April 2025

April RINEMBA Leadership Meeting (04/01/2025)

Quick recap
The meeting covered various aspects of trail management, event planning, and organizational matters for a cycling group. The team discussed ongoing projects, including trail building and maintenance, fundraising efforts, and upcoming events such as rides and cleanups. They also addressed administrative changes, volunteer coordination, and potential partnerships with local organizations and businesses to support their initiatives.

Present: Dennis Wilson, Shannon Lonardo, Tabitha Wilson, Charles Picard, Jay Shuford, Cyrus Beasley, Mike Petrarca

Roll Call/Approval of Minutes

The meeting begins with a roll call and approval of the previous month's minutes. RI announces that membership numbers and financial summaries will now be presented quarterly at all-chapter meetings instead of monthly. The next leadership meeting is scheduled for May 6th, and an all-chapter meeting is planned for April 27th at Crafted Hope Brewery. Tabitha agrees to handle communications coverage while Adam Carroll is in Portugal. The night ride program is ending soon, and orange season for trail visibility begins on April 19th. There are ongoing discussions with DEM regarding special license agreements for events and insurance requirements for fun rides.

Trail Building Project Progress Update
Michael discussed the progress of the Echo Lake trail building project with Sinuosity, a company they had chosen for their project. Sinuosity had already laid out a conceptual design for the project, which included 7.8 miles of trail. They planned to visit the site in May to get a better understanding of the land and make adjustments to the design. Michael expressed his hope that volunteers could start working on the project this year, with the main build planned for spring 2026. Wayne raised a concern about retaining a grant of $15,000 that needed to be spent by November 30th. RIDEM clarified that the next $135,000 did not have a defined deadline yet.

Aggressive Grant Writing Needed
The team discussed the need for aggressive grant writing to fund the Echo Lake trail prject, with a potential budget of $267,000. They considered various fundraising strategies, including crowdfunding, patronage campaigns, and earmarking from politicians. The team also explored available grants, such as the IMBA Trail Accelerator Grant and the NEMBA Signature Trail Grant, with a deadline of April 30th. They agreed to work on these grants and seek support from their network. The team also considered crowdfunding, government legislation support, and corporate sponsorships as additional funding avenues. Michael suggested reaching out to local businesses and breweries for potential partnerships. The team also discussed the possibility of a "roundup campaign" to collect change for the project. The conversation ended with the team considering further outreach to local bike shops and universities for support.

Fundraising and Board Structure Discussion
Dennis and Wayne discussed the need to raise funds for Nemba, with Tabitha suggesting they explore grants, patronosity, corporate sponsorships, and a roundup campaign. Wayne mentioned a new website and a new CRM for tracking members. They also discussed a potential change in the board structure and the possibility of changing the common policy renewal dates. RI explained the issue with the certificate of insurance renewal, which causes extra work for the team. Wayne reminded everyone about the Philip Keys memorial ride on May 17th.

Upcoming Events and Trail Improvements
The group discusses upcoming events and initiatives. They encourage members to attend the PK memorial ride in Carlisle for networking opportunities. The team approves funding of up to $1,500 for signage and trail improvements at Lincoln Woods. They also explore options for first aid and CPR training, considering both mountain bike-specific courses and local public safety courses. Shannon suggests that basic first aid and CPR skills would be sufficient for most trail accidents.

Arcadia Event and Woody Hill Updates
Dennis discussed the success of the Arcadia event, which saw 186 trees cleared in a single day. He also mentioned the Ryan Park Cross Country Race, which had 56 racers signed up, and the need for more volunteers. The Big River Cleanup was also discussed, with Tabitha planning to advertise it and push for more members to participate. Paul provided an update on the Woody Hill project, stating that the approvals for changes to exceed down have been approved, and the Land Trust is making the necessary changes.

Big River Fun Ride Planning
The team discussed the upcoming Big River Fun Ride on September 14th, with Wayne leading the route planning. They also talked about the Lincoln Woods route and the possibility of getting it together early. The team expressed interest in having more ride leaders, particularly in Woody Hill, with Cyrus and Shannon stepping up to lead rides. They also discussed the potential move to Burnt Sawmill in April, with the decision left to the ride leaders. Shannon and Wayne agreed to lead beginner rides, and the team discussed the challenges of catering to different riding levels.

Ride Planning
In the meeting, Dennis discussed the possibility of Shannon and Wayne reconvening the mellow rides. They also discussed the idea of having a "low gear ladies ride" and the potential for a Lincoln woods ride. Tabitha mentioned a trail day at Woody Hill, which Dennis agreed to support. They also discussed the Gloucester Land Trust backing out of Sprague due to the easement restricting riding by the Nature Conservancy, with Dennis suggesting they focus on Echo Lake. The team also discussed workload leveling, with Tabitha agreeing to take on grant writing and Shannon offering to coordinate group rides. Charles volunteered to take on the role of volunteer coordinator.

Trail Developments
The team discusses recent developments at various trail locations. Charles reports that Lincoln Woods is running well, with Trek starting to lead group rides there on weekends. A beginner-friendly loop is being developed to make the trails less intimidating. Dennis offers to cross-promote Trek's shop rides on Instagram. The group also discusses Big River, where Charles recently rode and noticed some new features that could use maintenance. Regarding Diamond Hill, Dennis informs the team that the state has approached them about potentially managing the trails there. The team expresses concerns about liability and the existing unauthorized trail building but agrees to continue exploring the possibility with the state.

Next steps• Shannon to look into creating a spreadsheet for coordinating group rides and report back by the weekend.• Charles to take on the volunteer coordinator role and set up time with Dennis to discuss lessons learned.• Tabitha to handle communications coverage while Adam is away, including promoting the Ryan Park race.• Dennis to add Shannon and Wayne to the ride leaders' text thread.• Tabitha to push Diana on organizing a Lincoln Woods ride for Low Gear Ladies.• Mike, Tabitha, and Dennis to work on grant writing for the Echo Lake project.• Cyrus to look into leading rides at Woody Hill.• Cyrus to get details on the public safety course at Watch Hill Fire district and report back.• Dennis to work with Wayne on finalizing the Big River fun ride route.• Charles to create the route for the Lincoln Woods fun ride.• Dennis to continue discussions with DEM about the potential Diamond Hill MOU.• Dennis to coordinate with Charles on the volunteer coordinator role transition.• Tabitha to handle final marketing push for the Ryan Park cross country race.• Team to recruit more volunteers for the Ryan Park cross country race.• Dennis to reach out to Mark and Alan for clarification on the Big River comprehensive management plan.