Charlestown Township
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
Meeting Minutes
Monday, August 8, 2022

Meeting was held at GVMS Choral Room. Armstrong opened the meeting at 7:05.

Attendees:
Carol Armstrong, (Chair), Meg Solomon (Secretary), Veda Maany, Pete Goodman, Sharon Richardson, Stephanie Yokum.

Note: Chris Heleniak is our new township manager. heleniak@charlestown.pa.us
Please add Chris to any email that is sent to Linda Csete.

August 2022 minutes were approved.

NEW BUSINESS

  1. EAC Budget for 2023 – Walker suggested raising the outreach amount to $1500. Walker also suggested that we raise the cleanup amount to $3000. The EAC agreed with this and also the rest of the budget proposed by Armstrong.
  2. EAC Network Conference – Armstrong agreed to be part of the planning committee for the conference. Fall gathering will be in Haverford Township but the conference is cross-state.
  3. ChesCo Dept of Health Spraying – Solomon will get on the Green Team email distribution. Also, get on PSU’s site and put yourself on the insectcide and pesticide sensitivity.
  4. Election Day EAC Table – Walker has a table we can use. Armstrong has one banner. Need signup sheets, tape for the banner, recruitment statement. Goodman, Armstrong, Walker volunteered

OLD BUSINESS, ON GOING

  1. RES Proposal for Brightside

    7/11 update – The EAC was under the impression that invasives would not be sprayed but spraying was observed and now bushes with berries and fruit etc. have been contaminated and shouldn’t be eaten. Hedgerows seem to have selective plants dying.

    8/8 update – Esther Underhill asked about the Johnson Grass in Brightside. Armstrong stated that there no plan has been presented by RES to deal with this in 2022. Underhill’s impression from attending the BoS meeting was that this is part of year 1 plan.

    9/12 update –Armstrong wrote and revised a letter based on EAC feedback. The focus of the letter is on how we work with the BoS.

    There should be 2 more meetings before additional RES work is done. One is scheduled for December. The EAC discussed the letter and finalized the contents. Armstrong will send to Hubbard and Helniak.

  2. Alkaline battery collection– tabling until 2023.
  3. Keep PA Beautiful (PennDOT Program for Road Adoption for clean-ups). Increased the budget as first step. Walker will research costs for road safety crew. He also hopes to see Kevin Kuhn tomorrow at PC.
  4. Charlestown Day planning. Day announced as September 24th from 9-3. Richardson called Bartlett Tree to see if they can provide any giveaways. Her contact left Bartlett. She called again but has not gotten a positive response. Can’t rely on them. Maany stated that volunteers are needed to man the table. Walker, Armstrong and Yokum volunteered to help Maany at the EAC table. Armstrong will bring her watershed materials and Goodman will provide materials from Bird Town and watershed certification sign.
  5. Weed Warrior Program – tabling for now.
  6. Natural Resources protective ordinances (trees and others) – October 3 The BoS will review some new protections.
  7. Bird Town – no update.
  8. Township newsletter articles (due dates- 1/15, 4/15, 7/15, & 10/15). Goodman will send one on Hummingbirds. Solomon will prepare the content of the last NN for the newsletter. Armstrong will resubmit article regarding Charlestown headwaters at Pidgeon Run. Environmental gifts for the holidays – can Richardson write article about good environmentally friendly gifts for the holidays? – Richardson will think about it. It was suggested that each of the EAC members pick a book about the environment as possible gifts.
  9. Open Land Conservancy – No update.
  10. Community Education – future suggestions
    1. Wild Neighbors: Loving, protecting, and peaceful coexisting with wildlife (Phila Metro Wildlife Center) - November 2022. Armstrong and Solomon will start creating marketing materials.
    2. Watershed-Friendly Property Certification program (Armstrong)
    3. Waste: Hazardous, Industrial & Medical
    4. Tour of invasive plant species
    5. Suggestion to do a YouTube video of things that Charlestown residents can do to enhance their properties and make their backyards hem more like a ‘National Park’ (Doug Tallamy) among other things. Maany’s son created a video of the invasives on their property. Armstrong suggested that each of the EAC members find a favorite YouTube video on an environmental topic - needs to be short. Submit to Armstrong by the next EAC monthly meeting.
  11. Riparian Buffers at Brightside and Deerfield – Goodman will try to get to a Deerfield community monthly meeting.
  12. Status of Charlestown Riparian Buffer Survey of Potential Sites – No update
  13. Devault Basin Beautification Project along Route 29 near Turnpike – no update.

Meeting ended at 8:55.