Environmental Commission Discusses 2011 Goals

The Montville Environmental Commission discussed its goals for 2011 on Wednesday night at its monthly meeting, ultimately deciding to further define at least one of them before potentially making them official at next month's commission meeting.

The unofficial goals that the commission is working toward, as stated on a handout that the commission members received at Wednesday's meeting include:

• Jointly develop an Environmental Handbook with the Township's Planner.

• Develop a plan to update the Environmental Resources Inventory.

• Develop education tools to boost awareness of the following issues: Importance of preserving the quality of the Township's aquifer; Importance of preserving wetlands.

• Work with the Township to increase the amount of, and the degree of cooperation with, recycling.

• Work with the Open Space Committee to develop a plan to increase the amount of paved walkways and hiking/biking trails.

"I don't know how many we can accomplish by the end of this year; I think we're well on our way for some of them," said Environmental Commission Chairman Larry Kornreich.

The township committee's liaison to the Environmental Commission, Deputy Mayor Tim Braden, discussed a grant that the township has received from the Department of Transportation which would fund new sidewalks on Changebridge Road between Lazar Middle School and Church Lane.

Braden said that the township committee is dealing with issues regarding a historic property, which may make it impossible to construct sidewalks on both sides of the stretch of Changebridge Road, but that the committee is investigating at least creating a sidewalk on the eastern side of the road, as well as a possible crosswalk.

The next meeting of the Environmental Commission will be held on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 in the municipal building.