Meeting Summary, March 7, 2019
Attending: Gosselin, Clark, Hultgren, Palmer, Jackman
The meeting was begun at 6:36 pm in the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center. The meeting summary for the Feb 7, 2019 meeting was reviewed and approved by consensus.
Hultgren gave a brief Treasurer’s report indicating there was about $1320 in the checking account, but that the Board of Directors had approved several expenditures (supporting the Tour de Mansfield, funding 50% of the bike parking symbols for the Town Square railings, reserving a booth at the September Festival on the Square, and additional membership stickers) so that the expected late spring balance would be closer to $500 plus any business memberships that renew. He also said he checked on the League’s insurance policy for Officers and Directors and found it was $550 a year which is beyond current financial resources.
Hultgren said that the People for Bikes grant for the Town Square railings was not received so that the cost for the symbols and mounting hardware would be split with the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, and each entity would contribute about $550. As noted above, he also reported that Bike Mansfield would again sponsor the Mansfield Tour at the $100 level.
Participation activities for the Bike Mansfield booth in the Town’s Festival on the Square were discussed in a “brainstorming” session. Ideas that warrant further exploration included: The distribution of local bike route maps; give-aways like water bottles; an in-booth game with winners given a ticket to a end-of-the-day prize drawing. More ideas are needed.
Bike Mansfield was contacted by a representative of the Last Green Valley who wanted to come to the April meeting to discuss their current vision planning effort. No objections were noted, so he will be invited to the April 4th meeting.
Participation in the April 16th UConn “Spring Fling” on Fairfield Way was discussed. Tables are free and available from 11 to 2pm, but would need to be staffed during those 3 hours. This could possibly be used to promote the Bicycle Friendly University working group that Clark is facilitating. Hultgren will be out of town that week, so he will inquire as to others that could staff the table prior to reserving one.
No progress on the effort to get a bicycle education program going in the Mansfield Elementary or Middle Schools was reported. Hultgren will check back with the MMS lead PE teacher, who has not responded since our meeting with the MMS PE teachers last Fall.
Clark reported on the BFU activities at UConn. She said that the concept of having the working group be sponsored by the Environmental Policy Committee was nixed and she was working on possibly having it sponsored by the Transportation Advisory Committee. She was also expecting the UConn police to be represented at the next BFU meeting, and learned that they had interest in helping with bicycling for children in the community perhaps in a bike roadeo or even assisting with a school event. Hultgren suggested a letter from Bike Mansfield to the new University President when he arrives this summer outlining the benefits of UConn becoming a BFU.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:20 pm. Pending any rescheduling, the next meeting will be Thursday April 4th.
Lon Hultgren, Secretary Treasurer