Oswego Signs Cool Cities Agreement

Oswego is a really cool city.

No, really. The Village voted on Tuesday night at the ECO Commission meeting to renew their Cool Cities agreement through the Sierra Club from 2012 – 2015.

Linda Cole, an active member of the Sierra Club, said being part of the Cool Cities agreement is agreeing to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and promote a clean, healthy environment.

“And Oswego is very environmentally friendly,” she said. Some of the projects and changes Oswego has undertaken include switching permits to allow more solar power, cleaning up the Fox River, limiting the amount of store lighting, having a farmer’s market and more.

“You were one of the first cities to join sign up in 2005,” said Cole. “We’d love for you to do so again.”

Lonnie Morris of Cool Cities said the goal for the new plan was for each community to reduce their carbon footprint by 2 percent a year. “We feel that is something communities can achieve,” she said. A shorter timeline was also introduced, so that the agreement might not “tie up the hands of the next mayor.”

Village President Brian LeClercq said he would happily encumber a future mayor with this because it was the responsible thing to do. “Why tap dance around 2014 requirements we’ll be facing, why not just do it now?” he said.

LeClercq said this was a team effort so he would like the support of the ECO commission board before proceeding to sign anything. A unanimous vote was cast to go forward with being a “cool city” once more.

Along with the new Cool Cities agreement, the village also discussed the electronic recycling program .

Guy Quinn Jr. from the ERC of Chicago, said his company has been doing a recycling event two Saturdays a month along with drop offs and pick-ups during the week.

Based upon the need, Quinn said they may be moving to every Saturday and possibly Sundays. “As of January you can no longer put these things in the garbage,” he said. “People are ecstatic to have someplace to have an outlet for all their electronics.”

The electronics they receive are shredded down and separated into sections of things like plastic, metal and copper and then remade into other products.

“None of it ever touches a landfill,” said Quinn.

The Village will be hosting its own Reuse and Recycling Extravaganza on September 15, where additional items than electronics will be collected.

For more information, visit the village website.