TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Ordinance to Establish the Grand Prairie Water Commission, Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement and a Water Supply Agreement, Appoint Representatives to the Commission, Authorize Approval of Bylaws and a Program Management Agreement, and Other Related Matters
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Joliet’s existing water source, the deep groundwater aquifer, will be depleted to the point of not being able to meet the City’s maximum day water demands by the year 2030. This is a regional problem. Groundwater modeling conducted by the Illinois State Water Survey indicates that the deep groundwater wells in Joliet and neighboring communities will someday be depleted to the point of no longer being able to supply the region’s future water needs. Knowing this, the City of Joliet conducted an Alternative Water Source Study to determine alternative water sources which could be used by not only the City of Joliet, but possibly the region as a long-term, sustainable, reliable water source. In January 2021, the City Council selected purchasing Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago as its alternative water source. Shortly thereafter the City began meeting with other communities in the region to discuss the formation of a regional water commission and in February 2022, Joliet along with Channahon, Crest Hill, Minooka, Romeoville and Shorewood approved a Preliminary Agreement Regarding Formation of a Regional Water Commission. A regional water commission provides many benefits including:
• Lower water rates due to cost sharing and economies of scale
• Distribution of risk among more entities
• Support of state and federal agencies such as IEPA and USEPA as well as state and federal legislators
• Ability to obtain access for construction in rights-of-way outside of the limits of the City of Joliet
In August 2022, it was announced that the regional water commission would be called the Grand Prairie Water Commission. Since that time, significant time and effort by the elected officials and staff of the six communities has been spent progressing implementation of the Alternative Water Source Program (Program) and the formation of a regional water commission. These activities are summarized below.
• Joliet entered into an agreement with the City of Chicago for a source of Lake Michigan water which is assignable to the Commission.
• The six communities negotiated and agreed upon a set of principles, terms and conditions for establishing the regional water commission which are contained in the Intergovernmental Agreement to Establish the Grand Prairie Water Commission.
• The six communities negotiated and agreed upon the principles, terms and conditions for obtaining a supply of water from the Grand Prairie Water Commission, which are contained in the Grand Prairie Water Commission Water Supply Agreement.
• The six communities negotiated and agreed upon certain principles, terms, and conditions for the governance of the regional water commission which are contained in the Bylaws of the Grand Prairie Water Commission.
• The six communities determined that the City of Joliet has the necessary resources and skills to assist the Commission in administering the Program and have agreed that the City of Joliet will implement the Program with the cooperation and support of the Grand Prairie Water Commission per the negotiated principles, terms and conditions in the Intergovernmental Agreement for Program Management by and between the City of Joliet and the Commission.
The documents identified above include terms and conditions consistent with the key principles established in the Preliminary Agreement. The Public Service Committee will review this matter at the June 17, 2024 Public Service Meeting.
CONCLUSION:
It has been determined that it is in the best interest of the City and its residents to (1) approve this ordinance electing to establish a regional water commission to be called the Grand Prairie Water Commission for the purpose of acquiring and operating jointly a waterworks system and common source of supply of Lake Michigan water, (2) approve and enter into the Intergovernmental Agreement to Establish the Grand Prairie Water Commission and to approve and enter into the Grand Prairie Water Commission Water Supply Agreement, (3) approve and designate individuals to serve on the Commission’s Board of Commissioners and the Technical Advisory Committee, (4) authorize adoption of the Bylaws of the Grand Prairie Water Commission and approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement for Program Management with the City of Joliet at the first Commission Board meeting after establishment of the Grand Prairie Water Commission, (5) approve the Program Management Agreement pursuant to which the City will serve as program manager for the Program and provide program management services to the Commission, as well as provide Commission management services to the Commission until such time as the Commission retains or employs its own personnel to manage the Commission, and (6) provide to the Grand Prairie Water Commission the approximate locations for the City’s water delivery structures immediately following execution of the Water Supply Agreement.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Based on the above, it is recommended that the attached Ordinance be approved authorizing the following actions:
(1) Approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement to Establish the Grand Prairie Water Commission in form and substance conforming to the Agreement attached to the ordinance.
(2) Approval of the Grand Prairie Water Commission Water Supply Agreement in form and substance conforming to the Agreement attached to the ordinance.
(3) Approval of the Program Management Agreement between the City and Grand Prairie Water Commission in form and substance conforming to the Agreement attached to the ordinance.
(4) Authorization and direction to the City’s Commissioner to vote to approve the Bylaws of the Grand Prairie Water Commission and the Program Management Agreement in form and substance conforming to the Bylaws and Agreement attached to the ordinance.
(5) Authorization and direction of the Mayor and City Clerk to sign and seal the Intergovernmental Agreement, the Water Supply Agreement and the Program Management Agreement.
(6) Approval of the following designated persons as the City’s representatives to the Commission:
a. To the Board of Commissioners, from among the Mayor and the City Council:
i. Commissioner: Terry D’Arcy, Mayor
ii. Alternate Commissioner: Cesar Guerrero, Councilman, At-Large
b. To the Technical Advisory Committee from among the City employees:
i. Delegate: Nicholas Gornick, Deputy Director of Plant Operations
ii. Alternate Delegate: Anthony Anczer, Deputy Director of Engineering-Public Utilities
(7) Authorization and direction to the City Clerk to return a certified copy of the ordinance and signed copies of the Intergovernmental Agreement, the Water Supply Agreement and the Program Management Agreement to the Grand Prairie Water Commission.
(8) Authorization and direction to the City Clerk to provide to the Grand Prairie Water Commission the City’s approximate locations for its water delivery structures.
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