September 20, 2023: Ambler EAC Meeting Minutes

• Welcome to members and guests (7:00pm)

• Attendance and Approval of Minutes

Present: Mark Setman, Will Nassau, Matt Walker, Nancy Roecker Coates

Absent: Kirstin Puskar, Hannah, Lloyd, Wes Piptone

• Presentations (none)

• Old Business/Committee Reports

1. Education and Outreach Committee (needs a chair)

2. Treasurer’s Report (Wes Piptone)

3. Keep Ambler Beautiful (Chair: Nancy Roecker Coates)

1. World Clean Up Day September 16, 2023, 9am

2. Ambler Borough Hall

     b)“Ambler Borough CleanUp-Unity Through Community”

9 volunteers attended. Discussed how to get more volunteers. Nancy to contact synagogue to partner for next clean up

                  2.  Cell phone recycling

• Shade Tree Committee

• Make Ambler a Shade Better tree planting (Kirsten Puskar/Mark Setman)Mark and Matt walked with Jill to discuss public trees. Mark will develop a monthly plan for tasks to accomplish. Mark finished the tree tender class. 

• Street Trees (Kirsten Puskar)

1. Street Tree Concerns: Advisory Report

• Discuss/plan tree protection ordinance

• Community Garden Tree Planting (Jill)

Tentative date for planting Nov. 4th. More info to follow. Jill will coordinate details. 

• Identifying potential tree locations in public parks

Mark and Matt will walk the parks to scout locations for additional park trees.

      F. Climate Action Committee

  (Chair: Wes Pipitone, Members: Matt Walker)

• CCA for PA update 

• Energy Efficient Building Codes update and next steps

• Energy audit grant pilot idea

• Matt discussed 2021 building codes with Glen. Pennsylvania is going through the process to adopt the newer standards. Matt will research the green building code standards. The Inflation Reduction Act has grant money available. LEED certifications. Rebates for residents to do energy audits? Matt will get quotes on energy audits.  

      G. Social Media (Nancy Roecker-Coates)

William will start making social content.

• Public Comment

      H. Park Signage (Nancy Roecker-Coates and Hannah Lloyd)

• Hannah will have first drafts available by October's meeting.

• Sign size options - Low Rise with basic T base

1. 36x24 (most common) $295-$320 Base $575

2. 24x18 $250 base $520 - this is the size of signs on the Green Ribbon Trail

3. 42x24

4. 48x24

• Possible content

• Sign #1: Brief introduction to the park and its history, local wildlife highlights(foxes, woodpecker, yellow bellied sap sucker, and lightning bugs), native trees in the park carbon sequestration  and identification(sweet gum, hornbeam/American muscle wood and tulip poplar. Jill will write the tree piece and William the wildlife section

• Sign #2: Riparian Buffer system, stream information with side highlights on litter and pollution side effects on the waterway Hannah will write this section

• Base options 

Aluminum will work best because of the flooding risk

                  I. Borough Council Update (Nancy Roecker-Coates)

IV. New Business

• Public comments 

1. Public comment/Open Forum

• Upcoming EAC Events

• EAC Network Fall Gathering Oct 21, 2023 9am-4pm

• https://weconservepa.org/event/eac-network-fall-gathering-2/

• National Drive Electric Week - Drive the Future EV Event

1. Ambler Weavers Way Saturday September 30th, 4-8pm

2. https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=3620

3. Learn about the environmental and financial benefits of EVs from local owners. Test drives, games and activities.

• Next meeting: Wednesday October 18, 2023 at 7:00pm 

• Adjournment