Proposal: Enforce Node Version Rule and Prevent Modifications to package-lock.json

**Describe the bug**
Currently, there is no established rule regarding the required Node.js version for this project. Additionally, modifications to the package-lock.json file are occurring despite the absence of a defined policy.

**To Reproduce**
Steps to reproduce the behavior, or file the issue is found in:

1. Attempt to determine the required Node.js version for the project.
2. Observe inconsistent modifications to the package-lock.json file.

**Expected behavior**
We should establish a clear rule specifying the required Node.js version for this project to ensure consistency among contributors. Furthermore, we need to enforce a policy to prevent modifications to the package-lock.json file, maintaining project stability and consistency.

Start by reviewing package-lock.json and the project's current Node.js requirements, then determine how dependency-file changes are currently managed. Done means the required Node.js version and a clear policy preventing unintended package-lock.json modifications are documented and enforced.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.