Environmental Commission

Madison Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes April 28 2022 Call to order by Chairperson Claire Whitcomb – Virtual Meeting via Zoom. Announcement of meeting notice Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: Read by Claire Whitcomb, Chairperson. Present: Bridget Daley, Joan Maccari, Brian Monahan, Kirsten Wallenstein, Ellen Kranefuss, Claire Whitcomb, Ann Huber. Absent: Rachael Ehrlich, Trina Mallik, Stephan Stocker Guests: Meredith Jones, Kathi Caccavale, Mary Ellen Hennessy-Jones, Lisa Jordan The Climate Action Ad Hoc Committee presented at progress report at the Borough Council last night. Rachel Ehrlich and Peter Fried outlined a workplan, sample initiatives and metrics. The report was well-received by council. There were some concerns about the cost of certain initiatives. However, the committee noted that the opportunity cost of not acting on climate will be much greater. The team will now work with borough employees to assess feasibility of various initiatives. Placing native canopy trees in yards is a climate action that helps keep energy bills down. Discussed how we can find truly organic lawn care services that do not do mosquito spraying. Brian brought up that the community garden looks great without the use of fertilizer or pesticides. Bridget proposed a back-yard gathering to bring in volunteers and people interested in working with MEC. Claire brought up the idea of an Eco House Tour this fall. The focus would be to demonstrate energy efficiency and electrification at homes in Madison. Neighbor-to-neighbor conversations are an effective way to foster change. The MEC needs to clarify whether Madison residents are eligible for the PSEG home audit services. Kirsten to send the link to the PSEG online analyzer to test this program. Pomeroy Woods is experiencing issues with flooding from the swale. Gates need to be checked and cleaned. The MEC has reached out to Bob Vogel. Can we add green infrastructure improvements? Should we look into pervious pavement technology? Realogy installed permeable pavement, but it did not care for it correctly and had to replace it. Joan mentioned that she has permeable driveway paving and one benefit is that she does not have black ice so there is no need to salt. Kathi pointed out that there are some good University Campus presentations on green infrastructure. See 2021 Campus Rainworks Challenge. EV Expo was a success, but not a lot of traffic to the MEC table. 200 Drew Forest Yard Signs have been placed around Madison and neighboring towns. The composting talk at Madison Chamber of Commerce was well-received. Dish Meals and Java Compost presented. Daddy Matty’s uses Java. Sustainable Madison is trying to get a Green Business Recognition Program started. Discussed moving the Java compost bin to a more convenient spot since the Madison Recycling Hours are limited. The Garden Club donated Passive Greenhouses in community garden. Polycarbon with aluminum frame. Discussion of the Canopy coverage reduction study. Based on a study by Drew students working with Lisa Jordan, the Madison Tree canopy declined from 48% to 38% during the 2001-2016 period. We lost 269 acres of tree canopy. Lisa will share the final presentation and conclusions with MEC. We should also share this information with the Zoning and Planning boards as well as general community. The 5-Town Composter Sale - 36 sold. There was less interest than prior years possibly because of higher price point $99. The Meet the arborist event with the Library had 23 attendees. The Library says we should do another event in spring and fall. Read & seed tables are out at the Library. Bridget will see if the Library has information on what books were checked out. 1800 Plants ordered from Pollinator Plant Sale Friends of Shade Tree is partnering with J&M will sell native plants and hardwoods. Good news is that J&M is open to partnering and tabling on environmental programs. Bridget and Joan are Rutgers Environmental Stewards. Their Internship is working with the Madison School District to install a native plant garden at the BOE office on Woodland Road. The district is very supportive. Over 100 Registrants for the Town-Wide Yard Sale Meeting adjourned at 8:50pm.