Published On June 28, 2022 » 772 Views»
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According to the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC), Environmental commissions research many issues, including:
- energy efficiency, conservation and transportation
- smart growth
- recycling and environmental cleanup
- open space preservation and wildlife
- wetlands and water resource protection
- green infrastructure
Environmental Commissions advise local governments, inform the public, advocate for sound environmental policies. and act as watchdogs for environmental opportunities and challenges.
The Teaneck Environmental Commission elaborates on some of these purposes:
- It is responsible for maintaining the Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) – an index of all open areas, publicly or privately owned
- It recommends programs for the development and use of such areas to the Planning Board for inclusion in the Town’s Master Plan
- Its purview includes open space preservation, water resources management, air pollution control, solid waste management, noise control, soil and landscape protection, environmental appearance, marine resources and protection of flora and fauna
- With Council approval, it may acquire property on behalf of the town
- The Commission promotes actions by the town, residents and businesses, that enhance environmental sustainability, including recycling, energy efficiency, and best practices in construction and landscaping
The Teaneck Environmental Commission is a statutory board. It has an advisory function, but it is not one of Teaneck’s advisory boards. It has very important responsibilities and quite a workload.
Teaneck has been very fortunate to have many talented, hard-working residents serve on the Environment Commission. Such remarkable leaders as Harry Kissileff, Aryeh Meir, Bettina Hempel-Gilbert, and Phillip Rhodes have chaired the Commission since 2016, and Yosef Gillers serves as the current chair.
It is therefore doubly unfortunate that the current Council of Teaneck and Planning Board have so often failed to heed the advice of the Teaneck Environmental Commission. In some cases Council has approved programs but never bothered to implement them. Many others have been altogether ignored, many because the liaison from Council, Keith Kaplan, failed to bring them forward for discussion.
The Planning Board is required to have a representative on the Environmental Commission but for some years has been so disinterested environmental issues that it failed to provide one. This glaring omission was rectified with the appointment of Yehuda Kohn in July of 2021 and we sincerely hope it will positively affect the reception of the Commission’s recommendations.
The demoralization and frustration of hard-working volunteers on the Teaneck Environmental Commission can be heard in this letter of resignation sent to the Town Manager and Mayor one year ago by past-chair Phillip Rhodes:
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“Dear Dean and Jim,
Over the last few weeks I have sent several e-mails and left several voice mails for Dean. Unfortunately, I have had no response. My specific questions regarding open space acquisition and the use of MOST funds and PSEG compensation money have been ignored. My questions about the replacement of the one and only roller blading rink removed from Votee Park etc. have all been ignored. And our Council Rep has tried over and over again to undermine our efforts.
This is not the way the Township should treat its residents, let alone its volunteers, let alone the Chair of the Township’s Environmental Commission.
The many initiatives the Env. Comm. has recommended over recent years have been dismissed despite our continued lobbying . These initiatives have included:
- Acquisition of open space. Even when matching monies were available. The EC made many specific recommendations not one of which was followed up on.
- Getting high density developers to include or contribute open space and or public access recreational space as part of their projects as a means for securing zoning variances.
- Increased tree planting to aid in carbon capture.
- Initiatives to preserve wet lands and reduce rain run off.
- Suggestions for lowering the Townships energy usage by an aggressive switch to LED lighting and improved insulation and window reflection all aided by an energy consultant at no cost to the Township.
- Implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
- Approval of the OSRP [Open Space and Recreation Plan]
- Update of the ERI [Environmental Resource Inventory]
- Ordinances on plastic bags, auto and truck idling, tree removal, back yard fire pit smoke, leaf blower noise, etc.
- The EC’s plan to Improve the trash pick up method and to reduce truck traffic by having only one collector for any given street.
- Implement the Complete Streets with safety and esthetic improvements as part of every and all street repaving projects. 10% of the projects cost was to be applied for these improvements.
This list is far from complete. I laud the efforts and praise the dedication, intelligence and civil mindedness of all the EC members.
I have come to the realization that my efforts are not appreciated and therefore resign from the EC and MOST.
Sincerely,
Philip Rhodes”
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The critical work of the Teaneck Environmental Commission can benefit Teaneck only if the Planning Board appoints a member (which it now has) and the Council and Planning Board fully and seriously discuss the plans and programs recommended by the Commission.
