Meeting Summary, December 7, 2017
Attending: Gosselin, Waldburger, O’Keefe, Hultgren, Palmer, Jackman, Clark, Weinland
The meeting was begun shortly after 6:30 pm in the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center main lobby.
The meeting notes from the Nov 2, 2017 meeting were reviewed and approved by consensus. Hultgren gave a brief Treasurer’s report and reported that Bike Mansfield now has a paying membership of 28 individual members and 12 business members. Palmer said that there are now 168 people on the email list. Congratulations were given to everyone for their efforts in achieving Mansfield’s Bicycle Friendly Community award. Preparations and coordination for the award presentation event at the upcoming Dec 11th Town Council meeting were made.
Hultgren reported that the Dog Lane Café had become a business member, and Board members and others would be meeting there prior to the BFC award presentation on the 11th.
For a number of reasons, Hultgren suggested that the Bike Mansfield memberships that started in 2017 be automatically renewed for 2018 so that all present memberships would need to be renewed at the beginning of 2019, not in 2018. This was OK’d by the members and Board members present.
Plans/preparations for the Jan 17th movie night at the Buchanan Center auditorium were begun. Waldburger will bring the DVD (Inspired to Ride) and a computer; Hultgren will bring a back-up projector, table and computer; a screen will be provided by the Library along with 25 chairs; Gosselin will draft posters for publicizing the event; O’Keefe will bring hot cider; Hultgren will order 2 Bike Mansfield hats for raffling off and check the storage locker for water bottles (we have at least 25) to give away to attendees; the one remaining XL Bike Mansfield T-shirt can also be raffled off; Hultgren will send an email out to the list requesting volunteers to bake a few treats.
The current draft of the safety tips card being worked up by the Town and Bike Mansfield was circulated for comment. Final Town comments were expected soon, and Hultgren requested approximately $100 be spent to make an initial printing of about 200 cards for use as a final draft with wide exposure before a larger quantity was printed. This expenditure was approved unanimously by members present, and Hultgren will inform the two Board members not present of this (since 5 of the 7 Board members were at this meeting, a majority of the Board approved this).
Hultgren gave an update on the expansion of mountain biking in Town parks and preserves saying that he met with Jennifer Kaufman of the Parks and Recreation Department and she had several suggestions for areas that do not have Blue Dot trails or Joshua’s Trust lands that could be so designated soon. He is in the process of checking these areas and trails out so that a new proposal could be made to the Town’s Parks Committee. He said he was being helped by John Hankins on this. He also reported that Kaufman has plans for a new trail in the newly acquired Town (Southworth) preserve off Dodd Road that after committee approval will be constructed with the help of NEMBA (as well as other volunteers from TCC and Bike Mansfield).
Hultgren said he was trying to find a less-expensive bike symbol to hang on the Town Square railings to show that these railings were designed for bike parking. Several suggestions were made including stenciling the sidewalk and/or hanging a painted/stenciled wood, metal or plastic carving with or without “bike parking” printed underneath the stenciled design. These lower-cost designations could be implemented soon after approval by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.
Now that the Town has its BFC designation, signs at the main roadway entrances could be placed to let residents and visitors know that Mansfield is bicycle friendly. These 18” by 18” metal signs are available from the League at $75 each or 10 for $55 each. The Town has 2 main entrances on Routes 44, 195 & 32 and one on both Rtes 89 and 275 (total 8). There are also well traveled entrances on Bassetts Bridge Road and Mount Hope Road, so that 10 signs could be used up easily. Hultgren will check with the Town to see if it would be willing to purchase or help purchase/install these signs, and come back to our Board with a suggested course of action.
Waldburger reported on the public meeting recently held in Bolton to discuss the DOT’s proposals to extend the multi-use path through Bolton Notch as well as realign the intersection of Notch Road and Rtes 6 and 44. He said the projects are currently combined into one project to save money, but that many of the attendees suggested they be uncoupled. This is a very preliminary project proposal subject to revision and funding availability.
The meeting was concluded just before 7:30 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for the first Thursday in January (Jan 4th).
Lon Hultgren, Secretary-Treasurer