of Sparta Environmental Commission meeting of Thursday, May 8th, 2025. The meeting is called to order at 7:04. We are live in the council chambers at the municipal building as well as live streaming at
www.youtube.comspartwpstreams. Um, adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the public and the press on January 10th, 2025 by delivering to the press and posting on the township website a copy of this notice. Please join me in saluting the
flag 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. Thank
you. Um, roll call, please. Emily, Deputy Mayor Marjorie Murphy, Mayor Kimberly Null here. Vice Chair Neil Sarowine here. Christine Dunar here. Ted Gaul. Christine Rogers
here. Barbara Kazulka. Landon Tenieri here. Robert Otto here. John Gra here. Thank you. Thank you. Next item is approval of minutes. the April 24, 2025.
Did we have a you had some change? I just have one little thing. Can you just use the mic? Yes. Thank you. I just I just have one little thing here. This is on page two and it's about halfway down uh
unfinished business and it's the name of uh Debbie Crasser. It's actually Deborah Kratzer. It's Deborah with the H at the end and then I can spell it for you. K R A T Z E R.
K R A T Z E R. Yes. Okay. And on the same page under Earth Day celebration updates, it should be pine cone bird feeders instead of code.
Yes. Any additional changes? Do I have a motion to accept these minutes? A motion to accept the minutes of of April 24th. April 24th, 2025. I'll
second that. Thanks, Rob. All in favor? I I I'm going to abstain since I wasn't here. I think it passes anyway. All right. Thank you so much. Um, we are working on back minutes. I
know you've sent me some from 22 and 24. I have it on my list. No worries. There there's a lot. Yeah. Um, all right. We have no applications to review tonight and I'm will open it up to
public comment but we have nobody here for public comment. Um so let's move on to reports. Uh who would like to go first? Trails committee master plan subcommittee for the trails. We we haven't met so we
meet on the 15th at 6 pm and there'll be more to report but we've been very busy. So I guess stay tuned. Okay, thank you. Planning board, do you want to go next? Um, we're working on refining process
and uh we're still when we get applications, I'm still at least trying for that 3,000 Kelvin. Um, so we had I'm trying to think we had well yeah on all applications I kind
of ask and it seems like most uh sign people and applicants are happy to agree to consider 3000 Kelvin but it's not a condition because there's no ordinance. Um, I had a little discussion with the
town engineer about best practices as far as their offices because there was some um discrepancy I guess or or people they've looked you guys had you guys looked at this before like a year or two
ago maybe considered it before. So I want to ask have you encountered anything about um downlighting not being best practices? I just assumed it was versus uh ground lit. Any reason you do ground
lit advocate for that? I've not come across it. Okay. I think uh yeah, I I won't say where I think I came that came from. I think it came from an application. Um so everything that the engineer said was best
practices 90 degrees to the building so down. um that they discourage wallpack lighting, which is like those very commercial bright um they're just mounted onto the face of an ex. You you'll know it if you think of like
municipal building, it's like the cheap light there. Um and uh then there was in discussion with him, I kind of got uh a little more detail on um you know, ornamental lighting design
versus functional lighting and how they've handled that. So, I'm putting all this together uh in something I want to provide something to you guys uh for lighting, but every time I think we're done, I keep finding something else
hidden in the code. Um, so anyway, yeah, just uh I guess what we need, we need to make a recommendation and we need to eventually choose to adopt or to suggest an ordinance and then adopt it and then we can start conditioning things. Sounds
good. Um, yeah. Um, the master plan subcommittee is meeting as we speak, so I'm unable to give any updates. Okay. And you settled. Margie, you want to give an update from
town council or since the last meeting behind usually two days before here, um we didn't even discuss anything that was we didn't even give our updates on
our other committees. As we know, the cannabis stores were the ordinance was passed 250 ft from schools, parks, churches, playgrounds and
uh it was a very long meeting, very long meeting and people spoke out and they were a lot of people were very upset about it and there was a lot of good points made and uh that's what we did for the meeting. Okay. The
whole time. The whole time. If I could just mention something Anything else about the planning board meeting? Um, we it was uh one of our applicants uh is withdrew the application for now. So, it
was conceivably going to be a shorter meeting. We did hear the first half of um we heard the first half of the um new sewer treatment plan uh over at the the
technical school. And um I didn't know what we wanted to say but I tried to ask fairly intelligent questions about that. They're they are coming back. Um yeah. So this was one half. And then um for the longest time um and I can
understand why people were very upset. Um apparently I don't do social media. I do it rarely. um people are making disparaging comments about the planning board and
um that just really upset me because I don't know a more honest, dedicated, hardworking group of people than them. And it it it just to me that's why I don't do Facebook.
Exactly. You know, bec because of that. And these people should know better. And if they would like to join us, put in their application, I think that they would be humbled by the experience as I have been.
Well, I think some of those people that made those comments have been part of past planning boards and minor site planning committees and subcommittee. So, that was the issue. But also, um I don't know, you know, I social media doesn't
really matter. Uh but uh my issue with that was that there was a lot of pressure on um our town employees and the process. So, you know, if since you're bringing this up, it's just kind of there's a
process. The process is being refined. Um and uh you know just as we're doing with environmental we there's uh we're trying to protect the fabric of Sparta, the
community of Sparta. So there there are rules not for the sake of rules but because uh we're attempting to preserve the fabric of the community in all these different ways. So, I thought you were
going to talk about that uh because you brought up the Sussex um the school wastewater treatment thing and we asked about PAS filtering. Um they're replacing a 60-year-old wastewater plant. Uh so, we we asked about PAS.
They're not doing that. They are replacing an aging facility. They're not changing the volume of it but uh the the um school design is such that it can handle four times current capacity. So
it's and I would have asked but I can assume the answer is the same as residential septic or wastewater treatment that they probably don't want to upsize it. one because of cost and two because they probably need additional permitting and a whole
headache there. So, uh but we did ask for down lighting, right? And we asked for 3,000 Kelvin, I think limited lighting. Um and and you were looking to quantify
well back to the sewage treatment. Yeah. Well, just because you brought it up, I was like, "Oh, yeah, we quality quality. Will the quality of the water be better with the new and to what degree? What percentage? But I think I was thinking about that. I mean that's a good question but um I
think 60 years ago you know 60 years old 60 years but a lot of these if if they're not touched they're you know again it's that little uh subsurface biome that's snacking away and breaking down and you
know to kind of benign substances. And so it was interesting though to ask them, are you doing anything for POS filtering? But I I get the feeling that they're they're trying to stay ahead of things and they're they're expecting
that there's going to be some kind of um addition that they might have to do in a couple years, but rightly they're not doing beyond what the state requirements are because money, right? So,
okay. Thank you. All right. Sustainable New Jersey application. Is that you, Neil? Who's speaking? So, all of us, I guess. Yeah. Um I haven't marked the um sustainable
land use pledge complete yet, but I I uploaded the documents. Okay. I'll do that before the deadline. Okay. And possibly a couple more things. about that yet. Okay. When is the deadline? May 21st. So for every
Well, there's three deadlines. So we made the first one already. Um so anything else we put in is kind of icing on the cake. Is the lighting's 10 points. I think Neil found that out, right? So I want to submit that. But again, I want to make sure I include
everything. So what's what's my deadline for that for us? Although I think it requires the ordinance to actually be passed. Yeah. So it's the upgrade and retrofit light pollution action. It's 10 points and all
you have to upload is the ordinance. Does it have to be approved? Uh I think so. Yes. Yeah. So but we it doesn't have to be by this May deadline. We can do it for the later um deadline. We have enough points without about it. We just have to update everything that they came
back with little edits that they wanted for each of them. Um, and I think we were at 80 points and we need to get um up to 160. So, it's just minor changes to a bunch of them and then we'll we should be
good. The second deadline is May 16th and the final deadline, which is sooner than I thought, is July 31st. That was the 23rd. Yes. I don't think you're gonna make the
16th. Not the 16th. July 31st. We have too much. But um yeah, but that that Sorry, that one is uh when I reread it, it's just for municipal retrofit, right? So, what I'm
trying to do, I'll include that, but then other stuff. Is there anything there that we could do? The municipal retrofit has its own little Well, that's what I'm wondering is it makes the way I saw this happening is
that new applications or changes in lighting would give us an opportunity to request or to compel um and I'd like to coordinate with town manager and see um and you know the other kind of township
stakeholders and say would he be okay with us putting this forth and it doesn't require that they uh immediately start changing stuff, but that it's there for when that replacement cycle begins. So, I think it
could still work as a, you know, having a component for municipal retrofit and new applicants or applicants with lighting changes. But, uh, we could do a separate one. I just
it costs money to go through that whole review process, submit it, I think notice it and all this stuff. So, uh, if I could do it all together, but is there anything else like Christine or Neil like? So, it says the goal of the reduce light pollution action is to create an
outdoor lighting policy that helps prevent misdirected or excessive light caused by inappropriate or misaligned light fixtures. And it says to what you need to upload. Yeah. I know earn points. It just says adopt a municipal policy or an
associated municipal outdoor lighting ordinance. So that's all you have to upload. Is there is there anything else we you want to try to get beyond the municipal or is there any other lighting? I didn't see any other lighting.
Don't we need to upload the minutes or something else? Sorry. Did I hear you say correctly that we're at enough points for bronze? We're just trying to get to silver. No. Okay. We have 80 points approved right now.
Okay. We need to get the other um actions that we submitted last time completely. They came back with little edits that they wanted. So, we have to make those edits for May 16th and then we're going to resubmit and then we'll just be able to add these
additional um actions that we've you know these new ones that we haven't submitted will also be part of it. Okay. Does the edits get us to what we need for bronze? Yes. Okay. Uh sustainable jersey. Oh, okay. That's what you're getting. Yeah. And how many
is it for bronze again? I know you said it. 160 I think right silver is like yeah another 200 it is much harder hurdle than getting but we can keep working on it yeah we'll
keep trying you were talking about the lights I and as we stood outside last time and looked at the lights on 15 and then looking down here and went and they are a lot a lot more attractive and a lot less less harsh on your eyes. And
then I drove home and I'm looking and some of the lights are flickering in our our light poles. Yeah, I saw that. And you saw that, too? And then downtown there's two different colors. Yeah. But I So I called the manager and I asked and I said, "So who's responsible?"
Like Mohawk is responsible for the ones downtown and we are for the rest. And I said, "So I guess I said, "How do we change? You just can't change the bulb apparently. Not necessarily. Um it
depends on what it is. Some of them are uh integrated into the whole Some of them are integrated into the housing. Some of them are uh bulb retrofit, I think, but I assume that most of these are just integrated. Um but that doesn't
I don't know that we'd have to find out because I don't know that I know what you're asking. Um there might be like a package where you could do like a a ligh head replacement. Um right and just get that sub assembly. So I was going to they
were going to look in just find out about that. But somehow they've got it because there's some that are out. So it's got to be and that and that's the thing. Maybe if you have a further conversation or maybe we could we could uh continue this
is that right? I mean, you know, 3,000 Kelvin is what we're going for, but it would make sense to kind of sit down with them and come up with a plan. Maybe find a supplier. Um, loop in LMC because
even among you say 3,00 Kelvin, um, not all LEDs are the same. And I assume they're using LEDs, but I don't know because they've been in there for quite a while. So yeah, it may not be I mean even in the indirect lighting in the code and this is what I was
referencing is it talks about indirect lighting um it's just talking about fluorescent and um mercury vapor doesn't even mention LEDs because it predates LEDs probably interesting. What are the other things
we're trying to submit still besides the edits? Did we get the um salt watch information up there, Christine? Um that would add five points and yeah. Um and I have to redo the introduction
and recommunicate with Debbie Crzer. Okay. Regarding what happened at the uh Earth Day. Okay. And then we're ready to submit that too. Yes. I could use a couple of pictures of the booth, the EC
exhibit. Did we get get any uh I I think she likes pictures because you know she can see what we're doing there. There's good coverage with tap into as part of independent I didn't see that yet. I did see that
before I came in. Yeah, but I and we do have a couple of the EC I believe there. Yes, I know we have the food bank. Yeah, I got an email I think from either tap into or independent and there a lot of
pictures. Yeah, I forwarded them too. Oh, that's right. Can you just take them from the you site? Okay, good. Awesome. For the email. Do you think you can do that Christine
before the 16th? I could possibly do it. If it rains tomorrow, I won't be out in the field. All right. Um, what are the other ones that we're missing besides lights? Salt watch.
Um, you know, Earth Day Fair. Okay. Yeah. Well, that just happened. Okay, cool. Did you want to share something else about the Are we moving on to Jersey? No, that's okay. All right. You look like you were gonna say something.
All right. Earth Day Fair happened um on Saturday. It was good food and great camaraderie. Unfortunately, we didn't get a lot of public, so we were lucky that it didn't rain, so that was ended
up being the right call. We were worried about whether we could host it outside, so it didn't rain. The wind would come through randomly and whip our tents around. But yeah, um yeah, overall it was a good event, but not the attendance
that we would have hoped for. And um we are going to get our sustainable jersey 10 points from that. And we did get good press as we said earlier. So there's a lot of good pictures. So thank you Emily for passing that around to us. But it's both tapped to Sparta and the
Sparta Independent. And we'll be able to include all that press in the upload for Sustainable Jersey. Awesome. I had a great time. Yummy sandwich. Had a good sandwich. Y my kids liked it. Thanks, guys. I mean, I learned a lot,
but I The exhibits were fabulous. And like we I know a couple of us had said maybe we need to hold it back here. Yeah. Next time. I think we were I don't know. It's that's the second time it's been done. Second time we Okay. And the first time was out
here, right? And there were more people definitely. However, when I left, and I'm sure everybody came down that the truck was flipped. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah. And that had been like that for over an hour. So, had it been? Yes. Yeah. Cuz I of course I h 11 to three.
Yeah. Yeah. So, of course, I got out of my car and went to see what was going on and said, "How long's this been like this?" Well, so people couldn't get through and they probably went, "Yeah, forget it." You know, am I going to turn around? Am I going to go that way? you know, it was that could have been a
detriment, too, as to why people didn't come. Y, but um overall, I mean, it was a great location, but I don't know what else was going on. But I think also the downside is the middle school is kind of not in the main hub of
town like it was at the municipal building. So, I think yeah, I think we just re-evaluate. Um, we were expecting bigger turnout, but and probably ho hosting it closer to Earth Day again would help, but there were like four or five T- ball games going on. Yeah. Lots
of sports. Lots of sports on Saturday. Um, my other thought was do it in conjunction with something else that is already definitely not Sparta Day, but um there are things that this the recreation committee does that maybe we
could piggy back on. So, or LMPF. Yeah, exactly. We talked to them, too. Good. All right. Next item. The actual the next two items are basically kind of the same item. Um because the next speaker
that we're trying to get is on the deer population. Um that speaker wants to come and speak to the town council. They don't they won't be here. So, it won't be necessarily a joint committee meeting, but we will attend the town council meeting when that speaker comes,
hopefully if everyone's free. And just to add to that, Kim, um I did hear back finally from Rigiden Valley Conservancy. So, they're willing to come. They have a trustee who's willing to come to our uh second meeting in June, which would be the 26th. I know you're not there, but
they have very limited availability. So, we're going to try to do it for that June 26th day. And that will be a presentation that's really focused on how to preserve your land. So that'll be a different topic than we've covered in the past. How to preserve your land.
Yeah. For Yeah. For like permanent preservation so that it can't be developed. So when you when you pass you donate it or put it in can serve as ship. Yeah. So it can't be environmental easement. Yes. It could be. You you don't you can also
do that before you pass, right? Do it before. Well, no. I mean like they can take it while you're live. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You That's what you were setting up. Yeah. Like that you could donate your land and
Yeah. Yeah. So, I'll make up before they're very good. I will um this I just found out yesterday. So, I'll make up a flyer and then we can get that posted again on our website and in tap into Sparta just so
we can get people here. Great. Thank you. That would be great. The deer population one will be um hopefully we're aiming for July. It does take about 40 minutes, so it it'll have to be a town council meeting where they don't have a lot of other topics already, but
I don't know when that happens, but take a look at that. July. Yeah, I know Michelle is working on it. Okay. And I think your two meetings are like the 10th and the something or other. I gave them the two July dates that you had.
And that's primarily the focus will be in Lake Mohawk. It's not going to be the surrounding areas because most of the surrounding areas do not have the deer just hanging out in front yards and stuff. No, it's So it would be the 8th and the 22nd. Yeah, I think those are
the dates. paint that deer in Lake Mohawk. Yeah, that'll be the focus. I've named them. He's also going to speak about how um feeding the deer does not actually help
them. It's bad for them. Um and a couple other topics he'll cover. Uh rain barrel workshop. I'm still uh talking about what day it's going to be with
um our Americanore person, watershed ambassador Jenna. Um we are thinking of doing it on a Thursday evening before the environmental commission meeting. Um and uh I think the next I'm just waiting on
a flyer to just make sure. She sent that out today. I don't know. Oh, did she? Oh, I didn't see it. Yeah, this is the copy of it. So, I can just pass this around. Um, and then we were trying to figure out the Did you see my email about the budget? Yeah. So, it's going to be um we
had a couple supplies left over from Ethan's rainarrel workshop that we can reuse and put towards this and the remaining $150. Uh, my organization, the um SCMUI Walkill River Wershed Management Group is going to cover the cost. So, it will
be free to anyone who wants to sign up, but There's only 10 barrels available. So once we get this posted, it's going to be first come, first serve in here. Yes. So the presentation will
be in here um at 5:30 on June 12th and then the rainarrel construction will be outside the municipal building and then everyone can stick around and come to our meeting at 7 o'clock. That's June 12th. June 12th. Yeah.
All right. Sparta day is May 31st this year. Um I think you Emily, you were going to sign us up. Did Yeah, I'm in the process of getting a purchase order and trying to contact the Junior Women's Club to to secure a spot. Okay, sounds
good. It's about $75 this year for a spot. That's with a discount of being a nonprofit. Yep, that's about right. I know I can be there. Is anybody else planning on being there with me? I know some folks said they could. Landon, you can come. Landon
and Neil, I can I can be there for a couple hours. Okay. Two or three hours. Yep. Work together. Perfect. Um and then what did we say we were going to have as Were you gonna get something from
Anjack for that one too, Neil? Or yes. Okay, thank you so much. And then we'll have that same box of flyers. I'll bring my tent with more weights this time. And we need the banner and then I think we should be good.
Okay. Um, and then tree ordinance update. I haven't heard from Corey on the tree ordinance update. Did he ever reach out to you about it? No. All right, I'll reach out to Corey on
it and the tree ordinance up. It needs to be updated. It's required to be updated because I can't remember the exact reason why, but the D is requiring an update to it. So, we did an initial draft and we shared it with Corey Stoner and Jim Zep and they were still working
on the updates that were needed and then of course it has to go through the approval process through the town council. Yeah. But now it's they've had it they've had it for a little while but now there's a change a required change,
right? A required change. Yeah. So even though they spent all that time now needs to be modified, right? There's another Well, they've had it for a while, but isn't there a requirement? There's been some back and forth. Yeah. With the D. No, but there's Wasn't there
there's a whole new uh Yeah. template template. Yeah, that's that's what I thought. From what from what was initially submitted, it was I I thought we Yeah. Neil, wasn't there? Yes, I uh said that
last week or last meeting. Um I forwarded that. Yeah, there was a um a presentation that Sustainable Jersey gave on the new requirements. Oh, okay. That was all forwarded to So throw it
all out, Mr. Okay. Thank you so much. I'm a week behind. All right. Um moving on to new business make polluters pay resolution. Neil, yes, that's the same as the next one,
the New Jersey Climate Super Fund Act uh resolution. And uh interestingly enough, I was in Simple Bare Necessities today and I was given the contact information for
Jillino who Oh, Jill. Oh, you spoke with I spoke with Jill and Ken Doulski and if we have any questions they will come to us or the TC or we can put them on the phone if we have any questions. But she was actually uh she wanted to come to
the meeting tonight and give a talk on it but she's planning on on the next meeting. Yeah, she couldn't tonight but she's planning on the next meeting for the EC. Right. Yeah. So, this will give us a little more time to um read about the details. Um I mentioned this at the
planning board meeting. This is um a resolution that has been a long time coming because it makes the polluters pay up rather than the tax payers rather than us. And 40 years ago I I read a
study. It was in Scientific American and it was all over the place that Exxon had done a study that um analyzed if they kept putting the same and increasing pollution, carbon dioxide pollution into
the air um what would our atmosphere look like? What would the change be in our environment as a consequence of doing it? and they saw that we would have a warmer planet basically. And at
that point in time, 40 years ago, if they had decided to stop polluting and invest in sustainable energy, safe energy, uh we wouldn't be in the situation we
are now, you know, with the ocean temperatures and the air temperatures and such. And this is this is well documented. And this goes back to making a deal with Exxon in the past a few years ago. I remember we had a governor that did that
did that that sold us out on that rather than making them accountable. So I think fair is fair. you know, we have a big burden and, uh, we could use a little help and I think they need to step
up. And so, um, but maybe we need a little bit more time to digest, um, this information. I'm just looking here to see what, uh, references. I don't see the scientific, uh, American article
here. Um, but there's there's lots. All you have to do is go and Google it and you'll come up with that study. Were you talking about the 1988 Shell Report? Because there's also the internal memo that I remember I had a copy of it. I was looking for it, but it's called the
greenhouse effect. And it was 1988 internal memo that all the shell scientists, not all of them, but several of them put together. And uh however by the time the global warming becomes detectable it could be too late to take effective countermeasures to reduce the
effects or even to stabilize the situation and that was 1988. Um so they had extensive knowledge of climate change impacts and implications. Uh and there was also a 1981 program prior to the UN
intergovernmental panel on climate change being founded. So, it's pretty damning. Yeah, it was time as well. It blew me out of the water when I found out about this 20 years ago. I'm like, why didn't they make the right decision? Cut back on their profits and take some of all
the profits that they make and and put and and put it into green energy solutions for us. You know, when I look at all of the disasters around the world and all the suffering caused by all these weird events, you know, weather events, it just it breaks my heart. Um,
and it doesn't make me feel good about humanity at that point and human decisions, but um, but this is this is a real good one. They invested in covering up this information. Yeah, they did. The accountants are but I mean the coal
industry had something from the 60s similar thing. So So can you coal industry in 1960s they had talk about the process though? So we read this um and then we make a recommendation to the town council to
adopt to say that they also approve it or we are saying we approve it. I think if they want to they want to get the resolutions from the town council they need they need help in persuading the um
the legislators. Okay. you know, and if they know the people actually feel that this is fair, then they're more likely to, you know, vote for it because they'll get reelected. Okay. Yep. So, we recommend we would be voting to
recommend that the town council um say that they approve of this to strongly consider this as a a Sparta resolution. Okay. And give the date and the number adopted. Adopted. Yeah. All
right. So, by the next meeting, if everybody could please read this and if you do have any comments or concerns, please bring them and Jill will be here. And Jill will come. Okay, perfect. Actually, is she
going to be a speaker coming up as a formal speaker? I'm sure she would love to be a speaker. She would. I'm sure she would. She today. Okay, that's fine with me. We'll put her in as a presenter. At what time? We
usually put them first. Does that work? Well, she knows the time is seven. So, um, it was this week she couldn't come. So, what's her last name? It's Jillino. A qu i n o. All right. And we'll send a little
announcement out about it, too. Anything else on that? All right. So, these are both the same thing. Make polluters pay resolution and the super fund act. This is the same thing. Yes. Okay. All right. So, it is the same. All right. Any other new business for the good of the residents
of Sparta or the environment? Um, I attended the uh webinar, Anjac webinar on municipal food waste recycling last week and I I sent an email from my other email account to to
uh you Kim and Emily, but apparently I don't know if you're getting that because I didn't get a response, but uh the Anjek is also uh pushing for us to um have our have the council adopt a
resolution that uh to urge the state legislature to pass and enact two legislative bills. Um number one uh S2426 A2090 which calls for county level food
waste reduction planning and tiered permitting for composting operations. And number two, uh, S1040 and A2102, which allows for on-site composting in community gardens without excessive
regulatory barriers because they're um there New Jersey res regulations that really um put a damper on on on food waste composting
that that you know prohibit certain things that would make it a lot easier without them to to uh have composting. So, I'll forward that email again and there's a model resolution that Okay, that'd be great. I'll send to you also.
Okay, thank you. Which also brings to mind the resolution for the skip the stuff I sent to you also last last wrapped up last meeting. We got to add those back to the agenda.
Talk about them again. Skip the stuff. Yeah. Yeah. That's the one where um if you're getting takeout um rather than having the takeout organization just put it everything in the bag, maybe you're taking the takeout home and you don't
need plastic silverware, right? So, um or maybe you don't like duck sauce or whatever it might be, right? So skip the stuff is you can have the stuff available but don't just put it in the bag if you're taking away
because I don't know about you all like I you know you get another plastic spoon that you're not going to use and you don't need it. Chopsticks. Chopsticks. Yep. A lot of wood that gets wasted. Yep. Exactly. That's actually the called the packing product steward stewardship
act. Oh, yes. We passed that. I mean, we agreed to pass that to town council for consideration last session, didn't we? The um we talked about it. Yes. Was it the pack packaging product stewardship
act? You took a vote last time to pass it up to the this one right here. Okay. And after doing a little bit of research, you know, I was like I mentioned before, I was worried about the impact on businesses having to comply. But what they do is they have a
long timeline going out. And the thought is is that this could um create a lot of um innovation and jobs um in uh coming up with new packaging. So it's not like they have to do it two years from now.
It's like at least 10 years and so out to um upgrade their packaging to be recyclable, sustainable. Yeah. So that that one and then the one that Neil and I were talking about the
New Jersey Climate Super Fund Act and then the food waste one and Jack is calling the trifecta. This is what they're hoping um that all ECs will um talk about and bring to their town
councils. They feel that these three are the most impactful for our towns and help helpful for them. Okay. Yes. This one the uh packaging uh was uh voted out of the environmental
committee and sent to or referred to the assembly environment natural resources and solid waste committee. No, I'm sorry. uh referred to this Yeah. the Assembly Science, Innovation, and Technology
Committee uh today. They break the news. Yeah. You know, they were supposed to hear that today at 1:00, weren't they? Yes, they voted. They voted it. How did the vote go? 5 to 2 to send it to
uh as reported as an assembly committee substitute and referred to the assembly science innovative innovation and technology committee. pass to a different committee. Yeah. Yeah. But if we really feel strongly about any of these, I mean, we as a group could go
into our district 24 office and they would be happy to um schedule an appointment and we could meet with them and, you know, say this is really important to Sparta. Um, I think that makes a really big impact when you talk to um, you know,
your assemblyman or your senator, make an appointment to do that. I wouldn't say necessarily the staffer would be a good one, but if we could actually when they have, you know, the sessions are out um, to schedule an appointment, I
think that that is worth a try, you know. Yeah. I always have a problem because I work during the day. But yeah, do do you work a long way away? No. Maybe we could do it like a lunch one.
Okay. 12 noon. Yeah, maybe we'll do that. Anybody else want to try? Load the school kids in the bus and drive them for a little civic engagement. What did you say? He's going to load his kids in the car. No, no, not me. I'm saying the
green team or are, you know, get get a bus full of high schoolers that want to get engaged. Student government. Yeah. Hey, if they could miss school, they'd be up for it. Yeah. Exactly. What do you trip? All right. So, next time we'll bring the all three of those. Read this one
here. New Jersey Climate Super Fund Act. And sorry, what's the other one? The food waste and the priority packaging. We haven't I guess we haven't talked about that one yet, right? Which one? Did we Did we talk about the food? We
haven't the food waste one. Copies of that and thought about that a bit. No. Yeah. So, that would be the next one probably. We would. Okay. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? Make that motion. Thank you, Rob. A second.
Second. Thank you, Christine. All in favor? I I thank you. Thank you. So, you know, I'm not here next May 25th.