Lake Zurich joins environmental sustainability group

The village of Lake Zurich is the latest to join a Chicago-area environmental sustainability group, which according to village officials will help with strategic planning.

Kyle Kordell, village spokesman, said officials will use their new spot on the Greenest Region Compact as a resource later in 2019 as they revisit Lake Zurich's 5-Year Strategic Plan. The current plan, which prioritizes rejuvenating downtown, finding alternative revenue sources and improving village infrastructure, will expire this year.

"The compact provides the community a way to agree on specific objectives we can formalize in the new strategic plan that enhances environmental sustainability," Kordell said.

Lake Zurich is one of 90 municipalities in the compact, which was created by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus as part of a goal to make the Chicago area the greenest in the country.

"The village wants to continue to provide an eco-friendly, vibrant and sustainable community for future generations," Mayor Tom Poynton said. "Working regionally with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is a big-picture way to accomplish that goal."

The move was the latest in a string of environmental actions by the village.

In March, the village rebranded the long-forgotten Kuechmann Park into Kuechmann Arboretum in an attempt to focus on the park's trees. Besides changing the name, the village is working to install an ADA-accessible walking path and small attractions for children, work that is expected to wrap up next year.

Kordell said in recent years the village has also converted 170 streetlights to LED, maintained the village's status as a "Tree City USA" by investing $50,000 annually in replanting trees, and replaced gus-guzzling village vehicles with more energy-efficient ones.