Meeting Summary, October 5, 2017
Attending: Gosselin, Waldburger, O’Keefe, Hultgren, Weinland, Palmer
The meeting was begun at 6:35 pm in the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center main lobby.
The meeting notes from the September 7, 2017 meeting were reviewed and approved by consensus.
Hultgren said there was now $887.21 in the Bike Mansfield checking account and circulated a copy of the most recent bank statement. Some of the things that some of this money could be used for to support/advance cycling in the area were discussed including bike parking symbols for the Town Square railings, supporting activities during National Bike Week, ordering additional printed “3 feet please” T-shirts, club insurance, and printed materials for the Town-wide PR program that Bike Mansfield is working on with the Town’s Engineering and Resident State Trooper Offices. Hultgren talked to Santasiere about restoring the bike to school day at EO Smith, but he was not ready to resume it next year (due to safety concerns and lack of support help). However, Santasiere said he would discuss the bike symbols with the EO Smith Art Department to see if a proposal could be made to the Downtown Partnership. Hultgren said that with a little more review of the draft, the safety tips for motorists and cyclists in either a large-format business card or a bookmark could be printed. He will finish the draft, get some estimates for printing and circulate the proposal(s) amongst our Board members.
O’Keefe drafted a follow-up letter from Bike Mansfield to the businesses that had shown an interest in becoming members and it was passed around for review and comment. Hultgren said that Palmer and Pierce should wordsmith it and it was agreed it should be signed by President Pierce. Two dates were sent to continue the outreach to businesses in Storrs Center (using this letter as well as a flyer showing that the fees for the bike commuting facilities had been substantially reduced): Wednesday October 18th at 1:30 PM and Saturday Nov 4th also at 1:30 PM.
The upcoming bike maintenance workshop (Oct 11th) was discussed. Hultgren will send out a reminder for registration to the email list. A winter workshop/activity was then discussed as the deadline for information for the Mansfield Recreation brochure was this Friday. It was decided to forgo a workshop advertised in the brochure for a fun “movie night” at another venue, perhaps the Buchanan Center Auditorium (at the Library) or the meeting room at Juniper Hill. Waldburger will suggest some dates to Hultgren who will inquire about using Buchanan Center on those days. Palmer noted that this should be a well-publicized “fun and food” event for the cycling community.
Hultgren said that more follow-up was needed on the draft bike/pedestrian plan he had given to the Mansfield Town staff in March of this year. After discussion it was decided that he would draft a letter from Bike Mansfield to the Town Director of Planning and Assistant Town Engineer (Painter and Dilaj) asking for their action to complete the draft so that the formal Town review could begin. He will circulate the draft letter prior to sending it.
The upcoming cyclocross race at Mansfield Hollow was discussed. Several members will be helping and baking for this event.
The new road and curbing on Mansfield City Road was briefly discussed. Hultgren will forward the concerns about the non-mountable curbs to the Town staff at next week’s Town Transportation Advisory Committee meeting.
The meeting was concluded at 7:28 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for the first Thursday in November (Nov 2nd)
Lon Hultgren, Secretary-Treasurer