June 2020 Board Meeting Minutes

• Meeting Attendance
  • Ernie Rodriguez - President
  • Peggy Flaxman - Executive Director
  • Tom Howe - VA Advocacy Director
  • Rob Lowe - Membership Director
  • Sharon Maloid - Activities Director
  • David Beugelmans - Vice President
  • Dave Magill - MD Advocacy Director
  • Neil Blake - Treasurer
  • Mauricio Carvalho - Trail Boss
  • Andrew Melito – Communications Director

• Financial Updates (Neil)
  • Significant amount of activity on website resulting in $2k of general revenue and some restricted fund revenue
  • Awaiting final Q2 membership fees which will help with the deficit thus far
  • $4.3k general revenue for May ($25.5k YTD)
  • $12.4k general expenses for May ($43k YTD)
  • Net negative $8.1k for May (negative $43.0k YTD)
  • $2.5k restricted revenues for May ($25k YTD)
  • $8.5k restricted expenses for May ($35k YTD)
  • $5.9 deficit for May ($10.1k deficit YTD)
  • Cash balances remain in good shape - $335k
  • $50,000 Locust Shade Grant received in June (not in May’s financials)
    • Ernie: specifically for national scenic trail connectivity at Locust Shade Park. The funds are from the National Park Foundation. Grant earned because of performance in building the advanced black loop at Locust Shade. It must be spent at Locust Shade on a beginner loop.
  • Liability Insurance Update (Ernie)
    • Talked to insurance broker about clause in insurance for communicable diseases.
    • Indicated there is no need to update waiver.
    • Agreed with strategy of not violating any guidance from park managers and local governments. Liked idea of ramping up but within guidelines.

• Membership Updates (Rob)
  • May was first of two months of IMBA membership drive. We had a huge month due to social media, new trail signs, and new people being out mountain biking.
  • We have 58 joins in May, which is 3-4x we normally do in month
  • 223 membership transactions for $11,000, meaning we are taking in almost $9,000 from IMBA
  • Overall, big month and exceeded last year by almost 2x
  • Has not been as busy in June, but IMBA did not send out membership messages this month yet. IMBA is sending out messages soon.
  • Rob has been removing duplicate entries from past member database
  • Signs out on trails are driving growth. Has helped at Wakefield.
  • Ernie: Started messaging all new joins to MORE’s Meetup accounts. Messaging welcomes members with details about MORE’s webpage and social media  

• COVID-19 Matters
  • Restarting Trailwork
    • Dave M.
      • Sent out email to liaisons on reopening trailwork
      • Allowing trailwork with 10 person max size or higher if park and county allow
      • Tried to be simple and direct with four points: it’s coming soon, need approval from land manager and need to control size in accordance with guidelines/requirements.
      • Described app to RSVP to make sure no more than 10 where needed. Apps with features are Golden Volunteer and Meetup
      • Some land managers are saying ad hoc is ok, but social media announced is not OK
      • Also should not share food, needs to be single serving, need to wear gloves, bring hand sanitizer
      • Dave has call with Maryland liaisons on June 9 to share what people are learning and what ideas they have.
      • Has received feedback that in some places it is relatively open.
      • DNR has told park managers they can’t do anything without permission.
      • Discussion on holding days with multiple groups of 10
        • Possibility of calendaring two events
      • Tom
        • Will hold meeting with Virginia liaisons soon
      • Restarting Organized Rides
        • Dave M
          • We should think about who’s responsible for ride program
          • Discussion about it falling under VP
        • We need to do a communication to group ride leaders about opening things up consistent with local requirements
        • Dave M: message should be that people should do things consistent with local requirements
        • Rob: Night rides normally require permission, but otherwise it may be fine to just tell people to be consistent with local requirements
        • Dave M: We should take group ride banner saying postponed off of website
        • David, Ernie, and Sharon going to work together on a message
        • SMORES (Elaine)
          • NOVA sMOREs has canceled rides for 2020 and concerned about parks being so close to DC
          • Maryland – need to follow state and county and no rides with kids under 10
        • Rob: Group ride leaders need to be MORE members.
          • Dave B: We will include that in the email.

• Trails Advocacy Update
  • Maryland
    • Patapsco
      • Raised $20,000 for Dogwood trail, work now underway by Greenstone Trailcraft
      • DNR is allowing professional contractors to work
      • Dave B. discussed positive experience riding new “Old Ellicott City” connector project recently completed by Greenstone Trailcraft.
    • Annapolis
      • Recently substantially completed 100-foot boardwalk project at Waterworks with support of City of Annapolis.
      • Also installed trail kiosk and dog/litter signage with support of City
      • 4-5 additional miles of trails at Bacon Ridge in the works
      • Mayor Buckley has included approximately $500k in capital budget for West East Connector project, which will provide a paved bike path connection from downtown Annapolis to Waterworks park
      • Generally, explosive growth in mountain biking and trail usage in area.
    • MoCo
      • Approved expanded budget larger than original submission, so going to hire a second crew of machine operators
      • Had strong support from MORE members in advocating for the trails budget
      • Building new trail in Cabin John south end
      • Invited by MoCo to co-brand discovery MoCo ride series
        • Target for launching July 1
      • Frederick
        • Greenstone Trailcraft finished work in April and heard only good things
        • Discussion on providing MORE signs to Frederick Watershed liaisons. Decided to offer MORE as resource on signage to liaisons, subject to needs of liaisons
      • Patuxent
        • Going to propose change order that’s going to add some additional costs to same contract
        • Building work is going to start around September 1
      • Virginia
        • Biweekly meetings on Wakefield
        • Catching up on Arlington conversation. Peggy met with candidate for county board and scheduling more meetings
        • Hopes to have liaisons call shortly after MD call

• SWAG
  • Sock Order
    • Ernie: socks came in and are well received. Gave Peggy 200 pairs.
    • Rob: In May and start of June, have done 40 members of $100 more totaling about $5500
  • Fulfillment for monthly members who complete 1 year of donations (send at end of year vs join/renewal)
    • Rob: monthly memberships send in money each month, but it adds up to more than $100 for many of them and haven’t been giving them anything.
    • Ernie: will discuss fulfillment offline
  • Online Store Advertising
    • David B: Positive experience with Facebook ads for online merch. Recommended MORE continue.
    • Peggy: Need pictures of people wearing stuff for boosting on social media

• Engaging Youth Advisory Panel
  • Ernie: This effort resulted from conversation with John Posner.
    • We have more partners than just NICA
    • Partners include Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League, Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League, Trail for Youth, Phoenix Bikes, Gearinup Bikes, Garlington Shereders, NoVA Composite and others
    • Has been pushing to IMBA that we cannot speak loud enough in support of youth programing
    • Going to start with vegetation management and work on training. First meeting on June 10. Going to let kids drive what to do.
    • TYO came out with video on “why I ride” which was fantastic
    • Helps us remain relevant and we meet needs of youth in communities
  • Peggy: need to figure out how to involve MORE members and those who aren’t members of a group

• Activities
  • Fall Camping Trip (Sharon)
    • Big Bear is going to open up this weekend with race, but no after party etc. Being cognizant of rules.
    • Typically have a big banquet table where people share food, beer, etc. It is going to be a last-minute decision about how to proceed.
    • Should be easy to pull together at last minute
  • MoCo Epic Alternatives (Peggy)
    • Need to figure out who will make decision about MoCo Epic and discussed potential scenarios.
    • One option is to do actual event, provide just one or two aid stations, with no after party beer, or day of registration.
    • The other thing would be to mark courses in advance and give people a couple weeks to ride it, i.e. a virtual event.
    • MoCo is not permitting yet.
    • Without afterparty etc, we will probably lose money on event
    • At this point, we are takin it one month at a time and trying to make decision as late as possible
    • Dave M: doesn’t like idea of a Virtual Race with times submitted, encouraging people to go fast on MoCo trails, this is a ride, not race
    • We can likely wait until September 1 to do something modified
    • Dave B: Idea of making contest to try to ride as many MORE trails as possible.
      • Rob: We tried this a long time ago and very few people did it
      • Elaine: we’ll probably get more participation now because there’s nothing to do.
    • Peggy: Are we concerned about asking people to volunteer?
      • Concerned about asking people to volunteer if nothing changes.
      • Dave M. believes we’ve already made decision to allow volunteering for trailwork and ride leading
      • Andrew: Would want to volunteer for trail day but would be concerned about MoCo if it was today
      • Tom: Wants to see how next month goes, including whether schools and school activities will be open
      • Ernie:Wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it if it was just him, but feels obligated because he’s the president of MORE

• Communications Update
  • Financial spread in Annual Report needs additional work

Board of Directors May 2020 Activity Reports

 President – Ernest (Ernie) Rodriguez

• Organize Youth Advisory Council for MORE including MICL, Trails for Youth, Phoenix Bikes, Gearinupbikes, Garlington Shredders, NoVA Composite
• Sign on to support Uniform Law Commission project to revisit and update Recreational Use Statues
• Comments on BLM proposed rules for e-Bikes, open process, class and not lumping in human powered with e-Bikes
• Comments to MoCo board of supervisors messaging - Thank you for approving the Trails budget
• IMBA Local round-table participation
• Order and receipt of MORE socks for large donors and special events or trailwork
• Apart but coordinated trailwork at Wakefield Park
• Place MORE flag at Wakefield Park to connect with new riders - yielded donations, Facebook likes and membership
• Working with Peggy, Mauricio and liaisons to install new MORE statistics and Riding is FUN signs at various parks
• Apply for Trails Count grant application with IMBA for ECO Counters at Rivers Edge and Fountainhead
• Apply for Dig In application for Patuxent River State Park
• Work with Martin to finalize flag line for beginner trail at Locust Shade - grant funds secured from National Park Foundation funded by Coca-Cola
• Mail our large donor SWAG
• Monitor and respond to social media questions and posts - very complex at times
• Welcome new Liaison for Cedarville State Park - Welcome Sue Estes (Registered Nurse)
• Support new Cedarville Liaison organize women's ride within Federal (CDC), State, County, Park guidelines
• Advise Steve Pringle, Kent Island Liaison working with Queen Anne County for public trails
• Comparative analysis of Golden Volunteer, WaiverSign, Track-it-Forward, Meetup and CalendarWiz for electronic waivers, limiting group sizes and cost
• Attend American Trails webinars
• Work with Peggy, Dave Magill and M-NCPPC to develop Discover MoCo trails program
• Work with Peggy and Katy Mihm on media to connect with new trail users and beginner riders
• Work with Peggy and Elaine to craft sMORE's ride messaging - no official rides, encourage family riding
• Work with Peggy and Dave to develop contingency plans for MoCo Epic
• Participate in MoCo Epic team planning for possible MoCo Epic
• Begin distributing MORE hang tags to bike shops along with Peggy
• Order additional MORE branded Club Ride jerseys for major donors
• Work with Peggy connecting with Sponsors  

• Executive Director – Peggy Flaxman

• Set schedule for social media messaging: Highlight Trail (Tues), Volunteer (Wed), #TBT (Thurs), Sponsor/Partner Focus (Weekend)
• Ongoing social media communications related to May-June Membership Drive
• Ongoing  social media responses to queries
• Edits/updates to s’MORE’s page
• Edits/updates to various “Where to Ride” links on website
• Created, ordered, picked-up and delivered park signage in conjunction with Ernie, Dave and Kathy.
• Organized Youth Advisory Council for MORE including MICL, Trails for Youth, Phoenix Bikes, Gearinupbikes, Garlington Shredders, NoVA Composite. 
• Met with Sonya Breehey and subsequently attended FABB monthly meeting.
• Applied for and received $250 grant for Wakefield from Extreme Terrain
• Completed Mastenbrook Grant for Wakefield (in final review)
• “Met” Dave Ferraro regarding Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park’s fundraising efforts.  Focused on this need for weekend on social media posts.
• Attended American Trails webinars "Common Ground: Shared Goals for the Trails and Health Communities” and "Creating Culture Change through Outdoor Recreation"
• Attended PHTA Meeting
• Attended USA Cycling webinar on COVID-19 mitigation/responses
• Begin distributing MORE hang tags to bike shops
• Worked with Ernie/Tom on Kuat Rack Raffle
• Worked with Davide Beugelmans on boosting socks on social media
• Visited several Arlington Co parks with unofficial bike trails in preparation for Susan Cunningham (Arlington Council Candidate) meeting
• Worked with Ernie, Dave Magill and M-NCPPC to develop Discover MoCo trails program
• Created Illustrator maps to mark 3 trails in 8 parks designated by Dave Magill
• Provided signage information to MoCo Parks
• Worked with Ernie and Katy Mihm on a “Welcome to MORE” page to connect with new trail users and beginner riders
• Created new web page which includes info on “Getting Started”, “Where to Ride” and “Rules of the Trail” geared to new riders 
• Worked with Ernie and Elaine to craft sMORE's ride messaging - no official rides, encourage family riding.  
• Have begun expanding the “Welcome to MORE” to provide as guidance for parents hoping to ride with kids in absence of s’MORE’s rides
• Work with Ernie and Dave to develop contingency plans for MoCo Epic
• Collected information on other various COVID-19 mitigation plans for similar events
• Held MoCo Epic team planning for to discuss possible scenarios for 2020 MoCo Epic

• Vice President – David Beugelmans
  • Board meeting coordination, complete minutes and post online
  • Installed 8 MORE signs at trailheads across AACo
  • Continued online store advertising experiment
  • Waterworks
    • Coordinated installation of dog bag dispenser/trash can at trailhead
    • Built and installed trailhead map kiosk and AACo Epic wayfinding sign
    • Mowed grass along Solar Park Loop trail
    • Reroute section of Honeysuckle Loop trail
    • Coordinated with City of Annapolis and delivered $850 worth of lumber through old landfill and abandoned dirt roads for new boardwalk installation

• MD Advocacy Director – Dave Magill
  • Polled some liaisons and land managers about timetables and procedures for restarting organized/advertised trailwork
  • Began work on the MoCo wayfinding/mapping grant project w Kathy Mihm and Bob Caverly
  • Working on agreement with MoCo parks allowing identified MORE members to use battery or gas powered hedge trimmers on County park trails
  • Pursuing change order to add additional mileage to the Patuxent trailbuild contract with Greenstone Trailcraft
  • Working with MoCo Parks on an series of virtual discovery rides or hikes on MoCo trails, which may involve as many as 8 parks, each with short, medium and long courses. Goal is to launch the program July 1
  • Thank you note to Montgomery County Council for approving the trails budget, personal email to BLM re e-bikes on trails (supporting only class 1 e-bikes)
  • 7 trailwork days since last meeting, at Pax, Cabin John, and Schaeffer
  • Recruiting additional ad hoc volunteers, organizational emails re trimming and mowing in SCSP
  • Assisted with making tools available to the new Cedarville liaison Sue Estes
  • Participated in MoCoEpic planning session considering different configurations for the MoCo-vid Epic 2020
  • Supported and approved purchase of hedge trimmers from the MoCo Reinvestment Restricted Fund

• VA Advocacy Director – Tom Howe
  • Social Distanced trail work at Wakefield Park

• Boardwalk repairs, Bridge replacement, trimming

• Bi-weekly meetings with Wakefield Liaisons
• Approved $500 transfer from GTF to Locust Shade Restricted Trail Fund to cover materials to finish the current phase and to prep for the next phase of trail development 
• Coordinating with Mount Vernon District Park Liaison Mark Thomson regarding brining on new liaisons as well as getting some MORE signage for Mount Vernon District Park
• Scheduling a discussion with Brookfield Park Liaison Pat Childers on making improvements to the pump track and connecting trails
• Working on Mastenbrook Grant Application for Wakefield Park
• Working on VA/DC Advocacy Blurb for Annual Report

• Trail Boss – Mauricio Carvalho
  • Worked with Peggy and Ernie on ordering and distributing signs to our trail liaisons.
  • Completed trail work (mowing and trimming) on Schaeffer Farms
  • Moco Epic Planning Meeting

• Membership Director – Rob Lowe
  • Membership Management - 1325 Members as of 02 June 2020 - 58 New Joins in May 2020!
    • Emails to New Members and Rejoining Members in May - 223 Membership Transactions (161 Last Year so a big increase!)  
    • Emails sent to Lapsed Expired 2020 So far - 155 thru May in late May
    • Emails sent to 2019 Expired and 2018 Expired - (303 and 366 respectively)  - in 9 Groups
    • Tracking duplicates found in mailings in 2020 thru 2018 and any renewals about 45 to be submitted to IMBA so far.
    • Membership Report for April and bi-weekly Membership Drive Updates in May to BOD.
  • Wakefield - Ad Hoc Trail work 3x and 1 Planned Day around bridge replacement and trimming.
  • Wakefield - 2x Trailwork Planning Meetings
  • VA Advocacy - Assisted in Organization of ArlCo Meeting with Candidate Susan Cunningham.

• Communications Director – Andrew Melito
  • Worked on Annual Report
  • Sent out Spring Newsletter
  • Attended 6/2 Moco Epic Meeting

• Treasurer – Neil Blake
  • Provided input on financial info for the annual report
  • Attended conference call with Susan Cunnigham, Arlington Board candidate, on the possibilities and partnering for mountain biking in Arlington

• Activities Director – Sharon Maloid
  • Group gatherings: continue to evaluate possibility for group gatherings (tag onto Peggy's agenda items)
  • Fall Campout: still scheduled for 25-27 September at Big Bear Camplands. The event area has started to re-open, they are hosting a MTB race mid-June, all registration on-line, no food supplied, no aid stations or after party. Want to discuss at the BOD our position at this point, then discuss further with Big Bear.  
  • Received bike tags to distribute to local shops