Radnor Township EAC Meeting – March 18, 2026
Radnor Township Environmental Advisory Council Meeting – March 18, 2026
The Radnor Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) met on March 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Radnorshire Room. The council reviewed minutes, received public comment, and discussed a wide range of environmental initiatives including building energy benchmarking, public education programs, road salt pollution, a proposed gas leaf blower phase-out, and budget allocations. Several action items were set for future meetings.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes of the February 18, 2026 EAC meeting were approved unanimously by a show of hands.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Robin Mann (Sierra Club) expressed appreciation for the EAC’s leadership on energy conservation and benchmarking, noting the collaborative progress with the township.
Discussion Items
- 2025 EAC Annual Report: Councilmember Dan announced he will draft the report and submit it for review within two weeks.
- Student Associate Members: A survey is underway to gauge high school student interest in existing ecology clubs and potential new projects. Former EAC chair Margie Reinhardt offered to assist with club advising.
- Recycling Evaluation and School Outreach: Members discussed evaluating recycling procedures at schools, addressing styrofoam cafeteria containers, and developing educational posters/assemblies for elementary and middle school students. The seed library at Radnor Memorial Library was highlighted as a resource.
- Announcements: The EAC noted upcoming township programs (Great American Backyard Campout, Arbor Day, T-Mobile Hometown Grants with a March 31 deadline) and Radnor’s recognition as a Bird Town PA awardee.
- Building Energy Benchmarking: Councilmember Bill led discussion on adopting a benchmarking ordinance requiring commercial/institutional buildings over 10,000 sq. ft. to report energy use. Bill agreed to be the EAC point of contact; the township is coordinating with DVRPC and Green Buildings United.
- Public Education Series:
- Mike Weilbacher’s “The Buzz About Bees” talk is set for April 28 at Radnor Memorial Library; the library will be listed as a partner to amplify outreach.
- A youth workshop “Ready Set Start Your Seeds” with Eva Monheim is scheduled for April 18 (grades 3–8).
- Two adult lectures are being finalized: Eva Monheim on assisted plant migration and Sara Weaner Cooper/Larry Weaner on lawn-to-meadow transitions. Dates are being coordinated (May 12, 14, or 28). Co-sponsorships are sought from neighboring EACs and Radnor Conservancy to reduce honorarium costs.
- Road Salt Monitoring: Members reported high chloride levels in streams from February sampling; results showed significantly elevated conductivity compared to October. The Board of Health has invited the EAC to present findings at its April 20 meeting. The township is attending professional development on salt reduction methods.
- Gas Leaf Blower (GLB) Phase-Out: The EAC’s proposal was presented to the Board of Commissioners on March 9. Two town halls are scheduled: April 7 (residents priority) and April 23 (businesses/institutions priority). The term “phase-out” was favored over “ban” to allow a transition period.
- Invasive Species Management: Bess raised the topic of developing an invasive species management strategy in collaboration with Parks & Rec and the Shade Tree Commission.
- Budget Review: The 2026 EAC allocation is $6,500. Committed expenses total ~$550; planned expenses (honoraria, native plant plugs, mosquito tablets, potential seed library grant) are estimated at ~$4,700, leaving ~$1,300 unallocated. Advertising costs via Patch ($120) were questioned; future Patch ads may be confined to Radnor to use free posting.
- Seed Library Funding: A $500 grant request for the Radnor Memorial Library seed library sparked debate. Members decided to research alternative donations and partnerships before voting; the matter will be revisited at the April 15 meeting.
- Native Plant Giveaway (May 2): ~2,000 native perennial plugs from New Moon Nursery will be distributed. The EAC will offer free mosquito-dunk tablets but will not purchase buckets; residents can bring their own. A raffle may be added for a small shade tree.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved unanimously.
- Benchmarking: Bill will serve as EAC point of contact; the council will assist in drafting and community outreach for the ordinance.
- Public Education Events: Dates and venues for the two adult lectures are to be finalized by the next meeting; co-sponsors will be secured to share costs.
- Road Salt Action: Members will collect tap water samples by end of March for analysis; results will be presented at the Board of Health meeting on April 20. The township’s attendance at salt‑reduction training was noted.
- Gas Leaf Blower Phase-Out: Town halls scheduled for April 7 and April 23; EAC members will attend and provide a briefing on benefits.
- Seed Library Grant: Decision deferred to April 15; EAC will investigate donated seeds and partnerships.
- Mosquito Bucket Challenge: The EAC will provide only tablets (one 20‑tablet packet) at the May 2 giveaway, not buckets.
- Budget: The EAC will monitor spending closely; Patch advertising may be scaled back. Total planned spending is ~$5,250, leaving ~$1,300 for unforeseen needs.
- Invasive Species: The topic will be explored further; Bess will gather additional information.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome associate members, members, esteemed guests. Any any comments on the minutes from February 18th. Okay. Those who approve raise their hands. Okay, unanimous. Thank you. Um I will be drafting the 2025 EAC annual report. And uh we'll um be submitting it to the EAC for review uh within two weeks. Um concerning uh child abuse clearances, uh Bess. Uh are we all cleared? Uh we are one is pending. One okay. So and anything we can do to remind that person. Yes, I will yes. You'll you'll take your okay. Yeah. Um ecology club at Radner High School, and uh I hear we're blessed already with ecology clubs, but uh Bess and Anjana, please update us. Well, we uh we are administering a survey to with the associate members just to see what their interest is and what the current situation is at the high school, and then once we see sort of what the existing clubs are like at the high school and how we might be able to plug into the clubs, I think we'll be able to report better next next go round next month. Okay, but I think it'd be wonderful to have Margie's involvement. She's here tonight. So thank you, Margie. So does it unjust okay sure if Margie would like to add something about this? Yes. Oh would you like to add anything to it? Oh any comments? Sure. Do I turn this on somehow? Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. Um, yeah, so I at first went to as under the impression there are no clubs. Um I was the advisor for the um environmental sustainability club at the college where I I taught. And I thought ever since I left the EAC, that's one thing I would like to work with. So st if any of the students or any of you would want me to assist or advise or or do anything, um, Dan knows all about me. Um I would be very willing to help and uh in any way, um, whether whatever, whatever is needed. Because my educate my background is in education, and I feel it's so important for the you know, the young people to be involved. Um, and the best way really is clubs, you know, at the school. So anyway, that's all I had. Yeah, thank you. So we're focusing on high school, is that correct, not middle school. I I'll do anything. I mean any club. Okay. Um, yeah. Now our associate members, uh anyone here weigh in on this. Uh is there a gap in the clubs that you're aware of that we could help fill, or uh do you need you feel that you need some more stimulus uh motivation for the clubs? I mean, I will say at least I know with some of the clubs, although they might say they have like a very high number, a lot of them I do think tend to go inactive um after the first few months of the year. I know at least I'd worked with the guarding club for a bit, but then due to the the club advisor was out for health circumstances and the club just kind of fell into inactivity. So I think a lot of the clubs they exist, they have students who are in the group meet students who are interested, but for whatever reason the clubs have kind of gone inactive. So I think that there are a lot of good like bases we can build up on if we can get some of the clubs to be more active.
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