasurer for the first year 
  
• Community advisory board interest & next steps- there will be elections so more people can be involved 
  

Project Updates & Community Collaborations 1-3 min(ish) each 

• Holiday Lights Recycling (Kilian & Sharon)- Partnering with North Center Association with collecting and recycling old holiday lights- created North Center Neighborhood Association recycling, taking a break because it is an outdoor space 
  
• So many people are bringing holiday lights- there are materials that can be salvaged and reused, trying to start up as many pop up sites as possible, end around January 
  
• EEC collected 65lbs of lights last year 
  
• People want to do things, but we know recycling isn’t the answer, but many don’t know or know how to do more 
  
• Change people’s mind on waste 
  
• 2022-’23 Community Air Research Experience” (CARE) Project w/ Loyola (Renee)- starts next year
  
• Vedgewater, end of season & 2022 (Events, Commons, Mutual Aid) (Renee/Tricia)- closed on Sunday, still unsure about next year, 100 people were growing food this year, donated food every week, Saturday food distributions, making new connections, do everything we can to have it next year 
  
• Are we interested in learning more about Stop Trade Attacks on Climate Initiatives? 
  
• Parkways for Pollinators and Plant Distribution, Seed Gathering 11/14 (Renee)- Seed gathering, organize them to loyola for them to grow for us, contact Nick or Renee. If you have a public area and you want free native plants, sign up! Will happen in the spring 
  
• One Earth Film Fest (OEFF) (Dick/Renee)- Andersonville chamber on commerce jumped on this,
  
• Might be in March or Earth day
  
• Location- any leads would be great- libraries, 400 Theatre event, etc 
  
• Releasing the 17 films selected 
  
• Need to pick a date 
  

Recent Happenings 1-ish min each
Native Plant Seed Ball Starter Kits (Burton) / Openlands Treekeepers planting (Steve/Nina/Renee)

• The “native planting starter kit” project has been a big success so far! More than 50 participants have planted a total of ~1400 sq. ft. of native gardens this fall, and we’ll see how they grow up come springtime. I’ve gotten informal feedback from folks, and I think there’s great potential for a cross-over w/ Parkways for Pollinators following a middle-of-the-road approach in terms of number of participants, garden size and formality, and level of effort. I’ve developed a lot of informational resources that can carry over, so the next iteration should be a lighter lift!
  
• Pumpkin Smash (Nina/Renee)- 5.83 tons of pumpkins, hope the Aldermen are the ones who do it in the future, we could have used a separate dumpster
  
• Chicago Architectural Biennial in Edgewater (Tricia
  
• Vedgewater Events & Workshops (Renee/Tricia) / It's Getting Chilly, Time to Weatherize! Blog Post (Julie)
  

-Post on the EEC blog on some energy saving tips as winter approaches

Go Round Updates & Shares 1-3 min each

• LES is giving a lecture Nov 20 at the museum at 3:00. It will also be lives streamed on our facebook page. There is also a lot of information on the IPD site about Native Heritage Month.
  
• What is our footprint?- pipelines go straight through Chicago, these large scale things do have an impact 
  
• Bring composting to the restaurants, trying to work with Uptown to do a similar thing 
  
• Sunday Nov 21rst 3pm at the Church of Atonement- thanksgiving for Edgewater Religious Association- interfaith- looking for FRESH FOOD
  
• Brian- post about why Columbus Day should be renamed
  
• Steve- annual yard Sale sept 25th, one of our most successful ones. Give shoutout to Renee and Nina for their leadership for the Tree Planting. The last Friday in April is Arbor day, hopefully we’ll have a celebration again 
  

Save the Dates, View Info + RSVP:

• 11/13 11 am-1 pm: Final harvest & clean up at Vedgewater
  
• 11/14 12-3 pm: P4P Seed Organizing/Sorting Gathering @North Park Nature Center
  
• 11/14 10:30 am-12:30 pm: Hollywood Beach Stewardship
  
• 1/12/21: Next Wednesday monthly meeting, 9 am in  January, no December morning meeting
  
• Last Saturday of the month: Litter Free Edgewater Clean Up