More than 100 mayors, trustees, municipal representatives and Commissioners from across Cook County gathered on November 5 at the Hazel Crest Village Hall for a Government-to-Government Workshop hosted by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA).

The workshop brought together local, county, and state agencies to strengthen regional coordination and flood preparedness. Participants exchanged resources and outlined the services their agencies can provide to help communities plan for, respond to, and recover from flooding events.

Speakers included MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn, MWRD Principal Civil Engineer Richard Fisher, and representatives from IDNR, city of Chicago, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Delta Institute (EPA Region 5 Environmental Finance Agency), and Cook County Emergency Management, among others. MWRD Commissioners Cam Davis and Sharon Waller, Cook County Commissioner Dr. Kisha McCaskill, Hazel Crest President Sandra Alexander, Lynwood Mayor Jada D. Curry, Sauk Village Mayor Marva Campbell-Pruitt, Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Roberts, Dolton Mayor Jason House, Steger Mayor William Joyce, and University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez III also participated in the workshop.

“This workshop reinforces the importance of continued communication between local, county, and state agencies,” said Village of Hazel Crest President Sandra Alexander. “When we coordinate, we respond faster, recover stronger, and serve our communities more effectively. I look forward to ongoing collaboration to ensure we are prepared for future storm events.”

Presentation topics at the workshop covered the MWRD’s stormwater management partnership programs, state emergency coordination framework, public health and community resilience, flood insurance coverage and consumer protections, and emergency response coordination from the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security and the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn emphasized the importance of proactive collaboration among all levels of government.

“Protecting our communities from flooding requires more than infrastructure. It requires communication, partnership, and planning,” said Vice President Flynn. “This workshop showed how much stronger we are when every agency and municipality works together.”

Municipalities with representatives participating in the workshop included:

MWRD President Kari K. Steele thanked the participating municipal leaders and partner agencies for their commitment to regional resiliency.

The MWRD and IDNR plan to continue hosting intergovernmental events to maintain open lines of communication and build upon this momentum toward a more coordinated regional flood response.  One such opportunity is Watershed Planning Council (WPC) meetings which represent communities located within six major watersheds in Cook County. The WPCs advise the MWRD on local stormwater needs and represent the interests of the public to better manage stormwater through infrastructure projects, maintenance of natural drainage ways, and regulatory compliance. To learn more about WPCs visit https://mwrd.org/stormwater/wpc. For more information about upcoming events, visit mwrd.org/events.