Members of the DuPage County Board, in
partnership with SCARCE, recognized the Village of Clarendon Hills Monday for
their commitment to sustainability. The Village was awarded both a DuPage
County Water Quality Flag and Earth Flag for steps taken to improve the
environment, including a renovation of their downtown corridor.
In cooperation with SCARCE, DuPage
County awards both a Water Quality Flag and Earth Flag to schools,
municipalities and other organizations who strive to improve the environment.
The Village of Clarendon Hills is the first municipality to earn both flags.
“I’m happy to commend the Village of
Clarendon Hills for the extensive work they completed to earn both flags,” said
DuPage County Environmental Committee Chair Liz Chaplin. “It is rewarding to
see community members implement procedures and programs that reduce their
carbon footprint and help enhance the environment. “
To earn the flags, the Village hosted
sustainability events, implemented green cleaning, developed educational
webpages and facilitated trainings for staff, residents and schools. In
addition, the Village recently completed development of a joint-community
education garden and redevelopment of their train station and downtown
corridor, which features green infrastructure, energy efficient practices and
educational signage to educate visitors about green practices.
To help fund the improvements, DuPage
County Stormwater Management awarded the Village of Clarendon Hills a Water
Quality Improvement Program grant earlier this year.
“We are so proud to be a small part of
Clarendon Hills’ impressive project,” said DuPage County Stormwater Management
Committee Chair Jim Zay. “The Village used the County’s $90,000 grant to
install bioswales, permeable pavers, rain gardens and a green roof, which will
serve as great local examples of water quality improvement practices.”
Clarendon Hills Village President Len
Austin noted how these initiatives will benefit not only the Village, but also
greater DuPage County.
“We are so thankful for the partnership
of DuPage County and local organizations, such as SCARCE,” said Austin. “We
have plans to showcase these improvements to local school groups and others in
an effort to educate them on sustainable practices, as well as demonstrating
their practical applications.”
During the ceremony, Kay McKeen, SCARCE
Founder and Executive Director, was joined by Chaplin and DuPage County Board members
Greg Hart, Julie Renehan and Brian Krajewski in awarding the flags to Austin
and Clarendon Hills Village Board members.
Date Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2020