like to call the environmental commission meeting to order. Yes. First thing we do is the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all >> and a statement of adequate notice. Pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act, notice of this meeting was sent to the Cranberry Press, the Trenton Times, and Home News Tribune on January 3rd,
2025, posted on the bulletin board, posted on the township's website, and sent to those who requested a copy of this notice. Roll call. Roll call. John is excused. Dela >> here. >> Steven
>> here. Gabe >> here. >> That is absent. Jesus, excuse. Teresa here. And Troy >> here. >> Okay. Now, we need to look at the minutes and
approve them. If anybody Everybody agrees. Make a motion to approve second. roll. >> A roll call vote. >> Everybody agree. >> Everybody
>> in favor? >> Anybody? >> Anybody say no? >> I need my Q cards. >> Nobody says no. Okay. So, we move on to reports. Township committee.
>> Anyway, um so I got a message from KME and it's um if anyone doesn't know, this is like a transportation nonprofit that gets money from the Federal Highway Administration and um so Key6 moving is our is our our uh
transportation management association anyway and their mission is to educate the public about the importance of air quality promote traffic safety through public outreach and education and improve transportation access for everyone who lives works and does business in Middle Sex County. Um why am
I reading that? because we have been associated with them for now like almost eight years and they do the walk to uh they help us coordinate the walk to school and they also coordinate um bike bike safety in the school. um you know it was just a really great partnership
that we developed and um so they reached out to us and said that so last year we we were we did the right things to get silver certification um and a rec uh to be recognized for um uh our um safe
routes to school. So now we're going to be recognized at the gold level. Um, so we do the things that are necessary to keep our um, you know, to try and keep our our children that go to school safe by walking and biking and doing this
program. So um, so um, in January we're going to pass a support letter for um, for uh, for that like complete safe um, routes to school. So that was kind of a good news thing and it'll be great for our sustainable Jersey. But we're also,
as um for all you probably don't know that we're also a green team. What does that mean? That means that we're part of sustainable Jersey, which has all these best management practices um in every category. Teresa, you could probably talk about a little bit more because she
also uh certified the town for the school. Um and now she's going to be responsible after 12 years. Teresa, thank you. Uh taking over the uh the uh certification. This year we don't have to do it. They're regrouping. But um um
you know what categories do they do? They do food. >> Oh gosh. >> Everything food, art, and culture in the in the communities, >> right? >> Um >> oh my goodness. Um energy, our energy,
um >> waste management, >> waste management. Um but it's really great because they provide so much guidance and what's um on how to do certain things for the town, but they all but what's amazing is Cranberry does
a lot of the stuff like we have a um you know, we have a farmland preservation, you know, we have a historic preservation, we do a lot of these things, but it's kind of nice to get recognized, you know, for these things. It's a little bit of a pain in the neck to write it up every three years. Um but
it's you know it's it's good to get this recognition and all those plat like the class behind you has how many years we've been doing that. So anyway so this will be points toward that too besides being a good program for
um what else was there? So there was um so Gabe sat in on a um on a on a talk um about the watershed institute. Our next phase for um our storm water management permit. The first phase was
to map all the um all the inlets for storm water. Um this next phase is called the watershed assessment report. So um the watershed institute um had reached out
um to do a regional assessment report. Each town can do it individually but really um the mandate this time around from the New Jersey D is a regional approach or a watershed approach. You know water as you know doesn't stop at
our borders our municipal borders. So, I think in our we're going to um they requested that we be part of the upper Milstone. >> No, just the upper Milstone waterershed. >> Upper Milstone watershed. Um and how
many towns? 10 or 11 towns. >> Uh I have it right here. I think it's Let's see. >> Were you gonna report out on this? I >> I was going to. Yeah, but no, we can talk about it now. It's totally fine. >> Go report. Do what you want. Go ahead. Uh, no. I was just gonna just kind of say I I figured you would bring it up as well together.
>> So, yeah, we could do it together. But yeah, so it's Cranberry, East Windsor, Heightstown, Manalapin, Milstone, Monroe, Plainsboro, Robinsville, Roosevelt, South Brunswick, and West Windsor are all communities that are within the upper Milstone watershed.
Some of them are in other watersheds as well. Um, Cranberry is one of the towns that is completely within the upper Milstone watershed. Um, so there was a
bunch of discussion as to how it would benefit and what other watersheds had done previously. Um, whether they decided to go as as a whole watershed approach or opted to do it individually.
Um, in forget which wershed it was, but Hamilton Township decided to opt out. >> Yeah, I don't I don't recall. >> Yeah, I don't recall, but um Hamilton Township opted to not participate within
the community watershed plan. Um, and that kind of takes away some of the benefits that they would receive um, in terms of funding and study results and
>> yeah, >> kind of like an overall kind of um, what's the word I'm looking for? >> Regional approach. >> Yeah, it was it was it's supposed to be more of a regional approach, right? So, so Hamilton opting out kind of leaves the other communities within that watershed at a lapse of of data and
reporting and things like that from Hamilton. And Hamilton also is not privy to that other information from those other communities. So, how can they best manage their storm water? And the whole thing about the um watershed approach is
for each community to manage their TMDLs which is like their um daily load limits of of runoff. So it goes by imperous coverage. Um Cranberry happens to have because we are within the entire
watershed have pretty much the most impervious coverage of all the communities within the watershed. um which which is um you know unfortunate in the sense of the the funding that it requires on the part of Cranberry Township but at the same time I mean
like this is what I do for a living. So at the same time I would have to say that a regional approach to managing storm water is probably the way to go. I don't like the fact that they gave such little time for us to get this together because it has to be done by January. Um
>> well no like >> no no no not not the whole but the the township has to present the resolution as to what they want to do right if they want to move forward with it. Um, and the thing about the what 12 communities that are within it is who's going to
manage this plan if all of the communities decide to opt in and the watershed I think is the best way that was what I was getting to was that a lot of the towns that participated kind of decided that the watershed institute should probably be responsible for overseeing it because they're like an
outside partial party. Um and there were two uh two firms that were presented to do the work. Uh Princeton Hydro and One Water. Um they presented numbers and pricing and they were within I don't
know um yeah like within like very minimal amounts of one another. Um they did decide towards the end that they were willing to collaborate with one another depending on if one of them got the you know the project or not. Um, I've worked with Princeton Hydro before.
They're a great company to work with. Um, I know the person from One Water. Haven't worked with them, but know him and and he's very reputable in what he does. And, um, for the township and if if I had to vote on this, I would
probably say this is the best approach for the township. Um, considering we are entirely in the watershed. I mean, you know, yes, other communities may have to pay less, but they're also part of other watersheds. So, they may have to do this on other regional levels and the fact
that we're alone in this region and we're going to get all of that other stuff. It's really great to hear you say this, but what this wershed assessment report is, it's going to um basically list projects that we would need to do um to prevent flooding and um and these
load u you know, phosphorus and and and other stuff like that. >> Our water quality to improve our water quality and but one of the problems is based on data from like what like almost 15 20 years ago. >> Yeah. It was like 2003 to 2007 they had
data for >> right and so what they're like one of the cost driving things with theirs is they would be going above and beyond what's required for water assessment report they they they want to do some uh water testing water quality testing too
so that we we can determine whether certain streams have improved or gotten worse um which I think is kind of a a good thing to know like if there's certain water that is improved and we don't have to do as much for certain areas. >> I agree with that. And like they broke
down the cost of what it would be with doing the monitoring and without doing the monitoring. And the monitoring is like >> no the the um with Okay, so here you go. The cost breakdown basically essentially
came out to cranberry with uh without water quality testing was 26,000 roughly and with water quality testing was roughly 40,000. >> Yeah, >> that's what they came out with. Now, I agree the water quality, if you pay that
m if you pay that money now to test the water and and come out with what the water quality is, it may prevent you from having to do projects down the line that are going to cost the township a lot more money to do those projects. >> So, yeah, thank you. I think so like
that's so like one of the one of the things is also how do you pay for these projects too? you know, if you're downstream from something that upstream is causing impact, you know, it's um it there's a little bit of you know, how
to pay for all these things. So, um and uh I'm also I'm really glad that you you reported out and that you thought it was a good thing. And I I am we are I'm very cognizant of the time constraint because we would have to make this, you know, our budget's coming at the end of
January. you know, we basically have to be a a soft yes until we do a resolution to in support of a regional. So, um but that time constraint could force us to
go it alone. Um so, um it's just something that you guys should be aware of and I would love you might want to email a support email of that. That might be really great. I can't ask, you
know, the the EC to say do you support it or not because you weren't there and we're just reporting out now about it. But um uh the the other piece is if you do it as a watershed too, it there would be more like green like more like a
restoration like you could restore stream banks. You could restore the watershed versus a lot of the projects would be more engineering based like bio swales or like redo your retention bases or rain gardens out the wazoo versus a
larger um you know let's take care let's take care >> and I think that was the nice thing about it was that it was more for like stream restoration projects rather than like manufactured treatment device type of projects you know like I'm in the manufactured treatment device
business and I can say that like I like the fact that this is about stream restoration because you know ultimately restoring the watersheds to what they once were is going to be how we best mitigate flooding down the road.
um whether or not you know other devices have a role in what they do upstream then that may come into play. But I think that from the regional approach of it being uh a stream restoration focused and green infrastructure focused type of
initiative I think is also good for I mean that that falls in right line I think what the environmental commission is about rather than digging up the ground and putting concrete boxes in the ground and having to maintain those and pay for those over time that there's a time and a place and an application for
those and a watershed management approach is not what that is for. So, um, you know, and I totally just sold myself out of work, but that's okay. Um, but but no, I I I I really think that that, you know, the the regional
approach is is a great idea. >> Well, I'm glad that it'd be really great if you can help. Yeah. Want to sum, but just want to let you be aware of, you know, this is an environmental issue and I'm hoping the
Um anyway, um and I think I think you know I always drew meaning find something else. I think that's it. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Thanks. >> Thanks. >> Okay.
the DRC with no report and I assume planning board no report and parks. Good evening. My name is Sally O'Grady. I'm here as leison from parks and recck
and we had our meeting since your meeting and the big thing that we covered at our meeting was we put out a survey and we want the the purpose of that survey is to find out where we should concentrate on spending our ideas and our money for next year. What things
are important to people? One of the there's certain things, dog park, splash pad, um, cricket, what do you call it? Field pitch. And so we put the survey out and TC did
approve it and apparently it is out. So look, I did not see it come through. Um, I'm hoping it'll be on the next mayor's letter. >> TC, >> it's already it's already out. Okay. So, look for it, encourage people to fill it
out, and this will help parks decide what we're going to focus on the next few years. Any other questions? Thank you. Happy holidays. >> Quick and easy.
>> Okay. Old business, adopt a catch basin. >> I just know that when we spoke last time, >> the Oh, I got the big news. the resolution got passed so that we can move on. >> Oh, okay. Excellent. I didn't even see it on the agenda that on the on the TC agenda. Okay, perfect. Awesome.
Excellent. >> Um, we can move forward. I don't know. Have you created any? >> No, I was waiting for that, but I will have to talk to Teresa about trying to get the information on the inlet data. >> Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'll have to
that's that's I'll have to start with that and then I can create all the the Google forms and upload the Google map and put the coordinates in and we can get it going. >> Get it cleared with our technology guide that it could actually be posted on the website. >> Perfect. Okay. And then and then I plan to probably have a couple of information
sessions at the library and kind of get the word out for that. And you know, it's pretty cool that we got an initiative passed and um >> everyone on the committee. >> There you go. So, uh, thank you for that. Pretty cool. So, there you go.
>> Yay. >> But that's okay. That that was a goal for the year and we got it accomplished, right? So, so that's excellent. So, I love it. So, thank you to the TC for that and I look forward to moving forward with it.
>> Okay. Community wildife. No updates on that. We're still holding strong way to our 100 points. Um I feel like the next big push usually comes in the springtime again once people start thinking about their springtime
gardening. Um kind of coupled in with the outdoor classroom initiative. Um, I did just get an email from a staff member at the Cranberry School. Um, watching the garden sort of come to
life and the painting and she is must have an interest in native plants um because she sent me this flyer from East Windsor Middle School is having um a native plant like seed propagation event in January that looked really really
cool. Um there was a lot of information on the flyer. Um I have quite digested all of it, but I put it on my calendar. I believe it's at the like January 22nd around then. Um, I hope to attend and just kind of check it out and sort of see how they structure the event. Um,
because I know the school um is really welcome to those ideas and we're kind of trying to think of ways of bridging the EC and the kids and the school and the town of getting it to be sort of um more of a community space as well. Maybe it's something we do like on a Saturday or a
Sunday morning and uh I want to include garden club. So yeah. So and then I'd also like to create some sort of committee official committee at the school. I just joined the board of the PTO as secretary. >> Congratulations.
>> I I planned just to be a fly on the wall. I I went for secretary because it was just like listening and taking lots of notes and chiming in with my ideas when I can, helping out when I can. Um, but I feel like I'd like to fold the outdoor classroom into like an arm of
like the PTO and make like a committee around it. Get some more ideas. Right now it's like a team of one and I'd like there to be more of like diverse input and ideas and stuff because already that staff member came to me with this amazing event that I hadn't even knew
existed or could be done. So I'm excited to kind of keep minding the community for that kind of input um to really bring the space to life. This is when like the magic happens now, right? So yeah, that's that's the update for January. >> Awesome. Yeah. Nice.
Okay. preserve management. Has anybody walked the trails? >> Actually, I was on Pin Oak. I have a photo um that I can email I guess to John or who or whoever needs it. But there is a tree, a smaller tree um down
on Pin Oak Trail. Um but otherwise everything else was clear. It's just one like very thin one maybe about this this big around and just like right across the walkway. So, um, I did stamp a picture of it so you can get like the GPS coordinate of like where it is on the trail. Um,
yeah, that's the update for Okay. Does anybody have anything else? Okay. And then trail maintenance. Sally, you haven't done anything, have you? >> Any walking around or? >> No. When you do see an issue that needs
attention in one of the trails, you send your picture to um Denise Farbella >> and DW Jerry Thorne. >> Okay. >> And you can also send it to the head. That's the way that it gets attention right away. >> Okay. Got it.
>> Make sure you chair. >> Yeah. >> And then sustainable Jersey. That's there's that's me. There's nothing to report. Uh community energy plan. So what John said
uh he requested proposals from four consultants and have heard back from one and the EC will review proposals in January and recommend one or more to the TC to help develop our plan.
At least we heard back from luck. Um, and then the 2025 accomplishments and the 2026 goals. They are in your packet.
I would like to add a sustainable jersey, but I can't. It's already printed. It's too much. >> Just so that people don't forget about it. So, I can send that I guess to John to
you. You want to put in this past year? >> Certifications actually on hold in 2026. >> Yes. But we can still we can still work and move along.
So we we just did the little things. Well, I I mean I think a lot of stuff like the adopt a catch basin that will go into it. The outdoor classroom and the you know all that stuff is going into it. But then we're I guess formalizing the process for the
resolutions um to make it more automatic rather than savory. >> I wonder if the watershed approach to the storm water thing would help sustain New Jersey as well. That might be
something. >> I'm I I would imagine we can >> somewhere we can fit it in. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, we'll add a little blur. >> Oh, we have to read the whole thing. Okay.
Sorry. That's okay. Primary EC 2020 2025 accomplishments. Preserve management. The EC worked with the township throughout the year to maintain trails and signage in Cranber's
open space preserves. adopt a catch basin initiative. The EC studied various possible adopt to catch basin programs in which residents keep storm drains near their homes clear
of debris and recommended a resolution to implement such an initiative in Cranberry to the township committee. So, do we can we at this point say that a resolution has >> Well, it's on the Yeah, I guess we can
>> because that's the accomplishment. >> Yeah, that's Yeah. >> Okay. So, we can community wildlife habitat certification. The EC continued continued to promote the community wildlife habitat certification program
to town residents. Annual stream cleanup. The EC co-organized the annual stream cleanup along the Cranberry Brook and the Millstone River in collaboration with the Watershed Institute on Saturday,
April 12th, 2025. Trail Maintenance Day. The EC co-organized with Parks and Recreation the first primary trail maintenance day event to prune overgrown trails and replace maps and trail markers in the
Reinhardt preserve on June 7th, 2025. Public outreach. The EC delivered public environmental education via presentations demonstrating issues associated with storm water and containment runoff,
plastics recycling and walking trails in town preserves and parks at national night out cranberry day and online materials community energy plan. The EC completed the pre-awward process for a grant from
the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to develop a community energy plan for Cranberry and solicited pro proposals from consultants to assist with plan creation.
Outdoor classroom. The EC supported the development of the Cranberry School's outdoor classroom through the purchase of a native plant sign and a smart bird feeder. Town planning. The EC provided guidance to the development review committee and
planning board on environmental matters throughout the year as needed. Any comments, additions, tweaks? Sally, >> you just may want to add on your trail maintenance day that it was also a
collaboration with the scouts. Was that not true, Delta? Didn't they have their >> give snacks and show their >> Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. >> And I I think it's >> there was more than I feel like there was more than there was another one that we did like in the winter. It's
important that you mention that you >> sure collaborated with these other groups in town. Totally. >> Was it Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts or >> So there was Troop 2024 when we did a fall one. I don't that might have been 2024. I have to figure
out when that was. And then the one in June was with Girl Scouts. There was another one. I'm trying to think of like there was a fall one where there was um Scouting America, the new troop 2024 was there and I just don't
know when that happened. I don't know that it was in 2025 though. It must have been in the fall of 2024. Um so we're sticking to 2025. The one on June 7th was cross that you
Okay, thank you. On to 2026 goals. Preserve management. Continue to work with the township to maintain trails and signage in Cranberry's open space preserves.
You may also want to add >> is what >> the resicular township and volunteers. It's not just scouts, >> right? you specifically going to ask them to build the trail through the boardwalk
trail and have them involved clean up day. >> I don't know how you want to work but >> right but I think that sticking with just other community groups for now as a goal and then once we get to the you know what we accomplish then we can name
those who helped us accomplish those things. >> Yeah. So maybe you remember and volunteers. >> Yeah. >> Or other community members. >> Okay. Adopt a catchbas initiative. Develop the online mapping tool and
participant instructions needed to implement the adopt a catchbas program in credit. Community Wildlife Habitat Certification. Continue to promote the community wildlife habitat certification
program to town residents. Annual stream cleanup. Participate in the annual stream cleanup along the Cranberry Brook and the Millstone River in collaboration with the Watershed Institute.
Trail Maintenance Day. Organized the second Cranberry Trail Maintenance Day event with parks and recreation. Public outreach delivered public environmental education via presentations at National Night Out,
Cranberry Day, and other events. So maybe make that >> just >> present rather than past. community energy plan. Review proposals from consultants to assist with the development of a community energy plan
for Cranberry and recommend a proposal to the TC. Work with the consultant to develop the plan outdoor classroom. Support the ongoing development of the Cranberry Schools outdoor classroom.
Town planning provide guidance to the develop development review committee and planning board on environmental matters throughout the year as needed. And then a blur on sustainable. Any other comments? Anything else? to
add any any grand ideas about things we want to do next year? >> Oh, you know what we never got around to this year was figuring out um how to send a mailer like some sort of like communication to the town.
>> Oh, right. Hi. Uh, one thing that we didn't get that we did weren't able to accomplish this year that I would like to discuss and maybe put on as like a goal, um, is to send some sort of like communication or mailer to the residents in town of the things that we're working
on, um, things that they should be aware of, you know, how to maintain their residences, things about their storm water, like maybe like that management and just kind of all the different initiatives and then maybe just best practices um to stay environmentally friendly on their residences. This the
trails, you know, maybe a small call to action to do their wildlife habitat certification, just all the great things that we're up to that, you know, folks might not know about. Um, it might be something we would need to budget for. And I think we're still kind of hunting down the price.
>> So, that could probably go under public outreach. Yes. as more not so much the environmental education but um what we're doing in town and and things to be aware of and
>> okay anything else okay new business anybody have new business >> yeah sure um just a question and maybe it's still on the But that's uh how hard we push back on
corporate ESG strategies um environmental social government strategies. Um we have big warehouses with massive corporate budgets um that have ESG governments at
a corporate level. Uh for example, Amazon has uh they they commit to 38 billion dollars in um in assisted housing over the next five years. Not just affordable housing, but also like on on
a social uh level that that's what their commitment is. On the um on the environmental level, um they commit to clean water. They commit to EV uh they have EV commitments for uh you know up to 2030. They're supposed to be 100% EV. I mean, how much push back are we giving
them on uh using clean diesel for their bobtails that they're using? Um I mean, that's that's probably if you do an overlay of of uh what the industrial zoning is um you know, just on a loose basis, it's like probably 18
13 to 18% of the total land area of Cranberry. If they're not using clean diesel, that that is alone is a massive poller. Um I mean so these companies have certain strategies in place. Are we giving them I guess all this to say they
have a strategy in place. Have we even asked what their commitment to us as their neighbors is? Um I guess that's more here's that worms.
>> Sorry. >> I tried kicking them under the deck. >> Okay. I'm gonna speak to Troy. I love it. Okay. The problem that we always have with these warehouses because it's warehouses is communicating with them as
you know because you operate in this world of logistics right um they're multinational and who you speak to like if we have like we have tried to communicate with warehouses to to do things to to partner
up with you know I was trying to uh find who to speak to because we had um I was work working with the watershed institute to try and improve their retention basins and upgrade them and do some more green infrastructure. We couldn't get a hold of anyone and this
is years in like I if you have a way of communicating with >> so I operate >> what you said you can't >> project managers constantly are turning over >> they have a so I know specifically Amazon has a director of environmental
health and safety at a regional level as well as a national level and that person is in charge of implementing all of their BMPPS all of their environmental concerns and they're not too far away in Pennsylvania. So if if you were talking
about directly speaking with particular warehouses within Cranberry, then communication is nearly impossible uh because the project managers that that manage those places turn over and >> No, I understand that. I'm on I'm I'm in
that kind of industry. So I understand like but you have to approach it at a corporate level and they have ESG guideline committees that and there's there's whole heads of these departments. That's all that's all they do. They manage billions of dollars of ESG money that's to be distributed amongst communities. So my question is
like can we send an email um as as the you know environmental commission and ask them what are you doing for what number one what is your commitment to the communities that you are in involved with
>> um and number two um what have you done for us? So they they publish all these guidelines on online. This is you know these are these >> flowery picture of like exactly what they're going to do for the environment and socially. Um my idea with sparks
because we were talking about like Amazon going to robotics, right? So they're going to be taking employment away from us as a community where wherever the employment is coming from and giving it to robotics technology which is great, fantastic. Um it's it's driving more efficiencies for them but
it's taking employment away from us. are they training local employees? And the answer is that's the ESG's job to figure out how do you now train employees to work on the robotics as opposed to manually driving forklifts, right? So that all it's all kind of integrated into the same corporate strategy in
terms of being good stewards of where you're at on a local level. >> I think it's that's cool idea because I always think of the warehouses right here and what they're doing. Yeah. Um and and we've had such difficulty communicating with
>> but these are multinationals have these committees already in place. So you've got Wayfair, you've got uh Home Depot, you've got Amazon Prologus. Uh it's another one. You've got Merc, which I'm a customer of Merc. I I I understand how these companies kind of work. Um and you have to drive it from the top down. It doesn't go from
>> eyeballs are wide open. That is really great. >> And these are billions as to be billions >> billions of warehouses, however many. Oh yeah, but if you don't ask, you'll never receive. >> Right. Right. >> So if you never asked for this.
>> So um what >> let me just like >> How about this? How about this? Can you throw back >> more than one? I already have it typed up. >> How about Yeah. Like send it to John. >> It should go through the chair, you
know. So, send it to John and um see, you know, if it's something you guys next year might want to work on and then send it to us or or I could find out like send it to John and CC. >> Yes. >> And then um and then maybe we can see
whether the top ship could work through this. >> It seems like the communication is the key, right? In terms of getting it, right? And um and even on a small basis, I know our company will go to a sales meeting in like Oregon or something like that and we'll do a trail cleanup and we
publish it on our LinkedIn site or whatever even on a very small scale to do that and have you know corporate partition participation and then you start to open the lines of communication >> done that with a few corporations and I can't remember the names and um they do come to the annual street cleanup every
April. It's really great. That's like the one open they have and then we try and follow up and then it goes kut because the person >> that came and organized it was an intern and now they're somewhere else. So like it's it's always that communication and how you keep it going is is is the
problem. >> Yeah. But there are communities that are receiving those kinds of funds for different kinds of initiatives as well as training. I mean it goes you know well beyond environmental. I mean you talk about not training dollars and uh you know scholarships used as a also contribute to the business.
>> Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean I I it is something that is that TC I know would love to start you know finding ways to you know partner initiatives. So if if that's an avenue that's already money set aside that they're supposed to do
something that's >> well I think it's also asking the question you know what what's your initiative and then what are you doing for us >> it's it's pretty much that simple and if the answer is we've got a lot a ton of a big pool of money we're not doing anything for you then who's getting it and why are we not you know because
you're you're a resident >> I mean one one one organization that we uh solar landscaping I don't know if you've heard of them they're the ones that are putting up community solar of the solar on top of the um of the warehouses and they're plugging it into
PSEG. Um you can register too um as a community solar u participant but anyway um like we have communication with them and we and they provide the thousand dollars towards a kiosk that the Girl Scouts just put in this year. So they,
you know, it's there are things, you know, specific things that we could >> um target the money towards. >> Yeah. So, and just to just to piggy back on that like second motion, if you need support or like numbers of like how many
people are excited about this on the board, definitely count me in because I feel like I've asked that question and we've all just kind of been like, we don't know who to contact. And I've been at the stream cleanups where the employees have been really excited about participating and becoming a part of the
community, connecting more. Um things like coming to have lunch in Cranberry more often because they feel like they're welcome here because they feel like they're more kind of stitched in. Um the warehouse land counts towards our community wildlife habitat. It's part of
the quilt. It's part of the tapestry of town. um we'd love to get that certified because I'm sure that they've you know we held them to the task of building in such a way you know to fit into this community and it would it would qualify. And then to to Barbara's point then the
outdoor classroom a lot of the examples that I've seen that I visited in Princeton and Hopewell um the the big the actual like infrastructure of the space that allows for a lot of the learning like the small
deck with the tables and the sun shade and the outdoor resistant chalkboard are very very very very very pricey and they're generously donated by Johnson and Johnson and that's all the people that have business and warehouses and offices in those towns that then donate
$50,000 to then build out the spaces. And it's really the only way that those things kind of get done because you can only sell so many cookies, right? expens well that's the next that's phase three
and that's money is gonna that's >> it's a big >> well even when we were working we were looking at the antiing >> oh god >> sustainable jersey action item >> just being able to contact the
corporations were it was just it was hard >> well I don't know you felt a lot of contractors. You got a lot of contractors and subcontractors. Yeah. And it was on that level, >> right? And yeah, mostly it was communication and
>> but if we have a point person. Yeah, let's see what happens. >> Let's see what happens. You know what? It would be another way because I always believe that the east side town is really >> it's not just places that you know people work there. I mean, you know,
they we want I always say we need to invite them over to participate in in the rest of our town. >> Yeah. and the positive cult culture events that we have here and also to see the worth of having like a you know a historic district right next door to
your warehouses where you know there's a reason why we don't need trucks here you know I mean on this side of town you know and and to start those lines of communication and just simple little like uh lines of communication so you can have help them to understand where where we stand
>> parks and would also be very interested to be on the receiving end I did try calling local ones to get donations for things that we wanted in our parks and got nowhere. >> Yeah. >> So, um because we we you know we have some big expenses that we'd like to put
in if it were the water park or the gazebo and and village park. Um we would love corporate sponsorship on that. >> I mean no no guarantees. I just wanted to you know obviously I don't want to start asking for
>> I think the first thing is can we do this as a caption? I think that's the first thing and you know I I can't answer you know that part but I I think it's something we've been trying to do. >> So I'll send a message to John first. >> Yeah. And then you know CC and Yeah. CC
and just give a guideline for us. >> Yeah. Yeah. That'd be great. >> Um for the trans I could use a listing of all the registered businesses or if you got a listing of all those >> that >> that would be useful. I mean, I can chat
to you, but >> I don't know if we have all of them, but >> as many as >> the ones that are, >> don't go anywhere. I'm going to open up another can of worms for >> Cool. Cool. So, um I attended um an ANJ
meeting um that was hosted by the mayor and the public works director from the town of Maplewood about they're trying to create a storm water utility. I know that it's come up before and so there's a they just shared the slides
from the presentation so I'll forward them over to John so everybody can take a look at it. Um, but basically what they talked about was just kind of um why they were doing it. Um, how they came up with rates and rate structuring
and then what it was being used for, things that the town was already doing with funding that they already had as part of like a public works budget and things like that. And just kind of gave a a pretty broad overview, pros and cons, what they came up with and things
like that. So, I know that we've kind of touched on it vaguely. >> I keep mention I I keep mentioning that that's coming down. >> Yeah. And you know, to your point about how do we pay for all these projects in town, like it's really something that needs to be
talked about and discussed and really thought about for residents. Um >> so like a storm water utility is a fee for um like typically the way it's looked at is if if your imperous surface
like every home, every industry, every you know um has impervious surface and um if you do certain things over time your fee for rain water, storm water would go down. That's the point. Like you you have a base and then you try to
get people to do things to reduce their impervious group. I mean that's a very very >> very very high level >> yeah description of it. Um but um utility is something they could do it by town and we try remember Teresa we tried
to go for a grant to see whether we would you know whether our township or if we work with other townships um what that would look like. Right. of a storm war utility. Um just kind of
>> uh laying the ground potentially. But um >> we looked into it >> because you know you do all these these great projects and then you know what comes down the road is maintenance and how do you pay to maintain those and you know the >> you also have to pay for it. >> Yeah. And you got to pay for them. But I
mean even the existing infrastructure you have to maintain what we already have as well. And if you don't have the funds to maintain it, what are you going to do with it? So I, you know, it's not so much >> I've seen that Maplewood did it. Um I can't remember the Ritan was it that has
those other it was another township and they talked about how difficult it was to pass an individual storm water utility for their town. There was a lot of push back, >> but they did it. >> Yeah. >> Um I mean for instance, we're going to probably have to even street sweep more
often, you know. So, how do you pay for street sweeping? >> Yeah. >> Things like that. >> So, um you're just bringing that up just to inform. >> Just to inform. That was it. Yeah. There's a lot of impervious coverage in town as we know. So, um
>> I think that's going to be >> down the road >> probably. >> But it but it you know >> phase three like how do you pay for that list that we're going to be making next year? >> Yes. Of improvements. Yep. >> Thank you. I wonder if we should put it on as a
goal just >> no >> I find an eye >> no I think I think it's just something we need to find >> but I I feel like we can't spring it on people either so even if we just
as a group start looking into it and then I don't know just not saying we're heading towards it but start to have it part of our discussions >> is probably not a bad thing
in general. Yeah, we should, you know, >> like under the catch basically >> and and like you know and the other thing is like we we need to we do um already but have you know information about our storm water management plan
and stuff like that on our website. Um so we already do that but I think yeah it's a good thing to make sure that residents are aware of that as well. and you're talking about sending out information what we do, but um you know and un getting people to understand that these are all the things that go into
what we do for our storm water and there are instances where things come up and yeah I don't know I I would not want to make it a goal for the year. I I think that following it closely is probably the good thing. I I agree with not
having to spring it on residents. Um, and I don't think that it would be sprung on residents. I think I definitely think it'll be part of this phase three of of this of this thing. Um, and and at that point, if we're part of a regional watershed program, then it
would become part of a larger regional thing and I think that would make it a little bit more palatable. >> Yeah. >> Yes. like continue education on storm water management ideas >> because you do that at cranberry.
>> We do. Yeah. >> But thanks for bringing that up. Anything else? Okay. Yes. Sally member of the public Sally Grady South Bain Street. Um I it's come to my
awareness that people are having trouble with these new recycling buckets. They just don't have enough room in them. before you could put out two or three or four of the buckets um and bring it up for EC TC is hearing
it too at the same time. I'm just wondering is there a way that a resident can buy a second one or is there is there anything that can be done about that? maybe awareness. The people that I've spoken to mainly what their problem
is is cardboard boxes because they're getting a lot of deliveries especially at this time of year. Um, and so maybe for the to put it in the newsletter again that cardboard is accepted at DPW
during any of the working hours. I just I don't know what to do. I don't anybody had a problem not having enough room in their recycling bucket. We missed two weeks because my son forgot to take it out and I had to bring stuff to the neighbors and this week
someone brought stuff to my house because you know it's it's limited in how much you can put out there now. So that's been a problem. >> Interesting. >> Thanks for bringing that up, Sally. I know in in our residents because of the
location we're on the edge of town, they just wouldn't come. And I and I think there was um some sort of like clerical error of like the boundaries of Cranberry and we our whole road was just like not visited as often. So then we had backed up and then we had too much
stuff. So yeah, I there's still kinks in whatever they're launching because I haven't really worked for us either. Not Yeah. Nothing else to add though. I'm not in contact with Middle Sexy at all. have
not heard anything new uh about I feel like education is very limited so and that TC might have to flex some muscle with with Middle Sex County on that. So what they're not being picked up?
>> Uh yeah, we had to call quite a few times now. >> Yes. Like really just now, but thank you for yeah. >> And then you feel that the buckets are large enough >> and if a res would like to purchase another bucket,
>> is that an option? >> I mean, that's just what came to my mind because you used to have the blue buckets and you could put two or three And you can put as much as you want it out there. You put your cardboard next to the buckets because and now it's all
in one. And if it doesn't fit, they don't take it. I saw this morning on the street a bunch of cardboard out of recycling already been through. So those people are going to have to deal with taking their cardboard that has now been sitting in the snow that wasn't picked up and doing something with it. So,
as an environmental commission, I'm wondering if there's any way to help our environment with this recycling. >> Okay. >> Okay. Just make a motion to close. >> Public comment. >> Public comment is closed.
>> That's your Okay. >> Now, I'd like to make a motion to close. >> All right. >> Well done, Teresa.