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Franklin environmental commission readies Sustainable Jersey recertification; green team to prioritize near-complete actions
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Summary
The Franklin Township Environmental Commission reviewed its Sustainable Jersey inventory, reported roughly 625 potential points and set a schedule for green-team work ahead of May preliminary and June final submissions.
The Franklin Township Environmental Commission on Feb. 24 reviewed its Sustainable Jersey recertification inventory and agreed to prioritize items that are near completion so the township can submit a strong preliminary application in May and complete final materials by late June.
Commission member Maria, who led the update, said the commission’s inventory currently lists about 625 potential points and that Sustainable Jersey requires a minimum submission of roughly 350 points for certification. “We have plenty to choose from,” Maria said, describing the spreadsheet she prepared for the green team that lists each action, possible points and its current status.
The commission discussed deadlines and the submission workflow. Maria told the commission the upcoming schedule includes an initial submission window in mid-May (a preliminary filing), a June 30 full submission deadline and a July 31 period for final documentation before Sustainable Jersey reviewers begin line-by-line checks. Commissioners agreed to focus on actions that need a few final steps rather than attempting larger new projects before the May filing.
Members identified candidate actions for immediate follow-up: municipal community solar materials and a rain-barrel program outreach; the gazebo rain-barrel and local events such as Franklin Day as items that fit the water and communications categories; energy- and health-related actions for which the commission believes the township could qualify for a “gold star” in health. Maria said she already compiled prior narratives to speed the write-ups and will circulate the spreadsheet two weeks ahead of the green-team meeting so volunteers and staff can check and claim assignments.
Commissioners asked for clarifications the green team will resolve, including whether the town maintains a creative assets inventory (examples discussed: gazebo, library, youth and senior centers, outdoor classrooms) and what form documents must take (spreadsheet versus map) for specific actions. The commission also discussed which near-term programs could be documented for points: an earlier municipal resolution on community solar, energy-aggregation outreach, rain-barrel workshops and routine events like stream cleanups and film screenings.
The commission scheduled a green-team meeting for a Wednesday morning in March (exact date to be set) and asked staff liaison Bob Bornlocker to coordinate availability with township staff. Maria will email the green-team spreadsheet in advance and expects volunteers to edit existing narratives where possible.
The commission also noted related outreach opportunities that could feed into the Sustainable Jersey submission: school and community events (a proposed Family STEAM night April 24 and a May green fair at Franklin High School), and training offerings from ANJEC that members may use to bolster points for communications and land-use actions.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the recertification submission at the Feb. 24 meeting; members treated the discussion as scheduling and assignment of follow-up tasks.
Looking ahead, the commission agreed to concentrate on near-complete actions and to hold the green-team meeting in March so staff and volunteers can finalize narratives and supporting documentation before May.
