The village of River Forest has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability. Three years ago, we had the opportunity to expand that beyond our borders. I was fortunate to partner with Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson and Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman to establish the Cross Community Climate Collaborative, or as we affectionately call it, C4. Since that time, C4 has grown into a partnership that includes 14 communities, which face challenges presented by climate change and have found equitable solutions our communities would not have been able to achieve on their own.
On Sept. 25, Triton College graciously hosted the C4 Mayoral and Community Forum, where Mayor Thompson, President Scaman and I highlighted the benefits of this collaborative approach. The forum provided an opportunity to learn from neighboring communities and adopt best practices that can be shared and revised to fit each community’s unique needs and resources.
We learned about Berwyn’s composting program and heard from our very own Trinity High School President Tina Taylor-Ritzler about the high school’s plans to add solar panels to their facility. We were honored to have in attendance Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, who spoke on how the state can support actions our municipalities are taking to fight climate change.
Locally, this village will continue to be a leader on climate and sustainability issues, evidenced through our capital investments, including our green alleyways to reduce storm water runoff, and our expansion of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations. We also continue our commitment to clean energy through our Green Energy Aggregation Program and Community Solar Program, for which we have been recognized as a U.S. EPA Green Power Community.
We additionally support sustainable actions our residents can take through expanded access to composting, recycling, and waste diversion, as well as improved permitting for rooftop solar and EV charging. The education on these important environmental topics is shared by our Sustainability Commission through village newsletters and social media.
As always, I encourage you to register for our weekly newsletter at vrf.us/enews to learn more about the village’s many sustainability initiatives.
Cathy Adduci
River Forest village president