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Green Ridgewood reports flood, energy and outreach priorities; secures community energy planning grant
Summary
Green Ridgewood presented its 2024 accomplishments and 2025 priorities including flood-mitigation recommendations, a community energy planning grant, rain-garden and landscaper training, and student climate education initiatives.
David Refkin, chair of Green Ridgewood, and Beth Kroller, vice chair, presented the group's annual update to the council and reviewed 2024 work and 2025 priorities.
Refkin summarized a Columbia University sustainability roadmap and said Green Ridgewood is pushing several flood-risk measures: increasing wetland capacity, installing detention/retention basins, employing stormwater-velocity reducers, expanding rain gardens in public and faith-based locations, encouraging permeable pavement and expanding tree canopy. He noted the village has an enhanced stormwater ordinance developed with staff and consultants.
Kroller described a planning grant the group won for community energy projects. The planning grant will let the village explore renewable-energy options and prepare project concepts that could qualify for implementation funding (she said Sustainable Jersey projects could open access to up to $250,000 for one or more projects). Kroller said Green Ridgewood is also considering encouraging municipal-fleet electrification and recommending private electrification where feasible.
Both presenters stressed homeowner and landscaper training: Green Ridgewood will hold a rain-garden installation training with Rutgers Cooperative Extension this fall for local landscapers and promoted the group’s “Slow-Mo May” campaign encouraging less frequent mowing to benefit biodiversity.
The group described outreach and youth programming: a second annual student Earth Day art contest (elementary-school entries), quarterly newsletters, climate-education events (climate fresques) and collaborative projects with the Board of Education and Parks & Recreation. Refkin also urged joint advocacy with county and state agencies for upgrades to Saddle River Park and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers on longer-term river projects.
Council members thanked the volunteers and asked staff to coordinate on grant and energy-planning next steps.
