June 2023 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes and Activity Reports

 

Virtually present at meeting

Ernie Rodriguez – President

Jali Fernando – Executive Secretary

Neil Blake – Treasurer

David Beugelmans - Secretary

Tom Howe - VA Advocacy Director

Kathy Mihm – Ride Programs Director

Dave Magill - MD Advocacy Director

Nate Frey – Communications Director

 

Not present

Rob Lowe – Membership Director

 

 

• Financial Updates (Neil)

• -$7.4K Net General
• $9.9k Revenues
• $7.2k general donations
• $1.6k clinics
• $1.1k interest
• $17.3k Expenses
• $6.3k ED
• $5.5 Marketing (canopies, stickers)
• $2.4k Tools
• $1.4 Winter party deposit
• $3k Net Restricted
• $9.6k Restricted Revenues
• $2.9 Waterworks
• $2.7 Hashawha
• $2.6k River's Edge
• $6.6 Restricted Expenses
• $3.4k West MoCo
• $1.4k Hashawha
• $1.1k Waterworks

• Membership Update (Rob)
  • We had a really good May, with the membership drive. It helped catch up year to date and get us $1000 ahead
  • Drove membership way above 2000 and its stable. We are at 270, which is really good. We are even up a little bit from the start of the month.
  • Will start sending out renewal reminders again, probably on Thursday, and will start chasing April and March the week after.
  • Otherwise, paid memberships are around $101k/year
  • We saw a ton of members renew early, who are getting a message from IMBA that they could win prizes. We need to continue to tout that one of our members won one of the prize packages.
  • This was one of our best months in a long time that wasn’t related to fall drive or the MoCo Epic.
  • Almost 100 memberships ahead this year .
• Trails
  • Virginia (Tom)
    • We have some new liaisons at Meadowood.
    • At Lake Fairfax, one of the park managers has been promoted. Going to establish a trail crew.
    • At Wakefield, just finished $20k rehab project. This is Phase II under the powerlines under the back side of the terms. As you are coming out of the woods, it’s basically a pump track now with a big berm into the woods.
    • In Prince William County, James Long is having a Friday night race.
    • As we mentioned before, with respect to Forest Green, Martin just did a walk through.
    • They are holding sMOREs rides at Andrew Leech.
    • In Loudoun County, Eric S. has recruited someone to help expand presence in the county. There is the landfill and two private areas. There is also a brewery looking in a few miles of single track to see if anything is possible.
    • There is a fire in the GW National Forest near Columbia Furnace.
  • Maryland (Dave)
    • We have three new liaisons in Maryland.
    • Working on a couple of long-range planning meetings.
    • One is scheduled with Montgomery County Parks on July 12. Getting together with Casey Anderson and going to put ideas on a piece of paper and shop them around to liaisons about what their priorities are for the next five years.
    • The other is a meeting with the new secretary of DNR. Hearing that the new secretary gets involved and he wants to see park land developed. He has an attitude where he wants to get people out into the parks to get people to see what’s out there.
    • Beyond this, we are making progress on opening up the mileage along Seneca Creek for MoCo Epic north. The bids for the sidewalk were too expensive. Getting new contractors in. Also looking at a temporary one-day pass for the MoCo Epic and a temporary fix to make it safe enough. Moving forward with this.
    • We got 4 MORE RTP grants submitted in this round.
    • In Prince George’s, the major update are the jug bay trails and we are doing a MORE ride two weeks from now to show that off.
  • Jali:
    • I was at the adaptive trails event in Patapsco, and there was interest in doing adaptive trails in MoCo. There could be a possibility there.
  • Approval of Contract for Rivers Edge Trail Building (Dave)
    • There is going to be $70k of work at Rivers Edge, which is the RTP grant project (underway). We are going to upsize it a bit to try to make the bridges bigger.
    • In this new cross-country loop, there are going to be gravity trails and a return line. This was sole source bit because Andrew is out there. The trails committee reviewed and thought it was market. The bid was $10/foot. That work should be done by the fall, if we approve it.
    • It has been approved by the trails committee.
    •  Dave M: Moved to approve the contract for $22k funded by combination of O’Sullivan Fund and General Trail Fund.
      • Neil: Second
      •  Passed unanimously.
    • Events (Clay)
      • Not too much of an update. Jali and I are ramping up organization for the summer picnic. Asking for ride leaders and volunteers. We have some newer faces for leading rides. Going to get more ads out for this. Going to try to do in BikeReg this year and see how it goes.
      • Things have been hard to serve, so for next year will reserve a pavilion at Lake Fairfax. Going to try to get in as soon as possible as a backup.
    • Ride Program Update (Kathy)
      • Been trying to get more weekend rides and more parks because we have so many parks.
      • Reached out to ride leaders and will reach out to liaisons. Going to try to get weekend rides going. Otherwise, trying to hold at least one beginner’s skills clinic a month.
      • Running another set of clinics with Hillary. Drops are filled up. Concerning we have two more spots.
    • Annual Report Update (Ernie)
      • Done and ready to be printed.
    • Member Survey (Nate)
      • Have been cleaning up data so can general charts. If anyone has thoughts on what it would look like or what we may want to do it, otherwise I’ll give it my best shot.
      • Can start with something generic and we can talk about it including what changes are needed.
    • MoCo Epic
      • It is going really well now that BikeReg is up. Surprised by how early people sign up. The membership coupon seems good.
      • Got another sponsorship at the $500 level.
      • Waiting for Saturday activities to shape up.
      • Lined up things for social media and newsletter for MoCo Epic things.
      • All permits are in place, except the State Highway Administration. They sent us the wrong permit, but we are getting it sorted out.

 

Activity Reports

• President – Ernest (Ernie) Rodriguez
  • Attend and participate in MoCo Epic organizing meeting
  • Golden Volunteer set-up and training
  • Website maintenance
  • Process and post donations from website
  • Attend BLM Public Lands Briefing Policy proposed changes - Conservation Leasing
  • Virtual meeting with REI - current and future projects
  • Attend American Trails "Trail Skills Project" and website design
  • Help with MD Liaison virtual meeting
  • Help with VA Liaison virtual meeting
  • Attend IMBA board meeting in Asheville NC
  • Meeting with Phillip Darden - SORBA Executive Director
  • Assist with Annual Report

 

• Jali Fernando – Executive Director
  • Spring Membership Drive communications and prize fulfillment
  • Tabled at REI, May 27
  • MORE tent at Wednesday at Wakefield races
  • MoCo Epic preparations - registration, suppliers, sponsorship coordination
  • Submitted application for Dig In grant
  • Submitted grant applications/donation/sponsorship requests to Subaru, Whole Foods, Five Guys, The St. James Performance Club, Mom’s Organic
  • Submitted and received REI Community Gear items
  • Represented MORE at FPVSP Cocktails for Trails
  • Summer Picnic planning
  • Attended meeting with Loch Raven team and Baltimore City Mayor’s Office
  • Set up Hillary's skills clinics on Shopify
  • Regular newsletter and social media communications

 

• Secretary – David Beugelmans
  • Coordinated board meeting and finalized minutes
  • Create and complete 2022 Annual Report

 MD Advocacy Director – Dave Magill

 Recruiting liaisons and co-liaisons for Cabin John, Seneca Greenway north and Wheaton Regional

• Helped plan and organize and participated in a workday at Cabin John with new liaison
• Submitted to SHGA a request to begin procurement on refurbing a parking lot at Patuxent
• Coordinating an eagle scout project at Schaeffer
• Working on a temporary fix to the trail under Clopper Road that could be used, if approved, on MoCo Epic day
• Worked with our team to submit MORE’s quals regarding the grant application for the bridge over Seneca Creek
• Assisting with contracting for additional trails at Rivers Edge
• Working to nail down a venue and date for a liaisons meeting
• Prepping for meeting with MoCo Parks on trailbuilding priorities
• Completed annual tool orders and delivered all tools to liaisons
• Annual report review
• Worked with new liaison on Muddy Branch to assess trail improvements
• Assisted in acquiring bridge designs for Windy Ridge
• Attended cocktails for trails fundraiser by FOPVSP

 

• VA Advocacy Director – Tom Howe
  • Monthly VA / DC Liaisons Meeting
  • Wakefield Trail Work
  • MtVDP Trail Work
  • Trail Liaison Meeting Planning
  • Provided additional content for the Annual Report

 

• Membership Director – Rob Lowe
  • May Membership Thank You's and Reminders to Renew

 

• Ride Program Director – Kathy Mihm
  • Women's MTB Day planning and participate
  • Numerous ride leader correspondence and ride set up/announcements
  • MORE Parks and Rides in 2023 - reach to ride leaders to get more weekend rides at various parks - a few rides set up from this
  • MoCo Epic planning - routes and general info
  • MORE Website updates - donations, rider resources page
  • Ride Leader - Dans Mountain State Park area
  • Review Annual Report
  • Golden volunteer set ups
  • Follow Background check for new ride leaders
  • Searching for First Aid Training for ride leaders
  • Bike Box correspondence, calendar, manage
  • Lead several rides and 2 skills clinics

 

• Communications Director – Nate Frey
  • [*]

 

• Treasurer – Neil Blake

• -$7.4K Net General
• $9.9k Revenues
• $7.2k general donations
• $1.6k clinics
• $1.1k interest
• $17.3k Expenses
• $6.3k ED
• $5.5 Marketing (canopies, stickers)
• $2.4k Tools
• $1.4 Winter party deposit
• $3k Net Restricted
• $9.6k Restricted Revenues
• $2.9 Waterworks
• $2.7 Hashawha
• $2.6k River's Edge
• $6.6 Restricted Expenses
• $3.4k West MoCo
• $1.4k Hashawha
• $1.1k Waterworks

• Activities Director – Clay Deming
  • Planning Summer Picnic
  • Family Day Epic 
  • Review annual report