I had just in the last 10 minutes emailed some minutes from the last meeting because I just found some notes that I had. So, um if you get a chance to check it out, but it's pretty sparse. So, um but that's there. It's in your email saying some minutes. Um
Matthew, >> good evening. >> So, the first item on the agenda is the the grants, the landscaping grant, social media. Um, Angie couldn't come tonight because she's not well, but she was going to make the website that we saw last month live and um, we're going
to look into finding how to connect it to, I guess, the burrow site >> or some other site. So, it sounds like everybody was pretty positive about it last time, which I thought it was great. >> Um, and the landscaping grant, the only other thing I could say about that today is that I'm hopeful that somebody from
public works will come to our workshop in April and bring some of the electric equipment if they have it. But I know you two were going to bring your stuff. >> I cannot because I'm doing bees. >> Bees. >> Oh, it's the same day. April 6th. >> Is that the same? Is that the same event I'm talking about?
>> It's the same event. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> He'll be there. Oh, you Oh, you won't be able to do the landscaping because you have a table. >> Oh, you're doing so. >> All right. That's okay. Do you want to bring your stuff or No, >> I'll I'll bring it. I I thought you we didn't say but you were going to do it.
>> Yeah, that'd be great. Yeah. And when are you going to show it at the >> We have that workshop. It's from 9:30 to 11:30. Um I know is going to talk about that later. >> What day is it? Just to make sure I have >> Sunday, April 26th 26.
>> Yeah. At 9:30. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. I have it. Okay, good. >> Uh the energy plan. Um Don is gonna talk about where we're at with that. >> Sure. So, a couple things with that. The audit is next week. So, we have two days booked for Charlie to take everybody the
auditor around to the buildings to audit that. And then originally, we were supposed to hear back by second quarter with the final recommendations, but I'm not sure. We'll wait until they have an audit to see when Snow delayed everything a little bit. So, um, but I'm glad we get that out and done. And then
Monday and Thursday next week, they'll be going to all the sites and making recommendations then and comparing our buildings to other people that have energy, you know, star energy buildings. And then um as it relates to the energy plan, you all provided many of you
provided feedback um from the the last meeting. So I was able to provide your feedback to the company that is revising the energy plan and we should have that in the next week. I'll send out a final copy to everyone and then we need to provide um open public comment to the
plan. So we were thinking on May 14th the next meeting right May 14th um announcing that we can announce it through the website and the Belmar page and this way anybody that would like to provide feedback beyond our team can do so. And in the meantime we'll also send it to the the individuals we met with we
met I don't know maybe 15 people in >> from the burrow. So we'll send it to them to see if they have any additional feedback so that we can then >> Who are these people? >> It was everything from fire, police, DPW. We had interviews with everyone um in the town so that when we when we met
with this company, we could provide some feedback about the priorities that were important to the town as well or to the individual departments. We kind of left like sort of an open, you know, asking them about energy conservation in their work and where
they the building they work in. And >> um we just asked Kevin, we met with Kevin Kane and he just paid free rain. So we just reached out to different various people. >> Um and the fire chief and somebody from BMS >> and a couple of the people that actually
work in municipal building. Um the recreation director, Barry, we talked to him. Um public works and Charlie. >> Yeah. So, we tried to like get a sort of a general >> two Do we have two FGs? One here and one there like on one on
>> um >> I don't know. I'm not sure how that works. >> He handles like the administration. >> I think he's like the head of the two curious. >> Yeah. >> He kind of coordinate I think whether there is two people. I'm not sure. But he kind of handled his side of the business.
>> Who was our chief? >> Who was it? Chip Kavanagh. >> All right. >> And we put whatever anybody from the bureau said, we just put in the plan basically unless it was not it wouldn't fit in the plan. We just >> listened to every voice we could get and just put it all in there. So you could see everything that's there as a result
of those conversations. >> And we had really good feedback. I mean, especially like EMS and police and um fire, they all had whether it was training um actual um ways through solar and other choices that they could make to have more efficient use within the
department. So, um, I think there was some really good feedback that built the plan. We just want to send it back out and say, "Hey, is there anything else? What do you think?" And then this way we'll have a plan that's been viewed by everybody, both public as well as um the burrow. And one of the things we talked about too is lighting. Like there was
apparently they started switching out the lighting in the in the town buildings and there was some incentive that to do that and then kind of stopped the project stopped. So, we're hoping to rebr it up again for the sake of at least the gym because that's one of the places where they were. They have really
old lights there. And when we get our plan, they provide really good recommendations on how to get funding, where the grants are, how to prioritize um certain priorities that are going to kind of get hopefully funded or partially funded. So, it's things that they're not only interested in, but that
we hope that we're going to find ways to fund them. So it could save them actually provide pretty a lot of efficiencies for the town too. >> Yeah. And that's really what we're proposing is cost savings like if they >> are more efficient with their use of power then they'll save money on utility bills which is good for everybody.
>> Yeah. They're only going up >> right. >> Exactly. >> Um >> depressively. >> Yes. So the result of the energy audit is a more specific detailed walk through every building and then they'll give the burrow back their report as to what
specific measures and the costbenefit analysis of those. >> So does the audit go to blue sky and then into the plan or are they two separate? >> They're two separate things but the audit will be put within the plan. So blue sky has all the details. So they've already called that out in the plan.
They're two separate. >> So the audit is a deliverable from the plan. >> Yeah. No, that audit is a deliverable overall. >> Okay. Yeah, just in general um through the state it's actually up through the state of New Jersey and then we provided that information to blue sky who will
incorporate that as one of the cleaner tasks I said in the midst of you know doing our energy here's one step that we're doing which is already a >> so it kind of ladders up to the end >> so the next item on the agenda was the um the workshop stop. That's why Lean is
here to talk about that. And in general, patchwork for wildlife. I can say we're still ongoing trying to develop more, I guess, uh, tools for homeowners about sustainable maintenance of their property as well as native plants and,
um, continuing to try to find ways to share that information. And then because it's like starting to be planting season, so we're going to go around to the gardens that we honored last fall to get better photos. things actually blew me because when we took the pictures it
was >> some of the homeowners were like kind of self-conscious like I'm getting a word for this this is what grows here in the spring in the summer but in November there's not much to photograph so we promise we'd go back and do that again um and John Gibbons is continuing to he
had a meeting with all the towns that are involved in this to give us more of a network to try to kind of hear how other towns are rolling it out how they're advertising it what the materials look like so for sharing brochures. So hopefully um he's going to be at Iliana's workshops which she's
going to talk about, but he'll be one of the presenters and he'll be able to share more information and have a running list of other residents who might be interested in having their yards evaluated and getting the works for them. So that's that's where we're at with that. So do you want to kind of talk about your workshop?
>> Yeah, sure. So we have a pretty good event from my perspective. It's on uh uh Sunday, April 26, 9:30 to 11:30. It's going to be just one speaker, Jason Goldman. He's a bart naturalist and the garden designer. Uh he's working with
native plants, so there's not going to be a presentation with anything but native plants. And um uh so it's going to be half an hour accept I mean, welcome people. Then Jason's going to
talk for up to an hour, probably 45 minutes plus Q&A. And then we're going to have nine tables that are confirmed with organizations in town or out of town, but focused on sustainability. I
initially started with sustainability more widely but unfortunately um the people with the the food basically uh didn't uh didn't get back
to me. So it's going to be more focused on uh on native plants. So we have dark sky, we have patchwork for wildlife, a composting table, uh the community garden, a native plant society,
plus us. Oh, and Adrienne's perspective photography. So she's going to sell uh prints. She's has this I mean everybody had all the photographers have beautiful pictures of Belmar, but she has um
birds. um she has uh bugs, she has butterflies, she has things like that. So the idea there is going to be I'm my hook in that is going to be adopt one of these animals or critters and learn as
much as you can about them because then you learn that throwing pl throwing stuff on the beach is a problem and so on. So basically >> can we include can I include all the things that you said to you reviewed the other night that you said D and I in the meeting minutes while your handout so
everyone has them. >> Yeah, of course. So, >> and then do you need anything from us that day? >> Yeah, I would not um I mean first of all we need people to man a table for the environmental commission with any materials that you might have there.
I do have some from the grant the pamphlets I can bring to hand out. >> So, we did that at the feast. >> We did. I'm more than happy to sit with you, too. You know, I'm sure everyone who's taking turns. >> Yeah. And they're they're in the trunk of my car, so you just
>> So, yeah. >> We saw those recycle. >> I have plenty of recycling. >> If any of you want uh to know what materials you guys didn't see, cuz I mean I I just shared them with this group. And the thing is, we don't want
to just have an event with nothing happening after that. So I I made a survey stay connected in which I have some suggestion of what we can do. The idea is to get a group of volunteers and create something like I don't know you
probably know sustainable Princeton. So it's a completely separate organization who does good things for and uh in um in um Atlantic Highlands is wild for Atlantic Highlands. So, I want to create
something an organization like that and I'm asking people um if they want to. >> So, are you having a paper sign up or like when you want to >> Yeah, that this is going to be both online and it's going to be on paper. So
we will be in some copies of this and then um I want to just put the online link um on the on the Facebook page and everywhere so that people who was who weren't there but so if we hear of
anyone who cares we just send them this survey and we have them in our database. >> So it'll be on the BEC website and shrink >> the links >> probably. Yeah. >> Okay. If I mean it's up to you. I don't ask I don't control. >> If I am send it to Keith.
>> Yeah. >> That's right over there. >> It's pretty easy. Just just send a note to keep put it on there. >> Yeah. Uh the other thing is add if it's possible to add me as an administrator on the Facebook page so I can create events and share.
>> I guess I don't know how to do that but I guess >> I don't either but count on you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay, I'll give you this. I mean, it's very just fine. >> Okay, I will. >> I've been struggling because like >> we have an Instagram page, but I don't
know how to link the two accounts and nobody has been able to answer any of my questions. >> I think it has to do with whoever created it first. We had the same problem. >> Reached out to Christa numerous times and she has never gotten back. >> Yeah. I think there's some stuff that only the person who originally created
it can do, which is one of the big drawbacks of Facebook. Yeah, these are way. >> Yeah, but I can manage the Facebook page fine, but the Instagram page we have, they're supposed to be linked because that's what I my my Belar honey I have both. When I do one, it just does the
other one. It's seamless, >> but I don't. >> Would we maybe start a new Instagram page and just link it to that? I think I don't know. >> But you could walk me through. >> I don't know how Oh, you don't know how to do it. Okay. >> I mean, if you say that you did it for Belmar honey, >> you know what? I bet you I bet you Angie
can help. >> She's going to say she >> Angie can help. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> definitely. >> I was hoping to see her from I'll reach out to her. >> So, there's a flyer in there and we didn't discover a way. I mean, I don't I
don't have a printer and I don't know who in the township would help us print a 100 flyers. >> But, if you sent it to Caitlyn, she can have April do it. >> Okay, I'll send it to Caitlyn. cuz that's what I did with the flyers for the the cleanup. >> Oh, great. >> If I don't find
>> Just send them up as a PDF. >> She said just send it as a PDF. >> Okay. Do you have flyers with the different >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> I sent them to Caitlyn and she said she was going to April. >> Great. Because I was going to try them. >> Yeah, sure.
>> Um I I did ask Lewis and he was kind enough to he's going to talk to his boss but potentially set up like a a microphone. And >> do you know if the speaker needs is he gonna have slides or anything while >> he's gonna have slides, but he wants to
do them on my computer. So, which is a Chromebook. So, uh I I can try them whenever it's possible, I can try it. >> The Chromebook uh so long as it has an HDMI out connection can connect to the projector without >> Yeah, you have that magical
>> Yeah, I got that little device. I plug it in. So, no problem. >> Okay. papers >> what makes everything work >> and someone told me there are um chairs and tables in the pavilion. >> Okay. >> So, we just have to set them up when we get there. So,
>> okay. >> Yeah. We just when we get set up these want to send a note to all of us what time you want us there. >> Yeah. If it's it's 9:30, >> I'd probably maybe shoot for 8:30. >> I think I agree. and and that way we can set up because
>> we're not exactly the most efficient, you know, it's not like >> it's not like having a bunch of, >> you know, high school kids running around putting tables up, you know, that kind we kind of take our time. >> Okay, thank you. Yeah, that's a good idea.
>> Go not to hurt myself. >> I don't think I was allowed to set our table injury. Um, so I guess I'll I tried I haven't heard back, but I tried to ask if we could get in there at 8:30 because I kind of thought that too. So >> because the um public works has to come
and unlock it. That's >> um Okay. Anything else you want to say about the workshop? >> That's all. If you guys have any questions or anything. >> Okay. Uh May. Thank you. >> Yeah. And please share with all your
neighbors. I mean, so my idea, especially now, it works well because the gas is so high. So instead of going to Aspbury Park for food or whatever, what we want is we want everyone to know each other and just stay in town. >> So it's like everybody has local honey
and I see you. Where is the local honey from? It's from I don't know where it's like, do you know that there's actual local honey here? >> Yeah. >> Um Okay. Then May 2nd is the beach cleanup, right? Do you want to talk about that at all? >> Um, I don't know what there is to say.
We reached out to Charlie and and let him know the dates. May 2nd and May 3rd will be the ring date. And we did the flyers. I think I emailed the flyers to everybody. Caitlyn uh had flyers that she said she was going to have April print so we could just start
distributing them freely. I've already got an Instagram uh Facebook post ready to ready to go out. >> I scheduled it so that it would go out um soon. I forget when I
>> Will that go to belm.com, too? >> No. >> Can we put it on belm.com? >> Uh yeah, I'll have to send it to somebody. >> It's Jenna. If you want >> Oh, Jenna. Okay. Yeah, Jenna. Yeah, because I sent her the thing about the 26 and she put it up on
>> and then Monday I was going to send the letters out. So we I found all the addresses we responses from last year. Um so we're able to send it everywhere from ManusCon to Neptune to Wall Elmar St. Rose.
>> I was not able to find those >> those people. >> No. Um the the beach nesting bird site is already fenced off on the beach. So the whole middle of the beach is off limits anyway, >> right? Okay. >> But most of the trash is up towards
Ocean Avenue. And >> so be the same as last year. All those bushes were just loaded. >> Then we got to go with go and get the cans out. Yeah. >> So, >> and depending on how many people, we could always have them go over to the lake or we could have,
>> you know, street. I mean, there's plenty of places. >> If we get too many people, we could just send them somewhere else. >> Are we going to do one for the lake also? >> We haven't planned on it. It was is a debate with us. Do we do the lake? Do we do the beach? >> I think last month >> and we found that I have found my
walking around the lake that it's not that dirty >> like it was last year. >> Yeah. I think it originally public works is saying could you do another clean up at first avenue because they >> they asked us to do that. It is really bad. >> Yeah. The there's a clean up an action
ocean action >> April 11th. Yeah. >> But they don't do first Saturday. >> Yeah. Saturday and 16th. >> But they don't do the first avenue beach. They say they do the main beach that we
really going from the shoreline up to the boardwalk, >> but the shoreline is really bad cuz I told you I was walking along the shoreline and on first. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> There's >> Well, that beach is open. People can go down there. >> Yeah. >> Did they happen in reverse order last
year? Was it clean ocean action after us? >> No, because the responses I got from the schools was they already signed up for >> the other ones. So I think it was I think it was a combination. There was some before and some after. >> Okay. Just what you know because if they clean up some action and folks do make
their way over there, they could clean up all our garbage. I mean nothing to do. >> Let's see. >> I mean not that that's a bad thing, but you know if you show up with pickers and you're >> really need the those picker things because that is
>> expert >> to get into those bushes and stuff. Yeah. >> So the lake doesn't look that bad. I don't think so. >> No, I didn't. I've walked around. >> I don't know why, but it's not as dirty as it was last year. >> It's great. >> Yeah, it's We haven't had too many wind
storms, I guess. Right. >> I don't know. >> Yeah. Wind and trash day combined. >> Seems like it's always windy on recycling day. >> Yes. >> So, I'll move to Silver Lake. That's the next one on the agenda. Um trying to think what I could say about I
communicated with the Army Corps last week because we were meeting and um I communicated with the burough engineer and they finally finished the lake survey they were doing which I think they sent out some copies finally the other day. They sent it to the Army Corps and the Army Corps was waiting for
this. So our burrow engineer was commissioned by the burrow to do a physical survey of some of the lake the infrastructure and They didn't test the water quality, but they're looking at the infrastructure and the water movement in and out of the lake. Um they
did um have enough money to get a contractor to come out who's been digging out the pipe to the ocean. >> And according to to Jim Morris, they only had enough money to go 200 feet towards the ocean, but so far they're
just clearing out sand. So he said that's a discussion with the bur. want to complete that job. Doesn't look like there's any damage so far to the pipe. >> That would be great. >> Yeah. So, um there's still of course murkiness about,
you know, it doesn't go all the way out to the ocean because there's apparently there's a part in the middle where there's anecdotal evidence that water would come in and out of that part of the pipe as opposed to going all the way out. And when the team was there doing the survey, they couldn't actually
visibly see the pipe beyond the beach into the ocean. So, they couldn't confirm it, but I believe it's there. I mean, >> it went there at high tide, you can't see it. At low tide, you can go out and touch it. >> Well, all the way out beyond the the surf break, like all the way into the ocean.
>> Oh, yeah. I got pictures of it. It's it's cast iron, right? >> Yeah, it's cast iron. It's a little beat up. So, um, and it's shorter compared to the outflows that they put in, >> you know, for Lake Comos, Rec Pond, and everywhere else. But those are outflows. So, it it'll be interesting to see what
the Army Corp says when they get the information. >> Yes. Well, they have the information. And what's the part I just got today from Jim Morris was that they're partially into clearing the sand out of the park. That's cool. That's great. >> That's good. That's good news. And what's interesting, I don't know how far
200 feet goes from, you know, that where the valve is. I don't know if that makes it all the way up. >> It was about a quarter of the way. So, >> yeah. So, because I saw they put the they put the pipe to look in it at the entry. There's an access point in the in the right in the lawn there. Yeah.
>> And the next asex point is what's covered that has the uh sand fence around the snow fence around it on the beach. I didn't see them go there. So, they probably only made it up to the avenue. And the avenue is where right after the storm we had the collapse that
they repaired. Yes. So that is the critical area because that was one collapse and was repaired that everyone forgot was repaired but who knows how good it is. >> Yeah. >> So that's >> so far so good from what they're seeing. >> Um >> so how how you say they're cleaning out
the pipe. They're doing it from the lake. So what what's happening in the material they're taking out? It's back >> 200 feet of pipes worth of sand has to go to somewhere. >> So assuming the vendor is responsible to chuck it out of there. I would guess they're not going to just dump.
>> So what I what I saw and I don't just from looking at it my engineering mind looks like it's a high pressure hose with a vacuum on the other end and it goes into a truck. >> Okay, that's what it looks like. But I I don't want to stick I was going to stick
around and be like that guy who annoys people. >> The email says the contractor will provide us with a report of what he found and a better estimate to clean out the entire pipe. >> So we'll know that >> the engineer. Yeah.
>> So are we connecting I sent you the document from or the post about with Avon Bradley successfully I guess getting it. So could we connect someone at the army corps to just so we have a plan if a plan has worked for another
town this way they don't have to >> I think yeah I think they're already aware of all that work but yeah that's like a two towns it's been going on for a couple years >> like our group here like our team because remember in the beginning they didn't really know about a lot of history >> because it was so I'm wondering do they
know about what's happening there and what's worked and didn't work >> we sent them all kind We had we given them the silven the silven lake plan all the woods that was done for the living shoreline what was being done for their pipe >> and so they know all about that pond
>> and also the connection repatory did work so they have all that >> um >> so I was saying because they just posted that it's now successful yes >> so they saw that too >> yeah well I'll we can ask them if we talk to them but they have all those connections
>> um and they should be able to get those plans But um you know I'm not really sure. I don't know. I haven't heard of anything from the army plus since Maya you know since since the last meeting before December. Has there been have there been any follow-up meetings?
>> There's haven't hadn't been any meetings. The last I heard I reached out to her like last week and they were waiting for this lake survey which they finally got and the um engineering firm said it was because of all the snow and the lake was frozen and everything. they couldn't physically like go in there and
see everything for extended period. So it was actually today I think we got the final um final >> just this week we got so whatever. >> So when you look at the survey because again because I'm retentive you know open it up and they're going
through and I don't know if you can look at it but they're saying that they couldn't find certain sewer outlets that are listed on our sew on the master storm water plant. Right. >> They have it located but they said they couldn't find it. And I don't know if that >> some of them are broken. >> Yeah. There's a lot of them listed there
that I don't know where they are where they are on the map. >> Yeah, that's so that's so they they they didn't, you know, so that's a it's going to be >> Look, so some I guess were covered with with dirt or whatever. They couldn't see that. >> So, but they should have both. They should because we put it up again. We
gave them the sewer plant. >> So all the storm flu plant and now they have the survey. >> You're talking about the Army Corps now. >> Yeah, the Army Corp has both. So we should they should have everything that they need to to give us the feedback that we got. >> They said they were working on the report and they were just waiting for
this final league survey which they got. >> They'll give us an update then like of another meeting like they did before and >> I think that what they told him was that they're working on the report. So you know I don't know that that requires meeting but once they get the report done they'll share it with us. That's the goal. So, one of the things we
talked about was getting the CFO involved to where we stand with the inind contributions because still no one in the town has ever put together anything for us to put in our our volunteer. >> Well, my did reference the um volunteer hours. She has some kind of form she's
working on for us. Okay. >> To document that. And I believe that this engineering work that's happening now is part of the town's >> Yeah. >> contribution. Yeah. >> As well as they also have the county grant for the pathway. That's another contribution
>> to the two things that the US the Army Corp plan was 250. The town had to do matching on the that had to come from the town caucus. What would what they're getting for um for the county I don't believe they can apply to the army corps planning.
>> So they're going to have I mean I'm more than happy to talk to because the thought was that we use that to go to the $1 million >> matching for you know for the million dollar C CFP funding. CPF funding, right? So I don't So it was 250 for or
230 whatever it was for u doing the army corp plan that we had to put up which is going to be the plan the survey >> plus cleaning it out and don't know if that adds up to 200 but I do think it adds up to a chunk plus our hours. It'd be hopefully that's enough. >> Yes.
>> Otherwise we're going to get bill. Well, so the um part of the incline match is documenting volunteer hours which means they have a form the army corps they're constructing and that includes all of us like attending meetings the things that
we've done with the lake committee all of that time per person is volunteer hours so your time is valuable so once we we can go back retroactively on dates of meetings and who attended and that way that's a part of the way the town
can document their contribution because there's a match. >> So that be that would be including I think your hours and your hours taking samples. >> Yeah. All that >> and all the work that you put in to build that website. So we have a lot of hours between everybody you know and if
they charge my rate 250 an hour don't think they're going to do that but I charge at least 250. >> They have a I think they have a set rate but >> I'm sure No, I'm sure they do. I'm sure it's not too long, >> but that's going to come at some point here where we're going to kind of include you all in that piece of it.
Looking back, right, looking to see what's the furthest back we can go and then who was on the committee and all that constitutes our contribution. >> It's exciting. We, you know, if we get the plan that gets matched, we have the million dollars. We have the money coming from the the county and the way
the matching funds can be good shape to get started on the plan. >> Yeah. And I think one thing we want to talk about at one of these meetings is in the lake survey I saw that they're talking about dredging as our engineers
talking about dredging and I know the counties had offered to help out with that. >> So I think we want to bring that up again the county as well. I know it's I think it was Silven Lake. They just sought permission to use the dredge spoils because they had a desktop. So I'm assuming there's that's an issue.
It's great. >> The first thing they would do before they judge is they would test the sediment to find out if it's contaminated. It's contaminated. You have to go to landfill. >> Yeah. >> Be somewhere special. You have to pay. >> If it's not contaminated, they can do
what they call beneficial reuse. You can use it around the edge of the river. >> Yeah. >> To rebuild up habitat to create well. >> I have a question. After Sandy, >> right? Did I say that right? after Sandy was the you know when they took out the plate did did they use that material to
rebuild the burm? >> Yes. >> So at that time that it wasn't contaminated right >> I think that was a special circumstance. All right. So, we have to justify to have some feedback on the beginning because I mean it would be wonderful if the hardest part is getting it all clean
and then it >> sounds like it's just a question of where this would go, but the um I believe that the county helped Spring Lake out with dredging. They have equipment. >> Yes, it would help with equipment. That's the incline that that they request that that would probably be DPW
type of work that hopefully the town you be able to with incline volunteers at the DPW hours. >> Yeah. And and also we had one of our original meetings if you remember the county engineer was there. I mean we talked about collaboration with the county and the commissioner was open to
that. So I think >> I just spoke with them the other day. So, >> they like us. >> There you go. >> They like Katie, they like us. The county likes us. So, if uh they like what we're doing, they want to help.
>> Um so, if we need drenching support, we just both Joe and and Tom up and and just say we really good. The Army, the whole key is in the Army Corp. If the Army Corps has what we need to dredge, you know, you have each of those activities laid out instead of one of us
non-experts asking we'll have the experts saying this is >> well that's what our our engineering firm is recommending dredging so the army has that recommendation so I would assume they're going to include that in some way >> isn't there some dredging from project
with the multiple towns >> that's the shark river collaborative I think >> is there any >> it's just a planning grant it's not I believe >> there's another grant that we're on hold for which I can't remember the organ organization, but this is something
where um I think it was Montlair University is working with them with towns in New Jersey to apply for this money and they said once we get the Army Corps recommendation because that's also at least have the plan to apply. So there's potential in other source we could look into. The expectation in my
mind would be once we have a plan, we should be able to turn it over to the BA and to the grant writer and say call Chris Smith's office, call the county office, call, you know, D, you know, contact everyone and then just start submitting them because we do know if
you give our our grant writer a good plan and they already have the narrative, they're very good at doing this stuff. So, I think that once that's done, we've really done as much as we can do to help the town and then, you know, it's something that the, you know,
the next mayor, the BA, and that grant writer will have to take it to next stage to get all the rest of the funding. You know, as a I think that we've done as a commission more than most people have ever done for a town to set them up to be successful on this.
So, it's I think it's exciting that that we got here. I think so too. >> Um, so the next item is the Shark River. Do you want to speak about that? >> Um, Shark River Cleanup Coalition has a
bay cleanup on Saturday the 25th at 9 a.m. >> Yes. um starts at 9:00 a.m. at Memorial Park in Neptune City, but the equipment and the books will be
spread out from there to go to places all around Sharp River, including Neptune, Belmar, Neptune City areas. Um that's our annual spring cleaned up. Um, we did an event recently that was kind of ad hoc because the Chuck River Hills
PTA reached out to us and said they wanted to have their their grade school there do a day of service cleanup. So, we kind of did one on the fly and it worked out really well. I thought about suggesting we try to do the same thing here, but the truth is we don't have we don't have shoreline in
Belmar on the bay. That's really conducive for cleanup for like families and kids. Like you pretty much have to walk almost past the end of Belmar along the shoreline west of McCclary Park to kind of get to Walls part down by the Shell station. That's where all the garbage goes.
>> But like it was a really nice event. It was, you know, like all the kids were involved. We did like a 10-minute little nature talk. There's just not really unless we're going to have the kids clean up McCclary Park, which right? But like there's no kind of like point the kids at the garbage, give them
some pickers and let them have that. But if there was, I think it would be a nice thing to do. >> So, do they do it at low tide? >> Yeah. >> Below tide the other places outside from clines down underneath that little area there. That's just a small spot.
>> Yeah. It's It's hard to get down. Like there's no easy way to get onto the shoreline there. You pretty much hop in a fence. Like there's no like and it's all mud and rocks and slippery. I don't know. I The nice thing about the shoreline Yeah. >> in Shark River Hills is that it's more
like the area west of the park. It's just like dirt and rocks, but like nothing you can really hurt yourself on too much. But long story short, I I would be happy to do that. things I would be happy to do, but right now with what's going on with the American Lal
Society and Capanel and them kind of just trying to get themselves figured out, I do want to do some singing like we did last year. We did that one event that worked out really well. Um, that could be a if we do if we
do it there in the same place we did last year at the park. I think that would be nice. Um, but That's part one. Clean up April 25th. Second thing, what time is it? >> Uh 9:00 a.m. it starts. So like 9:00
a.m. breakfast and chit chatting and then clean up 9:30 to 11:30. >> Do you have a flyer that you can send me and I'll put in the minutes? >> Um it's I can forward you the event um on the on the shark river.org website. >> So I think if you send it to us, it'd be
nice to have on our website then. Okay. >> And um >> I think I actually have a flyer, too. Yeah, I'll I'll send it to everybody on the on the minutes distribution list. We actually just did a flyer. >> Yeah, that'd be >> so I'll send that as well. >> Thanks. >> Um, another thing to give a heads up on,
again, it's also a question mark because involves the American Literal Society. We were planning, it wasn't official, but I think it's probably going to happen an event on Sunday, May 17th, that was going to be the 25th anniversary of the horseshoe crab, the Sharp River.
>> I was thinking about that. >> Yeah. do something for Captain. >> I think it I can't say for sure, but I imagine instead of just cancing the whole thing, right, it's probably going to turn into a celebration of Captain Al as a person and a community leader and
and and and also commemorating 25 years since that work started. Um, as I get more information, I'll share and Ed'll share with you because I know they would love to have you involved in some way >> because you have the history of it now, maybe more so than anybody. Yeah.
>> Um, so that's as sad as that news is and we can all eulogize Hajeski for a long time. Hopefully we're going to that that that will harden everybody's resolve from everybody's resolve to carry on that work. Um, and there, just for the
record, there there has been and will continue to be a station for the annual horseshoe crab tagging, which is usually three weekends each two weeks apart in May and June, but we don't have all the final dates yet. That weekend was supposed to be the first weekend. So,
somewhere around the weekend of May, 15, 16, 17, that was the first one. Then two weeks later, early June, two weeks later. Um, all right. And then the last thing not directly related to the Shark River, but I wanted to bring up is the thing about Mcquaryy Park where it's
worth noting that we would love to be able to do an event like do another river singing in partnership with American Literal Society, but as it is the stairs have been ripped off the end of McCclary Park. So, you know, if we're looking and and it's difficult, if not
dangerous, to get out to the end of the crabbing walkway down where the friends of Belar Harbor um that that like pier that goes out around the swimming area >> about using their boats to help some >> I'm not well we haven't talked to them this Shark River Cleanup Coalition
hasn't talked to them this year, but the what I mean to point out is that there is definitely damage probably from the ice like that pier is damaged and there's like a lashed together little piece of boardwalk something. But like there's multiple places where you can see McCclary Park and the areas around
it. Access to the water from McCclary Park and access to the other parts of the pier have been damaged. So, if we're looking for a a place from which to ask whoever we're supposed to ask like what's the plan for McCary Park, not
just regular maintenance and upkeep, but now it's been kind of damaged, including public access and our be able our ability to be able to do things like the the community events that would be, you know, for the benefit of the public and our sustainable jerseys, recupations,
stuff like that. Maybe this is a starting point for asking that question like what's the plan for McClary Park and should we start doing things like accumulating planning, brainstorming, surveying that could be logged for future in kind
donations or some grant that we might get like does that is now the time to start looking at that kind of thing formally and what would that even look like? >> Well, and just as a small start to that um you were going to talk about pos two possible great opportunities for clear
park if you want to talk about that. >> Um yeah, sure. So the native plant society is having a what they call mini grants of 500 or $750. They're all for just native plants, not
nothing else. And we need to make and unfortunately the due date is the 15th. So we have six days now. Um >> and I think there's going to be a sustainable jersey for the other grant car >> and Jack >> and Jack. So we had this conversation
the other day and we were talking about this event but this grant these two grants if one way to start to have conversation about McLaren Park is if we could get some small projects going over there so that people can see that the burrow is trying to make some
improvements over there. That was the thought. So who does someone do we need to follow up with the grant writer? >> Well, we we need to know what our specific idea is what we want to ask the money for for ANJ. >> Oh, it's you know it's we have the the
questionnaire that I had and anjek lays it out. We could easily just put just verbiage in there and give it to the grant writer and ask them to send it in. Is that is that what >> what do we want them to do? What the money for? um the money the money is you're going
to request funds to do um native planting in along in appropriate areas around the lake, right? Where that would be I don't know yet, but you could probably lay something out that would get the grant started. >> If you had $1,500 to do a project at McLaren Park, what
>> I think I I think I I think I have an easy answer >> there. We know that all around that that bulkhead is deteriorating and every year there's areas where there's sediment sinking directly into the shark which is bad for multiple reasons. The park >> is dangerous because now you got a
sinkhole where the park where people are and also that sediment is going the shark river which is also a problem. So maybe we talk to DPW and find out if we can plant native plants that are going to hold on to that dirt so that the if the because they just go and put in
gravel in the spot where there was a hole and it holds for about a year but eventually starts to go through and it's just a sinkhole again. Well, in this lake survey, I did see they in the on the other side of town, they talked about replacing that concrete ear wrap with a living shoreline. And with the
same idea as what you're talking about, the native plants could hold this the shoreline better, even build it out a little bit for the living shoreline as opposed to the concrete kind of stuff. >> Well, the I think the living the idea of a living shoreline somewhere there
adjacent to the parking is a whole big huge project. But if it's just $1,500 and >> where >> what's our reason for wanting to plant stuff? It would be a temporary fix but an impactful thing to plant something that will root and hold on the sediment
and keep it from just washing away in a place where you just have the bulkhead that's holding in the dirt that is the park >> from just flowing into the river. It's not a long-term solution for anything, but if it's plants with roots that keep dirt from washing away, at least
>> for the summer season, you know, that's that's something. But it's not a longterm like it's not going to >> it's not going to fix anything long term. >> But we're just saying that like maybe it's a start to do something. >> Yeah, it's not it's it's that there's plenty of room. It's between the path
and that bulkhead. You know, every once in a while I see a tree there, then probably this it probably is going to eventually have to go away because they're only going to undermine some of our bulkhead like they've done by the wooden bulkheads. But um I think it's I think it's worthwhile. There's a space
there. We say, "Well, how many plants can we get?" The work DPW they it's just grass and weeds in that spot right now along that pathway. So I think that's a good I think that's a good idea and be you could put both in an native plant for that for that approach. I think that
would be easy to do. >> It it should probably be something that is okay in brackish water because once the you know the where where that if there's sand going out there's going to be water coming in. So, whatever you'd be planting on a living shoreline as
opposed to nice looking native plants in any old >> garden, right? You want something that isn't going to die because there's salt water coming up. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> We planted some nice plants and they all
died and we're like, "Oh, it's right by the ocean." Wow. >> Good job. So when you were saying before, you know, about a plan for McClary Park, it just reminds me of the lake when everyone said we need a plan for the lake and the town just does not have the resources or priority to do that. What
they do have is that if we start that plan and that planning process that seems to get things moving and finding the funding and get things going. So, you know, it's something to discuss. Do we want to do something like we did with the lake and create a subcommittee that
goes towards with some as you were talking about the other day possibly some residents some people on the commission someone from Shark River Coalition wouldn't do it without you Ed >> what's that >> part subcommittee >> oh no I'm busy
>> there you go >> but you know we could set up another and then do the same thing we did which was you know we really wrote the initial plan right that we gave that we gave to the grant writer that went into the C CPF that went to the Army Corps. >> Yeah, I I hear what you're saying that
then that's ambitious idea and my suggestion is start with something smaller. Oh yes, >> like these two grants that are both due next week and if we have concrete like ideas. I know you were not sure about native plants in the clear. >> No, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that
it's past that uh beach. So I thought it was that ugly spot in the parking lot before that. No, no, it's it's >> so I I need to visit. I don't know. But um about brackish water. So there's
there's a whole document about uh trees in the dunes. So I would imagine that that would be >> appropriate. So I'm going to dig it up and send it to you guys. >> Great. So are you are you comfortable with doing the native plant grant with
us in mind for the park with what you feel is the right >> Yeah, sure. I didn't look at it, but yeah, it looks like it's green, right? So, it's not rocks and stuff. >> No, it's not rocks, right? There's part >> then then it's fine. >> Yeah, sure.
>> So, that's at least it's a way to start. >> I have some information on beach plants. I'll see. >> Okay. If I can send some plants over >> and maybe maybe the grant can just say that we will confer with the appropriate
experts right on what is the right plant to put we don't hopefully we don't need to know exactly that in order >> forunately for this one we do >> well the native plant society is that's the smaller grade that's like another 500 >> 500 >> so they do need ex exact needs of plants
You think you could research? >> Yeah, I can I can do it. >> I I'll ask Bill Earson who's >> there. >> Yeah. And if if we need more information for the Ant, we can ask him as well, I suppose. >> And I can ask Native PL Society. I'll find someone to talk to. >> Well, maybe you could share with us and
then um we could share with the grant writer for the Ant Grant as well, like to see if they could put that in there like the whole idea of >> um holding the shoreline in a more natural way and they're only they just wanted to be property which it is. So we're saving a piece of public small
piece to start saving trying to restore a small piece of public and working with >> I I think it's great. I think I I walk along with Clary Park done like you have. I've walked the whole thing all the way to the wood all the way to the
wall and everything else and it's, you know, I'm I'm amazed at this the shape that that wooden bulkhead is, you know, lump 35. You know, the pinions are all rusted out, the the roots are coming through. So, I think there's just a lot of opportunity. Ed brought out that it's
a what is it? A green acres. >> So, this is like green acres. >> You got green acres. you definitely have safety flood mitigation opportunities for to to deal with with with mccclary park and >> you know I just think there's a lot of if a plan comes together there could be
you know good opportunities to go back into community project funding and with the state it's New Jersey t and the transportation New Jersey park transportation and mammoth county transportation has to do things too because
>> if you fix up that that area and people start walking it's not the best place to try and to try and easiest place to get to with the current traffic patterns on 35 and crosswalk. So, there's a there's a whole big thing. So, I think you're right. If we get started and if we could
generate some enthusiasm for people to want to do more, it would be a nice thing. >> Yeah. >> Just just the steps and everything like does DPW have an answer for are they fixing them? Like, you know, you said that they're >> I personally haven't asked. which I think is a good question because it it
seems like it could be a hazard if they were there if they had purpose before. >> Um so, you know, I don't know if it's in their scope to fix what's there or is it something there? >> It's a good question. I I think I think the intermediate term goal after these
grants, I mean, it sounds like there's enough work to do just to do factf finding like who are all of the people who who are all the authorities and constituencies involved in having anything to do with the clarity park? It probably is some long list of people who
would have to be consulted and >> probably they could just call and find out if you want. What we have to do is I'll take a walk down to the take a walk down there. I'll look at the steps. There aren't there. I'll take a picture. I'll
send it to Diane and Katie and we could ask Katie to ask Billy if they're going to replace the steps. >> Yeah. But also, isn't she on that collaborative planning grant with the county? The other >> that's for overall sharp for >> Yeah. I guess I would say
>> they wouldn't see those stairs as part of it like they're thinking of the whole river and big big large areas of like Yeah. like >> shoreline protection the whole >> thousands of feet long and they're not dredging and reusing the I think that
would be small. We could go with that idea of a picture and ask. >> Yeah. Just stay because the only way the only way anyone's going to do anything is if Katie >> sends the picture to >> Kevin to Billy and says please do it. If we call it'll just go into the pile,
>> you know, because they're so busy. I can't I don't blame them, but >> yeah, it's worth definitely worth trying. >> Okay. And the final thing on on the agenda was the uh sustainable journey. just a reminder, it's going to come up again this year and um hopefully that
Angie can really be helpful in the communication piece of what we're doing because we memorialize our activities that gives the town more credence with sustainable Jersey to renew their certificate and >> potentially you know not only renew it
but move up to the next level because I think we have the word we just don't do we haven't documented as clearly or let residents know on a regular basis about like some of these things. >> So there's a lot of prog I mean it sounds silly but the even the farm market and those bringing that back that
was a big thing and fell down on like a couple of those areas. So, there's things that we're doing. >> Again, it's just we got to let people know about it and I think our website will, but um I think we'll be able to add to what we have >> and I think it encourages people when they get some recognition and the town
gets recognition, it encourages them in that direction and we've gotten several grants from sustainable Jersey. So, I think that relationship helps. >> Yeah. We think our energy plan's going to help like all of that. will be able to lad up the things we were doing. But um you know now we'll have all the
cleanups definitely >> in Lambert'sville they are giving away 700 I mean not giving away giving 700 rebates for native plants to see to people in the town
>> through a sustainable Jersey grant. It's nice. >> What do they have to do to get that grant? I mean, did you just apply for it and say I mean like would your your efforts help us get a grant like that that
>> No, that's sustainable. That's a different organization. >> No, what I'm saying is by doing what you're doing if we if we work with sustainable Jersey by doing what you're doing that might give us the ability to >> Yeah. I mean Yeah. So for example, Jason
Goldman, our speaker, is also a landscape architect. So maybe he's going to people will connect with him and have ideas of what their gardens are and then we can tell them, you know, if they get money through sustain I I have no idea
what it takes to get that kind of grant. But >> people talk to on a regular basis. >> Yeah. So I ask them what's happening in members with native plants. How do they get there?
>> Yeah, I saw that Bradley Beach is considering banning leaf blowers. >> Yeah, I saw that. >> Very exciting. >> Uh Lou, do you want to talk about that? >> It was a pretty light meeting last month. uh basically um
month before the project that's overlike by the Belmar um paint and over to the scrollos that is called the executive west. >> Um we were supposed to vote on approval of the resolution but their lawyer
showed up did not like all of a sudden did not like the wording of the resolution. >> Uh basically the point of contention was the uh originally they agreed to put upwards of
$100,000 into burying the uh power lines underground and now they don't like the way it was reported whether it's mandatory or or not. So, um, so it was all the two lawyers
arguing with each other and bottom line was that, um, we decided that we're going to vote on the resolution the way it was worded, originally agreed to. And that's what we did. And, uh, you know, I
don't know if there been we have a meeting next week, so we'll find out if there's any issues. The other thing was that two or three meetings ago they approved the sign ordinance. Now they're going looking at awnings
to stiffen up on that requirements. I guess there's too many variations and a lot of print and advertising on some of these awnings that they want to standardize. So there's a subcommittee on that that's started working on the awning. So that knows it. So they're not
going to match what's there on that street. >> Don't know about matching. It's like they're more concerned about the lettering and that underneath the awning the flappy part that >> Yeah. >> Some people put advertising on it or they put the advertising on the top part, the size of it doesn't conform to
the sign ordinances. So they I guess they just want to standardize the awning requirements and match to the sign requirements. That's it. very light meeting. >> Just one final note, which is that I'm looking to find it. I'll send out an
email, but I believe that Donovan said that we're on the agenda for the next council meeting to present the year end report from the that Gary was working on. So, if you can come, it'll be great. You want to present. You're welcome.
>> What meeting is that? What's the date? >> April 14th. >> April 14th. >> April 14th. It's next Tuesday, I think. Thank you. >> My you know my thought on the presentation Katie just had has to you know just adjust the verbiage. I put all the detail in there so she have verbage.
She can take it out for what she's comfortable to. Angie Angie made it look made it look better. So it's all set. >> Okay. >> The person who should give the presentation to the council is either I believe is either yourself or Katie. Katie is our council leazison. You're
our chair. I'm more than happy with the rest of the sit up there with you. And if they have any questions to answer, especially if there's if they ask questions on the lake between Ed and myself and Lou, we could just about it. Everyone here, we just about answer
those questions. But as far as presenting, you know, why don't you just talk to Katie and you guys decide uh how you want. I mean, I've never been in an audience. >> You would offer to do it. Sorry. >> You would offer to do it. I would do it, but you don't. I mean,
>> but I'll double check. It's better for Katie. >> So, whatever they want, but I think natural person being our chair, but >> you send a copy of what you >> I can send I can send the I'll you know
what I do? I'll attach it to the minutes and I'll send it out so that I'll send the meeting minutes out this weekend instead of waiting to the end. It was like a Did we actually have a requirement to do a year-end report to the burrow? Just took a little longer. >> Yeah, I mean I've done them in the past.
I just sent them a letter. I just wrote everything down and I mailed it out to the mayor and council. >> I never did a formal presentation. No, I've done formal presentations for other things about the water fountains on the >> Yes, I remember. Yep. >> And it was another one. Oh, about leaf
blowers, I think. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Do you ask for anything from them or is it just to report out? >> It's just to report out I I think sometime to persuade or ask for support for something. That's what the leaf blowers we were trying to get them to. >> Well, we did the water fountain thing
and they swore that they couldn't do it because they didn't have the money and then when we told them that the Bradley Beach paid for theirs out of the beach utility, all of a sudden they were in favor of it >> and we got the water balance. >> They got the wrong ones. >> We told them exactly what to buy and they bought the wrong one.
>> Cheaper. Well, they bought different ones that were >> cheaper, >> huh? >> No, they work fine, but they're really not designed to be in that really solid. >> Not stainless steel, so they'll corrode. >> They'll corrode eventually. The good news is they're not sitting out there all year round.
>> Well, I think we have a great story. I think more than happy to help you. >> Okay. So, I'll talk to what we're going to do, but that that's the plan. So, >> you know what time the meeting is? >> I think it's at 6:30. We're just talking about that. Yeah.
>> Yeah. I went through every one of our meeting nets. I took everything out and I put it in there. Since I'm since whenever I do a presentation, someone else, I put too much verbiage in it. Let them choose what words they need to to trip their brain to give the presentation, not not what trips my
brain. So, she should be able to she really should only take them 15 or 20 minutes to clean it up and feel comfortable with it. You can do the same. >> She's on the she's on the agenda, she said. So yeah, she feels prepared. So we'll >> looks nice. >> Yeah, >> you know, Ed helped. There's nice
pictures in there. >> Great. Yeah, she's really she's a graphic artist. >> Yeah. >> Well, are we done? >> We are done. So, thank you very much for your patience and your >> 735. >> I forwarded the flyer. It says 2025 in
the file, but it is the 2020.