Two issues that actually touch daily life in Millburn — flood costs and gas-powered leaf blowers — headline the Environmental Commission's Tuesday meeting, alongside a fresh crop of student volunteers ready to get involved.
Chair Jude Huang presides over the 7 p.m. session at the Bauer Community Center in Taylor Park.
Jennifer Duckworth of the Rahway River Watershed Association will present on stormwater utilities and county funding options — informational only, with no vote planned. But the stakes are real: the West Branch of the Rahway River runs straight through downtown Millburn, and the township was among several communities hit with a combined $100 million in damages from Hurricane Irene. Essex County launched its own stormwater utility in 2025, and neighboring Maplewood collected more than $800,000 in stormwater fees in its first year alone — a model New Jersey's 2019 Clean Stormwater and Flood Reduction Act allows, charging property owners based on how much impervious surface (roofs, driveways, parking lots) they have.
The commission will also review enforcement of Millburn's gas-powered leaf blower ban, now in its first full summer restriction period (May 26 through Sept. 7). The penalties escalate fast: a warning first, then $250, $500, $1,000, and finally $2,000 for repeat violations, with landscapers risking suspension or revocation of their township registration (though the registration fee itself is waived this year). Mayor Frank Saccomandi already used the ordinance's emergency waiver once this summer, temporarily lifting the ban through July 10 under a provision that allows suspensions of up to four days after severe weather.
Five new applicants to the Student Environmental Group are on the agenda — the first cohort recruited under a renewed 2026-27 outreach push, after commission members realized in April it was too late to recruit for the prior school year. Members commit to four hours of project work a month.
The meeting is open to the public, with five minutes allotted per speaker during public comment. No pre-registration required.
Upcoming dates:
- Tuesday, July 21 — Environmental Commission meeting, 7 p.m., Bauer Community Center, Taylor Park
- Tuesday, Sept. 8 — Next meeting, 7 p.m., Fireplace Room, Bauer Community Center (no August meeting)
