Some elements of Waukegan’s sustainability plan are obvious, like expanding Earth Day into Earth Week engaging hundreds of volunteers, while others are less noticeable like an international effort to keep invasive species like carp out of the Great Lakes.
Established by a vote of the Waukegan City Council in 2021, Rachel Cantin — an assistant planner with the city who is now spearheading the project — said initially the plan was developed using grant funds by an individual hired through for the effort.
Cantin, who is authoring the 2024 Yearly Sustainability Report, said a little over a year ago the Green Team was established. It consists of representatives of several city departments with the collective talent to implement the plan. An annual report is part of the program.
“The Green Team created the action plan as a stepping-off point,” she said in a draft of the report. “The Green Team was able to achieve some incredible results and make impactful changes within city facilities and beyond.”
Just as Earth Week started in 2022 when local accountant Marty Wozniak joined forces with Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, and former Ald. Felix Rivera, 7th Ward, to turn a one-day road cleanup into a week of projects, Cantin said public contributions are part of the sustainability effort.
City officials are seeking public comment on the draft of its 2024 “Green Town City of Waukegan Sustainability Plan” through Feb. 7, enabling those ideas to be woven into the final report.
Containing eight action areas with a number of suggestions to evaluate and deal with the impact of climate change, the report aims to develop “a robust and comprehensive character of sustainability” listing those elements, according to a draft of the report.
Combining climate, air quality and energy into one action area, the city hopes to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality while increasing energy-efficiency measures and access to renewable energy, the report said.
Though economic development is usually intended to improve the city’s economy by adding jobs and creating business growth, Cantin said sustainability plays a role by pushing access to green jobs, green skills and producing sustainable goods locally.
Waukegan is one of 13 cities in Illinois selected to receive funding from the state to develop programs to create green jobs, in part because of its status as an environmental justice community. The program is a collaborative effort including the College of Lake County, Lake County Workforce Development and other community partners.
Other action areas include preserving and restoring natural resources focusing on the lakefront, energy-efficient transportation, adding as much sustainability as possible to governmental operations, making the water infrastructure more ecologically friendly and enhancing recycling.
Seeking ideas from the community, Cantin said the Green Team has already developed a number of initiatives, like the Branden Road Interbasin Project. It is a joint effort through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative to prevent invasive species like carp from entering Lake Michigan and eventually the Great Lakes, impacting the eastern United States and Canada.
“For shoreline communities like mine, Lake Michigan is among our most valuable resources providing drinking water, economic opportunities and lifelong memories to residents and visitors alike,” Mayor Ann Taylor said in a 2024 news release.
Cantin said making as many of the city’s vehicles as possible electric-powered is another goal and ongoing project. So is finding ways to utilize solar power, and helping individuals find the ability to do the same.
David Motley, the city’s public relations director, said modernizing the water plant is also on the agenda. It will be done with more effective technology and improved services, as well as modernizing equipment.
Requiring individuals doing projects for the city to promise to act in a more sustainable manner is also part of the plan. Cantin said companies making proposals for the community must include the sustainable efforts it will incorporate into the project.
