This meeting is called pursuant to the provision of the open public meeting law. This meeting of the day what is it? September 29th. June 9th, 2025 was including a list of meeting notices sent to the newspapers in the uh on on
whatever day was advertised and said newspapers and they posted to the bulletin board in the municipal building on the date and also remain continuously posted in the required notices under the statute. In addition to a copy of this
notice, it has been available to the public and is on file in the office of the municipal clerk. Proper notices have been given. The clerk is directed to include the statement in the minutes of this meeting. Same statement to be used
eliminating. Oh, now you can know. Don't worry about that part. Leave it to virtual. Yep. Thank you. Hey, Ted. Hello. Okay. Roll call. Roll call. Okay. Paul Witzky is not here
tonight. Robin Sudam is not here tonight. Walter Andrews here. Ted Chase here. Uh Maria Santiago. Uh Ellen Vasola present. Is that correct? Say it.
Okay. Next time Arie Schmidt. Arnold Schmidt. Yeah. Okay. Um, and EZ is also absent tonight. All right. Very good. All right. I'm sort of sitting in for Paul and we we're virtually meeting here and you guys sort
of help me out and we'll get through it. Um, um, report from the Environmental Commission chair. You know, the only thing I would sort of since we did have the last meeting and we had our um um
Franklin day, you know, we put a lot of effort into having a booth and everything and uh I sort of shared with the members that uh I thought it was very successful. Just about everybody showed up that was in town. Uh we engaged a lot of people. Um, so, uh, and
we look forward to doing it another year, but, uh, I don't have anything else. Maybe someone can add something else that may be in the, uh, vein of, um, you know, um, report from the chair since he's not
here. He didn't send anything in. Um, no, I think we're okay. Very good. All right. Um, approval of the August 18th, 2025 minutes.
Move to approve. Second. All right. It's been moved and approved that we have the approved the minutes of the August 2025 minutes. All in favor, let it be known by saying I all. Don't have discussion. I
question. Yes. All right. Honey, did you have any amendments? No amendments. Go Ted. Go ahead. Just keep going. Well, I didn't even see Did was that one thing you and I discussed that was
changed? I thought, right, the dates. [Music] Never mind. It's the meetings that we were supposed to go over last time, but because we didn't have quorum. Yeah, that's so a long time.
Oh, the 22nd. Yes, I'll change it right here. So, right there. It just says reminded that September meeting will be held on the 22nd and 29th, but we're not. It wasn't the 22nd. It's just the 29th. Okay, got it. Oh, it was supposed to be the 22nd.
Was it supposed to be minus 14? So, 15th. Yeah. I mean, he's 22nd and holiday. Yeah. Supposed to be the 15th and the 29th, right? Yep. Perfect. Okay. I I got it. Meeting. Okay. Can I have a motion for open
public meeting? Open second. Can you get a second? Move a second that we open the meeting to the public. All in favor of saying I. Okay. Anybody from the public make a statement? All right.
Anything right now? I already said I just don't say it in Norwegian. We will go over it again. She said just don't say it in Norwegian. As a protocol, we typically ask uh that whoever wants to make a comment introduces themselves.
So comment. Yeah. If you make a comment, so you want to say before that you want to say your name. She doesn't address. Well, she doesn't have she said she doesn't have a comment. Maybe later on we'll have a second opening to you. Have my address in my
If you say a comment, the protocol on the for the record is to stand up when you want to say a comment. Say, "Hi, my name is Barbara. I forgot what your last name is and I live at this address." If you have a comment. If you don't, that's fine. We will have a second opening to the public after the semester goes on. You
might have something to say. I'm just happy that I'm on the email address and and get an email to say to come to the meeting. So Oh, good. Good. Thank you. Thank you for doing
I take it. We have nothing from the reporter. Okay. Uh motion for closing. Second. Second that we close to meet public comment. All in favor saying I. I Okay. We move along here.
Correspondence. We have one email. Uh, and it is from, and Ted, you can help me with this last name because, you know, again, I'm going to mess this up, but this is from Lisa Caps. Capsic Capsu Capalos.
There we go. Capsicos. And she wrote to our township manager, uh, Bob Vorn Locker, and copied the environmental commission. She says, "Dear Mr. Vorn Locker, I hope you're doing well and you enjoyed your summer. I'm writing to ask what is involved in changing a township ordinance or
creating a new one. To be more specific, I am not sure what ordinances already exist regarding property markers and permitted ways to mark one's property lines. I am of the opinion that yellow caution tape should not be permissible as a way to delineate one's property lines. Are there existing ordinances
that stipulate that property borders can be marked with a metal or wooden marker, for example, or that property boundary lines can be clearly marked by installing a fence? I think there should be an ordinance specifically stating what can and cannot be used as property markers. For instance, this photo shows
my neighbor's idea of a property marker, bricks with caution tapes attached to a brick big rock. So, this is her neighbor's property with the caution tape. She was here before and she talked about the neighbor using caution tape. Oh yeah, my neighbors at 45 County Road 518
also installed caution tape along the back side of their property. The caution tape was put up the week before Easter, which was 157 days ago. I have had to look at this virt visually disturbing mess for the entire spring and summer. It's absurd, ridiculous, and unacceptable.
I'm sorry I have to read this whole thing into the record, but I do. It goes on for a little bit, so just bear with me. What can be done to modify an existing ordinance or create a new one? If an ordinance doesn't already specify how a property line can be properly marked, then this problem should be
addressed. If no ordinance currently exists to address this issue, one should be created. Caution tape, random bricks on the lawn, white reflective sticks, lengths of bamboo with pink ribbon attached, and rocks with tape wrapped around should not be permissible as
property boundary markers. The caution tape makes the entire area resemble an active crime scene and this is psychologically disturbing to me. Please let me know how I can participate in the government process to bring this change about. The situation is unacceptable. Please advise me on this. Thank you so
much. Sincerely, Lisa Caps Capsala. Go ahead. Cap. Go ahead. Lisa C. Yes. Or K. Yes. Is this environmentally sure? Uh, it was one of the same things. Yeah. So, she called DP's the warn D hotline
because in her opinion, the caution tape is detrimental to birds and wildlife and things like that and D told her no. It like it's not. So, I don't think it's an environmental issue for us to look at. It probably I I guess if there's enough
caution tape, she maybe could get um the zoning officer to go out if there's like an excess of garbage or I don't know. But we did tell her last time, I know she talked to Mark Healey as well, that it's not really a we can't make an ordinance that says like you are not
allowed to use yellow caution tape with a rock on your property as a marker. We do have ordinances that say fencing and the setback that you have to have, the height limitation. We do have that. We do have an ordinance that doesn't permit bamboo, which she mentioned, but we don't have an ordinance that
specifically states what cannot be used because that could be but it's really not an environmental issue, but it was sent to the environmental commission. So, I can write back and say, "Thank you for following up and we recommend you reach out to the township zoning officer." Right. Does that make sense?
Thank you. Yes, it does. Yes. Okay. Well, we also stipulate that we don't see Oh, did you did you said that there is not environmental issue, right? You want to spell it out. Yeah. And I know she is the one that
told me that she spoke to D and they told her D like can't do anything about it. So, well, the way how she's positioning it is that stakeholders her personally. She's no longer making reference to the environment in this email, right?
Oh. Oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah. if she's it's a personal aesthetic issue as opposed to Okay, I will write back to her. Okay, that's all we have.
Okay, very good. I think it's a misuse of caution tape. It probably is a misuse of caution tape, but I don't know I don't know if there's any requirements. Yeah, that's the problem. There's no ordinance of misuse. But that's the
thing. But it's definitely not for us. But maybe the zoning officer can go out there. That's all in terms of new correspondence. This other guy have on the agenda. I don't know. Maybe um public safety might have something to say about it. Possible. Yeah.
Um while we are talking about uh correspondents at um Franklin Day, we collected a list of volunteers. They gave that name and uh like we have page.
What do we do with this? Did I send it to you? You sent it to me. Yes, I have it. Yep. You sent it to me. I added them to the distribution list. Um but it's good to keep them as well if we ever like have an event where we're looking for volunteers or whatever. So, um is it best one because I also sent
you a list from the um from the webinar that they had. Oh. Uh, let me see. Hold on one second here. Took a photo of this, but I'm not sure. Here we go.
Me. So, you probably sent it to town. That looks like the same thing, right? Yeah. Yeah, that's it. That's what you sent me. And the second page must have been there as well because there's one address at the end coming out on the other side.
Okay. Maybe send me two. Um H I only have this one page. Yeah, that's the one here. But I have this paper here. I can take this with me if nobody minds. And I'll just add this in. Okay. That's easy to work right from
It is it is transcribing. Perfect. Thank you so much, Walter. Okay. So, just we have to wait for public comment for you to um to talk just because that's the process. We just went over public comment, right?
We have a second public comment at the end. So, if you just hold your comments until then public comment. Oh, yeah. the next public comment you can make your comment. You have to remember that all
we had the opportunity. Well, it said public comment. I'm sorry. That's why I was just confused. We have another public comment session at the end and then if you want to save all your comments till then that's good. Okay. Okay. Perfect. All right. All righty. All right. Review of site plan
applications. Do we have any? Yes. So, we have three. The first one Paul did. I'm going to go over it for him. So, this is a resubmitt for 500 Atrium Drive. Um, I have it up here on the screen just so
you know where it is. So, that's the property outlined in blue. Just for reference, this is Davidson over here and this is Pierce Street. Okay? So, you have your bearings. This is World's Fair Drive. World's Fair. Pierce Davidson.
And here's the property. So this is a resubmission. Let me see what Paul said here about it. Um the total acreage of the site is 9.5 acres. Applicant is applying to the planning board for the preliminary and final site
plan for a C1 and C2 variance relief. That's the bulk variances, not a use variance to construct 69,252 square ft of warehouses. There's two. It looks like the proposed
warehouses will consist of 138504 square ft of warehouse and 2,835 ft of office space. Parking will be provided via 71 onspace onsite parking spaces. Storm water will be handled by
the existing storm water wet basins. Um let's see what else Paul says here. Uh 4% of the EV requirement is two and a half parking spaces. So it gets rounded up to three. And Paul says the drawing
only shows it shows one for each warehouse. So technically they need one more EV parking space. Each building is less than 100,000 square ft. So we can make the recommendation that they are solar ready, but we can't require that
they're solar ready. So Paul says we should make that recommendation. Um the actual tree replacement of 140 trees is required. The tree planting shows 197 proposed. So they're required. They're removing 104. They're planting
197. And he says that that meets the the requirements. Anti-inking signs are noted on the site plan. No bike racks are mentioned. Uh this is a fully developed site. Um Paul mentions the moratorum on warehouse
construction. So it's really not consistent with the Franklin Township master plan. Um probably submitted for Yeah, I think they probably said he's saying the building will be solar
ready. So it looks like the applicant has agreed to make the building solar ready. So that's good. The impervious coverage exceeds the limit. The limit is 60%. Originally they exceeded it at 77.5%. The resubmission they have reduced it
down to 69.8% but they still exceeded. So they still exceeded by 9.8% in this that is substantial. Yes. In this uh resubmission uh let's let me see here.
bike and so Paul's recommendations are bike parking and repair facility while solar readiness is not required the applicant should consider this feature and the EV spaces calculated at 2.48 so the applicants provided three but the
ordinance says we round up to so they they need three they're providing two so they're going to need one more space you said three but it says two they provided two yeah they really cuz it's 2.48 48. So, yeah,
it's a bug tail. We've been discussing lately I I have to do more reading about dark skies. Yes. Do we have any incorporated in would this meet dark sky requirements? So, we don't yet. We do have the uh dark
skies did a review of our lighting ordinance to see like how does it match up to their recommendations. Um, we really haven't done any movement on that yet. So, it's not in there. doesn't mean we can't recommend. You can definitely put a recommendation in there for the lighting if you think that's appropriate. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, we normally require if it's not already provided, which it usually is, just that lights be shielded so that they only shine downward, right? And they have to show that the light
doesn't go off the property. And do we want to also specify temp temperature of the the light like the color in the dark skies ordinance? What we could do, they do mention the the color and like saturation and temperature of
the lighting. We could give them a link to the dark skies model ordinance and basically say we recommend you, you know, follow these recommendations until our ordinance is updated. If you want, I would I would Okay. So we need to
probably have a cons thinking about it on separately but yeah and we need to update that we should be specific as opposed to blatantly make a reference to some document we we can make the ref reference but for more information but in our
recommendation what that said and I would also add the the color of the of the light it's typically described in temperature unit the color of the company.
Yeah, because you want to have reddish uh color, not not warm warm. Actually, I I seems to me that the dark skies thing suggests amber light. Yeah, it does. Yeah, it does suggest the amber. Yeah,
but we should give it a number. I mean, I'm assume that they should have reference in that guidance to a number. Um, if they don't have, then you you think they don't? I think they do. Let me look real quick. But I'm pretty sure they do.
If they don't, that the awarding amber would be probably sufficient, right? Okay. Uh, let's see here. Hold on one second. Dark skies comments. So, they have a sample lighting or or wait, I'm sorry. That's our sample
lighting ordinance. Let's see what So, they did a like a crosswalk almost. So, this is what they did. Did they do a municipal ordinance review of Franklin? What does P mean? Oh, it doesn't say.
Oh, let me see if it says here what it mean. Okay. P dark sky would prefer you meet this requirement, but it's not mandatory. So, it's like preferred. N is it does not. And green is yes it does. So let's see if it says anything here.
High quality lighting zone. Can you look by three zeros? Because the temperature comes in multiples of thousand. If you search by three zeros, you should be able to find it quickly. Okay, hang on. I just want Oh, here we
go. This is lumen. This is intensity. Okay. Which is also another parameter. I wonder. So like 0000 that's it. Yeah. Yeah. It's 5,000 square ft.
No, they don't have it in here. Let me Oh, you know what though? Cuz I remember something wasn't here about Amber. No, it wasn't. But uh he It's enough.
I like it. Where the heck is it? Okay. Shielded, which is not an industry term. They're saying that. So, they're saying our ordinance doesn't mean it because we shouldn't just be saying shielding. A precise definition should be blah blah
blah blah blah. Yeah, I think we need to Who from the commission was looking into it? Was it Was it Robin? Robin, she should have opinion on that. Um, so maybe we just recommend them to
the dark skies. I mean, I don't know. Yeah, but we should update our green land development checklist to like reflect what we want to do. We can think about that and come to it. But yeah. Okay. All right. Anyone have any more? This is
residential lighting, so that's not going to be good. Okay. Anybody have any more um comments on that one? 500 atrium. Okay. Ted, you did JCIOS
acquisitions. Yes. All right. All right, let me get the map up. 880171. Actually, let me Oh, yeah. This is the address where the
where the MTalk school buses are stored, which is actually the land seems to be still owned by the the cement factory that was once there by that business.
and then they lease it and they're going to I guess change to lease it to somebody else that wants to store heavy equipment there. So it's a minimal change of use. They will take down two
small very small buildings leave to some larger buildings office. Okay. 701. So that lot has one large building.
This is not it yet. It's coming up. That's 500 Adrium White. Unknown address. Something or other. Route 27. Ah, yeah. Oh, this is next to DPW. Oh, here's Family Dollar.
This is Route 27. The other side of the railroad. Yeah. Churchill. This is where DPW is. So Ted, so you're basically saying, let me get your this up here. Uh,
basically saying no compact. The site on Route 27. Yeah. Most recently home for Monttok school bus. Oh yes. Cement factory. The proposal sees it for industrial outdoor storage. Okay. Sites covered 80% by concrete.
It is kind of wetland, isn't it? There's a little bit of Three mile a wet land right at the front. Is it called three mile run or something like that? I think that would be three mile run. So they're not taking down any trees.
They're not building any building. They claim that that drains into the storm sewer along 27 rather than being the headquarters of it wouldn't would have been the headquarters of mile
run actually. Well, they're not taking down any trees. So, they they basically store school buses right now. Yeah. And instead they want to instead they want to what? More heavy equipment.
Oh, store more heavy equipment. Yeah. Okay. Just a little aside, I distinly remember one of my very first meetings on the zoning board in 1972 or
73, the Family Dollar store there coming in. It wasn't Family Dollar then, it was leg. So, it looks like your recommendations are potentially to put up no idling
signs and suggest solar cells on the roof of the maintenance building. No. Do you have any concerns about the water runoff, the impro impervious surface since we have all these vehicles with
oil, gasoline, whatever? Did they say anything about that, Ted? anything they're doing in terms of okay things if things are just being stored much less of a threat of
going in and out the way the buses are it says here the impervious part drains into the wetlands area the ladder is stated to be connected to drains along Route 27 it was formerly or perhaps even now headwaters of Mile Run they propose a new inlet to the drainage pipe
I remember I went looked at that well mainly that little forested bit not long ago and I can't remember why and I could see a drain coming out from the concrete.
Oh gosh. Okay. So, and they say something about improving the one inlet of the drain, putting a better screen on it. Okay.
Anyone else have any other comments on that? If you show the map again, uh, is it the golf field on the other side? What is it? Oh, there's Tower of Greens. Yeah, left.
This should be to Yeah. Dad used to go there. Oh, yeah. Bars where people would That's the driving range. Oh, wow. [Music] LG is taking over
LG the battery manufacturer. Yeah, you can see the corner of the their building which is over 900,000 square ft and which incidentally has solar cells
on the roof which feed into community solar. Wow. Near the the top left corner. Yeah. Wow. Top left corner. That's the corner of the LG.
Is it is it the building it's accessible through? Yeah. Veronica. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Well, half is on this picture. Half is covered too with solar cells. Yeah. Are they covered entirely now or?
I I don't know. All right, we got one last one for tonight, which is 41 Munaki LLC. This is at 831 Hamilton Street. Um, I did this like before the last meeting, so I have to go through and see what it is. Oh,
it's a mural. I remember this. Okay, there's a mural that already exists on an existing building. the mural because it contains a logo of the business. It's now been considered signage by the township. The size of the mural sign
exceeds the permitted standards for signage in the Hamilton business district. The existing mural is 4t tall by 15t 15t wide and is located on the side of the building. The pick so advertising something that is not no
longer on site. No, it's still on site. But basically, because the logo is on there, the town is considering it not a mural, but a sign. It's a painted mural with like a logo. And I'll show you a picture of it. Went through a big controversy. Okay.
My comments on this was like no comment because the mural is painted on the side of an existing building. Let me get um the picture of it. It's in their application. Um is this where the zoning? What's the number? Those zoning. Okay, give me one second. sewing board
41. I'll show you the mural. One of those that the mural is older than the ordinance. No, this is relatively new. This is the mural. And this here is the logo.
It's already on the existing building. So, because the town is now considering it a sign because of this logo, it's in violation of our sign ordinance, but it's not a sign. It's only What is the question then? They have to get a variance from the
sign ordinance for size of the sign. It's just coming before us because it's going before the planning board. I'm sorry, the zoning board. And if they don't get the variance, the second option is just to remove the sign. I guess either paint over the
mural, the logo or remove it. I know better without the logo. Better without logo. Right now, it says here this is the property owner. Um, at the time of the mural's development, she approved the design and
installation under the impression that all necessary permissions were in order. So, it's really the building owner that's getting it's not the artist, obviously, it's the building owner. I approved the design. I was not aware that additional zoning approval was needed. The mural was created to enhance the character of the building and
contribute positively to the Hamilton Street corridor. It includes our business logo and a tasteful artistic composition and it has received consistent positive feedback. So, yes, and this this is the artist here, and she's saying, "The mural includes hand painted original artwork
along with the business's logo integrated in a way that is visually balanced and not intended as an oversized advertisement. The intention was to celebrate the local business's character and contribute to the aesthetic improvement of the area, not to create signage. I fully acknowledge that I did not receive prior zoning
approval for the mural before installation and take responsibility for that oversight. Upon being notified of the issue, I took immediate steps to revise the mural and reach out to the zoning office to discuss compliance options. I don't see any environmental stuff.
It's not, but it has to come before us if it's to the to them. So, I don't I mean, honestly, how would you even really know that? I mean, I guess you would know it's a logo cuz it kind of doesn't really go with the picture, but it's really not. It's not like the business's name is painted there. No
comment is my comment unless anybody else wants a comment. Anybody? No. All right. No. No. All righty. That's it for site plan
review. Good job, everybody. All right. Now we we come down to new business. Um, sustainable jersey reertification. Yes, we got our reertifications. So we got reertified silver level. So we
are all set. Um the lunch how much money? 355 or 340. 355. 340. 350. 350 is what's needed for 350 is what's needed. Correct. How many did we get?
We submitted like four I think we submitted 400. when they wrote back there was comments and so basically we resubmitted 10 extra points just to like get the certification and the other ones can be used for next time. So we have like 345
I'm sorry 355. You're doing good. Commission members email. That's all I had to do was remove your guys' email addresses to get it. Yeah, the first submission they approved 345 as we of what we need at 350 which was
great. So not a lot of changes. Also we didn't submit anything from um related to like our department D uh DP DPW. So that's 355 without anything related to DPW like any of the fleet inventory or
anything like that. So that's good. That car would do fleet inventory. It did last time but not this time. And we could not wait in the interest of time. So So we're all good. So the
lunchon is on Tuesday, November 18th. that starts at 10:30 a.m. Um, I'm going to be there that day at the League of Municipalities at 2:00 anyway, so I can go. Um, or Safy, I think, is going to be there as well.
Yeah. Well, I'll let the mayor and council [Music] I asked Councilman Faznik if he wanted to go, but he is teaching a class at Ruckers that day at that time. So, he came November 18th. It's at 10:30 a.m. during
the League of Municipalities. That's right at the beginning of the league meeting. Yeah. Yep. I mean, I went to it when I was on council. I mean, I'll Yeah, I'll be there cuz I'm presenting that they had two. So, if no one else can go, I can go. But I think
Safy's going to be there as well. So, she can also go. So, so we're maybe some council members show up. Yeah. So, three more years of certification. Okay. All right. Yeah. All right. Anything else there? We can
move on to ANJACK awards. Yes. So, we are receiving an environmental achievement award from Anjack at their environmental congress. Uh it's for our two plans together that that we worked on, the community energy
plan and the micromobility study. So, as a as kind of like companion documents and because we used our grant funding that was originally intended to do the community energy plan because we were able to kind of change that and use it to develop the microobility study which
was built off of our local health assessment. They're giving us an environmental achievement award. So, it's for environmental achievement. That's what it's called. So, we're getting that award. And also Ted is receiving the Candace McKe Aspen Legacy
Award. So it's basically a lifetime achievement award for all of his work. Yes. And he'll be recent. Yes. All right. Exciting. So both So um council member Councilman Karazzi is going to go and
accept the environmental achievement award. um he is the liaison for the trails advisory committee and the trails advisory committee and the EC worked on the microobility study together. He's going to be there to accept that award on our behalf. Um the mayor is going to
be away at that point. Um but I'll be there as well and I don't know if anyone Well, I know you know Arie, you're going Friday, right? Yes. Arty's going. Paul's going uh 10th. Is that the 10th or 11th? 10th. Yes. Ted, you got to be there. Yes.
Well, I got an email about sitting in the front row. A you did a good for you, Ted. That's wonderful. Yes, I love it. So, yes. So, Franklin will be recognized twice at the there. Well, not really. You know, Ted's work has been all over, but
that is great news. Oh, fantastic. I know there was the the thing here about public comment mentioned. I just wanted to mention something which I notice a lot in this
community of people sitting there with their cars running. Oh yes. Can So can you just wait until the public comment for this only because Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it. But we are going to do another one soon. We only have a few more things.
Okay. So anyway, so we that is in that's really good and you know our um our comm our two plans that's really good too that that'll be recognized. So, yeah, good job. All right. Okay. Um,
volunteer submission energy and infrastructure committee. Yes. So, we received an email from a person named Javon Walker. Javon Walker. It looks like he's a student at Ruckers. Um, or yes, is he? Yes,
he's a graduate. I think he's a graduate. Okay. His email is still at Ruckers. It looks like it, but I don't know. So, he's interested in working as a volunteer for our energy and infrastructure committee. His professional background is in risk management and compliance with financial
services. Um, he believes that he offers solutions or ideas to improve environmental sustainability, whether that's by introducing proper recycling methods, improving waste management practices, or addressing other environmentally conscious concerns. I applied to join this committee because
energy sustainability on a local level requires engagement as well as partnership from peers. This approach is necessary. As for expected attendance, I can commit to the usual meeting schedule within Franklin Township. And then he enclosed his resume as well, which I can
put up here on the screen. So, it looks like he graduated from Ruckers with a bachelor's in economics. He studied abroad at the Czech Republic at Charles University in June of 2012. Um he's a business risk analyst in for
city in New York. It looks like he also worked as a field examiner for JP Morgan Chase. Um he worked for Metife as a compliance analyst and he worked for the CIT group. It
looks like most of his stuff is in financial. Yeah. He ran he he what else? It looks like he and he's done volunteer work in the past. Wheels, Meals on Wheels, Boys and Girls Club of America. Um,
nothing with energy and infrastructure. No, but it looks like he has an interest in it and he wants to, I guess, kind of just volunteer as needed. Now, we don't really I don't You do energy and infrastructure committee, right? Yeah. Me and T, right? So, is there is there something that you
do? doesn't he doesn't have much to do right now. But do you want me alerting us to the CR webinar? Yes. We're going to have a uh opening at the end of the year. Correct. Yeah.
At which point we can advertise for more bodies. I right now we don't have that opening. So at that point we can advertise for more bodies and hopefully we get many resumes and take a look at it from there. He so he just wants to volunteer
like not be a commissioner. He just you know how um Jenny the he wants to be like her basically like help out with projects but do you have projects on the subcommittee that he can help out with now or is there any research or anything like like this dark skies ordinance is I
mean that might not that could be under energy and infrastructure is that something he could work on? Oh, I would have to think about something. I wouldn't say that that was really energy. No, that's not energy. You're right.
I'm going to try and think of anything. Do you want me to put him into contact with you if or do you want me to just say we're we don't have a lot going on right now or I I hate to turn away volunteer to a meeting. Yeah. Okay. And then he he'll be a part of the audience and if he wants to talk during
the audience, it's also a good way to verifying that and it was submitted by a real person cuz these days you never know, right? Okay. Okay. He spent a year in the Czech Republic. Yeah. A month. A month.
A month. I wouldn't even bother to put it on resume, but I did not know what he said. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, I will reach out to him and say he should come to a meeting, hear what we're working on, and then maybe he can let us know what he wants to volunteer on
in and in in I'll figure out something for him. Okay. But it would be energy and infrastructure. I'm not going to, you know, do recycling for him as he's inferring or business risk management. No, I don't
project like this for Okay. All right. I will reach out to him then. Okay. Uh we up to um lead the leads program. Leave the lead. So I may have uh some update here. So um
you made reference to Jenny. So Jenny and her mom Suz they propose to um write an article but at the same time make a short video and um release it on
social media or something and we could make a reference to it. It will be a interview style between uh Jenny and my daughter. Uh I think my daughter will place questions, scripted questions and Jen is going to answer and it will be
all around the topic of why we should leave the leads. Okay. How to do it properly. If they can do that, that would be great. And then we can get that up on our social media for sure. So yeah, if they can do that, that would be great.
Okay. I already had um first uh orientation meeting with my daughter and so it's going to be recorded through Zoom. So um Jenny just figured out how to use it so that she will have a screen
divided into two and you know one person another person maybe some pictures here and there. So, it's a different way of communication versus what we had so far. And I think it'll be refreshing. And at the same time, I like it. I think it's great. I'll tell
you what it's done. Just tell her to send it to me and then we can get it up there and we can put it on our website, too, which is great. I like it. All right. [Music] I guess there are other committee reports.
If you're not committee reports, I have a a little report. Yeah. Okay. Um, so this is on a recent shade tree uh committee development and as you know the shade tree commission has been
cautious about planting trees for the past few years because we haven't had a routine watering and maintenance plan for recently planted trees. Watering uh for at least the first two years of new trees is very important. The past three
years we've been working with the township to create a plan and we don't want to spend money on trees and then due to lack of care and watering mostly watch them die as we have seen one way of looking you can take a look at JFK
Boulevard it happens it's happened quite frequently over there um company designated to prepare the maintenance plan prepared a first and second draft of a plan and submitted them to the shade Great. Um, for comments, we returned the first draft with
suggestions and comments. We plan to submit the sec the the second uh plan uh after October meeting, which we hope and we believe result in a final product after all these years.
Since we're confident that this plan will be completed in the near future, Shade Tree with the Township DPW plans on planting this fall with about 50 trees in Castleton Park and another 50 trees in five other areas in the
township. I believe it might be in five different parks. With the new plan, the new watering and maintenance plan, we hope to increase our plantings over the next several years. What was the 50 trees in the first park? Was it say
Castleton Park? It is a Castleton. Okay. I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure I was correct. Castleton Park. Okay. I think I think the other five parks right now are Nean Williams, Tonselada, Inman, Dunman Leadbed Park, and Ruters
Heights Park. I believe close heights. Sounds good. Okay, we all have an idea where those parks are. I mean, maybe maybe at another time it's be interesting. I didn't want to
say I don't know. At least a mouse there. Couple of them. They're in Franklin Township. Really? I figured that. All right. Okay. Good. And Vassinella, who loves to go through
the history of the vicinity of Castleton Park, has characterized the planting as a micro forest. near near a rocky micro forest. I don't know
that it's quite that, but it's trees will be fairly dense which is sort of a toaster eastern avenue frontage micro forest. And please correct me if I'm wrong. It's
something that I've well we've seen pictures of it where instead of getting 6 to 8 foot trees B&B trees you get these what you call them saplings or seedlings or and they're
they may be 6 8 10 in tall and you put them in a PVC pipe. You plant them in the ground and you put a PVC pipe over them and supposedly, you know, they're protected from the deer. You know,
they're watered as usual. And supposedly within a couple of years, they will catch up to the trees that are 6 to 8 ft tall. I'm a bit of a skeptic. I will see it, believe it when I see it. But they say it works. I don't know, maybe you've seen it. Take the
I really the description of the of Mia Locki or I can't remember what the Mary was there. Mary Loco Mia Mia Zaki or Miaaki whatever his name is was the Japanese guy that came up
with the idea and the important points are it's planted very densely. So the the trees and there will also be um shrubs and herbs and things everything will compete for the light. So they will
shoot up in order to get light and and it's it's generally been very successful. Give that gives you a very densely planted uh tract. And of course, a lot of the point is to
u lower the general temperature in the area. Well, all of these things have to do with all the plantings has to do with water runoff, the the heat island effect. Um we're we're looking for uh
obviously a tree canopy, you know, increasing our tree canopy, wildlife habitat, all these things come into play, you know. So, we'd want to do that all over town, but this is just a starting point that we're looking at here. There's um
there are playground areas and fields up above this area. This area is sort of sloping down right to Eastern Avenue. Um and there's going to be a fence right before you get to Eastern Avenue. And there's what kind of a pump station of
some kind or Yeah. Well, a Sinoco has a pipeline running through the property and they want to install a new valve and they actually
have to go to Green Acres about this and they had a hearing. I would thought of going I guess it was last Thursday there was a hearing. I haven't heard anything about the results. It was not expected that there would be any opposition and
there 007 acre for the valve essentially cuz the pipeline then goes across the raritan from there and.14 acres of temporary disturbance while
they're putting in the the valve pretty minor. Yeah, the valve in the pipeline is on the I don't know if it's the north side, if that's what you call it, the north side of the of the the field. Um, and I think they're taking, if I
remember correctly, they're taking some of our land for that and they will pay us back 10 times the amount. Yes, they're taking a total to use for 0074 acres is the permanent easement and then
um they have to pay us 158,000 that we have to use for preserved open space, right? Okay. Wait for public comment which is at the end. We have a little bit more. No, it's at the end. There's two. I think you should report on
there's two public comment sessions. One's at the very end. Okay, that's what I remember because because we did not have meetings since then. That's why it needs to be formally. So when they tell me Yeah. Well, we have committee reports.
So from the education committee, we are reporting that we had the energy efficiency, right? efficiency um event at the Franklin Public Library. Um commission many com several
commissioners were in attendance. Um we expected a little bit more. Um but the the people that the individuals who attended that were not part of the commission
they um they stay and make uh questions um about how to pay what will be the reduction in bills in their in the in their electricity bill. Um I'm trying to remember if you
remember I don't maybe we can say the who were the speakers. Okay. The speakers, the speakers were Melena Beim Bong from New Jersey, uh, League of Conservation Voters and NJP and
Jen Marie Ryder from sustainable. No. Oh, from BPU, from clean energy probably. Probably from PS. Somebody was from PS. Yes. From PSNG. That's right. From PSNG. Yes. because they're pushing
energy conservation and they um um especially Jen Marie um she is uh willing to to help with another another series. Oh, great. Yeah, they were talking about various
incentives specifically and Marie was talking about the PSCG incentives for uh for uh energy saving appliances. Oh, okay. Um I I made comment I'll pitch it now selfishly that I recently
upgraded my um water hot water heater to heat pump water heater and the PSNG gave me $750 rebate. So this is one of the ways how they support energy efficiency appliances. A heat pump water. Yeah, I just got a
pump water heater. And can you tell us the difference between a hot water heater or a water heater I should say and a So it heats water but instead of heat strip it has uh air conditioning so to speak. So it it extracts heat from the
air and it uh puts it into the water. So that's like my PTA heating unit. For one unit of energy it generates 3.5 units of heat. It just got away. Is this a unit? Is this a unit that's attached to the wall like those? Um,
it's tank. Okay. It's not tankless. It's tank. Yeah. Interesting. And uh I'm I'm so happy with it. And maybe it's a distraction, but uh No, it's a good point. But I'd like to hear more about it. I
eliminated a chimney because my um existing natural gas fired water heater was u the the natural aspiration it was so this is electric it's not gas now it's electric right
but but as opposed to heat strip electric which for one unit of energy you get one unit of heat this one from one unit of energy you get 3.5 units of heatm And how does it work during the winter time when you have cold weather? It extracts heat from the room.
I don't know how you extract and concentrate heat cuz of course it's got to really concentrate it to get a temperature much above the Yeah. ambient, right? Or above the room temperature. Yeah. So, uh I'll tell you in the
winter, but u Yes. Yes. It means that I need to heat the utility room maybe a little bit more uh to to get the heat for the hot water heater. But in in summer, the utility room is not air conditioned. Now it is
because it's it's extracting the heat from area that's normally not air conditioned. So this heat pump does not extract heat from outside air. There's no outside air connection. It's just internal. it well it depends on the size of the utility
room where you have it. I have it large enough so that I don't have to have that treatment but if I have small one then I have to have air in and air out but that's typically uh treated within the house. So you would take it uh into the
next to next to the room. I mean, I have a PEK heating cooling unit in my all electric condo, so I understand the workings of that kind of. And I was told by the guys at facilities that heat pumps are generally considered efficient. Yeah.
Within a certain uh environmental temperature range we here in the Mid-Atlantic were pretty good. Yeah. And so um just to add in case that the heat pump would be struggling, it is actually a hybrid system. It has a heat
strip, so if if needed, the heat strip would power up and it would heat up the water. But um we'll see. I don't think I will need it. I wonder if I would have wanted that instead of my darn. I just bought one electric.
Well, I I'm all electric living. It has to be. Yeah. So, I want to hear how time goes by, how it works. Cool. So, so but that that was kind of story to help the audience understand examples of of the rebates.
We were talking also about uh rebates for um thermostats and uh how it helps to to lower the energy consumption. That's okay because the usual field but uh
one person raised question about expected but about community solar as a way of uh uh lowering bill and we just briefly mentioned what is it about but now since uh we have uh sent
out the newsletter about uh the community solar webinar by Sierra Club that person can attend it and uh learn more about community solar. Okay. So uh which kind of
uh yeah so so that was education committee um and that yeah energy and infrastructure that's pretty much we are working together so so that uh October 2nd event is uh our activity from the energy infrastructure
um there was actually uh last Sunday was it's called sun day the the not this one, the the the previous Sunday and um it was too late to communicate but it was very nice because throughout the
entire United States there were various uh presentations and uh I attended um uh presentation by um uh Rutgers um now I don't know what is the group but
uh um they have um a vertical agree agree agree. It's uh on um across um uh the the Rodgar's farm on across Route
One. It's on the same side as the Rodgar's garden. Okay. But uh Rodgers Gardens is on the other side of Ryder's Lane. So there is this this property and they have Ted probably knows about it and
one of the professors Dunar Bernierney you probably know him what's his name Dun Barbar Bernier I know him from the electric vehicle yeah I don't know but he was talking about um uh how it works what is the importance of it and
uh how um farmland can be used for both for agriculture and uh to harvest energy. Yes, absolutely. That's true. That is very true. And the solar cells were birectional. So
the sun when it shines from one side or another one, it still makes energy. And because the solar panels are oriented uh west and east, um the solar generation profile is not like one peak but instead you have two
peaks like this because you have lots of more generation in the morning, more towards the evening and not so much during the day. And it complements nicely um other solar systems uh because if we have only south
oriented solar systems then we always have a huge peak during the day and we don't have enough in the morning and in the evening. So that's uh it was interesting and uh in Bridgewater they actually had community solar event. It was organized
by uh um citizens uh crime at um lobby um Naen Naen S. You probably know her Naen.
Okay. Anyway, so um so that one was not communicated to those residents but but uh October 2nd will okay was communicated and I plan to attend. So uh that's pretty much from uh energy
infrastructure. Okay. Made it longer. Um thank you. Okay. All right. Um, hot topics. I guess we sort of touched on most of
them, but anything that we didn't or maybe we'll capture going forward. Yep. Okay. Old business. Oh, yeah. That's an old business. Yeah. Okay. Franklin Day we sort of talked about,
but I don't know if anybody else has any um input. No. suggestions. A lot of people stopped by. Yeah, they did. Did you have one, Maria? I think they recognize you, Ted. And it
was mentioned probably before, but um kind of the record cuz you don't have to write about this, but we talk about recommending or suggesting that they have it in at the colonial park because there's shade at point was very hot and there was no
shade and people were have no place to sit, you know, and Okay. All right. That's my only It was nice. Uh it was uh parking was the problem. Conversation with Safi about that. And it's so much easier to do it there
because it's tied property insurance. Easy peasy. Okay, then don't forget about my Maybe we should get some trees planted there. Oh, maybe there was no shade. Yeah, here it was.
Yeah. Our grandchildren will finally have the stage. I They let me the barber shop. The barber shop. You just cut through the woods. My daughter parked at the a middle bush park cuz there was no parking. She had to park all the way the door.
I parked at the Samson Gmith school. There was space. There was space there. Just got to smile nicely to the world. We aren't old business. We I think we are. Yes. Franklin day. Yeah. I would still write down that speaking of uh
events at that area, we would recommend to plant trees. Yes, we need shade. Anybody that has recommendations of places to plant trees, please email to me. Okay,
I think I've said this before. Send me your list of places of on township property, township owned property. All right. Saying it in person should be higher level. Pardon me. Saying it during this public meeting is
a higher level than email. In one ear out the other. In one ear out the other. Read it in writing. You will get the minutes. For my for my We'll get the minutes.
Personal records. I think it was a good idea. Yeah. Yeah. So, anyone have an insight from Bon Locker Council, anybody like that about Franklin Day? Mhm.
No, not that I don't have no words. It was fine. I like it. Yeah, it was a good It was um just It was When was it? September What was the day? 13th. 13th. September 13th. Mhm. That was right. Yeah. You got lucky on the weather. It was
great. Yeah, they certainly had a lot of police there, but I it's a good idea, I guess, you know. Okay. Um, skip the stuff. Skip the stuff. So, Robin's been working on that and she did go to the uh Chamber
of Commerce and discuss with them and she brought the um the clings and the laminated signs. So, she is working on that. If anyone knows any businesses or happens to talk to anyone uh any business owners that are interested, our
website for it is did you guys see the website? I can't remember. The website is up and we have the clings and we have the laminated sign. So if there's a business interested, we can give them the clings. We can give them the sign and they can refer to our um website as
well. So let's see. So it's great if we want to personally approach potential business. Um, we don't have a script. No, I'm reluctant to do this, but you can go to the website which I'm putting up right now.
I feel bad that Robin is doing it and nobody else. Well, someone's going to probably have to take over it. Yeah. Oh, look at there. I skip the stuff. Skip the stuff. Here we go. She's holding this when she has window clings.
I have them. They're in my office. Yep. So if anyone needs any or you know a business that wants them, we can give them that and we have a laminated like FAQs that someone can put out and it basically says and then here's the website. It's under environmental commission and it basically says what
are the impacts? How do customers know what are the benefits? So if you want to look at this for information so that when you approach businesses you know what to say or do you can absolutely do this. when we approach them. Uh what is the giveaway we we drop if they are in
it or interested like the cling and the laminate or or the cling? They get the two clings, you know, one for their drive up window if they want and one for the door. If they have two doors, we can give them three. It's no big deal. They get the laminated sign, but also um once we have
businesses involved, we're going to have on our website a directory of businesses that are involved. We don't have any right now but see if you go here see directory of restaurants participating. So once we have people we'll enter that here their website their address and their name will get posted here as well.
Do they have the instructions on the laminat? No it's literally just give it to them and um instructions to send someone um the information that they accepted it so that we can populate. No, we don't have that yet. We can
create that. I mean this is literally like brand new. So we just got the clings, we just got the for the uh signs. If you think that's something we need, that's something we could work on. Imagine you are giving them some they are busy doing stuff and you tell them
listen are you interested and we say yes we are interested. Fine. I'll leave it this for you and when you have time read it and here are instructions that when you put it up you send us email and we'll put your Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. I do that
because they cannot just send email. They have to take a photo of their business with the uh window clings ethics and then we can actually keep collecting the photos and then at some point maybe we can do report with lots of photos.
Okay. And some point we might want to on site verify if we happen to be in the area verify. This is all voluntary because I understand, but if somebody says they put it up there and you have to drive by and it's not there,
I know you you used to be in the enforcement business. Not positive. Wouldn't their bottom line they don't have to buy all these little packs of forks, knives, and and spoons.
Wouldn't that positively impact the business's bottom line? They're not giving that stuff away. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Well, if the customer says, "I want to have it automatically without asking," they are at risk. Well, I mean, if they have some, but if
they they they'll have to buy they won't have to buy as much. It should be a positive. How does a customer ask say I want it automatically without asking? Maybe I misinterpreted what you said. So, so the skip the stuff is correct me
if I'm wrong is that they will not provide the stuff only when they ask when the when the customers ask and the customer can be accustomed that they grab the paper
box and just go and they open at home and they oh I don't have a ketchup I don't have this and that and and the plastic utensil elves and they may I will not go there again because they were not thinking that they have to ask. Yeah, there's a learning curve.
Well, the laminate sign says you know um they read it. It's a big sign basically says like you know we whatever it says we don't give out you know you have to ask or or they can have like a little table or area where people can go and get their own things if they like. Well, there might
be time maybe this might defeat the purpose cuz it adds another paper into the recycling thing, but businesses that are doing this, they might want to have like a 3x5 little piece of paper that they stick in the bag that says we only put um you know
the the stuff in here if you ask for them. They can have and we have it posted by the register. We have a postit here. The paper bag where they have the food or whatever it can have writing on it. Oh,
because they're Well, I don't know which is less expensive because then whoever they get the bag from, they have to get that printed out. You don't want to indicate the You don't have additional piece of paper. No, whichever whichever is less expensive for the point is that the customers have to be alerted at the time
of making the order. Yes. Uh that I can that would be the sales for. Yeah, that would be the saleserson that were the person at the cash register. We are trying to educate the damn people, right? So you had to do that at the safety office.
Not easy. Language. What? No. Oh wow. Only in English. Well, the English speaking are the culprit. Okay. We can get it made in another language. We definitely can.
Something to think about. Yeah, for sure. Mexican restaurants have it in Spanish. Yeah, that we only got a hundred printed of the clings and 100 of the signs to start off
with. So, the thought is we start off with that and then as we give them out and people actually use them, then we can get another reprinting done. So, it's so the next reprinting we can make sure maybe we make it double-sided, you know,
and if we're and if we're going through a lot of them, then we might want to order a larger batch at a at a lower price. Correct. Yep. Well, how many takeout places are there in the township?
37. You counted them. 137. about the dispensaries. Anyway, all right. All right. Um, appointment of the youth member to the
environmental commission. I know we where are we on that? There hasn't been any movement on that at all. Well, one interesting thing here is that in ANJ's um autumn 2025 report, which I just got, there's a whole article here about enhance your
environmental commission with student members, and it talks about middle school environmental education, high school students stepping up to environmental commissions. But one cool thing is that um they have a guide to EC youth
involvement. And uh it looks like here they have a um a form and it's called EC youth volunteer form and it reads like a sample job description for adding a student member. So this I just got this
tonight. So I'm going to go and see if I can use that form as like a way to kind of push it along. I didn't get to look at the form yet, but I think that's a good idea. So this Yeah. Yep. Okay.
All right. Okay. All right. Um I don't see whatever. Yeah. Yeah. You can pass it around and look at it if you want. I just doggeeared the um page I need. That's all. This the one that you
Yeah, that you can leave like that. Yeah. Other than that, you can look through it. Yeah, for sure. If there's no other old business as requested by commissioners, can we Well, I have one. Oh, okay. Time to move. the environment of stewardship awards. I don't see where are we with that.
So, we voted on um the awards. Yes, we did. I put a quote in to Crown Trophy to get them made and I got a quote back. I sent it to Mark Healey because I don't have access to the the purchase system or whatever.
So, he's putting in the purchase order. As soon as that's done, then Crown Trophy can make the awards. So, that's on its way. and we just need to get on the um the council agenda. It's usually the second meeting in November. Second meeting that's what we said. Yeah.
Are we are we doing one award this year or two award? Two. What was the what was the I know who the individual is. What was the business award? Uh the idea was my suggestion was whatever school right
uh got top ranking and then we got a communication from uh the school system that they would like to have it awarded to also to Franklin High School. I mean, Elizabeth Avenue School,
we got the most points, but there was another I think Pinerove Manor. Pine Grove Manor, I think, got the most. They had more than the high school. We did. They had more than the high school. So, I think the thought was we were Did we give it to the We didn't give it to the school district, did we?
Or we did. We gave it to We did. There was Well, the school district. I think it's really done much more by the individual schools. Yeah. Because that that creates a competition for other schools to try to get them to
up their game. I think it was the first time it was more for Claremont, right? Because they had very Well, no, we did. We gave it to Pine Grove Manor. Pine Grove Manor School. Oh, you mean this year? This year, Pine Grove Manor. Yeah.
Yeah. But a few years ago it was Clone. Yeah, exactly. Well, Elizabeth Avenue was the highest ranking. No, Pine Grove Manor was Elizabeth Avenue was right under it by like five points. Very close. Yeah. And I think the thought was, do we give it to the whole school district or we give
it to the um to the highest ranking, which is what happened. Yep. Not saying that we can't give it next year to other schools if we want, you know, for sure. Well, I I'd say let's just give it to the one school, but describe how close
uh Elizabeth Avenue and the high school were when we make the presentation. Yeah, good idea. You mean like an honorable mention? No, exactly. And nag them to keep trying. Yeah, keep going. Yeah,
keep trying. Maybe next time you will call. Will they get a certificate for honorable mention or something? Maybe a certificate. No, just asking. We haven't started announced. We would institute something new. I wouldn't go with that. Yeah.
I know. Maybe something in the photography you might uh take a picture of them. If if they are represented, do they get invited or just mention? You know, I don't know. I think next year we keep it open and then this way if they want to if they get an award then excuse
me then that's great you know. Um did you figure out who was leading the sustainable jersey team in uh Pine Grove? Yes I forget her name but yes I did. So we're good there. And I know
Paul also spoke to somebody. Um was it Sophia? It might have been. It might have been. I know Paul also spoke to someone because uh the high school environmental club where my daughter is uh she got new
teacher leader. Okay. Her name is Miss Pierre. It could be. I have to look back through my emails. Yeah. And um the previous one was not as Okay. I don't need to say it. But uh my
daughter is excited about the new one. Good. Good. I'm glad. That's good news. Okay. Any other old business? Uh, it's good. Okay. Okay. Enter a motion to open the meeting to the public. Second.
Second. Okay. All in favor? Let it be longer saying I mean I follow the protocol. No pressure. Okay. Well, I appreciate what you all do. I know I usually come to the meeting and I did get an email asking you to come.
We need your name and address. Huh? Barbara Martales. I put I put it over there. 14 Renaissance Boulevard. Okay. And one of the comments that I have is noticing how many times people are parked someplace with their cars
running, you know, right here in Somerset. like I was going into the library on uh I think it was Sunday afternoon and here's a woman sitting there with her car running and after five minutes or so I I said to her, you
know, about turning off your car and also I go over to Colonial Park and that was also happened to be on Sunday and there were at least three or four cars there. Here the the kids are out there playing on the big field and the cars
were running. It could be their parent. What? It could have been their parent watching the game, right? So, I don't I don't know whether there's anything we can do, but I think it's just something that is a is a concern. In New York City,
well, that's different. They've written the ordinance so that the citizens can report after they've observed a car Yeah. running for three minutes. and they actually get a piece of the fine.
I don't know if we have that. I don't know if we have anything like that here. We don't have that here. We have worked in the past on making sure that antiideling signage is part of our development review. Anti what? Our that anti- idling signage is required as part of our development
review here. The environmental commission comments on that on every application and we have discussed that in depth. you know, we've given out educational materials about anti- idling. So, it is something we definitely are focused on. The board of
health is the enforcer of that. So, if someone is idling consistently, you can call the Somerset County Board of Health and there's the problem with antiideling, right? Arie knows better than anyone cuz he used to work in this. By the time you call someone about antiideling, they're usually gone. Yeah.
That's usually the problem. and they answer the phone only during business hours. So, you know, uh I I'm sort of a pain to these people. I'm always going up and knocking. But I thank you for I thank you for for paying attention to this.
Personally, I went to the phase that I had to filter it off because it I I it would just drive me nuts to to watch everyone. People are complaining about trucks. Yeah. Right. That's another thing. noise and the
pollution particularly canal work area and stuff but um then everybody is justing their personal vehicles. Well, I'm seeing everybody but so um unless you have electric cars here. So,
um, we worked on this last year or whenever it was, um, and we review plans of all new developments, whether it's, uh, warehouse or whether it's a strip mall, um, wherever, um, schools,
um, where when we review the plans of any new sites that are going up, we put as our recommendations in it. And these recommendations go to the planning board or the zoning board that they need no idling signs placed in various places.
Actually putting up a sign on their place. Pardon me. Actually putting up a sign. They're required. They're required to put up the antiing sign. Now there part has mentioned quite a bit. The enforcement part of it is is difficult.
um you have to be caught red-handed um by either somebody from the health department or the police department. Um so it's it's something that enforcement is difficult. Maybe you notice that each of our uh
parks have statement like that but uh it turns into background people are not reading it. I know well they might read it but they ignore it. I think there there are signs up. There's a sign up at Coral. I don't know. I think they just couldn't
care less. Yeah, that's the average American. New Jersey person. That's what we can do. We put the signs, but maybe changing the signs periodically cuz you get bored. It becomes part of
the landscape and maybe changing it up. Will tell you that it's expensive. Well, sure. Maybe somebody has to have to look at signs in a different way. The state has a standard sign.
Yeah. And they put it on a stick that has already something else, right? So you have this and that. So when you add it, how people noticed? Yeah. Kind of pessimistic with that. But uh at
least gasoline cars, I have to admit it as a EV lover, the emissions are somewhat less um polluting than the diesel, you know. Well, yes.
So, it's a kind of consolation, but uh it's it's a waste of fuel. Yes. If if we have, you know, Norway, how expensive is fuel in Norway, right? Twice where it is here. You knew I lived there.
Oh, yeah. So, so if if if we have more expensive fuel here, people would think twice whether they want to idle. That's actually much more powerful than than forcing them not to do it because uh every time you use regulation people
complain that uh the government is you know I don't know if you would know this uh having been in Norway um if they do the same thing as they do in Finland. In Finland, if you're hit with a a violation, uh, some kind of traffic
violation, um, and you get a monetary penalty, it's not a set standard monetary penalty because you were speeding over 5 miles hour, 10 miles an hour, something like that. The viol penalty is based on the
person's salary. Oh my. So I mean I remember reading this years ago that like the president of Nokia paid like a $100,000 fine for you know speeding. So I don't know if they do that in Norway also. Interesting.
I don't how did you know I would live in Norway. You said it when you said you introduced yourself earlier. We latched on to it. Yeah. You remembered that it was interesting. It is. Well, I got a lot out of living here.
And now 90% of vehicles in Norway are electric. Yes. 90%. A lot of electric. Wow. Thank you. And it's northern country. Oh, thank you. We have cold uh cold winters, you know.
Yes. A freezing winter. Freezing cross country ski. All right. Can we have a motion for closure of the public comment? So, are you done, Barbara? Are you sure? I'm finished. Thank you. Thank you. Second.
Did I get a motion to close? So move. Second. All right. We've been moved and second that we close the public comment. All in favor say I. Motion for closure of the meeting. Move. All right. We've been moved in a second
that we close the meeting. Second. Adjourn the meeting. Ajourn close. Djourn the meeting. Okay. I don't know what a journ. All right. All in favor, let it be known by saying I. I. All right. Stand. Thank
you. Thank you.