September 2024

Written By Charles Picard

Rhode Island Chapter

New England Mountain Bike Association

Sept 2024 Meeting Agenda and Minutes
Date/Time: September 2024, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom

1. Roll Call

  • Dennis, Wayne Char

  • Welcome new attendees

  • Jim Sykora, guest from Rhody Rovers (Trail Boss)

2. Administration

  • August meeting minutes approval  Motion by Wayne, 2nd, Charles

  • Membership Update

    • Current membership numbers 280 (+2 since July)

    • Goal is 300 by Jan 1 

    • Lapsed members - 8 need to reach out to lapsed members

  • Leadership Change - Dennis to assume president role until elections

  • Financial Summary from July (Shannon to provide updated)

    • Opening balance: $5,123.51

    • Income: $1,797.32

    • Expenses: ($1,364.23)

    • Closing balance: $5,556.60

  • Next Meeting: October 2, 2024 - location TBD

  • RINEMBA needs help! If interested contact Dennis Wilson 

    • Grant Writer! List of grants sent out by NEMBA (CONFIDENTIAL)

      • [Charles] - Recommend looking into building a coalition among chapters to prioritize grant writing support from regional

    • Sales, fulfillment, and inventory of Merch 

    • Ride leaders. Beginner/Novice most needed. Adaptive? Weekdays and weekend 

    • Ride lead coordinator.

    • Trail Bosses for trail days

    • Volunteer Coordinator for events and trail days. 

  • Elections 2025 - move to January

    • All positions are eligible for election








3. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)

  • Meeting with Jason McNamee (Deputy Director of Natural Resources, DEM)

    • 2024/2025 Fun Rides

      • Provided paper copies of ride area agreements

      • Dennis to reach out to Jason McNamee, to make 100% certain we’re all good for Lincoln Woods Fun Ride in November.

    • New night riding regulations

      • Group sizes, safety, and waiver requirements

      • Feedback needed from RINEMBA (some concerns)

        • Would like to include Thursday nights

        • What does “trails designated by DEM” mean?

        • Can we get a seasonal waiver, instead of per ride?

      • Public hearing for input – TBD

    • E-bike regulations (Class 1 only on trails)

      • New regs for paved bike paths, Class 1 (pedal-assist, <20mph)

      • DEM exploring rules for management areas. Current rules prohibit motorized vehicles of all types.

    • Echo Lake Project

      • New property acquired by DEM, planned for professionally built trails

      • $150k allocated for the project; RINEMBA may manage project development - we’d need to secure the trail builder,

      • Adaptive

  • Orange Season

    • Starts September 14 – Reminder to inform riders

    • Only break is March through 2nd week of April

  • Rhody Rovers 

    • August 24 event feedback – successful 75-rider event

    • Trails in Arcadia are riding great. 

    • Joint trail day to be planned for Spring 2025. Loop in NEYC

      • March though 2nd week of April is the no-hunting window

4. Event Planning & Rides

  • 2024 Fun Ride Planning

    • Big River Fun Ride – September 15

      • 34 people signed up – need media push and more participants and volunteers

      • Need to make sure Keene isn’t bringing food for 200, if we only have 100 registrations.

      • Trails in good shape; some final trimming needed

      • Cash Box (Shannon to provide)

    • Lincoln Woods Fun Ride – November 10

      • Start planning, sort registration fees and donations

      • Add to Calendar

  • Beginner Clinic – October 6 at Sprague Farm

    • Discussion: Do we have capacity to host another clinic?

    • Date is flexible, Michael Petrarca and Alexis will take lead.

      • Potential to take some video to build awareness on trail project

  • Neighbor Events (would we like to bring the tent and set up)

    • QCNEMBA Pomfret Fun Ride Sunday Sept 22nd

    • BVNEMBA Best Dam Ride Sunday, October 20

    • Both chapters have potential to help fund Sprague


  • 5. SafeTrails First Aid

    • 4-hour program covers common injuries

    • Course fee includes an American Heart Association approved CPR certificate

    • Can also add on a Stop The Bleed certification and/or more hands-on time

    • Fee: $85 per person. Class sizes range from 8 to 20

6. NEMBA Corporate

  • BOD Meeting: October 26 (In-person & Zoom option)

  • Trail ownership database review

  • Trail School: September 21, Franconia, NH (Adaptive focus)

  • Any additional news from NEMBA Corporate (Wayne)?

7. Arcadia Bridge Build

  • Leftover wood available for repurposing – no movement, premoval from the agenda?

  • Revisit in the Spring

8. Glocester Land Trust Meeting

  • $12k needed for trail development plan

    • Dennis spoke to GLT and they may commit to some funding after speaking with the trail builder.

  • Pinnacle Trail Builders or Mike LeBlanc as backup

  • Develop MOU with Glocester Land Trust 

  • Snow Dog - sitting in Mike Iafrate’s garage. Wayne’s going to help facilitate the exchange.

  • Meeting on September 9

9. Cumberland Town Pump Track

  • Construction completed

  • Charles and Leigh built bike repair stand – Charles to submit costs to Shannon

  • Ribbon cutting celebration was a success!

  • Mayor Mutter: “More trail improvements to come”

10. Regularly Scheduled Group Rides

  • With earlier sunsets, official group rides will be ending soon until night riding program is formalized

  • Big River Thursday Rides at 6:00 p.m. – group sizes of 10+ must split

  • Mystic Cycle wants to lead RINEMBA night rides

11. Area Ride Updates

  • Any updates from ride area representatives?

  • Rogue trail work in Woody on Main St? 

12. Chapter Meeting reform

  • Do our meetings encourage engagement? Location, times, granularity

  • Difficult to find monthly locations that service the entire community

  • Potential to adopt a new format: Leadership meetings vs Chapter meetings

  • Discussed and approved - Zoom/Teams until the holiday party TBD.

13. New Business

  • Open floor for new topics from the board

Adjourned 8:43pm



Charles Picard
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August 2024