October 20, 2021: Ambler EAC Meeting Minutes

Written By Ambler EAC

MEETING HELD IN PERSON AT BOROUGH HALL 131 Rosemary Ave, Ambler, PA 19002

in the Borough Council Room


Attendees 

Members: Hannah Lloyd, Wes Pipitone, Jill Sanchez, Liz Rosencrans

Visitors: Judy Baigis, Karen Delaney

Excused: Nancy Roecker Coates, Shelly Grinar Boyd


  • Call to Order / Introductions (7:00-7:10)

    • Please state your name, affiliation, and contact information. 


  • Presentation: None


  • Public comments (7:10-7:20): None


  • Ways to Get Involved (7:20-7:25) 

    1. Tree Planting November 20

      1. Times TBD, may still have dispersed groups for COVID safety (same as last planting).

    2. Take part in the parks survey for Ambler Parks



  • EAC Updates (7:30-8:00)

    1. Weekly GAG Meetings

      1. Touched on later in the committees section. 

      2. Finalizing the program and configuring a good way to end. 

    2. Discuss EarthFest in January. 


  • Committee Chairs (8:00-8:30) No new updates from Climate Action Committee, Open Space Committee, Creek Monitoring on Rose-Valley Creek. 


  • Education and Outreach Committee (Shelly)

    1. Website Updates- Hannah to give a demo on how to use Squarespace. 

      1. This is postponed to next month's meeting.

        1. HANNAH: GET PROJECTOR SET UP PRIOR TO MEETING. (email Glenn, Mary and Elizabeth Russel.)

        2. Also ask for conference number information for call ins to the meeting.

  • Resource Page as a student research project

  • Square Space & Fillable Forms overview with Hannah- TBD

  • Meet your EAC member interviews and highlights- 

  • Interviews with council members

  • Pollinator Program

  • Flyers for Bees- can be updated and distributed more extensively in late winter.

  • Student Volunteer Titles

  • Treasurer (Wes)

    1. EAC T-shirts- order progression

      1. Jill left another message. 

      2. Consider ordering tote bags with the same art as t-shirts.  

        1. Whoever follows up with Mike please ask about tote bags.(price, do they offer it etc.) 

    2. 2022 budget request submitted. 

      1. Budget request similar to last year with some slight rearrangements. 

        1. More budget for trees.

        2. Less budget for conferences.

        3. More budget for events. 

        4. 5% increase requested. 


  • Keep Ambler Beautiful Committee (Nancy) - absent

    1. Hatch LTK - Volunteer Day held September 24th

      1. Litter clean up

        1. Great turn out and positive energy from Hatch. 

        2. Publicity photos for the EAC taken and future publications in plan. 

          1. Possible that this may become more of a recurring event. 

        3. Cigarette butts and litter picked up. 

      2. Ambler Borough Park

        1. 20-30 volunteers gathered in the park approximately

        2. Great energy and enthusiasm 

        3. Huge difference made especially after flood damage. 

        4. Hatch and Red Tail Restoration worked together at ABP. 

      3. Planning this event was a large undertaking - keeping this in mind for future events, maybe this could be a several person effort - consider offering to help with this. 

    2. Anti-Litter signage to be presented to Borough Council at November Meeting.

      1. Wes reached out to Mary

        1. Purchase signs before years end?

        2. Try to avoid placing signs around election season - wait until the start of the new year.

      2. Follow up with Nancy on if she will be presenting. 

        1. This will be the day before the next EAC meeting. 

      3. Request to be at the next committee meeting and if there is no room on the agenda then we could present at the borough meeting. 

        1. Wes will reach out to Sara. 

      4. Who else will present?

        1. Jill with updates on trees (adopt, pruning days, tree checkers, planting day etc.)

        2. Wes can update on some projects. 

        3. Shelly may want to present on behalf of students and their titles etc. 

        4. Try to stick to a time budget more for the next meeting. 

    3. Cigarette Butt container idea and ordinances


  • Shade Trees Committee (Jill)

    1. TreeVitalize

      1. 28 trees have been ordered for this fall

        1. 10 are public trees

        2. 1 in front of Sorrentos

          1. Was hit and needs to be replaced

        3. 2 on Butler in front of Keisers auto

          1. Jill requested tree stump grinding and pit widening for these

        4. Behind Ambler Beverage Exchange one tree is dead- EAC will cut and removed. 

        5. 3 to go in Knights park

          1. Around edges of park and walk way

          2. Waiting for survey results before placing any trees internally. 

          3. Also, giving space to the community garden. 

          4. Could have a neighborhood park tree planting day in Knights Park

            1. “You voted for more trees in the park - come help plant” 

      2. No Spring 2022 tree sale 

        1. Ambler Tree Tenders will partner with Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commision to plant trees in UD in the spring to help with loss of trees due to the tornado

          1. Jill has been meeting with the Upper Dublin shade tree commission.

          2. Will help to coordinate volunteers to assist in planting


  • Stormwater Committee (Jill)

    1. Growing Ambler Greener

      1. Rain Gardens 38/75

      2. Riparian Buffer Planting (3)

      3. Rain Barrels 111/250

      4. DSP 30/60

      5. Permeable Conversions 10/22

      6. Planning initiated on Steep Slope

    2. Work is being completed and invoices are being sent over. 

    3. Jill to schedule a meeting with Madge for finalized numbers on projects completed. 

    4. Should schedule a meeting with Borough Council to talk about wrap up work. 


  • New business (8:30-8:35)

    1. In January meet with the new finance officer to talk about a more automated method for tree payments. 

      1. Can we have a payment system set up for online payments versus drop off checks. 


  • Updates from Borough Council: 

    1. Plan to present at November Council Meeting (11/16 7PM)


  • Closing Thoughts (8:35-8:50)

    1. Please let Wes know if there is anything else you would like to purchase by the end of year. 

      1. Thoughts: Tote bags, water bottles, mugs etc. for giveaways and raffles. 

      2. Replace the table cloth with the EAC logo. 

        1. Look into the ability to replace this while ordering signs. 

        2. Could we get a table cover with gussets for wind proofing? 

    2. Pre payment with volunteer funds for future tree purchases or shrubs etc. 


  • Next meeting: Wednesday November 17th, 2021 at 7:00pm (8:50-8:55)

    1. In person at Borough Council 


  • Adjournment (8:55-9:00)

Ambler EAC
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