Borough of Milltown Green Team Application for Wal-Mart Small Grants Program, 2013.

Project: Sustainability Education Program for Milltown Schools Food/Compost/Gardening/Water Use, $10,000

The Borough of Milltown Green team registered on April 29th, 2009 with Sustainable Jersey with the intention of achieving Sustainable Jersey Certification. The Borough Council approved taking this action at its meeting on April 13th, 2009 and appointed Alan S. Godber, Chairman of the Environmental Commission as its Agent for the Certification process. Mayor Eric Steeber, 39 Washington Avenue, Milltown, NJ 08850 Ph. (732) 828-2100 Ext. 123 e-mail esteeber@milltownboro.com Councilman Neil Raciti, responsible for Environmental, Health and Social Services for the Council. A member of the Green Team. (732) 828-2100 Ext. 196 e-mail nraciti@milltownboro.com Ms. Denise Biancamano, Administrator and Finance Officer, Borough of Milltown. Ph. (732) 828-2100 Ext. 180 e-mail dbiancamano@milltownboro.com Mr. Michael Januszka, Borough Clerk, Borough of Milltown. Ph. (732) 828-2100 Ext. 181 E-mail mjanuszka@milltownboro.com Mr. Ralph Jasionowski, Dep't of Public Works Supervisor, Ph. (732) 828-2100 Ext. 136 e-mail rjasionowski@milltownboro.com Project Description: Milltown Public Schools, in collaboration with the Milltown Green Team and community volunteers, seeks to establish its first Sustainable Education program for the 2013-2014 school year in its two schools, Parkview and Joyce Kilmer, which serves students from pre-school through 8th Grade. For phase I, our collaborative team wishes to submit a grant application to SJ to fund and facilitate the following: 1. Provide educational workshops for school administrators, teachers, staff and community volunteers to introduce them to the basics of sustainability, while placing a direct emphasis on the importance and benefits of solid waste reduction, water conservation, and organic composting and gardening. The purpose is to inspire and train them to create and operate working Faculty and Volunteer Green Teams that will oversee schools’ programs for recycling, waste reduction, water conservation, composting of kitchen/cafeteria food scraps, and designing, planting and caring for outdoor vegetable, flower and rain gardens. The superintendent and two school principals will be members of the Green Teams. 2. The Green Teams, with the support of NJAES, Rutgers Cooperative Ext’n, Midd’x County Waste Mgmt, Master Gardeners, and community volunteers will teach students, through hands-on interactive lessons and projects, according to grade levels, why and how they can live more sustainably within their school community, families and neighborhoods. This will be achieved through multi-subject classroom units, assemblies, field trips to Davidsons Mill Pond Park, Rutgers Gardens, and parts of the Lawrence Brook Watershed. 3. Faculty and Volunteer Green Teams from both schools will help to establish Student Green Teams, an Environmental Club and a Garden Club in both schools. District and town-wide meetings will be held to share information, brainstorm and troubleshoot in order to insure success.

4. Solid State Waste Reduction Project Plans are underway for a meeting with the Middlesex County Division of Solid Waste Management to discuss this project. Later, a meeting will be held with the food service provider for the Milltown School district. For the first phase, students will observe trash collection, prior to the compost project. Data on lunch trash will be collected daily. Bags of trash will be counted and weighed. Graphs will be created and displayed in the cafeteria. Results will be analyzed. A plan for collection of cafeteria and kitchen food scraps will be created for the composting project. Bins will be labeled and placed in various eating areas and kitchens. A disposable tray stacking center will be set up to demonstrate the reduction of waste volume. Poster contests will be held to educate about reducing waste, recycling and not using. 5. Composting Project: Various groups will direct lessons, guide field trips and supervise hands-on composting and vermicomposting projects. Students, members of faculty and Green Teams will rotate duties of safely transporting food scraps and paper recyclables to compost bins in fenced areas at each school, vermicomposters in grade level centers, or compost tumblers. 6. Water Conservation Projects: Leaders of the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, Milltown Environmental Commission, and staff from Rutgers Cooperative Extension will be invited to talk to students about water conservation efforts and how citizens can protect our watershed. Field trips to Davidsons Mill Pond Park and Rutgers Gardens will give students opportunity to see and learn about rain gardens, rain barrels, and how to reduce stormwater runoff. Rain barrels will be constructed. 7. Organic Gardening Projects: Seasonally appropriate gardening projects will take place in the classrooms as part of the science curriculum, as well as the after school Gardening and Environmental Clubs. Fall crops can be planted at end of summer by community volunteers to set the stage for an agricultural lesson for beginning of school. Seeds and young vegetables and flowering plants will be planted indoors and outdoors throughout the school year in various locations and containers. Following study of native plants, students will plant native grasses and other plants in rain gardens. Irrigation from rain barrels will be provided. Lessons in nutrition will be included. Students can bring plant products home to share with families. If there is an abundant harvest, some crops can be shared with local soup kitchens. A plan will be developed by the Club members and volunteers to keep the gardens producing throughout the summer. This project, once begun, is intended to be ongoing for many years with the support of school staff, Clubs and volunteers.

Budget:

Sustainability Education Program for Milltown Schools 2013 Item Grant Funding Municipal Match TOTAL

Consultants Gardening Club Advisor Environmental Club Advisor 15 hours @ $35/Hour per advisor

$525 $525

$0 $0

$525 $525

Total Consultants $1,050 $0 $1,050 Item Grant Funding In-Kind Match TOTAL

Municipal Personnel Administrator/Finance Officer Public Works Supervisor, Public Works Staff, 30 hours @ $30/Hour

$0 $900 $900

Public School Personnel Superintendent, Principals, Finance Officer, 26 Teachers, 2 Hours per teacher training professional development, 52 hours @ average $35/Hour. Total

$0 $1,820 $1,820

$1,050 $0 $1,050

$1,050 $1,820 $2,870

Volunteer Time Green Team & School Board Members, Master Gardeners, Rutgers Coop. Ext’n. Staff. Interns – 15+ members Total 300 hours @ $15/hour

$0 $4,500 $4,500

Direct Project Costs Gardening Club Tools and Materials Environmental Club Tools and Materials Curriculum Materials, books, kits, study guides School bus transportation (2 trips, 4 buses) 2 RolyPoly Pig Rolling Composters @$321 2 Compost wizard tumblers @$128 2 Vermicomposters @$111 2 Rain barrel kits @$45 2 Wheelbarrows @$85 4 Garden Hoses @$28 Seeds, Veg.Plants, Perennials, Annuals, HerbsChain link fencing (2 gardens) with installation Copying, public outreach materials, displays, handouts, reports, CD's. Sub-total

$250 $250 $750 $800 $642 $256 $222 $90 $170 $112 $1,000 $2,300 $290 $7,130

$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

$250 $250 $750 $800 $642 $256 $222 $90 $170 $112 $1,000 $2,300 $290 $7,130

In-Kind Total $0 $6,450 $6,450 PROJECT GRAND TOTAL $10,000 $6,450 $16,450

Timeline:

Sustainability Education Program for Milltown Schools - 2013 Time Frame Task Sept. 2013 Approval of Grant to Borough of Milltown.

Endorsement by Borough Council to proceed. Meet with school board and PTA. Issue Press Release on project.

Oct. 2013 Public outreach for project at Milltown Day. Field trips to Davidsons Mill Pond Park and Rutgers Gardens Initiate solid waste reduction & kitchen & cafeteria food scraps collection.

Nov./Dec. 2013 Teacher workshops & training. Begin composting in bins and vermicomposter. Develop Faculty & Student Green Teams Establish Garden & Env. Clubs.

Jan./Feb. 2014 Ongoing biology env. & agricultural education. Planting of seeds indoors.

Mar./Apr. 2014 Prepare outdoor gardens with compost. Master gardeners workshops and planting in outdoor gardens.

May/Jun. 2014 Water conservation projects Rain barrel workshops/rain gardens. Ongoing outdoor gardening.

Jul./Aug. 2014 Complete final report and submit to Sustainable Jersey. Sept./Oct. 2014 Additional time available in case of unscheduled delays. Evaluation: We will prepare an Annual Report of the Green Team’s accomplishments and activities. This will include an explanation of how the Sustainable Jersey grant contributed to the success of the Green Team’s work. Attachments: See separate document gt/dm/asg/ 8/2/13 gtwm13gtschoolsapp1/1-3 1318

Borough of Milltown Green Team Application for Wal-Mart Small Grants Program, 2013.

Project: Milltown Schools Food/Compost/Gardening/Water Use, $10,000

Attachments

Key Project Personnel Borough Staff Ms. Denise Biancamano - Business Administrator/Certified Finance Officer - Borough of Milltown. Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Kean University 1994, Project Role - Financial management, Grant, etc. for Borough of Milltown. Mr. Ralph Jasionowski, Supervisor, Public Works Dep't. - Borough of Milltown Certified Public Works Manager/Recycling Coordinator. Project Role - Expertise on Borough waste management, recycling, etc. Mr. Donald Hermann, Water/Sewer and Electric Utility Superintendent - Borough of Milltown. Project Role - Expertise on Borough water/sewer. Milltown Public Schools Dr. Stephanie Brown, Superintendent of Milltown Schools. Project Role – Expertise in school management. Mrs. Janet Ferlazzo Principal, ParkView Primary School Mr. William Veit, Principal, Joyce Kilmer Middle School. Volunteers - Members of Green Team Dr. Michael Shakarjian, Chair, Environmental Commission, previously Vice-Chair, EC. Researcher and Assistant Professor, New York Medical College Department of Environmental Health Science, Institute of Public Health Membership Chair, & Advocacy Chair, Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership Inc. Projects Role – Mgmt. of projects & some research and data analysis. Env. Ed. Alan S. Godber – Milltown Environmental Commission, Chair EC 2002-2010, President of the Board of Trustees of the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership Inc., based in Milltown - 1998 to 2000 & 2005 to present. Retired Television Engineer. Projects Role – Some mgmt. of projects & research and compiling of data, & Env. Ed. Ms. Debora Acierno, Member, Environmental Commission, Past Member, Shade Tree Commission. Certified Nursing Aide, Somerset Medical Center; Qualified Safety and Maintenance Consultant, Trucking Systems. Projects Role - Research & data gathering. Public outreach. Mr. Eugene Guerra, Chair, Shade Tree Commission, Retired, 30 years experience in biological research at RWJMS. BA Rutgers U., MS Seton Hall U. MPA Rutgers U. Projects Role - Public outreach and spread sheet expertise.

Mr. Michael Lewycky, Secretary, Shade Tree Commission, Member, Environmental Commission, Accredited by NJDEP Div. of Parks and Forestry. BFA Rutgers U. Projects Role - Public outreach and environmental education. Mrs. Dawn Milburn, Member, Milltown Board of Education. Retired special education teacher, New Brunswick Public Schools. Designed & facilitated educational programs within Milltown schools & community to educate students, school personnel, & residents of the importance of sustainability, engaging them in community-based green projects. Projects Role – Designing grant, and coordination with school staff. Env. Ed. Mr. Ray Augustine, Member, Environmental Commission. Projects role – Data gathering and analysis. Mr. Felipe Zambrana, Member Environmental Commission, Member School Board. Projects Role - Liaison with the School Board and data gathering. Mr. Robert Doerr, Resident, Active community member. Projects Role – Data gathering, document preparation, etc. Mr. Matthew Milburn, Nominated Member, Environmental Commission, Senior in Sustainability, Kean University. Projects Role – Data analysis & Sustainability issues. Councilman Neil Raciti, responsible for Environmental, Health and Social Services for the Council. Projects Role - Data analysis and Public Outreach.

Activities undertaken by the Green Team in the past year. Municipal and Community Carbon Footprint: Follow up on the projects completed from 2009-2011 with a Wal-Mart Grant through Sustainable Jersey. Also follow up on study of Energy, Water use and Indoor Environmental Quality in Borough buildings and Public Schools, funded by The College of New Jersey from 2006-2008. Some updates to energy efficiency such as automatic light shutoff when no-one is present, were installed in the Borough Hall. Installation of an electric meter in one firehouse and the senior center was accomplished. Some data for 2011 and 2012 was added to the carbon footprint record for Municipal facilities and Schools for electricity usage. Gas usage and fuels for all vehicles was requested. Anti-Idling Education & Enforcement Program: A resolution for Council for this project was approved. We purchased and installed 6 poles and 19 anti-idling signs at locations in the Borough where the most idling violations occur. An educational campaign was developed and first used at Milltown Day in early October, also at Council meetings. Safe Routes to School: We began by laying out a plan of action and then meeting with the School Board. A questionnaire for families with children in the schools was prepared. We hired a planner with expertise in bicycle and pedestrian accessibility and safety to assist us in identifying safe routes. A student pedestrian/bicycle count was done near project start and again at the beginning of the following school year. One very successful Walk/Cycle to school event was held in October. A bike rodeo was also held with support from “Keep Middlesex Moving”. We participated in meetings at Park View and Joyce Kilmer Schools to inform parents & teachers of the plan. Results of the effort were analyzed in October. Public outreach was included. For these activities, we met with the School Board, the Milltown Police and other stakeholders during the year. Resolution of Support for Project from Borough Council - To be supplied on Tuesday, August 27th, following Council Meeting on August 26th. Grantees Certification and Declaration signed by Borough Administrator/Finance Officer - Scanned document transmitted as separate attachment. Resolution R09-093 of Support by Milltown Borough Council for pursuing local initiatives and actions that will lead to Sustainable Jersey Municipal Certification, approved April 13th, 2009. Scanned document transmitted as separate attachment. gt//dm/asg 8/2/13 GTWM13GtSchoolsAtt/1-3 874