An Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Council (hereinafter
referred to as the "Council") is hereby established for East Goshen
Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
The purposes of the Council shall be to advise local governmental
agencies, including, but not limited to, the Board of Supervisors,
the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Board on matters
dealing with the protection, conservation, management, promotion,
acquisition, and use of natural resources including air, land, water,
and open space resources located within or affecting East Goshen Township.
In addition, the Council shall help develop, in partnership with the
Board of Supervisors, residents and businesses, a culture of environmental,
economic and social sustainability in East Goshen Township by utilizing
innovation, education, communication and comprehensive and strategic
planning.
The membership of the Council shall be as follows:
A. The Council shall be composed of between five and seven residents
of East Goshen Township who shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
B. The Board of Supervisors shall fill all vacancies. Appointments to
fill vacancies caused by death, resignation, removal, etc., shall
be filled for the balance of the unexpired term.
C. Whenever possible, one member of the Council shall also be a member
of the East Goshen Township Planning Commission.
D. Whenever possible, the East Goshen Parks and Recreation Board and
the Board of Supervisors shall each appoint a liaison to the Council
who shall attend the meetings of the Council but shall not be considered
a voting member of the Council.
Terms of office for members of the Council shall be as follows:
A. Members of the Council shall serve for a term of three years except
that the initial appointments shall be so staggered that approximately
1/3 of the membership shall expire each year, and the terms of their
successors shall be three years each.
B. Members' terms of office shall expire on the first Monday in
January following the last year of their term in office.
C. Members may resign at any time upon providing written notice to the
Board of Supervisors.
D. Members may be removed by the Board of Supervisors, with or without
the recommendation of a majority of the other members, for malfeasance
or neglect in the performance of their duties. Failure to attend either
three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings or four regularly scheduled
meetings during a twelve-month period shall constitute neglect in
the performance of their duties.
E. The Board of Supervisors shall appoint successors to members who
resign or are removed. Successors shall serve for the remaining term
of the former member or members.
Members of Council shall receive no compensation for their services,
but they may be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred
by them in the performance of their duties, provided that the expenses
have the prior approval of the Board of Supervisors.
The Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Council shall
have the following specific powers:
A. To identify environmental issues and concerns.
B. To recommend plans and programs to the Board of Supervisors for the
promotion and conservation of the natural resources and the protection
and improvement of the quality of the environment within East Goshen
Township.
C. To make recommendations as to the selection, acquisition, and use
of open space within East Goshen Township, when directed to do so
by the Board of Supervisors.
D. To promote a community environmental program.
E. To keep an index of all open space and environmentally sensitive
areas, publicly or privately owned, including, but not limited to,
flood-prone areas, wetlands, and other unique natural areas for the
purpose of obtaining information on the proper use of such areas.
F. To advise the Board of Supervisors and other Township agencies as
to the acquisition of property, both real and personal and rights
thereto, by gift, purchase, grant, bequest, easement, devise, or lease
in matters consistent with the purpose of the Council.
G. To consult with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,
the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Advisory Councils in
neighboring municipalities and other appropriate county, state, and
federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations on environmental
issues affecting East Goshen Township and its neighbors.
H. To advise the Board of Supervisors on issues of energy conservation.
I. To assist in the creation and maintenance of an environmental map
of the Township and the surrounding areas.
J. May be requested to review subdivision and land development plans
filed with the Township and provide comments and recommendations regarding
such plans to the Board of Supervisors.
K. To promote stream health by addressing issues such as water quality
and quantity, stormwater management, watershed restoration and protection,
and community involvement. Efforts include installation of riparian
buffers and creation of rain and bog gardens.
L. To make recommendations on the preservation of bird habitat.
M. To develop programs promoting healthy communities in East Goshen.
(East Goshen Township will not be held responsible for health concerns
of residents, this Council power notwithstanding.)
N. To propose policies and practices supporting diversity, equity and
inclusion.
O. To propose policies and practices for clean energy transportation.
P. To propose policies and practices regarding the local economy from
an environmental and sustainable perspective.
Q. To perform any other duties assigned to it by the Board of Supervisors
but not to exercise any powers or perform any duties which by law
are conferred or imposed upon a municipal agency.
The organization and meetings of the Council shall be as follows:
A. The Chair of the Council shall be appointed annually by the Board
of Supervisors. The Council may select its own Vice Chair and Secretary.
B. The Council shall meet at least monthly and at other times as directed
by the Board of Supervisors. Said meetings shall be advertised and
open to the public.
C. The Council shall keep written records (minutes) of its meetings
and activities and shall make an annual report to the Board of Supervisors
which shall be made known and available to the public.
Appropriations for the Council shall be as follows:
A. The Council will submit a proposed budget to the Board of Supervisors
during the regular Township budget process. In its sole discretion,
the Board of Supervisors may appropriate funds for expenses incurred
by the Council in accordance with the Township annual budget. Appropriations
may be expended for such administrative, clerical, printing, training,
and professional services, as well as material purchases, as may from
time to time be required and approved by the Board of Supervisors
and shall be within the limits of the annual budget. The whole or
any part of any funds so appropriated in any year may, with the approval
of the Board of Supervisors, be placed in a conservation fund and
allowed to accumulate from year to year or be expended in any year.
B. The Council may, with the consent of the Board of Supervisors, solicit
and utilize any funds, personnel, or other assistance made available
by Chester County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or the federal
government or any of its or their agencies, or from any other private
or public sources. No specific negotiations for funds, personnel or
materials will be finalized without the input and presence of this
Council's Board Liaison, Township Manager, or other designated
Township official.
C. Accounting for the receipt of such funds and for the expenditure
thereof shall be pursuant to such regulations as the Board of Supervisors
may adopt. Upon recommendation by the Council, the Board of Supervisors
may enter into agreements or contracts itself regarding the acceptance
or utilization of such funds or other assistance as may be available.
D. Funds awarded the Council as the result of grants or monies received
from any source outlined above and placed in a designated conservation
fund shall remain under the ownership of East Goshen Township and
the supervision of the Board of Supervisors at all times and may be
allowed to accumulate beyond the calendar year in which they were
acquired.