October 2025 Minutes

Written By MCA Admin

Merion Civic Association Board Meeting

October, 28 2025, 7:30pm

Eileen Bruckman and Scott Feuer opened the meeting at 7:45 p.m.

Directors in Attendance:

Mitchell Cooper, Les Greenberg, Li Halpern, Renee Hill, Carol Lavoritano, Karla Moras, Kevin Murphy, Craig Oliner, Melanie Schafmeister

Guests in Attendance:

Todd Sinai (Commissioner), GL Hill, Steve Ludwig (2026 Slate candidate), Alice Chang (Merion Community Coalition), Jason Landau Goodman (jason@ landaugoodman.com, Candidate for State Representative).

Guest Speaker:

Kath Abplanalp, who presented A Virtual Tour of the Merion Civic Association History by the Lower Merion Conservancy.

  • This is a presentation that will be available online.

  • Prelude: Merion Civic Association (MCA) started in 1913. It followed:

    • Ardmore - 1907

    • Bryn Mawr - 1909

    • Wynnewood - 1913

  • Noted that while MCA wasn’t the first, its accomplishments were on a national level

    • E.g., street signs are still on our corners 115 years later

  • Intro of the presentation includes MCA boundaries

    • Provides an overlay map over multiple years

  • 1871, The Coming Railway, includes:

    • History note: tracks were realigned so Merion could have a station

    • 1890 picture of the station

    • 1893 Start of Estates

    • 1913 MCA formed

      • Recognizing that infrastructure was lacking for the community

      • Sense of urgency to establish emergency safety procedures

      • Lots of executives from PA Railroad lived in Merion, and the railroad and Merion were their pet projects

  • MCA Office built and its accomplishments during that time:

    • Street signs

    • Buried electrical poles

    • New railroad station

    • Red Cross house

    • Scout House, preceded Tribute House

    • Merion County Day School 1917-1919

      • One site of Merion Elementary School

      • Civic lobbied hard for the school

      • Edward Bok influential

  • 1930s Shade trees

    • Lots of sycamore trees planted

  • Closed with asking if we know of any further MCA history

  • Provided a QR code we could scan to get to site

Commissioner’s Report - Todd Sinai:

Gas-Powered Blower Ban as advertised

  • Proposed to implement as follows:

    • 2026: cannot use in summer/winter

    • 2027: only use in fall

    • 2028: complete ban

  • Passed since the meeting:

    • 2026/27: bans summer winder

    • 2028: use only in fall

    • 2029 full ban

Solid Waste Fee Increase

  • Solid waste, commingle, are all costing more money

    • Only paper makes money, but not as much paper is being recycled

    • Problem: people are buying smaller can and overloading it

  • Considering $20 fee for free weekend

  • Increasing/adding large item recycling

Police Recruiting:

  • Short-staffed (136 full but in 120s)

Stoneleigh

  • Natural lands will take over the rest of the property

  • Parking: proposed hike to $1 per hour

September Meeting Minutes:

September minutes approved: 

  • First: Kevin Murphy

    Second: Carol Lavoritano

Budget:

To date, roll-up approved:

  • First: Li Halpern

  • Second: Carol Lavoritano

2026 Slate:

All are being voted back in, except as noted:

  • Eileen Bruckman

  • Les Greenberg

  • Steve Ludwig (new)

  • Kevin Murphy

  • Melanie Schafmeister

Slate approved:

  • First: Carol Lavoritano

  • Second: Scott Feuer

Federation of Civics Report:

Les Greenberg and Karla Moras reported.

Shteibel discussion and their zoning appeal :

  • Noted that no one from Bala Cynwyd NC spoke

  • Document referred to at the meeting distributed by Eileen Bruckman by email on 10/28/25

  • Main Line Health made presentation over St. Charles development

    • Presentation attached to same email from Eileen

Merion Community Coalition Report:

Alice Chang reported that

  • St. Joe’s met with neighbors on October 20th

  • Construction done with fences down and the asphalt path removed

  • Working with enforcement on parking in neighborhood

School Board Report:

Melanie Schafmeister reported that strategic plan update meetings with the community started and are ongoing.

District assessing outcomes from the shutdown at schools due to the armed robbery of armored truck in Lower Merion.

Fire and Public Safety Report:

Kevin Murphy reported that it has been a busy month:

  • Open houses and pancake breakfast

  • Reminded us to check our fire detector batteries as we fall back to standard time

Station and Grounds Report:

Scott Feuer reported that:

  • Engraving new plates for boxes

  • Dedication ceremony for boxes in spring

  • Suggesting we add greens/holly to boxes over winter

Old Business:

Offering CPR certificates conversation continues:

  • Show of interest from members present will look into further

Reminder: We do not have a secretary, and we will continue to rotate taking notes amongst the directors. If you can’t take minutes on the assigned night, please reach out to your fellow Directors to find a replacement.

New Business:

Movement to have an abbreviated Zoom meeting for November due to poor attendance with Thanksgiving in two days:

  • First: Carol Lavoritano

  • Second: Steve Ludwig

Jason Landau Goodman of the Bala Cynwyd Neighborhood Club is running for state representative in area for Mary Jo Daley, who is not expected to run again.

  • Suggested we coordinate with the overlap of issues between our two organizations

Meeting we adjourned at 9:45pm. Our annual meeting reception continued afterwards.

MCA Admin
Next

September 2025 Minutes