Mountain Lakes Environmental Commission

Meeting Minute Notes

September 7, 2011

In attendance:  J. Bay, M. Gossett, B. Albergo, T. Terhune, M. Vyff and Councilman D. McWilliams.

Meeting Business:

Open Chairmanship:  Jackie Bay and Margaret Gossett have agreed to be interim co-chairs of the Commission until a permanent Chair can be found.

Natural Resource Inventory:  There are 3 outstanding sections of this report:  Flora, Fauna and Contaminated Sites.  The goal is to finish the report in time for presentation to the Planning Board on October 27.  Marnie and Bill agreed to take Flora and Fauna and to update the excellent work included in the Borough’s previous NRI.  Jackie to forward them an electronic copy.  Todd has agreed to create the new contaminated sites section for the Planning Bd deadline of October 13.  He will distribute his draft for comments at our next meeting, October 5^th. 

Corey Natchenson to present the NRI to the Planning board on October 27 and to obtain documentation that our municipality has incorporated the NRI into our land-use decision-making procedures and secondly, has a policy to regularly update the NRI.  I will need both of these pieces, together with the finished NRI, to achieve points under Sustainable Jersey. 

Preliminary 2012 Goals: Commission members began the process of defining a new direction once the NRI is complete.  Goals and prospective champions were as follows:

1.  Complete Sustainable Jersey certification by year-end                              Jackie

            - Plan for next level certification

2.  Establish new solid waste committee in preparation for the need             Bill

For a new solid waste contract in 2013

- Investigate single stream recycling

- Increase municipal and school recycling compliance

- Increase residential recycling compliance

- Investigate shared resource recycling yard; green bag system

3.Finish Cove Riparian Buffer Project and Educate/Assist Residents             Margaret

To put in similar gardens on lakefront property

4.  Investigate making Mtn Lakes a “bicycle-friendly” town like Denville       Marnie

5.Better monitoring and enforcement of proposed planning projects and     Todd

Contaminated sites.

            - Process to get required information monthly

Other Business: 

Publishing Meeting Minutes:  Margaret has minutes from last 4 meetings.  She will circulate them to Commission members for electronic approval and post them online.

Lake Sediment:  Bill reported that the Lakes Committee will have to find a repository for the sediment that is removed from the bottom of our lakes every season.  This years’ sediment was tested for contaminants and was found to be clean.  The Commission discussed including this in municipal composting efforts.  Bill to report this suggestion to the Lakes Committee.

Membership:  Doug to confirm that Marnie is an official member of the EC.

EC Accomplishments Report 2010:  Please review the attached and provide comments.  I need to finalize this for Sustainable Jersey. 

Publicity:  Jackie/Margaret to write an article about the EC for Mountain Lakes Living.  Topics to be covered include NRI, Cove Project, Sustainable Jersey.  We want to highlight our new goals and make a pitch for new members.  The thinking was to submit it the end of Sept., but depending upon the amount of help we need on the flora/fauna, we may need to wait a month before declaring that the NRI is done.  I will take a photo at our next meeting. 

Next Meeting:  Wednesday, October 5^th at Borough Hall at 7:30pm.