Hinesburg Trails Committee
Meeting Minutes
August 18, 2010
Present: Cathy Ryan, Lenore Budd, Greg Leroy, Colin McNaull, Jane Sheldon
Minutes of 7/21/10 meeting were approved. Cathy will post on Town website.
Cathy will ask Peter Erb for an update on the NRG trail project for the 9/15/10 meeting.
Cathy reported that Rocky Martin estimates that it will cost ~$30,000 to complete the sidewalk in front of the Meade house on Rte. 116. We will work with the Village Steering Committee (and perhaps other groups such as Safe Routes to School) to get this item included in the 2011 Town budget. Jane will circulate the names of the members of the Village Steering Committee so we can work out the best approach.
At the request of Ed Waite, Cathy and Colin visited with the Fire Department and shared with them an annotated map of the Russell Trail system showing ambulance and ATV access points. The Fire Department would like equivalent maps for all the trails. Lenore will draft and send to Cathy an annotated map of the Copp-Welch-LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest trail network and contact Ed Waite to coordinate review of the map. We agreed that this should be a collaborative process with the Fire Department. We can show them the trails and the access points but it’s up to the Fire Dept. personnel to determine the suitability of the access points for their various vehicles.
Status of our tool order (via VT Mountain Biking Association) is unknown. Jason to provide an update at the 9/15/10 meeting.
Colin reported on the work he did recently to improve the Class IV connection between Catchapaw and Isham Roads. Cathy will make a map and post on the Town website. Colin will draft similar map and description for the Boutin Rd. trail.
Lenore reported that the VT Recreation Trails Fund money has been received and a GPS receiver ordered. It should arrive next week and will be housed in the Planning Office.
Lenore reported that the Select Board agreed to forward the draft landowner permission form and draft trail easement document to the Town’s attorney, Joe Fallon. Joe made only minor edits. Lenore will distribute the latest versions to Committee members.
Lenore was unable to get an update on the status of the revised Town Plan from Alex in time for this meeting.
No one knew whether Jason had received a reply to his letter to Ralph Carse re: public trails on his land. We’ll hope for an update at the 9/15/10 meeting.
Brooke Scatchard of Fellowship of the Wheel will attend the Trails Committee’s 9/15/10 meeting to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the two groups.
Two public trail events were discussed for the fall:
- Cathy may lead a 9/26/10 hike on the Russell Trails.
- Colin and Lenore will organize a 10/2/10 trail workday on the Copp-Welch-LHTF Trails.
Lenore will write the September article for the Hinesburg Record (due 9/1/10) and include, among other items, the two trail events once details are confirmed.
Colin reported that he, Jane, and Lenore finished marking the footpath portion of the Eagle Trail with red blazes. He requested up to $80 to purchase more red blazes to mark the intersections of the logging road portion of the Eagle Trail. The request was unanimously approved.
Cathy requested that Committee members email her about other trails that need marking. Lenore will ask the Conservation Commission which group should take responsibility for marking the Geprags trails.
At Jane’s request we reviewed the roles of, and relationship between the Trails Committee and the new Town Forest Committee.
Cathy will follow up with Jason to determine who authorized the production of the trail maps of the Old Town Forest that Brooke ordered. The Trails Committee did not authorize this purchase.
Lenore encouraged Committee members to attend the 4th Annual VT Trails Symposium on October 17 at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center in Charleston, VT. She will circulate more details.
We discussed the potential to make the Buck Hill Road - Lavigne Hill Road trail loop officially public by approaching the relevant landowners with the new landowner permission form. Lenore will forward the form to Greg and Stewart who, as neighbors, are the most appropriate Committee members to approach these landowners.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 7 PM