[00:00:01]
IN MIND, RUN THE MEETING, RUN THE KEEP IT ON TRACK.[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL TO ORDER.UH, THIS IS THE, UH, UH, UH, ADVISORY ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH.
UM, WE'RE MISSING A COUPLE MEMBERS TONIGHT, BUT WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, THE AGENDA IS THE FIRST THING ON THE, UH, AGENDA.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS CHANGE THE AGENDA AS WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE, UH, BILL, UH, UH, AFTER THE MINUTE, AFTER WE APPROVE THE MINUTES, UH, BILL WILL BE NUMBER ONE A AND BILL'S GOING TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND TELL US HE'S BEEN DOING THIS A LOT LONGER THAN WE HAVE.
AND HE'S GONNA KIND OF GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON, UH, HIS TOWNSHIP AND WHAT, THEN I'LL LET HIM TELL YOU WHAT TOWNSHIP AND ALL THAT STUFF AND WHAT HE DOES AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE US SOME IDEAS OF WHAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING OUT THERE.
AND AS WE STILL TRY TO FIND OUR, OUR, UH, OUR SPACE HERE IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, COUNCIL.
SO, UM, UH, SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION
[APPROVE AGENDA]
TO APPROVE THE, THE, UM, THE NEW AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, WHICH WILL BE, UH, ONE IN ONE A.DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, SECOND.
SO, UH, WE'VE APPROVED THE AGENDA, UH, AND THEN I, I GUESS IMPROVING THE AGENDA, IF WE GET THE 2, 3, 4, WE'LL TACK IT BACK.
BUT WE, WE HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE DO THIS AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR PLANNING COMMISSION SIX AND SEVEN.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A DROP DEAD AT SEVEN.
UH, SO ANY PUBLIC COMMENT,
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES FROM OUR MEETING, WHICH WAS BACK IN JULY, UM, WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID MAKE IT INTO THE PACKET, BUT I, THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE PACKET.IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT, WE CAN ALWAYS MOVE THAT TO NEXT MONTH.
I DID READ 'EM, BUT I DIDN'T BRING 'EM EITHER.
I THOUGHT I, YEAH, I KNEW YOU ALWAYS MADE COPIES.
SO, UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUOTE? YOU WANT TO TABLE THAT OR DO YOU WANT TO JUST APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JULY? THE JULY, UH, NINTH, UH, 18TH.
YOU GOT, UM, UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JULY 19TH, AND, UM, UM, AND LIKE I SAID, JEFF DID SEND 'EM OUT.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND REVIEW THOSE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[2. Single Use Plastic Ordinance Discussion]
TO, UH, MR. BILL SY HERE TONIGHT.BILL AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT.
BILL IS VERY, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THIS ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, STUFF.
A LOT MORE THAN I, A LOT MORE, YOU KNOW, WELL, NOT EVEN DAY AND NIGHT.
UH, HE'S, HE'S A LOT LIKE YOU, BILL.
HE'S VERY, VERY CONSCIENTIOUS AND VERY UP TO DATE ON DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO, UH, BILL, WON'T YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND, AND TELL US, UH, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
HI, I'M BILL SABE FROM PLYMOUTH MEETING IN PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD THERE.
UM, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD HAS BEEN TOGETHER SINCE I THINK, UH, EITHER 2006 OR 2007.
SO, UM, WE STARTED OUT A FIVE MEMBER BOARD UP UNTIL ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND ONE OF OUR MEMBERS ASKED US TO MAKE SEVEN.
SO WE INCREASED IT TO SEVEN THINKING WE'D HAVE MORE PEOPLE TO RUN SUBCOMMITTEES, BUT NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT BECAUSE ALL MY MEMBERS BESIDES ME ARE, UH, PARENTS WHO ARE VERY ACTIVE AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO MUCH OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING ITSELF.
SO I TEND TO PUT TOGE, YOU KNOW, HELP PUT TOGETHER THE AGENDA AND RUN THE MEETING AND ALL THAT.
BUT WE HAVE MADE SOME GOOD PROJECT, UH, UH, DECISIONS OVER THE, THE 13, 14 YEARS.
SO WE STARTED OUT, WELL, OUR FIRST EFFORT WAS TO, UM, RECOMMEND AN ENERGY AUDIT FOR THE BUILDING.
BUT WE HAD A, A ALL ELECTRIC, UH, TOWNSHIP BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 1970S.
AND, UM, SO WE INTERVIEWED, UH, FIVE OR SIX, UH, CANDIDATE CONTRACTING COMPANIES AND, UM, PICKED ONE.
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS AND HEAT PUMP IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BUILDING MORE THAN PAID FOR THE COST OF THE AUDIT, AND THEN SUBSEQUENT SAVINGS WERE GAINED FROM THAT.
SO WE FELT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD, UH, EXAMPLE OR DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT THAT MIGHT OFFER.
UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AROUND THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND I KNOW OF TWO OTHERS THAT HAVE RECOMMENDED ENERGY AUDITS FOR THEIR, UH, LOCATIONS.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, UH, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP HAD A BRAND NEW BUILDING,
WERE THEY BUILDING FIVE, SEVEN YEARS OLD,
[00:05:01]
TWO BUILDINGS, LIBRARY COMMUNITY CENTER AND, AND THEN THEIR TOWNSHIP BUILDING.AND THEY DIDN'T THINK, OH, WE DON'T NEED A ENERGY AUDIT ON A NEW BUILDING.
BUT THEY WENT AHEAD AND CONTRACTED FOR ONE.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, THEY FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD NOT NOT BEEN PROPERLY SET UP IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN OF THE MANAGE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE AUTOMATIC.
WE HAVE AN AUTOMATIC, UH, ENERGY SYSTEM IN ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS, AND IT CAN GET OUTTA WHACK, IT CAN LOSE, UH, AFTER THE, THE COMMISSION THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T, THE SETTINGS DON'T STICK OR PEOPLE SET SOMETHING OR FORGET SOMETHING.
SO THEY LO AND BEHOLD, THEY DID THIS ENERGY AUDIT AND, UM, THE AUDITOR FOUND THAT THEIR WINTER, UH, SETTINGS WERE NOT SET PROPERLY.
AND, AND THEY MORE THAN MADE UP FOR THE COST OF THAT AUDIT WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR, JUST BY READJUSTING.
JUST BY READJUSTING, JUST BY HIM BEING SMART ENOUGH TO SAY, HEY, I NOTICED THESE THINGS AROUND THE BUILDING ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY.
SO THEY DECIDE, HEY, WHY DON'T WE GO AND INVITE HIM BACK FOR THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, DO A SUMMER, UH, AUDIT.
AND AGAIN, HE FOUND SOME TUNING AND TWEAKING THAT WOULD MAKE IT MUCH BETTER.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES.
I KNOW THERE'S ONE OTHER TOWNSHIP THAT DID AN ENERGY AUDIT WITH SUCCESS.
SO THAT COULD BE AN EASY WIN SUGGESTION, MEANING THAT THEY'RE USUALLY LOW COST AND YOU USUALLY GET A PAYBACK DEAL WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO THAT WAS OUR FIRST AND YOU, WAS THAT MULTIPLE BUILDING GO, OR WAS THAT JUST ONE? WE JUST HAD ONE, UH, MUNICIPAL BUILDING WAS ALL ELECTRIC, UH, FROM THE 1970S.
UM, SO, UM, SO THEN SPEED UP TO 2019 AND, UH, THE TOWNSHIP DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO, UH, MODERNIZE THE BUILDING OR GET MORE STAFF SPACE.
THEY'D BEEN STICKING PEOPLE IN CLOSETS AND HALF, HALF OFFICES.
AND IT WAS REALLY LIKE PEOPLE WERE ALMOST SITTING ON EACH OTHER AND, UH, BEING THE ALL ELECTRIC BUILDING, IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, THE BEST, DID THEIR, UH, WATER BOILER, ELECTRIC WATER BOILER IN THE BASEMENT WAS LIKE NEAR THE END OF LIFE.
THEY WEREN'T SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR.
IN FACT, I THINK THEY, THEY HAD PROBLEMS LAST YEAR WHERE IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, FLAKY AND THEY WEREN'T SURE THEY WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP IT RUNNING.
SO, UM, A FELLOW BOARD MEMBER AND I PUT TOGETHER A, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
'CAUSE THE DESIGN BUILD ARCHITECTURE FIRM HAD PROPOSED FOUR OR FIVE, UM, H V A C ALTERNATIVES FROM HEAT PUMPS TO PUTTING IN NATURAL GAS SYSTEM FROM THE STREET WOULD'VE COST $150,000.
UM, AND AIR HEAT, AIR HEAT PUMP, AND A GEOTHERMAL, UH, WATER HEAT PUMP SYSTEM.
SO WE RECOMMENDED THAT WE DID A, A, A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM SHOWED TO BE THE BEST PAYBACK FOR THE TOWNSHIP OVER ITS LIFE.
'CAUSE THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM WOULD LAST 50 TO 60 YEARS WHERE ALL THE OTHER H V A CS WOULD PROBABLY BE REPLACED WITHIN, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS.
SO WE DEMONSTRATED WITH THAT PROFORMA OR, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL FORECAST, WE SAID, HEY, LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE SAVINGS YOU'RE GONNA MAKE OVER THE LIFETIME.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL ADDED TO THE BUDGET, LIKE NINE, ANOTHER $900,000, THEY, THEY REALIZED THEY COULD AFFORD IT.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES ON THE ENERGY SIDE OF THINGS THAT I THINK WERE, WERE HELPFUL FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD TO KIND OF PAY ATTENTION TO.
'CAUSE THE ARCHITECTS COME IN AND, AND THEY'RE NOT A LOT OF THE STAFF OR THE, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL PEOPLE IN OUR CASE HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT TO LOOK AT.
SO BECAUSE MY FELLOW, A BOARD MEMBER AND I HAD KIND, KIND OF AN ENGINEERING AND I HAVE AN IT BACKGROUND, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP PULL THIS, PULL THE TOGETHER.
SO THERE'S JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES.
SO THE OTHER PROJECTS WE WORKED ON IS, UM, 2012, WE RECOMMENDED A, UH, BICYCLE TRAIL IMPROVEMENT.
'CAUSE WE'RE NEXT TO CONSHOHOCKEN AND, UH, WHITE MARSH IS, UH, ANOTHER NEIGHBORING TOWN.
WE'RE AT THE INTERSECTION ON CHEMICAL ROAD IN GERMANTOWN, WHERE THE METROPLEX SHOPPING CENTER IS.
AND THERE WAS A BIKE PATH, UH, EXTENSION COMING OUT FROM CONSHOHOCKEN CALLED THE CROSS COUNTY TRAIL, BUT IT DEAD ENDED THERE AT GERMANTOWN.
AND, UM, A CHEMICAL RIGHT BELOW THE PLYMOUTH MEDIA MALL.
AND, UH, I, A FELLOW BOARD MEMBER AND I WERE BICYCLISTS AND WE THOUGHT, HEY, IS THIS EVER GONNA GO ANY FURTHER? UM, SO WE ASKED TO BUDGET OR WE ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A GRANT APPLICATION, UM, ON THE PICO GREEN REGION GRANT.
IT'S AN ANNUAL GRANT OF $10,000 MATCHING.
[00:10:01]
OUR TOWNSHIP IS ONE IT LIKE FOUR OR FOUR OR FIVE TIMES.AND NOT JUST OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, BUT OTHER PURPOSES.
YOU'RE THE ONES I, WHERE WE PUT THAT IN.
HAVE YOU PUT IT IN? WE'VE PROBABLY PUT IT IN AS A TOWNSHIP FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS.
I WOULD SAY FOUR TIMES THAT I KNOW OF.
AND I'VE BEEN THE PLANNING DIRECTOR IN THE BUILDING.
I'M AND OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, BUT I'M THE PLANNING DIRECTOR IN THE BUILDING FOR SIX YEARS NOW.
AND I KNOW FOUR TIMES WE'VE DONE IT.
I'M SURE THEY'VE DONE IT BEFORE THAT WHEN I WAS JUST THE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT.
AND IT IS INTERESTING, THE, THE, THE TOWNSHIP HAD WON IT OF LET'S SAY THREE TIMES LAST YEAR THEY PUT IN AND THEY DID NOT WIN IT.
IT'S, IT IS PROBABLY MORE COMPETITIVE NOW AND THEY'RE PROBABLY A LOT MORE TOWNSHIPS GOING FOR IT.
AND SO, SO WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA? IS IT FOR ENERGY SAVINGS? NO, IT CAN BE FOR ANY IMPROVEMENT, UH, PARKS, UH, IN OUR CASE TRAILS.
SO I THINK THEY COVER DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY WIDE RANGE, I THINK.
WHERE DID YOU PUT YOURSELF? I THINK THE FEW THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH WERE TRAILS, BECAUSE I TENDED TO FOCUS ON TRAILS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON TRAIL CONNECTIONS.
WE HAVE THE, THE WAY THE TOWNSHIP IS SET, WE HAVE THE SCHUYLKILL VALLEY TRAIL ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
'CAUSE WE'RE BORDERED BY THE SCOPA IN THE SOUTH.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PERKIOMEN TRAIL ON THE EAST.
'CAUSE THE PERKIOMEN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BORDERED BY THE CREEK AND BY TWO, SO WE HAVE TWO GREAT REGIONAL TRAILS, BUT WE HAVE VERY FEW WAYS TO GET FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWNSHIP TO THE TRAILS WITHOUT GETTING IN YOUR CAR AND PARKING SOMEWHERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE, WE REALIZED WITH OUR, OUR TOWNSHIP TOO IS KIND OF LIKE CONSTRAINED WITH THE BALL OF GERMANTOWN AVENUE.
THERE'S REALLY NO INTERCONNECTIVITY BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT, SO OUR, OUR VISION WAS, LET'S, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS GOING OVER TO WHITE MARSH.
'CAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE CIRCUIT TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S GOT MORE SUPPORT, MORE VISIBILITY, AND MORE LEVERAGE.
SO WE WON THE PICO RE GREEN REGION GRANT, WHICH GAVE US $10,000.
WE HIRED A BICYCLE PLANNER FROM PHILADELPHIA, UM, ROBERT THOMAS AND, UH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THAT NAME.
HIS ORGANIZATION, THEY DID, THEY DID TONS OF THINGS AROUND HERE.
HE'S LIKE THE HE, ROBERT THOMAS, HE'S THE TRAIL MASTER FOR THE PHILADELPHIA.
HE, HE REALLY IS WHAT'S HIS NAME? AND ALL THE STATE ROBERT THOMAS.
AND WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF, TWO WEEKS AGO ON WITH STAFF THAT WE'VE HIRED A GROUP CALLED DELTA DEVELOPMENTAL.
THEY DO, THEY GO OUT AND THEY FIND GRANTS FOR YOU.
AND FROM THE PLANNING SIDE, I DON'T NEED A LOT OF GRANTS BECAUSE I, MOST OF THE MONEY THAT COMES INTO MY DEPARTMENT IS THROUGH DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST HOW IT TENDS TO WORK.
I GET DEVELOPERS TO DO THINGS FOR ME.
YOU WANT 10 HOUSES, GIMME A HUNDRED FEET OF TRAIL, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I SAID, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE TOWNSHIP DO IS GO OUT AND WE HAVE A TRAIL MASTER PLAN, BUT I WROTE IT.
AND OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER MCMAHON, HAS BLESSED IT.
AND THE, AND THE CIVIL GUYS GILMORE, THEY'VE SORT OF BLESSED IT.
EVERYBODY'S SORT OF ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH IT.
SO I'M LIKE, MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR SOMEONE NEW TO LOOK AT.
I SAID, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FIRM OUT OF PHILADELPHIA.
I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HIS NAME.
I SAID THAT IT'S PHENOMENAL WITH TRAILS.
MAYBE WE NEED TO FIND A PLANNING GRANT TO BRING HIM IN HERE AND TO HAVE HIM DO OUR TRAIL PLAN.
SO I, THAT'S, HE, HE PROBABLY DID OURS FOR LESS THAN, HE WAS PROBABLY WORTH MORE THAN THE $20,000 HE PUT INTO IT.
BUT HE HELPED US RUN A, UH, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE OVER A YEAR AND A HALF PROCESS.
WE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIP.
WE HAD REPS FROM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL, THE, UH, AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM BOTH TOWNSHIPS.
SO OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, WE CAME UP WITH THIS TENTATIVE LINE.
WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE COULD GO THROUGH THIS CORPORATE CENTER AND CROSS BUTLER PIKE AND GO BEHIND THESE MEDICAL CENTERS.
AND THEN THERE'S A, UH, RAIL LINE THAT'S GOT, LIKE A PATCH OF WOODS BETWEEN A DEVELOPMENT AND FLOWER TOWN ROAD.
AND WE THOUGHT, WHAT IF WE COULD GET THROUGH THERE? BUT THAT WAS JUST A PRELIMINARY DOTTED LINE TYPE OF THING WITH NO REAL COMMITMENT.
'CAUSE UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FUNDED AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
SO THAT KIND OF, SO WE, WE GOT THAT PUBLISHED BY 20 14, 20 15, I THINK.
AND IT WAS LIKE, NOW, NOW THERE WAS, THAT WAS THE STUDY VISION.
IT WAS A STUDY, FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO WE WERE PRETTY PROUD OF THAT, THE FACT THAT WE HAD CONTRIBUTED THAT, UH, TO OUR TOWNSHIP AND, AND THE NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIP.
AND THEN OUR COMP PLAN CAME UP FOR UPDATE IN, UH, 2019.
SO WE HAD ASKED OUR PARKS, UM, DIRECTOR IF SHE WOULD,
[00:15:01]
IF WE COULD GET A, UH, BICYCLE PLAN FOR THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP ADDENDUM TO THE, UH, COP PLAN.SO SHE ACTUALLY GOT SOME MONEY AND, AND HIRED ANOTHER BICYCLE PLANNER.
I FORGET THEIR NAMES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, FIRST, THIS FELLOW AND I WHO ARE BICYCLISTS PUT TOGETHER THIS VISION OF WHAT STREETS WE WOULD RECOMMEND AND TRIED TO DRAW SOME DOWN LINES.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, THIS, UH, PLAN FROM THE, THE PARKS DIRECTOR HAD HIRED, TOOK UP MOST OF OUR INPUT AND PULLED TOGETHER A APPENDIX AND THEY ADDED THAT TO THE COMP PLAN.
SO THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 20 18, 20 19.
SO WE WERE KIND OF HOPEFUL THAT NOW THAT WE'VE GOT A COMP PLAN WITH A TRAIL PLAN, THAT WE COULD START GOING FORWARD.
BUT OUR TOWNSHIP IS VERY CONSERVATIVE.
THEY'VE NEVER RAISED TAXES, OR THEY SAY THEY'VE NEVER RAISED TAXES.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE PINCHING THEIR BUDGET AND ANY HINT OF THEM, SOMEBODY'S SAYING THEY'RE GONNA RAISE TAXES, THEY GET THREATENED BY THE OPPOSITION TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE OVER COUNCIL MM-HMM.
SO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A, A SUGGESTION LAST A YEAR AGO FOR BEFORE WE GOT INTO BUDGET SEASON, AND SAID, WE'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU GIVE US 10, OR PUT IN $10,000 FOR THE PICO GREEN REGION GRANT, SO WE CAN DO ANOTHER BICYCLE PLAN FOR PART OF THIS NEW, NEW TRAIL WE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THEN WE WANTED $40,000 IN THE 2023 BUDGET TO, UH, USE THAT TO LEVERAGE IN OTHER GRANTS.
SO YOU CAN GO FOR D C N R GRANTS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MONTCO 2040 AND MCO 24.
HAVE YOU DONE THAT ONE YET? NO.
WE WOULD'VE LIKE TO IF WE, WE COULD.
COULD, WE'RE LUCKY WITH THOSE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ANY, ANY BESIDES THAT PEAK COVER GREEN OR ENGINE GRANT.
THAT TOWNSHIP HASN'T GIVEN US A PRIORITY.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS PRIORITY.
SO THEY GO FOR THE PICO GREEN REGION.
SO WE WENT TO THE COUNCIL AND SAID, HEY, WE'D LIKE THIS 10,000 AND 40,000.
THEY SAID, NOPE, OUR BUDGET'S TOO TIGHT.
WE GOT STAFF ISSUES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE'RE JUST, WE'RE DOING THE BILLING REHAB.
SO THE BILLING REHAB STARTED IN FALL OF 2021, OR, UH, 2022.
UM, BUT WE GOT THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM IN AND, UM, LOOKING FOR THE BUILDING TURN ON, HOPEFULLY BY, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SEPTEMBER, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NOVEMBER.
AND NOW I HEAR IT'S GONNA BE DELAYED AGAIN.
SO WE WENT, WENT TO THE TABLE AND SAID, LET'S PUT IN, IN FOR THIS BUDGET REQUEST AND THE, THE CAN CANADA.
SO I WAS GONNA GO BACK THIS YEAR, BUT THIS SUMMER I FOUND OUT THAT OUR ELECTRIC CONTRACT OF THREE YEARS WAS EXPIRING THIS NOVEMBER, DECEMBER IS THE RENEWAL.
AND THE, UH, ESCO WE USE, UM, SHOWED THAT THE ELECTRIC RATES HAVE GONE UP LIKE 50%.
SO IT WAS GONNA INCREASE THE $77,000 OVER OUR ELECTRIC BILL THIS YEAR TO OUR ELECTRIC BILL NEXT YEAR,
AND THEN MY DOWNTOWN MANAGER SAID, WELL, WE'RE PUTTING IN THIS GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM, IT IS GONNA TAKE MORE ELECTRICITY.
SO I KNEW I COULDN'T GO BACK TO, UH, WE COULDN'T GO BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP TO SAY, COULD YOU GIVE A BUDGET IN 2024? BUT IN, IN PARALLEL.
SO THEN WE THOUGHT, ALTERNATIVELY, LET'S SUGGEST SOLAR.
SO WE'RE JUST PUTTING TOGETHER A SOLAR PROPOSAL FOR TWO OF OUR BUILDING ROOFS.
AND, UM, IF THEY DID IT, WE THINK THAT THEY COULD GET A PAYBACK.
I FORGET WHAT THE SAVING, SAVING SOMETHING LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS OF ELECTRICITY OVER 25, 25 YEARS.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM WOULD COST A MILLION, BUT YOUR CASH FLOW OR YOUR RETURN ON SAVINGS OF ELECTRICITY AND ALL THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY PAY IT BACK.
PLUS THEN GIVE YOU A BILLION DOLLARS SAVINGS ON ELECTRICITY.
SO OF ALMOST A $2 BILLION, UH, TERM.
SO I KIND OF WAS HOPING TO GO TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER, AND I, I SENT MANAGER AN EMAIL AND SAID, I'D LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER PRESENTATION TO YOU.
AND SHE SAID, NO, WE'VE GOT TOO MUCH ON OUR PLATE.
THE BUILDING REHAB HAS TO GET FINISHED.
WE CAN'T TAKE ON ANY MORE PROJECTS.
BUT I'M WORRIED THAT IF THEY DON'T START THIS SOLAR AND PUT IT OUT FOR BID, THEY WON'T GET IT INSTALLED IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
AND THEN THEY'LL GO TO ANOTHER RENEWAL NEXT DECEMBER.
AND WHO KNOWS WHERE ELECTRICITY WILL BE.
AND AS A MUNICIPALITY, YOU CAN GET SOME MONEY NOW.
40, 30% ON THE FEDERAL I R A BILL PLUS PICO IS OFFERING, UH, 10 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR OF WHAT'S GENERATED IN THE FIRST YEAR.
[00:20:02]
SO WE'VE PUT TOGETHER SOME WORKBOOK AND I CAN SHARE IT WITH YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.BUT ANYWAY, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF PUSHING THE ENERGY SIDE OF THINGS NOW.
UM, AFTER WE REALIZED THE TRAILS WEREN'T GONNA GO ANYWHERE, IF WE AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO GET BUDGET, WE AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THINGS.
SO IF I CAN SHOW 'EM WE CAN SAVE MONEY ON THEIR ELECTRICITY OVERALL COST, MAYBE THEN THEY'LL CONSIDER US FOR, YOU KNOW, GIVING US SOME MONEY FOR TRAILS.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THEN, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, OF COURSE LANDRUM FLIES WAS BIG.
SO WE DID A LANTERN FLY EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AND UH, HAD, UH, AN EDUCATION WEBINAR THAT WE FOUND SOMEBODY FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
WE RAN A WEBINAR, WE PUT OUT NEWSLETTER ARTICLES IN THE, IN THE TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER.
SO WE TRIED TO BRING IT TO PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.
WE HAVE A TOWNSHIP DAY EVERY YEAR, AND WE HAD, UH, UH, UH, WE HAVE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD TABLE.
SO WE TRIED TO HAVE FLYERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE DON'T LIKE TO GET A LOT OF ATTENDANCE 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE THERE WITH KIDS AND THEY'RE ALL GOING TO THE GAMES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE'VE HAD TO TRY, TRY GIVEAWAYS.
AND THIS YEAR ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS PUT TOGETHER A TERRARIUM.
SO THAT DREW MORE PEOPLE TO OUR TABLE AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GOT US A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION.
UM, WE, WE, WE WROTE DOWN AN EMAIL LIST OF PEOPLE'S EMAILS, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN KEEP IN TOUCH WITH 'EM.
ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T REALLY PURSUED THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER TACTIC FOR REACHING OUR, SO OUR TOWNSHIP.
SO DO YOU INTERACT WITH LIKE THE HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB OR ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD SUGGESTION, WHICH WE HAVE NOT PURSUED.
UH, I THINK I, I REACHED OUT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO AGO FOR, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER VOLUNTEER EFFORT I'M WORKING ON, AND WE DIDN'T GET ANY REAL RESPONSE, SO I JUST KIND OF, I DIDN'T REALLY PURSUE IT STRONGLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL BRING IT TO OUR NEXT, WE JUST HAD OUR MEETING LAST NIGHT,
SO, UM, WE DO IT THROUGH ZOOM.
SO, UM, DOES, UH, DOES OUR HIGH SCHOOL HAVE THAT ENVIRONMENT? I, I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF SCHOOLS DO.
WHICH, WHICH HIGH SCHOOL ARE YOU? SPRING, SPRING, FORD, SPRING.
YEAH, IT'S US LIMERICK, HORFORD BOROUGH, AND SPRING CITY.
SO YOU GET THE SPRING, I THINK THERE, IS THERE A PERKIOMEN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR SOMETHING DOWN? PERKIOMEN SCHOOL DISTRICT IS JUST ONE NORTH OF US.
I I, I, I HAD AN EMAIL INTERCHANGE WITH A SCIENCE TEACHER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE WAS REALLY INTERESTED BECAUSE SHE'S LOWER PROB I THINK SHE WAS, WELL THERE'S, THERE'S SPRING FORD, METHACTON, PERKIOMEN, THOSE ARE THE SORT OF THE THREE IN THIS AREA IN THE AREA, SO, OKAY.
SO THEN WE BACKED OFF, UM, AFTER THE, UH, TRAIL.
SO THEN THE FEASIBILITY FOR THE TRAILS THEN GOT TWEAKED THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTY PLANNER.
SO I CONTACTED THE COUNTY PLANNERS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY HOPEFULLY SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN CARRY FORWARD.
'CAUSE ALSO THE CIRCUIT TRAILS OF PHILADELPHIA REGION IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE COUNTIES TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP WORKING ON THEIR SEGMENTS.
SO THE, UH, COUNTY PLANNERS, UH, CAME FORWARD AND THEY'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON A ADVANCED FEASIBLY STUDY.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I DON'T PART, I'M NOT A STEER STEERING COMMITTEE PERSON, BUT THE COUNTY IS PUTTING THIS LINE BOARD FIRMLY ON THE MAP, AND WE'RE GONNA, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT PATCH OF WOODS, WHICH WE HAD ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED TO BE THE WAY TO GET TO FLOWER TOWN ROAD.
SO, SO IS THE BICYCLE TRAIL THE SAME AS THE WALKING TRAIL IS THE SAME TRAIL? WELL, IT'S, IT, YEAH, FOR THE CROSS COUNTY, THE, ALL THE CIRCUIT TRAILS IN THIS REGION ARE ALL MULTI-USE TRAIL AS YOU CAN.
THEY'RE ALL MOSTLY ABOVE MCCADA, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT COEXIST? DOES IT, YOU MEAN THE DIFFERENT USERS ON THE SAME TRAIL? WELL, SOMEBODY'S PUSHING A STROLLER LIKE LADY TODAY, THIS, THIS GUY COME TO THE RED LIGHT AND SHE WAS CROSSING, GOING DOWN THE TRAIL.
AND I'M THINKING, OKAY, HERE COMES THREE OR FOUR BIKES ZOOMING DOWN THERE, AND THIS LADY'S WALKING ALONG BABY STROLLER.
GENERALLY FROM THE PLANE THAT COEXIST FROM, FROM A DESIGN AND PLANNING SIDE, YOU WANT TO HAVE A TRAIL THAT'S AT LEAST EIGHT TO 10 FEET WIDE, EIGHT TO 10 FEET WIDE.
I MEAN, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA RUN INTO, WHEN TWO MOMS ARE WALK IN STROLLERS NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND, AND BICYCLES COME, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE ISSUES.
BUT GENERALLY, ANY TRAIL THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS PUT IN, IT'S A MINIMUM OF EIGHT FEET.
ANYTHING BEYOND 10 FEET IS GETTING A LITTLE GREEDY.
SO
AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY PLANNERS ARE RECOMMENDING FOR ALL OUR SECTIONS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S UNDERWAY.
SO WHAT'S INTERESTING IS BECAUSE OF THE, UH, INTERSECTION OF CHEMICAL GOING TO
[00:25:01]
GERMANTOWN, THERE'S A, UH, TWO-WAY PUSH BUTTON.YOU COULD GO TO THE GAS STATION, PUSH THE LIGHT AND GO OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE, SO YOU COULD WALK YOUR BIKE AROUND.
BUT THE COUNTY PLANNERS FELT THAT WAS NOT REALLY THE BEST FOR, UH, BICYCLISTS AND, AND TRAIL USERS.
SO THEY PUT IT, UH, UH, DESIGNED FOR A BRIDGE.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE A BRIDGE OVER GERMANTOWN, BUT THE FUNDING OF THAT AND THE ACTUAL COMPLETION OF THE TRAIL FROM OUR SECTION TO WHITE MARSH AND BEYOND IS GONNA WAIT UNTIL THE BRIDGE AND THE TRAIL FUNDING ARE ALREADY FOR DOING IT ONCE.
SO MAYBE ANOTHER FEW YEARS, BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT WHILE I'M STILL STILL IN THE TOWNSHIP.
UM, SO THAT WAS A, AN EXCITING THING TO BE KIND OF HELPFUL IN, IN JUST PROMOTING THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING IN AN ENVIRONMENT BOARD, TALKING TO OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIP AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS INTERCONNECTIVITY.
WE COULD SEE YOU WORKING WITH YOU AND TRYING TO, SO WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO WITT PAINT WIT PAINT IS A BRAND NEW E A C THE LAST, LAST YEAR, UM, SO, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS YEAR IS A SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG BAND.
AND WE STARTED, UM, TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE BEGINNING OF, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND WE TALKED TO THE PARENT PENN ENVIRONMENT LEAD, UM, UH, FARON SAVAGE, WHO IS THE, YOU KNOW, GUY WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE PLASTIC BAG BANDS IN, IN PENNSYLVANIA.
SO OUR TOWNSHIP IS VERY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LAID BACK AND JUST, THEY WANT TO BE THE FIRST
THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT, STICK THEIR NECK OUT.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T UPSET ANY OF THEIR, UM, CONSTITUENTS.
SO IS THE MALL IN YOUR TOWNSHIP? AND THE MALL IS IN OUR TOWNSHIP AND TARGET AND GIANT AND, UM, LOWE'S RETAIL STRIP STORES, LOWE'S AND, AND HOME DEPOT AND, UM, IKEA.
UM, BUT THEY WEREN'T WORRIED NECESSARILY ABOUT THE BUSINESSES.
THEY WERE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE, UH, THE CONSUMERS.
SO WE DID A, SO FARON SUGGESTED, YOU KNOW, PLASTIC, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PLASTICS ARE THE WAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE OFF OF 'EM.
YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO SURVEY EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT.
AND A LOT OF TOWNSHIPS WERE ASKING THEIR ENVIRONMENT BOARDS TO SURVEY EVERYBODY.
WE FELT LIKE WE DIDN'T THINK WE'D WANTED TO SURVEY EVERYBODY.
SO ALL WE DID WAS, WE CALLED IT A FEEDBACK FORM, AND WE SENT OUT COMMUNICATION IN OUR, UH, APRIL OF, UH, 22 SEWER BILLS.
SO WE REACHED 5,300 RESIDENTS WITH THIS COMMUNICATION SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE HARMS OF PLASTICS, THE GROWING HARMS OF PLASTICS, AND WHAT'S YOUR FEEDBACK? WE HAD A FEEDBACK FORM.
SO WE GOT ABOUT A HUNDRED, UH, 13 REPLIES OR RESPONSES TO THAT.
AND ABOUT 70% OR FOUR AND 13, WE DIDN'T ASK FOR A VOTE, WE JUST ASKED, WHAT'S YOUR FEEDBACK? AND WE COULD, YOU KNOW, RATE IT BASED ON THE SENSE OF THEIR EMOTION OR THEIR REACTION.
SO, SO WE GIVE THAT TO OUR COUNCIL AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANY REAL ISSUES.
THE REAL CONCERNS WERE PEOPLE SAID THEY LIKED THEIR PLASTIC BAGS FOR THEIR DOG AND CAT.
UM, THEY, UH, WILL, WILL REFUSE TO SHOP IN OUR TOWNSHIP ANYMORE, AND THEY'LL GO ELSEWHERE.
THEY'LL SAY THERE'S TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
THAT TYPE OF, THOSE WERE THE MOST OF THE SERIOUS RESPONSES.
SO, BUT I JUST, BUT THAT WAS ONLY HOW MANY PERCENT YOU THINK OF ONE 13? I'D SAY, I'D SAY 70% WERE FOUR 30% OR POSITIVE, I SHOULD SAY OR NOT AGAINST.
AND 30% WERE PROBABLY AGAINST.
SO THEN WE, SO THEY WEREN'T READY TO GO LAST YEAR.
THEY SAID, WE'D LIKE TO WAIT FOR SOME NEIGHBORS TO, TO, UH, GET IN ON THIS BEFORE WE STICK OUR NECK OUT THERE.
I SAID, YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA RUSH THIS.
UM, SO THERE'S A SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA COALITION OF TOWNSHIPS LIKE US TALKING EVERY FEW MONTHS, A COUPLE MONTHS.
THE NEXT MEETING IS EARLY OCTOBER.
UM, AND I CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH RICHARD METZ, WHO'S THE, UH, LEAD ON THAT.
AND YOU CAN COME AND YOU JUST HEAR OTHER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN, IN THEIR ORDINANCE, UH, PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TAGGING THOSE MEETINGS AND I'VE BEEN REPORTING BACK TO THE AB ABOUT ALL THAT, MAKING PROGRESS.
AND WE, WE DID ANOTHER SEWER BILL COMMUNICATION THIS JULY.
WE PUT IT IN THE NEWSLETTER LAST FALL.
WE PUT IT AGAIN IN THE NEWSLETTER.
THIS FALL JUST WENT OUT JUST THIS WEEK.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY MORE FEEDBACK FORM RESPONSES.
WE GOT 17 FEEDBACK RESPONSES FROM THE JULY THIS, THIS SUMMER'S JULY SEWER BUILDING.
SO WE HAVE 113 PLUS 17 SO FAR, UH, 17 NEW ONES, NOT NECESSARILY NEW ONES FROM
[00:30:01]
THIS YEAR.AND IT WAS UNDER THREE FROM LAST YEAR.
SO ALL I TELL THE COUNCIL IS, I SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GONNA BE HAPPY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET TO A PUBLIC MEETING, HERE'S THE KIND OF COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED SO FAR.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL JUST GIVE IT TO 'EM A NOM, PLEASE.
SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ENCOURAGE THEM TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE, WE'RE READY TO GO FORWARD.
UM, OUR OUR TOWNSHIP OF, OF TOWNSHIP BELAY, WEST NORTON PASSED IT THIS YEAR.
WHITE MARSH NEXT TO US PASSED IT.
UM, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHERS, AMBLER, UM, SPRINGFIELD, YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY.
SO I WENT TO COUNCIL JUST AS LAST MONTH, BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE READY TO DO THE ORDINANCE.
UH, SO THEY AGREED TO HAVE THIS SOLICITOR LOOK AT IT.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME, YOU KNOW, OKAYNESS WITH IT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, SO THAT, THAT HASN'T BEEN KIND OF A BACKGROUND TASK.
I HAVEN'T BEEN PUSHING THE TOWNSHIP TOO HARD ON THAT.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GUYS MEET? WE, OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT BOARD MEETS MONTHLY, ALTHOUGH WE'VE LOST, UH, TWO MEMBERS OUT OF SEVEN.
AND ONE OF THOSE FIVE IS NOT ATTENDING FOR, HE GOT BUSY WITH KIDS SPORTS, AND HE HAD SIGNED UP TO BE SECRETARY WHEN WE HAD THE, THE JANUARY, UH, REFORMATION.
HE SIGNED UP TO BE SECRETARY, BUT HE HASN'T TAKE, HE HASN'T BEEN ANY MEETINGS TO TAKE EIGHT MINUTES.
THIS IS ALL, WE HAVE A COMPANY OUT OF TEXAS THAT FILMS, THAT'S ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.
ACTUALLY, WE, WE RECORD OUR ZOOM, SO MM-HMM.
I'VE BEEN USING THAT INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING MINUTES.
YOU DO IT BY ZOOM, YOU DON'T MEET IN PERSON? NO, WE'VE BEEN DOING ZOOM SINCE, UH, COVID.
AND, AND WE JUST GOT THE APPROVAL.
WE, WE PUT TOGETHER THE, THE TOWNSHIP.
THE TOWNSHIP WANTED ALL THE BOARDS TO COME BACK ON SITE.
THE COUNCIL IS GOING BACK ON SITE, BUT WE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, CAN WE DO ZOOM? SO THEY'VE LET US CONTINUE.
WE'RE THE ONLY BOARD THAT DOES, I THINK THAT DOES ZOOM ANYMORE FOR OUR TOWNSHIP.
UM, AND IF THEY'RE AT A GAME AND THEY CAN DIAL IN IT, IT'S GOOD.
IT MAKES IT SO, UM, EATING DINNER.
SO, BUT YOUR FOOTBALL, SO I THINK, UH, PLASTICS IS A BIG ONE THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE JUST KEEP OUR EYE ON ENERGY ISSUES AND, UM, BICYCLE TRAILS AND WHAT ELSE HAVE WE BEEN, OH, NATIVE PLANT.
SO A NEW BOARD MEMBER JOINED US THIS LAST YEAR, AND HE'S REALLY GUNG-HO ON DOING THE PLANNINGS IN OUR AREA.
SO HE HAD ALREADY BEEN RUNNING A NON-PROFIT GROUP THAT WOULD BE PLANTING IN OUR, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIP, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND HE'S GOT A TON OF VOLUNTEERS.
SO WHEN HE JOINED US, HE SAID, HOW ABOUT WE PUT UP THE VOLUNTEER PAGE ON OUR INFORMATION ON OUR E A B.
SO NOW WE'VE GOT A LINK TO THE VOLUNT RUN.
OUR TREE PLANNING IS THE LAST THREE TIMES YOU FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT BOARD.
AND HE'S GOT SOME SCHEDULED THIS OCTOBER THAT WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN.
WE JUST HAD AN ISSUE COME UP FROM, UM, A STATE REPRESENTATIVE SENT ME AN EMAIL AND SAID, HEY, I'VE GOT A REP, UH, A RESIDENT IN YOUR TOWNSHIP WHO SAID, UH, TOWNSHIP IS FINER, OR, UH, CENTER A, A VIOLATION BECAUSE HER GRASS IS LONGER THAN SIX, SIX INCHES OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU GUYS WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT WITH HER? SO I TALKED TO WHIT PAYNE AND BROUGHT HIM ON BOARD NEXT TO US, AND THEY HAVE A, WHAT THEY CALL A MEADOW ORDINANCE, WHICH ALLOWS UP TO 12 INCHES.
AND SO WE BROUGHT IT TO A DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON IT OVER THE WINTER.
WE AREN'T READY TO GO FULL MEADOW.
BUT, UM, BUT IT'S ANOTHER TOPIC THAT CAME TO US.
OH, THE OTHER BIG TOPIC OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAS BEEN THE COVANTA TRASH, THE STEAM PLANT IN PLYMOUTH, RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE IKEA.
AND SO, UM, THE, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE, UM, ON THE OTHER FIVE CONTRACT INSIDE OF 4 76, UH, CALWELL ROAD, UM, ONCE IN A WHILE THE PLANT WOULD, UH, HAVE THESE, UH, SHUT DOWNS OR MM-HMM.
AND THE NEIGHBORS WOULD SAY, HEY, WE SMELL, WE SMELL THIS FRANK SMELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS POLLUTION COMING OUT OF THE, THE, THE PLANT.
AND, UH, YOU'VE GOTTA SHUT 'EM DOWN.
[00:35:01]
KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING.'CAUSE BY THE TIME THEY CALL D E P AND THEY SEND SOMEBODY OUT, IT'S TOO LATE.
THEY CAN'T IDENTIFY ANY LONGER, UH, RESIDENTS HAVE SAID THERE'S BEEN SOOT THAT'S FALLEN ON THEIR WHITE PAINT ON THEIR WINDOW SILLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO, YOU KNOW, CABANA SAYS THAT THEY'RE MEETING ALL THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS THAT D E P REQUIRES.
SO WOULD THE STATE REP, UH, GREG SCOTT JUST RAN A TOWN HALL, UH, LAST MONTH OR MONTH OR TWO MONTHS AGO AND BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS TOGETHER.
AND THEY HAD THE D E P THERE TALKING ABOUT HOW, HOW DID THESE PLANTS GET COMMISSIONED OR, OR GET THEIR LICENSE RENEWED.
SO ANYWAY, SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN AN ONGOING TOPIC.
THEY CAME TO US FIRST ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND SAID, HEY, WHAT YOU GOING TO DO? SO WE ACTUALLY WENT TO OUR TOWNSHIP AND SAID, DO WE NEED TO RENEW OUR TRASH WITH THEM? SHOULD WE GO TO LANDFILL? SO THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER DOWN IN PHILADELPHIA, MIKE, UH, EWOL, WHO CAME AND GAVE US A PRESENTATION ON, UH, THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF INCINERATION VERSUS LANDFILL.
SO THEY BOTH HAVE HEALTH ARMS BECAUSE MM-HMM.
BUT OVERALL, IN HIS STUDY, HE SAID THAT LANDFILL IS SLIGHTLY LESS HARM THAN INCINERATION, THAN INCINERATION IS WORSE FOR US THAN, SO HOW DO YOU WANNA BE KILLED? A KNIFE OR A GUN? IS THAT HOW IT IS? EXACTLY.
THE BOTTOM LINE WAS BAN THE PLASTICS
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GO TO GET RID OF 'EM.
SO OUR TOWNSHIP, OF COURSE, WOULDN'T WANT TO DO THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THE LIVE TO GOVAN, A PLAN IS LITERALLY IN OUR TOWNSHIP.
OUR TRASH GUYS CAN GO RIGHT THERE.
DO YOU TOWNSHIP BUY TRASH? YEAH, WE HAVE OUR OWN TRASH.
AND IF, IF WE HAD TO GO TO LANDFILL, WE'D HAVE TO THE TIPPING FEE AND THE TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT.
SO IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FINANCIALLY IF FOR, I MEAN, OUR, OUR, UH, SEWER FEES WOULD GO UP, OR OUR TRASH FEES WOULD GO.
SO MUCH, MUCH SO THAT HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE.
BUT, UM, THE RESIDENTS ARE STILL TRYING TO RAISE THE BAR ON THAT.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA, HOW ABOUT THE SEPARATION OF ALL YOUR RECYCLES IN THE TOWN? IS THAT RECYCLING HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A POSITIVE IN OUR TOWNSHIP, OUR, OUR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DIRECTOR HAD REALLY DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THE RECYCLING.
AND, AND THEY'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL GRANT AWARDS BECAUSE OF THEIR, UH, RECYCLING SUCCESS.
UM, SO THERE'S A RECYCLING CENTER, I THINK, IN UPPER DUBLIN OR SOMETHING THAT A COALITION OF TOWNSHIPS SAW PARTICIPATE IN.
AND I GUESS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF RECYCLING YOU DO, YOU CAN GET THIS GRANT.
UM, SO HE'S DONE REALLY A GREAT JOB THAT, HAVE YOU GUYS DONE ANYTHING WITH, UH, UH, BASINS, WATER BASINS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT.
UM, HE HAS COME TO US A COUPLE TIMES ASKING US ABOUT, UH, WATER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION.
SO, UM, WE J WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING SOME, GETTING THE SCHOOL, UH, INVOLVED IN POSTERS FOR, UM, UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR POLLUTANTS ON YOUR PROPERTY AND WATCHING THE, THEY DON'T GET INTO THE WATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE A LOT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, NEW, NEW HANOVER, HANOVER TOWNSHIP MM-HMM.
THAT'S VERY, YEAH, SO HE'S, HE'S A GOOD GUY.
UM, SO THEN THE OTHER BIG THING THOUGH, THAT WE BECAME INVOLVED IN BACK IN 20, UH, 18, IS, UM, A CLEAN ENERGY CAMPAIGN.
SO THERE WAS A, UM, SIERRA CLUB CAMPAIGN, UM, BACK IN 2016 CALLED READY FOR 100% CLEAN ENERGY.
AND CAN YOU MENTION THAT BILL? I PROBABLY DID, YEAH.
SO IT STARTED IN CHESTER COUNTY, UH, WESTCHESTER.
DOWNINGTOWN PHOENIXVILLE WERE THE FIRST THREE IN 2017.
AND THEN IT SLOWLY, YOU KNOW, EXPANDED FROM, FROM THERE.
WE HEARD ABOUT IT AT THE END OF 20 S OR IN 2017, AND STARTED UP, UH, ACTUALLY A MONTGOMERY COUNTY, SIMILAR GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
SO MANY OF US WERE FROM DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS, AND SOME OF US WERE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL BOARDS.
SO WE STARTED TALKING THAT UP IN OUR, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
SO IN 2019, WE STARTED TO GET A FLURRY OF US PASSING THE RESOLUTION TO SAY, YOU'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO, THE TOWNSHIP WILL GO TO A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAN ELECTRICITY BY 2035, AND, UH, HEAT AND TRANSPORTATION BY 2050.
[00:40:02]
SO IT'S A RESOLUTION IS NOT BINDING NON, NON-COMMITTAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO LEGAL, UH, REQUIREMENT, AND PEOPLE CREATE RESOLUTIONS TO HONOR PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP AND ET CETERA.SO IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A HEAVY LIFT TO PUT TOGETHER RESOLUTION, BUT IT, IT IS A NICE VISION STATEMENT FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND EXPRESSES YOUR VALUES AS TO WHERE YOU FEEL THAT YOUR TOWNSHIP WANTS TO GO AND THE VALUES YOU WANT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, CLEAN AIR, UM, REDUCING THE IMPACTS ON, ON GLOBAL WARMING, CLIMATE CHANGE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TEMPLATE THAT, UH, I'D BE GLAD TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, SO DURING THAT FIRST YEAR IN 2018, I THINK THERE WERE NINE OF US THAT, THAT GOT THE RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, UH, WE HAVE NINE MORE.
SO WE HAVE 18 TOTAL IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, WHICH IS LESS JUST UNDER A THIRD OF, UM, THE TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS.
SO WE'RE HOPING WE GET ONE MORE OR TWO MORE AND GET OVER 50% OF THE POPULATION WOULD BE REPRESENTED WITH ONE THIRD OF THE TOWNSHIP BOROUGHS REPRESENTED.
SO YOUR NEIGHBOR, LOWER PROVIDENCE, IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED THEIR RESOLUTION, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE BRINGING IT UP TO THEIR SUPERVISORS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
SO IF THEY PASS IT, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO THAT 50% MARK OF POPULATION, 800,000 PEOPLE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY REPRESENTED BY THESE MOST DENSELY POPULATED, UM, TOWNSHIPS TO BOROUGHS.
SO WHAT IS THE RESOLUTION? WHAT DO YOU, SO THE RESOLUTION SAYS, WE AS A ARE, UH, BE IT RESOLVED THAT OUR COMMUNITYWIDE BY 2035, WE WILL TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY AND BY 2015, AND, YOU KNOW, BY VEHICLES AND, UH, SORRY.
THERE ARE TWO P PIECES OF RESOLUTION.
FIRST IS CLEAN ELECTRICITY BY 2035 FOR BUILDINGS, SECOND, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN SECOND IS VEHICLES THAT TRANSPORT OR HEAT BY 2050.
THAT'S THE LONGER, LONGER POLE, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO BECAUSE IT IS GONNA TAKE YOU A LITTLE LONGER TO TRANSITION.
AND CLEAN ENERGY IS DEFINED BY WIND, WIND, SOLAR, SOLAR, UH, GEOTHERMAL WATER, HYDRO.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE NOT OIL AND GAS.
WE DIDN'T, OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T INCLUDE NUCLEAR.
NOW, IS THAT JUST FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND SS? NO, WE, WE, WE, WE HAD, WE, WE PUT THE VISION STATEMENT IN THERE, SAY COMMUNITYWIDE, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BOARDS FEEL LITTLE, UH, SHY ABOUT THAT, BUT WE FEEL IT'S ASPIRATIONAL.
IT'S OKAY TO PUT THAT IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS THE, SO PART OF THE RESOLUTION ALSO STATES THAT, UH, WITHIN A YEAR AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION, THE E A C WILL, UH, EITHER HIRE A CONSULTANT OR WE'LL WORK ON A TRANSITION PLAN TO GIVE THE TOWNSHIP GUIDANCE ON HOW TO TRANSITION TO CLEAN ELECTRICITY BY 2035 AND, AND, UH, THEIR FLEET AND HEAT.
UH, SO, SO HERE, HERE, HERE WE ARE IN 20 18, 20 19.
UH, SO IT'S NOT JUST MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
WE, WE HAVE 18, WE'RE KIND OF LEADING THE PACK, BUT ACROSS CHESTER BUCKS AND PHILADELPHIA EVEN PASSED THE RESOLUTION DELCO, WE'VE GOT 43 TOTAL IN SOUTHEAST PA.
SO ALL THESE 43 MUNICIPALITIES WANT THIS CLEAN, THESE CLEAN ENERGY TARGETS.
SO NOW WE THINK WE HAVE A COALITION THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS.
SO SOME OF 'EM HAVE ALREADY TAKEN STEPS.
UH, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP IS, HAS PURCHASED SOME HYBRID, UH, EVS FOR THEIR, UH, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SLE BURY TOWNSHIP IN, UH, BUCK HAS ALSO, UM, THE ENERGY AUDIT THAT, UH, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP IS AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO BY SETTING THIS ASPIRATIONAL GOAL, IT ALSO GIVES YOU A VISION FOR HOW YOU HELP TO SET YOUR, UH, EXPECTATIONS OF ALL YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SAY, WHEN YOU'RE GONNA REPLACE EQUIPMENT, LOOK FOR THE MORE EFFICIENT AND THE, THE CHEAPEST INVESTMENT IS EFFICIENCY.
SO YOU ALWAYS SAY STRESS EFFICIENCY FIRST, AND THEN TAKE THE SAVINGS FROM THE EFFICIENCY SAVINGS AND THEN LEVERAGE THAT INTO YOUR NEXT ENERGY CHOICE.
SO WE TRY TO REASSURE TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS THAT THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN INVESTMENT HEAVY RESOLUTION, BUT YET EVERYBODY IS SHY ABOUT THAT AND SAY, HOW CAN WE GET THERE WITHOUT INVESTING? RIGHT? BUT WE SEE THAT THE MOMENTUM IN THE, IN THE WORLD IS STARTING TO GET THERE.
SOLAR IS COMING DOWN IN COST, WIND IS COMING DOWN
[00:45:01]
IN COST, AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.SO WE SAY INVESTING IN YOUR EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS FIRST, AND THEN TAKE THOSE SAVINGS AND START SAVING UP FOR AN INVESTMENT TO GET A GRANT, MAYBE TO PUT SOLAR ON A PROPERTY, AND THEN START LEVERAGING THAT TO YOUR NEXT INVESTMENT.
SO WE STILL SEE THAT WE, WE THINK WE CAN MAKE 2035 RIGHT.
SO WHY, AND JUST THE VISIBILITY, I WOULD THINK IS, IS, YOU KNOW, INSPIRATIONAL FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO GET TO THIS 50% MARK.
WE GO BACK TO THE COUNTY AND WE SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT 50% OF OUR POPULATION WANTING THIS CLEAN ENERGY VISION.
UH, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP US? YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? UM, WELL, OKAY.
SO, SO THE WAY, THE WAY I, THE WAY I HELPED, UH, RODEO TO GET THIS IN FRONT OF ALL THESE, UH, TOWNSHIPS WAS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEMBER, I HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, UM, ABILITY TO GO TALK TO OTHER VPS AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS VISION OF THIS CLEAN ENERGY, UH, FUTURE, AND I PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO COME GIVE IT TO YOU IN YOUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, JUST TO EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, TO STATE THAT YOU WANT TO SET THESE VISIONARY STATEMENTS IS ONE THING, BUT YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND SO I THINK EDUCATING OURSELVES AND ALL BEING ON THE SAME, WHAT'S THE GOAL THERE? WHAT'S THE GOAL? CLEAN ENERGY.
I KNOW, BUT, BUT, BUT GET OFF FOSSIL FUELS.
BUT IF, IF THERE'S NO TEETH BEHIND THE RESOLUTION, OTHER THAN IT'S SOME HONORARY THING AND THERE'S NO BUDGET TO ENFORCE IT, IS EVERYBODY JUST FEEL GOOD BECAUSE WE WROTE A RESOLUTION
PEOPLE CAN SAY, HEY, YOU'VE GOT THIS, UH, THIS, UH, PLAN THAT'S ON THE SHELF.
SO IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE UP TO EACH TOWNSHIP'S, UH, STATE, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, ADVOCATES, TO KEEP IT IN THE PRESENT MIND.
SO WE AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, GO BACK TO OUR TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS AND SAY, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA, YOU KNOW, ADOPT THE ENERGY TRANSITION PLAN? WHEN ARE YOU GONNA PUT SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET TO MAKE YOUR FIRST DECISION ON TAKING AN ACTION IN THAT PLAN? SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE UP TO US TO, TO PUSH OUR TOWNSHIPS, UH, TO TAKE ACTION.
BUT SO AN ACTION ITEM COULD BE, YOU KNOW, LET'S PUT IN SOME CHARGING STATIONS THAT COULD, THAT COULD BE AN ACTION ITEM.
THAT'S A FIRST STEP VERSUS THE REV RESOLUTION IS JUST, HEY, WE WERE THINKING AND WE'RE COMMITTING OURSELVES.
AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AWARENESS.
WHEN THE PE LIKE, LIKE IN PHOENIXVILLE, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT BOROUGH PAID FOR IT.
THEY PUT IN, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT A HALF A DOZEN PARKING LOTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN IN EACH PARKING LOT.
AND, AND THE FIRST FEW YEARS IT WAS FREE.
RIGHT? SO IF YOU LIVED IN PHOENIXVILLE AND YOU WANTED CHEAP FUEL, BUY AN ELECTRIC CAR, AND NOW YOU AND THE PARKING SPOT LOT SPOT WAS FREE.
THE, THE PROBLEM IS YOU CAN'T CHARGE FOR IT.
IF YOU USE THE GRANT, IF YOU USE THE GRANT, SO YOU CAN NEVER, YOU CAN'T CHARGE FOR ANYBODY USING IT.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE CERTAIN DISTANCE OF AN INTERCHANGE.
SO WE'RE RIGHT, WE'RE CLOSE, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE PUT THEM.
LIKE IF WE PUT THEM IN THE OTHER PARKING LOT, IT WOULD BE OUT OF THE MILE.
BUT IF WE PUT THEM IN THE FRONT PARKING LOT, BE IN THE MILE
THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE.
PICO ISN'T WILLING TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE, ISN'T WILLING TO COMMIT TO PUTTING THAT HERE YET, BECAUSE THE, YOU CAN'T JUST, IT'S NOT LIKE JUST TYING IN ANOTHER LINE AND BRINGING IN ANOTHER LINE.
THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AMPERAGE AND WATTAGE THAT YOU NEED TO BRING FOR THESE THINGS THAT, TO MAKE THEM, 'CAUSE YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THEM, YOU HAVE TO DO THEM AS THE SUPERCHARGERS AND YOU DON'T CHARGE FOR 'EM, WHICH WILL CHARGE YOUR CAR INCREDIBLY FAST.
BUT IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, IT'S LIKE IT WORKS OUT TO BE LIKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IT WOULD COST FOR THE ENERGY.
SO IT'S, IT'S LIKE, DOES, DOES THE TOWNSHIP WANT TO BEAR THAT COST? SO YEAH.
BUT WHY SHOULD THEY? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHY SHOULD THE TOWNSHIP, THAT'S THE FLAW IN, IN THE GRANT FOR 10% OF THE POPULATION.
BUT SEE, I MEAN, IN, IN A BOROUGH LIKE PHOENIXVILLE WHERE YOU'VE GOT, LIKE I SAY, THERE'S SIX PARKING LOTS IN THE DOWNTOWN MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVE IN ONE SPOT.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IN THIS TOWNSHIP, MAYBE WE
[00:50:01]
LEGISLATE THAT A DEVELOPER WHO'S PUTTING IN A HOTEL BY PROVIDENCE TOWN CENTER NEEDS TO PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.WELL, AND THE, THE APARTMENTS, MAYBE WE, THE APARTMENTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN, THAT WE'RE BUILDING, THAT THEY'RE BUILDING NEXT TO, UM, WHITE SPRINGS FARM, THEY ARE, THEY, WE TRADED, THAT WAS PART OF THE, THEY STARTED WITH A CERTAIN BASE DENSITY THAT THEY COULD HAVE, AND THEN THE ORDINANCE ALLOWED THEM TO HAVE MORE DENSITY IF THEY PROVIDED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CHARGING STATIONS.
SO THERE'S SOME, SO THERE'S ALWAYS INCENTIVES WHEN YOU GET TO DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S ALWAYS INCENTIVES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT YOU WORK OUT.
UM, I, I, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IF YOU COULD SEND US THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA E EA GROUP, E A C GROUP OR ARM OH YEAH.
FOR THE, UH, IS THERE A MONTGOMERY COUNTY GROUP FOR THE PLASTICS? UH, FOR THE PLASTIC COALITION? WELL, FOR THE PLA THE PLASTICS COALITION THAT, THAT YOU'VE ADOPTED.
BUT THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED ONE THAT WAS, UM, THERE WAS A MEETING IN EARLY OCTOBER.
IS THAT THE SAME? IS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION? OH, THAT, UH, THAT'S THE PLASTICS GROUP.
I HAVE THAT DOWN FOR THE 18TH, WHICH IS WHAT? IT COULD BE OCTOBER.
OH, THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, THEY HAD TO POSTPONE IT, SO IT'S OH, OH, OH, OKAY.
YEAH, SEND ME THE NEW ONE, PLEASE.
I'LL SEND YOU AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU, JEFF.
YEAH, I'D BE VERY SEND, SEND ME THAT.
'CAUSE I HAD THAT DOWN FOR, IT WAS THIS WEEK.
AND, UH, YEAH, I FORGOT THAT I TOLD YOU THAT.
AND I PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR AND THEN I COULDN'T MAKE IT ANYHOW.
SO, UH, AND I'D BE INTERESTED IN GETTING THE RESOLUTIONS FROM YOU.
I, I REALIZE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOME DEBATE ABOUT IT.
WELL, I, I'D LIKE TO COME AND GIVE YOU THE PRESENTATION ALSO, JUST BECAUSE SOMETIMES I GIVE OUT THE RESOLUTION AND IT JUST TURNS PEOPLE OFF AND THEY, THEY, THEY SAY NO WAY.
SO IF YOU'D BE OKAY WITH ME COMING BACK NEXT TIME AND, AND, UM, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO BE THE JANUARY MEETING BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT'S FINE.
UM, ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE LIKE YOU FROM, UM, UH, MS. ROSS, MS. ROSS FROM BUCKS COUNTY.
UM, IT'S W IT'S ONE OF THE W TOWNSHIPS I'M DRAWING UP, NOT WHITE MARSH.
SHE'S WARRINGTON WARTON, SHE'S ON WARRINGTON.
I THINK SHE'S THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THAT.
SO SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
YOU'RE LEARNING FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, WE DON'T KNOW.
AND I, I JUST ALERT YOU TO, UH, THERE'S A, UH, UH, THE STATEWIDE, UM, UH, E A C NETWORK PUTS TOGETHER CONFERENCES EVERY YEAR.
VIRTUALLY, AND USUALLY IN THE SPRING, BUT THEY'RE DOING AN IN-PERSON IN, UH, WESTCHESTER, I BELIEVE THIS, UM, OCTOBER.
WHAT IS THAT BILL? THERE'S A FEE.
IT'S A, THERE'S A, A STATEWIDE E A C NETWORK.
THAT'S RUN BY, UH, WE CONSERVE P IS THAT THE ONE YOU SENT ME THAT I, I MIGHT HAVE.
I THINK YOU, AND THEN YOU GET ON THEIR NEWSLETTER.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT GOOD, UH, SUCCESSFUL.
SHOULDN'T THERE BE THAT AGAIN? JUST, BUT I'LL SEND YOU THAT AGAIN.
AND UH, BUT, BUT THIS ONE DAY IN PERSON IN WESTCHESTER UNIVERSITY IS GONNA BE THIS OCTOBER AND THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT EECS PRESENTING THEIR PROJECTS AND OKAY.
SO I ALWAYS FIND IT A GREAT, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING.
I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH OUR OTHER FIVE ITEMS REAL QUICK ON THE AGENDA.
CAN YOU SHARE AN EMAIL ADDRESS? YEAH, YEAH, WE HAVE IT.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR SINGLE USE PLASTIC ORDINANCE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
OUR, THE ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWNSHIP, JOE PRESENT, HE ALSO HAS SOME LANGUAGE 'CAUSE HE WORKS IN ALER AND YOU'D MENTIONED ALER HAD PASSED THEIRS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, EVEN MIND I STOLE, BILL SENT IT TO ME FROM SOME OTHER TOWNSHIP.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S HOW ORDINANCES HAPPENED THERE.
THEY'RE A FRANKENSTEIN OF EVERY TOWNSHIP THAT DOES.
SO, I MEAN, I HAVE NO SKI IN THAT GAME.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT MEETING.
[3. Creating a Tree Replacement Fund Program]
SUE WANTED ME TO TALK ABOUT CREATING A TREE REPLACEMENT FUND PROGRAM AND SHE BROUGHT THIS UP.YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME INFORMATION IN HERE ABOUT IT.
IF YOU COULD READ THAT, MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AND, AND CREATING THAT FOR THE NEXT, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTING THAT NEXT YEAR.
POSSIBLY THAT'S MORE OF A PARTNERSHIP INSTEAD OF, I THINK IT WOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US AND THE PARKS.
I THINK BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, I THINK WE COULD, AND THEY HAVE THE FUNDING FOR IT, OBVIOUSLY.
THEY HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR IT.
SO, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SOON SOMETHING SHE WANTS TO DO.
A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN WHAT I GAVE YOU.
I WAS EXPLAINING TO BILL, YOU'RE WELCOME TO TAKE THE PACKET AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT ARE ALL OH YEAH, YEAH.
UM, INTERESTED, SUE WANTED ME TO MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT AN EARTH.
THE SUE WAS OUR PARK REC DIRECTOR, BY THE WAY,
[4. Earth Day Event (Tree sapling giveaway)]
AN EARTH DAY EVENT FOR A TREE SAP GIVEAWAY.IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE SORT OF NEED TO ORDER THE TREES EARLY.
UM, IT WASN'T A GREAT SUCCESS THE FIRST TIME THEY DID IT, BUT IF WE WANT TO KEEP TRYING IT, WE COULD ALSO TRY IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH
[00:55:01]
OUR SPRINGTIME SHREDDED EVENT WHERE WE PUT A TABLE OUT AND YOU GUYS WOULD STAFF IT AND, AND DO THAT KIND OF THING.[5. Sustainable Upper Providence]
SUSTAINABLE UPPER PROVIDENCE PLAN IN HERE, IN, IN THE PACKET OF INFORMATION OF WHAT SUSTAINABLE UPPER PROFITS WE WENT THROUGH.AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A CERTIFICATION AUDIT.
WE ARE, I THINK AT A GOLD LEVEL RIGHT NOW.
OR MAYBE WE'RE A SILVER, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S CERTAIN METRICS THAT YOU DO AND CERTAIN METRICS THAT YOU HIT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP WOULD ALSO LIKE US TO SORT OF FOCUS ON IN THE FUTURE, HOW CAN WE SORT OF LOOK, THEY'RE NOT GIVING US ANY EXPECTATIONS.
BUT THAT'S IN HERE TOO, JEFF, THAT'S IN THIS PACKET.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO GET, GET A SENSE OF THINGS, OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO.
[6. Junior Member Program]
MEMBER PROGRAM, AND THIS GOES BACK TO I THINK WHAT BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SCHOOLS.THEY, I THINK YOU DO IT IN PARKS AND REC.
AND IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THIS YEAR.
WHY IS THAT? UM, BECAUSE THE FIRST YEAR WE KIND OF GOT IN, PEOPLE DIDN'T, THEY FINALLY HAD A WORK, HUH.
WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME REALLY GOOD JUNIOR MEMBERS.
THE PROBLEM THIS YEAR IS MORE WITH, YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR CHILD ABUSE CERTIFICATION AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH NOW.
THAT WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR AND JUST GETTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND, AND GETTING WHAT WE NEED.
AND THEN SO THAT IF KIDS COME TO HERE TO WORK TO DO SOMETHING, THE PERSON, THE ADULT HAS TO BE, UH, H B CHECKED OUT.
IT REALLY IS JUST HAVING A JUNIOR MEMBER AT THESE MEETINGS.
AND, AND, UM, BUT THEY VOLUNTEER.
SO THAT'S THE, THE WHOLE THING OF THAT.
SO TO COME TO A MEETING, THEY DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE ALL CERTIFIED.
I, I THINK WE, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO CLARIFY, BUT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO.
WE DO HAVE TO BECAUSE IT'S A VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION AND, AND YEAH.
I MEAN I HAD TO DO IT EVERY TIME IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE.
IT IS JUST ONE OF THOSE STRANGE THINGS, BUT, AND IT DOESN'T COST YOU ANYTHING.
IT DOESN'T TAKE VERY LONG OR ANYTHING.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S JUST, IT'S PAPERWORK.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA GET, I'M SURE I'M, I'M SURE YOUR WIFE WENT THROUGH IT.
SHE'S BEEN A TEACHER FOR 28 YEARS, SO YEAH.
SO, BUT, BUT UM, IT'S NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS HER AS WHAT SHE HAD TO DO.
NO, MY WIFE HAD TO DO THE SAME THING.
I MEAN, SHE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE F B I CHECK.
IT'S REALLY JUST A STATE CHECK.
[7. Litter Lifters of West Vincent]
AND THEN HOW ABOUT THE LITTER LIFTERS OF WESTERN, THE LITTER LIFTERS? THERE'S AN EMAIL IN HERE.UM, I DIDN'T READ IT FOR GREAT DETAIL, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN EMAIL.
CHERYL GOT ABOUT AN ORGANIZATION THAT IF WE WANT TO CALL THEM AND CONTACT THEM AND SEE IF THEY CAN COME OUT AND DO SOME LITTER CLEANUPS AND IF WE WANNA PARTNER WITH THEM TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND IT INTO LITTER LIFTERS OF UPPER PROVIDENCE.
SO THEY, THEY SPONSORED, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER CLEANUP DID THAT.
THREE SATURDAYS AGO OR WHATEVER, WHICH I WENT AND PARTICIPATED IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST LIKE, SO WHEN I SAW IT ON THE AGENDA LAST NIGHT OR YEAH, MONDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN TONIGHT, I'M LIKE, WELL, YEAH, WHAT'S THE TOPIC HERE? SO IT WAS REALLY JUST SORT OF AN INFORMATIONAL THING.
AND I THINK IT'S A NATIONAL OR MAYBE A STATEWIDE OKAY.
ORGANIZATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOUR TOWNSHIP CAN HAVE, LIKE YOU SAY, THE UPPER PROVIDENCE, LITERALLY.
IS THAT A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT GOES AROUND? OBVIOUSLY CLEANS UP AROUND RIVER, WHEREVER.
I, AND I'M NOT SURE, I MEAN, I WENT DOWN AND HELPED PULL TIRES OUT OF THE RIVER.
UH, BUT I, I DIDN'T LEARN TOO MUCH ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION THAT PUT IT TOGETHER, BUT THEY DID.
WELL, JEFF, IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK.
A COMMENT ABOUT THE JUNIOR PROGRAM.
THE, THE, JUST THE, THE TRYING TO GET THE SCHOOL TO ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH THIS YEAR HAS BEEN I CAN IMAGINE.
ANYTIME THE SCHOOL, IF THEY'RE NOT RUNNING IT WELL THE FIRST YEAR, THEY SOMETIMES HAVE A PROBLEM THERE.
THE GUIDANCE COUNCIL WE USED THE FIRST YEAR, SHE HAD SIX OR SEVEN PEOPLE COME IN AND SEND US, UM, WHAT THEIR LITTLE, WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND WHY THEY WANTED TO BE PART OF IT.
AND THIS YEAR IT'S LIKE PULLING TEETH.
SO IT'S A LITTLE HARDER THIS YEAR.