October 19, 2022 Ambler EAC Meeting Minutes

Held at Ambler Borough Hall

Link to original minutes

Attendees

Members: Jill Sanchez, Hannah Lloyd, Wes Pipitone, Nancy Roecker Coates, William Nassau, Kirsten Puskar 

Absent: Shelly Grinar Boyd

Visitors: None 

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

• Presentation: None

• Public comments (7:10-7:20) 

• Ways to Get Involved (7:20-7:25) 

  1. Become an Ambler Winter Salt Watcher - Attend a Wissahickon Trails virtual program on Tuesday October 25 at 7pm to learn how to track road salt in our waterways. 

     1. Citizen Scientist volunteer program 

     2. Virtual Meeting 

        1. Kirsten & Will plan to attend

        2. Research potential ways the borough can reduce salt use during winter. 

  2. Looking for volunteers to help plant trees in Ambler Borough - Saturday November 19 at 9am. Contact amblereac@gmail.com to volunteer

  3. Back to Earth Compost Give Away 

     1. October 29th - Free compost pick up at Sauls School on Henry Ave - Henry’s Got Crops 

  4. Winterize downtown rain barrels - Friday, November 4th 5pm.  

     1. Takes about an hour

     2. There are about five

     3. Drain the barrels, scrub them out with vinegar, plug the downspout with a winterize weather cap and house them at Borough Hall

     4. Meet at Borough hall to start 

     5. Jill notified Plant Ambler on 10/20

  5. Add soil, splash rock and perennials to downtown downspout planters - Date TBD

     1. Two hours approximately of labor 

     2. Kirsten and Jill will pick a date to do this together 

  6. Paint a rain barrel for Mattie Dixon - Mattie Dixon to supply paint that matches their building.

     1. Paint it blue to match the building and in Spring we will install it. 

     2. Looking for volunteers 

• Formal approval of minutes from September 21st, 2022 (7:25-7:30)

  1. Also, formal approval of the previous months minutes from when there was no quorum to approve.  

     1. September

        1. All motioned to approve

     2. August

        1. All motioned to approve

     3. July

        1. All motioned to approve

     4. June

        1. All motioned to approve 

• EAC Updates (7:30-8:00)

  1. EAC members Kirstin and Jill designed and planted a native perennial pollinator garden at Mattie Dixon using donated plants.  

  2. Five downtown rain barrels need to be taken down for the winter, cleaned and stored. Date and details determined and noted above. 

  3. Five downtown downspout planters have some weeds, the soil is low and could use new flowers.

  4. Business Request - Downtown Downspout Planter Box

     1. Ambler business is requesting removal of a DSP box  

     2. They reported that stormwater overflow spills into their basement.

     3. Wes will reach out to the business to better understand their concerns and find a solution. Hannah will assist

• Schedule Fall Hike and Brew 

  1. Sunday, December 4th @ 11 

  2. Will, could you talk to Forest and Main and ask them if we could have a group there on this date and if so what steps should we take? 

  3. Nancy and Hannah - do the social media, add it to the calendar & website etc. 

  4. Jill - update the Canva ad

• November 5, 10am-12pm , Ambler Community Garden invited the Ambler EAC to their fall fest with a composting demonstration. 

  1. Nancy will table

     1. Hannah & Wes will attend - need to check their calendar. 

     2. Will will also attend.

  2. What should the EAC bring to present &/or speak on? 

     1. Info on the tree planting

     2. Advertise the hike and brew

     3. Talk about upcoming ways to get involved. 

     4. Kids activity

        1. Maybe leaf rubbing or face painting?

        2. Hannah to potentially lead this. 

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

     1. Jill has two expenses listed in the excel spreadsheet. Receipts have been emailed

• Keep Ambler Beautiful Committee (Nancy) 

  1. Pick, Prune, Provide

     1. Saturday September 24 - met at Borough Hall

     2. Pruned trees in Jean Thompson Park and Locust Street Park and Cleaned up Knight Park around the skate park and basketball court, near the bridge on E Butler, and the sidewalks from Ridge to the Pocket park. Six litter brigade volunteers, 8 tree tenders

     3. Wissahickon Highschool Students did an excellent job 

        1. Found a new hot spot by the bridge coming into town

        2. It seems to be that each time this event happens there is less and less litter. 

  2. Cell phone Recycling Program

     1. Boxes at Wiss Valley Libraries

        1. Any time drop off 

     2. In collaboration with Whitpain EAC

  3.  Storm water filters

     1. Nancy has been doing research.

        1. Could we open the dialogue on the pro’s, con’s and opinions around this as a possible solution. 

        2. Nancy

     2. Could this assist with areas that have flooding.  

     3. https://soptechint.com/our-technology                                                                                                                               

SOP Technologies: Our patented storm drain filters have been operating for several years in the field, and provide communities with three major benefits: 

Pollution Prevention: Less pollution going into rivers, lakes, beaches and the ocean

Flood Prevention: Less floods due to clogged stormwater pipes

Reduced Stormwater Management Costs: Lower costs for cities to maintain their stormwater drainage system

• Signage for Ambler Borough Park

Nancy called Pannier Graphics for a quote:

Double Inline Wayside

Two 36”x48” panels $495 each

Aluminum base $1300-$1400

Shipping $200

• Nancy spoke to Glynnis about this.

• EAC put this in our budget request as an aesterick item.

• The work resulting from the Parks Survey Could incur a tax increase. (Could be very small)

• Possible to apply grant funds for parks work

• EAC should aim to try and present at the meeting where the budget is discussed. EAC - check the calendar for these dates. 

• EAC should be here to vouch for the sign and its benefit as well as talk about the value of the volunteer services the EAC will be giving towards its production.

• Shade Trees Committee (Jill)

  1. On Saturday September 24, eight tree tenders pruned trees in Jean Thompson Park and Locust Street park.

     1. Amended incorrectly pruned tree branches that had water sprouts crowding the sidewalk. 

     2. Removed crossing branches. 

     3. Removed branches in the right of way. 

     4. Spent about two hours doing this work.

  2. Attended a Tree Canopy Conference on 10/14 at Haverford College, hosted by Morris Arboretum

     1. Professor from Temple Ambler spoke about tornado damage of trees and post revival.  

     2. Arborist from Peco spoke about why sometimes trees get cut and why some trees may look like they need to be cut but they may not need to be. 

     3. Mushroom growth is something important to look out for.

        1. Specific types of mushroom species could indicate inner tree rot. 

     4. Tree planting in under-previledged neighborhoods should start first with speaking to the neighbors and finding out what other needs they have (litter, abandoned cars etc.)

        1. Instead of door knocking, identify a person who speaks for the block thy may talk around.  

     5. Plant trees for climate change. Climate zones are changing and shifting. 

  3. 38 new trees will be planted in Ambler this November

     1. Actively looking for volunteers. 

  4. Jill plans to attend a Penn State Extension Arborist course in January. 

     1. Added this into the budget.  

• Climate Action Committee

  1. Single use plastic ban passed. 

     1. There was an article in the hometown news. 

     2. Are there things the EAC could donate or assist with regarding Ambler businesses? 

• New business (8:30-8:35)
  
  

• Could the EAC order hats? 

  1. T-Shirts can often be hidden under jackets, windbreakers and etc. 

  2. Baseball hats with the logo embroidered on the front are a cost effective, all season and gender neutral item to show uniformity at events and something to give out to volunteers. 

  3. All EAC members present are very supportive of this idea. 

  4. Hannah - contact Jackets and things to get a quote and more information on this. 

  5. Could we have them by November 5? If not, Nov 19? 

  6. Cost per hat? Bulk discounts? 

• Earthfest 2023

• Casually meet within the EAC members to start rolling out ideas and talk about what agenda items we will want to talk about at the first official meeting. 

• This will be done next Wednesday

• Updates from Borough Council: 

• Closing Thoughts (8:35-8:50)

  1. Will - please send a photo and short bio for Hannah to add to the website.

  2. Will spoke with High Steaks who has a high interest in going as zero waste as possible. Could the EAC have a meeting there at some point and discuss this with them? They are looking for research info on where to get affordable utensils that are compostable etc. 

  3. Discussed presenting to Borough Council on our 2022 accomplishments 

     1. Wes - to reach out to council

     2. Hannah - please start a PowerPoint on the Google Drive for this - the other EAC will fill this in.

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

• Adjournment (8:55-9:00)