REAC/Green Team Meeting Minutes 20180925

REAC/GREEN TEAM MEETING MINUTES

September 25, 2018

7:45 PM Garden Room

Attendance

REAC: George Wolfson, Eleanor Gruber, Lisa Summers, Pam Perron, Jennie Smith Wilson (School Board Rep.), Michael Sedon (Village Council Rep.)

Green Team: Justin Manger, George Wolfson, Michael Sedon (Village Council Rep.), Eleanor Gruber

Other: Serena Iacoviello, Leslie Lello, Jamie Miller

1. Approved July meeting minutes without any changes or objections
2. Membership update:
   • Mike to check on status of REAC village Rep and Serena’s green team application
   • Announced that the Ridgewood Village website now updated to reflect current memberships. There are still two openings on Green Team. Ellie mentioned she would follow up with Athena Zito on interest in joining.
   • Asked if anyone else wanted to run for Green Team Chair; officially elected Justin Manger to the position.
3. Sustainable Jersey Gold Star Standard in Waste Reduction update
   1. Waste reduction: Possible food waste drop-off pilot program

• Talked with Ridgewood Recycling Johanna, Ed Bethune, Rich Calbi; they are speaking with Community Compost about 2019 drop off pilot program and putting in for budget in 2019. Will follow up on details.

1. Composting info session

• Recycling center is out but Ridgewood Recycling suggested working with Department of Streets, which runs the Lakeview Compost Site, to see this through. Will look at Graydon pool area as possible staging ground. Note was made by George that it would also be smart to contact Parks and Rec about this possible event.
• Will aim for spring to set up an info session

1. Plastic Bags: Ellie and Lisa updated us about possible plastic bag ban ordinance for the Village, but given developments in Trenton about this and a new bill up for approval, we should wait and see.

• New Jersey Mayors Commit to SJ Climate Action: We decided that since the focus on this is the Gold Star for Energy and we are working on waste reduction that we would not work to get Mayor Ramon to sign on. File closed.   
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• Green Business Program

• Justin received from Jiffy the current list of businesses in Ridgewood that REAC/Green Team recognized and will post on Facebook and on the Village website.

• Silver Certified Signs for Village

• SJ signs on Linwood and Grove, and Paramus. They are small but very nice.

• SJ annual summit 6/21 (Grants workshop)

• Mike to request copy of last grant application so we can review to see how we can improve.

• Bergen Hub
  1. Ridgewood to host in October. Justin will confirm room availability and set meeting date/communicate with the Bergen Hub.
  2. Styrofoam drive: first event organized by the Hub was a pilot Styrofoam collection drive in Leonia (Sat. Sept. 22) and Glen Rock (Sun. Sept. 23). Both were successful with about 60 people disposing of packaging material at Glen Rock. Filled up the small U-Haul size truck.
  3. Ridgewood Green Team signed a non-binding letter of support for the Hub’s grant application to get a Sustainable Jersey grant for continuation of the drives. There was also interest in hosting a drive after the holidays in early January. Justin to follow-up.

1. Earth Day

• Date for 2019 decided on by the end of January. George to tell us when decided.
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1. Grant opportunities

• Ellie brought up the possibility of a large federal grant for Ho-Ho-Kus creek. Discussion congealed around the idea that this is too big for just Ridgewood. Could be good topic for Bergen Hub.

1. Suggested uses for REAC funds: ideas to be discussed and voted on at our next meeting in October

• Reusable bags to promote less use of plastic and prepare residents for possible ban. Ellie and Lisa to research several options and report in Oct.
• ERI, if not included in Master Plan funds. Justin
• Sponsor a field trip for school kids. Jennie and George
• Supplies for nursery. George
• Bike racks: new ones slated for setup already, so we nixed this idea.

1. Events:
   • Public Water Forum: Pam announced the Public Water Forum on Weds. Oct. 17^th at 7:30pm at the Ridgewood Library sponsored by Ridgewood Water and the League of Women Voters. Justin also made the announcement at the Bergen Hub meeting.
   • Film/Education: Yingying prepared a list of films of suitable theme and temperament for a film festival for kids during the winter. REAC/Green Team members approved and suggested Yingying run with the idea. Time and place to be approved next meeting.
   • Walktoberfest: alerted members to an email received via ridgewoodgreenteam@gmail.com soliciting volunteers. Passed on information.
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2. Bylaws: still some fine-tuning that needs to be done.

1. Plaque for the Andy Antista Tree

• Just need rock to put the plaque on.

1. Master Plan

• Mike said that website https://visionridgewood.org is live for residents to leave comments and learn about the visioning process. There will be more outreach and information about the masterplan coming to residents soon, but REAC/Green Team decided they should all comment about the need for sustainability and green practices to be a major component of the Master Plan.
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1. New business
   • Permeable driveways
   • Jamie Miller was a guest speaker who brought up the idea of these permeable materials (by companies such as TrueGrid and Green Driveway) instead of concrete or asphalt for residential driveways and municipal parking lots etc. Was there any way to put in incentives for this kind of construction?

• Regenerative environmentalism 
• Leslie discussed the topic and said she is looking for a space to start a Meetup group related to Regenerative Environmentalism (the official term is permaculture) and transition town awareness. It would be 1/3 speakers, 1/3 workshops and 1/3 multimedia. Lisa suggested Glen Rock Arboretum and will introduce. Events not official Green Team/REAC but Leslie will keep us updated.
• Meadowlands Gas Plant

• Discussed events and gatherings to oppose the planned plant

1. Next meeting: October 16^th at 7:45pm in Garden Room