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Eatontown Green Team Continues To Grow Programs, Initiatives

Team working on Sustainable Jersey certification

The Eatontown Green Team is an enthusiastic steering group of borough representatives and volunteers from the Eatontown community who are interested in joining with the Borough’s efforts to create a more sustainable, earth friendly and greener environment. 

The created a Green Team by Ordinance on July 13, 2011. The Green Team consists of residents and local business owners as well as representatives from the Board of Education, Planning Board, Environmental Commission, Economic Development Advisory Committee and Downtown Business Association.

According to Green Team Chairman Ed Dlugosz, “The Green Team contains some of the brightest, forward-looking, and most accomplished individuals anywhere. Their wealth of knowledge and network of like expertise is truly inspiring. Eatontown is lucky to have such a group and we are looking for a few more such members.”

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The team meets on a monthly basis to discuss various strategies for developing and implementing short- and long-term projects for Eatontown that fulfill the Sustainable Jersey (SJ) criteria for certification which helps a municipality to receive grants and funding. SJ action items include improving energy efficiency, enhancing health and wellness, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources, and improving environmental equity. 

The team works closely with Council Liaison Anthony Talerico to lead and coordinate the green and sustainability activities of the community.  According to Council President Talerico, “the Green Team is a wonderful mix of volunteers made up of various groups across the Borough. By coming together monthly, and putting fresh ideas on the table, we have been able to produce such great results as a Farmers Market, reduced energy costs, environmental stewardship and even the early stages of an Agricultural Park right here in the Borough. There are a lot of exciting ideas on the horizon and I encourage our residents to come check us out."

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The Green Team has completed or is currently working on Sustainable Jersey Action Items such as the Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI), a Municipal Carbon Footprint, Energy Tracking and Management, the Downtown Farmer's Market, Solar Panel projects, and the Think Local First Campaign. The Green Team also participates in community events such as the annual Eatontown Day and the weekly Farmer's Market. 

The Borough is well on its way to become Bronze certified through Sustainable Jersey. The State program is voluntary and helps municipalities focus their "green" efforts while being rewarded for becoming more sustainable. The Green Team is spearheading the certification and application process by collecting and documenting information for action items that either the borough departments or the community volunteers have achieved towards Sustainable Jersey certification. One of the benefits of this process is tying together all of the efforts already completed within the municipality and recognizing them in one overall document.

To see the Green Team's efforts in action, come to the 2013 Downtown Farmer's Market and other interesting events that will be posted on Eatontown’s Downtown Farmer’s Market Facebook page or the Eatontown website at www.eatontownnj.com.


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