February 16 Ambler EAC Meeting Minutes

Written By Ambler EAC

Held at Ambler Borough Hall

Attendees: Jill Sanchez, Wes Pipitone, Hannah Lloyd, Nancy Roecker-Coates

Link to Meeting Minutes Document (Google Doc)

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

  • Please state your name, affiliation, and contact information 

    1. No visitors 

  • Presentation: None

  • Public comments (7:10-7:20)

    1. None 

  • Ways to Get Involved (7:20-7:25) 

    1. Join Ambler EAC Earth Fest Committee - email amblereac@gmail.com

    2. Help Upper Dublin Replant Trees After the September Tornado

      1. UD Shade Tree Commission Meeting Feb. 17 UD Library 3:30pm

    3. Upper Dublin EPAB, in conjunction with the UDP&R is holding an open house on Saturday, March 5th at 10am in the Upper Dublin Library.

  • Formal approval of minutes from January19th, 2021 (7:25-7:30)

    1. All motioned to approve 

  • EAC Updates (7:30-8:00)

    1. Plastics Ordinance vote - 02/01 Committee Meeting

      1. EAC will act as a resource for Borough Council and is in continued conversations to help amend / update the ordinance before the next vote. 

  • EarthFest 2022 (8:00-8:30) 

    1. Held a kick-off meeting on 02/06 in-person and via zoom

      1. 12 volunteers attended

    2. Next meeting scheduled for 02/27 via zoom

    3. Earth Fest web page is on the EAC website

      1. Check here for more information and announcements as they become available. 

    4. Accepting applications for retailers and vendors. 

    5. The EAC is planning the indoor and outdoor spaces and avitivity details currently. 

    6. Electric cars potentially on the street side. 

    7. Volunteers still welcome to take on roles for Earth Fest planning 

    8. Currently in planning for Earth Fest 

      1. Native plant sale

      2. Kids activities

      3. Book reading

        1. Plan to budget for buying some books to give away / donate to the library 

      4. Indoor educators

      5. Music outside

        1. Requires budget consideration

      6. Food outside 

        1. In the parking lot areas

        2. There will also be some seating / hang out spaces around this

      7. Raffles 

    9. Zero waste ideas and education will be present as well as give aways 

    10. Sponsorship opportunities are being pursued 

    11. Spoke about budget considerations  

  • EAC Membership (8:30-9:00) 

    1. Two open seats on the Ambler EAC 

      1. One possible interest 

      2. Searching for other possible interests

      3. Idea storming how to advertise for new members 

        1. Advertise this at Earth Fest 

          1. Put in the ad what it involves and how to become involved. 

        2. Depending on the pandemic status the EAC could host a meet and great to interest new member involvement 

  • 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. absent

  • Treasurer (Wes)

    1. New Table Topper purchased 

    2. New tote Bags purchased 

    3. Some December reimbursements are still outstanding

      1. First batch should have been reimbursed

      2. Second batch should be reimbursed soon

        1. Still processing 

  • Keep Ambler Beautiful Committee (Nancy)

    1. Ambler Borough Park Clean - Kanna Gym Staff

      1. April 23 at 10:30

      2. 10-15 participants 

    2. Litter/Trash ordinances - no update

    3. Research, Outreach and Education on Plastic Ordinance

      1. Nancy is currently doing research. 

      2. Addressed above with EAC updates. 

    4. Possibly another clean up in May

      1. ‘Love your park day’? 

  • Shade Trees Committee (Jill)

    1. March 12 there will be an advanced tree pruning class. 

      1. 2 hour video

      2. Test

      3. Arborist will come out to show tree tenders how to prune trees

      4. Trees we could look at for pruning / assessment 

        1. Tree in front of KC’s

        2. Tree by State Farm

        3. Tree in front of Pizza Box

        4. Tree by Deck’s

        5. Trees at locust street park

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

      1. Currently in planning. 

      2. Jill is attending meetings and in talks with people on how to assist. 

      3. Jill has 25 trees that she will be in charge of planting with Ambler Tree Tenders 

      4. Jill talking to an Upper Dublin Tree Tender (Veronica)

        1. Bought 121 trees

        2. Being delivered on April 23 

        3. Jill will consult with Veronica on how to set up her planting, get volunteers and put her program together. 

        4. Jill reached out to the veterans club to see if they could help dig holes ahead of time.

    3. In March we’ll relaunch the adopt a tree program to include the new trees that were planted in fall 2021.  

      1. Jill and Hannah will get together in March to fix, rewrite, maintain tags on currently adopted trees. 

  • Climate Action Committee

    1. Discuss results of counsel vote on Ambler's new ordinance: Single use plastic ban. 

      1. Spoken about above in EAC Updates 

  • New business (8:30-8:35)

  • Updates from Borough Council: 

  • Closing Thoughts (8:35-8:50)

    1. April EAC meeting will be exclusively about Earth Fest 

  • Next meeting: Wednesday March 16th, 2022 at 7:00pm (8:50-8:55)

  • Adjournment (8:55-9:00)

_______________________________________

Environmental Open House

Upper Dublin Public Library

520 Virginia Dr, Fort Washington, PA 19034

Saturday, March 5th starting at 10:00 a.m.

The Upper Dublin Township Environmental Protection Advisory Board (EPAB) and the Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation Department (UDP&R) will be hosting an Open House to discuss several programs related to the environment in the Township.  

EPAB members will give brief presentations (approximately 30 minutes total) including discussions on:

• Renewable Energy Transition Plan

• Recycling

• Storm water and water quality

UDP&R will then give extended presentations (approximately 30 minutes total) concerning

• Twining Valley Park development 

• Native and invasive plants

• Township recovery efforts from Tropical Storm Ida.

The presentations start in the library auditorium at 10:00 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m.

Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to explore information tables in the lobby that cover numerous other topics and UDT groups, ask questions of presenters, pick up useful information, and discuss other environmental concerns.

Please join us for this informative Open House, especially if you would like to get more involved in the community. 

Per Upper Dublin Public Library rules, please wear a facemask.


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