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Waukegan staff present 2024 sustainability report; highlight lead-line replacements, solar growth and brownfield cleanup
Summary
Planning and Zoning staff presented the city’s updated sustainability report, describing achievements including SolSmart designation, municipal electric aggregation with NIMEC, about 650 lead service line replacements to date, a completed brownfield cleanup under an EPA grant, and digital permit savings.
Rachel Canton of the Waukegan Planning and Zoning Department presented the city’s 2024 sustainability report at the Feb. 18 Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting, summarizing progress on energy sourcing, lead service-line replacements, solar permitting, brownfield cleanup and transit-access improvements.
Canton said the city adopted a sustainability plan in 2021 and that the Waukegan Green Team — a volunteer group of city staff — is coordinating previously disconnected sustainability efforts. She said the report, available on the city website, incorporates public comments received after a January draft and covers progress in 2024 and prior years.
Highlights presented: - SolSmart designation: Canton said Waukegan earned a SolSmart designation that makes solar installations easier by streamlining permits and removing zoning obstacles; the city is aiming to move from its current rating toward the platinum level SolSmart award. - Municipal electric aggregation (NIMEC): The city joined the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative in 2022 to secure more-stable electric rates and, Canton said, to source municipal electricity from 100% green energy. She reported estimated savings of about $300,000 since May 2022 and described avoided fossil-fuel emissions she said were equivalent to about 9,000,000 pounds of coal not burned over the period presented. - Digital permitting: Canton said the new digital permit system reduces paper use by roughly 24,000 sheets annually based on the city’s permit volumes and average pages per permit. - Solar and permitting activity: Canton reported about 70 solar developments recorded as of mid-December in the city’s permitting system and said the city is working toward higher SolSmart recognition. - Lead service-line replacements: The city reported roughly 650 lead service-line replacements to date and continues outreach, surveys and grant applications to fund further replacements. - South Lakefront Brownfield: Canton said the city received a $400,000 U.S. EPA brownfield grant, hired an environmental consultant in 2023, completed soil remediation work and has submitted documentation to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; she said cleanup work is concluded and the city is awaiting final reports. - Washington Street transit and access improvements: Canton said the 2016 Washington Street Commercial Corridor plan and a CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant are guiding new bus shelters, improved bus pads, crosswalks and ADA ramps. She said Phase 1 was approved in June 2024 and that construction is anticipated to start in 2027.
Committee members thanked Canton for the report and indicated support for the Washington Street improvements and the green-team efforts. Canton said she will distribute the final report to committee members and noted the city’s environment and sustainability webpage hosts the document.
No formal action was required on the presentation; it was given for information and to solicit committee support for ongoing and planned initiatives.
