Riverwoods trustees endorse sustainability plan, commission technical review and mayor clears $3,000 carbon study

The Riverwoods Board of Trustees agreed on a course of action for the Riverwoods Sustainability and Climate Action Task Force, formalizing it as a standing committee, asking staff and consultants to perform a technical and legal review of the task force’s sustainability plan, and authorizing a $3,000 carbon‑sequestration study to establish a greenhouse‑gas baseline.

The move matters because the plan lays out the village’s top 20 priorities on conservation, energy and land use and includes recommendations that could affect codes, staffing and grant applications. Trustees said they wanted a quick but thorough staff and consultant review before taking final action.

Task force presenters told the board the group’s three primary requests were already partly complete (formalization as a standing committee), asking the village to define a sustainability coordinator position and requesting “up to $3,000 so that we can do a carbon sequestering study” to create an accurate baseline for target setting. The presenters described the plan as a “living document” that would be updated as initiatives are approved.

Trustee Smith said the plan was “really well thought” and that the board should approve it “subject to technical review, legal review, things like that from our experts and consultants.” Mayor Chris Ford said a technical review by staff and consultants would be appropriate and suggested a public hearing could be warranted before any final board vote on ordinances or code changes. Ford later confirmed the carbon study falls under his spending authority: “I can certainly… it's under my spending limits. So we can certainly go forward with the carbon study that is under my spending limit.”

Trustees discussed timing and public engagement. Several trustees asked that staff and consultants complete reviews quickly so the board could consider formal approval at its June 3 meeting; trustees also emphasized that major code or policy changes that affect homeowners should be accompanied by public dialogue.

Next steps the board agreed on included directing staff to assemble consultant and legal comments, asking the standing committee to meet as needed during the review, and asking the Compensation and Benefits Committee to examine where a sustainability coordinator would fit in the organizational chart and budget. The mayor said the village would proceed with the carbon study and convey to consultants that the review is urgent.

The board did not take a formal final vote on the sustainability plan or establish the coordinator position; trustees instructed staff and consultants to return with reviews and a recommendation for future action.