July 19, 2023: Ambler EAC Meeting Minutes

Attendees: 

Members: Nancy Roecker-Coates, Matt Walker, Wes Pipitone, Kirsten Puskar

Visitors: Mark Settman, Judy Baigis, Jill Sanchez, Dotti Beacham

Absent: Hannah Lloyd, Will Nassau 

Link to original minutes document 

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

• Presentation: None

• Ways to Get Involved (7:10-7:15)

1. Become an EAC Member 

1. Still spots available

2. July 20th Stormwater Management Educational Speaker Program led by Friends of Worcester 

1. Thursday night at 7pm, for a program on Stormwater Management for Homeowners

2. Lansdale - Norristown and open to all Montgomery County Residents 

3. Flyer attached 

• Formal approval of minutes for June (7:15-7:20)

1. All motioned to approve

• EAC Updates (7:20-7:30) 

1. Bird Town 

1. Need to wait for more discussion on the details about the requirements

2. Might get to it in August

2. Transferal of chair position from Wes Pipitone to Nancy Roecker-Coates 

3. Downtown trees feedback 

1. Borough will send an arborist to talk to the EAC

1. Action item: Wes will see if they could try to do a site visit as part of an EAC meeting (maybe in Sept)

2. TIme for them to do a new inspection report

1. Action item: Wes will ask if EAC members or tree tenders (there are 14 in Ambler) could go with the arborist (Jill and Kirstin are interested in going)

3. They only inspect them every 3 years

• New EAC Member: Matthew Walker

• Interest from Mark Setman

• Committee Chairs No new updates from Open Space Committee or Creek Monitoring on Rose-Valley Creek. 

• Education and Outreach Committee (7:30-7:40)  

• Ambler YMCA Camp Programming Updates

1. Monday, July 24 - park cleanup 1pm at Knight Park (likely 3rd through 5th graders)

2. Upcycled bag-making event

3. Public question and discussion about Ambler bag ban

• Treasurer (Wes) (7:40-7:50)

1. Please be sure to add any and all EAC expenses to the reimbursement sheet.

1. No updates - expenses the same

• Keep Ambler Beautiful Committee (Nancy) (7:50-8:00)

1. Cell phone Recycling Program

1. Collection boxes in both branches of Wissahickon Library - goes to Laurel House

2. Boosted on social media

• Shade Trees Committee (8:00-8:10)

1. Pushing for protection of mature trees

1. Research other municipalities that have protection ordinances (Doylestown, Upper Dublin, Whitpain) Nancy made a draft

2. Susan Curry would like to offer guidance

3. Plant paw paw and persimmon trees outside of community garden

4. A lot of administration to get the tree program running

• Climate Action Committee (Wes) (8:10-8:20)

• CCA for PA updates

1. Receptive feedback from borough

2. Pathway to move forward - Wes will reach out to ask about CCA for PA to give a potential presentation to borough council in the fall

• Energy disclosure policies

1. Narberth - incentives to new buildings with no gas hook-ups - density bonus

2. Ask Glenn about what building codes Ambler follows

• New business (8:20-8:30)

1. Park signage

1. Park Survey Results: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/004bc9029c6a41c8b4659094fa409dcd

2. Rick Denzien emailed some ideas for trail markers

trail markers https://amzn.to/3PsH2m1

trail markers https://amzn.to/3NoGWct

• Hannah and Nancy are planning to meet soon to discuss signage plans

• Hannah is creating a template a head of the image collection/creation and copywriting 

• Pannier Graphics Pricing

36”w x 24”h will be about $295-320 per sign

Traditional T base will be about $575 each

• Pulse Design Pricing

• As a general ballpark estimate, you can plan on a 14x14 sign layout without any artwork changes running around $1100.

With 50% changes, around $1450, and a new panel closer to $1800.

That includes the sign panel artwork, printing the sign onto 1/2” thick High Pressure Laminate (an iZone Imaging sign with a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty*), and having the sign panel and our simplest sign base shipped to you. If you decide you'd like to switch to a sign base that comes with aluminum legs, those will add $100 per leg onto these prices. Everything up to a 20x20 panel has one leg, larger requires two legs.

The panels come with a *10-year warranty against fading, peeling, cracking and delamination and has a graffiti resistant coating that makes most markers and paints removable with standard graffiti cleaners.

For any of the smaller, square proportioned signs, like some of our basic Monarch panels, these can be printed at 14x14, 20x20 or 25x25.

The price range for a 20x20 sign would be $1250 no changes—$1600 with <50% changes—$1950 for a new layout.

For a 25x25 sign $1450–$1800–$2150.

The larger 24x36, 28x36 and 24x32 signs run around $2050 without changes–$2550 w/ 50% edited content–$3050 for more than 75% changes or a new layout.

Again, these include the laminate sign panel and our simplest sign base.

• Catalog signs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FwjtbnB2RLAQt1-AZflpEHSFfdB6yUnTD3bT4Fi13hY/edit?usp=sharing

• Nancy thinks it makes sense to go with smaller signs that are more site-specific

• Nancy will look into smaller sign prices

• Will ask the borough if they can install posts so we can just purchase the signs

• Plan to purchase 2 signs this year

• Public comments (8:30-8:50)

1. Time given for general comments.

• Updates from Borough Council: (8:50-8:55)

• Closing Thoughts (8:55-9:00)

• There are two open seats on the EAC for membership.

• Hannah seeks a replacement for the Secretary role (and someone for managing the website). 

• Next meeting: Wednesday August 16, 2023 at 7:00pm 

• Adjournment (9:00)