Swarthmore Is Ready for 100
In a crisp half-hour meeting on Monday, Swarthmore Borough Council acted on several matters that promise to make the borough a healthier place to live. With several members of the Sierra Club‘s team in attendance, Council adopted Resolution 2019 -05 - Sierra Club Ready for 100. This resolution commits Swarthmore to join hundreds of other U.S. municipalities in resolving to attain 100% renewable electricity use in all homes, businesses, and government buildings within the borough (not just municipal government) by 2030. Further, Council resolves that transportation, heating and cooling energy will all be generated by renewable sources by 2050. Swarthmore’s Environmental Advisory Council is charged with guiding formation of a committee by next April to create an energy transition plan. Swarthmore joins dozens of southeastern Pennsylvania cities and towns which have adopted RF100 resolutions in varying forms.
The borough approved two contracts with Bartlett Tree Experts, pending Bartlett’s acceptance of one modification. Under the first, Bartlett will conduct and maintain an inventory of street trees in the borough, including those on private land, for a fee of $22,260. The second entails a “level two” assessment of trees on borough property, providing insight into the health and anticipated lifespan of these trees, as a cost of $5,490. The tree inventory and assessment contract represents the fruition of months of conversation among council members, as well as the leadership of Environment committee chair Lauren McKinney.
Several appointments were made to the Swarthmore Human Relations Commission. Jennifer TerMaat will fill the unexpired term of George Huber through December 2019, and then be eligible to begin a new term. Jasmeet Ahuja and Melissa Kennedy were appointed to terms running through 2022. General Government chair Sarah Graden said: “Municipalities in our area … have been confronted with issues of hate and bias. I’m proud to be part of the effort to expand the HRC to help us navigate some of these issues.”
Photo courtesy of Occasionally Yours.
Mayor Marty Spiegel congratulated Scott and Theresa Richardson on the reopening of Occasionally Yours in upgraded style, as their 30th year celebration continues. He also thanked organizers Anita Barrett and Will Paynter, among others, for making Thursday Night Live a success again this year, and noted several upcoming events in the Town Center. Next weekend brings the Fine Art and Crafts Festival on Saturday, September 21, and HEADstrong Foundation’s 5K Run and Walk on Sunday. This Friday evening, the Swarthmore Co-op’s food truck-a-thon takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. at Swarthmore’s Central Park.
Borough manager Jane Billings noted that with several festive events planned this fall on borough property, Swarthmore has gotten guidance from its solicitor and its insurance company on best practices and indemnification. The insurer has recommended (and the borough agreed to) a policy whereby persons serving alcohol at events on borough property would be required to undertake two-hour online RAMP training, as required of bartenders and others serving alcohol commercially in Pennsylvania.
