Green Ridgewood-Green Team Joint Meeting Minutes 20191119

Green Ridgewood-Green Team Joint Meeting Minutes 20191119

Attendance:

Green Ridgewood: Bob Upton, George Wolfson, Ellie Gruber, Pam Perron, Yvone Nava, Michael Sedon (Village Council Liaison), Mary Mogerley (Parks & Recreation Rep), Robert Kearney (Village Staff Rep).

Green Team: Justin Manger, George Wolfson, Ellie Gruber, Bob Upton, Serena Iacoviello, Anthea Zito, Michael Sedon (Village Council Liaison).

Other: Ken Jones (Glen Rock EC), Diala Pharaon, Dianne Kidwell, Andrew Lowry (Shade tree Commission) + Ryan Seaver, Miles Gabay & Samantha from RHS Green Club.

1. Introductions/Membership:

Committee members introduced themselves and guests were introduced.

2. Both committees being quorate, the October minutes were approved unanimously without comment.
3. Glen Rock Energy Aggregation Program – “DEAL”

We greatly appreciated Ken’s review of the process that GREC went through to implement this program and their experience so far. He offered to share his Power Point with our sub-committee and info is also available at glenrocknj.net.

4. Sustainable Jersey
5. Silver recertification.

Once again Committee members are asked to work on their assigned SJ Actions. Justin will review the potential points total from current actions in process.

1. Green Business Program.

George & Pam have been visiting restaurants and refining the questionnaire and have currently completed surveys on 8 restaurants.

1. Waste reduction/food waste:

We understand the Village Recycling Dept. is hoping to move ahead with the pilot program to accept food waste. George & Bob will attend their Operations Meeting on Nov 26. It was thought that BCC may be planning to increase their composting capacity.

1. Lead Education.

Rob continues to work on planning this event with Ridgewood Moms and Bergen Co. & Ridgewood Health Depts early next year. Date & location undecided. Pam & Anthea offered to help.

1. Drug take-back program.

The pharmacist/manager at Ridgewood Walgreens is receptive to the suggestion of establishing a permanent location and will discuss internally. He is also interested in emulating a Tennessee Community Drug Bank in NJ and has scheduled a meeting with Ridgewood & Fair Lawn Health depts. to brainstorm the idea.

5. SJ Bergen Hub
6. “Styrofoam” Program.

Justin & Bob attended a Hub Styrofoam Sub-Committee meeting Oct 28^th. They are working to compile the results of collection drives, business recognition and petitions as well as lobbying county government to ban XPS where possible. The next scheduled drive will be Dec 28^th at Hackensack Yacht Club.

1. Hub meetings.

Next meeting will be on Nov 25^th at the Ridgefield Park Municipal Building. We learned that Upper Saddle River and Paramus plan to be represented at the next meeting.

6. Green Ridgewood Rebranding/By-Laws.

No progress reported drafting by-laws for Green Ridgewood/Green Team.

Justin has followed up with the Village IT Manager and they are jointly working on the requested actions to operate the web site in concert with the Village infrastructure.

7. Single Use Plastic Carry-Out Bags Ordinance – Education Program

500 informational “bookmarks” have been printed. Also 300 reusable shopping bags displaying the new Green Ridgewood logo have been ordered at a cost of $750.47 which is within the previously approved budget. Delivery is expected Nov 22^nd after which we will schedule events.

We have delivered letters to the 3 local supermarkets and Walgreens advising them about the Ordinance. We will send a second reminder to the Guild and CofC.

8. Events: Movie “A Plastic Ocean”

The movie was shown at Unitarian Society of Ridgewood on Nov 8^th to an audience of about 45. Many thanks to Dianne and Ellie and the many volunteers at USR for organizing the event and refreshments. We hope to collaborate with USR on future events of this type.

9. Ridgewood Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Fair, April 19^th 2020.

Only Jennie Smith Wilson responded to George’s request for ideas. Serena advised that Clean Water Action will support us. Suggestions for exhibits were perhaps RHS Green Club’s hydroponics cart, rain garden display from Watershed Ambassador, solicit support from sponsors/exhibitors from the October Organics Waste Summit.

An Earth Day Sub-Committee will meet on the weekend of Dec 7/8^th. Bob e-mail to invite participants and decide when & where to meet.

10. Schools.
11. RHS & BFMS donation

The RHS Green Club members advised that they and their BF extension have not received the funds yet although Ridgewood Schools has acknowledged receiving them. They will attempt to obtain them. They may wish to substitute a different model greenhouse and the committee agreed. George offered to advise on greenhouse selection.

1. Middle School Sustainability Grant

We received only one response to our request for proposals but it was submitted jointly by BFMS and GWMS for $500 each to develop the site of the BF greenhouse and install a duplicate facility at GW. It was agreed in general that we want to support these proposals but that more specific plans are required before we can approve the projects.

1. Diala, together with another parent Joanna Hanrahan, is working to enlist support of HSAs at a number of schools to cooperate with each other on sustainability issues and will coordinate with Christine Amundsen. She advises that Ridge School has formed a new environmental club and they are also in conversation with GWMS re. Sustainable Jersey for Schools. They have also proposed a middle school trip to the UN Global Youth Summit and a schools rally to oppose climate change for Earth Day.
2. Updates.
3. Willard Girl Scouts. We are communicating hoping to cooperate on Plastic Bag Education.
4. Shade Tree Commission.

Bob attended the recent Shade Tree Commission meeting to try to facilitate cooperation as had been suggested by Andrew Lowry. He reported that the Village just completed planting 100 trees which fell short of the planned 200 to replace the annual loss of about that number. Green Ridgewood members are asked to support the inclusion in the upcoming Village budget of funds to replace lost public trees on a 1:1 basis. He also reported that the Tree Inventory will move ahead with technical support from Rob and Ridgewood Water software.

1. Tour of Pollution Control Facility.

A group of committee members were taken on a tour.

12. New business: No new business.

13. Next Joint Meeting will be Tuesday December 17^th at 7:00 PM in the Garden Room.