Meeting Summary, October 3, 2019
Attending: Clark, Hultgren, Weinland, Hankins, Yakovleff
The meeting was begun at 6:35 pm in the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center. The meeting summary for the September 5, 2019 meeting was circulated, reviewed and no corrections made.
Hultgren gave a Treasurer’s report indicating that with the purchase of the two local bike shop gift certificates ($25 each given as prizes at the Town Square Festival) there was now about $1215 in the checking account with $1000 reserved for the PE teacher training grant.
Clark and Hultgren reported on the Bike Mansfield booth at the recent Town Festival. They said that the bicycle trivia contest went well and the two gift certificate winners (determined by a drawing at the end of the day from the answer ballots submitted) were two local residents. They also gave away about 60 Bike Mansfield logo water bottles, so there are approximately 90 that remain.
Clark updated members on the UConn BFU working group’s efforts. She said that on September 9th she and Leah Rosetti from the UConn Recreation Department gave a power point presentation to the UConn Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and since that time her bicycle working group (BWG) was asked to become a subcommittee of the TAC and develop recommendations for improving bicycle travel and safety on the campus. She said that she would set up a Google document to have the BWG come up with recommendations both short term(easy) and longer term. The BWG will be meeting again on Oct 8th to work on these. Clark also said she had been contacted by both Sean Vasington (Architecture and Construction) and Rich Miller (Sustainability) regarding this effort.
Hultgren said that he heard at the CRCOG Bike-Ped advisory committee meeting in September that another “train the trainers” course for CT PE teachers interested in bike education is being scheduled for this fall, and he was working to get the Mansfield School administration to OK the PE teachers attendance at this class.
The next session for the Mansfield routes and points of interest map has been set for October 17th. Hultgren will try to reserve a conference room in the Town Hall for this work session (note: this has since been done, in conference room B from 7pm to 9pm).
Yakovleff reported on his recent bike trip on the Rhode Island Eastern Shore bike path. He said there were both scouts and Ashford Recreation participants on this trip and the next trip was scheduled for October 26th on the Hop River trail.
Hankins reported that he had discussed with the Town’s Park Coordinator having the Town apply for an IMBA planning grant to develop a mountain bike plan for Mansfield. Discussion of mountain biking in Mansfield ensued and members agreed that Bike Mansfield would support (and participate) in such an effort. Hankins will continue his discussions with the Town on this, and cautioned that the plan must have lots of local rider input to be worth anything.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 pm. The next meeting will be the mapping session on October 17th, and the regular monthly meeting is scheduled for the first Thursday in November (7th).
Lon Hultgren, Secretary Treasurer