BAYSHORE REGIONAL WATERSHED COUNCIL

MINUTES

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Keyport Borough Hall

7:30pm – 9:30pm

Attendance:

Lou Andreuzzi (Union Beach)

Christine Balint (Aberdeen)

Cynthia Bianchi (Leonardo Citizens Committee)

Jennifer Blaustein (Science Teacher/Raritan High School)

John Curran (HAQLA/Hazlet)

Bob Dieterich (Matawan Environmental Council)

Fran Donnelly (Hazlet)

Stephen Gale (Keyport)

Zina Gamuzza (Chief of Staff for Assemblywomen Amy Handlin)

Eric Johnson (Cliffwood Beach)

Michael Lane (Keyport)

Bob Ludwig (Keyport Environmental Commission)

Kari Martin (Clean Ocean Action)

Joe Martin (Middletown Environmental Commission)

Bill McFarland (Holmdel Township)

Vincent Poulsen (Monmouth County Mosquito Commission)

Joe Reynolds (Atlantic Highlands)

Ann Waters (Monmouth County Planning Board)

AGENDA

1)                 Selection of Bayshore Watershed Council Chairs

Watershed members present unanimously elected both Bill McFarland and Joe Reynolds to continue their responsibilities as co-chairs of the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council for 2008. In addition, Joe Martin was elected as a third co-chair for 2008 to represent the council and help out with watershed functions and tasks.

Joe Reynolds welcomed the return of Bill McFarland from his medical leave and thanked the Borough of Keyport for the use of their room to hold BRWC meetings and special events on the 2^nd Thursday of every month.

2)                 Bayshore Regional Dredged Material Mgmt. Plan

Joe Reynolds discussed the December 13, 2007 public DMMP forum at the Henry Hudson Activity Center in Leonardo. Despite the snowy and icy weather for most of the day, about 35 people attended the forum from all over the Bayshore region. Watershed members agreed that the forum was well-done and that Steve Taylor is doing an excellent job as project manager, but members expressed a concern for getting a medium in place for people with dredged material to communicate with people that need dredged material. They feel this would be the most important piece to come out of the DMMP. 

A meeting will be scheduled shortly among the DMMP partners to go over information collected during the forum and to discuss the next steps to be taken.   

3)                 NY-NJ HEP Water Access Grant for Cliffwood Beach

Joe Reynolds reported that the BRWC received $200.00 from the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program (NY-NJ HEP) to help put on a free public program at Cliffwood Beach in Aberdeen Township in May. The exact date is still to be confirmed, but the event will be from 12 noon to 4pm. Activities include kite flying, seining, nature walks, fish and shell printing, and the creation of a nature mural about our estuary.

Volunteers will be needed. In addition, any ideas or activities that watershed members have to add to this function should please contact Joe Reynolds.

4)                 Energy Efficient Communities & Climate Change Presentation

The next BRWC meeting will be devoted to discussing ways to create more energy efficient and healthier communities in the Bayshore region by curbing global warming on the local level.

The BRWC well team up with NJ Assemblywomen Amy Handlin’s office and NJ Sierra Club to present a free public program on how local municipalities can get involved to solve climate change. Featured speaker will be Professor Patrick Hossay from Stockton State College. His presentation will focus on local solutions to climate change. In addition we are planning to have a person speak from NJDEP and perhaps Middletown Township.

The event will take place on Thursday, February 14^, 2008, 7:30pm inside Keyport Borough Hall, located on Front Street. Please encourage local government officials to attend, as well as your family and friends.

5)                 Open Space & Preservation of Eight Endangered Areas

a)     Stone Road Meadows – Lou Andreuzzi and John Curran provided an update on the historic Van Mater farmhouse and Stone Road Meadows. Phone calls, letters, and emails are still needed to local and county government officials to help preserve the site from proposed new development. Both Lou and John are investigating into possible endangered species of plants and animals on site. Stephen Gale reported that even though the farmhouse might be demolished now, the land is still historic, as are the adjoining roadways.

b)     Freneau Woods – Christine Balint reported that owls are active now within Freneau Woods. Stephen Gale also reported on the historical preservation work he is doing on Freneau Woods.

c)      Atlantic Highlands Waterfront/Henry Hudson Trail – Joe Reynolds reported that the Borough of Atlantic Highlands was recently granted approval by state and federal government officials to start work on the Borough’s portion of the Henry Hudson Trail that is planned to connect the Bayshore region to Sandy Hook. Although this is good news, there are still some issues that need to be resolved including that local funds do not exist to complete the trail to the Borough of Highlands, and wetland mitigation activities need to be completed before trail work can begin.

6)                 Leonardo & Pews Creek Flood Control Project

Cynthia Bianchi reported that the Leonardo section of Middletown Township received $1.1 million from the federal government for storm-pipe drainage improvements and possible beach replenishment activities from the Conover Beacon eastward to Wagner Creek.

Joe Martin reported that in his capacity as chair of the Friends of Pews Creek organization, he wrote a letter that will be sent to federal, state, and local government officials to encourage a retreat from “engineering solutions” to flooding issues within the Pews Creek watershed region as would be done by the proposed Flood Control measures presented by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) and the USEPA in the Feasibility Report, known as the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay (RBSHB), Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Study, Port Monmouth, New Jersey authorized by the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Public Works and Transportation, adopted August 1, 1990. Instead, other measures to be considered include, buying properties and turning the most vulnerable part of the floodplain into a greenway, park, forest preserve or other use not subject to much storm damage; tightening zoning ordinances to limit the kinds of development permitted in flood-prone areas; developing or improving arrangements for warning of imminent flooding; developing or improving flood preparedness plans; and working with state and federal agencies to provide or improve structural protection for the area.

The BRWC agreed to be a co-sponsor of the Friends of Pews Creek letter.  

7)        Bayshore Region Pump-out Boat Status

Joe Reynolds reported that in October, he and several other people, including NY-NJ Baykeeper staff, attended a meeting with the Monmouth County Health Department requesting funds to help support the creation of a pump-out boat for the Raritan Bay region. County officials were supportive and stated they would put funds in their 2008 budget for approval by the county Freeholders.

8)                 Flat Creek NJDEP Project Grant Status

Ann Water reported that we are still waiting for NJDEP to give us the final approval to go ahead for the last phase of the project. Once word is given, we will go forward with working with Holmdel and Hazlet townships to install storm drain filter devices along Flat Creek.

9)                 Hazlet/Raritan High School Environmental Club

Jennifer Blaustein reported that Raritan High School in Hazlet Township is in the process of creating a new environmental club. Club members are now seeking events to help out and also seeking support from BRWC members. For more information about the club, please check out their website at: www.raritangoesgreen.com

10)              Reports from Bayshore Communities

Eric Johnson provided an update on development activities in Cliffwood Beach

Michael Lane provided an update on development activities in Keyport, including on the Aeromarine site.

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