Sustainable Jersey Certification Report
Download PDF VersionThis is the Sustainable Jersey Certification Report of Barrington Boro, a Sustainable Jersey bronze certified applicant.
Barrington Boro was certified on September 16, 2024 with 190 points. Listed below is information regarding Barrington Boro’s Sustainable Jersey efforts and materials associated with the applicant’s certified actions.
Contact Information
The designated Sustainable Jersey contact for Barrington Boro is:
| Name: | Terry Shannon |
|---|---|
| Title/Position: | Municipal Clerk / Administration |
| Address: | 229 Trenton Avenue Barrington, NJ 08007 |
| Phone: | 856-547-0706 |
Actions Implemented
Each approved action and supporting documentation for which Barrington Boro was approved for in 2024 appears below. Note: Standards for the actions below may have changed and the documentation listed may no longer satisfy requirements for that action.
-
Arts & Creative Culture
Establish a Creative Team
10 PointsProgram Summary: The Barrington Green Team has been discussing the creation of a Creative Arts Team since our inception in March 2022. In February 2024, the "Creative Team" was officially established as a sub-committee of the Green Team. We posted a call for artists on our Facebook page, as well as in our monthly e-newsletter. The posts were shared widely by residents and the Borough. Within 24 hours, we had connected with 5 local artists who are unaffiliated with the Green Team. The Creative Team currently has 10 members including, one councilperson, one municipal employee, and eight residents/community volunteers. They are in the process of developing plans for future projects specific to Barrington, NJ. Purpose: The Creative Team will collaborate with local artists, crafters, DIYers, and residents with a passion for creativity and art to identify opportunities to combine public art with environmental education. The Creative Team will meet 2-3 times a year to discuss and coordinate projects for the upcoming season. There is lots of room in the group for ideas and creativity that would help connect the arts with sustainability. A few suggested projects have been painted storm drains, the painted kindness rocks, and murals, but we are not limited to this list. In 2024, we got the green light from the Borough and Public Works to paint storm drains. This is a good opportunity for community engagement and bring awareness to stormwater pollution. We will begin by requesting design ideas from our local schools and the larger community. We're planning to paint five storm drains in September 2024. This would be an ongoing project with an annual volunteer day to help maintain the existing painted storm drains, as well add 1-2 additional painted storm drains throughout town. The Woodland Middle School Green Team began painting a drain by their school in April 2024, so we are hoping to learn from their experience.
-
Community Partnership & Outreach
Green Team
10 PointsBronze Required Silver RequiredProgram Summary: The Borough of Barrington actually established a Green Team in 2008. At the time, it was done informally and no resolution had been approved. The official adoption of the Team was done at the October 12, 2010, council meeting. The approving resolution was adopted at that time and is hereby submitted along with the list of Green Team members. The first Green Team was not very active and did not accomplish much. A new councilperson took over the Green Team in 2022 and the team was reborn with new, energetic and intelligent members. This new team is very impressive and has been very active. They have already accomplished many exciting things and a video recap of what they have done thus far was created. To view the video, click the below link. The new roster of members is also provided.
Community Education & Outreach
15 PointsProgram Summary: The Barrington Green Team has taken many steps to educate the community on the importance of sustainable practices, planting of native plants and trees, installation of rain gardens and rain barrels and hosting an environmental speaker series. We are at every town event, have extensive information on our Facebook page and website, and we have at least two full pages in the semi-annual town newspaper in each issue. Our goal is to increase the planting of native plants and trees to encourage pollinators, manage stormwater issues through installation of rain gardens and use of rain barrels, and in addition to the Green Team building two community rain gardens this year, we will be holding rain garden workshops to educate the community on how to plant a rain garden and the benefits that will be achieved. We also partnered with PSE&G on the residential sustainability and energy efficiency program and we opened our first community garden last year and this year have already sold every plot. We are holding a spring native plant sale and all of this information is on our Green Team Facebook page and website, and we have a table at all town events, including the spring Barrington Day and the Fall Harvest Festival. We recently held a "Coffee with the Green Team" event where we met with residents over coffee and told them about the native plant sale and distributed order forms, promoted the PSE&G Energy Efficiency program and had people sign-up for our newsletter. We prioritize getting information and resources from reputable sources out to the community and have attached documents as evidence of our activities. All of this information is on all of our social media outlets, is in the town newsletter and is distributed at town events. The series was promoted online through Facebook, as well as event calendars, such as the NJ Center for Nonprofits website and newsletter, and the Gloucester City News website.
Green Challenges
10 PointsProgram Summary: Barrington Green Team created two Green Challenges, called the "Green Pledge"— one for adults and one for kids. We identified 12 actions for the adult version and 4 for the Barrington kids version. We see the Green Pledge as an ongoing initiative. We picked a variety actions that people typically encounter during their everyday activities and routine. We did this to encourage small steps towards a more sustainable future. We began the Green Pledge in October 2022 with paper pledges at Barrington Harvest Festival. In 2023, we introduced a digital version using Google Forms and the Barrington Kids version for Earth Day 2023. Both versions are linked on the Green Team page of the Borough's website. Our team shared the kids version with the local school district and it was distributed using their REMIND text notification system. For Earth Day 2024, Woodland Middle School had the pledge available for their students to sign at lunch. In one day, 196 students signed the Green Pledge and they were displayed in the hallway. So far, we have collected 77 signed pledges from adults and hope to get more through community outreach. We encourage residents to sign the pledge at community events. In 2023, we included the pledge at six community events, including Earth Day/Town clean up (4/22), Community Garden opening day (6/2), Sundae Sunday (6/11), Summer Nights (8/31), Harvest Festival (10/15), Community Shredding Day and Rabies Clinic (11/18). At Harvest Festival in 2023, we had a sign with a QR code to the digital version and included Barrington Green Team canvas tote bags as an incentive to encourage participation. As of May 2024, we have participated in six community events with a minimum of five more planned for the remainder of the year, including National Night Out. We also include the pledge regularly on the Barrington Green Team Facebook page.
-
Energy
Residential Energy Efficiency Outreach
10 PointsProgram Summary: Barrington Borough and the Barrington Green Team (BGT) participate in the SJ-PSE&G Energy Efficiency Partnership Program in the residential track. To enhance awareness and encourage residential participation in energy efficiency initiatives, we created a comprehensive community outreach plan for 2023-2024. One of our primary objectives for Barrington was to have 1% of our households complete a home energy audit within the year. In 2023, we attended seven community events. Most notable was Barrington Harvest Festival, where we had a double wide booth in a prominent location. Half was dedicated to promoting residential energy efficiency and featured promotional materials provided by the SJ-PSE&G EEPP, including flyers, tote bags, and LED nightlights. To engage a wider audience, we distributed 50 Coneflower plants for free, labeled with a QR code linking to the campaign website (“Scan to learn more about saving money and energy at home with PSE&G's energy efficiency programs!). In preparation for tabling events, our team discussed talking points. One team member shared she had a free home energy assessment. She was able to share her positive experience directly with residents and members of our team were able to share if she was unavailable. We also distributed print and online materials. In October 2023 and April 2024, "Barrington's On Track" was mailed to every household and included the flyer with QR code linking to the campaign website. Other forms of outreach include the Barrington Facebook, BGT Facebook with a post featuring the campaign website “pinned” to the top of the page, BGT page on the Borough website, and BGT monthly newsletter. Brittany Beyer, BGT chairperson, presented at the Sustainability Summit on 5/3/2024 for the session, "From Ambition to Action: Effective Community Energy Outreach", which featured highlights from our campaign. The presentation is included in the attachments.
-
Food
Community Food Pantry/Bank & Soup Kitchen
15 PointsProgram Summary: Barrington and the Barrington Civic Association have been running a food pantry for the past five years. It is called the ABLE food pantry and serves families and seniors throughout Barrington. We hold several food drives through the year and partner with Boy Scout Troop 96 who does a door-to-door town-wide food collection in early November and all the food they collect is donated to the ABLE food pantry. Needy individuals call in to request food and we have volunteers who bag-up the food for delivery. Mayor Kyle Hanson, along with other volunteers as needed, deliver the food to the requestor's home or they prepare bags of groceries for pickup. Not only do we give people non-perishable food--we also give them grocery store gift cards so they can purchase fresh food as well. We maintain donation bins in Borough Hall and residents drop-off food donations all year long and we have volunteers who sort it and put it away in the food pantry, also located in Borough Hall. This program has been very successful and benefits Barrington seniors and families as well. We also collect pet food donations and have bins specifically for that purpose. If someone calls in to ask for food and they have a pet, we will also deliver the pet food to them. Additional pet food not needed for the food pantry, is donated to the Barrington T-N-R program. Attached are press releases from our last newsletter about the program and a copy of the posting on the Borough website.
Community Gardens
20 PointsProgram Summary: The Barrington Green Team created Barrington's first community garden in 2023. The garden is located on a vacant lot that is owned by the borough and has never been used. The garden has eight double plots and 19 single plots and all plots have been claimed. We reserved one plot for planting of pollinator plants to encourage bees and butterflies. Press releases about the garden, paperwork to participate and photos are attached. The garden is a big success and more than 500 pounds of fresh vegetables were donated to Barrington seniors and our local ABLE food pantry in 2023. We are already deep into the 2024 season. Credit is sought for both using organic and environment friendly gardening practices (no use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides is allowed) and for donating produce, reinforced by signage at the garden and within the rules paperwork.
-
Health & Wellness
Building Healthier Communities
15 PointsProgram Summary: The Borough of Barrington is committed to improving the lives of all its residents, including our senior citizens. We take pride in our highly successful Senior Services Program. Program Highlights: • Dedicated Staff: A dedicated Senior Services Coordinator has managed the program and provides a central point of contact for participants. • Accessible Transportation: A designated bus driver ensures safe and reliable transportation for outings and activities. • Enriching Activities: The program offers engaging trips to Atlantic City, the County Library, shopping malls, and other cultural attractions. • Inclusive Outreach: We actively promote the program through the Borough website, social media, newsletter and mailings, to all eligible residents. Impact on Our Community: The program directly benefits seniors by providing: • Socialization and Connection: Opportunities to combat isolation and build a sense of community. • Enhanced Mobility: Access to necessary resources and activities that might otherwise be difficult to reach. • Improved Quality of Life: Increased physical and mental well-being through social interaction and engaging activities. Meeting National Objectives: This program aligns with the HUD Exchange’s National Objectives of benefiting low- and moderate-income individuals. By providing affordable transportation and activities, we empower seniors and disabled residents to live more fulfilling and independent lives. Expanding Community Outreach: Barrington is committed to expanding its community outreach by hosting and/or supporting events and initiatives that promote a healthier town. As of April 25th, Mayor Kyle Hanson has signed the Mayors Wellness Campaign Annual Pledge of Participation committing our town to improve and increase innovative wellness initiatives for residents of all ages in the upcoming year. We have submitted additional documentation for the following initiatives that are planned for 2024: • Whole community programming and events for the summer and fall, through local businesses (Yoga in the park summer series with Heart & Grit). • Board of Health (e.g. public health presentations and social media posts) - we had an alternative mosquito control webinar hosted at our June 2024 BoH meeting
-
Land Use & Transportation
Sustainable Land Use Pledge
10 PointsBronze Priority Silver PriorityProgram Summary: Please see the attached Sustainable Land Use Pledge passed in September.
-
Natural Resources
Tree Protection Ordinance *Retires 12/31/25*
10 PointsProgram Summary: The Borough of Barrington has introduced a Tree Removal and Replacement Ordinance and this ordinance was adopted at the June 11, 2024, council meeting - attached here. This ordinance also includes a native tree list as the recommended trees for planting. The ordinance has been uploaded to this application. In addition, in 2022, the Borough started a program where we are planting a minimum of 25 trees per year. Through promoting native and proper and new/mature trees for the town, this helps citizens know about water mgmt and battling invasive species of plants.
-
Operations & Maintenance
Recycled Copy Paper
15 PointsProgram Summary: The borough purchases post-consumer recycled paper for use from Amazon.com to offset its printing usage. The borough made the change to 30% recycled copy this year in 2024. They have only made one purchase so far this year, buying six cases of 30% recycled copy paper in April. The municipality will continue to use strictly 30% recycled copy paper but prior to April, were just buying regular copy paper that was less than 30% recycled.
-
Public Information & Engagement
Municipal Communications Strategy
10 PointsProgram Summary: The Barrington Green Team has done an excellent job of getting information out to the community and it is ongoing. The Green Team Facebook page is maintained by the Team and updated daily. The Facebook page not only highlights achievements of the Green Team but also promotes sustainability and all of the projects that the Team is spearheading. Excerpts from the Facebook page are attached. The Green Team also maintains a page on the Borough of Barrington website and a QR code to the page is also attached. In addition to Facebook and the website, the town produces a semi-annual newspaper that is mailed to every address in our town and the Green Team has multiple pages in each issue. Pages from the most recent issue are attached. This ensures that we are also reaching our older residents who are not necessarily as engaged in social media.
Online Municipal Public Service Systems
10 PointsProgram Summary: The Borough of Barrington provides online public service systems through promotion of online payments for taxes and sewer, an automated work order system where people can go online and report infrastructure issues such as potholes, streetlight outages, etc. This program automatically generates a work order for Public Works to act upon. We also promote electronic submission and fulfillment of OPRA requests and do not require the submission of a paper form and we encourage fulfillment through email. The goal is to allow people to transact business with the borough electronically and without the need for paper. Supporting documentation is attached.
-
Waste Management
Prescription Drug Safety & Disposal
10 PointsBronze Priority Silver PriorityProgram Summary: The Barrington Police Department has deployed a prescription drug dropoff box in our borough hall and they hold two DEA drug take-back events at the local Rite Aid annually. Information, photos and postings about the prescription drug collection box are attached. Program can be found at https://barringtonpolicenj.com/programs/ and shared online via social media reminders. Total collected was obtained from our Police Captain, email posted here.
Community Paper Shredding Day
5 PointsProgram Summary: For the past ten years, Barrington has conducted an annual Shred Day Event. It is held at our Public Works complex and is open to all Camden County residents. We have attached a copy of the invoice from the last event which was held in November of 2023 along with the promotional flyer that was publicized in the Borough newspaper. This event is held every year in the fall. It is funded with recycling grant proceeds. It is also promoted on the borough website, Facebook page and the Green Team Facebook page.
Household Hazardous Waste
5 PointsProgram Summary: The Barrington Public Works Department collects consumer electronics for recycling and also used motor oil. We do accept motor oil waste from residents, we have a 500-gallon waste oil tank we use for fleet maintenance. The Recycling and Trash Regulations document spells out the requirements for all the services DPW provides. In addition, we promote the household hazardous waste events hosted by the County of Camden throughout the year in our newsletter, on our website and Facebook pages. The excerpt from our Public Works Department included in our town newsletter is attached.
Non-Mandated Materials Recycling
10 PointsProgram Summary: The Borough of Barrington and the Barrington Green Team (BGT) organized a film plastic recycling collection from May to November 2023. Collection bins were placed at the entrance/vestibule of the Borough Municipal Building, allowing residents 24-hour access for drop-offs. Through this initiative, over 680 pounds of film plastic were collected, sorted, and recycled via the NexTrex film plastic recycling program. Information about the collection was featured in "Barrington's On Track," a town-wide newsletter mailed to every residence. It was also highlighted on the Borough's website, the BGT Facebook page, and in the monthly e-newsletter. Additionally, the BGT engaged with residents during in-person community events, distributing informational flyers and setting up collection bins for film plastic. This recycling program serves to educate residents on the importance of keeping plastic bags out of their curbside recycling bins, as these items can jam recycling processing equipment and potentially stop operations at recycling centers. The initiative provides residents with a convenient and accessible way to keep these film plastic materials out of the landfill. Materials accepted by the NexTrex film plastic recycling program include grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, plastic shipping envelopes, air pillows, Ziploc and other food storage bags, cereal bags, case overwrap, pallet wrap and stretch film, produce bags, and plastic films labeled with the #2 or #4 recycling symbol (polyethylene films).