![[EAC Minutes heading]](../../Images/Subheads/eac_minutes.gif)
Schuylkill Township
Environmental Advisory Council
MEETING DATE: June 28, 2011
Present: EAC Members: Marlou Gregory, Steve Kunz, Doug White, Mark Fischer, Jerry O’Dell.
Board of Supervisors (BOS): Jim Morrisson
Attendees: Steve Saffier of Audubon Pennsylvania, Michael Hays of Spring City Borough Council.
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Meeting called to order at 7:35 pm.
EAC Meeting Summary: The meeting summary of the previous May meeting was read and approved.
Announcements:
Valley Park Road Closing: Mr. Morrisson stated that a crack was found in the stone culvert which crosses Jug Hollow Run necessitating PaDOT to close the road for repair for approximately 4-5 months.
Open Space Easement: Mr. Morrisson stated the BOS voted to approve the conservation easement on Phoenixville Country Club. The Natural Lands Trust will be the easement holder.
Township Newsletter: Mrs. Gregory suggested an article on the Phoenixville YMCA Rain Garden. Articles for the Fall Newsletter will be due by July 29th.
Developments:
Thompson Tract: No activity reported.
Nolen Property: Mr. Morrisson reported that the Township has received the review letter from Gilmore & Associates concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA).
Bird Town: Mr. Steve Saffier discussed some of the ideas Audubon is recommending to municipalities to attract interest in the Bird Town program and he distributed a list containing possible recommendations. The list included interactive activities, brochures & pocket guides on bird habitats, and lecture series on native plants. Mrs. Gregory asked what the other Bird Town Municipalities are doing to get volunteers for the program. Mr. White suggested it might be a good idea to set up a table at the First Friday festivities in Phoenixville. Mr. Morrisson suggested a table at the new True Value Hardware Store. Mr. Saffier stated he is working on organizing a Bird Town Program at the Green Lane Reservoir, possibly on September 17. Other tentative dates are July 23, August 13, and October 15.
More information on the program is available at: http://pa.audubon.org or by contacting Mr. Steve Saffier at ssaffier@Audubon.org.
Toonerville Trolley Trail/Freedom Valley YMCA (TTT): No activity reported.
Freedom Valley YMCA Rain Garden: Mr. O’Dell reported that on Wednesday, June 22, he met with Mr. Bill Haldren, the YMCA Property Director, to review the work completed on the rain garden based on recommendations in his report of April 18, 2011. He stated that Mr. Haldren and his crew made a genuine effort to improve the aesthetics and effective operation of the garden. They dug/redirected the swale so the largest volume of stormwater runoff now flows into the rain garden; the weeds were sprayed/removed and a fresh layer of mulch/wood chips installed and locations for the additional plant material purchased by the Y was laid out and planted. Mr. O’Dell stated that maintenance will be ongoing and as the plantings become established they can be augmented with additional perennials to increase water absorption. He said that he would be available to assist the YMCA with any questions on the ongoing maintenance.
Valley Park: Mr. Morrisson stated the Township is concerned that the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) Grant funding will expire before work begins on the wetland restoration project. Mr. Kunz said that a Jurisdictional Determination (JD) is still needed to evaluate the site and Mrs. Gregory stated that a Wetlands Delineation (WD) needs to be completed to determine the location and limits of the existing wetlands. Mr. Kunz followed by stating this information is needed before any work can proceed to add or create new wetlands. Mr. Morrisson said the Township was unsure if a WD can be done with the grant money. He also stated that DCNR Grant requires trails be shown on the site plan. He suggested the EAC schedule a meeting with Mary Bird and John Sartor of Gilmore & Associates to address these issues.
Pavilion/Ticket Booth: Mr. Morrisson stated that the BOS approved the funding of an engineering report by Yerkes Associates to assess the structural integrity of the building. He also stated the BOS approved funding for removal of roof debris, interior wood, etc. from the building.
Environmental Overlay: Mr. Kunz stated that he has reviewed the comments by Gilmore Associates on the NRCO sent to him by Mr. Sartor. He forwarded the report to Mr. O’Dell for his comments on the tree issues.
Trails: Mrs. Gregory reported that a representative from East Pikeland Township is working on their trail plan and would like to coordinate with Schuylkill and Charlestown. A discussion followed concerning who on the EAC will fill the role of regional trails liaison.
Pickering Preserve: No activity reported.
Other EAC Business:
Ordinances: Mr. Morrisson stated that at the June BOS meeting motions were made to adopt the Solar Panel Ordinance and the Street Ordinance to amend the SALDO Ordinance on Street Width requirements.
Township Interview Committee: Mr. Morrisson stated the BOS voted to form a 4 person Interview Committee to interview applicants for the various volunteer openings on the Township commissions. The committee will have 2 members from the BOS and 2 members from the commission which is interviewing for a candidate.
NPDES Permit: It was noted by the EAC members that some Township storm drains have been marked/stenciled. Mrs. Gregory stated the PA Stormwater Act requires Townships to educate the public on Stormwater BMPs (Best Management Practices). Stenciling is one alternative for public education and outreach to discourage dumping under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program.
Mr. O’Dell asked a hypothetical question about insurance coverage for volunteers who might be injured doing volunteer work for the Township. A short discussion followed and Mr. O’Dell agreed to ask the Township Manager about the issue.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:15 pm.