January 13, 2025 REORGANIZATION MEETING

STILLWATER TOWNSHIP
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
January 13, 2025
Reorganization/Regular Meeting
In-Person/Zoom

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Branagan, Ms. Coriston, Mrs. Emmetts (via Zoom/phone), Mr. Szabo, Mrs. Tracey, Dr. Mattes
MEMBERS ABSENT: None

Mrs. Wunder called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with the statement that this meeting is in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. This was a regularly scheduled meeting of the Stillwater Township Environmental Commission. Regular meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m., at the Stillwater Township Municipal Building located in Middleville, New Jersey.

The flag was saluted and roll call taken.

Reorganization:

Member Appointments:
Mandy Coriston, Regular Member, 3-year term to 12/31/27
Jack Branagan, Regular Member, 3-year term to 12/31/27

Chairperson:
Mr. Branagan made a motion to elect Ms. Coriston as Chairperson for 2025, seconded by Mr. Szabo.
There being no further nominations, nominations were closed.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Vice Chairperson:
Mr. Szabo made a motion to elect Dr. Mattes as Vice Chairperson for 2025, seconded by Ms. Coriston.
There being no further nominations, nominations were closed.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Secretary:
Mr. Szabo made a motion to appoint Mrs. Wunder as the Commission Secretary for 2025, seconded by Mr. Branagan.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Meeting Dates/Official Newspaper:
Mr. Szabo made a motion to approve the following meeting dates and official newspapers for 2025, seconded by Mr. Branagan

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes, Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Stillwater Township
Environmental Commission
Schedule of Meeting Dates 2025

The Stillwater Township Environmental Commission, County of Sussex, New Jersey will hold regular meetings on the second Monday of each month, unless it is a legal holiday or is otherwise noted, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 964 Stillwater Road, Middleville, New Jersey.

The in-person/Zoom meeting dates are as follows:
January 13, 2025, Reorganization/Regular
February 10, 2025
March 10, 2025
April 14, 2025
May 12, 2025
June 9, 2025
July 14, 2025
August 11, 2025
September 8, 2025
October 20, 2025 (third Monday)
November 10, 2025
December 8, 2025
January 12, 2026, Reorganization/Regular

Each meeting may be accessed via the following Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85976326681

The agenda for all meetings, more or less:
Call to Order
Open Public Meetings Statement
Flag Salute
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
Bills
Public Input
Correspondence
Old Business
New Business
Public Input
Planning Board Liaison Report
Township Liaison Report
Adjournment

The Daily New Jersey Herald and Sunday Herald are hereby designated as the official newspapers for legal publication for the Stillwater Township Environmental Commission.

At this point, Ms. Coriston resumed as Chairperson and the Regular Meeting commenced.

Minutes:
Mr. Branagan made a motion to approve the minutes of 12/9/24, seconded by Ms. Coriston.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Bills:
Mrs. Emmetts made a motion to approve the following bills, pending availability of funds, seconded by Ms. Coriston
Secretary: $255.00
2024 ANJEC Membership (7 members): $450.00

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

At this point, this portion of the meeting was opened to the public at 7:10 p.m.
There being no public present, this portion of the meeting was closed at 7:10 p.m.

Correspondence:
-Resolution 2024-146 Stillwater Township 2025 Holiday Schedule
-NJDEP Application Notice: JCP&L – vegetative maintenance, utility infrastructure/maintenance, repair and replacement activities
-Emails from Tara Mezzanotte providing updates on the Wild and Scenic River Program (12/28/24; 1/6/25, 1/7/25)
-12/27/24 -Video links from Chris Dunbar (Chapters 1, 2 & 3) – Paulins Kill (February EC Meeting)
-Citizenship Form: EC/Planning Board Liaison – Jacqueline McDonough. Following a brief discussion, the EC agreed to invite Ms. McDonough to attend the February 10th EC meeting.
-Resignation Email 1/7/25 – Greg Dvorsky
Ms. Coriston made a motion to accept the resignation of Greg Dvorsky with regret, seconded by Mr. Szabo. A letter of gratitude for his many years of service will be sent.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Old Business:
40-Year Surface Water Quality Report (1984-2024): Dr. Lippencott
Ms. Coriston thanked Dr. Lippencott for the report with deep gratitude and appreciation for all his hard work. She stated the report would be a great tool moving forward. Dr. Mattes thanked Dr. Lippencott and commended him on the report. He stated the EC is fortunate to have Dr. Lippencott and the report itself is worth thousands of dollars. Dr. Lippencott thanked the EC for their appreciation. He stated he received comments from Ms. Coriston and Mr. Szabo on the final draft dated December 30, 2024. He is updating the draft and adjusting the graphs so they are no longer blurry. He noted that in the PDF version of the document the graphs and tables are legible. He stated the report is a baseline assessment reference document that can be used to communicate with other communities and those along the Paulins Kill River. In the coming weeks and months, it can be used to plan out the next steps. Mayor Chammings noted the Executive Summary included information to assist the EC moving forward. Mr. Szabo asked if the document, once official, could be forwarded to ANJEC accompanied by a letter indicating and pointing out the highlights of the report. Mr. Szabo believes the report is one of a kind in New Jersey and should be promoted. ANJEC could respond to the report and contact Dr. Lippencott directly for further discussion. Dr. Mattes agreed that sharing the information with those interested would be a good thing. Ms. Coriston suggested a press release to ANJEC once the report is an official township document and placing a link on the township website. Dr. Lippencott agreed, noting the report would compliment the ERI links on the EC webpage. Mayor Chammings agreed. She also commented that the report could be utilized with the Tier A Stormwater Management designation. The Stormwater Management Coordinator could refer to it during his review. Ms. Coriston stated once the report is accepted by the EC, it would then be forwarded to the Township Committee for their review and comments. Mayor Chammings stated once approved it would be formalized by resolution to implement it as a township document. Ms. Coriston would like to see a public presentation of the document at the Community Center. Once it is approved, it needs to be determined how it will be utilized, implemented, etc. Ms. Coriston asked the EC to review the document goals and then turn that into actions to be further discussed. At this point, Mayor Chammings stated the proper process would be for the EC to accept the report and forward it to the Township Committee for their review. Other steps and a public presentation could follow once it is an official document, and links can then be placed on the website and provided to lake associations and other organizations. Mr. Szabo suggested contacting the Coalition of Lakes Association (COLA) as they may be interested in a presentation, as well as the Foodshed Alliance and Paulins Kill Watershed.

Mrs. Emmetts made a motion to accept the 40-Year Surface Water Quality Report (1984-2024) prepared by Dr. Lippencott for the Stillwater Township Environmental Commission, seconded by Ms. Coriston.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Dr. Lippencott will finalize the report and provide a copy to Mrs. Wunder to be forwarded to the Township Committee for final review.

Ms. Coriston asked the EC to review the report for the February EC meeting to determine the actions moving forward.

TREX Program Update: Ms. Coriston
Ms. Coriston reported they are just shy of month two of the cycle and have already collected 216 pounds. She also reported that 6th grade students will hold an energy audit field trip at the Community Center on January 17, 2025, and she and Mayor Chammings will participate.

Fishing Line Collection:
Following Mr. Dvorsky’s resignation, Dr. Mattes agreed to be responsible for the fishing line receptacles at Veteran’s Memorial Park.
Fishing receptacles are located at the following 12 sites:
-Mrs. Tracey (2): Paulinskill and Route 619 at Hendershot’s
-Mr. Szabo (3): Boat launch at Route 619 at the State Park, Keen’s Mill and in the area of the Connor property
-Dr. Mattes (3): Three locations at Veteran’s Memorial Park – at the bridge, middle of the parking lot, and near
the river on the passive side
-Mr. Branagan (4): Grist Mill, across from the Grist Mill, south of LC Service and Saddleback Road

Planning Board/Environmental Commission Liaison:
Following a discussion, Dr. Lippencott tentatively agreed to serve as the liaison between the PB and EC as a member of both boards. He would like to complete the 40-Year Surface Water Quality Report (1984-2024) and have its final acceptance by the Township Committee before making the liaison commitment. He will have the final updated copy of the report to Mrs. Wunder no later than January 20th, in time for the January 21st Township Committee meeting. Mayor Chammings stated the proposed acceptance of the document would be at the February 4th meeting. Once approved the links will be provided to Mrs. Wunder and appendices (400+ pages) to Julie Leatham, Deputy Clerk.

Ms. Coriston made a motion to recommend the appointment of Dr. Robert Lippencott as a regular member of the Environmental Commission, filling the unexpired term vacated by Emily Wills and due to expire on 12/31/26; said appointment is contingent on the Township Committee acceptance of the 40-Year Surface Water Quality Report (1984-2024) as an official township document, seconded by Mrs. Emmetts.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

New Business:
2024 EC Annual Report: Mrs. Emmetts/Ms. Coriston
Mrs. Tracey made a motion to accept the 2024 EC Annual Report to be forwarded to the Township Committee, seconded by Mr. Szabo.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Branagan, yes Mrs. Emmetts, yes, Dr. Mattes, yes, Mr. Szabo, yes, Mrs. Tracey, yes, Ms. Coriston, yes

Stillwater Township Environmental Commission 2024 Annual Report

In 2024, the Stillwater Township Environmental Commission engaged in the following administrative functions:

• Met monthly in person and via Zoom, with the exception of July, including the annual January reorganizational meeting and an October joint meeting with the Recreation Commission to discuss the township’s Open Space Plan.
• Prepared and remained aligned with an annual budget.
• Maintained membership in ANJEC (Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.)
• Hosted presentations by Christine Dunbar and her colleagues from the Foodshed Alliance Paulins Kill Watershed Initiative on the Partnership Wild and Scenic River program, ultimately deciding NOT to recommend action to the Township Committee on this proposal.
• Reviewed four NJDEP Land Use Regulation applications; no comments were submitted as all four applications were procedural in nature.
• Members attended COLA (Coalition of Lake Associations) and SLWA (Swartswood Lakes Watershed Association) meetings and reported back to the Environmental Commission.
• Members attended meetings, seminars, and webinars held by the NJDEP, ANJEC, and other accredited organizations on topics relevant to the commission’s work; the commission chair attended ANJEC’s Environmental Congress. Event attendees reported back notes and resources to the commission.
• Accepted the resignation of Emily Wills.
• Reviewed the Township Recycling Center flyer.
• Proposed preparing a packet of information for potential new commission members; to be revisited for implementation in 2025.
• Reviewed articles and other media submitted by members on relevant environmental concerns.
• Recognized members for their efforts on various commission projects throughout the community.
• Engaged Dr. Robert Lippencott to analyze surface water sample data from 1984-2024, resulting in an indepth 40-Year Water Quality Report; hosted Dr. Lippencott to present his data to the commission nearing the completion of the report. Report and recommendations to be discussed and approved in 2025.

And the following fieldwork:

• Completed eight site surveys to evaluate the environmental impact of property modifications; submitted forms and recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Boards.
• Conducted an ‘amphibian crossing’ survey.
• Collaborated with the Stillwater Township School for a third consecutive NexTrex® plastic film
recycling challenge cycle. The 2024 cycle totaled 1,052 pounds of plastic collected and recycled, bringing the total collected since 2022 up to 2,252 pounds.
• Conducted surface water testing at 10 sites throughout the township to assess ongoing water quality, including locations on Blair Creek, Trout Brook, Swartswood Creek, Pond Brook, and the Paulins Kill. These test results capped the four decades of data in Dr. Lippencott’s 40-Year Water Quality Report.
• Monitored threatened and endangered species in the community.
• Collected and recycled monofilament fishing line from multiple township locations.

Environmental Commission Volunteer Recognition:
-Ms. Coriston for the TREX program and Annual Report.
-Mrs. Emmetts for the Annual Report.

Endangered/Threatened Species Sightings:
-Bobcat
Ms. Coriston reported the NJDEP removed the Bald Eagle and Osprey from the New Jersey endangered species list. The Bald Eagle is now of special concern and the Osprey is stable.

At this point, this portion of the meeting was opened to the public at 8:15 p.m. There being no members wishing to speak, this portion of the meeting was closed at 8:15 p.m.

Planning Board (PB) Liaison Report: Mayor Chammings
It was a lengthy meeting including a discussion on the revitalization of downtown Stillwater, the loss of businesses in the township and the possibility of an Economic Development Commission. The next meeting will be held on January 15, 2025.

Township Liaison Report: Mayor Chammings
-2025 annual resolutions were adopted.
-Committeewoman Chammings was elected as Mayor for 2025.
-Committeewoman Rumsey was elected as Deputy Mayor for 2025.
-Jeff Gardner was moved from laborer to mechanic at the DPW.
-An extended leave of absence was granted for an employee who may be returning shortly.
-Eric Bernstein was appointed as Township and Labor Attorney.
-The tax sale was held on December 30th – 7 of 10 tax certificates were purchased.
-In-rem foreclosures on 99 properties are pending -motion is before the judge for 20 properties.
-Under COAH regulations, Stillwater is being mandated to provide 53 housing units by 2035. Jessica Caldwell, P.P. will attend the January 21st TC meeting to present a dispute on the matter.
-Open Space and Recreation Plan update draft will be presented at the January 15th Planning Board meeting.
-Dave Manser and George Scott were sworn in as Township Committee members. The reorganization meeting was very well attended and quite emotional.

Mayor Chammings thanked and commended the EC for all their hard work.
With no further business to come before the Commission, Ms. Coriston made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Emmetts. In a voice vote, all were in favor.

Respectfully submitted,
_______________________________________
Kathy Wunder, Secretary