Community Solar
Earlier this year, the Village Board announced a partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to offer community solar subscriptions to Village residents. The program allows residents to receive guaranteed savings on their electricity bill by simply enrolling. MC Squared Energy Services is a municipally sponsored program that builds and maintains solar farm projects. Each solar project delivers solar power to the electric grid and reduces the system’s dependence on fossil fuels. By enrolling in the program, residents support those solar projects and receive the benefit of reduced utility costs. Subscribers can expect 20% savings on the supply portion of their ComEd bills.
Residents do not have to invest in their own solar panels, and there are no solar farms that are being constructed in the Village as part of this program. There are also no upfront costs and no need to commit to a long-term contract. The Community Solar program is yet another way the Village is showing its commitment to sustainability.
Online Permitting
The Village has recently transferred all permitting processes to an online portal, making work more convenient for homeowners, business owners and contractors. The online portal is available 24/7 and there is no need to bring documentation or payment to Village Hall. The Village website has a comprehensive selection of instructional videos and forms available for users if assistance is needed.
Modernizing Water Infrastructure
Over the past several months, Village staff has been working to install new technology to improve water meter reading. The Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) allows staff to collect information remotely and more accurately. This efficiency creates significant savings in staff time and cost, allowing staff members to perform other public works duties throughout the Village. The technology also enables village staff to more easily detect potential leaks. Currently, data is provided on a monthly basis, however the new system allows for daily monitoring. Customers can also monitor their own consumption habits using an online portal called Water Smart.
The ability to detect water loss promotes water conservation at a time when Lake Michigan water supply allocations are being heavily scrutinized. This upgrade in service does not cost anything to water customers.
Composting Collection
As part of the Village’s new contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (formerly Roy Strom Refuse Company), residents are able to participate in composting food scraps and yard waste. The Village has a stated goal to decrease the amount of organic waste sent to traditional landfills. The composting program offers residents the ability to purchase separate bins that can store organics, yard waste, soiled paper and food scraps. The waste hauler will collect the bins and transport the waste to a composting facility in Illinois. Every spring, LRS will notify participants that compost is available to be delivered to their home. This compost can then be used for gardening and landscaping in your own backyard.
Quality Development
This April, the developers and Village officials held a groundbreaking ceremony to initiate construction on an exciting development, RF, at the corner of Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue. The mixed used development includes luxury condominiums and retail storefronts in the heart of the Lake Street Commercial corridor.
RF comes only months after the opening of The Sheridan, a senior care community with 125 assisted and memory care units on Harlem Avenue. The Village continues to seek quality development opportunities to enhance the vibrant commercial corridors of North Avenue, Madison Street and Lake Street. One of the core community principles identifies in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan was minimizing and stabilizing our property tax burden, and creating thriving commercial areas is one of the primary goals of the plan. The Village’s Economic Development Commission is currently exploring ways to improve the Village Code as it relates to development.
