Hey. >> Hey, Ben. Can you hear me? >> I think we're getting there. Can you hear me as well? >> Yeah, we're getting there. using somebody else's email that sends uh verifications to their cell phone. Um and they're not with you is never uh
never a smooth process. >> It'll work out. >> I think we have everybody. >> Okay, great. >> So, we have a a pretty uh small agenda
today. There's one project to review. Um the Ter Park rain garden. Uh we'll just ask um I'll turn to a meeting in a minute and then we'll just ask for a discussion on that and then the only other item is to approve last week uh
last meeting's minutes. >> Okay. We just need to do a roll call start if we can do that. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I can only see the three of us so I'm sorry. Uh Priya Patel needs to be brought in as
well as a uh as a uh >> as a thing as a participant as a panelist. >> She should be on there now. >> Okay. All right. Pria is in. Okay. Good. Are we missing anybody else? Hey everybody.
Deborah, Brad, Josh, Mike. >> Hey guys. >> All right. Good. So, we have a fairly light agenda tonight. Uh, let's just do a roll call, get everybody here, vote on the minutes, and then keep moving forward. Uh, so, uh, you want to do the
roll call, Matt? >> Sure. I'll just read off the list. Uh, Ben Stoler. >> Yep. >> Deborah Navis. Josh Ryder. >> Yep. >> Brad Jenkins >> here.
>> Mike Langley, >> present. Ria Patel >> here. >> Great. Okay. >> All right. B. >> Okay. And then um if anybody has any ch approve, let's go ahead and just do want to do the approve the meetings from May
12th first before we get into the project submission. I think that's probably better. >> Sure. >> Okay. I was absent so I'm going to abstain. I reviewed them. They looked fine. Uh but I wasn't here. I was traveling. I caught traveling. So, uh, if you guys want to go through and, uh,
approve them, that'd be great. >> Yes. For those who were here, we'll just ask someone to make motion, a second, and then, uh, we can, we can approve. >> Motion to approve the minutes from May 12th. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. >> I'll second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Great. Um, excellent. So they've sent around we sent around the kind of the uh the uh project for the rainforest. Funny that's the only submission we've had on top of what
we've had so far. Uh so I guess that's the only thing that's on the agenda for tonight. Uh you know basically there's the existing rain garden behind the the Milbour Deli. Is everybody familiar with that? Okay. So they put in a submission to get
funding from the open space trust fund advisory committee to help refurbish it, replant it and reestablish it uh in the beginning uh the beginning pieces. Uh why don't we just discuss it? We could either go through the Google form or we just have it for open discussion uh and
then and then vote on moving it forward. U I know Dave had a few questions on it I had with him offline. So, let's start with Dave and then just work oursel through Mike, Deborah, Josh, Brad, and and Pria. >> Thank Thank you, Ben. Can everybody hear
me? Everybody? >> Yes. >> Uh, yeah. So, so my my my what I what I was talking about was reviewing it. I'm not clear what they're going to do with the 25,000 other than I mean, they're going to refurbish it, but are they doing it themselves? Are they, you know,
do they have a contractor who's going to do it? Uh and one side since Matt since you're on one side you can check with uh Alex was there's a comment in the application that there's greasy runoff coming from the deli into the garden. So
separate it apart from the application that's an issue if that's happening you know. >> Yeah that's like a land that's like a land like a spill uh >> yeah I I just don't know. I've never noticed I've seen the rain garden
myself. I I didn't I didn't notice, you know, a greasy runoff, but I really wasn't looking that close. >> Okay. It's It's my understanding. Sorry, I'm going I'm losing video here and out. Uh my understanding was that uh they're looking for the approval and then
they're going to fill in some of those details behind it on how they want to do it. Uh obviously, I agree with you, Dave, that you know, we'd want to see that it's put in place. So I don't know if we could do a you know this a preliminary approval etc based on giving us a full a full rundown of of what the
funds are to be used and obviously going through municipal financing uh uh protocols for the um for the bids etc. So, >> right, just just from the township's perspective,
we do like we when we're working with uh any of these projects, they still have to follow if they're going through the township our purchasing laws. So, we're making them get quotes uh multiple quotes to approve any uh you know, any any project uh consultants or contractors. Um and any work that they
do, there needs to be sufficient backup. So, it's it's the purchasing process is vetted. Um, like you said, Ben, I didn't see uh much detail in terms of what they plan to do, but it seems like they're they're asking for the allocation and then to fill in the gaps. So, if it's shade tree, they wouldn't
have the town uh the DPW staff taking care of it. They would look into an outside contractor. It certainly seemed like that from the request that, you know, it wouldn't it would be uh a project, a contractor
would be obtained. Um, you know, maybe in conjunction with some work from the township staff just to help clear out area maybe, but um but but I think the intent was to hire contractor or professionals to to design and and create the rain garden.
>> Okay. Do we know who paid for it the first time or how that anybody know? >> I I think that it was funded partially through environmental commission. I think I recognize the email address as being Liz Volivon and
>> Yep. It's Liz. Yeah. >> Yeah. And I think they also got some other money from I think they used a lot of volunteers. I think there might have been some high school volunteers. And I know Liz is pretty involved with the maintenance of the rain gardens at the first aid squad
lot on the corner of Lacawana and Glenn. So yeah, I had the same questions, Dave. I I don't I'd like to understand what the $24,000 is for. Is it primarily for the plants and the trees and the native plants and or is it for labor? I my
guess is that they're going to probably use a lot of volunteers either from the community or from Shade Tree Commission itself. If Liz has submitted this application, I'm guessing she's >> going to dip into that group. >> Yeah. You know, as a team, maybe we
should require that whoever submits the application be on the call as we're exploring it to be able to really answer these questions for us because, >> you know, we're kind of lost here is my guess. I would almost like to table this until the next meeting and have Liz or
somebody from the shade tree be here to answer the questions because >> I mean personally I can't effectively vote on it if I don't know all the information we're requiring. Do you guys agree? >> Well, my my question was going to be who's going to maintain it after like what's the expectation after we give the
money? Is it is it volunteer? Is it the town? Is it sh I mean and it may be an easy answer but I maybe some of the folks on this call already know the answer but I I I didn't know and I I couldn't tell from the application what the ongoing efforts would be because if
we were going to give money we would certainly not want it to be something that you know we would have to give money again because nobody maintained it and >> Right. >> Right. And and also and also too honestly if if you have runoff from the the uh a grease runoff from the
Milbourne deli whatever we do may be destroyed you know within itself right >> well I think to so a couple thoughts just really quickly on that so first of all I if it's a rain garden the purpose of a rain garden is to really help mitigate flooding and to also like
address some of that pollution so in fact if if that is happening from like if we are getting some sort of pollution runoff from the Delhi. It might be advantageous to have a rain garden there to absorb some of that poll pollution before it hits the Raway River which is
right there. But I also had I mean I had a question as to why I think they mentioned that it would be nice but not necessarily to have water supply near the site. But if it's a rain garden, why would you require a water supply? It's supposed to be a rain garden. supposed to be native plants which I assume would
be require little to no water but that that was just a question I had and it'd be great if Liz were on this call to address some of these questions. I also am I'd like to understand you know what the impact I mean the reason why this rain garden is in
disrepair I think is because of something that Josh mentioned which is like the maintenance efforts like if something something was clearly created and people invested time and resources in it but then it fell into disrepair because of the impacts of IDA and and
also just lack of maintenance. So, what's to say like this is the best loca? This may not be the best location for this particular rain garden. I don't know. Maybe it could it could be relocated to another place where it wouldn't be subject to, you know, heavy
rainfall or, you know, I Yeah, I guess I would I would prefer to table this conversation till Liz were available. >> Agreed. >> I I I agree. I'm fine with that too.
Good idea. Yeah. >> So, so some let's make a motion to table it until a future meeting at which point Liz or someone on their behalf can be available to answer the questions. Uh so I'll make that motion if someone has second it and then we just All in favor?
>> I'll second it. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I >> I >> I very good. Very good. Um next order of business. Uh Matt, do you want to go through the financial the financial piece just to give us all a brief of where we are there?
>> Yeah. So, you know, there has there hasn't been any dispersements yet. So, we're sitting at uh a little over $2 million now between the two assessments. Uh we we didn't get our certified tax rate from the county yet for uh this year. Um so, I didn't transfer the money
over, but it's it's allocated. it's there and as soon as we get that rate certified in full um the 2026 allocation will be funded. We're still getting a solid interest rate um a little over I think it's at 3.4% now on the funds. Um so the money's
there. It's uh you know there has been allocations but no dispersements yet. >> A great job on the investment. >> I found this on the web. >> Thank you ma'am. that >> no great in job on the investment piece.
3.4% something to sneeze at. That's as good as we're getting in my firm's uh money market. So, that's great. >> Yeah, we we we market it out to different banks. We just try to get the strongest return. I mean, it doesn't add up, but it's it's taxpayer money otherwise. So, it's uh we try to try to get as much as we can.
>> Yeah. Okay. And so, basically, that's all we have on the agenda. I don't see much more. Am I missing something, Dave or Pria or anybody on the team? >> I I wanted to uh bring up just kind of a question I've had. Um so I I went to Hoboken a couple weeks back and I was
walking around one of those resilient city parks that they've built, sort of the their use of public space to act as like water sinks for flood surges. Um, and it was making me think about the work that we do. And I'm curious, do does anyone feel it it could help to
have a representative of the flood mitigation advisory committee like on this committee just to speak to some projects from that point of view? >> I don't think it would hurt. I mean, uh, Dave, do we have an opening for that? uh
or or we can make that. >> I don't know if I don't >> I don't know honestly. Um but I think it's a good idea. >> I I love the idea. >> Do we want it? Mike Mike, are you thinking a permanent member or you just thinking they come when they have an
idea that they want to execute on? I mean, I would I would say either um you know, but just even a conversation like this rain garden to to get kind of their insight on to how much is this going to help um what what needs to be done to make it as effective as possible.
>> Yeah. No, Mike, I agree. I I I love the idea. Priya, you have your hand up or >> Yeah. Real quickly, when I was on flood mitigation, I did broach the idea with um Jim McKenna, who I think at the time was a chair, maybe he still is, and Chaz Bombber, and they both kind of felt that
the you know the what their focus is on those three primary those three areas where the the really truly catastrophic flooding occurs, like those are projects that require like multi-million dollar solutions. And you know, we're looking
at more like green infrastructure projects, rain gardens that, you know, that are like a couple thousand dollars, that kind of thing. They felt like it wasn't it was a little bit like small potatoes. But with that said, I think it'd be great if somebody were part of this to kind of tie it all together so
that things aren't siloed. But they felt like their focus was much more like big projects that were really going to address like million, you know, cubic million feet of water versus >> 7500
75 concrete wall foot concrete wall in the uh reservation. >> Right. Right. >> The Army Corps of Engineers. So, you know, I sat on that committee for two years. I just didn't have the time or the bandwidth to do it this year. Uh and I I certainly see that. However, you
know, if you don't worry about the pennies, the dollars will get mismanaged, right? So, if they think this is pennies, I do think we should have someone uh then we can broach that subject with um with Alex uh and with the TC as well. I'm sure we could open a
spot for him, etc. Uh even if even if they don't, you know, have to attend every meeting or whatever, but it'd be nice to have their feedback on this. Um, all right. Um, the other question I had too is does anyone know what's going on with the uh property at the uh and
this is funny for me to ask it at Vox Hall and Milbour uh Avenue the uh the the station there? I saw a bunch of equipment there. I think they're doing a PSEG project, but uh I just want to see if anybody heard anything else. >> I was actually thinking the same thing,
Ben, but I have no idea what they're doing. I I had heard that they were um installing some new kind of signals um at that intersection at that light and that's what required all the digup. I I haven't seen any PSCG vans in the area
and I I >> maybe it's the JCPL it's something with the lighting. Dave, you had your hand raised? Yeah, I I had heard the same thing Priya was just saying that they they were re the county was doing some reignalization
if I could pronounce that properly. >> All that equipment right on that property, right? >> Yeah. But they they've also been digging on that property like the light they they were putting up I think a new light on the corner there over by where the animal hospital is. Well, they've
actually been digging where the gas station used to be. So, they're definitely doing something in that lot. I don't know what, but >> Well, the the town I'm sorry, go ahead. >> No, no. The the the town is I know has a
contractor, I'm pretty sure, engaged in doing sampling down there. um you know to the end of finding out how contaminated is it you know uh you know and and ultimately I guess what do we want to do with it if anything depending
on the contamination. So I I think that's going forward that I don't know Brad for sure but you know that I'm guessing that maybe that's the digging. Um I >> I'll follow up with I'll follow up with Alex and the town engineer to get any more feedback. It's a good question. It's worth answering. Um, let me get the
feedback and then I'll email it to the team or we'll bring it up on the next meeting. But, uh, I drove driven by it and I was like, well, there actually have a hard equipment on there. I knew there was something with a signal, but it did look, Brad, like they were doing some type of property work,
>> something. They were digging something up, so I was not sure what. >> Okay. It wasn't buried at Giant Stadium, right? Maybe he's there. >> Is Is that where Hul is? Is that what they're looking for? Yeah. >> And then I think other thing too is
whatever we can do to get the word out to get these projects moving and get more submissions, the better off we're going to be. Uh you know, we just don't want to be a cash cow and sit on the cash. We want to put it to work for different projects. So, you know, Pria, if you have anything or or Deborah or
Josh, anything out there that we can move this, you know, start moving the needle a bit and get some nice feathers in our cap. Did Stacy ever come I can't remember. Did Stacy ever come back to us about the project
by the um first aid squad? >> Yeah, she submitted it and we reviewed it um the first on the corner of Lacawana the pocket park. >> Yeah. Where does that where does that stand now?
>> Did it go to the TC? I don't think we gave a budget on that. I think we just talked about it, right? We didn't get an actual dollar or anything like that to even propose, right? >> No, there was a number um that was on that proposal. It was it was significant. It was I think at least a
quarter of a million. I don't remember the exact number, but it was part of the proposal. >> There was some push there was some push back by taking grass away to make that park or do something like that. So, you know, I'm not exactly sure, but I
remember hearing about it at the TC level, but people are pushing back saying the it's an aesthetic project versus, you know, digging up grass around that tree or whatever, but you know, isn't, you know, isn't everything. Uh, did we vote on that as a team? I don't think we did.
>> Think so. >> I don't think we voted on it. >> I do not believe that was voted on. It wasn't like a specific agenda item to be voted on at this point. So, so, so let's make a note to ask Alex. I'll ask ask Alex again where we are with that if we
plan to move it forward, but I did know that there's some feedback from the TC. You remember that, David? That it might just be aesthetics and why rip up grass. There's a bunch of people pushing back on that. Why rip up grass and put that uh rock garden or whatever and and then
actually impede upon the tree. I guess >> I think I remember that too. Yeah, I think you're right. was Can we give Stacy an opportunity to respond to that? >> I would love to give her an opportunity to respond to it and this is part of having the the person here as well,
right? >> Yeah. >> So, so uh you know, let's make a note of that to to revisit that project as well. >> She she did participate in the call. I think um we we kind of patched her in and she did field a lot of these questions and I I do remember hearing
about that TC meeting and the feedback that some residents provided which is that you've got a patch of grass. Why are you going to rip off the grass and and hardscape the area? Isn't that kind of defeating the purpose of open space preservation I suppose? But I mean, one
could make an argument for, you know, a lowerhanging um approach, which would be maybe we could find ways to activate that area by not, you know, we don't have to spend a quarter of a million. Maybe we we invest
50,000 in activating the space as it is as a as a pocket park. um you know running I know Stacey had proposed potentially using that space for a farmers market or some other kinds of community events potentially those those
kinds of events could still be held on grass um and that could be a way of sort of demonstrating the you know the various like uses um and then if if that works if that's
successful then maybe there could be an argument made for, you know, for further investment. Um, I mean, that's something that we could we could talk about, I suppose. I I guess that's why I was thinking, you know, to let Stacy know what some of
the feedback was and give her an opportunity to respond to those concerns and maybe if we tell her, you know, can you do something with a smaller budget, she would have a chance to think about
it and maybe propose some alternative. >> That's good. Yeah, I'm fine with that. I I I really didn't know what I was missing because I actually thought it was a good idea. I kind of liked it. But uh yeah, there was some residents who showed up in force to uh to um voice
their opposition. >> Okay. Um All right. Anything else? If not, we can actually close this up fairly early. Um you know, as as always, I say, you know, we want more projects. We need to get more projects in the pipeline and get them presented uh so we can keep this thing moving.
Um you know, and you know, it's for the benefit benefit of everyone. >> Matt, anything else? >> No, I'll uh I'll relay some of this to Alex. We'll uh you know we we'll get uh we'll stress to the applicants that it
would behoove them to be on the meetings and we'll follow up with them as well because they might not even know the exact timeline or they might hear it's on the meeting but we'll make sure we follow up with them going forward so that they can >> Yeah. Yeah. From a question from a from a process standpoint. I think you know
everyone here would like to have the applicant on the call. >> U% I think we you know we just make that a point of order uh point of procedure. uh for applicants moving forward. So, we're not caught in a position like we are tonight where >> we're asking a lot of questions with no
real answers. >> It was last meeting we had uh the door on from uh uh you know from the arburitum and and he was answering all our questions. So, that that that was helpful. >> All right. Where was I? I think I was in Paris or something on that last call. Um
all right. Um excellent. All right. Anybody else have anything or you want to get back to your to your evenings? >> I do. >> All right. Somebody make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second it and then we'll uh we'll head out. >> Motion. >> Motion to adjurnn.
>> All right. Second. >> Second it. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> All right, guys. We'll talk. Good night, everybody. Good night, everyone. Good night, guys. Bye bye.