Homer Glen Green Communities Demonstration Program

In April 2000 Illinois Governor George Ryan signed an Executive Order which established the Green Communities Demonstration Program. The purpose of the program is to facilitate and support community based environmental protection strategies that bring together diverse interests, address environmental issues in a collaborative manner, and encourage interaction among all levels of government agencies.

Governor Ryan directed the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency (IEPA), in cooperation with the Illinois Waste Management and Research Center, and the Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Commerce, and Community Affairs to enter into partnership agreements with communities in the State. These communities will undertake an environmental visioning process that builds their capacity to protect the environment while enhancing community well being.

Key Steps of the Community Environmental Visioning Process (1/15/03)

Establishing a long term environmental vision for the community;
Identifying the community?s environmental assets and challenges;
Identify forces and trends that could impact the community?s environment;
Develop strategies for accomplishing the environmental vision; and
Identify benchmarks or indicators of success to gauge how well the community is working toward its desired environmental future.

In an effort to participate in Illinois? Green Communities Demonstration Program, a grant application was prepared and submitted by the Village of Homer Glen to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in early 2002. Although submitted by the Village of Homer Glen, success in preparing the grant submittal could not have been achieved without the assistance and support of numerous local organizations.

The Village of Homer Glen is pleased to announce that in May of 2002 the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency?s Director signed its Green Communities Demonstration grant agreement and allocated $110,000 funding for the cost of the environmental visioning process. The Village has two years from the date of the signing to fulfill the requirements of the grant agreement.

Some of the requirements of the Green Communities Grant and associated actions which have been taken or will be taken by the Village to satisfy those requirements are:

Requirement:

The Village must demonstrate that the visioning process has support from a broad mix of local officials, civic organizations, community groups and other parties with appropriate letters of commitment and support.

Action:

The Village is fortunate to have knowledgeable and experienced partnering organizations in this grant including The Conservation Foundation, Homer Township, the Long-Run Creek Watershed Planning Committee, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Additionally, the Village has letters of support and/or implementation assistance from:

The Forest Preserve District of Will County
The Homer Glen Community & Civic Involvement Committee
The Homer Glen Land Use Representative
The Homer Glen Mayor
The Homer Glen Parks and Environment Committee
The Homer Glen Planning Commission
The Homer Glen Zoning Commission
Homer School District 33-C
The Homer Township Chamber of Commerce
The Homer Township Highway Department
The Homer Township Public Library
The Openlands Project
Representative Brent Hassert
Representative Renee Kosel
Senator William Mahar
Senator Christine Radogno
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Will County School District 92
Will County School District 92 Foundation for Educational Excellence
The Will County Land Use Department
The Will/South Cook Soil & Water Conservation Dist

Requirement:

Form a steering committee to serve as a core planning group.

Action:

The steering committee has been formed. It includes ten (10)regular members and three (3) Ex Officio (non-voting) members. They are:

Homer Glen Village Trustee, Parks & Environment, Margaret Sabo
Homer Glen Village Trustee, Community and Civic Involvement, Laurel Ward
Homer Township Trustee, Pam Meyers
Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S.D.A.) Bob Jankowski
Long Run Creek Watershed, Marcia De Vivo
The Conservation Foundation, Dan Lobbes
Homer Glen Green Vision Grant Coordinator, Dave Pronesky
Homer Township Chamber of Commerce, Sheree Kozel-La Ha
Homer Glen Asst. Volunteer coordinator, Nancy Herberg
Homer Glen Parks and Environment Committee, Sue Steilen
Homer Glen Village Manager, Glenn Spachman (Ex Officio)
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, Project Manager, John Paige, AICP (Ex Officio), and
Dennis Dreher, Principal Water Resources Engineer, NIPC (Ex Officio)

This committee will provide all necessary records keeping and fulfill all necessary reporting required by the IEPA.

Requirement:

Select and hire a neutral outside facilitator who possesses skills and experience in designing an effective community visioning process, keeping individuals in the community involved in the process, and facilitating large meetings of diverse stakeholders.

Action:

The steering committee is in the process of finalizing its selection of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission as the professional facilitator. Upon approval by IEPA of NIPC?s qualifications, a contract will be executed for NIPC?s professional services.

Requirement:

Develop an environmental vision plan that reflects the desired state of the environment that the community hopes to attain 20-30 years in the future.

Action:

At the heart of the process will be several public meetings and visioning sessions. Participation of area residents and businesses at these meetings will be strongly encouraged.

First Session Held July 14, 2003

The kickoff meeting and subsequent two visioning sessions for the Green Communities Grant process have been well attended by Homer Glen residents and business leaders. We are getting closer to our goal of determining your vision of the Village?s environmental future.

We strongly urge those of you interested in issues such as clean air, quality water, the protection and restoration of natural areas, environmental education, community character, recreation, transportation and compatible development strategies provide your valued opinions at the next visioning session. All are welcome, bring a friend. It is particularly important that those who have attended past sessions continue their participation.

A reminder that the next visioning session will be held at the Homer Junior High School at 157th and Bell Road on Monday, July 14, 2003 (6:30 ? 9:30 p.m.). Food and refreshments will be served before and during the session. Please, mark your calendar.

Attached are the agenda for the session as well as the list of goals and associated objectives developed by the attendees at the past sessions. Participants will continue to refine these goals and objectives resulting in a vision of the Village?s environmental future and recommended actions assuring that vision.

Thank you once again for your commitment to this environmental visioning process. We hope you can find the time in your schedule to join your neighbors at the July 14^th session.

The Steering Committee of the Green Communities Grant Program

Key Events

Inaugural Event:
Tuesday, January 21, 2003, 7:00 P.M- 8:00 P.M. at Cross of Glory Church (Cedar Road). The Inaugural Event will introduce the Green Communities Demonstration Program to the community, explain objectives, and solicit participation. Individuals will be asked to participate in three visioning sessions. The event will include a 25-minute presentation followed by a 25-minute period for questions.
First Visioning Session:
Monday, February 24, 2003, 6:30 P.M. 9:30 P.M. at Homer Junior High School. The first visioning session will be an evening town meeting format. The proposed agenda for this meeting includes providing an overview of the visioning process; descriptions of existing conditions and growth and development trends; review of previous planning exercises; begin facilitated discussion regarding environmental visions.
Second Visioning Session:
Saturday, April 26, 2003, 9:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. at Homer Junior High School. The second visioning session will include in- depth facilitated discussion to establish an environmental vision.
Third Visioning Session:
Monday, July 14, 2003, 6:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M. at Homer Junior High School. The final visioning session will present a draft vision plan. Facilitated discussion will be used to achieve consensus on a future community vision.
Presentation to Homer Glen Board of Trustees:
To be scheduled at a future Village Board Meeting. The presentation will include a public unveiling of the community environmental vision.