Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes 
July 14, 2026 
7:00 PM 

Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:06pm. 
Attendees: Anne Duzan, Mike Irwin, Abbey Swan, and Leslie Sheller (online) - no quorum 
Public Comment - No public comment 
Minutes to consider: June 9, 2026 
Tabled. Some corrections were made. 
Old business: 
Tree Plan 
Ms. Swan outlined the list of actionable items in the tree plan. Ms. Duzan and Ms. Beacher will meet next week to go over the mapping already done for Spackman-Davis farm. This will act as a proof of concept for our specimen tree mapping.  
Specimen Tree Form and Tracking 
Ms. McBride is combining elements of a form for specimen tree nominations and tracking. Ms. Duzan will send Ms. McBride an Excel spreadsheet with additional columns. 
Newsletter topics 
Ms. Swan added Ms. Town’s article about mosquito buckets to the newsletter with a picture. Ms. Beacher also wrote a great article on heat islands that will go on the Sustainability website as a blog post. Ms. Swan also discussed adding a sustainability tag to blog content that can be displayed on the Sustainability website. Ms. Duzan recommended doing the tree planting article in September.  
Composting 
Sustainability website 
Add a checklist that we can update to the website 
Ms. McBride added a basic table of items from our report. When we get a new website we will make the table better. 
New Business: 
TMACC meeting recap 
Ms Duzan summarized the meeting about TMACC updating pedestrian and bicycle safety along Lincoln Highway. Mr. Irwin mentioned the sidewalk plan that addresses the gaps in sidewalks the Task Force noted. 
Ms. Swan also mentioned DVPRC is doing a similar project on a different section and will be around to share their thoughts. 

Ms. Duzan mentioned that our new waste containers were used at the June 18 Caln Meetinghouse Historical event and at the June 20 picnic 
Ms. Swan will get weights to hold down the cans before they are full. 

Bird and bat nesting structures for parks and other municipal locations 
Ms. Duzan says this was discussed at the Parks and Rec meeting as an event. Ms. Swan said we can do a joint event with them. Ms. McBride can do some pricing research. 

Discussion- Should the EAC establish a recognition program for township businesses implementing sustainable ideas Certificate 
Ms. Duzan likes that it can be applied to any business. Mr. Irwin liked that can be applied to any action. Ms. Swan was also interested in doing presentations at the BOC meetings. This will be tabled for the next meeting. Ms. Duzan suggested having another event for individuals. 

Discussion- Workshop ideas for next year 
    Mr. Irwin asked how the winter sown plants are doing. Ms. Swan said they are doing well. 
    Ms. Swan mentioned seed collection in the meadow.  
    Ms. Swan also summarized the preparations for the seeding the next part of the meadow. 
    Ms. Swan mentioned a moth workshop from the Watershed Stewards. She will follow-up and see if it can be done this fall. 
    Ms. Duzan mentioned a firefly workshop 
    Mr. Irwin mentioned the birdbath workshop where kids can decorate them. 
    Mr. Irwin mentioned more invasive species removal events and focus on specific plants. 
    Ms. Duzan suggested focusing on development stages. 
    Ms. Swan suggested doing a video for these for social media.  
    Ms. Swan also mentioned that we could hire someone to do a workshop as a possibility. 
    Ms. Duzan mentioned workshops on setting up wildlife habitats in your yard. 
    Ms. Swan mentioned repair shops and Mr. Irwin mentioned bike safety. 
    Mr. Irwin mentioned weatherizing houses. 
    Ms. Swan said Upper Uwchlan has done some great workshops. 
    Could do a tree id workshop on the Golf Course 
    Mr. Irwin asked Ms. McBride to set up a reminder to think of idea. 

Discussion- Items to include in budget request for 2027 
    Ms. Swan mentioned we would need money for tags for tree identification. 
    Ms. Swan also suggested a branded tent. 
    Ms. Duzan suggested getting native plants to decorate Santa’s tent then plant them later. 
    Ms. Swan suggested looking into sustainability giveaways like the tick removers 
    Ms. Duzan had an idea for a raffle for a solar fountain. Would a big box hardware donate buckets for mosquito buckets? 
    Ms. Swan said we should have a draft after the next meeting. 
    Yes I AM going to make a spreadsheet of spreadsheets. 

Discussion- Repair Cafe Survey 
    Ms. Swan isn’t sure that there is enough demand for our own but we should talk to them about their capacity. 
    Ms. Duzan suggested repairing other items or workshops on how to fix specific items. 

EAC Conference - We Conserve PA 
    Ms. Duzan mentioned we could present our rating form. Ms. Duzan also suggested presenting about our short articles in monthly township newsletters and about how the new zoning plant list was created. 

Upcoming Events 
National Night Out Aug 4 
Community Day Sept 12 
Parks and Rec update/upcoming events 
Clean-up Days Oct and Nov 
Halloween Trunk or Treat Oct 24 – bats, moths, lighting bugs 
Suggested: Bigger macroinvertebrates event 

Sustainability Coordinator Updates 
Sharing Solarize Philly info with businesses in Township 
    Mr. Irwin asked if we are allowed to reach out to businesses.  
    Ms. Swan said we do not recommend specific companies and we don’t have a good way to reach out electronically. 
    Ms. Swan said it might be more useful to share with residents. 
    Mr. Irwin suggested that smaller businesses that own their own land could be shared. 
    Ms. Swan suggested pulling solar permits and seeing who is doing it. 
    Solarize Greater Philadelphia Commercial Webinar - Join the team of Solarize Greater Philadelphia to find out why owners of commercial property (including municipalities!) should be investing in solar now and how to take advantage of the Solarize program and the soon-to-expire Investment Tax Credits to get it done. There will be plenty of time for questions. Please register in advance by clicking the date below. Online from 12:00-1:00 p.m. on the following dates: 
August 5th 
September 16th 
    Ms. Duzan mentioned an article she saw on adding green roofs to bus shelters. The group discussed how the weight would be an issue. Mr. Irwin mentioned that there is now lightweight materials for green roofs. 
Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:10pm. 

Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes 
June 9, 2026 
7:00 PM 

May 12, 2026 @ 7:00 PM

Tonight’s meeting will be held in person and online via Teams.

• Call to Order 7:04pm
• Attendees: Leslie Sheller, Cheryl Spaulding, Mike Irwin, Debbie Town, Anne Duzan
• Staff in attendance: Abbey Swan, JoEllen McBride
• Public Comment: None
  
• Minutes to consider: April 14, 2026
  • Mike moved; Leslie second, Motion approved 4-0 with 1 abstention
• Old business:
  • Invasive Plant Removal Event Update
    We were a small group but we got a lot done. Ms. Swan mentioned that Perry from the Master Watershed Stewards will stop by this week to remove poison ivy from the entrance to the farm. The group then discussed the best way to remove the oils from poison ivy. If you treat it like motor oil on your body and use friction and soap, that is more effective at removing it.
  • Newsletter Items Updates
    Discussed sharing some FB posts from AARP that Ms. Town shared with the group on planting trees and dealing with mosquitos. They also reviewed Mr. Irwin’s article on rain barrels that will be featured in this week’s newsletter. The group also discussed writing newsletter articles on 10 Tips for Planting Trees, using insecticides/pesticides at home safely, mosquito buckets. The group also discussed the possibility of doing an outreach event where residents make their own mosquito buckets.
  • Mainline Health comments follow-up
    Ms. Swan reported that the project has probably moved on and is under no obligation to review or respond to our comments.
• New Business:
  • Tree Ordinances Review
    Ms. McBride is compiling a list of model tree ordinances to compare to the Township’s Zoning and SALDO ordinances to see if we can have some language ready for when they update SALDO. We’d also like to identify stand alone ordinances and any updates to Zoning involving trees. Ms. McBride will create a spreadsheet to compare the current ordinances with other municipalities’. The group agreed it was important to add something in there about maintaining trees on properties that are newly constructed. Resident Tom Parr suggested that the requirement could be put in HOA convenants moving forward.
  • Branded Tick Removers
    Ms. Spaulding received an email about someone making tick removers and leaving them at the Dog Park. He keeps running out though so they’re popular. The group discussed purchasing some branded ones next year to hand out at events. The group also discussed some funny sayings that could go on the removers. The group also discussed looking into how other PA organizations market their tick removers to avoid deterring people from exploring nature.
  • Fishing Line Recycling tubes w/ PaR
    Ms. Duzan discussed the first fish stocking event of the season and the conservation officer mentioned that having PVC tubes strategically located near where people fish would be a good way to collect broken fishing wire. The group discussed finding organizations that give these away for free (PA Boat Commission) and Mr. Parr mentioned he may be able to make them easily. They also discussed signage for the tubes.
  • Upcoming Events
    • Joint Art & Park on June 3 for Streams
      Parks and Rec needs help with this event. Ms. Swan did a run through of the macroinvertebrate and the recycling activities with Cub Scouts and said it went well.
    • Community Day Outreach Discussion
      The group discussed taking one of our giant maps of the Township and having residents draw their ideas onto it. Ms. McBride suggested that we could print out the full map in 8x11 sections so people could just draw on their specific section. We could then attach those sections to the full map to see what people draw. We’d also need a form for people to fill out to share their contact information and ideas. The group discussed providing candy at the table to help incentivize people to stop. Also discussed getting a small number of tick removers with remaining budget.
  • DOE Waste to Energy & Materials Technical Assistance Program
    Ms. McBride explained that this was something that popped up in her inbox and the group may archive for future use. Basically, using waste to create energy.
  • Thermal Energy Networks
    Ms. Duzan explained that this was another resource for the EAC toolbox to consider. It may come up as new developments spring up in our Township. Ms. Swan also clarified that our email is fine to use to share information, but public discussions should happen at our meetings.
• Sustainability Coordinator Updates (New!)
  Ms. McBride will use this opportunity to update the group on anything she is working on related to sustainability in her new role.
  • Catch the Rain Workshop
    Ms. McBride will attend this workshop next Monday and report back to the group.
  • Open Space Innovations
    Ms. McBride will also attend this conference on June 1 and report back to the group any interesting open space ideas she learns about. Ms. Swan also shared some composting conversations she began last year with Ms. McBride to follow-up on for information.
  • Understanding how Township documents are filed and searched to see if there are any ways we can increase efficiency and use less server resources.
    Ms. McBride also summarized her work looking into the ways the Township office can be more sustainable by reviewing standards of practice for document sharing/saving. Mr. Irwin suggested also looking into HVAC settings. Ms. McBride also discussed some other ideas like a free store, repair clinics/circles, and community gardens. Ms. Duzan noted that the new property on 300 N. Bailey would be a great place to host repair clinics.
  • Sustainability Website
    Ms. McBride discussed ideas for updating the website to share actions that residents can take to be more sustainable organized by effort. Mr. Irwin suggested also organizing them by time saved. The website would also highlight initiatives and projects the EAC is working on. Ms. McBride asked the EAC to add resources to the document that could be added to the website for residents. Ms. Duzan asked if there was a way to highlight different resources and different times of year. Ms. Swan said that there is.
• Additional Business
  • Ms. Swan reminded everyone to take the Lincoln Highway survey before May 16th!
• Adjournment at 8:32pm
  • Moved by Ms. Spaulding. Seconded by Mr. Irwin. Motion carried 5-0.
    

April 14, 2026 @ 7pm

This hybrid meeting was held at the Township building and on Teams.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, Debbie Town, Lindsay Beacher, Leslie Edwards, and Cheryl Spaulding
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and JoEllen McBride
• Guests Present: None
• Public Comment: None
  
• March 10, 2026 Minutes: Approved 5-0 with Mr. Irwin abstaining
• Old Business:
  • Invasive Plant Removal
    • Scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at 1 PM at the Spackman-Davis farm.
    • Focus on removing invasive plants like honeysuckle and garlic mustard.
    • Tools will be provided, but participants can bring their own.
    • Participants encouraged to bring friends.
  • Cleanup Weekend Results
    • 95 volunteers participated.
    • Collected 153 bags of trash, 13 tires, 6 gas cans, 1 pair of dentures
    • Chester County Commissioner's office cleaned North Caln Road, collecting 65 bags of trash.
    • Ms. Swan noted improvement in trash levels compared to previous years.
  • Future Cleanup Events
    • Next cleanup crew scheduled for July.
    • Plan to cover streams again
  • EAC Scorecard Updates
    • Mr. Irwin reviewed the EAC scorecard and made adjustments.
    • Created a simpler format with sections for positive, negative, recommendations, and general comments.
    • Added a new tab called "EAC simple" in the master workbook.
  • Newsletter article
    • Ms. Duzan has not had time to work on newsletter items recently.
    • Discussed backlog items, including an unused article from March about native plant swaps.
      • upcoming plant swaps and Master Gardener Training in May.
      • Discussed "Second Chance Plants," a place selling healthy plants that are undersold or overstocked from regional commercial greenhouse operations.
    • Plans to create a larger newsletter for Earth Month with photos and relevant information.
    • Reviewed past newsletter content about spring cleaning and disposing of items.
    • Suggested including information on how to install a rain barrel in future newsletters.
      • Mention of potential 30% rate hike by Pennsylvania American Water.
      • Consideration of recent weather patterns affecting water usage.
    • Suggestion to explore agricultural history for a potential newsletter.
      • Discussion on what crops were planted 250 years ago
    • Council members volunteered to write about various topics for upcoming newsletters
• New Business
  • Tree Ordinances Next Steps
    • Initiation of discussions on tree ordinances that began last fall.
    • Importance of defining tree preservation and replacement standards.
      • Reference to existing ordinances from Penn State and Chester County.
    • Concerns about tree replacement after landscaping plans are approved.
      • Discussion on code enforcement related to tree planting standards.
    • SALDO Update once zoning is completed. Covers subdivision and land development comprehensively.
    • Discussion on whether ordinances specify tree requirements per street frontage or parking lots.
    • Need to review existing zoning ordinace once approved to identify enforceable standards.
    • Need to identify gaps in current zoning related to tree standards.
    • Discussion on creating a shade tree commission to monitor tree replacements.
  • Data Centers
    • Minimum required size for data centers is 5 acres.
    • Discussed whether there are any parcels of land in the township large enough for this.
    • Discussion on potential private developments and their implications.
    • Discussion about the importance of water quantity and consistency for data centers.
    • Mention of air-conditioned floors and the need for water to run through chillers and heat equipment.
    • Noted that data centers provide minimal jobs, with only a security guard mentioned.
    • Suggestion to review zoning regulations for potential data center locations.
    • Discussion on conditional use vs. by-right use for data centers.
    • Proposal to set guidelines for data centers to ensure they are good neighbors to the township.
      • Examples include aesthetic requirements (e.g., red brick on the outside) and environmental considerations (e.g., solar panels, sound deadening).
  • Mosquito Control
    • Conversation about mosquito control methods, including the use of buckets for mosquito dunks.
    • Mention of a project involving pink buckets for mosquito control.
  • Name Tags Discussion
    • No specific rules about name tags mentioned.
    • Penn State has rules regarding discussions while wearing extension shirts.
    • Suggestion to create policies for name tags.
    • Finalized Name Tag design
  • Mainline Health.
    • No confirmation of receipt from Mainline Health.
    • No requirement for them to respond.
    • Follow-up with Don suggested to check on the status.

• Adjourned
  

March 10, 2026 @ 7pm

This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
  
  • Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Debbie Town, Lindsey Beacher, Leslie Edwards, and Cheryl Spaulding
    
  • Staff Present: Abbey Swan
    
  • Guests Present: None
    
• Public Comment: None
  
• February 10, 2026 Minutes: Approved Unanimously
  
• Old business:
  
  • Events
    
    • Invasive Plant Management Event
      The group plans to schedule an invasive plant management event at Spackman-Davis Farm before the picnic. The event will involve removing invasive weeds using tools like loppers and a tree wrench. Ms. Beacher offered to share a field map and app for capturing data on invasive plants at the farm. The event was tentatively scheduled for April 18 or 19th, depending on Mr. Irwin’s availability.
      
  • June 3 Art in the Park – Stream Exploration
    Ms. Swan invited the group to participate in an upcoming Art in the Park event which will be focused on stream life on June 3rd. The group agreed to attend and provide an environmental education component. Ms. Swan mentioned that the Master Watershed Stewards have curriculum and activities that we can borrow. They plan to set up a table by the stream and look for macroinvertebrates.
    
  • Clean Up Weekend Sign Up
    Ms. Swan reminded the group that Clean Up Weekend is approaching and sign up sheets are available via the township website. Additionally, the Caln Clean Up Crew intends to conduct a stream clean up sometime in July.
    
  • Trash/Recycling Container Approval
    Last year, the EAC asked for a budget to purchase trash and recycling bins for township events. Ms. Swan received quotes and explained the various options. The bins will be collapsable with different lids for trash and recycling. They include transparent labeled bags to make it easy for staff to see when they need to be emptied. After some discussion the a motion was made to purchase two sets of dual-stream bins and the necessary bag refills. Motion passed unanimously.
    
  • Rubric Update
    The rubric update was tabled, pending Mr. Irwin’s presence.
    
  • Newsletter Items
    The group discussed various options for upcoming newsletter content.
    
• New Business:
  
  • Gasoline powered tools ordinance discussion
    The group discussed existing ordinances in some places which ban gas-powered yard maintenance equipment. After some consideration of such bans in other municipalities and the difficulties of enforcing them, for now the EAC will promote the positive aspects of switching to electronic equipment, especially in the light of rising gasoline prices.
    
  • Grant possibilities (EV)
    Ms. Swan pointed out that some grant funds are still available for electric vehicle charging and that the charging companies will assist with grant applications.
    
  • East Fallowfield EAC
    Ms. Duzan described her correspondence with Don Wilson, chair of the East Fallowfield EAC. They would like to work together on a projects.
    
  • Jahaco Recycling Proposal
    Jahaco sent a proposal to the township for a new program to collect plastic bags and turn them into discounted furniture for the township. EAC members liked the idea but thought the proposed service price was too high.
    
  • Name tags
    Mrs. Spaulding motioned to purchase bamboo name tags for EAC members to wear at meetings and events. Motion passed unanimously. Ms. Swan will send out proofs before ordering.
    
• Adjournment
  

February 10, 2026 @ 7pm

This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, Debbie Town, and Cheryl Spaulding
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan
• Guests Present: Twp. Manager Don Vymazal and Commissioner Adam Thomas
• Public Comment: None
• January 13, 2026 Minutes: Approved Unanimously
• New Business:
  • Main Line Health Energy Efficiency Letter

Ms. Swan provided an overview of the EAC members’ comments regarding Main Line Health’s Energy Efficiency letter. Mr. Irwin helped interpret documentation about the Green Globe Certification which is the standard that MLH aims to achieve with this building. He also called out some specific questions regarding transportation, eventual de-construction, water, and other items mentioned in their plans. Ms. Duzan asked about intended seed mixes for the stormwater basins. She also suggested landscaping changes for the stormwater spreading system (BMP). Ms. Town pointed out that the letter was addressed to the “Downingtown EAC.”
Mrs. Spaulding motioned to acknowledge the letter that was received and send the questions as discussed. Motion passed unanimously.

• Invasive Plant Management

Ms. Duzan suggested that the EAC establish a group to tackle invasive plants similar to the Clean Up Crew that Parks and Recreation created. The group could tackle various public locations at a few events throughout the year. She reported that the Parks and Recreation group was enthusiastic about the idea. The group discussed focusing on a single species and including an educational component. Mr. Irwin asked about liability and Ms. Swan will ask for a copy of Penn State Extension’s volunteer policies for these events. It was agreed to start with one event at Spackman farm for this year.
Ms. Duzan motioned to establish an invasive removal group and beginning with an event at the Spackman Davis Farm. The Motion passed unanimously. 

• Other 2026 Events

Ms. Duzan started an event idea spreadsheet in the shared folder. The group was enthusiastic about hosting a seed-collection event in the meadow in the fall. Ms. Swan mentioned a previously-proposed moth identification event which could be co-hosted with the Master Watershed Stewards. Ms. Duzan suggested adding a “Science in the Park” event series similar to Art in the Park.
Ms. Swan also mentioned potential for EAC involvement in general township events – specifically Clean Up Weekend, Clean Up Crew, and Community Day.
Commissioner Thomas suggested that the EAC could distribute their own sustainability awards (i.e. best development plan, best native plant garden, etc.)

• Old business:
  • Winter Sowing Recap – All agreed the event went well. Ms. Swan is compiling attendee survey responses for the next meeting. About half of the people who signed up attended. Mr. Irwin suggested pre-drilling the containers if we do the event again. He also pointed out that the event checked three boxes from our Sustainability Report: Outreach, Native Plants (biodiversity), and reuse of plastic containers (economic sustainability). Ms. Town asked what, short of charging a small amount, we could do to ensure that people show up. Ms. Duzan pointed out that the weather was also brutal and that probably impacted attendance. Mr. Irwin pointed out that the timing was good because there aren’t many events in February.
  • Review Rubric Update – Mr. Irwin motioned to table the rubric discussion. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Commissioner Thomas presented an overview of the land development and zoning process as background information for the EAC members.
• Additional Business:
  • Mr. Irwin suggested adding a question about re-certification plans to the Main Line Health letter.

Ms. Town motioned to add a question regarding re-certification plans to the Main Line Health letter. The motion passed unanimously.

• Adjournment – Meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.
  

​Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2026 @ 7pm
 
This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, Debbie Town, Cheryl Spaulding, Leslie Edwards, and Lindsey Beacher
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan
• Guests Present: John McHugh and Jim Wylie of Ready for 100 – Clean Energy Goals, Adam Thomas, Tom Parr
• Reorganization
  • Cheryl motioned to re-elect Anne Duzan as chair, seconded by Mike – motioned passed unanimously.
  • Anne nominated Mike as vice-chair, seconded by Lindsey, motioned passed unanimously.
• Public Comment: Adam Thomas and Tom Parr introduced themselves and planned to listen in to the meeting, especially the Sheetz discussion.
• December 9, 2025 Minutes: Approved Unanimously
• New Business:
  • Plan Set Orientation – Tabled
  • Sheetz Conditional Use Review – The group reviewed their comments on the Sheetz Conditional Use rubric. After some discussion on procedure, it was decided that Abbey will draft a summary letter to the Township Manager to be conveyed to the Planning Commission, with the EAC’s questions and comments. Comments will be compiled in a number of areas: Biodiversity, Energy, Land Use, Stormwater, Transportation, Waste Management. Mike motioned to have Abbey summarize the EAC’s comments as discussed, seconded by Debbie, passed unanimously.
  • Mr. McHugh and Mr. Wylie presented to the EAC about the Ready for 100 Clean Energy Goals program.
• Old business:
  • Habitat For Humanity Plan Review – There was some conversation about biodiversity and the requirements for a PNDI and environmental impact assessments going forward. Abbey will ask about the current requirements. After discussing the rubric comments and questions, Anne entertained a motion to have Abbey draft a summary letter to the Township Manager to be conveyed to the Planning Commission, with the EAC’s questions and comments. Comments will be compiled in a number of areas: Biodiversity, Energy, Land Use, Stormwater, Transportation, Waste Management. Debbie motioned to have Abbey summarize the EAC’s comments as discussed, seconded by Cheryl. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Rubric Updates – Tabled
  • Winter Sowing Workshop – EAC members agreed to host a Winter Sowing Workshop for the public on February 7th. Abbey will create a sign up genius and promotional items. Anne suggested using any extra plants to add to the garden around the Lloyd Park Gazebo. Anne created a document in the outreach files for additional event ideas.
• Adjournment – Meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.

 

Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
December 9, 2026 @ 7pm
 
This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, JoEllen McBride, Debbie Town, Cheryl Spaulding, and Lindsey Beacher
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan
• Guests Present: None
• Public Comment: None
• November 11, 2025 Minutes Approved Unanimously
• Old business:
  • January Newsletter Piece – We’re set for the December newsletter and Anne will work on a piece on safe ice melt. Lindsey suggested content about cardboard recycling/repurpose after the holidays. Debbie asked about the success of the Christmas tree composting program – Abbey will get the annual report.
  • Zoning Update Update – Mike attended and reported out on the most recent Zoning Update meeting. Our proposed changes were well-received by the group, with a few notes: we need a better definition and/or a list of “specimen trees”; the wording around tree replacement needs some attention; and the consultant will follow up about requiring an extra 6 inches above the flood plane requirements (as recommended in the Brandywine Flood Study). The plant list created by the group was especially exemplary (kudos to Anne especially). Anne offered to clean up the SOP for how to create the plant list to keep for future updates. Mike noted that the goal is to make all of the changes by the end of December before it’s passed along to the Planning Commission. Once the zoning update is enacted, the township plans to update the SALDO to coordinate the two.
• New Business
  • Development Plan Review – Habitat for Humanity Project. Mike and JoEllen created a terrific rubric to review upcoming projects. Abbey made a Plan Review folder on the OneDrive with individual folders within for each project. Mike suggested we focus on the grading and landscape plans, specifically. He also explained how the rubric was created (using the recommendations from the Sustainability Report) and how to we’ll use it to review plans. Once we’ve run it through the process, we can make changes as needed. The group agreed to split the work with different people focusing on different areas: Biodiversity – Anne, Stormwater – Debbie and Abbey, Land Use – Cheryl and Lindsey, Waste Management – Jo, Energy – Cheryl, Transportation – Mike. Energy. Lindsey suggested clarifying definitions, i.e. “High density.” Lindsey will save a link to the county’s eTools in the plan review folder. Once the rubric is completed and approved by the EAC, Abbey will draw up a review letter to include in the project packets.
  • Mike attended a workshop on winter seed sowing and suggested it would be a good EAC activity.
• Adjournment

 

Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
November 11, 2025 @ 7pm
 
This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:08 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, Leslie Edwards, Debra Town, and Lindsey Beacher
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan
• Guests Present: Brett Klukan (Zoning Taskforce Member)
• Public Comment: None
• Minutes Approved – October 14, 2025
• Old business:
  • CCATO Sustainability Award
  • 2026 Meeting Dates – The EAC agreed to continue meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM.
• New Business
  • Newsletter Pieces Update – all members are invited to contribute brief articles to the monthly township newsletter. So far, our monthly contributions have been well-received.
  • Zoning Update Draft – Abbey reported on progress updates and draft language provided in response to EAC feedback from the consultant in charge of the Zoning update. The EAC discussed, at length, various natural resource protection standards, including disturbance allowances for steep slopes, waterways, remaining trees, and others. Notes generated will be sent to Nanci for inclusion in the next draft. The group agreed to continue working on the tree list and email it to Nanci when it’s finished. In the future, we’ll have the ability to update the list in future years as circumstances change (climate change, disease, etc.).
  • Upcoming Parks and Rec Events – Tree Lighting – Abbey confirmed that we’ll be collecting Christmas lights for recycling at the Tree Lighting.
  • Development Plan Reviews – Mike began working on a template to use for development plan reviews. Members agreed that the template will make reviews streamlined and quicker to do.
• Adjournment

 

Environmental Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
October 14, 2025 @ 7pm
 
This meeting was held in person at the Township building.

• Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm
• Attendees: Anne Kadar-Duzan, Mike Irwin, JoEllen McBride, Debra Town, and Lindsey Beacher
• Staff Present: Abbey Swan and Don Vymazal
• Guests Present: Brett Klukan (Zoning Taskforce Member)
• Public Comment: None
• Minutes Approved – September 9, 2025
• Old business:
  • Outreach to Boards and Commissions – the EAC has been working on ongoing outreach to other township boards and commissions:
    • Parks and Rec: JoEllen reported on her visit to the Parks and Recreation Board meeting.  
    • Anne attended the Planning Commission meeting and she and Mike reported about the Main Line Health presentation.
  • Newsletter Pieces – The spreadsheet and drafts are in the Outreach folder in OneDrive and any member is welcome to add to either. Anne suggested we present recycling/trash data in terms of number of recycling trucks. The group discussed writing some recycling fact-check content.
  • Upcoming Parks and Rec Events – Halloween Party and Tree Lighting – the group discussed doing recycling collections at events (specifically broken Christmas lights)
• New Business
  • Zoning Update Review – Abbey highlighted some relevant text, specifically the Resource Protection Standards section in the shared PDF. She also created Word documents for each sub-section for people to comment on and edit. Lindsey and Mike added their thoughts to the spreadsheet. Don suggested that the EAC focus on their top priorities rather than focusing more broadly since there’s so much content included in the code. The group extensively discussed the steep slopes section of the code and made some comments. Don described the new Mixed Use Overlay district. The group also discussed potential changes to the landscaping list to reflect plants native to this region and appropriate for the soil while being resistant to climate change impacts. 
• Adjournment