Environmental Advisory Council

EAC September 17, 2024 Minutes Members in Attendance: Grant Alger, Steven Nelson, Dan Ford, David Reidel, P.R. West, Karen Graziano, and Building and Zoning Director Karyn Hyland. Planning Commission members James Lannon, Heather Mahaley, Maryann Baenninger, and Borough Council member Dennis Livrone also attended. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm. Approval of Minutes August 20, 2024: Minutes were approved as amended. DCAP Presentation: Steve shared the high-priority/short-term recommendations of the Doylestown Climate Action Plan. He provided the DCAP's goals and explained how the climate initiatives can be tied into the Comprehensive Plan. Steve shared the slide deck and gave some of the actions that can be taken to reach the DCAP goals. The members of the Planning Commission provided feedback on the DCAP and offered suggestions on how to integrate it with the Comprehensive Plan better. Reports: Farmer’s Market/Outreach & Communication: Karen G would like to postpone the discussion of the farmer’s market until the spring. For outreach and communication, aside from the DCAP, there is not much to discuss. Grant would like to add communication about “Leave the Leaves” as an alternative to the free leaf pick-up provided by the Borough. The Fall Migration has begun, and we should establish a routine for the Lights Out Program. Earth Day: Karen G. suggested that October would be an excellent time to start planning for Earth Day 2025. Notes from the May or June meeting would be helpful as a jumping-off point. Earth Day will be added back to the agenda so that planning can start in October. Bird Town: Grant shared upcoming Bird Town events. On October 1, a Veteran’s Park and Chapman Park tour with the PA Game Commission will offer ideas about habitat options on both sites. Comprehensive Plan Update: None Index of Open Areas: There is not much of an update. The next step is to meet with Borough Staff to find ways to share information. Old/New Business: Under Old Business, Karen G. asked whether there was a good turnout for the film that was shown at Borough Hall. No answer on attendance was available because it was not a Borough-sponsored event. Karyn H. communicated with the organization about EAC’s interest in partnering for film screenings and its intent to limit films to those that are more environmentally-focused. The Fall EAC regional gathering is scheduled for October 5, 2024. Steve noted that there is a $95 fee to attend. The fee can be submitted for reimbursement to whoever decides to attend. It will be held at Temple University’s Ambler campus. Adjournment: There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 pm Respectfully Submitted by: Erika Fellman Minutes Secretary