Parks and Recreation Board Minutes

Present

Parks and Recreation:

Dan Mount, Chairperson, and Ashlee Beyer (via phone at 8 p.m.). Stephanie Robinson, Cordelia Kane, and Bil Longua were absent.

Visitors:

Tim Hubbard, Public Safety & Property Coordinator and Charles Buck (via phone at 8 p.m.), and Carol Armstrong.

Announcements

On June 26^th at 9 a.m. there is a Yoga Walk at Brightside Farm Park.

The first concert of the Charlestown Township Free Summer Concert series is from 7-9 p.m. on June 23^rd at Brightside Farm Park.

Standing Items

The May minutes were not approved.

Trails Reports

Pickering Trail:

The small group of volunteers for the Weed Warrior walk found the Pickering Trail very overgrown and made little progress beyond the Mill trailhead. Before another Weed Warrior event, Mr. Mount will have Charlestown Landscaping clear the trail. Then he will contact Mr. Beyer to establish a schedule for trail mowing/weed whacking so that it doesn’t get out of control.

Charlestown Township Nature Trail:

There is another tree down in the Park. It is not causing a safety threat so it will be added to a list for the next Davey Tree service. Mr. Hubbard is having trouble getting momentum behind the restroom contractors and therefore the overlook deck is still in disrepair. Mr. Mount will provide Mr. Hubbard with lumber measurements in hopes to get some delivered to the deck location. Mr. Longua is unhappy with the service Charlestown Landscaping has provided for the memorial tree that is crooked. Now that the weather is hot, any further adjustment should wait until fall. Mr. Hubbard wants to be kept in the loop.

There was some vandalism done to the checkerboard installed by prospective Eagle Scout Larissa Greenway. New checkers will be cut and some local youths will repaint the wood. Motion cameras may be installed once the new Township building is outfitted with the technology package.

All the trails (including the last trail, McDevitt) need volunteers. Park & Rec and the EAC both need volunteers to attend meetings and help with a list of goals.
The trail stewards should reach out to the EAC per Ms. Armstrong.
The P&R and EAC are going to better coordinate efforts.
Mr. Mount will ask Ms. Kane if she will help Ms. Beyer with the Trails (Ms. Beyer is not a Township resident). Ms. Beyer handles primarily the invasives, so someone needs to oversee the maintenance side of the trails.
Ms. Beyer would like to try to have another corporate weeding day.

Park Reports

A gentleman has reached out regarding another memorial bench, Mr. Mount suggested it may work with Ms. Robinson’s Butterfly Garden “Sittery”. It is for her Girl Scout Gold Award Project.

Charlestown Township Park’s steward is Ms. Robinson. She was not in attendance so there was no further report.

Mr. Buck stated that most of the 60 garden plots at Brightside Farm Park are being used. They are having a hard time with poison ivy this year. Mr. Buck suggested goats for the trails. But being near a stream bank the goat contractor Ms. Beyer found had declined. Mr. Buck will research other contacts for goats.

EAC Report

Ms. Armstrong made the following points tonight.

She feels more volunteers need to be recruited and there needs to be more advertising for better results.
Information sheets are being posted on the website for certain plants.
She discussed having Township-funded invasive removal done in addition to establishing a mowing/weed whacking schedule for the trails.
She suggested Mr. Mount announce before the concert starts about the need for residents to volunteer.
She agrees with the idea of having Mr. Beyer set a mowing schedule etc.

Youth Sports Report

The PMYC is done their season and the PASC is mostly done is some evening camps. They would like the Township to restore the weighted trashcans that were near their fields because the plastic cans are blowing over. They also felt they aren’t getting emptied enough. Mr. Hubbard stated that it is the responsibility of the group to empty the cans. The Township needs to order more of the heavy ones since the first ones were stolen.

Old Business

Robinson Scout Project

There was no vote tonight on the Victoria Robinson Scout project since there was no quorum. The EAC would like her planting list.

Charlestown Day Update

The CTD vendor flyers have been finalized.
There has been further planning to obtain CTD sponsors.
The Facebook and Newsletter CTD ads are ready.

New Business

None

Adjournment was at 8:30 p.m.

CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP PARKS & RECREATION BOARD Great Valley Middle School Room 154 255 North Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, PA Thursday, June 16, 2022