Environmental Commission - Regular Meeting

long tail leading up to Yeah. So, I don't know if it would, you know, really Neil here, it would have been nice to be like, "Hey, didn't that come? Didn't we have a lot of public support for that?" And just Yeah. But I don't know. We can talk about it, but I don't think I put it on the agenda. All right. Because technically it's not ours anymore. It's moved on to Yeah. But now they're just kind of like armchair quarterbacking like, "Oh, do we need trails. It's like, well, it didn't come from nowhere. Came from a suggestion. Big title. You want to start?

Yeah. Okay. You Everybody ready? All right. All right. I'll let you know.

All right. Welcome to the Township of Sparta Environmental Commission meeting of Thursday, October 23rd, 2025. The meeting is called to order at 7:01. We are live in the council chambers at the municipal building and also live streaming at www.youtube.com backyolspartwp streams. Um adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the public and the press on January 10th, 2025 by delivering to the press and posting on the township website a copy of this notice. If you would please join me in the 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. Thank you. Uh Emily, roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Margie Murphy, Chair Kimberly Null here, Vice Chair Neil Sourine, Christine Dunbar, Ted Gaul here, Christine Rogers here, Barbara Kazulka here, Robert Otto here, Nicholas Drado. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, we have a number of minutes that we are catching up on as well as last meeting's minutes of September 25th, 2025. Um, and I think some folks have already reviewed and sent any changes ahead to Emily already. Um, do we want to take it in sections or just approve all at once? All right, let's do September 25th, 2025 first. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? I'll make a motion to approve the minutes of September 25th, 2025. Thank you. Do I have a second? I thank you, Barbara. All right. Uh, do I have all in favor? Sorry.

I I I All right. Awesome. September 25th, 2025. minutes are approved. All right. How do we want to handle the 24 and 23? You want to do it all at once? Did everybody have a chance to look at them? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Do you want to make the motion, Barbara? I make the motion to approve all remaining uh minutes for the 2024 2025 uh 2023. Thank you so much. Do I have a second? I'll second. Thank you, Christine. All right. All in favor? I

All right. The previous minutes are now approved also from July 13, 2023 through January 11th, 2024. Thank you everybody. I know that was a lot of review this past week. Um trying to catch up on those. All right. Now, we are moving on to the application that we have tonight. It is 738 Messer LLC. It's over on Deerris Road. Um, it looks like a very minor uh application. So, if you want to all join me down there, we can take a look at it. want to come and see.

You can even come inside if you want. It's kind of special now. Okay. You can see. Okay. Better than mine. Yeah. But you guys know what you're looking at. So,

so yeah, we usually look at the architectural plans. We try to stay in our lane, right? We're not here to comment on the signs. That's part of the zoning board and the planning board's role. Um, so we try to stick in the stick to the things that are, you know, things that we can comment on. Normally, we look at the landscapes. We look at the um uh imperous coverage like it needs to be below a certain amount. Um, we look at the location. Is there any critical, you know, things about the location? Historic waterways, C1 waterways, which are like critical waterways. Um things that might uh be concerning like if this was on Lake Mohawk, right, and they wanted to put their gas tanks in,

those kind of things. Yeah. Um we also do look at lighting. So that is another thing that we definitely want to pay attention to. And lighting, believe it or not, is huge environmental impacts both to people and wildlife and migrating birds and all those things. I read some stuff. You guys said some interesting about nighttime lights. I didn't know. Yeah. Learning as we go.

Yes. And we just ended the whole migration like millions of birds migrating north to south. So, um it's important to keep your lights off at night. And then we also with LEDs, they've started to be extremely bright. So, it's harmful for humans trying to drive and it's also harmful for land. So, yeah. So, that's what we look at. Um, this one is really all they're doing is putting in a concrete pad. Yeah. Oh, that this whole drawing is for that. Yeah. Yeah. It's a site plan. So, full disclosure.

Yeah. You saw it already. So, you want to for a specific business that is located there. That's it. Okay. Yeah. Not a helicopter. No, not a helicopter. So, I had asked what the purpose just Yeah. You normally assess water quality impacts. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like if it's on top of a C1 stream of some kind. I don't see any C1 I don't see any streams at all in this area. So, and what are they putting on top of it? Did they say

I think that's it? Carbonated beverage thing.

It just came in. It's just that. Yeah.

This is what it's electrical gas. Typically, you know, we have questions. Yeah. Oh yeah.

Yeah. It's always good to know the whole picture. Absolutely. So, but it's an established CO2. So is this what's going on there then? This gas multiplexer vaporizer I don't know what

some kind of sensor

produce CO2 for I don't want to say go through, but that was kind of the issue is if you have volunteers that are tasked with going through this proving, do they have enough information as lay people to say this seems okay and not a concern of community or would you feel more comfortable? Yeah. So that's what it is. It appears that the proposed I'm sorry. It appears that a proposed carbon dioxide analyzer unit will be housed in a container that's 79 in by 96.5 in long. 94.5 in high. Just again full sight to have

no traffic. I don't know. I'm looking like where's the road versus where's this is behind? Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if you

depends what your version of fun is. Obviously [laughter] trying to step up.

No, I was trying to figure out where it is because Sparta church here's house corners. Here's 15. Here's houses corners. So the Sparta church is here, I think. No, there's no

Yeah, the site's all the way over here. Far farther in from 15. We do have open positions on the board. All right. I don't know that we have anything within our purview. Does anybody have anything that they think they want to other than it would be good to know confirm that this is what they're putting on it

like that's what they're saying okay that is what they're it's in line with your pre-existing use Right. It's two at the same. Okay. All right. So, folks, do we have any comments?

All right.

Gases for the medical food grade gas. All right. All right. Next. All right. Um, they're trying to identify the flood hazard area. The design elevations, okay, are based on method five. Let's see. Are they building something? Yeah, they want flood hazard area verification probably

Yes, that's what I was going to say. search. Yeah, we can do that parcel search too. So, um using that block. Yeah, it's completely vacant now.

Yeah, this is a stream. But I don't know. Is this something that we comment on or this just a notification? Oh, no. We can comment on it. Okay. We have before. Okay. It's not a formal memo. It's just usually a reply, you know, like when they're going to spray pesticides and stuff. I think this is a So, we're getting it.

Neighbors notification boundaries. No, whenever they submit something to D, then we also Which water exactly where that lot is too because

you know the boundary Oh, it's right here.

Oh, it does. Okay. Yeah. And then here it's saying this is saying what they think is the percent area.

So, I think two com We're going to do we're gonna run our own environmental report. Okay. And we're going to double check three things actually. Double check where the planning area is versus the reservation area. And what was Oh, ask for environmental if they move forward. I looked at

it's just repair. in Lake. Is it on the lake? Okay.

Yeah, it's just subjective. I don't know why. All right. That one. No comment. No, nothing to say on that one.

So, it depends on the That's actually goes to the planning board because that they sent off that application. So then we'll send the memo back to the memo. Huh. He's right up like it doesn't seem like a problem. Usually Emily handles it for us. She's our secretary. So he's very kindly taken that on which will eventually become public during the planning board meeting. And then um these are letters like they're not like no committee sent them to us or commission. Um, so we usually apply that,

you know, it's we shouldn't like we have seen people Yeah.

I am not uh my project. Everyone that was actually discussion at the last council meeting was changing the application process for Yes.

Yeah. So some of us are formally trained in the environment but not all of us are. Some of us just like the environment and learn environmental stuff anyway. And then once you join the board there's our governing body of the environmental commissal person. All right. I don't know how much showed up on the sound, but hopefully we were loud enough. All right. Um, we're opening it up to public comment.

First time and an environmental question. I actually sent um an email, I believe, that you responded to. So, it's Jen Robuff one. Thank you very much. Um, so I I do have a couple questions and I I'm trying to figure out exactly how this commission fits in with the council and how the communication between the two organizations work. So the first thing I notice is there isn't a big timer in my face, but we also don't have a big We don't do timers.

Okay, I appreciate your time. Um so the the the um for anyone who may not be aware I um had a lot of questions regarding the council resolution 9-9 which involved the conveyance of 28 acres of ecologically rich Sparta owned land to the New Jersey Land Trust in exchange for what the land trust described as five acres of ecologically um nondesirable land. Um, and I didn't know if um, this was something that the council had consulted the commission on since it is um, the conveyance of a significant amount of Sparta owned property um, and ecologically rich Sparta owned property and it's part of um, what is marked as um, open space dedicated to the township of Sparta. It is nonbuildable wetlands. Um, so that was my first question was was this commission consulted regarding this?

So starting in the beginning of 2024, I might have my year slightly off, maybe it was the end of 23, we started the process of completing an open space plan. Um, that open space plan becomes part of the master plan. You're supposed to do the open space plan every 10 years or so, but um what Sparta had been doing for a number of years is updating it, which basically meant just, no offense to anybody who was here, right? But kicking the can, kick, okay,

they would run a report of any open places and then just slap it on there. So, we did a full overhaul of the open space plan, which took 9 to 12 months. Um, we hired uh New Jersey, my gosh, the land conservancy.

The land cons New Jersey land conservancy. Thank you. Um, through a grant. We didn't, Sparta didn't pay for it um directly. Uh, we got a grant uh through either ANJ or one of the um organizations to help fund that work effort by the um New Jersey Land Conservancy. Through that process, we had a number of opportunities for the public to have input. There was two public sessions held and then there was even a third one in conjunction with the planning board and the town council. Um, we did a survey online that went out via email more than once and also went out via that alert system which I can't think of the name of the alert system. Huh?

Was it Rave?

Rave, but I think at the time it was called something else because isn't rave new. Um, and we got what, uh, New Jersey, uh, Land Conservancy said was a vast amount, like way more replies than many other towns have gotten. So, um, we felt like we we did get a lot of input from the general public. We also had meetings with all the various departments within the township. So, we met with um uh W DWP, we met with recreation, we met with um other stakeholders in the communities like the school board and um allowed them opportunities to have input into the process, right? And what the open space plan is focused on is the open spaces, the unbuilt spaces, right? because the master plan is focused on what what's in what zones and what can be built where and you know a whole bunch all that kind of stuff and we're focused on um in this uh plan the open space plan. It's also open space and recreation plan. So it's focused on not necessarily indoor recreation but outdoor recreation. So don't think, oh, our recreation department, when you hear recreation, it's not a plan to tell Gan how to run her department. Got it.

It's like recreation like boating and skiing and hiking and all those kind of biking, those kind of things. So that's the recreation portion there. Um through that, a lot of the input we got was trails. We want more trails. We want more bike trails. We want the trails that we have connected. And this is a long way of going getting to No, no, I appreciate the explanation. Apologize.

Um, you know, we want more trails. We want the trails connected to all the other trails in Sussex County. We want, um, the trails to be better maintained. We especially would like a more walkable downtown. So, um, that has been a focus of that open space plan, but believe it or not, even the previous ones had a large focus on more walkable downtown, creating a more recognizable downtown area, um, more sidewalks, more places to bike, more places to hike. And [snorts] so that idea of having a roadway in between or a trail, not a road, sorry, not a road, a trail in between the high school and the middle school has been something that has been discussed but not acted upon for a long time. So long way of answering, yes, we were consulted. Um the trails committee usually has a member here. Right now, we just lost um a month ago our trails committee appointee who also sat on the environmental commission. So, we do need to get a new person who's also going to come and report on that. So, yeah, we've definitely been tracking um you know along with that. I think the important thing is that just because they started talking about it and had had a resolution to begin those discussions doesn't mean it was a done deal, right? It was just the beginning to start those discussions.

So, I obviously was here for the council meeting and heard um our mayor say that. However, I did reach out to the trail um to the council myself to the New Jersey Land Trust and spoke with their preserve manager uh Jason Hstead um and uh we went back through the meeting where um Mr. Dystra and Mayor Clark had originally approached them which was back in March. Um so that was when the original proposal happened and then um they are actually on their end as far as they're concerned since they had the unanimous vote on October 3rd. They are only waiting for deed conveyance. That's at deed transfer. That's where they are at the stage they are. So, I don't know if I would say this is the beginning if they're just waiting for deed transfer. And the other piece is now there seems to be a change from what I'm hearing and I don't know if this has come across to you guys yet at all that um now it's not from the middle school to the high school.

I haven't heard that. So there's a section of land that is um USDA um governed that is in between the middle school and the high school and that would dissect a private land owner's property and under the guidance of the it's the I don't know what the conservancy I have it actually written down as part of the USDA governs what happens on that land. So, it has to go through that land owner and then the town of Sparta would actually have to lease use of that back from the land. There's like a lot of things um in speaking I I've made a lot of phone calls in the week to different agencies to try and um understand because I really um I found out about this right prior to the council meeting and only because there was some survey flags that ended up on our property. Um, so, um, I I'm happy to hear that you guys were consulted. Was there any like formal like do you guys present anything to the council or anything? Any type of documentation?

After the open space plan is completed, it gets presented to um, it got presented to a joint planning and town council meeting and then it went for approval by the planning board. The town council does not approve that document. That's the planning board. Yeah. And so after that process, the trails committee began um their process and we hear regular reports from our usual trails committee person uh who we lost a month ago. Yeah, that was one question was is there a liaison? But yeah, now you need a new one.

Now we need a new We're kind of I would say that we're kind of high level advisory and I I don't recall that we we had kind of general feedback from the community saying we would like more open space usage, trails, outdoor, you know, this is these are assets that we should be enjoying, right? Um, but I don't know that we specified this body didn't necessarily specify parcels and lots. We didn't go down to that detail. We just said we think that this should be explored and then we pass it off. And so that's that's where then a trail committee was formed um and the governing body then takes it um and on advisement from the trail committee. But I want to say something because I just saw uh that town council meeting a couple days ago and a few people told me to watch it. Uh and

thank you for watching and sorry.

Yeah. No. Um it's I mean there's a lot. So, I I uh I wanted to and I my takeaway from that was if it were me and and I have a background in uh marine and freshwater and land survey and uh geologic exploration and so but all that aside and knowing that surveyors are typically allowed on private property unless there is posted signs uh six foot physical barriers just so you know um they are allowed. However, I personally I think if I had been asked by you or even before that, I think my response would have been a little bit different where I would have kind of said it doesn't sound like this was handled correctly and let's kind of set this aside and discuss and figure out how to work through this kind of offline and not try to push something through. So, I just want to say that because uh I felt like that was maybe like the biggest frustration that I would have taken, you know, and I've, you know, I've I've called cops to to my property when I've had people on there. I'm like, what are they doing? And the cops have told me, you know, unless you have uh no trespassing signs, you can't. And then even if you have no trespassing signs, unless you have a six-foot fence, and even if you have a six foot fence, unless that you have if you have an opening in that fence and you don't close that opening, you could still have people on your property. I'm like, well, that seems crazy, but um but in this case, I mean, I do think that the the surveyors uh and it sound like there's also a boundary dispute or question. So, I mean, all of this like

uh it just seems like maybe calmer heads, you guys can talk offline and work through some of how this was maybe not handled the best. And then hopefully, and it sounded like the the other some of the other members of town council were hearing your concerns and it sounds like there was a request request for just more information and just getting it right. Right. That was it. It was I need information. So, one of the things that I reached out um in speaking to the preserve manager, he is a wealth of knowledge. You guys would love him. Um and I actually asked if there was an opportunity for him to have some kind of open house because as a steward for the trust, he was magnificent. Had he presented the information at the council meeting, it may have gone a very different way. But um the information that was transmitted to the public was just inconsistent at best. It was this we said this but but this we had well here's this email from before and now you're saying this and and like it just it was there was zero I mean from a homeowner who came home and it seemed like zero transparency and I love that you're saying there's so many pieces that it was at this meeting and there was something published and all of this. I try and pay attention to things, but I had no idea. Um, so now I'm I'm going to pay a lot more attention to things. Um, but if there's an opportunity to have the gentleman from the trust um come to a meeting to present about what the trust does, um, the parcel of land in question that, um, borders our property would actually unite the Sterling Hill preserve and the Walkill Preserve. But he was very honest. they have landlocked um property that they have and that would be the only street access to those two preserves. So that property would would unite them and then also have street

access. So then I was like, well, who would need street access? Um and he said um because of the ecologically rich nature of the property and the species that are there, he said he personally would probably like to geek out and check it out himself. Um but they are not a trails uh network. They are not um encouraging trails. They are encouraging preserved land which was very different than the message we got here. It was we're giving away this large portion of property for a small amount of property to potentially build a trail at taxpayers expense because then the school board came out the next day and said we are not on board with this. we haven't given permission to use our property in this way. So, so the whole thing of like we're just starting the conversation. I think that the conversation was pretty far along for him to say this is the beginning. My opinion

and I think I would just add while Kim is is correct that trails were identified and this was a potential site to look at. I personally as a member of the environmental commission would have liked to have had that um presentation before it had because I I work for um an organization that looks at the Walill River. We specialize in restoration of different sites. I know there are sensitive species in that area. Um it is an a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service easement in that area. So, I think we do need to have due diligence to look um to establish any trail through there.

And I appreciate that. That's really what I wanted was more information. Um um because we we get we do get updates from the trail committee, but our updates are brief and we were told that they're exploring it, but we didn't know that it was going to be this far along. I don't think personally I didn't. So, I appreciate that. That's something I if we can get more information before anything moves forward that would be great. So Kim, can we then say can we just ask for that? Ask for what? Like ask for more information about this parcel, understand a little bit more um about the proposal and

absolutely. And then I think then we could we could weigh in on it the same as we do this other stuff and at least the we're doing the due diligence because it does sound like this was uh missed. So I appreciate um did we ever have a trust I thought we did have a trust New Jersey land trust come and speak to us. One of our speakers um Ridgen Valley came Am I thinking of right but not this is um not specific to Yeah. Yeah. Okay. This is a New Jersey natural lands trust.

Yeah. And then there is some language about land entering and exiting the trust that is kind of very general. So I mean the land that they are conveying to Sparta in exchange for these 28 acres was in the New Jersey land trust and is now being given to Sparta to build upon it. That's that's what Sparta asked for it. Like we want this land so we can build this trail. Um so that's a concern. Um also, you know, we were under the impression that this dedicated to the open space of Sparta and we were told when we bought the home that it was preserved land. No one could ever build on it. But during the council meeting, uh Mr. Dash made it very clear that that developers have ways of getting around such things and we could sell that lot and build on it behind your house. So like it. So I I would like more information about is that truly preserved? What does the designation on my survey that says open space dedicated to the town of Sparta? What does that mean? Um

the open space plan has at the back of it which is published online has every single block and lot and what is preserved and what is not preserved. Okay. So if you already you can find it in there.

Okay. But that was a concern I didn't really want to bring but since he did um that was a concern I had again kind of putting myself in your shoes I was like all right so if I have this if I understand this the swap which of course is more favorable to uh who is providing the land that we would want to use um that may not be a bad thing because if if it's going to be used in the same way but again that that initial parcel that they're giving to to us what were the promises attached to that parcel and yeah going forward. So there are deed restrictions on that parcel because that land originally came from the DOT.

So I don't know what is attached to it but there are definitely deed restrictions and I don't know how the plan that the council brought forward. I don't know how that applies or impacts the those stipulations. presumably they they'd have to look at it. But I mean, yeah, that was my point is it's all well and good. I think the um the guidance was that the state's going to do a better job of protecting the land than the township. Maybe, maybe not. Um and there was, I think, conversation about uh writing an agreement that would run with the land to kind of hamstring future development. But that was something that I was curious is the land that we're being given. It's owned by this state entity who is supposed to be a very good steward, but now it's going to be uh a trail and what if it had been promised to in perpetuity never be developed? And so then therefore, of course, what's the guarantee for your parcel adjacent your property? So I would have those concerns. Um and then the other concern is that um you know there's plenty of attention to the Sparta Mountain situation which is under you know the guidance or governance of another state agency um and I don't think anyone was anticipating that they would be cutting down trees um regardless of what species of bird may need them to do so. Um, so I did check and the New Jersey uh the land trust said that they don't have any current current forestry projects at the moment, but that doesn't mean that they didn't or don't or couldn't. So that would also be a concern.

Agree. We actually have a resolution that we've been trying to get moving forward um to basically protest against what's currently happening on Sparta Mountain. Um the uh stop the chop group um they came and actually gave a presentation. I think it was May or June if you want to go back and look at that uh recording. It was pretty it was a really good meeting. They had two experts come and speak about um both the wobblers and the how that's not really something that really needs to be saved at this point. And um the tree expert was also really good also.

Well, I appreciate your time very much and the Yeah, thanks for coming. Just thank you for listening. Um thank you. John lives across the street from the parcel.

Any other comments from the [laughter] No one else wants to say anything? Okay. All right. Um reports. We don't have Margie to give a town council report. We don't have Neil to give a master plan subcommittee. I'll give a plug for the master plan subcommittee uh public meeting that is happening October 29th 7 to9 at the I think it's the high school at the Sparta High School. So if anybody from the public's interested in weighing in on the master plan and having your opinion heard, please come to that meeting October 29th 7 to9 Sparta High School. I'm on that.

You're on that now? Subcommittee. Oh, yeah. You did a good job. I'm gonna come and see you. Okay. All right. Do you want to Did I feel your thunder? Before you move on, I did think of one additional question. I don't know if you can answer it or not. Um I did reach out because um when I asked when these meetings were and when the trails meetings were, um the town clerk was kind enough to send me back the information. I found this meeting on the calendar. Nobody actually disclosed this meeting. I found that on the calendar, but the trails meeting is on the 30th. There's a trails meeting. Um, and that I was told that it's in a conference room that is very small and doesn't accommodate much um room for the public.

It's not that small. It's right here. That first one as you come in town hall. I don't hang out in town hall, but I'll have to check it out. But um but I asked if there was any opportunity to live stream that meeting because it sounded like there will definitely be information that is relevant to this resolution 9-9. Um and I was told that no. So I I asked again and just said in in just asking for transparency if there's any way that that meeting could be live streamed so that more residents, you know, could at least hear the information being presented. I don't I don't know if that I I would just say they'd have to probably meet here, right?

Probably. I know I know they can live stream um via Zoom in that room. It's equipped for Zoom. So, I don't think people would care what platform was used if they could listen to be honest. So, I don't know if that's something that you could have any input on or not. So, I would appreciate it.

All right. Um, oh, planning board. Any planning board report? No. Okay. All right. Um, some of the resolutions we've been working on, um, one of them is the, uh, stewardship of Sparta Mountain. Um, I sent it to the town council members and I have not heard back yet. So, we're we're still waiting on that one. Um, on deer management, I have not done what I was supposed to do. [laughter] So, um, I did speak to some folks at Lake Mohawk Country Club about, um, if we could get any information on deer strikes, but, uh, Blake, do you know Blake? Okay. So, I'll follow up with them. Huh.

The Boardwalk Club, they're not serving venison.

No, they're not serving venison. All right. Um, oh, let me explain what that's about if you're have been following. So, Lake Mohawk has a number of deer herds. Well, we think that's where the most problem is. That's where the town is getting the most complaints about the deer herds um eating a lot of and all of the vegetation. And deer are particularly disastrous for native plants because they primarily eat the native plants and they leave the invasives. Um and so the native plants can hardly get a foothold. Um and so we are trying to have potentially this is um one of the thoughts is having working with the state D fish and wildlife organization to help us with the deer population and decreasing the deer population. We had a presentation by um the Fish and Wildlife Organization particularly about deer management and of course that was sometime in the spring too. I can't remember the exact day. Um and they you typically recommend three or four different ways to manage your deer population. There's birth control which is extremely expensive and not very effective. There is hunting your deer, which um does require some planning, of course, and it's hunting with bows and arrows, I think, is what they typically recommend. I can't remember the third thing that they said. It's not poisoning or anything like that. Moving Oh, moving them.

Yeah, which doesn't work because then they just come right back. So, there the one by you, I have no idea. I know the one by me is definitely hunted and I don't have a deer problem by my house. So, the secret is the hunting, I think. But anyway, so we're we're um trying to get some more evidence as to where the biggest deer problems are in town um rather than just antidotal complaints from people living in the town. Did didn't we talk about also asking the police?

Yeah, we have that report. So, we got the um deer strike report. How many where and how many car accidents have been caused by deer? Um we have that and then um we have to contact space because they pick up the dead deers, space farms. Um, so yeah, we're part trying to put together the plan and then um, D would come in and help us with that with that information, help us put together a plan to kind of help with the deer population, Sparta entirely, but um, we do get the most complaints from Lake Mohawk. So, but we would look at the whole town. That's why we're trying to get additional information about where the deer strikes are happening, where the carcasses are being collected from, that kind of stuff. Okay. Um, rivers conference, Christine.

Um, so I went to this added to the agenda. Um, this was an event that I went to last Friday. uh it was hosted at Centinary University and there were a number of great workshops but I wanted to bring this back on the agenda this week because there were some updates from the workshops that I attended that I think are relevant to our board and to um Sparta as a whole. So, the first one that I went to was the state wildlife action plan um workshop and they as part of that presentation they highlighted what's called change which is spelled ch which stands for connecting habitat across New Jersey. Um they have a website called change cj.nj.gov. gov. And this tool is is very useful because it helps us identify um what actions are needed to make the landscape and roadways passible to our terrestrial wildlife. Um and they we're showing different mapping tools that we can look at to highlight which roadways are particularly problematic. Um and then you can work with the state to address them. Um, but they also said that they their staff at New Jersey Fish and Wildlife can advise townships. So, there might be a way to have someone on their staff advise our commission um look at if there's any parcels that we should be particularly concerned about, if there's any roadways that we should be addressing. um because they can work with the townships and the state and try to get funding available to create um passageways, under bridges, under roads. So, we I think we should check that out

as a commission and just see what SPART is looking like on this tool. So, it's for like frogs, turtles. Yeah. But it's also they were showing because a lot of the um even bridges that go over rivers a lot of times the water goes right to the edge of Yeah. edge of the bridge. So they were talking about as um there's redesigns or roads are Oh interesting changed that we can now look at wildlife concerns. Yeah.

And create little passage ways for terrestrial wildlife to be able to cross safely. So, I think that is relevant to our board and we should take a look at it. And then for the public, um they talked about another tool that would be very helpful to the state. It's called New Jersey Wildlife Tracker and that's for reporting different wildlife sightings. So, it could be things like if you had a bobcat run across the road, you can report it to the state so that they know where these um endangered wildlife are being observed. So that that helps with planning decisions and prioritization of where um they would address some of these concerns with roadways. And then the other workshop that I wanted to highlight was about the state development and redevelopment plan. Um so right now there's a final draft of the state plan that's viewable to the public. They are encouraging submission of public comments. And then this is a a really a document that our master plan subcommittee should begin to review um as they start to work on developing our revision for the master plan because they were saying that alignment between Sparta's plan and the state plan opens up huge opportunities for grant funding to be available because then our plan is aligned with statewide goals. So that's something we should look at I think. Um, other than that, that's all I had from that event.

You have the links for those? Yeah, I can I can give them to You want me to give them to Emily? Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you so much. Yep. Thanks for attending. I'm sorry I couldn't hear. That information? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I can include the links in the minutes. Yep. You can also go on to the Rivers conference. You'll be able to see them there. for that last one, the the state um that was something that came up I think before in planning. Okay. Where uh there was a couple different pathways that we could kind of get guidance I think and we'll have to revisit.

I think it's they're trying to finalize it by December. So, it's in the next couple of weeks. Try to get your comments in. There was like an opt-in or an opt out. And there's a couple different ways that you could Well, they have like a final draft right now. So then you can review what the final draft says and then see if you have any other comments. But even if we don't have comments, I think just seeing where there can be alignment with our plan can only help because we'll have opportunities for grant funding. Um on the turtle crossing, reptile crossing one, um there was somebody contacted us about they were seeing a lot of turtle strikes. Mhm.

Um I'll have to go back in the emails and see where it was in particular this past spring. So like that would be a good place to kind of start I think too. Yeah. So maybe they could be one of our future speakers if they would be willing to talk to us. That would be great. Yeah. Okay. Um moving on to new business. Um I think Christine, you put this on the agenda. Earth Day 2026, I think. Um, yeah, I think Neil had brought it up first, but Neil did. Sorry about that.

Yeah, because I think the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation was discussing that they wanted to do an Earth Day cleanup that they've been doing uh year after year and to see if there could be any alignment with our board and our Earth Day event. Um, so I guess I was thinking because we are the environmental commission for the entire town and not Lake Mohawk specifically, maybe we can have the Lake Mohawk event in the morning like they always have it. And then like I I looked for what time it started this year. It was at 9:00. So maybe if we went back to hosting our event at like 11 or 12 and we made it an afternoon event, people can go to the cleanup and then drive one mile down the road and come and we can have stations set up again.

Personally, I'd like to have it here like we did two years ago. Yeah. Because the attendance was better.

Um and I like the idea of having it where we host our meetings so that we could start making that connection with the public. So that's kind of what I'm thinking if we could do something like that. So that that lake Mohawk um it's LMPF, the Preservation Foundation. That's actually a separate uh group. It it started as kind of a way to look out for the uh environment local to Lake Mohawk, but it it's beyond it's not limited to our to the Lake Mohawk waterways. So, we should actually ha at least have a conversation with them, I think, because they they provide grants as well um to entities outside of uh Lake Mohawk. If there's anything that would benefit uh the watersheds associated with Sparta, I think they're up for it. I don't know if they do anything beyond Sparta, but I I know that they definitely um have given money and resources and supported well beyond uh Lake Mohawk. So, but yeah, I think that's good. I just want to clarify that because they come to Lake Mohawk typically in the parking lot and they set up in the morning and there's a cleanup and then there's kind of all right, let's see what what came through and so that could work well is that then when people come back like hey you want want to double down and go to town hall that's come on down.

So they they might support do it in the parking lot there at which parking lot? where where you said they set up, but but yeah, I'm sure I think you may be able to have that conversation, but it sound like Christine, you wanted to do it here. I'd rather do it here. Yeah. Yeah. So, so it's right down the road. So, I don't think so. You could start there like compliment each other, not compete if we like arrange the time. I'm saying there could be like a good uh collaboration there. So, don't discount it. Yeah.

Question if I may, directed to Christine. you know, I'm [clears throat] a volunteer for the road salt uh monitoring program and that uh looks at the impacts of road salt to during treatment for winter storms and things like that and uh uh I'm just a new beginner to that. But does your commission participate peripherally or in depth in any way for that inputs to that program? Well, and that's our next next agenda item. [laughter] Just for you right on

to answer your question. We've been participating in the road salt program at least three years. I think we're on our this this winter will be our fourth winter, I think. I think if I'm remembering correctly. Yeah, I don't know. It was at least three. This will at least be the third. This will at least be the the third at the very least, but I feel like it might even be the fourth. So yes, we absolutely participated. Listen. All right. So you have an update on our Yeah, the road road salt snap snapshot.

Okay. So we did a road salt snapshot uh earlier this month and we collected 23 different samples at sites in Sparta. Um our environmental commission was part of it. We also worked alongside volunteers from the community. uh the food shed alliance and the pollen skill wershed community was involved. Uh the walk river waters waterershed management group was involved. So it was a good collaboration between a lot of different entities but it was I think 66 sites were collected among all of all of those different entities but 23 were specifically in Sparta. Um, and this fall sampling is really intended to assess if our streams have been negatively impacted by road salt application. And we're looking specifically in this fall period because we're trying to see how how much our streams have been affected months after the last road salt was actually applied in the winter. Um so what we're trying to assess is how much salt is accumulating in the groundwater in the soil. Um and we do our assessments at what's called base flow conditions. So that's like the resting state of our streams. So if anyone was involved like John you were just saying you were you helped us. We had to postpone this event like four separate times because we were having rain and every time you get rain then you have an influence from the storm water runoff. So you don't want to have that. So we had to wait 48 hours after every storm. So it got rescheduled and rescheduled but we did collect a bunch of samples. Um and this is part of a larger study that's being conducted by

what's called Straoud Water Research Center. So that's a multi-state effort where they're getting all of our neighboring states, uh, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and I think Maryland are all involved in collecting samples. They have over a thousand different points that have been collected. Um, so they're going to be hosting Straoud Water Research Center is hosting a webinar on November 19th from 6:00 to 7:30 and they're going to summarize a bunch of the findings from this larger study. But what I can say from what we collected, um, natural levels of chloride in our streams in in northeastern US are typically around 5 to 20 milligrams per liter. That's natural levels of what you would expect. Only one of our 23 samples was in that range. Now, this is not a unique circumstance for just Sparta. Um, this is common that we have road departments are applying lots of salt everywhere in the northeast where it snows. So, we do have streams that have been impacted. Um, and I would say our other samples were above that range. And once you get to the level of 50 milligrams per liter of chloride, you start seeing impacts to amphibians, to macro invertebrates. So there are concerns when salt levels get too high. Um, and I think we need to keep collecting data because this is a great baseline sample. Um, but we need to compare it to winter levels. So, this is

going to be critical this winter is to have the public involved as much as possible. We're going to be continuing this effort again and we want to have a robust data set because I guess having enough data is going to make our recommendations that much stronger moving forward and we can really work with the township and see if there are any management decisions that can be made to help better protect our waterways. So right now we're in the data collection phase. There are some initial concerns, but it's not isolated to Sparta. This is a common common thing that we're seeing in streams throughout the Northeast where they apply a lot of road salt. So we would love to have the public involved. Um, so please help us this winter and then we'll collect a lot of data and we'll also see what Stroud's presentation is saying as well because a thousand data points is great. We'll really start seeing trends in the data and then we can assess what can be done here locally. a lot of road construction where it appears gas lines are being extended uh under the road beds for future connection. Same applies to maybe the town water works. I'm wondering if you uh the commissioner ever consulted possible impacts with that. I don't know what they would be but there's a lot obviously a lot of sediment created and a lot of uh earth movement excavation activities and whatnot. And what's of greater curiosity curiosity to me is uh would be in knowing is there an actual plan that you might be aware of uh for Sparta uh to extend gas lines to uh

individual neighborhoods. Same applies to a main water system available in one part of the township and wells in in another part of the township. So, do you see anything in the near horizon? Um, particularly interested because I think I have to replace my oil burner [laughter] and if gas were within a year or two, I might be able to live it alone. Yeah, I do know. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Oh, it's okay. Share what you know.

Um, so I actually do the road open permits in the zoning department. So, we get a lot of permits from applications from Elizabeth Town Gas specifically. So what happens is I get the application in. It usually comes with a plan and then it's sent to our town engineer which is Corey Stoner and he his office approves it or denies it based on the plan. So I know they're doing a big project right now on Glenn Road. It's separated into three phases. So right now I think they're still only in phase two. Um, but I think they're supposed to start phase three the beginning of January.

You have to know if those plans dictate or set a time for extension into individual neighborhoods. Um, look like mainline construction. There's no time frame, but it does show on the plans specific neighborhoods that they're going to go to. Yeah. I think they usually do that with the homeowner like each or It kind of depends. Um, on the applications, we don't have a time frame. We just either approve it or deny it. So, I I don't know if that's

at this point. Is there a must connection in there that say want it? Don't want it connected to that gas line. So, I think if Elizabeth Town Gas has enough uh interest, they will go down the street even if the line is there. You do not have to connect if you don't want to. Yeah, there is an option. You're welcome. Um, and I did talk to somebody, Elizabeth Town Gas. Um, I'll try to find her contact information. I think I have her card somewhere.

Several Yeah. Several years ago, I went through uh with [clears throat] Elizabeth Town because I knew that we were repaving our road after they came through. um I wasn't ready to connect to them at the time because I was going to be doing some of my own work. So, I was able to pay a fee and get a stub put um on my property. So that I I would recommend that you reach out to Elizabeth Town and get the conversation going if you're interested and um kind of say like what would and just just keep keep at him saying if I could ask what are you on

Northshore Trail? You might know [laughter] a house that's been under construction. Did we have any other new business or any more questions? All right. Does the same hold true with Planet Networks? They request. Oh, I would just call them through and tell me. I know speed is coming through right now. So definitely get you don't want that neighborhood. Yeah,

my understanding with that is that uh well the polls they have to there's significant expense that um planet networks has to take upon itself to extend service to neighborhoods and um I've been looking at them for years and uh and so it is true that especially with the underground ones I mean That's the subsurface geology is is really challenging. And so if you look at it from the standpoint of if if they can get interest from your local area, uh if they can x number of people that are interested, then they can kind of do the math and say, "All right, if we build this out here, we know that x number of people are going to sign up." And then it'll justify over one, three, five, 10 years, they're going to eventually get their money back. But they're putting up a lot of money and I know they're stretched, you know, pretty thin because they're trying to build out everywhere. So I I I you know waited for years and was p I was one of those people pestering and then like talking to my neighbors and getting people like sign you got to sign up. You got to sign up and you got to fill in that form. You got to tell your neighbors to fill in that form and then when they have the magic number but you can ask them. you could, you know, call them um or you could send them an email and um and see because they might a lot of times they'll they will share like their plan like oh yeah we're doing that in six months, we're doing that in a year. So but that's separate because

it's been pretty pestering to them. I mean everyone is Yeah. Neighbor. Yeah. They've conveyed the conveyed the lines all the way to the top of West. No, we don't get too involved in those things. Yeah. Well, when you

No, no, no. But what? Yeah. I mean, it came up because I knew we were repaving our roads. So, at the time when you had Elizabeth Town, I think this, you know, there was a potential, hey, if you're digging a trench through this really tricky subsurface, how about instead of just running your gas man, you could also run some utilities through there and then you' future proof, right? But, uh, for reasons that are probably fairly obvious, Elizabeth Town didn't want that because if something happened to their main, you know, how do you attribute who's responsible for what cost? But as a you know that would have been great I think but um also our

All right. Anything else for the good of Sparta residents or the environment that we should talk about? All right. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? I'll make a motion to adjurnn. A second. All in favor? Hi. Thanks everyone. Thanks for coming. Focus bird.