Zachary Barner

The meeting included board elections for the roles of Chair, Vice Chair, and Co-Secretary. Updates covered additional grant funding for Route 30 improvements, land owner outreach by the Open Space Committee, completion of township acquisitions, and updates on the Pros Plan and Open Space map. Other updates concerned the Holiday Lights Contest results, details for the upcoming Gift Card Bingo event, status updates on the Ridley Springs Master Planning Group, the Chuck Barbera Dedication Ceremony, planning for Bacton Hill Phase 2, and the tentative line-up for the Summer Concert Series. Key business discussions involved a motion to increase Summer Camp pricing for residents and non-residents to account for increased expenditures, planning for America 250 events including potential collaborations and an outdoor screening of a Ken Burns documentary, tentative scheduling for Community Day, and budgeting for Parks & Recreation advertisements.

The meeting included an update on actions taken since the last session, noting no new information regarding the Bishop Tube, Malvern TCE, or Foote Mineral sites. For preparation for the next meeting, members were assigned research tasks to determine the current status of the Foote Mineral site, the Malvern TCE site, and the Bishop Tube site. New business involved a follow-up action regarding an inquiry from the Charlestown Environmental Advisory Council.

The Board's agenda included several key actions and updates. Board Briefings covered Executive Sessions from January 14, 2026, updates on Grant Awards, Park & Recreation, Open Space Program purchases, and Fire/EMS matters. Motions and Resolutions addressed personnel actions, including the appointment of an Emergency Management Coordinator, ratification of promotions for Captain and Firefighter/EMT ranks, and the swearing-in of new officers. The Board also approved amendments to an Intermunicipal Agreement, appointed members to the Ridley Springs Farm Master Planning Committee, approved a member for the Environmental Advisory Committee, and accepted several engineering service proposals from Bowman for sidewalk connections and a Green Light Go Grant project. Financial actions included approving a resolution naming additional bank depositories, purchasing a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe, and approving a contract for Access Control and Video Surveillance. A significant item was the approval of a Settlement Agreement related to the decommissioning of the Malvern Hunt Wastewater Treatment System. The agenda also covered advertising the 2026 Road Paving Project, adopting Ordinance #375 (2021 UCC), and rendering decisions on several land development and conditional use applications, including those for 52 E. Swedesford Road and 370 Lancaster Avenue. The Consent Agenda for this meeting approved the payment of bills, accepted the Treasurer Report, approved an amended Natural Lands Proposal, and ratified AED purchases.

The meeting commenced with the swearing-in of Clinton Smith for a Township Supervisor term (2026-2031). Key organizational actions included the unanimous approval of nominations for the Chairman of the Board (Scott Lambert), Vice Chair of the Board (Peter Fixler), Delegate to the State Convention of PA Association of Township Supervisors (Mr. Fixler), and Representative to the East Whiteland Township Volunteer Fire Association Board of Directors (Steve Brown). The Board also resolved to appoint various staff and consultants per Resolution 1-2026, and made numerous appointments to Boards and Commissions, including the Environmental Advisory Council, Historical Commission, Open Space, Park & Recreation, Pension Board, Planning Commission, and Zoning Hearing Board. Furthermore, resolutions were passed concerning emergency service providers, local service tax collection, adoption of the 2026 Fee Schedule, guidelines for road dedication acceptance, appointment of delegates to the Chester County Tax Collection Committee, naming of bank depositories for Township Funds, authorized drivers for Township Vehicles, adoption of the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Emergency Operations Plan, and the adoption of the 2026 Holiday Schedule. The Board also established the Surety Bond amounts for the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, and set the 2026 meeting schedule for various committees and boards.

The meeting included Board Briefings regarding updates on two grant awards: $100,000 for stormwater management improvements and ADA parking enhancements at Down East Park (LSA grant), and $191,871 for traffic signal upgrades and ADA improvements at the intersection of Route 30 and Conestoga Road (Green Light Go grant). The Parks & Recreation Department reported an upcoming increase in fee schedules for rentals and planning for the summer season, with summer camp registration opening in February. A key update involved the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in December 2025, which upheld the $55 million sale of the East Whiteland Township sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania. Board motions included approving participation in group insurance plans, the promotion of Captain Bryan Rachko to Deputy Fire Chief, and approving Resolution No. 14-2026 amending the Non-Uniform Defined Benefit Pension Plan. The board also approved advertising Ordinance #375 for the adoption of the 2021 UCC. A Conditional Use Hearing (CU-08-2025) concerning the introduction of "Workforce Housing" at 52 E. Swedesford Road was concluded, and the board unanimously approved a modification to the existing Conditional Use approval. Furthermore, the Board considered a request for a Letter of Support for Pennrose's proposal to redevelop 536 & 544 Lancaster Avenue into a 120-unit senior mixed-income apartment building, ultimately voting to sign the letter. An extension of time was approved until March 31, 2026, for a decision on Preliminary Land Development LD-03-2025 regarding 370 Lancaster Avenue. The consent agenda actions included approving minutes from December 10, 2025, ratifying a payment of $1,918,721.47, accepting the Treasurer Report, ratifying a petition to intervene in a merger proceeding before the PUC involving American Water and Aqua, and approving several expenditures including payment application #6 for the Streambank Project and the purchase of a new portable radio.