Environmental Commission - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the Township of Sparta Environmental Commission meeting of Thursday, March 26, 2026. Uh we're live in the council chambers at the municipal building. Um the this the live stream is on uh YouTube.com atspartwpstreams. Please take notice that the that action will be taken on the following items at the Spartan Environmental Commission meeting of Thursday, March 26, 2026. Meeting is called to order at 7:03 p.m. Adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the public and the press on March 20th, 2026 by delivering to the press and posting on the township website a copy of the notice. Let's have a salute to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Chair Neil Sourine here. Vice Chair Christine Rogers here. Christine Dumbar here. Barbara Kasulka, Robert Otto here, Alex Birdie here, Councilwoman Margie Murphy, Nicholas Drada here. Thank you. Thank you, Courtney. Uh, next item is approval of minutes from March 12th, 2026. everyone a few minutes to look over. I've already sent my comments.

question for the Christines. Um, do you guys have any preference on salt watch? I guess like ppm. Do you want um kind of say parts per million parenthesis ppm and then do ppm throughout after or do you want to just keep it spelled out just because lay people might

uh it's the second page um just when when you're talking about salt snapshot I mean maybe it's good to keep it written out because it's not industry okay so leave it as it is so I have no changes What is that supposed to say in the salt snapshot paragraph? Right now it says the rock watersheds.

Where are you? Page two, right? What paragraph? Second paragraph. The salt snapshot. Second paragraph. Most of the sampled sites. Oh, it says rockway or rock watersheds. Yeah, didn't notice that. Good. Oh, it's supposed no sampling was conducted in that. It's not It was supposed to be the Peak West because that's one of our five watersheds, right? Yeah.

And then Muskanet Kong. Uh you could say uh Rockaway or uh Payic. Rockaway is a a section of the Payic, but it's really the Payic WH. So it's ever more meaningful. Rockaway might be uh easier to relate to because we live near Rockaway. The Rockaway is part of the Baic. So Courtney, you could cross out Puquanic and put Pquest. P U S T. And then where it says rock watersheds, put Paic.

What about pollen skill? Do you want that one word? It's actually that's very funny. That's very funny that you should mention that. Um but for the communities in this area, it has been always contracted. Yeah. But scientifically, well, for the language kill is the second because um kill means river. Yeah. So it's usually redundant. Wall got contracted and stayed that way. Instead of wall kill, it's wall wall kill. Like the wall kill like Yeah. The wall kill river is redundant because it's like the wall river. The wall river. Yeah. River river. Yeah. Okay. So you want to keep it. What's your preference?

So So I think we need to go with the two words. Okay. Just the two words. Pollins kill watershed. Yeah. And Rockaway is the is that the uh preferred term for the P? That's the Persian. That's the it's a huge the basic is a huge watershed right

locally I I believe um there is even a or there was a rockaway watershed association realizing that they're part of a larger poseic watershed it's so big that there's you know many segments that are taken care of by uh community groups so I think just saying Rockaway watershed is is good for us because that's uh locals would um appreciate that. Right. So then you would take out the or rock. There's no or rock watersheds. Yeah. Do you want to just do you want to say in parentheses replace or the comma or rock with just parenthesis paic would be more

well you could say um if people were conducted in the pquest muskan kong or rockaway parentheses paic. Yep. Okay. the seaic watersheds during this event. Yeah. Thank you. So you would remove the or rock. Yeah.

Okay. Is everyone

I'll make a motion to accept the minutes. Chris, are you finished? I'm okay. Oh, okay. Yes. Thank you. Yep. I have a motion to accept minutes. I'll make the motion. Have a second. I'll second. All in favor? I

motion the minutes are approved. We have no correspondence. Uh the next item on the agenda are applications. We have a the zoning board uh uh number 02-26 Skylands Urgent Care at 33 Main Street. Guess we can review the plans the table. Sorry. The only variances of

is the old stuff. Where is this?

Yeah. Six. Come on. The sun is illuminated.

3,000. We don't want to get want to get

So it was it was nice. There's a lovely All right.

Okay, moving on to public comment. We have no members of the public here, so we'll skip to reports. Starting to my left, I guess. Chris. Oh, thank you, Neil. Um I have uh no report because planning board didn't have a meeting session. I for um planning board um uh I do have a trails report.

Yeah. So, go ahead. So, right, we're going to have a big ribbon cutting here coming up on the 3 of April at 12:30 p.m. and we need everybody to show up at Yonkers uh parking area. and we're going to celebrate um our closing of the trail sign project which we hope will lead to our um next grant project which we put in for which is for the ERRI. So, um this um it'll be just take about five or 10 minutes and um we'll hopefully have a big sign to thank uh Sustainable Jersey NPS EG for um funding this project. But we um and as part of the grant requirements um we need to show our appreciation and this is one way we can by sending out public in thanks for for them funding the trails. Now, the trail signs themselves, they won't be installed yet. We have them, though, so we'll bring the trail signs out there. Um, they have to wait until the ground dries to a certain level before they can install them. But, so we'll have the trail sign there. We'll be at Yoners and we'll get a nice photo op. Hopefully the um Tap into Sparta will be there in Sparta Independent. Maybe we can send a press release out out to them.

Take some pictures too. Take pictures. Yeah. Did you read the press release that the potential press release? You approved it, right? Yes, I did. That Dan sent. So, we have a press release. Um I guess we can put that on uh our on the website and the our Facebook page as well. Yeah, absolutely. That would be great. Do you have that? Did they forward that to you? Forward the press release. Uh I don't No, I don't think so. No. Okay. I will send that. I'm sorry. Didn't share that.

Yes. So, this is a great project that um you know was a partnership between the trails committee and and the EC. And um the other uh news is that we um would like to to apply for a county Sussex County trails grant and we'd like to get started um it's it's a small uh grant but we'd like to get started clearing um a portion of the Iron Horse Trail and the and the portion that we're looking at goes from Sunset in Road to um Demerest. But it doesn't have to be that section. Um there's actually a few sections that lead to the Veterans Memorial Park. Um but there was a meeting. I can't I'm sorry. I can't remember when the meeting was. Um I think it is um was either today or it's going to be tomorrow morning. Um there's going to be a meeting of a special meeting of the trails committee um if you're interested. and they um are going to uh try to get together um a plan and a budget to submit for the Sussex County Trails Grant, which I think is $1,500.

Oh, great. Great. Um it's always great to use use up all the available grants that we can because we know how money is now. Yeah. Great. It's great that we're taking adv of the of these. Yeah, exactly.

I have nothing to nothing new to report on the master plan subcommittee. Yes, we can move on to unfinished business starting with Earth Day 2026. Okay. So, uh, as we've mentioned previously, our Earth Day event is going to be on Saturday, April 25th from 11 to 3:00 right here at Town Hall. Um, we're going to aim to host it outside, but in the event that it's going to rain, we will bring it inside. So, still, please come to our event. Uh, one new addition since our last meeting is that I was able to secure a native plant nursery. It's called Blue Heron's Farm, um, and native plant nursery. And we're going to incorporate a native plant sale as part of the day. So, she'll have a table out and you'll be able to purchase um, native plants for your gardens.

Good job. Wonderful. Wonderful. But that should be a nice Yeah, that should be a nice activity. Right in line with with spring. Yeah. Yeah, that's perfect. Where where is that nursery? Is that at the sage farm? It is. I was just out there today. Oh, excellent. We were doing a walk through meeting the farmers. Where? Yeah. uh Sage Farm on Oh, it's uh the Sage Farm, the Food Shed Alliance Sage Farm is on 206 in Andover and it's right across from um where the Christmas tree farm was and they used to sell Christmas trees next to the Abbey, right next to the Abbey area in there. And they have um some interesting uh farmers coming in there now.

Oh, great. That uh specialty farmers that are getting started. Wonderful. Yeah. So, yeah, blue heron.

So, uh we are going to have a ton of exhibitors from North Jersey environmental organizations and as I mentioned last time, we have 39 students from Sparta High School, Key Club, National Honor Society, and Ecology Club U members who are coming to help with the event. So, it's going to be great for people of all ages. We're going to have activities like bingo with recycled bottle caps, um, pollinator planting, pollution demonstrations, face painting, uh, live aquatic insects, making pine cone bird feeders, fly tying with Trout Unlimited, our native plant sale. We're going to have visits from Smokeoky the Bear. um crafts with recycled materials like making flowers out of egg cartons and toilet paper roll butterflies. So that's great for kids. Um and then we are going to have our popcorn that's produced with the biodiesel. So it's a wide range of activities for kids and adults alike. So it's really coming together. It's going to be a great event and we need everyone to come out to support the event. It's free, so bring your whole family and then tell everyone you know in town and throughout the area about it because we need help with promotion to make it a success. Um, so I did hear from um Michelle at the township and she said that she received permission to have the event advertised on the township social media and manager Zep is going to promote it as part of his manager report at the upcoming town council meetings. And then um Courtney's helping us to get it announced on the sign out front here and also the sign by the post office. So that'll be um good before our event. And um next time Courtney's going to pull

out our supplies that we used last time um for the event and we'll go through that and see what we want to actually put at our table and we can get organized of who's doing what and what we're going to bring. Um, but yeah, if if you guys can all help me with promotion, tell everyone you know, if you could announce it at planning board meetings or put it on your Facebook pages, that would be a big help. So, we'll just get the word out and it's going to be a great event. And the date of that again is April 25th

from 11:00 a.m. to 300 pm right here at Town Hall. So, it's the Saturday after Earth. Great. Thanks, Christine. I think it's going to be the best one ever. We get a playlist that might get people. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Um I'm sure we have uh Oh, I'm not sure. I hope we have enough people to staff um here. So, we'll figure that out, right?

Yeah. Does anyone know? right now who can definitely come from the commission. I'll be there. Christine's going to be there, but we also have our own tables. So, you said you can come, right? Yes. Alex, you're going to come? Yep. If you both can come, that would be great. But even for a portion of the day, we'll try to finalize that by like next meeting of who's definitely going to come. So, we make sure it's staffed the whole time. Wonderful. Uh the next item under unfinished business is uh data center model ordinance. There's a a lot going on with this right now with um

it's in the news almost. It's in the news quite a bit and I think there's a isn't there something proposed state level or national level? Um did he read something? I know that it was on the horizon. I know I didn't read anything yet. Uh I I know somebody's asking for a nationwide moratorum, but I don't know anything about the state level or I haven't gotten any I haven't seen any new guid guidance from um um sustainable Jersey or ANJ yet because that's that's kind of what I'm looking for. But um right

if if Margie was here then if if she had been here then I would have kind of said hey could you bring this forward to town council they just met so I kind of think without the liaison um we should I don't know I'm torn because we could either submit it they're going to look at it it's going to probably go to planning board for consistency review right um so there's going to the opportunities to look at it some more. We don't want to wait, but on the other hand, we want to get it right. And so, if anyone was at the last town council, there was a proposed ordinance that they tabled because they kind of said, "Well, let's like make sure we get it right."

So, I'm kind of torn. I'd like to get something on the books, but it doesn't sound like they they want to keep revising stuff. No. So,

and this was a question that was raised uh how how do you define a a data center? Well, we yeah, we had like for data center and then scope and scale was another thing that I think I brought up with intensity of use and scope and scale questions are kind of something that I'd love for this commit commission to uh discuss because we put labels on things but then it seems like a lot of the labels that we historically put on things are being tested um by development pressures. So, if there's a way to kind of be higher level about um what what it is we're describing in terms of intensity or in terms of uh resource usage, I would I would kind of want to like lift it up to that level, but I don't I don't know what that looks like. And again, I was kind of waiting on the state stuff. So we'll keep listening for guidance. The next item on unfinished business is the fish and wildlife forest management activities on Sparta Mountain. Comment period ends on March 31st, I believe. I believe Alex, you put something together for us to do as a committee.

Yeah, I wrote a draft email to the new commissioner of the D. Um, obviously I mean I mean I can send it out to the group if anyone wants to make amendments to it or whatnot and we can maybe by the 31st come to an agreement. Yeah. Okay, we'll do that. Then uh I don't think there should be any problem of us sending a comment in as the township environmental commission should there. No, I don't think so.

Hopefully anyone anyone who's watching will um take this under adisement and go in and try to make some comments if you're opposed to this. Uh the next Unfinished business is Anjek open space stewardship grant. We applied for grant for boxes and the resolution was passed on at the Tuesday's uh township council meeting. So I believe Barbara's managing that and um she had the proposal put together. So, we'll leave that for her for next meeting. Um, and oh, I just wanted to say that we have um Michelle's still working on closing out the previous grant for the trail sign just to add to that. Right. Yeah, I think that we need to um our our the section that we hadn't completed was um banking the um sustainable jersey. We had a lot of work to do along those lines and um that's um so we're pushing that along

now and with the publicity release and the ribbon cutting um so we can show our gratitude and I think that that's that's all we really need to uh complete pretty much. Um the signs are weather dependent, you know,

right? Yeah. I think uh um and had answered Michelle with answers to most of her questions. It looks like we she was kind of waiting for us to to to comment on the change of proposal from what it originally was and that's that's completed. So, I think she has most of what she needs. Mhm. Great. Good.

All right. Next item is new business. What are bottling bottling facility ordinance? Alex, you brought this to uh my attention.

Yes. So, this came to my attention uh via LakeF, which is in Andover. I'm a member of that lake there. um that their annual meeting and they mentioned a water bottling facility is going to be they're trying to put it in near the old Andover subacute in Andover which is less than half a mile from the Sparta border. Um and the residents there expressed concerns about 100,000 gallons of water being pumped out per day from the ground. Um so uh they they worry about their wells drying up and lake and the lake level you know dropping. So not sure we can do anything about and over although it is very probably all the same water underneath. I'm not I'm not a scientist, so I I don't know. But um either way, I don't think Sparta should be should allow a corporation to pump out that quantity of water out of the ground. Um I think the water in on the ground and under the ground in Sparta should belong to the residents of Sparta. Um, so if we don't have an ordinance on the on the books now, I think it's something we should seriously consider.

Um, I was looking I I think that is um that is still the Germany flats aquifer that it's over. I believe looking at the geological maps. Um, I do I have geological maps at home. Yeah. Well, the the ones online it looks I think it is the still the Germany flats aquifer and which is still in deficit, isn't it? I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure what the effect of that has. Yeah, it will be down.

Yeah. I mean, so this is this is kind of the thing with a data center um where there's to Alex's point, I mean, I I think this is really good that it caught his attention. um our boundaries don't follow like human boundaries don't fall they don't fall neatly within uh regional watershed boundaries uh natural resources go all across communities so we want to be mindful of that I mean oftent times with planning and zoning concerns you'll see uh when you just stick to within your township you're not looking at a regional scale. And so you kind of put the less beneficial uses on your peripheries and that's probably not very thoughtful to your neighbors. Um, and it's it's a little shortsighted. So this is kind of the argument for kind of doing a Highlands regional master plan. Um, which I know we had looked at. So uh, I'd be curious if if water resources are touched on. I think they probably are in um islands coalition type discussions. Um but I I think this falls within our purview as far as uh protecting our natural resources and this falls within our purview as far as um increasing awareness of u threats to our local resources even if they're in an adjacent community. So, I think we we need to put something together. Obviously, we're going to be somewhat limited with uh enforcement, but then I would also remind everyone like the Morris Lake reservoir was brought up. Um I believe

uh Newton uses that for their water resources and they and it is within our township, but obviously there's an agreement where they're very protective. um even when there was a discussion during the open space uh about trails potentially on that where you know you don't you don't mess with people's water or air resources um and we should all be very concerned when there's a a threat of high usage of uh water especially when we are in a deficit so I I see it the same as a data center threat um so I think we should come up with something but I don't know what That looks like right now.

Well, I I would doubt that that's a permitted use anywhere. Well, in Andover. I mean, I mean, no. I mean, within Sparta, what? Water bottling. Water bottling. Well, I mean, we should look into it and we should at least uh get something on the record. We're advisory any anyway.

Um, so I think this would be like the highle thing. I I wouldn't say, "Oh, we recommend that we restrict uh water bottling facilities within Sparta." We can certainly say that, but we should use broader language. And then just like I believe at Planning Board, they had a member of Andover come and say, "Hey, we just did our master plan. We'd like to show it to you guys because we understand you're doing your master plan and we could kind of cross-pollinate. We should kind of pass something here. and have broader language and then we should um pursue discussion with the um the the people in Andover and kind of say this this is these are our concerns because we could do the same thing that doesn't benefit anyone.

It's not actually a bottling facility. It's they're just taking water out like 3 million gallons a month which seems like a lot. 3.1 million I think they said up per month. It seems like a lot to me but I don't know relatively the recharge and the use. Yeah, I don't know speaking relatively how much it is. So

I can send uh I sent the information to Neil. I can share the information with everyone. There's a link on the Andover website has all the documents. So, if anyone's interested, um, they are having a a public comment period, the the Andover Township Land Use Board on April 21st. I think it was at 7:30 p.m. I didn't write the time down. Um, but anyway, you know, I'm, you know, even though I don't live in the town, I might go and just listen in to see what the what the feedback is. Um, so

that was April 24th. um 21st I think the time was 7:30. Don't quote me on that though. Do you know right now if the Andover I forget what they call it but it's like it might be sustainable Andover it's not an official environmental commission but have they commented? I I don't know that because they have their own they have that they have an Andover EC but it meets infrequently. Okay. And I know is this the same group that Eric Derby is in charge of?

Well, Eric Derby, um, he probably still is involved with it because he still lives in in Andover. Yeah. And and Eric Olsen. Eric Olsen from the Nature Conservancy. He's a chair of that. And Eric Eric Derby is a a member, I believe. So if we're going to comment, we should align and see if they have commented um from their township and we could strengthen, you know, their comments in the process by weighing in from Sparta standpoint. Maybe other townships as well.

Exactly. Yeah. I I know that um I've heard people complaining that when they go up to Stokes to get water now there's big trucks up there filling in bottles, gallon bottles and gallon bottles. It used to be just, you know, mom and dad going up and getting a few jugs and taking it home for the week. Um that's become um quite a scene up there. And

I I experienced that also with the field trip that I was taking up there. And then um also I I was wondering if anybody could confirm this because I've heard this a couple of times now that that we pump out of the Germany aquifer and we sell our water. We we and I've seen uh water transport trucks coming out of the Aaron Way sort of general area back in there.

Um so we may be actually selling our water. um they probably watch the levels quite closely and figure out how much they can, you know, safely uh sell, but still that's something I'd like to be more aware of and, you know, find out a little bit more about. Has anybody else heard that or seen seen those trucks coming out of uh of the area where the water department is near that area? because I know the aquifer is very shallow in there.

No, I don't. I I've never seen that. That's an interesting question. Yeah. So, find that out. And I did just double check. So, the group is called Sustainable Andover, and it says that Eric Derby is the chair in 26. Oh, is he? Yes. Well, it would be nice to go visit him. Yes. So, maybe we could touch base with him. Yeah. Do you know him? He he worked um with the Food Shed alliance, you know, the same um nonprofit that I'm a part of. He worked more in the um marketing and communications area of the food shed, whereas I'm in the environmental wing.

Are you in contact with him or Well, every once in a while, you know, we send each other texts or something. Um, did you want me to find out if they're going to be holding a environmental commission meeting soon? Well, no. Just if if maybe if they have a they've made any comments on this project. Okay. So, as soon as you send me the background information, I'll be in contact with them then. Great. Thanks. Good idea.

Yes. Okay. Uh the next item is ecology education grant um for VATS. We just discussed that. Leave that for Barbara for the next meeting. Winter salt week engineering solutions. Was this your

No, that was Christine. I thought that was such a good idea because um it might be helpful with the master plan, you know, just to uh think about what might be um helpful in terms of a vision and guidance in terms of a road road salt applications. And I did listen to the video and I pulled out some some comments from it. But I don't know where if you want to go through that now and maybe make a list and how would that work with the master plan committee. I mean I would suggest that the master plan has a section that um speaks about the care of salting uh roads

in the environmental section.

Good thought. I don't know where that would be in the which element that would be might be under but I'll I'll look into it. Any other comments on that? Um, moving on to Environmental Commission checklist of concerns for applications.

Rob, I think this was your uh Yeah, Barbara and I started discussing this, so I probably just uh wait for her um and we can maybe forth something for you guys to look at next week or next meeting.

Great. Um there are a couple things I had under uh new business is well um the ANject training I I took the last night's session. I don't know if anybody has taken any but they're recorded and they'll be um sent out u I think Monday I was told last night. So there's one tonight which obviously we're missing but um other than that anyone else have anything new benefit of us of the environment or the town?

You sent us something. uh to look at by April 7th or 8th. Is that what you're referring to? I just got an email. Mandatory training she's talking about. Oh, that's a new one. Yes. Sorry, I forgot that. Uh yes, we all have mandatory training that we have to take. It's a 15minute video on uh that I shared in the email that's required of all the volunteers and you could all complete that as soon as you can. That would be great. Then just let me know so I can let Michelle know.

Thanks for that reminder, Chris. Welcome. Um, if nobody has anything else, I do. Alex, go ahead. How how are we making out on speakers? We made any progress with anyone or

I sent an email um and our schedule. I'm just waiting a response on the one speaker that I had in mind, but uh we had mentioned deer. I don't know that we took any steps towards that. Just any of our other things from last year. Um, yes. I haven't reached out to to um the Delaware Riverkeepers about the green amendment yet, but Courtney, do I know the budget's not finished yet, but uh I don't know what our budget is. Do you know if we had a rollover from last year? I don't think they roll it over, do they?

Um, yeah. I'm not entirely sure on that. Yeah, that's something I'd have to ask cuz I'm not I'm not I don't know. Yeah, about that. Can we wait until after Earth Day just because we have to get some supplies for this for some of the stations and then we'll see what is left? Sure.

Before we get a paid speaker because everyone else has been free that we've been getting so far. Yeah. So, we don't have a budget yet. So, um and oh yeah, the sustainability summit is coming up. I think we all got an email about that. I just registered for it. It's a um is that the one that's the one in in Homeell, I think. So, it's it's during the day. It's on a Friday. It's a it's a long drive, but so anybody with a real job probably has a tough time getting there. So, I'll go.

Um, as far going back to speakers, have we ever had a speaker come in and talk about harmful algel algae blooms? I think so. Uh, we haven't. Did you have someone in mind?

Yeah. I mean, I heard I was listening to a podcast. There was a person from Princeton Hydro and someone from friends of Hopewell, Friends of Hopewell, Hopewell Valley Open Space. Um, really good talk on just harmful algae blooms and just maybe something to consider here being the amount of lakes that we have in this town. So, I would just uh if we can get the the alum speaker lined up, then I would say uh it would it would make sense to do alum uh before after harmful algolooms because there's um a tie in there. And so I would put forth uh Dr. Souza um because he he's probably going to want to be uh at he may be interested in the alum dosing system talk um and he started Princeton Hydro. So

okay I can I could reach out to him but I want to hear on this alum speaker availability first. So we could combine those if if that would be possible. Well, if if you think we have the bandwidth to combine them, that could be an interesting kind of lake chemistry watershed like don't we could almost get the watershed ambassador. I mean that's like a big then that's like a big all day. Yeah. But but that would or we do backtoback meetings or but it is related. So I like that idea of doing them close together and especially before going into summer.

Yeah. Right. Now, yeah. I mean, now there's like there's like three to five things that you could jam together. That's almost like Yeah, that's We should have Yeah. Well, let's see what the interest is. All right. Right. We'll have the first alum speaker and then we can go from there. But let's try to get people in the room too when we're having these talks because it just makes it better for the speakers and more people are informed. But that's a good Yeah, it's if we get them in the room, that's like if we had multiple speakers. I don't Yeah. All right. Maybe some offline discussions because that's getting me thinking.

How long is that How long is Paul thinking of speaking? Uh I feel like Yeah, I feel like it could go for a decent amount of time, especially with interested public. Uh, so I wouldn't be surprised that like Yeah, I feel like he could pro probably be a standalone speaker if we're doing it at our meeting, if we were going to do it separately, but then if we wait two weeks, are we going to lose the connection between the two? Right. So, so do we want to try to have it on a separate day from our meeting? Maybe. And then do we want to see then if then it would make sense to do both in the same day? But it's hard

when it's at the seven o'clock meeting and to go too late. You you present at Lake Mohawk, right? So, I mean that's a venue where I know that properly um noticed we could we could probably get a lot of people to come to that and then if they came to that we could do almost like what I had done in years past where you have like a lake expo

but I don't know if you want to do this where you you have septic discussion you have an alum dosing you have a lake health I mean then it turns into a really big thing and I you know we did that before for Lake Mohawk residents but I'm sure they would be open to it and you know we could cross pollinate potentially but we're kind of going beyond the scope of uh our speaker series it could be

especially with the last couple years like harmful algolooms it it could be a really good thing to put bring back to bring back and put together. So I I just don't know how we do that

because you could also have if we were going to do the longer summit, you could have from Monontlair State, they have their HAB lab they call it, but it's like citizen science monitoring. So that could be another extension of it. I mean, I I have like the big uh I bought uh the big microscopes uh for this years ago at Lake Mohawk where we just took water from the lake, put it under, and then kids would interact and see like, oh, okay, water, there's a bunch of stuff in it. So, how big do we want to get? So, uh, do you think that we could, um, get these folks lined up, uh, before Earth Day so that we can let the general public know that this event is coming up? Summer's coming up.

You know, waters are warming. Come and find out what you need to know to protect. You're saying just the date, right? The date. Just the date. Um, and then maybe the name of the the speaker that's coming and then, you know, have it before families start vacationing or, you know, have it maybe in late May or early June. Um, so everybody knows how to protect themselves and what to look for. Yeah. During the summer and if we're doing the table at Sparta Day, that's end of May, right? I think last week of May. So if are we doing Sparta Day? I don't know. We had talked about it, but we had I won't be able to be here for that. Okay.

Little trip lands. Okay. So, I was just going to say depending on if we were having a table and when that event would be, we could that could be another opportunity opportunity to publicize because I to me I think that that's the real glitch. We've had such excellent speakers and information that we're sharing with everyone that have been on spot but nobody really comes, right, except for a handful of people. Um,

so I I'm not sure how many people are looking or viewing at our meetings. um online, but you know, we have like 19,000 residents here and you know, probably half of that is adults and you know, it'd be nice to get like 5% or so of the people, you know, informed. And it's not that I don't think they want they don't want to know. They have busy schedules. So, if we can get that information out there early, they can put it on their calendars. And you're uh for Earth Day, you had spoken to LMPF. That's another like potential partner if we were to do like a lake health

Yeah. type thing. So So beyond the lake health stuff, uh we want to see the budget, right? But deer, native plants, the usual. That brings to mind that we still have two uh alternate seats open on the environmental commission. So ask all your friends.

Yeah. Yeah. And that too we can mention at at the Earth Day and Sparta day if we do that. Yeah. Okay. Unless anyone else has anything. Um, I have a motion for adjournment. Motion to adjurnn. Have a second. I'll second. All in favor? I I I meetings adjourned at 804.

Yeah, good job. a lot of work. I feel like