Happy New Year, everybody, from Kane County District 4, here on the beautiful west side of Aurora. I am here to wish you a Happy New Year and to give you some idea of what we have accomplished in the last year, so I decided to come up with a list of 21 accomplishments for 2021, so here they are: (actually, there's 22!)
1. First, the Kane County Board approved 8 acres of Solar panels which will save the county over $5,000,000 over 25 years, with prevailing wage for our workers and careful negotiations with the neighbors about landscaping and tree planting to beautify the project.
2. The Solar panels will also help to save the planet by keeping the equivalent of 6,000,000 miles driven by cars worth of pollution out of the atmosphere. Engineering drawings are underway. Groundbreaking will be in the spring.
3. We are talking about solar training for jail inmates during construction of the solar panels.
4. I called all of the Kane County Board members to ask them what non-profit organizations they would most like to be given money from the American Rescue Plan funds, helping to cause $4,000,000 to be reserved for our local non-profits.
5. Helped to create an equitable new map for the County, according to the Voting Rights Act, with 8 minority districts to ensure fair elections.
6. I recommended funding for 211 community help line system.
7. Through many calls and gentle nudging, I got the Orchard Road sound barrier wall put into the transportation budget. This is going to happen.
8. As the chair of the Energy and Environmental committee, my team opened a new recycling center in Aurora and promoted our first Saturday event. This recycling center is a big deal for Aurora, open Monday through Friday and taking a long list of things you can’t put at your curb.
9. Our team created a new aggregation program, including green energy and meeting EPA standards, with a community contribution from our aggregator which will help with further sustainability goals.
10. I helped to increase funding for AID, Association for Individual Development, from the Riverboat Committee.
11. I sent out a press release about the federal rental assistance program, helping landlords and tenants receive federal assistance to prevent evictions.
12. We are laying the groundwork to pass a Responsible Bidder Ordinance in Kane County in 2022.
13. We are planning to increase electrical vehicle chargers in Kane County, hopefully funded with the Federal Infrastructure Bill. This will encourage more electrical vehicles on our roads, helping to make our air cleaner and greener.
14. As a member of the American Rescue Plan Committee, I worked with local food pantries, mental health associations, including those working to fight the opioid crisis, and homeless shelters to make sure they know when and how to apply for American Rescue Plan Funding.
15. I recommended funding for new, more transparent election machines, to keep our elections safe and honest.
16. We passed our new Green Building policy, and we are using it to guide all development in our County Buildings.
17. We are planning to adopt the new Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus Climate Action Plan for Kane County, with customizing the plan to our own needs and possibilities.
18. Created an effort through the Energy and Environmental Committee to control the application of Dicamba and Roundup 2-4D to protect our trees and other plants.
19. Starting a movement toward food scrap composting in Kane County.
20. Initiating water projects through ARP funding, including a sustainable water plan for the future of Kane County and the entire Fox Valley.
21. Laying plans for an Energy efficiency audit with ComEd.
22. With the Forest Preserve of Kane County, working on plans for regenerative agriculture.
Thank you, Kane County, and especially the residents of District 4, for giving me the opportunity to serve you as your Kane County Board Member.
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