Mount Prospect forging ahead with sustainability initiatives

Mount Prospect is making progress on the sustainability goals it established in 2023, officials said.

Josh Allain, assistant to the village manager, said the 2023 Sustainability Implementation Guide established seven major goals supported by 39 action items.

He told the village board last Tuesday the village has delivered on several items. Sustainability News, started in 2025, has grown in subscriptions from 289 to 379, while solar panel permits increased from 47 permits in 2022 to 61 in 2025.

The sustainability committee established by the village volunteered at major village events and partnered with Go Green Mount Prospect, a group of community members working to inspire more sustainable living in Mount Prospect. In addition, the Single Use Plastic Utensil Reduction Program launched with 19 participating businesses.

Other initiatives included starting a speaker series that included someone from the Mount Prospect Park District talking about native plants.

Board members like Trustee Vince Dante praised the work by staff on sustainability efforts.

But Trustee William Grossi raised cost concerns, saying, “Sustainability is a great thing, but you have to look at the total costs to get there. I have never seen anywhere that anybody's looked at cost on some of the items that we are proposing.”

Among the suggestions moving forward is a global warming impact analysis.

But Trustee Beth DiPrima questioned what a Mount Prospect study would provide that we couldn't get by looking at an Arlington Heights or a Highland Park study or something that's already been done statewide.

Trustee Terri Gens advocated for commission status for the sustainability committee, something Mayor Paul Hoefert said will wait for the May strategic planning process.