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Present: Dorothy Baker, Roy Baker, Mark Bombardier, John Gale, Raymond Larose, Richard Roberge, Duane Stetson, Molly Stetson, Heather Streeter (St. Albans Area Chamber), Chuck Vile (FP&R), Bonnie Waninger (NRPC), Delvin Warner (VAOT), Nancy Warner
Chair Raymond Larose called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
D. Roberge motioned to accept the minutes of the 8/12/98 meeting as written, C. Vile seconded. Motion carried.
The Council continued its discussion of an opening celebration. Members felt state park designation seemed eminent and might be a more appropriate time to hold an opening celebration. The Council agreed to table the idea for further discussion next spring. Council members commended Phyllis Tiffany for her trail promotional article in the County Courier.
Construction & Maintenance - Mowing and brush cutting have been completed for the year. D. Warner said he had approached the VAOT District Transportation Authority (DTA) in St. Albans about using the DTA swing arm mowing equipment. The DTA agreed, but does not have the staff available to mow the trail twice a year. Warner asked if the Council could assist in finding or hiring an operator for the state equipment. The Council agreed to assist in finding an operator. Warner also observed patches of poison ivy along the trail when he mowed. C. Vile noted that poison ivy is considered a safety hazard along trails. FP&R permits herbicide spraying as a control measure. He will check on this issue for next spring. The gates damaged in the backhoe incident were removed three weeks ago for straightening, if the gates cannot be straightened, VAOT will replace them. The gates are expected to be replaced 2-3 weeks from now. Council members commented that six weeks was a long time to leave the trail open to motor vehicles.
Work on the burned bridge is expected to take place after Columbus Day weekend. The trail will be closed to through traffic while the work is in progress (2 weeks). Warner will provide NRPC with information for press releases in advance of the closure. He said VAOT would set up temporary trail detour signs on the closed section.
Trail Video Log - VAOT Technical Services Division completed the video log. The log is available for viewing through the NRPC and DTA. VAOT sent its thanks to all the volunteers who opened and closed gates for the video van. The video log documents existing conditions along the trail and will assist in measuring changes over time.
Grant Activities - The enhancement grant is still waiting for signature at the federal level. The other two grants have signed contracts, which mean work can begin immediately.
Transnortation Enhancement Parking Area Imorovements -- B. Waninger reported that VAOT has agreed to fund the Council's transportation enhancement grant 100% up to the original grant request of$36,271. That means the Council is not obligated to provide a 20% match under federal guidelines. Removal of the match requirement means federally funded groups, like the Youth Conservation Corps, may work on the project. The Council directed the NRPC contact the Youth Corps on its behalf regarding a 1999 crew for the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.
LCBP Bike Racks - Council members reported on business contacts. The Abbey Restaurant is ready to purchase a rack immediately. Ten other businesses were interested in racks, but they felt the cycling season w~s ending. They asked the Council to contact them again next spring. NRPC solicited thtee bike rack bids for the Council. Based on the bids, costs for the racks will be: 3 ft length/6 bikes=$90-100, 5 ft/8 bikes=$205-250, and 10 ft/18 bikes=$250-340.
NRTF Shelters & Tools - The Council disdussed possible state park status in relationship to this grant. The discussion focused on whether the state would provide restroom facilities to a linear state park. It was decided to delay further action on the grant until the state park issue is resolved.
D. Roberge motioned to authorize Council Treasurer David Stanley, Council Chair Raymond Larose, and Northwest Regional Planning Commission Administrative Assistant Emily Hubbard to open a checking account on the Council's behalf and endorse checks with Council approval as indicated on the bank resolution provided to the Council in advance of the meeting. D. Stetson seconded the motion. Motion carried. Roberge asked NRPC to clarify whether the Council needed a special audit and a bonded treasurer to meet IRS requirements. NRPC will verify and report.
Mile Marker Posts - Council members have received
numerous requests for mile markers from
trail users. The Enosburg Home Center donated half the posts for
Phase II. Stan Beauregard Jr. volunteered to inscribe the
numbers. He is currently working on the project. NRPC will check
on his progress. D. Warner suggested coordinating trail mile
markers with the railroad mile markers. The Council agreed it
might be a good idea to reset the mile markers based on the
railroad valuation sheets to facilitate VAOT's maintenance
activities.
Letters of Thanks - R. Larose read a letter of thanks from a trail user who encountered difficulty during his trail trip and appreciated the local help he received (letter attached). The Council felt the letter should be submitted to the newspapers for publication. NRPC will submit it on behalf of the Council.
Sheldon Junction Bridge - Council members encouraged VAOT to meet its commitment to replace the missing span. The Council felt strongly that the bridge should have been Phase III of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail project. VAOT has suggested the missing span could be replaced with a historic truss bridge. NRPC checked with the VAOT Historic Truss Bridge program at the Council's request. Program staff stated that historic bridges over 100 feet are rarely found (missing span is 125+ feet). They also noted that a new span could likely be constructed for less money than dismantling and transporting a truss bridge. NRPC has included an engineering study and cost analysis of the railroad bridge in Sheldon Junction as a part of its FY 99 VAOT work program. If the bridge were built through a normal VAOT construction process, it would not be completed for at least 5 years. The Council felt this period was not acceptable. M. Bombardier will check with VAST for possibilities like the Richford Big Island bridge which was funded through the National Recreation Trail Fund program.
ATV Letter Follow-up - The Council received a copy of a correspondence from Dan Peterson, VAOT Project Manager, to Ginny McGrath, FP&R Counsel regarding ATV use on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. The letter referred to the Council's correspondence regarding ATV use on the Rail Trail. In summary, the VAOT letter noted that Federal Law prohibits motorized vehicles on the Trail because a specific category of federal money was used for the Trail's construction. Exceptions to the Law include use of motorized wheelchairs and use of snowmobiles and electric bicycles when state or local regulations permit.
Signs Locations - Following up on VAST concerns regarding the placement of stop ahead signs, R. Larose and D. Roberge spent several afternoons measuring the distance between stop and stop ahead signs on Phase II. In the meantime, NRPC contacted VAOT Traffic Engineers and the VAST Trail Coordinator regarding sign standards. 41 of 49 signs met VAST and VAOT standards. Eight signs had been field adjusted and met VAOT, but not VAST, standards. A list of the sign locations and measurements was provided to M. Bombardier to help local clubs decide whether to augment VAOT signs.
Lake Champlain Bikeways -- Last December, the Council agreed to co-host a workshop on "Becoming a Bicycle Friendly Business" with the St. Albans Area Chamber of Commerce and Lake Champlain Bikeways. The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, November 5. The Chamber and NRPC, on behalf of the Council, will coordinate publicity and workshop arrangements.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Approved: _______________
The Council will not meet during October. Take a break and enjoy a fall foliage trip on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail!
August 30, 1998
9809 Belleview Ave.
Kansas City. MO 64111
Ra~mond M. Larose
RR# 4, Box 80
Enosburg Falls, VT 05450
Dear Ray,
After I retired. I find that I don't have any time to do anything, like writing thank you notes. That is why this is so late. I want to thank you for helping my son and I with a lift to town after my son's bicycle tire problem in late July. Your trail is beautiful and very well maintained. You should be proud. Unfortunately, my son's bicycle was made for racing and not touring.
After spending a couple of hours in Enosburg Falls, patching the tube, we finally limped on into Sutton, Quebec for the evening. The next day we spent 3 hours at a bike shop fixing my bike and attempting to put a new tube on my son's bike. Fortunately, we did not have any more bike problems for the rest of the week.
Your country is really beautiful, and I plan on bringing my wife back for some vacations. On our bike ride we stayed in a couple of unusual places. We stayed one night in Abbaye St-Benoit-du-Lac, a monastery in Quebec. We couldn't talk there, so the stay was peaceful. I also staq·ed in a fraternity house when we returned to Burlington on a Saturday night. All the motel rooms in Burlington were full. That was another experience. I think that I am getting to old for that kind of experience.
Overall it was a wonderful trip, and you helped make it so with your generous help. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
/s/ Mike Blaser
Copied using scanner & OCR software by Kenyon F. Karl <railtrails@crosswinds.net> from materials supplied by the NVRTC. Unintentional errors are likely!
