Environment And Recreation Committee Meeting

Environment and Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes Thursday, June 6, 2024 6:00 PM Present: Committee Members Liz Wyckoff (Chairperson), Joe Frederick, Ben Bell, Dennis Livrone, Building and Zoning Director Karyn Hyland. Ms. Wyckoff called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. The Minutes from May 2, 2024, were approved as submitted. Karyn shared the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Regional Benchmarking Pilot Program with the committee members. This large-scale program will evaluate how commercial properties compare to other properties in terms of energy consumption. The first part requires the Borough to audit its energy usage. Liz asked which buildings would be included. It would be Borough Hall, Public Works Garage, and Fanny Chapman. A motion was made and seconded to recommend to the Borough Council for benchmarking borough-owned buildings (Livrone/Frederick). Liz gave an update on the Circuit Trail. It will essentially encompass low-impact Borough streets and utilize existing trails in Chapman Park. Liz would also like to add a historical route within the town to touch on historically significant places. Liz hopes to have the map ready for the next meeting. Liz envisions the historical markers as a place where cyclists would stop and dismount to learn more about historical sites. Ben would like to know if there will be a place to park a bike while riders appreciate the sites. The committee started discussing how the use of electric bikes, scooters, and skateboards would all play into this circuit trail. The conversation then moved into whether the ordinance overseeing skateboards needs to be revisited. Karyn will bring the question of the ordinance to John and Chief Knott to see if this is a topic that needs to be on an agenda and to see what their take on enforcing a historic ordinance is. Caitlin, who could not attend the meeting, provided the Recreation Director's Report in advance. Dennis applauded Caitlin’s efforts in creating the recreation report. Dennis reminded the committee that the Park Tour will occur in August. Following the tour, Dennis will host a gathering at his home. Old/New Business Under New Business, Joe shared that a company from Pittsburgh will be writing a comprehensive plan for the county parks and how they will be upgraded, the staffing of the parks increased, and the park facilities maintained. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 pm.