Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Riparian Restoration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves Willows riparian restoration plan, pursues PHS maintenance grants
Summary
The Shade Tree Commission approved a bid-backed riparian restoration covering Abraham's Run and Little Darby Creek, to remove invasives, plant native trees/shrubs and apply for Pennsylvania Horticultural Society maintenance grants; funding to come from the commemorative shade tree fund with partial PHS reimbursement.
Frank Perez, presenting the Willows riparian restoration, told commissioners the project covers Abraham's Run, Little Darby Creek and a pond and that recent bids make it possible to do both sections. Perez said the work will remove invasive vegetation, plant native trees and shrubs and establish a multi-year maintenance plan involving public works, the Shade Tree Commission and volunteers.
Perez laid out the funding plan: the commission would use $30,000 from the commemorative shade tree fund, expect $9,600 to be reimbursed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), and pursue annual maintenance grants from PHS for the next several years. Perez said Gerard Landscaping is present and that the commission can procure both project sections within the grant scope. "We're gonna remove the invasive vegetation, plant a minimum of a 100 trees, 130 native bushes," Perez said; commissioners then moved to approve the plan and recorded a unanimous 'all in favor' vote.
The commission discussed implementation steps including contracting with Gerard, scheduling an initial mowing and ordering plant material, coordinating volunteer days in November and ensuring an ongoing maintenance plan beyond the initial work. Commissioners asked staff whether public-works equipment might reduce contractor costs; staff said some work could be done in-house but that certain steep embankment tasks will likely require a contractor.
