Sustainable Madison Advisory Committee

Sustainable Madison Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes July 19, 2022 Chairperson Kathi Caccavale called the meeting to order at 1:12 P.M. STATEMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT: “In compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, adequate notice of this meeting of the Sustainable Madison Advisory Committee (SMAC) was provided by transmitting a copy of the meeting notice to the Madison Eagle and Morris County Daily Record, posting a copy on the bulletin board at the main entrance of the Hartley Dodge Memorial, and filing a copy in the office of the Clerk. This notice was made available to members of the general public.” The following members acknowledged their presence: Kathleen Caccavale, Chairperson/Regular Member Peter Fried, Resident/Regular Member Lisa Jordan, Resident/Regular Member Angelique Devost, Resident/Regular Member Rachel Ehrlich, Borough Council Liaison/Regular Member Mary Ellen Hennessy-Jones, Resident/Regular Member Joan Maccari, Resident/Regular Member Absent: Marilyn Musielski, Resident/Regular Member Sarah Fischer, Board of Education liaison Members of the Public: Elisabeth Sauerman, Drew University student June minutes were approved. We reviewed the Sustainable Jersey that required revisions for resubmission in August. Angelique has a meeting with Terracycle to discuss possible ideas for new drop-off locations in Madison. We also reviewed the status of planned actions. Lisa agreed to provide an update on the status of lead education and outreach and diversity on boards and commissions in August. ERI revisions are ongoing: a draft is expected for August. Gene Cracovia reported that the Shade Tree Board is receiving many questions about the spotted lantern fly. Infographics are being designed and posted to help with education. Shade Tree is seeking nominations for legacy trees in Madison. The MEC reported on last month’s webinar held on “Is Solar Right for Your Home?” This event was sponsored by environmental commissions from multiple towns, with Frank Curran of Green House Solar. The Eco Garden Tour target date will be either the weekend of Sept 17/18 or Sept 24/25. The MEC (plus Kathi) reviewed a site plan for 5 Central Ave. Three small existing buildings may be torn down to make way for a 4-story retail/apartment building. A blue roof will be installed, but it will not accommodate all the stormwater projected. Zero parking is provided. Impervious coverage will increase from 86% to 100%. TCC meeting today, with a planning board meeting in the future. Java’s Compost hub will move to the commuter lot on Kings Rd. It is currently at the DPW, which has restricted hours. The Kings Rd lot is behind the public safety building so it has surveillance. Lisa Ellis, the police and Java’s are working out the exact logistics. Joan and Bridget planted the Board of Ed garden. There is a sign-up sheet for volunteers to water it on weekends. Kathi recommended writing up a stewardship plan for maintenance. Joan had a hugely successful native plant giveaway at the farmers market. Joan reported that 150 plants were given away. The Dodge Field Playground is being redesigned, hopefully with sustainable materials. Pickleball courts are being discussed at the MRC. An op ed on the aquifer will run in North Jersey Green, thanks to Peter. A stormwater management article is expected for August. Allen Swanson plans to write a Green Amendment article for September. A digital twin or ERI article is expected for later in the fall. Kathi recommended a ‘shrink your lawn’ article for early spring. Angelique offered to write an article on the Green Business Certification. Peter wanted to remind everyone about the availability of town cooling centers. Peter will give a talk on July 28 to the Rotary on solar carports. Two Rosedale arrays will probably be dropped. Peter is developing solar content for the town’s website: Rosenet. Elisabeth expressed an interest in writing a North Jersey Green article. Lisa described a presentation she and Peter made at the Sustainable Jersey Sustainability Summit last month. The presentations from the session, “Working across generations to advance sustainability in your community,” are available online: https://www.sustainablejersey.com/fileadmin/media/Events_and_Trainings/Sustainability_Sum mit/2022/FINAL_Working_Across_Generations_Presentation.pdf The purpose of the session was to describe the ways that students can become involved in completing Sustainable Jersey actions. Amy Tuininga, Director of PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, described the Montclair State University initiatives that she has been involved in, including the summer Green Teams program (2016-2022), and the spring 2022 pilot to pair MSU undergraduates with green teams to help complete actions. Next, Peter and Lisa listed the actions that students helped our green team complete, recognizing the students and their varied backgrounds. Elisabeth Sauerman, a Drew student and action scholar, joined our presentation to suggest ways that green teams can help make volunteer experiences for youth meaningful and successful, and Peter outlined strategies to help make youth volunteer experiences positive for both students and green teams (noting the importance of careful planning, scheduling, managing expectations, and involving youth in presentations). Last, Ava Blando, a high school senior, completed the session, discussing her work as an activist, and ways that green teams can yield leadership and decision-making processes to youth, for more meaningful engagement. Rolling action items are as follows: Action Item: Peter Fried would like information on upcoming events in order to share information to the Madison Eagle. Jersey Green column volunteers needed for the coming year. The next SMAC meeting will be on August 16 at 1:00 P.M. The meeting was adjourned at 2:09 P.M. Minutes respectfully submitted by Lisa Jordan