Peoria County is working on the latest update to its internal Operational Sustainability Plan, and is offering an opportunity for the public to participate in the process.
The plan examines ways to monitor electrical and water usage at county facilities, reduce solid waste and improve energy efficiency.
“Overall, the reason for this operational sustainability plan is for Peoria County to lead by example, to be good stewards of the residents’ natural and financial resources,” said Rebecca Cottrell, the county’s sustainability coordinator.
Originally introduced in 2011 and updated every five years since, the sustainability plan also encourages employees to adhere to sustainable purchase practices and participate in composting and recycling events.
Cottrell said the county received a $100,000 Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it applied for in 2023.
“Part of that afforded us the opportunity to do a building assessment of a number of our county buildings, which then helps to inform the board’s direction on how to allocate funds over the next decade, essentially identifying priorities and addressing any trouble areas in in those buildings and those facilities,” she said.
“It looks at the envelope of the building. It looks at the mechanical, electrical and plumbing for the building. It looks at roadways around the building and the properties surrounding the buildings that we own. And after having all of that information, we want to be able to infuse that into our energy plan.”
Cottrell said the updated plan went to the health committee on Tuesday and likely will return to committee in March, ahead of adoption targeted for the county board’s April meeting.
The county has scheduled three informational sessions next week to educate the public on the latest sustainability plan and gather feedback. The first is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Peoria Public Library’s North Branch. Two meetings are scheduled on Tuesday at the Health and Human Services Building, at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“We welcome the public to join us and learn a little bit more about what has been done in the past 15 years, and then also we look for any input that they may have,” said Cottrell.
