Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council
General Meeting
July 1, 2015

Attendees:   Present were Council members Fran Cundall, Lynn Rothman, Mike Topping and George Yasko.

Approval of May Minutes:  After the insertion of one correction, Lynn moved to approve the corrected minutes; seconded by Fran; approved.

Approval of June Minutes:  After discussion, George moved approval; seconded by Lynn; approved.

Announcements:  Kalyna Procyk has been appointed to the EAC. 
The Morning Call had an article stating that solar panels are being considered for the Watershed Area.  George will contact Stephen Repasch to see if he would like to discuss this and the current Penneast Pipeline situation with the EAC.  Also, the Wildlands Conservancy recently honored Moravian professor Frank Kuserk and retiring PF&BC Waterways Officer Lee Creyer as “Friends of the Lehigh”. 

Correspondence:  Anne Felker asked the EAC to support the installation of bike racks by the City.  Although this has been done in the past, she noted a lack of new installations in spite of the increased need.  Mike added that the City might consider a percentage of required parking for new developments to consist of bike racks where appropriate.  Lynn will contact Anne for additional input on this.  Also, Anne supported the use of goats to deal with invasive plants along the towpath and other areas where feasible and she questioned the changes proposed for the replacement of trees in the Zoning Ordinance.  In the City, the use of goats would require fencing or staking of the goats to keep them where they are needed.  The members agreed to survey the City for possible locations where this would be feasible and report back at the next meeting.

Sub Committee Reports:
            Energy:  Still waiting for word concerning the status of the proposed solar ordinance. 

Green:  Fran reported that the committee, aka Bethlehem Backyards for Wildlife (BBFW), has met and is in the process of recertifying the City as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.  They will meet with the Parks Committee in August to talk about what they have done lately. Also, they intend to become involved with a proposed celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the West Side joining the rest of the City during which, one hundred trees are planned to be planted.  They will have a table at a fund-raiser at the Ice House for the Food Co-Op in August.  The Co-Op will be showing a film concerning pollination. They also discussed the idea of habitat clusters in city neighborhoods to help wildlife in the urban environment.  Mike noted that many trees that are planted in the City appear to have mulch piled up against the trunk of the tree.  Fran agreed that this is a bad practice and she will contact Ralph Carp and the City Forester to see if they are aware of this in the City. 

Transportation:  See Correspondence from Anne above.

External Committee Reports:
Zoning:  Mike will contact Cindy Smith to find out how she is involved with the proposed new tree replacement regulations and what role she plays in the review of Landscaping Plans for the Planning Commission as well as any plantings on public property.

Planning:  No report

City Council:  George will send a letter stating that the EAC is available for review and advice on any subject concerning the environment and that we look forward to reviewing projects for the City and presenting recommendations to City Council and/or the Administration.

Old Business:
Filling the open seats on the EAC:  See attached letter from George to City Council.

            Monocacy Creek Assessment:  George has tried to contact Kristie Fach from Wildlands Conservancy for an update and should have a report for the next meeting.

            Monocacy Park Project:  This may include some dredging of the creek in the Illick’s Mill area and the re-grading of its flood plain, including the removal of RR ties, to help control flooding.  A plan was prepared by the Natural Land Trust, which included the removal of a number of large trees.  This plan is under review and will probably be revised to lessen the number of trees for removal.  Due to the amount of work and planning involved and the proposed public meetings with plans and brochures necessary to explain the project, its implimentatino will be delayed until next year.  The Monocacy Creek Watershed Association as well as the EAC will probably be involved with presenting this information along with the Parks Department as appropriate.
George explained that he had talked to Ralph Carp about the possible replacement of an existing pedestrian bridge in Johnston Park with a cast iron bridge, which has recently become available to the City.  Its historic appearance would make a fine addition to the area and after a brief discussion, the EAC agreed to support its placement in the park.

            Meeting Dates:  Once a full membership of the EAC is present, a new meeting date may be chosen depending on the schedules of the membership.

            Shad Run:  Mike reported that the Shad Spawning Tank in Hugh Moore Park produced 20 liters of eggs for a very good year.  He is always looking for student interest in the program, which lasts approximately from April 15 to the end of May and includes daily reports on the condition of the water and fish in the tank.

Adjourn:  The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:15 PM.