Alaska Trails Board Meeting Teleconference
February 10, 2004
Draft Meeting Summary
On the call: Joe Westfall, Kevin Murphy, Ron Crenshaw, James King, Jack Mosby, Dan Chagnon, Lisa Holzapfel, Pat Owens, Warren Templin, Kevin Keeler, Adrienne Hall
1. Call to Order-9:10 am
2. Minor Changes to Agenda-Amend K, add Challenge Cost Share Grant; add M. Health Brochure; and L. Domain Name Selection
3. Jan 20 the Meeting Minutes. No discussion; motion to approve (Ron Crenshaw); second, Kevin Murphy; no objections, stand approved.
4. Board Updates:
President, James King-Trail Mix is producing two videos with Scott Foster (producer of Rain Country, good writer). Intent to distribute to cruise ships for TV on board and distribute to visitor centers. The first video is just hiking safety. The second video is 9 minutes and includes boating safety and hiking. The plan is to distribute both videos. Is Alaska Trails willing to apply for ACF grant to help produce more copies? They both have a general outdoor safety theme. Check with boating clubs; state parks and coast guard have been contacted. The City and Borough of Juneau is sponsoring $20,000 grant. They are willing to put Alaska Trails on logo for distribution money, DVD’s. Lisa moved to apply to ACF or other funding source for DVD production and distribution. Jack Mosby, second. No objections. Board approved applying for grants (ACF) to help fund video production. James King will take lead.
James mentioned that Alaska Trails needs a mobile display board, one that can be used around the state. He’ll need one for next year’s ARPA conference in Juneau.
Treasurer, Joe Westfall. There is $2,200.01 in the account. Outflow to pay for recorder for Secretary to record meetings. He is combining the cash flow report with the transactions report, this will eliminate the cash flow report. Joe will complete the IRS 990 filing, due in March and submit copies to the board. Jack Mosby will pick up the incoming membership checks from the mailbox, and will make copies of all checks. He will deposit the checks and give copies of the records to Joe for the book keeping.
Secretary, Jack Campbell. Not present. Lisa taking notes.
Funding Committee-Bruce Friend. Not present. Jack Mosby is completing application to the Combined Federal Campaign for Alaska Trails. Kevin Murphy summarized the subcommittee meeting. Subcommittee recommendation is first get an executive director on board, then move on board membership recruitment. There should be money in the account before we ask for new board members.
Education Committee, Joe Westfall. He’s working on snowmachine education efforts, instructor training, etc. WOW-breast cancer ride/Polaris; want to get to a point to produce a CD/DVD video to cover woman in snowmobiling and ATVing, safety for woman; dove tail with ADF&G becoming an outdoor woman class. James King, question: Video is geared towards woman, but safety aspects are the same, male/female? Yes, but focus is to woman, by woman. There is a big gap in participation between males and females. Increase awareness and education for woman in motorized sector, purpose is to increase female participation in winter motorized sports by taking the lack of knowledge out and putting safety in. For some woman it’s a mechanical issue. Joe sees the function of AK Trails as assisting clubs-education/ and on the ground stuff/ efficiency in construction of trails. The snow machine education presentations need to add a trail component. How to use trails properly, what it takes to develop trails, why you should be interested in participating in trail maintenance, trail designing, trail signing. AK Trails role is to help educate and to help produce trails. The last class Joe put on included avalanche/survival/machine safety. It didn’t leave time to add “trail” component. In the future, it would be good to add a component on trail information. Training class segments are filled now. Lisa-is there someone in Alaska Trails that can work with Joe to develop a trail training component so it can be added to other related seminars? Pat Owens suggested the 30 min. to 1 hour Power Point presentation information packages that the subcommittee wants to work on. If there is a presentation “in the can” anyone can help present it. A live instructor can expand on canned presentation. Joe felt it would be better if shorter for students and classes. You could have the trail development experts, like Kevin Meyer and Keeler in class to deliver live instructor portion. Someone that knows what they are talking about. James, this is something the education committee can get involved with.
Motion: Joe, for the Education committee to put together education seminar packages.
Second Jack Mosby, no further discussion, no objection. Passed.
Within the next year, Polaris is going to produce an avalanche awareness and safety video, geared towards woman. Similar to ISMA safe rider video, package and give out with every snow machine purchase. Polaris product, grass routes develop in Alaska, possible to add Alaska Trails into it. Joe will keep board informed.
PR/Media Committee-Pat Owens. Working on the PR piece. Draft review comments, Kevin Murphy, great job; Ron Crenshaw, liked brief piece, keep it short. There was support for the short version from all. Intent is to stick with current membership form and categories. Pat, should have piece done by the end of the month.
Volunteer Recruitment Committee-Jack Mosby. Jack has heard from a few individuals. He’s just gotten back in town, will get back with it now.
Program Committee-Dan Chagnon. The trails committee, adopt a trail program in Fairbanks, want to incorporate, met a lot of resistance, legal, risk management easement legal issues. Not done much except with military, work with them cooperatively, good community based partner. IMBA trail care group, Birch Hill Ski Area is getting lined up for the summer. There is interest from Ft. Wainwright trail staff. They want to work on trails on base, possible volunteer support. IMBA events-push back one week so the IMBA project does not overlap with kids track and field event in FBKS. IMBA draft schedule: June 18-19 in Fairbanks and June 25-27 in Mat Su. Joe Westfall-Cam Lockwood, Trails Unlimited, coming to Alaska June-July timeframe, maybe he would be interested in participating too? Maybe it would be possible to incorporate his mechanical equipment support. Dan-Fairbanks will use the Parks and Rec Dept. park maintenance to donate equipment and aggregate for the project.
5. New Business:
Summary from New Board Member Recruitment ah hoc committee. Alaska Trails should have $30,000 in their account before we recruit new board members. And have new members on board before hire an executive director. The group discussed extending the term of the existing board members. After discussion, the group agreed to re-read the by laws relating to staggered terms, board member make up, honorary members etc. already established. Suggestion made, to extend honorary membership to Austin Helmers. The board can discuss others as well, members should submit proposals. Board members should submit their recommendations for potential new board members to Kevin Murphy. James requested Kevin Murphy to draft a letter to all board members actively recruiting, format etc. Board members should ask potential new board members to submit a letter of interest to the existing board.
Jack Mosby suggested that the term of the existing board be extended through December 31, 2004, stating that all existing board members are committed to Alaska Trails. James King-Motion, the current existing board extends its current term through Dec. 31, 2004. Kevin Murphy second. No additional Discussion. Call for the question. No opposition. Approved. Main points of discussion, in summary, raise $30,000-Ron; get (paid) staff on Board-James; get mid-to long term projects on the ground-Jack Mosby; Apply to the NPS for a CCSP Grant ($7,000) to get summer staff support for a program events coordinator-Kevin Keeler; complete the membership drive, using PR/Media piece-Lisa and use the events as part of the media drive-Lisa.
Group has a brief discussion relating to “Committees or Subcommittees” to accomplish work. Lisa recommended using ad-hoc committees so do not need to go back in and change bylaws.
Discussed Paul Sandhofer’s
request to support a booth at the National Trails Symposium. James, Pat, Ron, and board agreed, we should
spend money and volunteer efforts focused in state, not national audience for
the time. Board will not support purchasing
a table at National Trails Symposium. So
moved.
James added that Trail Mix will join officially. Discussion about stationary and stamp needs for membership letters. Jack moved the board approved expense of $50.00 for paper stamps envelopes, James second . Approved. (Lisa volunteered to purchase and donate.)
BLM winter trails day event. Jack and Lisa will contact BLM and see about an Alaska Trails booth.
Committees: Please review the 18-month strategies so we can produce an operating plan to compliment the strategic plan. Deadlines-Pat and Joe Projects/dates/costs/targeted accomplishments; Pat, Joe, Dan and Jack agreed they could meet a February 29, 2004 deadline. Committee sections will be sent to Lisa by February 29, 2004. Lisa will format to match strategic plan and distribute to board.
ACF or other grant applications-safety video approved. PR media printing production and Alaska Trail Champion patch, car decals. Ron-Motion to support funding for Video/PR Media/Health brochure with ACF or other source. Jack second. Approved. James-video/PR; patches Jack and Lisa; health brochure-Jack and Lisa
Marketing Exercises. Board Exercise #1: Who are our Primary Customers? Individuals-best focus for Alaska Trails, Pat. Put our brochures where our individual potential members visit, Polaris shops, REI, lodges, highway coffee shops, know where people stop. Murphy-trail users are our primary customer. Joe, this handles outflow. Agencies and businesses are our secondary customers. Kevin Keeler-we should identify relationships with three groups, individuals, groups (adhoc/clubs) and agencies. We need them all as key partners early on. We need to figure out how we are helping the local clubs and others. James-clubs and agencies joining as members of Alaska Trails shows others that our clubs are in support of Alaska Trails. It shows how we band together. Encourage organizations along at same time as we get started. Joe-Alaska Snowmachine Club = business name letter up in newsletter, shared pr/media over time. This means benefits to both. James- in time we need to join other clubs, reciprocal membership. Joe Westfall-we have our primary customer, need to discuss how to handle affiliate/reciprocal memberships. Outflow-Alaska Trails, joins national clubs, IMBA, Mat Su. Pat-if another group joins they are a member, what we are really looking at is a partnership. Agency and groups as partners. Pat will review the organization membership description and see how it fits into Trail Partner and Trail sponsor lists. James-if you join as American Hiking Society = partner organization. Encourage partnerships, not reciprocity. Pay cash now, we need the upfront money. In the future, when have money. Check our by-laws.
Board Exercise #2: How do you measure success? Joe-successful, if Alaska Trails is providing Alaska Trails component to safety education. James-when we’ve made our first grant to a trail organization and they acknowledge it in their newspaper; when we have improved a trail for users in Alaska, through money, grants given from Alaska Trails. Joe-when we are like Snowtrac, grants for on the ground or safety and education. Jack- when we are doing three or more things at the same time, providing a service, education/safety/information is available. Ron-when the membership is at 2-300 people. When a project or two, or more is in the pipeline. When handouts are available for sources of funding, maintenance, small grant cycle each year. Success is a component of three or more of those. We have 9 purposes. When we can show a bunch of those points. Kevin Keeler-trail stewardship/networking/leveraging.
Board Exercise #3. We are the people who____?
Dig in the dirt, get as dirty as we can, dirtiest.
Bring Alaska Trail trail users/supporters together, networking, bring together;
Junctions/intersections in a road system. Trail connections.
We are the people who?________ safeguard and approve public trails across Alaska.
We are your ___________? trail champions.
We are the people who____? improve trails; bring people and resources together as well as we can.
We want to be seen as ___________? Alaska Trail Stewards.
What we heard at the 2001 trail conference… people wanted to dig in their own dirt/snow…, not have us do the digging for them, rather provide them with the money to do their own local trail work.
Update on the Copyright and Trademark for Lester Lightfoot. Stacy has applied with the federal government, not the state. If we add Lester to our products, we enjoin. Joe recommends that we let the next volley of letters take place, and be conservative. Once we get word from Stacy on the next round we decide. Recommends we table the discussion until then. Discussion continued, Stacy’s purpose to create Lester was educational, if we keep Lester purely in that vain, we would not step on anyone’s toes. If use Lester to gain membership money, or connect Lester to funding at all, we might be crossing the line of concern. Motion, Joe Westfall: Move to use Lester Lightfoot for educational materials. No objections, Pat Owens seconded. Board Approved. Joe will rewrite the contract draft for Board approval to submit to Stacy. Kevin Meyer, really glad we don’t abandon Lester, and are going to use him on educational materials.
Kevin Keeler. CCSP grant-matching expenditure monies,
IMBA/ARPA/staffing in-kind service Mat Su and FBKS; State Rec trail grant Mat
Su borough, Math of $40-50,000 for the $7,000 asking. One letter from Partners themselves, two IMBA
projects, Mat Su and Fairbanks borough
plus Plumley Maude trail. Kevin
will provide technical assistance to Pat
and Warren to complete the CCSP grant application.
Domain Name: First round of voting for the top three resulted in the following names
Revote on top two, Alaska-trails.org and Alaskatrails501C3. Approved Alaska-trails.org Moved James; second Pat, Board approved. Joe will get us signed up with Go-Daddy.
Adjourned 11:45
Feb Task List