Friends of Webster Trails

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FWT Board Meeting Minutes

May 13, 2024 7:00 pm

Author:

Sarah White
Attendees
Denise Bilsback, Patrick Fulkerson, Bud Gearhart, Ron Happ, Hal Harris, Dennis Kuhn, Chris Peterson, Linda Siple, Anna Taylor, Ben Wisniewski, Sarah White
Adimistrative Reports
  1. Approve/Change Agenda: Approved as updated
  2. Approve Minutes from April 2024 Meeting: Approved
  3. Membership Status – Denise B
    1. 243 with 8 new members
    2. Donations of $255
    3. 629 volunteer hours YTD
    4. Website traffic increased by 900+ visits for April over March.
  4. Review of Treasurer Report- Chris/Lynn P
    1. Insurance – D&O and liability insurance obtained. Volunteer insurance is coverage outside of the liability policy, and is not purchased now.
    2. Budget Committee – Anna: Plan to have a budget-focused meeting, probably in October. Prep at summer Board meetings.
    3. Tax filing completed.
    4. Cash on hand remains above $40k.
  5. Website Inquiry Summary – Anna
    1. Question about State Road parking lot.
  6. Communications Update – Anna: No update
  7. Habitat Committee Update – Anna: Work to start this week

Trail Planning and Maintenance

  1. Scout Presentation – Alan McBeth
    1. Boardwalk connecting HRFWF pink trail to WRNP.
    2. Cost request is not to exceed $1750
    3. Plan to construct in late May or early June.
    4. Outstanding items: working with town for gravel, pricing for the pipe, and transportation of materials.
    5. Approved by voice vote.
  2. Mowing 2024 – Bud: Still need to meet with Glenn to discuss specifics of the plan. Need to add Bird Sanctuary Trail to the plan.
  3. Trail Workdays: Linda/Trail Stewards
    1. Re-Tree Earth Day, April 20, Earth Day- Feedback: 70 volunteers potted 125 seedlings and 75 seeds and planted 20 trees/shrubs.
    2. Workday #1, April 20, Gosnell Big Woods – Feedback: 13 volunteers completed the work.
    3. Trail workday signs to be posted one week ahead. Linda to be trail sign keeper.
  4. Trail Maintenance:
    1. Hickory Bark Trail, accessibility – Anna: Town received a request to make the trail more accessible from the parking lot to the boardwalk. ACTION ITEM: Denise to survey the trail to see what might be needed.
    2. Gravel needed for projects will be charged against the town’s trails budget line.
    3. Finn Park Trail – Linda:
      1. First bridge needs repair. Linda working with the Town.
      2. Trash clean up. ACTION ITEM: Patrick to see if a scout troop is interested.
      3. Denise updated the map.
      4. Stewards to blaze trails.
    4. Midnight Trail – Linda/Matt
      1. Drainage needed in 9 locations on connector trail. Move ahead with installing 9 pipes from Ron.
      2. Discussion of boardwalk v puncheon v drainage pipes. ACTION ITEM: Anna to get Matt the contact name for Monroe County to see if we could change the connector to allow bikes. That decision will inform final trail surface decision.
      3. Boardwalk damaged and needs replacement. ACTION ITEM:  Linda to check with trail steward to see if this could be a steward project.
    5. Bird sanctuary Trail – Linda/Matt – TABLED
    6. Herman Road trail map updated. Ben to send to Denise for website.
  5. WRNP ATV Issues – Ben/Ron/Anna: Signs to be posted. Parks and Rec approved placement of camera for tracking.
  6. Sign Status: “Trouble on the Trails,” “FMCP” & ATV signs – Anna:
    1. Town to update signage on kiosks with standardized information for each preserve. Town to pay for preserve rules; Anna and Denise working on estimates for signage from McAllister Signs.
    2. Trouble on the Trails and FMCP signs to be picked up this week. ACTION ITEM: Bud and Dennis to pick up from Parks & Rec.
    3. Motorized vehicle/ATV signs: Feedback to remove the logos and make it simpler wording “No motorized vehicles”. ACTION ITEM: Anna to submit the finalized sign to Parks & Rec.
  7. Workday #2 – May 18, State Rd – Hal/Paul: Focus to be on trail maintenance, with new trail to be cut if enough volunteers are there.

Meeting Notes
  1. Re-Tree Project: Sarah/Norma:
    1. Potting/planting activities.
    2. Census of existing plantings to be done this month.
    3. ACTION ITEM: Rich to add a ticker to the Website for total plantings.
  2. Promote/Events/Fundraising:
    1. Community Arts Day, April 13 – Dennis, feedback: Used new maps that Denise created. Steady traffic with new members signed up.
    2. FWT/Library, “Webster Where Trails are Worth Walking” Presentation – Anna, feedback: 50 people attended with lots of interest.
    3. FWT/Library- Group Hike, May 11- Anna, feedback: Event to be rescheduled for June.
    4. Cars and Trees Hike – Dennis, to be scheduled: Combined with a discussion of trees.
    5. FMC hike with Library in September.
  3. Goals/Priorities to Support our Mission
    1. Recruitment – Anna
      1. PowerPoint – Roadshow: Document available to use.
      2. Adopt a Trail – TABLED
    2. Passport update!! – Denise: New brochure is updated! Updated plaques to be created.
    3. Kiosk Update – Signage to be updated, as noted above.
  4. Open Space/Grants:
    1. New York Forward Community Revitalization program- Anna, First Meeting 05/15/24: Anna is FWT representative. Hojack is the center of this effort.
    2. Recreational Trails Grant – Anna/Ben/Hal: Working with Town grant writer on grant that could be used on Hojack to renovate trail surface.
  5. Open Discussion:
    1. St. Rita’s festival will have a Friends table.