e e e e testing testing e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e you than e e e e e e all right mic's on Justin jtine anybody know okay then we'll get started then okay turn your mics on please Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all so have a roll call Kim if you got it okay um Charlotte Todd here r councilman jger am here Michael Jones present Barbara mbes here Gretchen's not here Kim grod doll is here Sarah's here and um who else Angela Jud no Chris no Charlotte Justine she's the first one I said H Kings I'm not doing I'm okay I'm not doing an order sorry um who else I think that's it and hope so we have the minutes of June 25th uh anybody have any additions or corrections to that um I do have a few okay um the minutes from May 2028 2025 should be corrected to 24 got it okay um there's a few like these instead of the or I there's a few um I guess the biggest thing was there's a uh we also have we also a plan to incorporate Dark Skies ordinance I think we should be calling that light pollution call it what light pollution okay okay that's the and the solar shingle that there's a number seven there's a lot of um she brought a panel solar panel so the difference is it's really not a panel right it's a shingle it was a shingle yeah um I can make these correction make just make that's fine okay and that's really it anybody have any problems with those minor Corrections all those in favor I may no okay okay do we need a motion to approve we just did okay we just did you're good I don't need to uh I have no report for the planning board we I don't think it was a was it was a minor application and we don't we don't have our meeting this evening so we have nothing on date for that Mike you got any questions or comments from Council I uh I just I have I have a few minor things maybe people may be aware of what was going on but just uh quickly um I know it's July but we passed a resolution appointing our um non-voting members to the environmental commission I don't know if you didn't know you weren't yet appointed but um for this year um Charlotte Angela judge and David Sheffer were um appointed as nonvoting members and expiration of the term is the end of this year 1231 do it again next year thank you I'm sure so uh anyhow that was passed and um Wanted to let everybody know that um we've agreed to um we uh signed a resolution to Grant an application and execution of an agreement with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and this has to do with um trying to you know have a program for eliminating the spotted Lantern fly which of course is very problematic I was told that we should have the tree of Heaven in uh included in the invasive species and it is included on the list of that we put together so appropriately that's where the spotted Lantern fly I think likes to live comes from feeds from whatever but um we already do have that on the list of things that people cannot plan in the town so that's good news there and then the third thing just so everybody knows um our city is also um we agreed to sign the resolution which which is urging the state to take a more incremental and targeted approach to adopting the packed real um rules and for those of you that are not familiar it's the um it's the protecting against climate threat and it's the resilient environments and Landscape that's the ra part of a reel anyhow you know for those of you who have read it seeing the detail of it and the impact of it it's devastating um it's the one that requires us to uh pretty much we have to go to 16 ft now with all new construction we'll have to raise roads by 5T we'll have to it's pretty much an assault on people living in the shore communities um mainly because they want it done soon and it's making it's all based on the assumption that we're going to have a 5 foot sea level rise by 20 100 so it's way more aggressive than um any other scientific forecast and we're making this is d by the way the D is making these rules and uh we're pretty much asking if you look at let's talk about the the cost what this really means the implication and how do you Pace this so it's affordable and reasonable for everybody to um to handle in their communities it based on their assumptions by the way we have things like the City of Cape May will be under 42% of the the city will be under water um 55% of West Cape May and something in the OR order of 60 or 78% of Kate May point will be underwater so it's it's uh still pretty high where we are but we're still we're still very I just built a home because they made me to go to 12 feet and now they're telling me I have to jack it up for I'm like oh my God but anyhow all we're doing is we're asking them to you know have a more measured approach to this not such an accelerated approach so that that was uh agreed to and signed and by the way it was a county resolution that was put together we just emulated everybody else in the county and and what happens is again with their forecast 43% of all of Kate May count is underwater so compensation yeah it is but unfortunately D is not it's not a conversation they've already proposed the rules and they're expecting implementation um of the rules by sometime in 2025 what's the financial help uh from the state oh there's certainly nothing that's been identified so far okay and we're we're looking first for the financial impact you know let's let's see what that is because the state they can't even know what that is until somebody does a study on this so in any case this is a long a long way off a lot more to go and and of course we're all requesting actually the the resolution is just saying look let's let's get through the financials let's get through the re real let's do the engineering analysis and figure out um how we can possibly even accomplish something like this so Mike any uh can you whatever you know about phase four of the walkway around behind the school you anything about the status of that how how far along it's anything off the top of your head you can remember well we've got the money for it and it's going to happen and it's going to happen soon walkway behind the school out over The Meadows kind of like it's really it's a good environmental it's a draw it's for it's for everything and it's to the entire walk I believe is 2 and 1/2 miles now that's not all through the Meadows but from the school out through the meadows and I believe it it comes into Lafayette Street Park and then goes back over but if you're going out for a walk and you want to do two and a half miles that's the place to do it um yeah no everything's um pretty much in place to start it's uh they're both phase two and I guess that's that's now becoming pH four I'm not yeah now it's like number one it'll they're going to be starting on it and the funding is there and we've got approvals from um just about everybody that I can think of so it's good news schools all on board schools on board yes the only part of it is is that I believe the gate part maybe that goes through the school property might have to be locked at certain times um but there two from what I remember you there were going to have two entrances to this to the one of them was right behind the school and one was right off of what Broad Street extent right right there sounds right yeah yeah I think it's Broad Street or oh you're talking about um yeah St John St John yes there some access from St John from there yes it's be really nice once they get it yeah really nice yeah and that will let's that's going to be the first thing done first project I mean the the the second part what we've got approved is the there's going to be a softball field the dog park and Bachi um what do I call them courts Bachi whatever they are um that part it's you know it's not expensive we're not talking about lots of capital required to do this it's a lot of landscaping more than anything the capital is all going to be in putting the um walkway in but emergency helicopter pad there somewhere somewhere behind no I haven't had I haven't heard talk of that but I would think even the ball Field's not that that large but you know it's going to be quite a while before we get to the rest of Lafia at Street park so there's a pretty large area for the helicopter just historically in terms of uh the park um our children did go to Cap May City Elementary School and so when our son was in fifth grade and he's now in his 60s um it was used as a science field day and uh they were taken quite frequently on that so that they would understand our in beautiful environment and um it then became a part of the curriculum um so it's been going on a long while and for a while the Nature Center actually was conducting tours back there so um it is it will blow your mind to see it it's so absolutely beautiful just to take a stroll back there you you can't even believe you're within the city limits anymore once once you do that so it's it's worth walking back many many many years years ago there used to be a what a nine-hole golf course back there that's right that's amazing yeah yeah it was I guess when the old Engineers when I was involved with that project they were they were just amazed they had no idea that that it was that it was as nice as it as it is and valuable yeah I mean I mean it was a it's a project that's one of the things that they really ought to be happy that they're doing yeah yeah okay um anything else Mike that's that's it okay uh next item you know we ought to say something about uh Merill I mean Marill is retiring and Merill if you're watching hello there um and we thank her for all that she did and again now we know that we Dave is probably going to be our new recording secretary which is thank you very much it's it's an unsung job but it's really important U and I want to thank Merl known Merl since she was sat on the planning board with me for years and years thank you very much anybody else want to say anything about Merl well I certainly um respect her abilities with learning uh about the computer early early on she went ahead and got her Master's Degree um and in computer science um we were both at the Junior I titleman together she teaching math and I was curriculum coordinator for the district at that point and um we worked together very hard on a lot of projects because of those backgrounds um and then she went on to the high school to become in charge of the computer science for um Regional High School so um and by the way she did teach our children children seventh and eighth grade math before we had all of that so it is a long long relationship um and she's uh going to be missed but we know that uh she's also going to enjo enjoy a few free hours too we thank you Dave okay um harborfest anybody want to jump in and say how harborfest went sure Sarah you want to say something we had an excellent turnout and we had some Prime real estate with a table right at the entrance to the Fest and then a table in the Nature Center uh so we had a pretty continuous flow of people we had a bunch of signups for dun day volunteers which is great and people really seem to love the solar shingle okay um a lot of people said that they had solar panels on their house here in Kate May which is good to hear um but they had never seen the solar shingle before so they were interested we gave them more information we also had information on community solar um Flood information and just how solar work so all in all great good turnout from the public oh absolutely yeah pretty good MH we also we um delighted to have as many volunteers at the other end of the table introducing children to vocabulary um around the words that had to do with solar their crafts um enlightened them as well as gave them projects to take home tangibles in their their hand and um one of our volunteers is actually a retired chemist from Lamont Chemical um and she has been a full-time resident uh in the City of Cape May grew up here her dad was postmaster of our city and she is lizanne anger and um she's becoming very involved again um with all of us and we're delighted to have her expertise helping us yeah UMC back and she then enlisted a friend Amy Forester to help too so we are growing and delighted to have that kind of of help with with the children as well uh where are the banners I have one here I I didn't know if you want me to hold on to it hold on okay yeah don't give any M who's got I think Jus has the other one Randy Randy do you do you have the other Banner Randy do you have the other Banner or do do I what does jtine have the other Banner do you think uh yes I believe she does but and it just occurred to me she's not here today they I think I think all all both kids are sick so I'm not surprised she didn't make but I believe she does have it yeah did didn't you and she she uh then help introduce recycling as a concept too for the harbor where where was a recycle at the yeah oh yeah uh Justine and I you're talking about um I thought that uh being at a table with Justin for recycling used and obsolete Electronics would be the most boring thing I ever did we ran out of brochures people were very interested and and many people had no idea what to do with a television that doesn't work uh that put it in the trash uh batteries uh cell phones they we actually collected quite a few things at the table and they were picked up after the event but uh it it the attendance was really good it was very well attended uh and I I think it was very worthwhile event that's that's it okay good deal uh dun day anybody want to comment on dun day Dave you want to say something the only update I really have is talk to City of management and we're going to take that out of the Beach utility budget for purchasing the plants okay that's pretty much only think that's really no s i saw there a few emails going back and forth about that okay Randy you want to say anything about your your yeah I'll be very brief uh you have in front of you this month's um medical article as it pertains to as climate climate change pertains to health this one has to do with uh mental health and very briefly it starts by again saying that the year 20 23 was the hottest ever recorded uh the extreme weather events that that engenders are associated with all kinds of negative things in the world of mental health including uh an increase in post-traumatic stress disorders anxiety depression suicidal ideation attempted suicide substance abuse overdoses um it actually went on to say that a there two studies in here uh looked at um mental health through a wide variety wild number of countries and interestingly saw a 6% increase in homicide and a 7% increase in major depression with every one degree srate increase uh pretty impressive um climate change also of course has a negative you know major weather events have a negative impact on economies be they Global or local and that of course contributes to anxiety and depression the article's worth reading and that's pretty much it in a nutshell uh I may be running out of Articles to bring this is the 10th or 12th I think if I if I do see any additionals I will bring them in occasionally but it probably won't be a monthly thing at this point okay thank you okay uh Gretchen's not here about Harbor View Park I'll talk a little bit go ahead I will um being a an old historian so I know something about Harbor View Park um and recently July 10th the star and wave did publish an article about transparency in Harborview Park project so I'd like to go back to to Harborview Park and its beginnings and it went something like this there um was a fight to kind of curtail a lot of development along the harbor in 1989 1990 1991 and there were lawsuits and in the end the compromise was that indeed the city would own part of of the property along with Green Acres and it would become an open space and it would become a teaching Center that would be the Nature Center the rest of the Park area was to be developed and those are the beautiful houses that you see um along the harbor and then this piece of property which is very much a triangular space between some beautiful homes and condos was in the negotiation process and our mayor at that time said um no we don't want that built upon and we want it reserved as open space and then it was to be transformed into a park where people could come and view the view is outstanding it's amazing and I know that it's used often for weddings and celebrations and festivals actually the Nature Center has had several fundraisers in that area um but unfortunately and Gretchen did bring this up to us a few meetings ago and she was saddened by the look of it that it didn't have the indigenous planting That was supposed to happen and so I think that's where our commission comes in and we would like to reiterate I think as a commission certainly um to Mr Jagger please if you could see that Gretchen becomes a part of one of the advisers as as far as the plantings are concerned we would get the best advice if you could could make that happen um yeah I believe uh councilwoman McDade is on the committee she's she's working um with the folks that are doing the design I know there's a lot of lot of of I won't say conflict a lot of disagreement on on the things that have been done there but there you can't you know it's hard to disagree with Native plannings making it appropriate it doesn't need to be right um anything exotic it needs to be natural um which is what we're looking to happen there and certainly Gretchen has the credentials yes to offer the city you know at a rate of zero right right yeah I'll talk to Mor I'll I have to talk to Morin today I will mention it to her yeah and um and in that it was a part of that settlement um we'd be very happy to be included mhm thank you appropriate up the floor Charlotte uh oh next part next part yeah so as I was thinking about you know something to offer today um I thought about our beautiful town and if you look at our chamber Commerce booklet it starts with you know each year describing our city and this year it certainly does very well again Cape May e tourism so I'd like to continue that thread and talk to you about some things that the city is noted for and you might want to pass along to um your own own relatives who are visiting to neighbors and I'd like to say hello to anybody who's watching please look at our Harbor safaris down at the Nature Center they're an amazing opportunity for you to understand one of the reasons why the children are involved learning about what is in the vicinity I can tell you having been an educator in the area for a very long time that one of the reasons I thought it was most important for us to have something like this was that it wasn't covered in any of the curriculum except for maybe one science class in the high school and I felt as if that was a great disservice to having visitors and children learn about what was in their backyard we teach children about the trees that they might see but nobody was talking about what was happening in the water and why it should be protected so you can do you can go to the Nature Center and you can be a part of that program or you can go to the midatlantic Center for the Arts and they have something called a natural habitat trolley tour on Wednesdays at 900 a.m. and again you would learn as you take that particular trolley tour about our wonderful scenery and all of the vegetation the birds that they might see as they drive around the city of Cape May and then you can move ahead and you can go to the beaches and if you get down to the Cove you should understand that we are not the first people to inhabit this area the indigenous people were the ones who understood that they could come out of the forests and go down to the beaches and they could dry f fish and then take it back into the woodlands for the winter months and they'd have some extra food sources and they would be um fed during that period we've got recret again showing us this opportunity the beauty of beach combing and she offers walks down on the beach from on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 9:30 and you can search this Coastal Beach ocean and dunes of Cape May and the shallows combing the shoreline for Treasures um and actually even on Thursday nights from 8: to 900 p.m. you can do the same sort of disc Discovery walks and thanks to the Lenny lenapi tribes here in South Jersey we have learned a lot about taking care of our super wetlands and our ocean tides and Waters so um I thought I would bring that back to your attention because after all this is what we do we don't always make the public aware you know they know about the best restaurants and they know that the beaches are fun but they don't maybe know about the underpinnings of the beaches so I thank you for listening to that okay yes thanks charlot nice thank you yeah um anybody else have anything they want to say um I just so David um the so it's Friday November 8th is the dark sky educational program dark sky just to reiterate that yeah SK November 8th yes November 8 and are we calling it something I me I I put in dark sky education that names for that this name I thought of guys think something different something El you like no it's fine I just I guess as long as we have the name is that going to be at the center is that going to be at the center um convention convention hall yeah I was to have part of it there and then I thought put another observation platform at the new Pavilion at the C would be nice idea also to kind of show off the new really VI so but yet the majority is going to be at convention okay but it names up for discussion let's just I put it on there so I can see it on my computer basically that Nam right um so well maybe you could get together with Kim as far as like we have the minutes that we have to get out to the to the members of this meeting and then actually what the agenda will be for the next meeting okay that's pretty much what you have to get in writing out to everybody before the okay so it's not it just takes a little time all right and is Dune Fest still in October 6 is that what we have correct yes correct yep and that's some monor October 6 is that the Monarch vest is it do we know if that's also the Monarch vest I don't know I'm not sure Monarch Fest is September 29th oh okay the last Sunday in September and I believe it's the week before the points Doom planting also right are we worried about the dung grass if we have a u hurricane or event the new dun grass grass that's being planted how long does it take to get a root system going do we know I don't have the exact time frame and you're going to lose some regardless I was talking to some of the local gardeners and you're said you're going to lose 20 30% regardless there's a lot of things you could worry about about that one I just wondered appropriate times for planting if yeah if it's one of better times to because of the rain also because we can't want to run off a truck water everything so that's not the reason why we want to do it in the Falla yeah you have there summer it's going to be too hot it's G to fry everything see I was missing that piece they're in the fall J get most of the rain so okay okay hopefully hopefully it's rain but not too much because it thanks Dave um motion to ajour we good all favor all thank you Mike's off Randy could you e e e e e e for