Charlestown Township
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
Great Valley High School Library
Meeting Minutes
Monday, September 12, 2022

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

Attendees:
Carol Armstrong, (Chair), Dan Walker (Vice Chair), Meg Solomon (Secretary), Veda Maany, Pete Goodman, Sharon Richardson, Stephanie Yocum(alternate).

Note: Chris Heleniak is our new township manager. c.heleniak@charlestown.pa.us.

Please add Heleniak to emails that are sent to Linda Csete where appropriate.

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 proposed Adopt-a-Highway cleanup amount to $3000. The EAC agreed and approved 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 on Oct. 22 but the
  3. conference is virtual and cross-state on 2/25/23.
  4. ChesCo Dept of Health Spraying – Solomon will get on the Green Team email distribution.
  5. 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 to coordinate.
  6. Maany resigned from the EAC – effective after Charlestown Day.

OLD BUSINESS, ON GOING

  1. RES Proposal for Brightside

    9/12 update – Armstrong wrote and revised a letter based on our recommendations for working with the Board of Supervisors EAC feedback. The EAC discussed the letter and decided that the focus should be on suggestions how we work with the BoS. Armstrong will revise and resend to EAC for further comments. There should be 2 more meetings before additional RES work is done. One is scheduled for December. The letter will be sent to Hubbard and Heleniak.

  2. Alkaline battery collection– Armstrong tabled until 2023.
  3. Keep PA Beautiful (PennDOT Program for Road Adoption for clean-ups). Increased the budget as per new business #1. Walker will research costs for road safety crew.
  4. Charlestown Day planning. 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. 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 – tabled until trails are cleared enabling volunteers to work.
  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.
  9. Open Land Conservancy – No update.
  10. Community Education
    1. Wild Neighbors: Loving, protecting, and peaceful coexisting with wildlife (Phila. Metro Wildlife Center) – November 4th, 2022 at 7:00 in middle school choral room. 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
  11. Riparian Buffers at Brightside and Deerfield – Goodman will try to get to a Deerfield property committee meeting to discuss maintenance of planted area. Armstrong reported on the status of the multifunction plants being sustained as replacement plants.
  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. Next meeting is on October 10th at 7:00 PM.