POLC NEWS

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 10/07/2009

Committee Reports:

Technical Committee

·        POLC will have a display booth at the Oct. 10 Schuylkill River Festival. 

·        POLC is working with Macungie Borough, Lehigh Co. in upgrading their lighting ordinance. 

·        Discussed an IDA news release regarding the ill-effects of the blue light of LED and induction lighting on the environment. 

·        Discussed concerns with a Sylvania LED retrofit for “acorn” luminaires. 

Website

·        Site experienced a record level of visitors in September for this year. 

Old Business

International Energy Conservation Code

·        Action is being taken to ask several State legislators to request that the PA Department of Labor & Industry amend the International Energy Conservation Code to require the use of fully-shielded luminaires.  Six legislators have been contacted but the Harrisburg budget preoccupation continues to be a problem to getting positive action. 

Good Lighting Award

·        It was agreed to submit POLC’s lighting criteria to several manufacturer’s representatives to solicit award candidates. 

New Business

Lighting Retail Stores

·        A discussion was held on the advisability of working with lighting retailers to familiarize them with good lighting concepts so they can be better informed when helping consumers. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 09/02/2009

Committee Reports:

Technical Committee

·        Plumstead Township published in their summer newsletter a dark-skies article that had been drafted by POLC. 

·        Tilden Township, Berks Co., sent a note of gratitude for POLC’s help in drafting their recently passed lighting ordinance. 

·        POLC has been invited to meet with the Macungie Borough, Lehigh Co., Planning Commission to discuss upgrading their lighting ordinance. 

·        POLC will be represented in a Regional Parks and Recreation Plan session held by the Federation of Northern Chester County Communities. 

Website

·        Site experienced a reduced level of activity during August but still higher than August of ‘08. 

Old Business

International Energy Conservation Code

·        Action is being taken to ask several State legislators to request of the PA Department of Labor & Industry amend the International Energy Conservation Code to require the use of fully-shielded luminaires. 

New Business

LED Update

·        LEDs are growing in efficacy and popularity but they are not the answer to all lighting applications.

·        The biggest problem to overcome is heat buildup, which if not properly dissipated, reduces lamp efficacy and shortens lamp life.

·        LEDs don’t burn out, they just keep getting dimmer.  At the time when the light output of the luminaire fails to produce sufficient light, they must be replaced. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 08/05/2009

Committee Reports:

Technical Committee

·        POLC has forwarded suggestions to Upper Milford Twp, Lehigh Co. for enhancing their lighting ordinance. 

·        Tilden Township, Berks Co., has approved a new lighting ordinance, which was drafted with the help of the POLC

·        POLC is assisting Valley Township, Chester Co., in upgrading their lighting ordinance. 

·        POLC has offered to assist Macungie Borough, Lehigh Co. in upgrading their lighting ordinance. 

·        POLC is assisting East Cocalico’s planner in an upgrade of their lighting ordinance. 

Website

·        Site experienced a continued high level of activity during the month. 

Old Business

Pa Planning Assn Annual Conference

·        POLC will not be participating in APA’s 2009 conference.

International Energy Conservation Code

·        A discussion was held on pursuing the possibility of having the State Code amended to mandate the need for full-cutoff lighting.  An attempt will be made to determine the best course of action. 

Good Lighting Award

·        POLC will continue to seek candidates for the Good Lighting Award

New Business

Table-Top Presentations

·        Two story boards, one for homeowners and one for amateur astronomers, were judged for adequacy and suggestions made for their enhancement. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, September 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 06/03/2009

Committee Reports:

Technical Committee

·        IECC – Leo Smith, IDA Northeast Region VP suggested that PA consider applying for an amendment to the 2006 PA-adopted version of the International Energy Conservation Code.  The amendment would require full-cutoff lighting and as a state document would supersede any local lighting ordinances of a less stringent nature.  The POLC will pursue the matter. 

·        Several PA municipalities have requested and are receiving assistance in upgrading their lighting requirements. 

·        Outreach responses to several concerned citizens across the state were discussed. 

Website

·        Site experienced a continued high level of activity during the month. 

Old Business

Lancaster County Workshop

·        The 04/29/09 workshop was judged to be a success.  POLC is currently working with several of the attending municipalities in upgrading their lighting ordinance. 

Southern Chester County Workshop

·        The 05/12/09 workshop was judged to be a success.  Among the 26 attendees were officials from 8 municipalities plus engineers and planners. 

New Business

Table-Top Presentations

·        A discussion was held on how to improve the impact of the POLC table-top presentation. 

Moving Forward

Alliances

·        It was agreed that the POLC would reach out to regional, state and national environmental agencies to gain their support on lighting issues. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 05/06/2009

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC will hold a Municipal Workshop in Southern Chester County on 05/12.

·        POLC will have a display at the London Grove Green Fair on 05/16.

·        POLC has applied to make a presentation at the PPA Annual Conference in King of Prussia. Oct. 4 – 6

Technical Committee

·        A briefing on Lightfair 2009 at Javits Center in NYC was provided.  The show was almost exclusively dominated by LED sources and luminaires of all types, indoor and outdoor.  Advancing technology is reducing some of the concerns regarding component life and heat. 

·        Outreach responses to several concerned citizens across the state were discussed. 

Website

·        Site experienced a record number of hits during the month. 

·        Work on further site upgrade continues. 

Old Business

Green Valleys Assn. Envirofest

·        Participation in the 05/02/09 environmental fair was judged to be a success. 

Lancaster County Workshop

·        The 04/29/09 workshop was judged to be a success.  Positive feedback was received. 

Southern Chester County Workshop

·        An attempt will be made to shorten up the presentations a bit to stay within the 1.5 hour time frame. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 04/01/2009

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC will have a display at BCAAS Earth Day table at River Front Park in Reading on 04/19.

·        POLC will hold a Municipal Workshop in Lancaster County on 04/29.

·        POLC will have a display at Green Valleys Assn. Envirofest on 05/02.

·        There will be a Municipal Workshop in Southern Chester County on 05/12.

·        POLC will have a display at the London Grove Green Fair on 05/16.

·        POLC has applied to make a presentation at the PPA Annual Conference in King of Prussia. Oct. – 6

Technical Committee

·        The IDA/IES MLO is out for public review.  Comments due back by 04/10

·        Outreach responses to several concerned citizens across the state were discussed. 

Website

·        Site visit activity continues at a strong pace. 

·        Work on further site upgrade continues. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

Lancaster County Workshop

·        Municipalities have been notified and publicity is being planned

Southern Chester County Workshop

·        Municipalities will be notified of the event during the week of 04/06

Earth Hour

·        The following media publicity for POLC and Earth Hour was obtained:

Pottstown Mercury
Reading Eagle
WFMZ Channel 69
Daily Local News

·        POLC was successful in getting the following Earth Hour proclamations passed:

City of Reading
Chester County commissioners
Pottstown Borough Council
North Coventry Township
East Vincent Township
Spring Township
Exeter Township
Maidencreek Township
Charlestown Township
Willistown Township
West Chester Borough
Lower Pottsgrove
Federation of Northern Chester County Communities
West Chester University
Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee

New Business

LEDs

·        Mary Sue Wiedmer, representing Khatod Optoelectronic, provided a summary of current LED technology and the various worldwide sources of LEDs.  Khatod manufactures lenses and optical systems for LEDs.  She demonstrated how various light beams and color temperatures could be achieved using Khatod products and described various commercially available lighting fixtures using LED sources.  The advantages of LEDs over other light sources, e.g., efficacy and lamp life, were considered. 

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant

·        Jim McTish described this environmental funding opportunity

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 03/04/2009

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC will have a display at BCAAS Earth Day table at River Front Park in Reading on 04/19.

·        POLC will hold a Municipal Workshop in Lancaster County on 04/29.

·        POLC will have a display at Green Valleys Assn. Envirofest on 05/02.

·        There will be a Municipal Workshop in Southern Chester County on 05/12.

·        POLC will have a display at the London Grove Green Fair on 05/16.

Technical Committee

·        The POLC attended attend a meeting of the Tilden Township, Berks County Planning Commission on 02/17 to support the revising their lighting ordinance. 

·        The IDA/IES MLO is out for public comment.

·        Outreach responses to several concerned citizens across the state were discussed. 

Website

·        Site visit activity continues at a strong pace. 

·        Work on further site upgrade continues. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

·        The two candidate facilities, Twin Valley Elementary School and Hamburg Middle School were inspected and rejected because they did not meet POLC criteria.  Other candidates will be pursued. 

Lancaster County Workshop

·        Assignments were made to publicize this 04/29 program. 

Southern Chester County Workshop

·        Assignments were made to publicize this 05/12 program

Earth Hour

·        Past, present and future publicity for this 03/28 event was discussed, including a feature article in the Pottstown Mercury. 

New Business

International Year of Astronomy

·        Actions being taken by various astronomy clubs were discussed.

·        It was decided that the POLC would not take a prominent role in IYA

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 02/04/2009

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC will hold a Municipal Workshop in Lancaster County on 04/29

·        There will be a Municipal Workshop in Southern Chester County on 05/12.

·        POLC will have a display at the London Grove Green Fair on 05/16.

·        A recent Science Journal article on the connection between light at night and prostate cancer was discussed. 

Technical Committee

·        The POLC will attend a meeting of the Tilden Township, Berks County Planning Commission on 02/17 to offer support in revising their lighting ordinance. 

·        Outreach responses to several concerned citizens across the state were discussed. 

Website

·        Site visit activity continues at a strong pace. 

·        Work on further site upgrade continues. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

·        Several candidates for receiving a good-lighting award were discussed and will be checked out for compliance with award criteria.  Publicity assistance from the Reading Eagle will be pursued. 

New Business

Election of Officers and Board Members

·        The following officers were elected for 2009:

President: Stan Stubbe
Vice President: Sandy Goodstein
Treasurer: Barry Johnson
Secretary: Barb. Geigle

·        In addition to the current Board members Sandy Goodstein, Barry Johnson, Jim McTish and Stan Stubbe; Barb. Geigle, Bill McGeeney and Kathy Buczynski were elected to the Board. 

International Year of Astronomy and EarthHour

·        It was agreed that the POLC would participate in the celebration of EarthHour again this year.  Sample resolutions will be local municipalities and other promotions will be planned. 

·        Participation in IYA has not yet been determined. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and get involved, learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 12/03/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC submitted a pre-application to the PA Department of Environmental Protection for an educational grant to develop an anti-light pollution program for school presentation. 

·        A recent Reading Eagle article on light pollution was discussed.

·        A recent article in the Pottstown Mercury featuring POLC member Jim McTish and his light-pollution class at the Owen J. Roberts School District was discussed. 

Technical Committee

·        Representatives from POLC attended the November meeting of the Tilden Township Planning Commission to offer support in revising their sign ordinance to control light pollution. 

·        A description of the new lighting fixture classification system, BUG was presented.  In the design of lighting fixture installations, lighting fixture manufacturers will provide photometric values that will facilitate taking into account the impact of output from the Back of the fixture, Uplight and output in the Glare zone.  The previously used cutoff classifications are being phased out. 

Website

·        Site visit activity continues at a strong pace. 

·        Work on further site upgrade continues. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

·        The discussion continued on developing a Good-Lighting Award program.  It was agreed that the Berks County Amateur Astronomical Society would be used as the pilot.  Several candidate installations were discussed.  Among the selection criteria will be zero off-site glare, automatic shut off, adequate lighting per IES recommended practices and all fixtures fully shielded.  A publicity program will be developed with the local media. 

Lancaster County Municipal Workshop

·        The date for the workshop has been set for April 29, 2009 at the Lancaster County Nature Center.  The space deposit has been sent in. 

New Business

Recognition of Member Contribution in 2008

·        A listing of some of the ways members contributed during 2008 was distributed and the members were thanked for their support. 

·        For the second consecutive year, Barry Johnson received a certificate of recognition for his excellent support to the organization, which, among other things, included participation in 3 county ordinance workshops and the PPA workshop, his role as Treasurer and Webmaster and 100% Board attendance. 

Evaluation of 2008 Activities

·        The list of 2008 accomplishments and activities was evaluated and rated. 

Goal Setting for 2009

·        A list of 11 program types for 2009 was considered.  The municipal workshops were rated as top priorities.  

Meeting Schedule for 2009

·        A meeting schedule was distributed.  All meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

Click here for a PDF version of the December 3, 2008 meeting notes

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 11/05/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC made a presentation at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Planning Assn. on 10/13 in Pittsburgh. 

·        POLC had a display table at the Exton Mall Environmental Festival on 10 17 & 18.

·        A municipal workshop is being planned for Lancaster Co in April of ‘09. 

·        POLC applied to make a presentation at the PA Land Conservation Conference at State College 05/09/09. 

·        The dark-sky article in the November National Geographic magazine and an article on POLC activities in IDA’s NiteNet were reviewed and discussed. 

Technical Committee

·        Work on the Code Enforcement Course continues

Website

·        Strong site activity continues. 

·        Work on the interim site is almost completed. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

·        A discussion was held on the merits of having a contest for PA astronomy clubs whereby they would be asked to select a lighting installation in their area that they thought to be of sufficient quality to merit publicity.  It was agreed that a local pilot would help to work on publicity issues. 

Lancaster County Municipal Workshop

·        The date for the workshop has been set for April 29, 2009 at the Lancaster County Nature Center.  The main topic of discussion was how to optimize publicity for maximum attendance. 

DEP Grant

·        The DEP pre-application grant request for environmental educational funds in 2009 was reviewed and edited. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

Click here for a PDF version of the November 5, 2008 meeting notes

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 10/01/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC had an article about its Potter County lighting workshop published in IDA’s Nightscape magazine. 

·        During the Black Forest Star Party on 09/06 at Cherry Springs State Park, POLC presented a plaque to Cherry Springs State Park Manager Chip Harrison and his wife, Maxine, in recognition of their efforts in preserving the park’s dark skies through stringent lighting practices.  The award resulted in some positive publicity in local and state press.    

·        POLC had a booth at the Willistown Environmental Festival in Chester Co. on 9/20.

·        POLC made a light-pollution presentation on 09/26 at the Clarence Shook Environmental Center near Mt. Gretna.

·        POLC will make a presentation at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Planning Assn. on 10/13 in Pittsburgh. 

·        POLC will have a display table at the Exton Mall Environmental Festival on 10/18.

·        A municipal workshop is being planned for April 29 or 30 at F&M in Lancaster Co. 

·        POLC applied to make a presentation at the PA Land Conservation Conference at State College in early April of ‘09. 

·        POLC applied to make a presentation at the annual Schuylkill Watershed Congress in May of ’09. 

Outreach

·        Amateur astronomer in New Philadelphia Borough, Schuylkill County, requested information on combating light pollution in his community. 

·        Municipality of Scottdale requested light-pollution help.   

Website

·        Second highest month of site activity ever. 

Old Business

Good Lighting Award

·        A discussion was held on the merits of having a contest for PA astronomy clubs whereby they would be asked to select a lighting installation in their area that they thought to be of sufficient quality to merit publicity.  The concept will be further discussed at the next meeting. 

New Business

Newspaper Article

·        A discussion was held on the merits of creating an article on good outdoor lighting practices for homeowners for publication in newspapers statewide.  The concept will be further discussed at the next meeting. 

DEP Grant

·        POLC will submit a grant to DEP for educational funds in 2009

LED Lighting

·        A discussion was held on the current state of outdoor lighting using LED sources.  Concerns were expressed with respect to whether the time is right to recommend their use. 

CFL Disposal

·        An article was read regarding an announcement by Home Depot that their stores are now accepting burned-out compact fluorescent lamps for proper disposal. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 09/03/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        POLC made a light-pollution presentation at the DVAA meeting on 08/08.

·        POLC provided an update to the Chesmont Astronomical Society on 08/17. 

·        POLC will have a booth at the Willistown Environmental Festival, Goshen Rd. and South Warren Ave. in Chester Co., from 11:00 – 4:00 on 9/20.

·        A presentation will be made to the Pennsylvania Planning Assn – 10/13, Pittsburgh. 

·        A municipal workshop is being planned for April 29 or 30 at F&M in Lancaster Co. 

·        Applied to make a presentation at the PA Land Conservation Conference at State College in early April of ‘09. 

Technical

·        Springfield Township, Bucks Co. – Supervisor requested review of their lighting ordinance.  POLC sent list of deficiencies and suggested changes. 

·        Middlesex Township, Cumberland Co. – Township Engineer asked for review of their draft lighting ordinance.  Provided comments. 

·        Natural Lands Trust – Requested input for revision to their Growing Greener document. 

·        Lycoming County – Discussing possible municipal workshop there. 

Old Business

Cherry Springs State Park Award

·        The award plaque to be presented by Barb Geigle on behalf of the POLC to Chip and Max Harrison at the Black Forest Star Party at Cherry Springs State Park on September 6 was inspected. 

·        The press release regarding the presentation was reviewed and readied for distribution. 

Good Lighting Award

·        A brief discussion was held on selecting a candidate for a good-lighting award. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 08/06/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·                    A presentation will be made to the Pennsylvania Planning Assn – 10/13, Pittsburgh.

Membership

·        No responses have been received from the astronomy clubs in the Penn State area.

Technical

·        Mahoning Township, Carbon County – provided lighting requirements information to township supervisor. 

·        Cherry Springs State Park – Sent draft dark-sky lighting ordinance to the Harrisons for their review. 

·        Highland Township, Chester County – Attended Township planning commission meeting and agreed to work with them to create an effective lighting ordinance. 

Website Report

·                    Site activity continues to grow. 

Old Business

Cherry Springs State Park Award

·                    It was agreed that a plaque recognizing the Harrison’s efforts to protect the night sky should be prepared. 

·                    Barb Geigle will present the plaque at the Black Forest Star Party on September 6. 

Next County Workshop

·                    The next county lighting workshop will be held in Lancaster County, possibly at F&M.  The selected dates would be Wednesday, April 29 or Thursday, April 30 of ‘09. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 07/02/2008

Committee Reports:

Education/Publicity

·        A light-pollution presentation was made to the Birdsboro Rotary Club.

·        A presentation will be made to the Pennsylvania Planning Assn – 10/13, Pittsburgh.

Membership

·        No responses have been received from the astronomy clubs in the Penn State area.

Technical

·        Working on a recommendation for a competitively priced full-cutoff barnyard light for use by homeowners. 

·        Nockamixon Township has adopted a revised lighting ordinance.  This grew out of the 2007 Bucks County Lighting Workshop.

·        Highland Township, Chester County, has requested a meeting to consider a revision to their lighting ordinance. 

Website Report

·        Site activity reached a record level in June.  Preparations are in process to launch the revised website format. 

Old Business

Potter County Workshop

·        The 06/25 workshop in Coudersport was discussed.  Among the approximately 26 attendees were 3 county commissioners, several county planners, municipal supervisors and planners, municipal managers and newspaper reporters.  

·        Maxine Harrison arranged for publicity for the event, solicited attendees, secured the meeting room, arranged for refreshments, had a display table of related information and distributed certificates of attendance.  Her support and enthusiasm were invaluable. 

·        An informative comment and question period followed the presentation. 

·        There is a need to develop a lighting ordinance specifically for communities within or near to dark-sky sites. 

Code Enforcement Officer Lighting Workshop

·        The Code Enforcement Officer Lighting Workshop course outline has been completed but the course manual has yet to be started.  Concerns were cited about covering the cost of the manuals.  Suggestions of charging for the course or applying for a grant were discussed but no conclusions drawn. 

New Business

Next County Workshop

·        It was agreed that the next county workshop would be in Lancaster County and might be situated to cover both Lancaster and York or perhaps just Lancaster County.  The selected dates would be Wednesday, April 29 or Thursday, April 30.  An appropriate venue will be sought. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, August 6, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting and to have questions answered.

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 06/04/2008

Committee Reports

Education/Publicity Committee

·            POLC participated in the following events:

5/10 – West Chester Astronomy Day, Hoopes Park
5/29 – Lehigh County Lighting Workshop

·            POLC will be participating in the following events:
6/25 – Potter County Lighting Workshop
10/13 – Pennsylvania Planning Assn. Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh

Technical Committee

·            Tinicum Township., Bucks County, has POLC model lighting ordinance.  Brings the total to 33 model ordinances enacted. 

·            Nockamixon Township will be voting on adopting POLC’s model lighting ordinance at their June meeting. 

·            A lighting industry white paper on whether LED area lighting is ready for prime time was discussed, the conclusion being that it is not. 

Website

·            Barry Johnson provided May website visitation statistics.  Activity continues at a good pace.

Old Business

County Programs

·            The Lehigh County workshop was critiqued.  It was well attended and participants requesting copies of the presentations were notified of the file locations.  Several notes of positive feedback were read. 

·            The Potter County workshop will be held on June 25th. At the Gospel Tabernacle Church in Coudersport, PA.  A lengthy discussion was held on how to modify the standard county workshop presentation to make it more relevant to the Cherry Springs State Park area needs.  The Pennsylvania Wilds Design Guide will be used to serve as a focal point for the presentation.  IDA will be asked for brochure copies for handouts. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 05/07/2008

Committee Reports

Education/Publicity Committee

·            POLC participated in the following events:

4/20 – Earth Day, Centre Park, Reading

4/26 – Sierra Club, West Chester

5/3 – Green Valleys Assn, Envirofest

5/3 – Warwick Park Earth Day
5/6 – Lancaster Conservancy Presentation

·            POLC will be participating in the following events:
5/10 – West Chester Astronomy Day, Hoopes Park
5/29 – Lehigh County Lighting Workshop
6/25 – Potter County Lighting Workshop
10/13 – Pennsylvania Planning Assn. Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh

Membership Committee

·            Sent CD containing promotional materials to ORAS liaison John O’Hara. 

Technical Committee

·            Warwick Township, Chester County, adopted the POLC Model Ordinance, bring the total to 32. 

Website

·            Barry Johnson provided April website visitation statistics.  Activity continues at a good pace.

·            Bill McGeeney discussed and demonstrated the latest phase in the planned site upgrade.  The transition to the new format should occur within 2 months. 

Old Business

County Programs

·            The Lehigh County workshop will be held on May 29th at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center. 

·            The Potter County workshop will be held on June 25th. At the Gospel Tabernacle Church in Coudersport, PA. 

Event Critiques

·            The year-to-date events in which the POLC participated were discussed.  The value of further participating in the Warwick Park Earth Day event was questioned.  Otherwise the events were viewed positively. 

Publicity

·            A discussion was held on the advisability of contacting a college to find a communications student to serve as an intern to generate publicity for POLC.

·            A discussion was held on creating pod casts on light pollution. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 04/06/2008

Committee Reports

Education/Publicity Committee

·            The following events have been scheduled in which POLC will participate:

4/20 – Earth Day, Centre Park, Reading

4/26 – Sierra Club, West Chester

5/3 – Green Valleys Assn, Envirofest

5/3 – Warwick Park Earth Day
5/6 – Lancaster Conservancy Presentation
5/10 – West Chester Astronomy Day, Hoopes Park

Membership Committee

·            Still awaiting response from Pittsburgh and Central PA astronomy clubs with POLC liaison names. 

Technical Committee

·            Revised version of the POLC model zoning ordinance has been posted on the website.

Website

·            Barry Johnson provided March website visitation statistics.  Activity continues to increase.

·            Bill McGeeney discussed and demonstrated the latest phase in the planned site upgrade.  The transition to the new format should occur within 2 months. 

Old Business

County Programs

·            Jim McTish reported on the POLC’s municipal workshops.

·            The Berks County workshop will be held on April 29th at the Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center in Reading. 

·            The Lehigh County workshop will be held on May 29th at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center. 

·            The Potter County workshop will be held on June 25th.  The time and location have not yet been established. 

POLC Banner

·            The recently purchased display banner was viewed and discussed. 

Residential Brochure

·            The final version of the POLC’s hand-out brochure for residents has been put up on the website.

·            A 4-page draft narrative on residential lighting has been put on the website. 

Earth Hour

·            Despite a considerable expenditure of energy to get publicity for the event, Earth Hour on March 29^th was not an overwhelming success.  North Coventry and West Vincent Townships passed resolutions marking the event and mention was made of it in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Pottstown Mercury.  Plans for ’09 were discussed. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry Township, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited to come and learn about good lighting. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 03/05/2008

Committee Reports

Membership Committee

·    Oil Region Astronomical Society has selected John O’Hara to serve as liaison to the POLC.  AAAP is in the process of soliciting a liaison candidate.  So far no response has been received from Central PA Observers. 

·    Bill McGeeney posted an invitation in the Pottstown Mercury to attend POLC meetings. 

Technical Committee

·    Code enforcement officer workshop program narrative has been drafted and is being reviewed.  .

·    Revision of the zoning ordinance version of POLC’s model ordinance is being subjected to final review.

·    Reviewed Philadelphia Premium Outlets installed site lighting in Limerick, Montco, for compliance with township’s ordinance. 

·    Working on Conservation Toolbox for lighting ordinances.

Website

·    Barry Johnson provided February website visitation statistics.

·    Bill McGeeney discussed and demonstrated the planned site upgrading. 

Old Business

County Programs

  Jim McTish reported on the POLC’s municipal workshops.

·            The Berks County workshop will be held on April 29^th at the Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center in Reading.

·            The Lehigh County workshop will be held on May 29^th at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center.  Some details are still pending. 

·            The Potter County workshop will be held in June.  The time and location have not yet been established. 

Other Programs

                  The POLC will have table-top displays at the following functions:

·    Green Valleys Association’s Envirofest, 05/03

·    Warwick Park’s Outdoor Fest, 05/03

·    Earth Day, Sierra Club of Chester County, West Chester 4/26

POLC Banner

·    It was agreed to place an order for a 30” x 96” display banner with POLC logo and “PA Outdoor Lighting Council” text at an estimated cost of $170. 

Residential Brochure

·    The final version of the POLC’s hand-out brochure for residents passed out and will be put on the website.

·    It was agreed that funds would be sought to cover the cost of full-color versions. 

·    A 4-page draft narrative will be finalized and put on the website. 

Earth Hour

·    Barb Geigle reported that BCAAS is planning a program in Wyomissing, Berks County, to mark the occasion. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited. 

POLC Board Meeting Notes - 02/06/2008

Committee Reports

Membership Committee

·    Letters requesting assignment of a liaison to work with the POLC have been sent to Amateur Astronomers Assn. of Pittsburgh, Oil Region Astronomical Society and Central PA Observers.  

·    Bill McGeeney has posted an invitation to attend POLC meetings, on Craig’s List. 

Technical Committee

·    Development of the code enforcement officer workshop program is progressing.

·    Revision of the zoning ordinance version of POLC’s model ordinance is being subjected to final review.

Website

·    The POLC website is being subjected to a complete upgrade, under the direction of Barry Johnson and Bill McGeeney. 

Old Business

County Programs

·            Jim McTish reported that in addition to DEP, DCNR has signed on to support POLC’s municipal workshops.

·            The Berks County workshop will be held on April 29^th at the Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center in Reading.

·            The Lehigh County workshop will be held on May 29^th at the Lower Macungie Township Community Center.

·            The Potter County workshop will be held in June.  The time and location have not yet been established. 

Other Programs

·    The POLC will have a booth at the Green Valleys Association’s Envirofest and Warwick Park’s Outdoor Fest, both on 05/03

·    Earth Hour and National Dark-Sky Week – The POLC explored ways to participate in the two events. 

POLC Banner

·    Kathy Buczynski displayed the CCAS banner as an example of the type of banner that might be suitable for the POLC.  It was agreed that a white field and dark blue message would be the best choice. 

Residential Brochure

·    A draft version of the POLC’s hand-out brochure for residents was discussed and enhancements made.  At least initially, it will be produced in black and white. 

Next Meeting:

The next POLC meeting will be on Wednesday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the National Penn Bank, Bucktown Branch, Community Room, 1111 Ridge Rd., South Coventry, Chester Co., PA., 19465.  The public is invited.