City Council approves municipal composting study, accepts $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant

     Decatur, IL – Highlights from the October 21, 2024 Decatur City Council meeting include the go-ahead to create a composting plan for the City of Decatur government, and acceptance of a $500,000 federal Brownfields grant to assess and remediate sites with environmental contaminants.

Municipal Composting Plan

     On Monday night the Decatur City Council approved a contract with an environmental engineering firm to prepare a grant-funded plan for composting and food waste reduction. JPL Environmental Engineering will prepare a plan specifically for City of Decatur municipal government purposes as a first step toward a larger goal of adopting a County-wide program. The plan will look at opportunities to improve the way the City disposes of compostable waste.
     Community members and businesses such as Tillamook and Innovafeed have expressed interest in food diversion programs, and the City is committed to supporting their environmental goals. Due to the funding level provided and to keep costs down, this grant will narrowly focus on the City’s composting opportunities. JPL’s final report will provide guidance on whether composting of City-generated compostable materials is viable at this time. The plan could support additional grant-seeking or recommended operational changes. A small composting facility for City-generated compost could also be a first step toward a County-wide community composting program.
     This contract will not exceed $74,200 and is supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, with a 15 percent match from the City.

Brownfields Assessment Grant
     Council also reviewed and accepted a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Decatur was one of 10 Illinois cities awarded funding. The grant provides technical assistance to assess and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. The City will conduct environmental site assessments in the Jasper Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridors; Tillamook’s 21.5-acre campus (former Prairie Farms) is one priority site. Grant funds will also support community engagement activities and the development of reuse plans for certain properties.
After completing assessments, the City intends to apply for grants to remediate environmental issues and begin or continue redevelopment projects at assessed properties.

More information about these topics can be found in the City Council meeting packet, downloadable/viewable here: www.decaturil.gov/389/Agendas-Minutes