Dear West Goshen Residents,
As we head into the fall season, I hope that you look fondly upon the end of summer. I hope that you and your loved ones were able to take advantage of the long days of warm weather, but that you are now prepared to settle into the autumn season. West Goshen is beautiful in the fall. We are all so fortunate to live in Chester County, and I hope you take a moment this season to get outside and enjoy the cool weather and vibrant colors.
As many families begin to send their children back to school, preschool, daycare and other programs, and as we begin to slowly move indoors to embrace the hygge of autumn, with the excitement comes the need to take necessary precautions against COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses. While many of us have received our vaccines, it is still important to note that the contagious Delta variant is present in our community, and that our unvaccinated youth and immunocompromised residents are still at risk. I urge you to follow the latest guidance from the Chester County Health Department and from the CDC to protect yourself and those around you. At the Township building, and during all meetings in the building, masks are still mandatory and will remain so until transmission levels fall below moderate to substantial. If you have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 and against the seasonal flu, I encourage you to do so.
This month, our Board will also begin the process to review an ordinance that would ban plastic bags and straws in West Goshen Township. This ordinance will outline the specific plastic bag and straw regulations that are being proposed within the Township, and if approved by the Board, the ordinance will be advertised for a public hearing during which residents and members of the community are free to share their thoughts on the subject. As with any ordinance, it is important that we engage you, the residents, as much as possible through this process so that our Board can make an informed decision that will reflect the community’s values and needs. If, following the public hearing, the ordinance is approved by the Board of Supervisors, the transition to ban plastic bags and straws would be gradual, and would allow time for businesses and shoppers to adjust to the change. In conjunction with the Board, our Sustainability Advisory Committee has fully endorsed and driven this initiative. With this one simple change, we can further West Goshen on the path to becoming a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship. Our roads and streams will be cleaner, and our wildlife less burdened by the ever-growing effects of plastic pollution.
Our budget season is upon us, and I am committed to working with my fellow Board members and Township staff to bring West Goshen residents exceptional service while keeping costs down. The demands of our aging infrastructure and stormwater system remediation require the attention that has been lacking for the past 60 years. On August 11, the Township received roughly $1.2 million dollars in Federal aid through the American Rescue Plan Act. The Board will discuss these funds and their allocation during our regular meeting on September 21, and I encourage any resident of West Goshen Township with ideas for these funds to attend.
I hope you are well, and that you find peace during this season,
Ashley Gagné