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2001-34• RESOLUTION NO. 2001- 34 • A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN EVALUATION OF THE LAKE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WHEREAS, the Lake County Transportation Improvement Project is scheduled to release the draft EIS later this year, related to its transportation study in the Lake County region; and, WHEREAS, it would be desirable to have an independent expert evaluation of the environmental impact statement in order to determine if the draft EIS has any substantive errors or omissions related to the physical environmental impacts and to independently review the related findings and recommendations of the draft EIS; and, WHEREAS, it has been determined that the desired evaluation could be effectively conducted as denoted by Robert S. Gemmell, Professor of Civil Engineering and Assistant Chairman of Academic Programs of Northwestern University and his colleagues as identified in his attached "Proposal for the Review of the Lake County Transportation Alternatives Environmental Impact Statement." NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, COOK AND LAKE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS, as follows: Section 1. The attached "Proposal for the Review of the Lake County Transportation Alternatives Environmental Impact Statement" is hereby accepted. Section 2. The Village Manager is hereby authorized and directed to approve the purchase order for the services described in the "Proposal for the Review of the Lake County Transportation Alternatives Environmental Impact Statement." A copy of said service proposal is attached hereto and made apart hereof. AYES: 6 - Marienthal, Braiman, GLover, Berman, Johnson, Kahn NAYES: 0 None ABSENT: 0 - None PASSED: September 10 52001 APPROVED: September 10 22001 APPROVED: ATTEST: Village President Village Clerk G:\PWDIRGRP\LHC\LCTIP\RESOIXX2.doc Proposal for the Review of the Lake County Transportation Alternatives Environmental Impact Statement The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State To11 Iiighway Authority sponsored a study proposing a variety of improvements to the transportation facilities and operations serving part of Lake coumy and northern Cook County. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement covering their proposals is expected to be issued early this summer. A group of communities located in the area have expressed interest in sccuringlobraining an assessment of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement by a disinterested group of exports. The assessment is to focus pardmudy, if not exclusively, on the impacts affecting the physical ararommem rather than those impacting the economic and social environmeat. Two of my faculty colleagues of the Civil Fgineeriog Department at Northwestern University have agreed to join mein offexing our services to prepare such an evaluation. Together, we are: • Joseph L. Schofer, Professor and Department Chairman: transportation and planning specialist • Barbara -Ann Lewis, Associate Professor. specialist in soil science, wetlands, aquatic chemistry and envimnnreatal impact assessment; • Robert S. Gemmell, Professor and Assistant Department C. airmaw specialist in water resources, fiydr+olM, and environmental engineering. All of us have had experience in impact evaluation for large public w= projects. If faculty with other expertise we neoded, we will attempt to enlist their services as well. We propose to perform the review and evaluation of the EIS subject to a limitation on faculty time commitment of no more than 3 to S days per person (avmp), unless an explicit agreement to increase the time is mutually approved. We will provide your group with up town (10) copies of a report describing our frodings and impoentions of the draft environmental impact statement. One or more of our am members (depending on the nature: of our findings) will meet once with your group to respond to go dons you may have regarding our report and its findings if such is desired. This effoetwould be completed within a sixty (60) day period following our receipt of three (3) copies of the draft EIS. Any additional effort on our part, inchxft testimony or intervention in the EIS process or other activities, would require a separate agreemem. We propose to provide these for a fee not to exceed $16,000. We will bill for our services at a rate of $12S per person4mw for the principals involved. If we dean it desirable, we may employ students or others (as appropriate) and dmrge $20 to 3" per hour for their time, depending on the level of their expertise. Incidental expenses anmsted with the project will be billed as experienced. On behalf of the faculty group, Robert S. Gemmell will serve as the project administrator. • 0 We understand that our role is limited to the evaluation of the strengths andfor weaknesses (if any) of the draft EIS. Involvement in the preparation or conduct of additionelffiuther impact evaluation is not up=W as it would seriously our role as disinterested assessors of tie EIS. Submitted on behalf of my colleagues, Robert S. Qemmell, Ph.D.