Responsibilities

The Sustainability Committee provides short-term, long-term, and cost-effective goals for the City of Crystal Lake to become more sustainable. The Sustainability Committee meets on the third Wednesday each month at 6:30 p.m. Other responsibilities include: 

• Provide recommendations to the City Council about implementing projects, policies, programs, and initiatives
• Spread awareness on environmental issues at local events
• Attend presentations from businesses, advocacy groups, and other sustainability-related associations to learn about potential opportunities for the City
• Recruit and maintain a list of volunteers willing to lend their time and effort to implement the Committee's recommended short and long-term goals
• Coordinate the use of volunteers, when appropriate, to oversee projects approved by the Sustainability Committee, City staff, and the City Council
• Assist City departments in an effort to encourage, where possible and within budget parameters, the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices

History of Sustainability Committee

In 2007, the City Council formed an Ad Hoc Clean Air Counts Advisory Committee to assist the City in meeting the goals of the Clean Air Counts Campaign.  The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus formed the Clean Air Counts Campaign in 1999.  Over 100 local governments, including Crystal Lake, and about 300 businesses and institutions committed to emission reduction measures such as energy conservation, vehicle idling policies, use of non-polluting pain and clean products, and more. 

The City's Ad Hoc Clean Air Counts Committee met many achievements of the Clean Air Counts Campaign, which included attaining Bronze and Silver membership status.  The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has since ended the Clean Air Counts Campaign.  In efforts to continue to assist the City of Crystal Lake in promoting environmental sustainability within the City, at the November 17, 2015 City Council meeting, the City Council approved the former Ad Hoc Clean Air Counts Advisory Committee to become the City's new Sustainability Committee. 

The Sustainability Committee will more broadly assist the City with promoting and achieving environmental sustainability initiatives, while continuing the efforts established through the former Ad Hoc Clean Air Counts Advisory Committee.