okay this meeting to order 7:30 this is the meeting of the brookley height environmental Commission on june3 at 7:30 meeting will take place in the door room on the second floor of the township all MERS if you will not be attending meeting please invise the chair hi and then adequate notice that this meeting was provided ining Place according to the provisions the open public meeting um who's Tak minutes I don't have a laptop that's a necessary I I can do it you got it Al thanks Al yep yes thank you I'll try not to embarrass Angus next time around right um minutes for February 19th that anyone get a chance to look at some of those you got we got the n February 19th March 4th 5th okay so we need April 4 ail 4 May 6 and May 20 April 4th and mine I at the last two six and 20 they were fine because you went over the changes I saw with shanley's name Chris y so other than that looks good after the change and you're good with six and 20 okay okay anybody else so we have a a motion to approve the six and approve the minutes of the May 6 meeting a second I'll and same for the May 20th meeting so alra wrote those I reviewed you John no but I was at the minutes uh you weren at the minute meeting I can't I can't second the motion to approve those minutes no not if you weren't at the meeting you're on the call oh I don't think so I'm looking up to see if it was well look at the minutes for May 6 I did the minutes are good but and are you on the list of attendees is joining May funny if you did attend John and so you can second those yes so motions approved May 20th minutes second second that one so it looks like the fourth ising fourth was May 6th we we just got May 6 John wasn't at the meeting your minutes look that's nice that's nice I got it we if you don't attend the meeting you don't get to approv them or second I missed that point in the context of so we good for the 20th but the sixth and fourth are still outside okay get heing on agenda items three minutes uh we have of resident there I am yeah I just want to say I I I was away for the last meeting and I because I show up so often and predictably I I thought I should have sent a note that I didn't get to in case you thought I was just having trouble but I'm back no other comment no other comments okay uh new business June 9th that's the meeting that's the street fa so um You probably saw the email from Liza about the street fair who is here tonight Who's planning to be at the street fair I will alv not sure not sure not sure uh Angus uh I think will be there at some point okay Renee Renee are you there not picking up uh so um I will be there too uh and um agus will if I understand correctly he will provide tables for the meeting um and uh as usual one people have the opportunity to sign up for trees uh and uh we'll have some giveaways that we get from uh the county uh including spotted Lantern fly cards and any other any other sorry my I couldn't unmute um for the street fair what are the times again um to 4 okay so I will be at soccer tournaments so I won't be able to join but happy to hold on let me just look at the schedule do we need tables what can I do to help prep before after and um there'll be we'll need some help setting up before around 11 o'clock okay and are we are we joining the township or we have our own table what's the setup this year yeah we're joining the township the library uh what was the other group that always joins historic I think historic preservation but I think this year they were going to include the wellness committee the wellness committee that was it yeah okay but the historic preservation will be later talk anyone else on June 9th if not we move on to an an meeting June 17th I've been asked to attend an ANC meeting on June 17th so I will not be at environmental commission meeting on June 17th so I will ask uh Angus or Kim if they can share that meeting not then go through the rest of the U commission to see if someone else can share at the meeting on June 17 32 Liberty Avenue okay this is a an application and we've been going through this application so we're kind of reviewing it one more time um and basically of 32 Liberty Avenue is next to a stream and I think the big issue that David raised was that it's uh within the reparan zone of the of the stream um and uh a uh you can apply uh for permits when you're within a reparan Zone and the this applicant did previously apply for a permit so that they can encroach upon the uh uh repair in zone but uh apparently within that is within 50 ft of the repairium Zone but up to 25 ft away from the reparan zone and uh David you wanted to make that stronger in our uh recommendation that they should not be allowed to approach any further than 25 ft like perhaps they did I think that's an yes and and did it appear that they were encroaching well I think all we've seen so far are plan yes so they haven't actually ENC it looks from the the plan was to ENC was the plan looking like it I guess that's I think so I you have to ey all the distances because it meas so um U I thought we made it stronger but I sent it around but maybe the other thing that that I'm puzzled about is if you look at the states regulations it says the repair in zone is 50t yes there's no 25t repair inone correct somehow our Township engineer is so what is it equivalent to this was a conflict that happened previously in the last week the township wrote rewrote the repairing Zone language you conflicted with the state think this might be one that's okay well whether is or not our concern is that they not because we we know that a a a property owner can apply for a permit to encroach on the repairing uh but our our impression is that you can't encroach more than 25 ft into the repair Zone words you have a 50 foot repair Zone in this case you can encroach with it you can encroach 25 ft uh as long as you're following certain rules of this uh yeah so I um I guess have the question is it worth bringing out for the benefit of the township engineer that state regulation suggest the 50 Foot repairing Zone 25 I think so because there was a lwuit over this one thank well uh we can certainly uh bring that up but the resolution the previous resolution allowed the home owner to uh apply for permit uh to approach on the own so that uh I don't know whether that has actually happen but that is already get given so so I don't know that I mean we can certainly call that out or bring the township attorney into it because from what I understand there was a builder who wanted to build with somewhere between the 25 and the 50 and they lost and they couldn't build because a neighbor put up enough of a stink and what happened was is that he the neighbor won and the Builder was encroaching on the 50 went out the 25 and his case he came before this board actually a few years ago try to make his case and his case was that he's he's abiding by the 25 ft it wasn't the 50 and they we didn't let him build somebody build but that that may not be us that may be the board of adjustment that might be their perview right well yeah it's not the township attorney it's the board of justice so they so that's probably okay work that out in my head if somebody is not correctly interpreting the law that's the tangent there's a conflict between State and Township and there's some differences of opinions as to which way that's supposed to go TI like if there's a conflict land rights is that the owner land ownership wins but then if there's a conflict you usually go the more restricted which would be that's what made that case interesting you think if we have ordinances that conflicted the state regulations that we would fix the ordinances that one still out there so I mean and there are other permits allowed to encroach on the repairing not just this number 10 per 10 there are other rules that allow you to approach onaran zone so um in this case that that the the board allowed that encroach our Our concern at this point I would think is that the homeowner not go not encroach any further than 25 ft into thean in other words they should be remaining any construction be outside of the remaining 25 ft yes yes right and in that circumstance yeah right and and should we should we be recommending remediation of what within the 25 ft iess we haven't we don't know yeah we don't know I mean I haven't looked at the property to see you know s measured it what do you think might be that 25 ft a shed or La lawn yeah I yeah I would say you know we've done this before if you're in the repairing Zone if you're encroaching into the repairing Zone you should be doing things such as planting native plants and repairing and so so that I would think that should be a recommendation or recommendation to ensure that any plants do not encroach on the 50 25t set back from the river the brook stream and that the Maybe peran Zone be manage according to the Jersey regulation or you point to the regulation right so it shouldn't be like landscap yeah which is probably pretty so uh do we need to have a motion on on that one more time that the what we discussed mainly encroaching on the reparan Zone shall not exceed 25 ft and any and and maintain the reparan Zone with PL plantings in importance with stor water makes sense toize that so motion to revise the letter recommendation 32 the Avenue along the lines which just out all right Al yeah can I just um let me capture that one more time that's what the recommendation is that the applicant not build any further than the 25 foot limit that's 25t setback from the river and that the The raran Zone be managed to New Jersey riparian Zone standards is that I get that right that's close enough I think yes the the first bit is not just not to build but no no development should Ur go on within 25 ft nothing no Pao no right no deck no encroachment on the yeah on the 2 ft remaining to okay got it right and so I'm sorry so we had making the motion and we have a second yes second joh seconds okay Scout projects no updates from Mich have some Scouts resurfacing Trails still with mold shits about it okay reported last time community garden no relevant updates except that today's national gardening day so if you haven't had your fingers in the soil after this meeting I implore you to do so all right I thought there was something uh was it um face or something that the bees have arrived R there was something about was there something about bees arriving at the humanity Garden M remember oh yeah so bees we had actually um been doing some work with the bees right so we ask the gardeners to just be gentle and stay away from the hives because we IR ated them some right so we wanted to make sure that no one was um hurt or alarmed by any unusual be activity due to the disruption but I mean overall I think the V are very well received um if you remember a couple of years ago that was a Hot Topic at this meeting um I think it's we we uh pleasantly surprised at how how everyone is welcoming the bees storm ordinance and ms4 I haven't heard anything from maret on this and she said she was working with you John you anything on storm water ordinance isn't that in place as of the no because of the change that we had that one change were uh sustain Jersey came back when they reviewed it that was the tree ordinance oh right right okay so yeah that's right that one's done um by the way that was active the day of the vote right the tree ordinance I think so yeah so that's the act different in the ordinance um I just think Margaret went away she was trying to get stuff done before she went on a vacation and she comes back I'll touch B with her this week I think she's back okay I'll report back with that one and then you were going to do some I thought she going to do the ms4 education this state an update uh right an update on the education yeah what what we've achieved to fill our re um yes so the manual we have more than 12 points I verified that right I thought you were G to set something around for us to look I had to update it first so I'll send it around tonight it's updated now okay but do you want to review real quick of what's on there what we up to up to so ask these were the highlights just for this is a quick second for 24 we had the litter clean up at Center Park Scouts invas species workshop and clean up a rainbarrel workshop those are all in person which are three points a piece and then we have info for landscapers campaign and the website we built with the business cards educating landscapers and then we maintain the township website and then uh we're trying to get the township to do that reduce your flushing campaign when there's a heavy rainfall to reduce load that would actually score a point too so uh all in all we have 14 points above the 12 re I also gave a presentation to the zone to the uh planning you remember the date of that no but I can and it was order specific right it was St specific I don't know that might be one point I'll check thank you and they asked Susan W ask that that presentation be put on the website I haven't checked whether it's there that' be under maintaining a website for some more information for residences yeah let me see that might be an extra point for a specific presentation John can I ask a question John and team um for evidence of you know action for all these things for all these points what do we need to provide like what does anj require I'm just thinking of like as an example the the you know not flushing during storms it's not it's the it's njp oh okay Liza's been responsible for that but only when they ask they said they were G to get more strict on getting the updates every year and I I just have a manual which I I would like formal I don't need to maintain it but right now I just keep track of it and she asked me I just provide evidence with links to those the rainb workshop uh and other mediums we put out there so that we can prove what we've done okay now while you mention the rain barrel Workshop Richard are we we're not touching on that today if not can we if there's time I didn't catch that for name the the rain barrel initiative can we touch do we have time to touch on that today yeah we can do that right now that's right under stor water okay so the update is the workshop still scheduled for I think it's the 12th if I recall I look at my calendar um and do we have enough interest is there any room for any more people that are [Music] interested had to order we had to order parts and I ordered the parts today so we had six people signed up according to the Watershed Ambassador uh that's what we've got there was another person who's trying to sign up today but we don't have have any more barrels available i' have to ask I'd have to ask whether there's another Barrel available because it was a long it's a long story with the barrels because the Bhed Ambassador said there were barrels available down at Atlantic City so uh they would not transport those barrels up we would have to go down and pick them up and bring them back so these are barrels that are 50 gallon barrels they're empty but you need the space to bring them back and that would involve a whole day of travel two and a half hours down two and a half hours back um so I happened to be in a conversation with the town office and uh the town said oh we've got some barrels how many do you need at that point it was five so um I talked to DPW and they said they could spare five Barrel so that's where we are there are other barrels but at this point our would you know the cost to go down and pick up a couple of more barrels is a lot because you have to rent a truck uh and then uh gas for the truck time for going down and back so at this point we were living with the tpw BS so how will the barrels get to the residence HS that's easy because you only taking one barrel and generally these barrels will fit in the back seat of your vehicle I have a small Honda Fit I can fit a barrel in in the back of my Honda F okay hey Rich I want to jump in with the silence a clarification from uh before an ordinance isn't enacted the day it passes there's a time period and the go the mayor can has to sign off for veto and they have to publish so but by now it probably isaed right I thought that I thought that in general they put a date in as to the effective data of the ordinance so I I did not look to see whether that was the case yeah I don't remember that yeah yeah but it that for the purpose now I know what you are talking about it probably by now it is it's just there is a there is a process right and uh and just just to that's important just want to clarify that that's it yeah okay stop the drain we don't have Kim there is a an is organizing a an adop to drain webinar it's coming up this month maybe you saw it for in the ANC news it's being conducted by uh people in uh Minnesota okay uh sustainable Jersey actions the green pledge right or which you're there okay yes um sorry I don't have too many updates um I need to go back and edit a little bit with the comments I got I just had a very busy two weeks so but I think hopefully I should get that done before the blog party so we can also encourage maybe we can have a QR code and people could scan that and do it there as well and and who's going to set up that uh that survey are you setting it up new or is Angus um what do you mean by setting it up well uh you you're saying mean if I'm understanding correctly online but where do the survey need to uh occur like is this I mean if we want to use the township website for the survey or using Google I think there was a Google form right n yeah it's a Google form so it could be I mean it can be put in many places with a link or a QR code if that makes sense like we can have a QR code at the block party but also we can have a link on the website Facebook Instagram and do you have a start and finish all right n can we um talk about this offline maybe we can uh discuss the specifics on it or is there a lot to discuss on that um I can I don't know if I I think I mean it's just not done yet I think my goal is just to get it done have a QR code at least like just print out page um for the block party and then we can go from there like then I don't think it needs to be super rushed to get it everywhere else if that makes sense but you think you'd be able to have it ready for the block one I hope so yeah yeah QR code's not hard to hard to generate so yeah I just have to finish the actual thing I think running to your account uh narit this form or should we have ANS like because there's analytics from it yeah it can it can go I mean I set it up with my account um I don't know if that can be changed I could also recreate the form we could import the form into uh the the township I mean um because we have our own Google account uh for the commission as well so we could also use that if we want to have those analytics um I have to jump off in in a minute um because I have I'm I'm traveling in California right now can I ask um I'm sorry to interrupt like this um what was discussed for the for the block party that you would Supply the T some tables uh Angus okay setting up about 11 and my understanding was that you can't be there right at uh the whole time correct so I can I can come back about one o'clock so I can drop off tables uh I don't know with you or uh maybe Alo I can drop them off with you are you gonna be around yeah I can be there at uh at noon okay I'll drop off two tables with you Alvaro okay and then we'll just talk discuss any other details offline if we have any materials to bring over all right all right and then n I'll talk to you about the form maybe tomorrow or maybe later tonight or something like that that's okay yeah that sounds good I can text you later yeah okay all right cool thanks everyone sorry I couldn't stay longer Trel thanks yeah so a question on the content of the um of the Pledge n is it so is it boiler plate text that comes from Andre or do we have pretty good can we have three right to modify the wording I think free range I don't think that there's any specifics it's just that um I think I I don't know maybe you missed my email but there's certain um things that you suggested that like I know that you suggested like um get like a electric car changed to an electric car or something like that but I think I'm hoping for it to be something that can be done like more like yearly so more changes that can be made easier that's not like a huge change if that makes any sense um but anything can be changed this I sort of based it off of the one that we previously had anything else on green sure we move on to another uh sustainable Jersey action uh I uh proposed doing the diversity action but I found out that maybe the diversity committee doesn't exist anymore I and I forgot to get in contact with Angie I will check with Angie whether that committee exists anymore we can do that actually and before we move on to another thing for the um lock party the here they are oh I'm sorry that I'm [Music] home thank you though um should I just coordinate with you after let's let's talk okay thank you cleanups anything there I don't have any things okay except to note that the um the clean up that Kim organized a few weeks back that hadn't been publicized we fixed that thanks we on actually and that's related to strong order too because that was done under the clean it's in there yeah yeah I listed any clean up counts I think three points a piece well that specifically was to regret to clean up along streams MH so that's very related but they'll take any any cleanup counts actually and then I got topics for the township newsleter I don't have to do that this time but next time because we we just submitted uh for this newsletter now for the next newsletter think about what there there was a couple of uh things that have been appearing in the paper uh one on um uh leaf blowers and the article bottom line seem to be avoid gas power leaf blowers because they are really noisy go with electric leaf blowers because they're much less noisy and encourage people just to use rinks if they can I've witnessed a a neighbor's landscaper using the leaf blowers blowing stuff and creating a cloud of smoke I mean I I don't know whether that violates uh an ordinance in the town that that they're just you know blowing up yeah so I've been really successful mowing all my leaves into my yard for the past two years oh me too I'm take more pictures this fall when I do it and just it takes one more pass than usual and it's my grass has been unfertilized for three years and it's enough is Pat coming back she's away she's away for a couple weeks so um we're looking for fiscal year 2025 for them to start looking at studies with um in the river we're trying to see if it'll fund that just you shared it that was your sharing that was in Tom K's um right right one of his this it wasn't guaranteed that that would happen my question is there's I wonder if there's any advocacy we can do to push for that so I'm GNA just ask Angie if there's something because we can go to Facebook and drum up letters of support and people start emailing their legislature stuff like that so worth it's worth trying yeah but it might be too early for that even um rgi Grant uh we are uh starting uh Al and I will start on Wednesday to uh look at uh addresses in his section of town to see if there's places to plant trees so right we have at this point about aund little over 100 trees for the floor planting uh so we need about another 80 trees and we know that you have to use that you need as we need we need our goal is each year to plant 185 trees so each year of the grant so we're actually technically in the first year of planting because we planted yes in March but now we're going to plant again in the fall so the other place I was going to suggest was uh Park well again uh that because that's County we have to then do another agreement with the county to do that that's we went through this whole process with over by theil resolution right for for the watch on reservations so that we could plant there so uh it's another process uh and we're we're still waiting for the county to do certain things the county has to uh Mark out the uh the boundary of that property surve because it's well it it may marked out they may already have a survey they need to mark it out so that somebody can push in and then get rid of the the D wants us to get rid of all of the um uh reads that there so that we can plant where process also involves we plant the trees we put we mats down with the trees so that the weeds don't overtake the tree and then um there's another area in SN park in the back of the park towards where the stream is that was fenced in for trees for trees and those half of those trees are dead because so as I'm raising this question with Dan about shade trees at Horseshoe I can remind him that there's there may already be processes for the locations and to try to include worship so I don't complicate the process it' be good if that has time that we can walk the property you've done that with before I'll ask them sure all right um anything else on the GI brand I don't no Alro did you want to say anything uh nope I don't have anything to add okay East City USA resolution I've been having conversations going back and forth basically um the city resolution recommends that a department I think I've said this before a Township Department be involved with it doesn't mean that they're doing anything but they're the content and carollyn George said she has to talk with the w committee to uh for making a commitment to uh being the department of B City USA resolution in the meantime the mayor has put that resolution onto the agenda uh for the next uh Township meeting uh and asked if the representative from these were students who are uh members of U public interest research group PG if those students would be interested in attending this meeting I contacted the students the students said yes he would be interested so that apparently is going to happen that students will talk at uh this meeting won Wayside dros we on hold did that on hold or is that not going to happen now the um building has a I would take take it off I I I mean the last time I heard from Trish was you know just P off on it see what happens I don't know that that's I mean obviously they can't use the accounts but they might be able to make an arrangement to have a storage sh at the property but even that that just sold off so I'm not I can take it off but I I don't know that that it's completely [Music] um okay cancel that was my yeah uh and two more things uh because I see Kim Kim has come in uh Union County bake River Park I sent everyone the plans that I saw uh in the township uh clerk's office so that is a a thick binder uh with the plans I don't see any notification that the township is reviewing these plans it's presented as you know uh something that this engineering firm has done um could we comment on it I suppose we could u u but I I haven't heard anything official from the town as to whether the town's going to come in so is this going to for on public forum for review discussion that's the question that's question I would think it is but I don't know and would that be county level or Township exactly I don't have the answer to that today it seems more political it seems like it was put in Co flir's office just because it was required probably by some ordinance or law but the communication with us in Township has been so it as as far as you know it's not going before the there is a small portion of property that is being Height's property there like a small corner of that property so I wonder if for that small cor property there would be something before the zoning of mining probably in the clerk's office here yeah I will ask the question who was revie I mean the property is still within the township isn't it yes even though the town even though it's owned by the county within the township right and they're building a a launching launch there for boats so um you know you you'd think that they would ask for feedback from on the community yeah it all it all seems maybe it's maybe it's public knowledge somewhere but it seems strange that this is going through without any official discussion of the level I agree yeah all right Kim I see you came in and know we were wondering if you had anything on adopt the drain I have is that this year's invoice is still pending to be paid um I've seen an exchange between Barbara Russo and um the person at adopter drain and I'm sorry did someone ask me something no no okay um so it's a matter of getting this year's invoice paid it was um something about the budget Berkeley Heights budget payment um long and the short of it is um they will reissue the invoice to us if we so desire um Barbara is working it out with the adopter drain person um that that's all I have on adop drain and you saw the an notice about them uh giving us a webinar on theop drain oh no I did not it's it's in an email from Andre you should have received that all the commission so sorry so who's participating in the webinar it's uh the people from Minnesota they're presentation on top the train okay there a recuit in my drain last time in those drains peering out through the bars it's pretty fun one drag the garbage done anything else from anyone before we open it up to Citizens hearing can I make a quick suggestion sure we can consider this when the calendar comes around next for next year if we could swap out one or two environmental commission meetings for the whole commission so not not adding another meeting but we all go to a town council meeting together and a board of adjustment meeting together so we don't want attemp more but we can all stand up and raise our concerns maybe in the low season there's something coming before the zoning I try to yeah attend so this application for 32 Liberty I don't want to add more but it would be like a field trip for the environmental commission as long as there's no time sensitive plan all go together we can also ask to uh in the conference session to have an opportunity to speak yes exactly and that would integrate us with our important boards and like directs too and and you as a representative on the are our on the plan but I never see the board of adjustment no so if we could do a field trip so we swap the Monday meeting for the Wednesday meeting we a town council meeting and during open session we could speak on our concerns sometime to kind of as a team yeah just an idea consider you know because especially if there's a meeting coming up where we don't have to review an application there a deadline for that application we could do that that's why probably winter time that I can't predict but yeah yeah you'd have to go back to a meeting at idea I agree okay anybody else if not uh Steve do you have any comments on any environmental issu NOP I'm good this meeting thank you uh thank you for monitoring okay our next meeting is SCH for June 17th at 7:30 and uh Kim I will not be at that meeting so either you or Angus uh can you chair that meeting I will email Angus as well he had to leave early sure all right do I hear a motion to adour motion to adour joh Mak motion to20 p.m okay thanks everyone for coming a good night this was everyone everyone see you on