Millennium Reserve State Agency Task Force (SATF)
Meeting Minutes • November 11, 2013 • 9:00 to 9:45 am
IDNR Headquarters, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702
Present
Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO): Adam Pollet, Director; Robert Anderson; Antonio Baxton
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR): Marc Miller, Director; Suellen Burns; Diane Tecic; Ania Ruszaj by phone
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA): Lisa Bonnett, Director; Heather Nifong; Amy Walkenbach
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA): Amy Martin, Director; Catherine Shannon
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT): Kevin Schoeben
Office of the Governor: Justin Cajindos, Deputy Chief of Staff, by phone
Welcome and updates – Director Marc Miller, IDNR
· Thank you for continued support and making this a priority.
· The Reserve has been characterized as a “new model for change.” We want to think big and deliver goals for Millennium Reserve that support the Governor’s vision.
· Working at a staff level has been very productive. Staff should have already briefed the Directors on current funding limitations with prioritizing or advancing Reserve projects.
· We have heard from the Millennium Reserve Steering Committee chairs that its report and recommendations, including projects to advance and work plans for those projects, will not likely go to the Governor until January. When the report comes out, we will be better able to respond to the specific “asks” for each project.
General discussion
[Note – Some items are grouped by topic and rather than in the order in which they were discussed.]
· Director Miller - What are your agencies doing above and beyond normal operations in support of the Governor’s vision?
o Director Bonnett, IEPA – IEPA offers technical assistance for remediation. Staff perform site sampling for contaminants, and this assistance has been offered to the Blue Island Rowing Center project. The agency also administers Brownfield Revolving Fund and can make money that has not been committed yet available to Millennium Reserve communities. Through the Clean Water Initiative, the agency has been investing in upgrades to wastewater treatment plants and public water supply, with 56 percent of work focused in Millennium Reserve. This particular funding is not dependent on state resources. For green infrastructure projects, there is a need to do more watershed planning in Millennium Reserve communities. IEPA is figuring out how to accommodate that since plans are a requirement for Clean Water Act Section 319 funds. The agency also held three tire clean-up events and a hazardous household waste collection event in Millennium Reserve and will have more events in spring 2014.
In addition, the agency would also like to develop an inventory of brownfield sites to make it easier for municipalities to see where the opportunities are. Municipalities can then partner with DCEO on development opportunities.
Director Miller – This is a great opportunity for other agencies to be involved as well, for example, through Mud to Parks. IDOT performs dredging of river sediments and the clean sediment can be used as fill on brownfield sites. IDNR can coordinate with IDOT on storage and transport of the sediment.
o Kevin Schoeben, IDOT – The IDOT director is very interested and the agency is ready to hear what specific projects they can get involved in. IDOT can only work on surface construction, such as roads, and not on vertical construction. Projects that involve IDOT need to be public and have a public entity that sponsors the project.
Director Miller - IDOT can be especially helpful with trail projects.
o Director Pollet, DCEO – DCEO has been involved with multiple aspects of the development of industrial areas, working with new businesses such as Method and Walmart to help them get started. Going forward, the agency plans to use a similar model with new economic development projects, bringing in a suite of products and potential capital and making those projects a priority.
Director Miller– There is a big need for job training in the region.
DCEO – Work force funds come from federal sources. The state does not have a ready funding source.
Director Miller – Can SATF help put forward an effort to secure money from the state for this purpose?
DCEO – We need to be aware of what pool of money the funds would come from.
o Director Martin, IHPA – IHPA is working on obtaining a national park designation for Pullman site. The National Park Service (NPS) would be part owner of the site. The state would also be involved, with a goal to offer interpretive services on the site. Most of the state funds have been used on renovations for Hotel Florence.
A reconnaissance survey has been performed by NPS, and it determined that Pullman is a significant resource. To receive a designation, a full resource study would then have to be authorized by Congress. That study would take 5 to 10 years, is very expensive, and there are multiple other sites ahead of Pullman waiting for a study. The President could also authorize the site as a National Monument, a much quicker process.
Director Miller – Are there opportunities for synergies on this project with other agencies?
Director Martin – In either scenario, the land would be transferred to the federal government. IEPA has been working on the site to perform a Phase I assessment since the federal government would need to know contamination levels. Increasing levels of contamination would require increased levels of federal approval. If the contaminant levels are high, the agency might have to fund clean-up and remediation before the land is transferred to federal government, and therefore might be looking for additional funding.
Grantmaking procedure changes
· Director Miller - IDNR has been able to change match and reimbursement requirements for Open Space Land Acquisition & Development (OSLAD) grants to better serve underserved communities. Are there changes that other agencies can make with their grants?
o No response from other agencies
o Director Miller – We should continue thinking about this and continue this conversation in the future.
Funding considerations
· Director Miller - Can we build requests into upcoming budgets that are Reserve-specific? This is something IDNR will try to do with its budget.
o Director Bonnett – There is more opportunity on the capital side. It would still need to be prioritized and authorized but there are funds that could be reprogrammed, for example brownfield funds to make it more specific to Millennium Reserve. Obstacles include receiving a bond authorization which hasn’t happened in a long time. However, given that this is Governor’s initiative, it might be possible to receive such authorization.
· Director Miller - Is there/could there be flexibility in your match requirements? Within some programs, can you prioritize funding for the Millennium Reserve geographic region?
o Director Bonnett – There is some inherent built-in flexibility with green infrastructure and flexibility with brownfields as well. Not much flexibility with 319 funding since that is federal.
o Director Miller – Other things that could be considered include trail construction and signage.
o Suellen Burns, IDNR – As a few additional examples, IDNR’s Coastal Program has been able to award extra points to grant applications for Millennium Reserve projects. We are also looking to provide some financial support for Cal-Sag Trail construction to help five economically challenged communities meet local match requirements for federal grants.
o Diane Tecic, IDNR – Are there are other agencies that can help with local match as well? This can be considered economic opportunity area so maybe DCEO or IDOT can help with some discretionary funding? Also, are there things that IDNR or other agencies can do to for Pullman that would bring immediate benefits and raise the profile of the site, such as garden installation and visitor parking?
o Suellen Burns – Part of the challenge is to be forward thinking and to step in where possible, like IEPA did with stepping up for the Phase I environmental assessment at Pullman.
o Kevin Schoeben – IDOT receives money from Congress and has flexibility to distribute it as necessary. In the past the agency has made sure that funds are set aside for such needs as trails and going forward it can maintain flexibility when allocating agency funds.
Other comments
· Kevin Schoeden – Would it be helpful for IDOT to provide aerial maps of the area?
· Director Miller – Yes, that would be useful, especially for mapping trails.
· Heather Nifong, IEPA – IEPA is also working on building an online database that includes such items like brownfields and green infrastructure sites.
· Suellen Burns – The Steering Committee will be forming project teams around the priorities it will be recommending to the Governor. Where appropriate, SATF members will be invited to participate. Being part of those teams will allow us to be part of problem solving and to inform others about what exists so partners don’t need start from scratch.
Wrap up – Director Miller
· We want to figure out how to make connections and move forward with collaborating on brownfield sites.
· As we start to receive workplans for Steering Committee projects, there may be more specific “asks” to follow up on.
· It’s important for SATF staff members to continue working together. We have very good momentum right now.
· Justin Cajindos, Office of the Governor – This initiative is a very high priority for the Governor. This kind of agency coordination will help to move it forward.
2