Riverside wins Bee City USA designation; Swan Pond native species and ecological health improving, LAC reports

President Pollock announced that the Village of Riverside received Bee City USA designation at the March 5 board meeting and thanked staff who prepared the application.

Director Tabb introduced David Rubin, chair of the Landscape Advisory Commission, who summarized LAC activities including invasive species trade-ins, native plant giveaways, a BioBlitz and partnerships with local organizations. Rubin reported measurable improvements at Swan Pond: invasive plant coverage declined (from 8% in 2023 to 7% last year) and documented native species increased from 62 (2022) to 135; the floristic quality index for Swan Pond rose from 22.2 to 36.49, moving the site into a medium-quality ecological category with a goal to exceed 50 in coming years.

Clerk Stenzel presented a sustainability update: the village is pursuing Bird City USA designation, will complete a lighting assessment to inform a possible dark-sky community application within 45 days, and is exploring fleet electrification options (engaging Nutter Consulting and the Electrification Coalition, and considering ComEd assessments). Staff also reported researching municipal composting providers and planning multiple sustainability workshops for 2026 focused on issues such as rising energy costs.

Stenzel added that the village’s waste-hauler contract with Flood Brothers expires in May 2027; staff will survey the community and, if the contract is not renewed, begin a request-for-proposals process in spring 2026.

Trustees thanked staff and volunteers for environmental work and discussed next steps for sustainability-related designations and procurement. No formal board action was taken on these designations at the meeting.