Green Team Meeting Final Agenda - Dec. 8, 2018

BOROUGH OF SOUTH RIVER
GREEN TEAM COMMITTEE
AGENDA
December 8, 2018 -- Meeting at 48 Washington Street, 12:45 p.m.

GREEN TEAM COMMITTEE MISSION
The general purpose for the Green Team shall include but not be limited to:  Managing South River's participation in the Sustainable Jersey program; Encouraging the borough staff to pursue sustainable practices where possible and implement the Borough Council's environmental goals; At the recommendation of the Borough Council, work with the existing groups within the borough whose actions affect environmental issues so as to eliminate duplication and assure that important tasks are covered; Provide suggestions for further research and action by the Borough Council; At the direction of the Borough Council, provide advice and suggestions to the Borough Board of Adjustment and the Borough Historic Preservation Commission to assure that environmental issues are considered in their deliberations and action;  Manage and organize various ad-hoc environmental groups within the borough; Solicit and evaluate environmental ideas and suggestions from the community; and Promote the causes of sustainability within the Borough.

MEETING STATEMENT
Under the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act, notice of the time and place of this meeting has been filed with the Borough Clerk, posted and sent to the officially designated newspaper, the Home News Tribune, and forwarded to the East Brunswick Sentinel.  

CALL TO ORDER  _______ p.m.

ROLL CALL
____Councilwoman Sandra Adelino (Council Liaison)    
____Sergio Labrego  ____Denise Batista ____Joseph Hyland   ____Richard Alai
____Mark Barry   ____Ruell Brown ____William Solnosky
____Ronaldo Rosales (Junior Member)   ____Brook Matthews (Junior Member)

PUBLIC COMMENT
The Green Team Committee values and welcomes public comment.  We request that speakers limit themselves to five minutes, to give an opportunity for all to be heard.  Written comments may be submitted to the Green Team Committee at the Borough Clerk’s Office during normal business hours, or e-mailed to southrivergreenteam@gmail.com

SUSTAINABLE JERSEY CERTIFICATION

As there are other obligations involving members of the Green Team Committee today, a final detailed update for the year will be provided at the next meeting.  It should be noted that some documents requested from the Borough to complete pending items were not available for various reasons.

REPORTS
■ Council Liaison Report   
■ Chairman's Report
■ Transparency and Open Government Taskforce
■ River Advocacy Subcommittee

Motion to accept the above reports in one action, incorporating them wholly upon

the minutes: __________ Second_________ Favor__________ Opposed________

NEW BUSINESS/DISCUSSION ITEMS
■ Code Blue
■ Developing and encouraging green infrastructure
■ Resolutions for Council:  Plastics pledge, OPRA/OPMA
■ Recycling
■ Future Presentations
■ Non-profit organization
■ 2019 Budget

OLD BUSINESS
■ Ordinances on Water Conservation, Soil/Fill Importation, Grease Trap Requirement, Unsolicited Newspaper/Advertisements
■ Ordinance updating Green Team membership and terms
■ Community service from municipal court

RESOLUTIONS

2018-5. RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY LEADER AWARDS AND NAMING SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS OF 2018

WHEREAS, the Green Team Committee of the Borough of South River wishes to recognize persons that are good stewards of our environment and sustainability; and

WHEREAS, the Green Team acknowledges that without leadership from within the municipal government and local community, the Borough could not progress toward becoming a Sustainable Jersey certified municipality.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Team Committee of the Borough of South River hereby establishes annual Sustainability Leader Awards to recognize those individuals who are true champions of sustainability and true stewards of the environment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following persons have contributed greatly to supporting sustainability within the Borough and being conscious movers of change within the community, in consort with the Green Team’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Jersey certification as a municipality, and are hereby recognized as Sustainabllity Leaders of 2018:   _______________________, _______________________, ________________________, and _______________________.

Motion__________ Second_________ Favor__________ Opposed________

2018-6. RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING REUSABLE CLOTH TYPE SHOPPING BAGS OR BIODEGRADABLE BAGS AS OPPOSED TO SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS
   

WHEREAS, non‐biodegradable, single use plastic bags are often discarded into the environment and end up polluting our waterways, clogging sewers, endangering wildlife and causing unsightly litter; and   
       

WHEREAS, plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they do photodegrade, meaning that when exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, plastic bags break down into smaller and smaller pieces making them easily ingestible by marine mammals and birds; and       
       

WHEREAS, in the ocean, rivers and lakes plastic debris injures and kills fish, birds and mammals; and

WHEREAS, marine plastic pollution is estimated to impact at least two hundred and sixty seven (267) species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. The impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement.    Each year, one (1) trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide, nearly two (2) million plastic bags used per minute. In addition, plastic bags are among the twelve (12) items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.   
       

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Green Team Committee of the Borough of South River that:   

1. We strongly encourage the residents of the Borough of South River to use re‐usable, cloth type shopping bags or biodegradable bags as opposed to single use, plastic bags and further; and   

2. We encourage our residents to educate others about how detrimental plastic bags are to our marine life in an effort to increase compliance through awareness;

3. We encourage business owners in the borough, to offer re‐usable, cloth type shopping bags or biodegradable bags as opposed to single use, plastic bags;

4. We encourage the governing body of the municipality to adopt a resolution in support of these efforts.

Motion__________ Second_________ Favor__________ Opposed________

2018-7.  RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE GREEN TEAM COMMITTEE

WHEREAS, the Green Team Committee of the Borough of South River recognizes the need to pursue Natural Resources and Environmental action items as part of its Sustainable Jersey certification effort; and

WHEREAS, the Green Team acknowledges the Borough needs to tackle environmental, sustainability, and “green matters” with deliberate, timely vetting and advocacy -- and to do so requires the creation of a subcommittee to assist in performing these actions.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Team Committee of the Borough of South River establishes a Natural Resources subcommittee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following persons be appointed as initial members of the subcommittee:   _____________________, _____________________, and ______________________.

Motion__________ Second_________ Favor__________ Opposed________

PUBLIC COMMENT

COMMITTEE COMMENT

NEXT MEETING DATE   Saturday, December 29, 2018, 12:45 p.m., 48 Washington Street.

ADJOURNMENT  at ________ p.m.   
Motion__________ Second_________ Favor__________ Opposed________