RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER 6, 2016
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners endorsing Our Great Rivers (As Revised)
Body
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers is the first unified vision for the Chicago, Des Plaines, and Calumet rivers in and around Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers was led by the Metropolitan Planning Council and the City of Chicago Office of the Mayor, Friends of the Chicago River, and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning with input from more than 6,000 area stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, the vision includes concrete recommendations and goals to ensure these rivers are productive, living, and inviting spaces for everyone by 2040; and
WHEREAS, the vision aims to influence the way citizens think about and experience the rivers by encouraging more jobs along the riverfront, instilling a sense of community pride, promoting connection with nature, and catalyzing more open space and recreation opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers was developed through a consensus-based process involving Chicagoland residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, agencies, and the Great Rivers Chicago Leadership Commission; and
WHEREAS, President Mariyana Spyropoulos of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was a key contributor to the Great Rivers Chicago Leadership Commission, an integral component of Our Great Rivers, that included business, government, and community leaders; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago protects the health and safety of the public in its service area by improving the quality of water in the area watercourses and managing water as a vital resource; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers is consistent with the goals and strategies of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to become a sustainable partner in the region by recovering resources, creating revenue streams, and promoting resiliency to add value to surrounding communities; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, assembled this October 6th, do hereby resolve that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago strongly supports and endorses Our Great Rivers, and commits to being an active partner in implementation of our shared vision for the Chicago, Des Plaines, and Calumet rivers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Dated: October 6, 2016
Approved: MARIYANA T. SPYROPOULOS, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice President; FRANK AVILA, Chairman, Committee on Finance; MICHAEL A. ALVAREZ; TIMOTHY BRADFORD; CYNTHIA M. SANTOS; DEBRA SHORE; KARI K. STEELE; DAVID J. WALSH; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel, RMH:bh