December 2022
Rhode Island Chapter
New England Mountain Bike Association
December 2022 Meeting Minutes
RINEMBA Meeting: 6:00 p.m. December 6, at Black Oak, and Zoom.
1. Administration
a) Member #272 up 38% from 2/17, account $, etc. Approx $3455 in account (after LW expenses and WH signs)
b) General meeting discussion
b-1. January (1/3) meeting? Date? Location? -Sue from Trek Warwick has offered to host. Dennis to get with Mike and Sue to schedule and work out details.
c) Board attendance. Alan, Wayne, Mark, Chris P, Paul, Glenn, Meg, Adam, Keith, Peter, Dennis, Shannon
d) Weetamoo xfer to MA on RINEMBA.ORG (here as reminder).
e) Financial summary. Appendix A.
2. Welcome to any newcomers. – Mike I from Trek is here to speak about snow grooming (see section 9.)
3. Comments/requests/concerns/questions/complaints from newcomers?
4. Elections:
a) Positions (and candidates):
a-1. President (Mark S) – Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-2. Vice President (Dennis W) - Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-3. Secretary (Charles Picard nominated by Dennis; introduction) – Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-4. Treasurer – Shannon – Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-5. Alternate Treasurer – Pete G.- Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-6. Communications Director – Meg M. - Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-7. NEMBA BOD (Wayne A) – Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-8. NEMBA Alternate BOD (Adam B)- Chapter Votes “Yes”
a-9. Ride Area Rep Arcadia - none; Burlingame (Keith T); Ryan – (Emily); Carolina (Jake M); WH (Paul K); BR (Alan W); LW (Leo C/Jay S); DH – none). Removing “New Cumberland”.
a-10. At large board members – Linda, Jay S, Peter H, Chris P, Peter Gengler, Chris H, Cyndi, Chris N
5. Chapter meet with ED Nicole (Mark S)
a) Interest from team: Dennis, Wayne, Pete G, Alan (expiring) – not scheduled- removing from to do list till next year
6. Trail School – NEMBA has reached out to the RI chapter to see if there is interest in holding the annual trail school. Chapter has said yes, details are being worked out. Looks like Arcadia would be the location. Alan is handling.
a) 4 positions reserved for DEM employees
b) Useful to have political/economic implication session -RINEMBA wiling to do leg work for event.
c) (Secretary’s note) – Can we do a scholarship program again this year for members?
7. Browning Mill bridges.
a) Thank you to Amy and NEYC – Event went great with much more work done in one day than expected. A full army of young volunteers.
8. Volunteer Coercion (here as reminder)
Ideas, specifically and in general?
a) NEYC (Amy)
b) Sign-up during Fun Rides
c) Email blast prior
c-1. Monthly (?) Newsletter? (2023)
d) Gifts
e) CCC (Paul)
f) Chariho (Alan)
g) DEM contacts
h) AMC et al
i) Any other ideas?
9. DEM:
a) Waivers. Collect DEM-specific waivers; give to Alan. Trying to eliminate specific waivers for every single ride. Trying to get out of waiver requirements. Possibly do online waiver instead. Yearly waiver? Alan to continue to work on this.
b) Night riding pilot. No issues.
c) Special license for >75.
1. Parking discussion (here as reminder)
d) Greasy Joe’s parking. No movement. DEM acknowledges issue. WRB not inclined to improve parking. S.P. barracks will not encroach on P&R.
e) Provisional acceptance of “Snow Grooming Pilot”.
e-1 Maps of BR and Arcadia given to DEM.
e-2 In process in DEM. Alan has started the process.
e-3 baby steps, identified and shred with DEM double track trails in big river and arcadia.
e-4 Possible to use in Woody Hill now. WMLT has not issue with the program, but the machine will need to pass over DEM property to groom WMLT trails. DEM does permit snowmobiles on the fire roads in Woody so that may be a loophole we can use. Mike I (from Trek) to investigate getting a snowmobile sticker.
e-5 Trek looking for 6-8 volunteers to operate machine. Must have vehicle to move machine. Machine will live in Warwick at Trek. Volunteers will need to sign in and sign out machine for use. Fits in Bed of pickup truck so truck owner needed. Trail knowledge key to groomer team. Anyone interested reach out to Mike I. Do not post call for volunteers publicly. Want to keep this to close known acquaintances.
e-6 A full training class will need needed for ALL users. Mike and Dennis to develop training in conjunction with BVNEMBA
e-7 Concerns about safety. Alan interested in some sort of buddy system to help ease approval from DEM. Some issues surround how a “buddy” would keep up with the sled without damaging the snow bed before it sets up.
f) Burlingame Bridges on Park side. Reminded DEM early November. -No update.
g) Management Area Land Use Plan (name?). Soon but not imminent. DEM will maintain internal access roads. Will farm out trails to various user groups in sectors. RINEMBA to take Woody Hill, Big River (?), Carolina (?), Portion of Arcadia (?) -no update
h) Chainsaw use. Allowed with proper insurance and approved cleanup effort.
1. “Proper insurance” being reviewed by DEM. NOT a done deal yet.
10. Lincoln Woods Fun Ride.
a) Success. Parks reported no issues.
b) Lessons learned? – Dealing with Parks requires a bit of extra efforts. Waiting on invoice of fees from Parks dept.
11. Spend some money.
a) Recommendations see appendix B
12. Ride area reps? (Mark S)
a) 2023 Earth Day – possible to do one in LW next year? Alan to reach out to Anthony Paiva
13. Big River Cleanup
a) Checklist- Alan has formalized.
14. Woody Hill
a) WLT MOU (Chris P/Paul K). – Any update and/or help required? – no updates.
b) Trail signs have been ordered and paid for
c) More official trail days coming up soon
15. EMPTY Nip Bottle Collection by Friends of the Saugatucket River. Start 12/27 for 90 days. Collect bottles and get them back to ride leaders or bike shops. Cyndi to lead project. Trek and Remy’s on board as collection points.
16. Ideas for 2023 (Mark S)
a) Take a kid MTB
b) Beginner clinic
c) Maintenance clinic (with Trek)
d) Routine trail days
e) Bike Work Station(s)
f) Ride Leader training
g) Member polling on
g-1. Spending
g-2. Plans
g-3. Feedback
17. Presidential Debrief
a) Success: DEM
b) Fail: alienated team members
c) Fail: had hoped to bring on more diverse membership
d) Fail: had hoped to spread the workload
18. Any news from corporate? (Wayne) – Nothing new
19. New Business from board?
For reference, 2023 event dates:
• Woody Hill: July 9, rain date July 16
• Diamond Hill: Aug 13, rain date Aug 20
• Big River: Sep 17, rain date Oct 8
• Lincoln Woods: Nov 12, rain date Nov 19
Appendix A
RI NEMBA Treasurer
Treasurer Report
November
2022
Beginning Balance Per Bank: $8,416.56
Deposits:
Date Description Amount
11/10/22 NEMBA Big River Fun Ride 1,259.00
11/10/22 NEMBA Woody Hill Fun Ride 2,612.00
11/10/22 NEMBA Trail Forks Donation less fee 97.52
11/14/22 Lincoln Woods Fun Ride 1,160.00
11/15/22 Paypal T-Shirt Income 322.75
Total Deposits 5,451.27
Withdrawals:
Date Check # Description Amount
07/29/22 683 Cumberland Parks and Rec Donation 1,200.00
10/24/22 90 Dennis Wilson T-Shirts 944.00
10/24/22 91 Alan Windsor Arrows and new inv – Lost check 1,185.50
11/10/22 Debit Card Stripe Shipping for Tshirts 176.08
11/14/22 92 RI Food Bank Lincoln Woods Donation 1,500.00
11/17/22 Stripe Shipping for Tshirts 29.84
11/30/22 Stephen VonHousen Woody Hill Signs 3,108.00
11/30/22 Dennis Wilson Expenses for Woody Hill/Tshirts 2,268.96
Total Withdrawals: 10,412.38
Ending Balance: November 30, 2022 $3,455.45
Appendix B – End of year expenses
Item Amount Comments
Target $2,455.45 $3,455.45 on hand
Volunteer Gift Tools $192.50 10 saws to be distributed in a creative way, Dennis to handle
Reward Raffle $200.00 Initial funding; repeat at some frequency??? raffle entry only for those that signed up on GV – Dennis to create and u run program in 2023. Envision 4 raffle “pulls” in 2023. Trek interested in contributing.
First Aid Reimbursement $00.00 Initial funding; Dropped for lack of interest.
Zoom Account and Hardware $250.00 Estimated amount
Donation to new Southcoast chapter $500.00
Total Remain $1,312.95 Minus possible $400 to state for LW
Dennis has ~$400 tee shirt inventory?
Paul looking for $ for $1000 (has $300 in receipts)
Paul approved for $1300 – Paul to settle up with Shannon/Peter
RINEMBA owes Amy M Around $180 ish – Alan to settle (paid Amy cash on site)
RINEMBA owes Leo $ as well for drinks from the LW ride– Alan to settle
Meeting ajourned 8:50PM
Thank you, Alan for everything!!
