Environmental Advisory Council

EAC June 18, 2024 Minutes Members in Attendance: George Mulliken, Grant Alger, Steven Nelson, Dan Ford, and Building and Zoning Director Karyn Hyland. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:38 pm. Approval of Minutes May 21, 2024: Minutes were approved as submitted. Broad Commons Basin Cleanup: The proposed cleanup of the rain garden is June 29. It was suggested that the Council and Parks and Recreation Board be advised that the event is happening, as they may be interested in joining or helping in some way. The cleanup will begin around 8:00, and participants must supply gloves and gardening equipment. Karyn will arrange for Borough Hall to be unlocked and for disposal receptacles. The cleanup is anticipated to be completed by 10:00 am. Reports Farmer’s Market/Outreach & Communication (Steve and Grant): The group received positive feedback at this month’s market. A couple wanted to talk about planting trees with the EAC to create habitats in the Borough. The next farmer’s market is July 6. Dan said he could do 9-12 at the July 20th market. DCAP (Steve): We currently have 50 potential recommendations among the five sectors of the survey. The committee has reviewed all the recommendations and is now at the point where they will be prioritized based on either a high/low ranking or short-, mid-, and long-term goals. Steve reviewed the survey results with the members of the EAC. Bird Town (Grant): Bird Town has a new pamphlet that can be distributed to encourage people to get out into nature. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a program to offer free land surveys to help Bird Town members attract more wildlife, such as bird box placement ideas. Comprehensive Plan Update: The Planning Commission hopes to have the recommendations for the Comp Plan to the Borough Council by the end of this year. The next Comp Plan meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2024. Index of Open Areas: Dan provided an update, including a map with overlays of various parcels throughout the Borough. However, the question remains about the index's intended purpose and how it can be used practically. Old/New Business: Under new business, Karyn shared an update on an intern being placed to help with data entry for the DCAP. Temple University's program tends to place its students in larger organizations such as the City of Philadelphia. The student is paid through the University and is an employee of the University. The school does not require a minimum number of hours. The Borough is responsible for travel reimbursement. The Borough Council would have to authorize the addition of an intern. The members who were present discussed the benefits of having an intern and will revisit this topic if the need presents itself. At Mr. Nelson’s request, Karyn shared an update on the Fonthill stormwater plan. She briefly reviewed the current drainage pattern and then moved on to the planned changes and updates to the plan. The design is done and will be going out to bid soon. Adjournment: There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 9:11 pm Respectfully Submitted by: Erika Fellman Minutes Secretary