County highlights parks and sustainability updates; board approves contracts, appointments and routine business

Delaware County Council received updates June 4 from the county’s parks and recreation and sustainability offices, heard announcements about local projects and events, and approved several routine agenda items and appointments.

Councilmember Schaeffer described a contract on the meeting agenda for Geosyntec Consultants, a hydrologic and hydraulic‑modeling firm, saying the $129,000 agreement (fully funded by the William Penn Foundation) will provide technical assistance for the Darby/ Cobbs watershed in connection with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed Eastwick levee project. Schaeffer said the county and municipalities had raised concerns that a levee concept developed by the Army Corps could induce flooding in Delaware County by redirecting water away from Eastwick. “This contract is going to allow us to engage Geosynetc, who is a highly qualified consulting firm…they will attend levee related meetings, review the Army Corps' models, and provide technical reports to our municipalities,” Schaeffer said.

Anne Stauffer, interim director of the Delaware County Parks and Recreation Department, presented activity and attendance figures and outlined capital improvements, including a recently refreshed amphitheater and ADA‑accessible restrooms at Rose Tree Park. Stauffer said the parks department manages roughly 870 acres across 14 parks and reported record golf revenue in 2024 and strong attendance at festivals, while noting weather and other factors affect year‑to‑year totals.

Rebecca Jurkovich, director of the Office of Sustainability, updated council on the office’s activities since its 2021 founding, including joint renewable energy purchasing with neighboring counties, grant applications (the office reported applying for roughly $16.6 million and receiving approximately $4.12 million so far), recycling and composting initiatives at county facilities, and the upcoming sustainability conference scheduled June 9–14 with virtual sessions and an in‑person day in Tinicum Township.

Councilmembers also announced local events and projects: a groundbreaking for the Highland Avenue Trail Connector in Chester, the inaugural Delco 10 Miler on Sept. 28, the Rose Tree Summer Festival beginning June 11, a veterans resource fair on June 7, and Pride Month activities including a flag raising and parade in Media on June 7.

Votes at a glance: council approved routine and consent items recorded on the meeting agenda.

- Approval of minutes from the May 21, 2025 regular meeting (motion made and approved by voice vote). - Consent agenda items 8(a)–8(ab) (approved by voice vote). - Appointments to the Delaware County Economic Development Corporation: Gary Andrus (term ending 06/01/2028) and Brian Wilbert Cole (term ending 06/01/2030). Council amended agenda language to clarify terms before approval. - Request by the controller’s office for payment of current bills (approved). - Approval to file three consents for adoption with Orphans’ Court (approved).

Several items were discussed at the council’s pre‑agenda meeting; council members noted that any member may remove items from the consent agenda for separate consideration.

Councilmembers praised parks staff and volunteers for programming and maintenance work under constrained staffing levels and thanked sustainability staff for grant work and ongoing municipal outreach. No binding policy changes to parks or sustainability programs were adopted at the meeting; several members encouraged continued outreach and noted upcoming community events.

The Geosyntec contract and other agenda items mentioned by council were recorded on the meeting agenda and were included in the consent/regular business approvals during the session. Council directed staff to continue coordinating with municipalities and stakeholders on levee modeling and park programming.