1/27/26 SustainableEHC Meeting

Hey.
>> Hi,
>> Hazel. I don't see your face, Hazel.
>> And you're muted.
>> I am.
>> No, Hazel is.
>> Oh, Hazel is. Where'd I go? I got all
these screens open and I There you go.
All right. So, where is everybody?
>> That's what I was wondering. I I was the
first one on. I was like, I just
checked. Do I have the right date? Which
is would be just
>> Well, I was I I got a phone call. I had
to log off, but um was it Where's And
here's Amy.
Hey, Amy.
>> Oh, wait. No. Yeah. Okay.
>> How you doing?
>> Okay.
>> Did everybody survive?
>> Barely. I had to have somebody come with
a sledgehammer and uh get my car out of
the ice.
>> Yeah, it's crazy.
>> I was uh I was frozen in. I wasn't
snowed in. I was frozen in. I couldn't
get out of my house. The door screen
door wouldn't open. It was just blocked
by ice. So, I was planning on just
staying in the house for a week. And um
I posted something on Facebook today.
and my Jeanie's son, uh, Dave Williams.
I I hear some noise, the dogs bark, and
I go out there. He had my whole front
all shoveled all the way up to my door.
It was wonderful.
>> Oh, awesome. Nice.
>> I gave him a nice tip.
>> What happened with that accident in
front of your house or like down the
block?
>> Did you see that?
>> I I saw a picture and then I couldn't
find anything else about it. It was
weird.
Well, a car a truck was driving down the
street. He must have hit a car was
parked in the opposite direction and he
hit like the uh passenger side
uh headlamp
>> and flipped the car the truck over. It
was like a panel van, big panel van. And
um Dave Williams, the guy across the
street, came out and the guy crawled out
of the back of the van and said, "I'm
okay." And he ran away.
>> Oh my god.
>> And that was it. And And I heard this
loud bing bang boom. Cooper doesn't like
loud noises. So he came under my legs. I
said, "I better get up and look and
see." And I saw this van in the middle
of the street.
>> And I called 911 right away. It was like
it was scary. And the c the kids it hit
the um car of the people who live in the
house two doors down
>> and all the kids were screaming
>> and I was like, "Oh my god, I hope one
of the kids wasn't near the car or in
the car." Yeah,
>> they play out there all the time.
>> That's crazy.
>> Turns out that everybody was okay. But
and they had that van uplifted and out
in within an hour, an hour and a half.
>> I don't know how they do that stuff.
That's great though. I mean, it's good
that they got it out of there. I can't.
>> Right. Right. So,
>> crazy.
>> We have uh Hazel's here.
>> Can you see me now?
>> How you doing?
>> I'm good. Can you see me and hear me
now?
>> Yes.
>> I don't know what the heck that was, but
whatever.
>> And Jerry's here.
>> We have a new Brendan Berg.
>> Hello. Nice. Nice to meet you. Could you
um uh tell us a little bit about
yourself?
>> Um I've been going uh to Egg Harbor
City, at least living in the area um on
Fifth Terrace for about 5 years now.
>> Um so I just wanted to kind of get a
little bit more involved in the
community. Um especially as I've seen,
you know, more initiatives done the past
few years, especially the uh kind of
that archway and uh just stuff going on.
So I just wanted to be more involved.
Great.
>> Um, are you interested in the in the
environment?
>> Yeah, I I definitely am. Uh, my line of
work, uh, especially focuses, uh, on
tree work. Um, as well as, you know, we
do removal, but also, uh, planting, uh,
you know, making sure that there's no
invasive species. Um, and especially as
I've uh definitely been in the area for
a while, um, I've definitely seen a lot
of areas of opportunity and I and I like
where it's headed, especially with the
uh, shade tree commission that I believe
was recently discussed. Um, you know,
I've seen street street trees being
planted along.
>> Um, so it's yeah, it's definitely
interesting
>> to me and I, you know, I want to see the
better of it for the community.
>> Good. Well, Brendan, meet Jerry. He's
our arborist.
>> Hi, nice to meet you.
>> Hey, Jerry. Nice to meet you.
>> Cool.
>> I work here at the city full-time every
all day long. Not just as an arborist.
I'm the administrator and the public
works manager. So,
>> that's great. Yeah. Nice to meet you,
sir.
>> You, too.
>> Uh,
>> all right.
>> Hey, hey, Dan. How you doing, Dan?
>> Okay, Danette. How are you?
>> Good. Good. I like your t-shirt.
>> Oh, thanks. Yeah, good evening. Yeah,
this is my casual wear. This is what I
This is what I really wear unless I'm
going to a meeting.
>> Uh before we get started, I just I was
going to ask you guys if you've seen
been following the um um the venerable
monks traveling across the country. They
started in Texas. Um and they're
traveling walking on foot to uh
Washington DC. Some of them barefoot in
the snow. And they have a dog with them
who is uh a loca that means light. And
the dog is just as sweet as the as the
monks. And uh I've been enjoying that
with all the nonsense that's going on
with our country. It's nice to see pe
you know people doing something
peaceful. And uh have you have you guys
got had a chance? It's uh what do they
call them? what's the name of their
They're on Facebook and they post
something every day about their walk and
they at night they stop for dinner
whoever feeds them and they have yeah I
guess swarming stations set up along the
way but um it's just amazing.
>> I didn't know they were on Facebook. I
would like to see that. Yeah, on
Facebook
>> they are on Facebook and just type it
and it'll then it'll come up.
>> That's what I think or Aloca and Loca
the Peace Dog and it's called Peace Walk
>> and Loca the Peace Dog. So he looks like
Cooper a little bit and he's got he's
got a white heart on his forehead.
>> Oh my gosh. Wow. Cool.
>> So anyway, okay. So let's get started
here. Um,
>> right. Before you get started, I just
want to say I'm not an A Harbor City
person.
>> Oh, I'm sorry, Barbara. I know you
forever.
>> No, I know. And I realize some of these
people are wondering what I'm doing
here. Um, so anyhow, I'm just I'm a
member of uh Stafford's green team and
um
>> so I'm just sitting in to see how
another green team um whatever operates.
We also have green drinks up here in in
>> Yeah.
town. So um yeah. So, I'm just
really just eavesdropping.
>> Okay.
>> So, we're glad you're here. We're glad
you're here.
>> Yeah.
>> Happy to be here.
>> Uh,
>> the uh I don't know if everybody's aware
of it, but the sustainable Jersey folks
suspended their u certification for
2026.
We could have applied at the end of
2025, but they told us this was coming.
So, we just delayed doing our uh
application and until
they're already making changes. So, you
know, they change stuff in midstream all
the time, which is very aggravating. In
fact, that was a questionnaire that they
sent out and I put in there that you you
got to stop, you know, changing things
and, you know, we're get an action.
>> Who said that? Who's that?
>> We're working to get
>> Okay. We're working to get actions done
and then the next thing you know,
they're either being withdrawn, expire,
or are replaced. Uh a prime example is
they um wanted us to do the tree
replacement ordinance and we had worked
on that last year early in the year and
the public wasn't taken to it. So we had
to kind of delay it for a while and
before we even got through the year they
changed the action and made it a lot
harder um to to get uh points for that.
So, we're not going to we're our
ordinance doesn't fulfill their wishes.
So, we're not going to work towards
getting points for that action. And, you
know, that's a biggie for us. And, uh,
it's a little disappointing to be and
it's not a lot of points. I think it's
like five or 10 points, but still, it's
just a point. And, um, I I I gave them
my two cents on a survey that I sent
last week uh about what they should do
in the future. And I said, you know,
just don't be changing things all the
time. Wait until
you know they get the most of the towns
get the action done and then the next
round you can make it harder
to maintain those points or something
like that. But don't be changing them
while we're working. They did that once
before. Um, I was trying to get the city
to do a um pets in the community uh
action and
it it wound up that I had to do most of
the work on that because we didn't have
the cooperation of the people who live
in town who could really do nice things
for the pets in our community. And you
know, they they withdrew it before the
end of the year. And so like I worked
for a year, over a year, doing a series
of newsletter stories about pets in the
community and all that and they they
pulled the action. So that's I don't
like that. It's like we're working to
over here. You know,
>> people do not realize how hard you work.
You work very very hard on this all the
time on everything here. I appreciate it
very very much.
>> Thanks for saying that. Please. people
should know what you do.
>> Okay. So, in any case, we have a lot
going on um not only in the green team,
but through through the city to get some
actions done, some big actions. And um
if we when we apply this year, we might
be able to accumulate enough points to
get silver certification, which is a big
deal. I think you have silver in um in
your town.
>> Yeah, we do. And well, we're doing a lot
of the stuff that your administrator
does.
>> Yeah. I was going to say we have Matt
Vandonder Hayden. I don't know how many
of you know him, but anyhow, he's our
town administrator. Yeah. And he brings
this like strong background in grant
writing and he's just I mean
>> he's the best.
>> Yeah. He he is
>> he he and I served on the um New Jersey
Municipal Managers Association executive
board for several years together. So
Matt and I are pretty good friends. He's
a really good guy.
>> You know how Yeah. How fun.
>> Yeah. Professor at Villanova. He does a
lot more than Nette. This guy does a lot
more than I do and I do a lot. So he's
really a superstar.
>> I don't know when he sleeps. Um
>> Yeah. He doesn't. Yeah. Don't worry
about that. Don't worry about that.
>> He used to work for Rick Dovy, you know.
>> Yeah. He worked for Rick Dovy, then he
worked for Peter Miller, and now he
works he works there at Stafford. Yeah.
>> No. Yeah. He's the best.
>> He is. Uh and then we are we are uh with
maybe one more action will be eligible
for gold star uh certification in
climate readiness. And some of the
things that um they have these gold
stars that they give and they're a real
big deal to get uh they have one for
energy, one for municipal operations,
one for health, and one for water. and
we're going to apply for gold standard
and climate readiness. And some of the
actions required we've already done and
I'll I'll let you I'll let you know what
they are. Um comprehensive climate
change related hazard ha hazard
vulnerability assessment. It's a
mouthful.
We're working on that now with our team
uh with Remington and Vernick and so
forth.
>> We're pretty close by the way. We're
pretty close.
>> Yeah, we should have that within a
couple months.
>> Yep.
>> Um, we already did our land use pledge
resolution.
Uh, we did that several times already.
We just renewed it, I think, uh, in
2024.
Um,
we're working on a completing green
streets policy uh, with Ryan, the
engineer. Um, we already did the green
development checklist which we intend to
update. Uh, right Jerry, we have
>> That's correct. We're going to we're
going to update the checklist by
resolution. That gives us 10 points on
sustainable on sustainable New Jersey.
>> What do we have to add to it that we
>> uh he just had a couple of comments. I
can't recall what they are. I think we I
sh I may have shared the email. If I
didn't, I'll find it tomorrow and share
it.
>> Okay.
>> It was minor. It wasn't it wasn't a big
deal.
>> Right. Uh we also did a heat island
assessment and mitigation plan. Um and
the heat island assessment was really uh
done by um the folks at Dell Can Dell
Conservation District and the young man
came to city council presented it was
really it was really good and Jerry's
already done the plan to mitigate some
heat islands and planted a lot of trees
in in those heat island areas. tree
planting in the city.
>> In subsequent years, we did Nette, we
finished the the we we planted trees
around the heat island around the
elementary school. We planted trees
there. So, that portion's been
satisfied. We haven't we haven't
mitigated around the intersection of
Deer Street and um Philadelphia Avenue.
That'll be in in in the future. That'll
be in next year's planting or this year.
Sorry.
>> Plan. It's just you just have to do a
plan. Yeah, I did the plan. I sent I
sent them the plan.
>> You sent them the plan.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
the next action we would uh had to do
was the community forestry management
plan which we we adopted at the end of
last year, but when we sent it to the
state, they sent it back and asked for a
little bit more information and Jerry uh
took care of that for us. that's been
finalized and uh just got to get uh
Mayor Lisa to sign it.
>> Yes. And so we'll have that and then uh
there's one action, the fifth action we
don't have. Uh we'll have to work on
that. I'll I'll let you know what that
is. We also did a sixth action,
Brownfields inventory and
prioritization. So we're working on on a
Brown Fields uh plan. We're um planning
on
um taking one of our brown fields, which
is the old dump on uh Deer Street off I
mean I'm sorry in the in the industrial
park and hopefully we'll turn it into a
solar uh community solar project that
someone is working on that and um we
should know this year if that's going to
happen. the the the developer uh who has
been appointed has like a time a window
where he has to get his investigation
done and in the hopper before the
funding um opportunity is withdrawn for
by I don't know who's taken I I don't
know if it's the state or the federal
government. I think it's the federal
government is going to like phase out
that type of um project. You know that
they don't care about solar.
new kid.
>> It was funding. It was the funding.
Yeah. They they phased out the funding,
not the projects, but
>> right,
>> you can do as many projects you want.
Yeah.
>> Sixth, seventh action would be a tree
protection replacement ordinance we
which we have. And we're working on um
doing a community wildfire protection
plan as well. And that's going to happen
this year too. The one action category
is climate readiness through a social
system from the a list below. Um,
community equity and diversity profile,
community education and outreach action,
community asset mapping, but we did
that. We did asset mapping before. We
might have to just update that.
community food pantry banks soup soup
kitchen and anti- idling ed education
which we did before and would probably
have to be updated. So we've had a lot
of actions done in in climate readiness.
So, I would love to go to the um
uh mention in November and get
recognized because you get you get your
name put on the front page of Sure. It
would be great.
>> That's awesome.
>> Yeah, you're doing a lot there. And it's
like you people don't realize how much
we actually have done. And I said a
couple years ago, if we would just if a
harbor city would just do what's in the
actions for sustainable, we'd have like
a phenomenal city, a very move forward
type place. And we're getting it done.
And hopefully it has something to do
with getting on city council. I got like
a bigger voice. They they listen more
now. So, and the the council has also
changed and they're they're more into
this stuff than the prior council was.
So, that's a good thing.
>> All right. Uh, next would be grants.
Uh, we we're awarded a $5,000 forestry
uh I mean um resiliency grant from
Atlantic City Electric in uh November
and we're going to be using that to um
do a forestry management plan which is
in that gold standard thing. Um, we had
a
meetings with Dell Conservation District
and a meeting with a man called uh Bob
Williams who's like pretty renowned in
New Jersey for forestry management. And
um I think we're going to go with uh Bob
Williams uh when he he met with uh Rick
Dovy and I a couple about two weeks ago
at city hall and when we we explained
what we wanted to do and what we were
concerned about regarding the forest
area beyond City Lake Park where there's
very very few h I think there's only a
handful of houses out there. He called
it that's terrific. he said. And this
fella um is currently working with the
uh DP and the Forest Service to do the
state's plan. So, he has an in with the
big wigs that would uh review this and
possibly fund it. And,
you know, we're going to talk more about
that in in the next when he we're going
to like assign him the the job and
he'll he'll do the job the uh report and
then present it. will present it to
not only city council but Aaron Hayen
and the public and they will decide what
they want to do about the forest, how
how they want to manage the forest, if
they want to manage it at all. Um,
>> and that
>> that's that's a good thing.
>> I I um I have to go to that recreation
meeting in a few minutes.
>> Yeah.
>> Can you skim the agenda, see if there's
anything for me?
>> Yes. Yes. Um, I'll be back as soon as
they're done, but I think they're
longwinded tonight, so I don't know if
I'm
>> Are you in city hall?
>> Yeah, I'm at city hall. Yeah.
>> Are they there yet?
>> I didn't hear anybody, but I'm in my
back office. I didn't, you know, I'm not
near the main room, so I don't know.
Tana was there. Tann council person
Ortiz was here, but
>> yeah, he called me. That's who who
earlier.
>> Um, let me see. What do we have? The um,
you want to talk about the audit? The
ACUA audit.
>> Oh, yeah. So the ACU so ACUA has um
volunteered to uh use their staff as
well as maybe some some some interns
that they have to go through and take a
look at our recycling um on recycling
day. not our city recycling, but
residents of the city. Take a look at
their recycling. Take a look at their
trash when they put them out on the
designated day. So, they can see if
there's any way um that people may be
may not be recycling properly, may not
be recycling at all, or may need
additional education, probably will need
additional education on recycling. So,
they'll come through, I think in April
is what we discussed, and they'll do an
audit and they'll explain to us what
they found, and then we can come up with
a game plan of how to uh help educate
the public uh with this audit. They're
doing this for free as part of the um
the new trash can recycling uh can
program that we um we initiated last
year.
>> Uh
and then um Arbor Day, what were your
plans? You said you wanted to do
>> tree planting demonstration. Yes. So, as
part of the Arbor Day um celebration
when we're giving away the trees and all
that, um I would have myself and uh uh
public works employees doing a tree
planting demonstration so we could
explain what the proper size of the hole
is, what the depth is, um uh the the
amendments that we put into the planting
hole. uh as well as um refilling it. I
mean, it it sounds pretty simple, but
it's it's a little bit technical if you
want to get it done properly. Um and
then how to stake a tree and we would do
that demonstration and we would I have a
tripod now for my iPhone, which is the
worst, but um I film things now. Um I
never thought I would. So, I will film
this and we'll have some kind of social
media video that we could post to
educate people on how to plant our our
new uh plant a tree that they would buy,
let's say, from Home Depot or something
like a nursery stock type of tree.
>> Good. And we we had also talked uh
regarding the trees about we'll we'll
talk about it with the forest forestry
uh board. Um, we talked about possibly
coming up with a residential
tree planting program where we could
contract with a a nursery to just
actually do the planting and everything
for a resident for a fee. They would
pay, of course, they would pay pay us
and we would pay the nursery and uh we
talked about doing that sometime this
year, too. So,
>> we'll go back over that again. Uh, but
there's that's um let me see
>> pretty much it.
>> That's that's all I have that really you
would
>> Are you Are you bringing Are you
bringing Galloway Steve to our next
meeting?
>> The next meeting? Yes.
>> Okay. This this uh
>> he couldn't make it to today. Something.
>> Okay, good. Okay.
>> But he said next
>> I can't make it to green drinks. Um who
is the new guy on here? Brendan, these
green people, they like to get together
for drinks all the time. So just get
used to it if you're one of those.
>> No. No problem.
>> All right. Good. Good.
>> Um, but yeah, I'm going to run over to
that meeting and see uh what's going on.
I may be back in a few, but I'm not
going to cancel the meeting. I'm just
going to put it on I'm not going to uh
I'm afraid to cancel the meeting, so I'm
just going to leave it with no audio.
>> Okay.
>> No vid.
>> All right. Great. Thanks, Jerry.
>> Thanks, Jerry.
>> Okay, so where were we here? Um, we were
talking about the um $5,000 grant for
Bob Williams to do the um management
plan, forestry management plan. We also
have an opportunity to apply for either
a 10 or $20,000 grant from PSENG.
And I had I had asked if anybody had any
ideas on what we could request money for
and I didn't hear from anybody or nobody
came up with any ideas. So what we're
going to do is um
apply for $10,000 to supplement that
$5,000 grant for the forestry management
plan. Uh when we talked to Bob Williams
the first time, he he quoted, "Oh, that
should cost the city maybe$10,000$15,000
depending on how many acres it is." So
there's like a lot of acres out there.
So if the more money we have, the
further he can go with his study.
And he even offered to take us out there
and drive us around. Um I don't know if
every any every everybody's aware of it
but um that forest area has several
a lot of cedar stands which cedars are
very valuable trees and unfortunately
during hurricane Sandy we had saltwater
intrusion and um it it destroyed some of
those cedar stands that are in the water
there. So, uh, I understand from Bob
Williams that the value of the trees,
even though they're dead, is still
there. So, they could be harvested and
sold pretty much to whoever does the
forestry um, you know, maintenance out
there and, uh, it could generate
revenue, although that's not really the
goal. Uh it's to really protect the
municipality from forest fires uh which
are you know we getting pretty common
these days. Um and we are we were in a
drought up until
I think around October they lifted the
drought restrictions
and um
unfortunately we're back in a drought
again. So, this snow will really help if
it if it um melts slowly, it'll help
replenish the aquifer and we might come
out of a drought again. Um
and the other thing is, you know, we
have that we call it the burn pit area
out at the lake. There's a patch where
it's there's a clearing back there and
the kids, high school age kids, go back
there and party and drink and start
fires. And recently they had to call the
fire department out. They had pallets
piled up and they were going to start a
bonfire
in the woods.
>> Oh my gosh.
>> I Isn't that awful? I mean, so you know,
we put our our word out to tell the kids
not to go into the woods and start
bonfires because that's how that big
fire started up in Ocean County and it
burned thousands and thousands of acres.
So, if you have kids, you know, or no
kids, tell them to stay out of the
woods.
Um
uh over the holiday season I I uh
updated the website. We have all it
looks completely different and uh you
might want to go on there. There's not
that much information on there at this
point, but you know, it's like a living
document that'll just keep growing. So
uh check it out. If you have any
suggestions or something you want to see
added on there, just let me know. Um,
and
as far as actions go,
um, with city council
at the last meeting, um,
they Oh, wait. My mayor, I'm jumping
around.
The state of New Jersey
pass is has introduced legislation. And
you remember um when we uh passed the
ordinance to limit uh uh construction
debris um you know from cutting treas
and and those plastic products
>> the microlastics.
>> Yeah. Micro. We passed that ordinance to
um require contractors to use tents to
cut that plastic material inside a tent
or to lay down tarps so that the debris
doesn't go into the ground or into the
storm drains which it goes into the w
the storm drain and it winds up going
into the bay and the fish eat the
plastic and guys go out there. Well,
mostly guys, girls fish. The fisherman's
go out there, collect the fish, go home
and eat it. So, they're eating the
plastic. And so, we passed that
ordinance. It was started in Margate.
And, uh, that was about two or three
years ago. And I don't know if you know
Steve Jazeki, um, but he's the chair of
the Margate green team. And when he told
me they were doing this program with
microplastics, I was like, "Oh my god,
that should be a state law."
>> Well, this enough towns have passed this
ordinance that it has been introduced as
legislation to um make it a state law,
statewide law. So, um the city council
at the last meeting passed a resolution
uh supporting that and recommending that
our um legislators in the eighth we're
in the eighth district um sign on as
co-sponsors of that legislation and it
pretty much reads the same as what we
adopted. So, I mean these these are
things that you know you we're working
here in a little town. Nobody thinks
that what we do makes a hell of a
difference anywhere, but now it's
traveled across the state. It really is
a good good law and it should be
nationwide. So, let's
>> glad to hear that. We're working on it
in Stafford. So,
>> fingers crossed. So, your um whatever
your resolution of ordinance that's
online somehow.
>> Uh I don't know. I doesn't really keep a
lot of our stuff online. I could send it
to you if if that's
>> Okay.
>> Yeah, I'll send you Let me send it.
>> Thanks.
>> Yeah, I'll send it to you. Um and ours
was modeled off of Margate and there
were several little variations, but um
it's a good ordinance.
Um
>> nan nan it's Hazel. I just want to say I
I don't like to leave, but I've got to
go sign into the uh Zoom meeting at 6:30
now for the Democratic convention
because I'm part of setting up and
everything. So, um I will call you one
thing. Did you find your birthday
present in your mailbox?
>> Yes, I did. Thank you.
>> Okay. Just want to make sure you found
it.
>> Okay.
>> Take care, Hazel. Like there was
>> I'll be attached. You too. Thank you.
I'm glad you joined us. Thank you. All
right. Sorry, but I have to go. Bye.
Right.
Um,
another good uh law uh that's been
introduced at the legislature, oh
actually signed by uh Governor uh Phil
Murphy on his last day was the um skip
the stuff law
>> and that's um it's that's kind of
follows uh the or the state law about
the plastic straws that you can only get
them if you um request it. So now it it
pertains to plastic eating utensils in a
full service restaurant. They can't just
give them out. They have you have to ask
for it. So that'll reduce, you know,
plastic in the environment. Um
and the governor also signed I mean this
is amazing that all this stuff started
by green teams. Um the sale of invasive
species in garden centers and stuff.
they're no longer able to do that. So,
you'll have they'll have to provide the
um correct
um
versions of milkweed. You know, they
won't be able to to to give tropical
milkweed up here. It'll have to be the
proper species of milkweed, things like
that. Uh you know, no more bamboo being
sold uh in local garden centers, things
like that. So, that's another good
thing. And Lord knows we have lots of
invasive species in some of our
woodlands in Egg Harbor City. So
you you um Brendan, you work with the
invasive species.
>> Um we've we've worked uh somewhat with
it. Um, I guess just to really preface
it, I I've been working with a solar
company for about three and a half
years. And, um, you know, a good good
bit of the work does have to do with
that as well, just because, uh,
especially when it comes to shading on
properties and everything to get the
most efficient of solar panels.
Sometimes we have to evaluate, you know,
if trees do have to be removed. Um
obviously if not and then when it comes
to uh replanting any trees um if we do
remove any which you did touch on
earlier um especially with like
replacements and and ordinances I know
I've definitely seen that start up in
North Jersey and work its way down. Um
so I have a little bit experience in
that. But just really in in general, um
especially every everything that you've
been saying um the past 10- 15 minutes
of of all these laws and and ordinances
being passed, I think that's great. Um
but I mean I I definitely want to help
out and be be involved any way I can
since um at least around in Egg Harbor
City, I don't I don't know how much help
you guys get. uh especially when it
comes to younger people too cuz I only
I'm only 25 but I mean I definitely see
the importance of it and uh
unfortunately I just I don't see a lot
of younger people really really being
able to see that you know.
>> Yeah. Yeah. That's that's the hard part
is reaching out to the kids. Although,
you know, Cedar Creek High School has an
environmental magnet, uh environmental
science magnet, and they, you know, kids
are kids. Um they they come up with
ideas and they they want to help, but
then, you know, they don't completely
follow through with stuff. Uh we were
working on a project with the high
school for two years in a row uh to have
the kids go to the creeks after a
snowfall and um collect the water and
and test it for salt. And it was like a
salt water intrusion program and then
all they had to do was really post the
readings up on a website that they had
access to. And they did that. They did
it, but we never got the information to
put it into writing and put it into an
action. So, if they posted stuff, I have
no idea if it's ever actually been
followed through on. Um, they're
interested in doing something now, they
told me, with recycling, uh, and they
might be helping out. uh we we kind of
funneled them to the ACUA to help with
the audit that's going to be done in the
spring. So hopefully some of the kids
will be able to get out of school or get
a half a day of school and be able to go
through the terraces and on recycle day
and tag some buckets and say, "Oops, you
know, you should have you put you put
plastic bags in your recycle bin. You
can't do that." It'll it'll say that.
put a tag on on the bucket and that's
how we have to educate the public
because believe it or not they people
after 30 years of mandatory recycling in
New Jersey people still don't know
what's recyclable and what's not. So,
uh, we've had programs in the past. We
even had a like a 90 minutee video that
nobody watched, right?
>> You know, about how to do it. And it's,
you know, everything's social media. If
you can't get the message across in 15
seconds,
goes right over their heads.
>> Yeah. No, I I definitely hear you and I
I get what you mean by that. I mean,
just driving or walking down some of the
terraces and stuff like that, you really
see just how I mean, whether it's
carelessness or they're not educated on
it or not. I mean, sometimes I really
get surprised by uh
>> Yeah.
>> what's put out there.
>> Yeah. It's frustrating for me because um
I insisted that the city council
purchase those big 96 gallon trash and
recycling containers to clean up the
city because you know people are using
smaller buckets. They're overflowing.
The turkey vultures get in there and
they open up the bags and the trash is
all over the street and it's really bad
in my neighborhood. I live in the center
part of town and um we spent $200,000 to
buy those buckets and now that terraces
are litter littered with 95gallon
trash and recycling containers. Uh
people just don't take them in and put
them on their property and it's
frustrating to me, you know.
>> Lynette, who paid for that?
>> The city.
>> Okay. Wow. Okay.
>> Yeah. And uh I mean that was a big ask,
you know.
>> Is that clean communities money? No, it
was taxpayer money,
>> you know. It was uh actually it we I
think we used the pro some of the
proceeds from the sale of the water
treatment plant. I'm not sure.
>> Okay. But yeah, but we you know, we took
it on as a way to clean up the city
because that's what this council wants
to do. We want to clean it up and make
it sparkle. Um we have a council woman
uh Kim Hessie who has started this um
Egg Harbor City Shines program and it
includes
all that stuff plus u code enforcement
trying to get people to clean up their
properties you know and all that stuff.
It's it's a hard sell to the community
because you know they're used to it
being the way it is and you know they
can't imagine it's any different. you
know.
>> Is Kim on city council?
>> Yes. Yes.
So, um All right. Now, we need to talk
about our
spring environmental series and what you
guys we usually
we usually do four programs on a
Saturday morning. Um
so, we need to come up with some ideas.
Um, we when we went to the League of
Municipalities,
uh, I think you were there, Amy, right?
>> Yeah. The David David Elkner.
>> Yes. Have you talked to him at all?
>> No, I have I have his card, though, so I
can't remember when he said was a good
time to reach out to him, but I mean,
probably can't be too early.
>> Yeah, I think he's he's a retired uh
fire chief from
>> Yeah, I remember saying something like
that. When are we looking at April?
>> Uh yeah, we need to come up with dates.
Um
we usually
we've been doing like April
and May somewhere around there where
it's warmer out and we get more
participation. You don't want to do it
when it's too cold. But um Arbor Day
comes in between there,
>> right? Um, it it would have to be done
before Memorial Day.
>> Well, I I could reach out
>> earlier for something like that.
>> Yeah, I could reach out to him and ask
him what Saturdays in that time period
that he's uh
>> available. Check that. Check April,
March, April, May around there. And, you
know, we could do a program every week,
every two weeks. But once we have them
all set up, I'll make one big flyer and
have all the events listed on there. But
um this is this man has a um bee he
raises bees. So he said he would come
and do an actual demonstration and bring
the be bees out to us, which would be
kind of neat to have actual bees and
have him in his mask and um
talking. I guess he would we would let
him sell too sell his u honey. So that's
that's the only one that I came up with
or you know we we came up with that idea
to do the bee program. Uh so if anybody
else we also have our photo contest
that we do every year. Uh this will be
the third year Brenda Ruth uh manages
that program. Uh, and that is um to take
a picture of tree a tree or trees in a
carver city. It could be year round in
the snow or whatever. So, I posted a
flyer.
I think it might have been early January
that this is a good time to take
pictures of trees with snow. So, don't
forget, take your picture and submit.
And then we uh give financial prizes to
the winners. We um we have one I can
think community one, a student one. Um
so we'll give prizes for the winners,
$25 gift cards or something like that.
Um
the other thing is the dates of Arbor
Day is an issue that we need to talk
about. Um, every year I try to get
vendors to come to our Arbor Day program
and it's the day before Earth Day. So,
um, we never get any participation from
the community. So, I'm thinking instead
of doing our Arbor Day program on the
24th, which is it's always on the last
Friday in April,
um, that we might do it a week early
or a week later.
and hopefully get more participation
from these type of vendors like you know
even the master gardeners are too busy
to come out because they're going to be
at Earth Day all weekend. So what do you
guys think? What do you think having a
preference?
>> I think yeah doing it earlier or later
would probably would be better.
>> 17th.
>> Yeah. Well, that that's the weekend
before.
>> Yeah, the week before.
>> Oh, on Friday.
>> Yeah, it it would be um
we usually do it after school, 3 to 3 to
6:00 p.m.
>> Yeah.
>> So the kids could participate.
>> Yeah,
>> that might be good to have it a week
early because then when they go back to
class, they might be able to do
something in school for Arbor Day. Or we
maybe we could get them some trees they
could plant or something on Arbor Day.
So, we're going to do plan for the 17th.
>> I I I think so.
>> All right. Um Jerry talked about doing
the ple tree planting demonstration. Uh
we also give away
trees. We usually buy 15 trees every
year. And they're whips. They call them
whips. And it's really just one big
stalk of a tree that'll take it's
probably like half inch caliber, a 1in
caliber tree. So they're very small.
They're tall. They usually are six to
eight feet tall, but they're very small
u trees. So we could we could do that
again. We have funding for that in our
grant. And uh the other thing with with
having it on April 17th instead of the
24th, we might be able to have a native
plant sale uh because every time every
year I try to get the native plant
people to come and they can't come
because they're too busy with with Arbor
Day. They do their I I think the
Pinelands Preservation Alliance also
does their um native plant sale that
weekend. So maybe we'll get more
participation if we if we change the
date.
>> Um
I have one here, Monarch Pledge.
Um
last um was it last year we bought
>> Monarch way station signs and we I think
we bought uh five of them and we located
um milkweed growing in the wild and we
planted these signs around. So
we could do more in the way of um
getting people to plant um milkweed.
So, we might work that into Arbor Day,
too.
I also have uh I bought a silk well,
it's not real silk, it's nylon
butterfly wings that we can hang on the
fence and you know, you could take
pictures of your children with butterfly
wings.
>> Oh, yeah. I know what you're talking
about.
>> And I have a lot of um kids stuff in
that in the box there that for kid
giveaways to get more kids involved.
Um, any other ideas on
what we could do for the spring
environmental series?
I had grabbed um a pamphlet for
Hackinack Riverkeeper,
but they charge.
They do indoor presentations. They uh
bring the river to you. They have um
videos, PowerPoint, slideshows
appropriate for all age groups. Um,
but their fee is $2 to $400 depending on
location.
So, I didn't know if that was an option.
>> And they're in Hackinack.
>> Yeah,
>> that's way up there.
>> Yeah, I was Yeah, I was uh looking, but
what else did I grab?
What about the orchid people?
We had them once before. Did you go to
that?
>> Yeah, I bought two orchids.
>> Yeah, we could get them back. Um,
that's the off family.
>> Yeah, I actually kept them alive for
like three years, too.
>> Really? Mine died right away.
>> Yeah, they they they lived. They
bloomed. I was so excited.
>> Oh, wow. Yeah, we could do that. I we
can contact them. Um,
>> and then who did the the small container
gardening thing?
>> Yeah, that was good. We did that that
same year. I think we should I'd like to
do that again.
>> We could get it off the ground last
year. Why Why didn't I think it rained
>> I think we had a and it rained.
>> I know. My entire life was falling apart
last year this that time. So, I I wasn't
I wasn't there. Yeah, we could
definitely do that because we have the
um greenhouse there on at Peace Pilgrim
Park.
>> Yeah.
>> And Jerry, he brought over a pile of
mulch and dirt and all that stuff. He
has all that stuff at DPW. So, that
would be easy to do. And it was a pot,
we called it a pot party.
>> Yeah.
Yeah.
>> Bring your own pot and we'll provide the
plants. Uh we're fortunate that we got
that donation last year and we would
have money to buy the plants and it
would be good to do that after um if we
could get a native plant sale
scheduled for that week be of Arbor Day,
we could do the pot party afterwards and
>> could buy some of their plants to put
into those uh pots.
So, if we do the pot party, we could do
it uh in in May. You don't want to do it
too early.
>> Yeah.
>> Because, you know, you don't want to be
watering in April. You don't want to
water until, you know, the summertime.
So, yeah, let's do the pot party again.
>> This is a little off topic, but remember
the that that email about the classes
through the um what was it?
Pennsylvania, whatever. But they they we
couldn't do it because
it was uh through a college in
Pennsylvania.
>> I just I registered myself.
>> You did?
>> Yeah. I I signed up for Well, first I'm
going to do a couple of them, I think,
because some of them they're not they're
not that much and they're self-paced.
>> Yeah.
Well, the first I did uh I signed
up for tomato growing basics.
>> Oh. So,
we'll see how that goes and then I'll
figure out what I want to do next.
>> Well, um we have the Ruckers
um master gardeners.
>> Yeah, my mother-in-law is a master
gardener. A Rucker's master gardener.
>> Is she local?
>> Yeah, she's over in um Mica Woods.
>> Oh, cool. Would she had this up? I could
ask her
>> because they grow uh the small plants
and they have the that new Ruckers
variety that they they're smaller
smaller round globe tomatoes. They have
various species of tomatoes that they
cultivate and then they sell them at
their uh native plant sale. So if we
could work with Master Gardeners on
that, we could do a tomato growing
basics. I have to see how in I don't
know how involved she is with it
anymore, but I know that she she was a
Rucker's master gardener.
>> Well, we could get what's her I mean,
she would just have to help at the scene
because we could get um what's her name?
Um what's her name? The educator over
there
to to actually do a talk on growing
tomatoes. So, it's not We don't need her
to teach. We need her to help.
>> Well, she was she was a teacher in Anar
City. Who? Uh, Ruby Kramer.
>> Oh, I don't remember her.
>> Yeah, I I think that was a long time
ago.
>> I'm pretty old.
I can't um I can't
>> I'll put I'll put Ruters.
>> I think it was like late 80s.
>> Master Gardener.
All right. Well, I'll What's her name? I
keep forgetting her name.
Yeah, she'll she she comes at least once
a year to help us with a program. So,
we'll we'll get her to do Okay. So, we
have
we have uh tomato growing basics R with
Ruters Master Gardeners. We have the pot
party which will be in May closer to
Memorial Day. We have off uh orchids. We
could ask them to come back. We have uh
the bee program
>> possible.
>> Usually it's usually four.
>> Who?
>> We usually do four four things, right?
>> Yeah. Four. We you know we could even
show a movie. We could actually show the
movie in the new um
>> maybe they could show the bee movie in
the uh in the archway park.
>> Be movie.
>> It's Yeah, it's a it's a kids movie.
>> Oh yeah, let's do that. That's a good
idea.
>> Oh, that's a good one.
Yeah,
that's a great idea. Get all the kids
involved.
Maybe we could do the bee program there.
We'll have to think about that. Be movie
it's called. Right.
>> Yeah, it's um
>> Right.
>> The bee movie. It's from 2007
in Archway Green.
Uh Barbara Archway Green is that new
park on the 100 block of Philadelphia
Avenue.
>> And they um they did have um
movies there for the kids um last
>> outside.
>> Oh yeah, outdoors.
>> Yeah.
>> Oh, that's cool.
>> Yeah.
So Oh, that's great. I'm so happy.
What else do we have here? All right, I
think we got enough.
If anybody comes up with any ideas that
are just knock your socks off type
ideas, let me know
>> and we'll we'll talk about adding them.
Um,
let me think what else we didn't I have
flyers from past years to see if there's
anything else we could replicate, but
people really liked some of those
programs we did like the pot party,
>> I think. Well, th those were the things
that actually got me interested in all
this to begin with.
>> What that those that series?
>> Yeah. Yeah. I happened to see them on uh
you know on on Facebook and and went
and um it's PG the be movie. I wonder if
that's okay.
>> Yeah, that's good. That's fine.
>> All right.
>> Yeah.
All right. That's I don't have anything
else other than uh upcoming events. Um
this Friday evening,
uh is it this Friday? I'm I'm looking
wrong calendar day. Uh yeah, this Friday
5:00
the um Atlantic Cape Sustainable Hub is
having green drinks at Summers Point
Brewing Company. Um, it's at 705 West
New York Avenue. Barbara, why don't you
tell us about how green drinks works if
for those of don't
>> Well, yeah. I guess I only know how it
works here, but it's um it's
international. It was started um forget
now which country it started in, but
where people come together
um to network, support each other, and
we say the drinks aren't green, the
conversation is. So, I mean everything
from like if you had a a green business
and you want to share business cards or
um you just have questions and you want
to get support on something. So, it's
been 10 in March we celebrated 10 years
since we had our first
>> believe it's 10 years.
>> No, I know. I can't play. And so most of
it or at least more than half, we met
monthly and um but now we're meeting
four times a year. Um and
um and we're so let's see. I guess it it
just it's been different things over the
years in terms of numbers and people and
then some regulars. Um but always good
conversation, good people, and just
trying to support each other.
>> Yeah. And so for us, um, we've been
having it at the mainland. It's a, um, a
hotel on as you're going into Long Beach
Island before you get there. It's in
Manahin. And, um, and people buy their
own drinks and their own food.
>> Yeah.
>> So, you just show up.
>> Yep. Just show up, have a cocktail, and
maybe something to munch on. I don't
know. Um, Summers Point Brewing Company.
Uh, I've never been there. And I don't
know if they serve food or if they're
gonna um order pizzas or something like
that. Uh but um
so I intend to go to that if I could uh
well I got dug out of my house. I was
like I was I had no meetings to to work
on this week. I was like I'm just going
to stay in for next 10 days. But it's
supposed to snow over the weekend. So,
we'll have to look at the weather
forecast to see if summer's point's a
long ride from here, but uh it's always
fun. And you know, I know I know some of
these people from all over South Jersey
that are on their green teams and it's
really good to get um together with them
every once in a while where you're
sharing ideas and sharing what you what
are you what are you guys up to? You
know, that type of thing. And um it's a
lot of fun. So, I intend to be there
Friday night, barring any weather
problems. Um, Steve Feedler, who's um on
the Galloway Environmental Commission,
and he's on their green team,
is looking to get um wild and scenic
designation for the Mullica River. Uh
wild and scenic means exactly what it
sounds like that the river is wild and
scenic and it should be preserved as
such and it should have uh recreational
opportunities for people and
more than a carpet township. Mullikica
is a wild and scenic river because
there's very little development um
through at least most of the river.
there's uh there aren't any kind of like
industrial sites along the river or
anything like that. So, it is kind of
pristine and so he's seeking wild and
scenic designation and that I believe is
a national thing where you have to go
through the federal government to get
that. Um so he was supposed to be here
tonight to talk about it but something
came up and he couldn't make it. So he
will he said he would come to our next
meeting which will be
uh February
24th.
Hopefully it'll be in person.
And uh I got an email today from um
the uh chair of the hub, the K Atlanta
Kub asking us to do green drinks in
Acorn hosted green drinks here. So I
don't know when we can do this. I'd like
to do it like
>> spring
or
when we're not doing anything else.
We're going to be busy with all these
other events in the spring.
>> That's true.
>> And uh I I haven't been available during
the summer
um because I, you know, have to go to
the shore and work there, but the
parking situation is so bad
>> trying to get for me to get to my job on
on holiday weekends that
>> I I didn't go this year. I you know, I
was supposed to go to work, but I didn't
go to work because there's nowhere for
me to park. I I go to the island, I
fight the traffic, drive around for 40
minutes, and wind up turn turn around
coming home. So, I'm not planning on
being at at the shore on holiday
weekends this year. So, we could do it
in the summertime sometime during the
summer. And
>> where do we want to do it?
>> Well, we have uh Renault Winery. We have
uh the in on St. Lois, which
I think we had green drinks there once
before and the people were a little bit
disappointed.
We have the um
um crossroads
which is kind of crowded.
>> Yeah, they have the back patio back.
That might be fun doing that in the
summer on an off night like maybe a
Monday or Tuesday.
>> Yeah. And then we have the um firehouse
which is great.
>> They have the upstairs room.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I don't think we like to be
at the bar. We I don't I don't I don't
think being isolated. I think it's more
being in the bar area. Other people can
overhear. What are you talking about?
And let's get get involved in this
conversation, too. So, I would I'd like
to see it back there again at the um
at the firehouse.
Renault is expensive. I mean, you're
going to pay $20 for a cocktail there.
So,
>> yeah. Well, I'm not. But, um, wherever
we do it,
maybe we could ask them because I was
thinking the in on I know I know Frankie
at the in on St. Louis.
>> Well, we could do it in their outdoor
>> where
>> they have their patio area.
>> Oh, the Yeah, out back. Well, I was just
going to say that uh Frankie makes makes
up drinks and I was thinking we could
have her make up like a a signature, you
know, drink or something for the
for the event.
>> Okay, that sounds like fun. Yeah,
definitely. Have you been over there
lately?
>> Yeah, I was just there two weeks ago and
the week before. This is the most I've
been out in like a year.
So, I mean, I was not impressed when
they first opened. Um, we went there
like three or four times and it was it
was disappointing for various reasons.
Um, but I know like uh a couple weeks
ago I went I got the chicken parm
sliders. They were good. I thought the
prices were decent. And then I got on a
bio bun. It was like a um like a chicken
chicken cutlet Caesar sandwich. And
there was so much chicken on it. I took
half the chicken off and took that
chicken for lunch for work at work the
next day. But
I I was also disappointed in the
beginning, but I I feel like it's gotten
better.
>> Yeah, I think it has.
>> And and you know, I'm always sober, so
I'm not just thinking that the food's
good.
>> You're You say that again.
>> I was saying I'm always sober, so I know
like the food is actually good. It's not
me thinking it's good.
>> Yeah. I didn't think you were a drinker.
U Yeah. All right. Let's Let's work on
that. Sometime during the summer, you
think if outdoor area if it's not
>> Although the summer they might be busy
unless we do it on kind of like an off
night.
>> Yeah, an off night.
>> I was thinking with the parking and
stuff over there in the summer. Off
night probably work better.
>> Where? Brendan, I didn't hear you.
>> I was just saying the off night in the
summer might work better because
sometimes the parking there is pretty
pretty tough.
>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Glad I don't
live on that street.
>> Yeah, people still show up, though.
>> Yeah. Um
>> All right. So, we'll work on that date.
And uh
>> this uh woman from American Recycling
Resources called me. This was the uh the
municipal clothing recycling program.
>> Uhhuh.
>> Where um it doesn't cost the city
anything. They bring a clothing donation
bin. They come and collect it. Uh they
pay the city a monthly royalty payment
on each bin. So the township gets money
for it. Um
so I didn't know that would be like
something that had to be brought to
council, isn't it?
>> Yes. Because we would have to find a
location for it,
>> right?
>> That's the only thing like uh the last
time they did it for the VFW because
they were trying to raise money,
>> I guess the sign or whatever. Um, they
had it over at the uh greenhouse and
they filled the greenhouse up with I
mean
>> Yeah. See, I think it needs to be
somewhere where people are going to see
it.
>> Well, if we did it there, I mean, just I
don't know if the city's going to want a
bin because, you know, these companies
say that they're going to take care of
it, but they sometimes they don't. and
the bins overflow and then there's, you
know, so if we could do like do they do
like an event type thing where they'll
collect for a month or a couple weeks?
>> We could. Yeah. I mean, I could call her
back and ask her. We service. I mean,
it's a minimum of twice per week. They
come in
>> pick up twice a week.
>> That's what it says. A minimum of twice
per week.
24-hour hotline.
And they pay us.
>> And they pay the town. Yeah. There was
um
>> if we do it, we host it. We could get
keep the money for our green team.
>> That sounds good.
>> Yeah. Because
>> and uh it says something you can you
receive tonnage reports for recycling
credits. I don't know what that means.
>> Uh well, because we they have the um
they have to keep track of how much
recycling they do. So they do a tonnage
report.
>> Yeah.
>> It goes the accumulated recycling and
then for that we uh we do get there's
grant money that comes back to the city
for that.
>> Oh that makes sense. Okay. Thank you.
>> So I don't know. I mean
but I could ask if they you know tell
her like you know that's the fear what
the fear is with it and um ask if it can
be done on like a trial basis like one
bin.
>> Well that's the other thing. There's no
contract with that that you have to keep
it there. So if it doesn't work out, we
just call them and tell them to come
take your bin bin out.
>> Yeah, it doesn't look there's no um
Yeah, I mean I'll I I'll I'll get in
touch with her and ask.
>> Yeah, definitely. That sounds good. Uh
>> and then uh the last thing location. So
>> yeah,
>> I mean I don't
>> when I I'll get the rest of the
information then I guess you can take it
to council.
>> Yeah. Well, where do do you have an idea
where it should go?
where been would be work out. I think
right there in that Peace Pilgrim Park
area near where they um they park those
big trucks maybe back that way. Yeah. I
mean, if that's an area where there's
people like that, you know, are kind of
like in and out cuz I'm just saying like
if I feel like people are less likely to
dump a bunch of crap
if it's like a a hightra area.
So,
>> but you don't want it in a hightraic
area because it's a hightraic area. So,
I don't know.
>> Well, after that collection they had a
couple months ago. I mean, I I think
everybody in town brought stuff over
there because
>> Yeah,
>> it was
>> Did they take it all at least?
>> Yeah, they got like a couple thousand
dollars.
>> All right.
>> I mean, they filled that that greenhouse
up with clothing. Yeah. I mean, these
these are they recycle these clothes.
>> I brought tons of stuff over there and
I'm like, I got to get rid of this. This
is one oper. This is like I have clothes
coming out my ears.
>> Yeah, I have a pile right over there
that needs to go.
>> I have clothes hanging in the garage
that have been there for
30 years. Yeah, I just let go of the
dress I wore to my 30th birthday party,
>> including the the Giorgio Armani suit
that I bought and for my honeymoon is
hanging in the garage.
>> Okay.
>> It's high high cult. What do they
couture?
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> I paid a lot of money for it back then.
I think I paid like
$200 or $300 for it, which was a ton of
money back then. And you know, my
sisters got mad at me because I spent
$300 on one one suit. God.
>> Um I I looked up the uh sustainable
Jersey schools thing and it looks like
Egg Harbor City hasn't been uh the last
time they were certified Egg Harbor City
Schools was 2015.
>> Mhm.
>> So I was thinking about bringing that to
the school board.
>> Okay. and seeing if uh if they would be
on board with um doing it because yeah,
like the contact information on there is
for the uh the retired principal from
the community school.
All the information is like out of date.
>> Yeah.
>> So, um yeah, bring that bring that up
because um you know, we we'd like to
have more involvement with the schools,
but they're very difficult. I find I was
involved in the schools during the
1990s, heavily involved with the schools
and it was hard back then
>> to get anything done because the
teachers wanted, you know, I don't know,
but they do have a green team at the
high school and
>> Okay. I think that's one of the
mandatory things.
>> Yeah. So, there's a lot of activity over
there. Like I like I explained earlier,
they have good intentions. They want to
help and do that, but the follow through
never happens,
>> right?
>> Yeah. A mandatory green team.
I don't know. I'll talk to Adrian and
find out how how to go about like kind
of bringing
>> back in the day. Um they the ACUA used
to have a program uh I think they called
it the recycle bowl
and they would do recycling audits in
the cafeteria
>> and they had a you know they actually
had the kids separating their trays from
the you the plastic utensils and
recycling stuff and they won the
recyclable like
three or four years in a row. So they
were they were really active and litter
patrols and things like that. The
teachers um what was her name? She used
to take them out on Philadelphia Avenue,
the middle schoolers, and they would
pick up trash along Philadelphia Avenue
and they they kind of stopped doing
that. So I don't know what's going on
with the schools. You're you're more
connected there. So
>> yeah,
>> definitely do it. And the other thing
too, I don't know if it's still true,
but at that time,
whatever points the school district or
the schools got for their programs, they
could share them with the green team for
the municipality. So, so we were able to
share so that they could get certified.
I don't know if they still allow that,
but it was a good way to get get it off
the ground, so to speak, and and give
them a little encouragement to keep
going.
>> So, check that out. That's great. I
appreciate everything you're doing and
uh like to see more involvement that
way.
>> Yeah. Well, everything has calmed down,
so I I I can do things now.
>> Oh, good. Good. Good for you. Anybody
else have anything to offer or want to
talk about anything particular?
I have a question. Are you a 501c3?
>> No, we're part of the city.
>> But so when you say your money, like how
do you get to keep the money separate?
>> We have a trust fund
and um it's just a line item in the
municipal budget and the U CFO
creates by resolution a trust fund for a
particular purpose. I think we have one
for recreation. We have one for the
green team. And so I got a donation from
um former Senator Bill Warmley and they
just put it in the trust fund. So we
haven't touched it that money yet. So we
have $1,000 that we could spend on
stuff. So be able to buy plants or
whatever. Uh we have
the you know there's other acts. We have
the the grants for the trees and all
that. So that's separate. That's federal
state money, but not a trust fund. Just
establish a trust fund. And you don't
need the 501c3 because the city is a
501c3.
>> Right. Right. I think some other green
team might be a 501c3.
Uh
>> you have to talk to Matt and say, could
we have a
>> we kind of have talked about it, but
never trust fund never came up as an
option. So
>> just a trust fund.
>> No. And the town is very generous with
us. But still there's
>> Yeah. Well, any funds that you raise,
you know, you want it to go for your
group. So if you get a donation or
something like that, it just put it in
the trust fund and
>> it's specifically for that purpose.
>> Okay. I'll bring it up at the next
meeting.
>> Anybody else?
Brendan, anything from you?
>> Uh, not at the moment, but I just want
to say I'm happy to be here and really
hear all what what goes on to it. And
uh, yeah, like I said earlier, just kind
of want to be involved any way I can. If
anyone needs help anywhere, I mean, I I
I definitely want to try my best and
doing what we can for the city. So,
>> do you drive?
>> Uh, what what do you mean?
>> You have a truck?
>> Yes. Yeah, I do. I have a truck. Yes.
You have a truck. That's a biggie. We
always need to move stuff around.
>> Yeah. It's not a It's not a big truck,
but yeah, I don't I don't mind helping
any way, shape, or form that. I mean,
even just on my own, like you said,
people, you know, picking up trash and
stuff. I was I was doing that a little
bit ago. I just, you know, wanted to see
uh I knew there was something out there
with with the city. I just didn't know
until recently. So, I've just been
trying to do stuff on my own. But to
hear like-minded individuals and stuff,
I really think they do a lot. So yeah,
any way I can help, just I guess let me
uh let me know.
>> Whenever we do these events and Arbor
Day and all that, we always need uh
somebody to drive up to the nursery and
pick up some trees and help us move the
tent and the chairs and tables and
things like that. So having muscle helps
because we're a bunch of old ladies like
>> Yeah, I I definitely don't mind that.
That sounds that sounds great.
house.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, weekends I should be
free weekdays. I can definitely come. I
just have to drive all the way from from
Delaware, but I should definitely be be
able to make it,
>> right? Um, so
>> one more question. Do you still do the
citywide cleanup?
>> Yes, that's always in uh is it the
second Saturday in May or the first
Saturday in May? I think it's the first
>> the first Saturday in May. We get
hundreds of kids to help out with that
from the high school and all. And that's
>> I know that's what I aspire to get going
here, but it just is
not getting off ground.
>> Yeah, it's a big deal. I mean, everybody
turns out that and everybody gets a
t-shirt and they have the barbecue
afterwards. And
>> who who pays for the t-shirt?
Uh,
>> I think it used to be ACUA decades ago.
>> ACUA. Yeah, I think the ACUA because
they're ACUA t-shirts.
>> So, they provide the t-shirts, the
grabbers,
gloves,
>> bags
>> and bags.
>> And so, they provide all that. It's
through clean communities um money, I
guess, that they they have their grant
and kids just show up. And then Lisa,
the mayor, uses some of our clean
communities grant money
to um give monetary awards. They put
your name, you put your name in a hat
for the either individuals or
communities or families and then they
pull them at the picnic or the the
barbecue. And so I and she gives like 10
or 15 awards and they're like,
>> "It's awesome. You've been doing this
for a long time.
>> Yeah.
Glad to hear it.
>> Yeah. And so any um anything else,
folks? Uh just wanted to mention that um
we have our
community what do what do we call the
urban forestry tree board meeting the
first meeting on um
>> 7th
>> next Monday
at 7 p.m. At city hall, we have three
members, Amy, Dan, and DBY are going to
be sworn in, and that's like a city
board that'll meet quarterly, I think.
So, um,
those members need to decide who's going
to be the chairman and we'll help and,
um, Jerry and I will help with agendas
and things like that. So,
>> that's this this coming Monday, right?
the second.
>> The second.
>> Okay.
>> February 2nd.
>> Okay.
>> And that's at 6:00, right?
>> No, seven.
>> Oh, seven. Okay.
>> Yes.
>> There's a there's two meetings that
night. I got I got to juggle two
meetings. Um there's a meeting at six
o'clock and then uh the tree board
meeting at 7. So, um I'm looking forward
to that. that's in the ordinance that to
create that board and I'm working on the
agenda to get started. But that's uh
think about between the two of you.
Which one of you want to be chair?
Amy,
>> right?
>> Amy. Yeah.
>> Oh, we we'll talk Monday.
>> All right. And I don't have anything
else. If anybody does, just speak up.
And uh if not, we can sign off and I'll
see you next month
on the 24th. Is it 20? January,
February. The 24th.
Okay.
>> Yeah. And it's it's going to be an early
spring, so that will be in person.
>> Okay.
>> If I keep saying it, it'll be true.
>> Yes.
No snow.
All righty, folks. Thanks for coming.
Appreciate it.
>> Good job, guys. All right. Bye bye.
>> Nette, thank you for everything you do.
Thank you so much.
>> Thank you.
>> I'm impressed. Yeah.
>> I do all the talking. I don't like to
talk. I get horse after all.
>> All right. Good night.
>> Bye.