September 2022
RINEMBA Meeting: 7:00 p.m. August 30, at Black Oak, Coventry, and Zoom.
To speed up this summer meeting with many members on vacation only important items in bold are covered. We will revisit remaining items next month. Notes are in italic.
1. Administration
a) Member #: Current members.
a-1. Comment from previous meetings about RINEMBA not having any business memberships. Discuss. -Remy’s has renewed their business membership. No word from other shops regarding their views of RINEMBA or why they are not business members of the organization. We hope that we are doing our best to help local shops.
b) Funds from the Diamond Hill Fun Ride still need to be donated to Town Of Cumberland Youth Camp. True? Is there a hang-up? Shannon: Check has been sent recently. Has not been cashed as of time of meeting.
c) Document store – Alan’s interest in this waning fast. – Liz at NEMBA has confirmed access. Members must access using their nemba.org email account. Dennis can review with anyone having issues logging in.
d) General meeting discussion
d-1. Board votes to go hybrid going forward for all meetings.
d-2. October (10/4) meeting location? -Lincoln? Shannon to handle looking for location/reservation.
e) Board attendance. -Shannon, Alan, Chris Hughes, Mark Savage, Dennis, Wayne, Peter G, Paul K Other non-board attendees: Meg and Amy Marcille, Jake Meehan, Chris D
f) Weetamoo xfer to SCMA on RINEMBA.ORG? -The entire riding area “Loop Library” needs to be revised on the website. Info is outdated and stale. Removal of Weetamoo will happen when the page is rebuilt.
g) Leadership FB chatter about policy. Items of note:
g-1. Alan’s guiding principles; unlikely to change for remainder of 2022. Can be changed in 2023
g-2. President can make purchase decisions. Previous minutes implied potential Presidential recklessness (“Dennis + Paul: Motion to contest. Overruled by Alan and Glenn. No further discussion permitted.”). Mitigating factors: approval by Treasurer; all outlays public; relatively small dollars. Done for efficiency. Make referendum for 2023?
– Discussion. Can president really make unilateral decisions on $$$. Alan -This is done to facilitate efficiency in decision making. Not to be reckless with $. Seconded by Mark. Dennis- the comment was more geared towards our inability to discuss where Fun Ride proceeds go. They typically go directly to charity. Should we be spending in other areas such as trail work. Paul - can we find new good ideas to use for $? Possibly saving extra $ for larger unknown future projects. Alan we cannot accumulate $ we have tried it before, and it does not work. Chris D: Could we create a pole to be completed by due paying members where they would like to see chapter $ go. Seconded by Dennis. Dennis to investigate poling possibilities to capture chapter performance feedback, chapter spending, as well as future plan making. Further discussion to be continued at a later date. Final note from Chris H: If you have ideas what to use $ for, put it a proposal in as much detail as possible as soon as possible. Most ideas will be approved. We cannot spend on other ideas if no other ideas are presented.
g-2-a) Who will be alternate treasurer? Do we need, since NEMBA has(?) access? Change mailing address to NEMBA? -Peter Gengler offers to be to be back up treasurer. Unopposed. Many members feel that it is better to keep our finances in house rather than let NEMBA handle them.
g-2-b) Treasurer make all accounting public. – Shannon to handle. Send Dennis financial report each month to be posted with the minutes. Starting in October.
h) Has Dennis been paid? Yes. Reimbursed 8/30.
i) Communications Director discussion below.
j) Elections: submit names in October (prior to Nov meeting; Secretary to confirm eligibility); discuss in November; vote December. –Alan will be stepping down and Mark will be filling his position. This leaves a spot for Vice President. Dennis to confirm if any other members will be stepping down.
2. Welcome to any newcomers. -Amy and Meg Marcille, Jake Mean(?) . Chris D.
3. Comments/requests/concerns/questions/complaints from newcomers?
4. Browning Mill bridges. Lumber mostly cut. Work date: weekend of 9/24-9/25. Publish. – Dennis to post. Chris H to help with cutting. Looking for help to haul lumber out to site and assemble 9/24 and 9/25.
5. Ryan Park. Still waiting for DEM to approve plans.
6. Roger Williams Park. Still waiting on President to flag.
7. DEM:
a) Night riding pilot.
a-1. Expand to 3x/week, 20 riders, still “pilot”
a-2. Have requested Mon: WH; Thu: BR; Tue: float. In process in DEM.
b) Special license for >75.
b-1. Did we put announcement on FB? – Has not been posted yet. This is a huge win and needs to be shared with the public.
b-2. Parking discussion? From Aug meeting “the main factor limiting attendance is parking space. Places like Arcadia can barely handle 75 ppl. Should we charge per car to encourage carpooling and create more space? – Lots of other factors here. No way to account for event liability waivers. Push back to another meeting.
c) Greasy Joe’s parking. No movement. DEM acknowledges issue. WRB not inclined to improve parking. S.P. barracks will not encroach on P&R.
d) Provisional acceptance of “Snow Grooming Pilot”.
d-1. Maps of BR and Arcadia given to DEM. In process in DEM.
e) NST cleanaganza? DEM discussing internally. No update.
f) Burlingame Bridges on Park side. DEM discussing internally. 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. -Proposed options: RINEMBA would like to take Woody Hill, all of it. Seems to be a likely possibility. Possible Big River? This would be a main goal and would make sense. Central Arcadia near Mt Tom trials? Dennis to share a map of proposed section of Arcadia in mind. Carolina? Also a likely possibility.
h) Chainsaw use. Allowed with proper insurance and approved cleanup effort. Need to make adjustment to our insurance policy. -Possible we could use chainsaws regularly once DEM creates master plan.
8. Sweet Sawmill Pond and Trout Unlimited partnership. Help deconstruct dam, and plant trees; 2023 or 2024.
9. 1PVD Cycling in Merino Park. (Dennis) – 1PVD building a skills course. 1PVD will reach out when work resumes. -No further action at this time
10. Women’s/Coed Advanced Skills clinic (Chris N)
a) Drop for 2022? Getting late in the year with not many options for available locations. Check in with Chris N but likely drop till 2023.
b) Date, location, audience, etc
c) Help needed _____________________________________
11. Ride area reps? (Mark S)
a) Introductions to Land Managers?
Reach out to Big River Users United. Group has done a good job of uniting BR users.
b) 2023 Earth Day – possible to do one in LW next year?
c) New land trust area in Cumberland.
c-1. Liaison needed. – Chris N found liaison(s) but they have not yet been introduced to the board. Hopefully in Oct meeting
c-2. Westerly land trust references.
d) Emergency access for main riding areas.
d-1. Alan met with WGFD. DEM mentioned signage in northern RI.
d-2. Conversation to continue next month. Still.
12. Communications Director (Mark S) – Discussion: Mark feels the position requires someone with tribal knowledge of the organization. Dennis feels the position requires less tribal knowledge and more tactile skill of social media tools. History can be taught but finding someone interested in doing the work is difficult. Meg Marcille interested and present. Proposal to bring Meg on provided she is tutored/overseen by Dennis. Qualifying factors reviewed. Mark and Alan brief Meg on challenging duties. Vote: Yes. Meg is in!! 1 year term ending in Dec 2023. To be trained immediately. Hours to count towards volunteer hours needed for Meg’s school.
13. Big River Cleanup
a) Checklist- Alan to formalize. Still
14. Woody Hill Fun Ride
a) Did we get money from Regional? -Not yet.
b) Comments? Lessons learned? -Excellent success. Lots of donating even from people who did not ride. Is there a way to boost attendance in the future? Hold later in the season? Issues with the land trusts. Parking was maxed at 130 people even with a parking attendant on site. Maybe limit to 150? Subject of car pooling revisited. Trails can handle more than 200 riders but parking is the deciding factor. – To be added to October Agenda: Wood Hill Signage design, plan, and budget
15. Big River Fun Ride 9/11. Alan
a) Volunteers:
1. Arrows up -Wayne, Shannon, Dennis,
2. Registration- Chris H, Wayne, Dennis
3. Pre-ride -
4. Arrows down – Chris, Dennis, Shannon
5. FOOD- Pizza
6. Pete G doing rest stop
b) Cleanup activities. Vests? – In Dennis’s truck. To be handed off after meeting to Alan.
16. LW Fun Ride 11/13 (Jason)
a) Been discussed with land manager? – Neither Jason nor Leo able to make meeting
b) Funds go to? ___________________
c) Need route for DEM.
17. WLT MOU (Chris P/Paul K). – Any update and/or help required? - Paul: Submitted still waiting to hear back.
18. Meeting Street Bike Club probable. – item missed in meeting or secretary was sleeping/out of room.
19. Any news from corporate? (Wayne/Chris N)- New Executive Director possibly hired. Not official yet.
20. New Business from board? -Request from NEMBA that all 2023 Fun Rides (MBAS) should be submitted to NEMBA by December 15th 2022 to facilitate planning and support from NEMBA.
Meeting adjourned 9:10 p.m.
For reference, 2022 event dates:
• Big River 9/11 (“approved”)
• Lincoln Woods 11/13 (“ “approved” “)
