August 2020 Meeting Minutes

Sierra Club - Lehigh Valley Group Executive Committee
Monday August 10, 2020 7:00 PM
Virtual meeting using Zoom

MINUTES

Executive Committee Members: Matthew MacConnell, Brian Hillard, Don Miles, Marilyn Jordan, Nanci McGonigal, Doug Roysdon.

Guest: Diane Rudolf

Delegates to Pennsylvania Sierra Club Meetings: Matt will serve for the first six months and Brian will serve for the second six months. Nanci is willing to be an alternate delegate if Matt and Brian cannot. Don said he was an at-large delegate for 2017-2019. At-large delegates can only serve three times. Nanci is willing to be an at-large delegate when Don’s time is up. We need to have an election at the end of the year for ExCom members and our At-large delegate.

A quorum for our Lehigh Valley group meetings depends on the number attending the meeting, not just the number of ExCom members.

Conservation report (Matt MacConnell)

  • Buck Mountain #2 site: Matt reviewed his efforts to use limestone to raise the pH of acid mine drainage and precipitate toxic aluminum. A leak in the pipe system needs to be corrected.
  • Ricky Park: Matt explained that there is an unspent remaining balance of $3,900 that had been allocated for water and air quality monitoring. He requested that these leftover funds be used to establish two exhibits at Ricky Park. One would be a honey bee hive exhibit, and the other would be a tree-ring exhibit. A motion to reallocate the leftover funds as requested was passed unanimously. More plants are to be planted in late August.

Renewable energy: (Brian Hillard): Brian reported that the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) is still working on their Climate Action Plan, and Allentown will establish an EAC.

Group Webpage (Nanci McGonigal): Nanci has signed up for additional training in September. She wants to post links for the water quality monitoring probes, and wants information about the Pedestrian Bridge project. Doug said that Bethlehem City has gotten eight proposals and is forming a team to do preliminary reviews. Bethlehem has $140,000 dedicated to the Bridge.

Other issues:

  • The National Sierra Club is focusing on social justice issues; Executive Director Michael Brune is reorganizing the Sierra Club.
  • Utilities are pushing net metering, which has an impact on low income people.
  • Diane Rudolf will send Matt pictures of the little brown bats in the attic of her house. She is getting estimates for bats relocation. Don asked Diane to work with Matt on a bat project.
  • Someone (in addition to Diane) went to Illick’s Mill tonight expecting the meeting to be there. Illick’s Mill must be removed from meeting notices.
  • Should we pay for a one year Zoom account to avoid the 40 minute limit on free accounts?
  • Matt will host a real time Water Quality Monitoring Demonstration on September 1.

 Our next meeting will be on September 14, 2020.

Minutes by Marilyn Jordan