Darien Tries Again To Kill Decades-Old Environmental Committee

DARIEN, IL – The Darien City Council plans to vote on whether to disband the nearly 40-year-old Environmental Committee.

It considered doing so a year ago. After facing some opposition, aldermen decided to give the panel time to prove itself. By the city's account, it did not.

Formed in 1987, the committee in its first years focused on solid waste issues, litter, inoperable cars and the selection of a city flower, according to a city memo.

The city argues that the issues are more complex today and require professional input. Some topics are now handled by other volunteer organizations such as the garden club and Arbor Day group, according to the memo.

Since 2000, the Environmental Committee has met once or twice a year, with no meetings in 2024. Recently, city employees worked to schedule a meeting and struggled to find topics to address, the memo said.

At a goal-setting meeting in November, the City Council decided to allow the committee to develop environmental programs for six months to a year, the city said.

"To date, this has not happened," the memo said.

According to the city, the committee's problems include:

• Lack of a quorum.
• Material for meeting agendas is sent late.
• Slow or no response to emails from city employees.
• Difficulty in discussing meaningful topics.

"The environmental committee chairperson has also stated he believes a local club, instead of an appointed city committee, would be better," the memo said. "If the members continued as a local club, independent from the city, they would not have the numerous open meetings act requirements they currently have to follow."