Friends of Webster Trails

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FWT Board Meeting Minutes

January 13, 2025 7:00 pm

Author:

Sarah White
Attendees
Denise Bilsback, John Boettcher, Michael Carmody, Bud Gearhardt, Ron Happ, Chris Peterson, Paul Piotrowski, Norma Platt, Linda Siple, Ann Taylor, Sarah White, Ben Wisniewski
Adimistrative Reports
  1. Approve/Change Agenda – Add trail steward report for projects, and add chainsaw process
  2. Approve Minutes of November 2024 Meeting – Approved
  3. Membership Status- Denise B
    • 274 memberships total;
    • 3 new members – 51 new for the year
    • Donations $1705; over $7k for the year
    • Hours volunteer – best ever
  4. Review of Treasurer Report – Chris/Lynn P
    1. Review of outline
    2. Cash $33k
    3. Budget responsibilities: Sources
      • Membership – Denise
      • Donations/Gifts – Denise & Chris
      • Events – All
      • Town of Webster – Anna
      • Other Grants – Anna
      • Interest – Chris
    4. Responsibilities – Uses
      • Trail Projects – Linda
      • Maintenance – Linda
      • Scout Projects – Pat
      • Major Initiatives – Anna
      • Other Programs – All
    5. Responsibilities: Admin
      • Insurance: Chris
      • Events: Anna
      • Supplies: TBD
      • Vehicle: TBD
      • Other: TBD
    6. Vendor alignment: Relationships set by Chris
    7. Reimbursements: 14th and 28th of each month
    8. Questions: Who has spending authority? Prioritization? Reimbursement for sales tax?
    9. Plan for February: Set responsibilities and work on dollars
  5. Website Inquiry Summary – Norma
    1. Hojack trail – Michael Carmody
    2. 8 trees down
    3. Rotten boardwalk
    4. Motorbikes on the trails
    5. Lumber donation
    6. Chainsaw volunteers – discussion below
  6. Communication Director – TBD
  7. Social Media – Sarah: 2025 goals
    • >2 Facebook posts/week
    • 10 total new memberships tied to social media
    • Increase YOY FB engagement by 10% and website traffic by 10% (2024 FB: 3.5/week; 12 likes/post; 2 comments or share/post)
  8. Habitat Committee Update – Norma: Call for volunteers in April
  9. Conflict of Interest Form/Waiver – All: ACTION ITEM: Liability waiver due by end of January

Trail Planning and Maintenance

  1. Trail Structure Inventory – John & Linda
    • Inventory of 145 structures
    • Convert to Google Sheets and save in cloud
    • Need to add definitions of condition
    • Linda to own document, with stewards to update as possible
  2. Trail Stewards – Trail Steward Report: Linda/All
    • Sign inventory complete with Denise and Rich
    • Hickory Bark on track to become officially ADA compliant. Meeting at end of January to determine the tasks.
    • State Road: sandbag dam on the pond evaluated by the town.
    • 2025 project list received.
    • HRFWF – Private Property signs installed by town in the wrong spots. Follow up planned for later.
    • Finn Park West – Need to prioritize with other projects, but Linda, Ron and Ben to mark trail.
    • Midnight Trail picnic area. ACTION ITEM: Linda to collect concerns from Board. Anna to submit list of issues to the town for enforcement.
    • Parking lot plowing. ACTION ITEM: Anna to ask town about HRFWF and State Road lots.
    • Generator purchase – Paul P. to investigate and bring proposal to the Board.
  3. New Trails – Finn Park Extension/Sandbar Park
    1. Finn Park West trail to be marked this year.
    2. Sandbar Park – TBD
  4. Trail Work Dates – All: Third Saturday of months April to October. Think about adding a non-Saturday event.
  5. Trail Signs – Denise:
    1. Chiyoda sign is completed, and Hickory Bark in process.
    2. No signs exist for Finn Park, Herman Road, State Road, and parts of Hojack. Prioritize Herman Road and Hojack.
    3. Trail Map signs to be done by McAllister later this year.
  6. Jan/Feb Meeting with P&R – Anna

Meeting Notes
  1. Welcome 2025! Review Goals/Focus for the Year (TBD in Jan/Feb meeting)
    1. Hojack Trail Planning Team/Committee
      • Hojack Trail Mowing Program – Bud: follow up by email
      • New Volunteer – Mike Carmody
      • Subcommittee for trail: Stewards and Mike, with Anna as resource. Report back to board regularly. Priorities: Land rights; protection of existing trail use with zoning restrictions; improvements.
      • Trail Counting – John: Update Hojack numbers seasonally. Plan for 2025 in next month or two.
    2. Kiosk update – Anna: Denise and Linda to work with town on updates.
    3. Explorer Program: Board has resource concerns, but Anna to review with town.
    4. ATV/Motorized Vehicles on Trails
    5. Recruitment Board Positions & Trail Stewards – Anna: Prioritize getting a vice president
  2. ReTree – Norma/Sarah
    • Two workdays planned: April Earth Day and October planting
    • Request for $1000 from FWT to fund trees and protection
    • 125 spring seedlings ordered
    • RGE spring planting event planned: 17 specimen trees for Hojack
  3. Promote (RECRUITMENT)/Events/Fundraising: TBD
    • Winter activity?
    • Hojack trail Ride/Hike event?
    • Ribbon Cutting & Hike – Hermann Rd
    • Ribbon Cutting & Hike – State Rd
    • Scavenger Hunts – Confirm with Emily
  4. Open Discussion
    • Webster Comprehensive Plan Update- Anna
  5. Tree Removal Process – Stewards will get an email first. Stewards will contact the backup as needed.