Condensed from approved,minutes:

Board Attendees: Alex Bernhard, Steve Darling, Heather Deardorff, Tom Frantz, George Heaton, Lindy Heim, Myra Mayman, Steve Rayno, Jack Shields, Peter Southworth, Nita Tomaszewski

Guests: Elaine Clow, Prescott Towle

Co-President Lindy Heim called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM; adjourned at 9:08M.

The August meeting covered a wide-ranging and extensive list of items, resulting in numerous action directives for the immediate and longer-term future.

Business Matters:

Minutes of the July 20, 2016 meeting unanimously approved without alteration.

The Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved without alteration. Income from the Thursday’s Child benefit dinner exceeded all past years, and donations are above the recent past. The balance of $59,371.32 on hand consisted of: restricted grants for Trail maintenance and repair; funds covering certain outstanding payables, such as Trail mowing; funds and repair to bridge railings (see discussion below); and other not-yet allocated reserves for the maintenance and improvement of the Trail.

Trail Signage and Markers:

Concord/Boscawen Area. The City of Concord is on track for August installation of two new signs for the Trail: on Route 3 near Maplewood Cemetery, and in Penacook. Discussion suggested the need for further signage closer to the Trail Head in Boscawen. Jack Shields will pursue.

Milepost Markers The recovery of milepost markers continues to be an important goal of the FNRT. If the Trails Bureau should want to pursue the matter with litigation, the Attorney General has indicated a willingness to participate. Tom Frantz will pursue further discussions of about this.

Trail Information Committee. The desirability of historical, geographic, and other useful information on the Trail has been discussed and endorsed in several past Board meetings. Tom Frantz, Jack Shields, Heather Deardorff and Peter Southworth have agreed to start a committee to move this initiative forward. Any others interested are encouraged to come forward!

Trail Conditions and Improvements:

Mowing. Mowing for the entire Trail in Merrimack County, as well as a small portion in Grafton County, has been completed by the Association’s contractor. The Treasurer has received an invoice and will remit payment. Experience this year showed that the opening and mowing around gates is a part of the project that could be improved next year. Peter Southworth will keep abreast of this aspect at mowing time next year.

Franklin Culverts. The design and construction of culverts by DOT, in Franklin on and around portions of the Trail, appears to be creating a risk of flooding. Nita Tomaszewski has discussed this issue with the PE, and will write a letter to the PE to reiterate FNRT’s concern about it.

Herbicide Application. Plans for herbicide application on a section of the Trail in Franklin have been postponed for this year. This is largely due to the lack of a response from the Trails Bureau, which has made the operation infeasible before mid-fall, even if a response to the Association were received. The intention now is to re-apply for a permit in the early spring in order to be ready for May 15, the ideal spray date. Jack Shields and Prescott Towle will handle the application process next spring.

Projects/Initiatives to be Undertaken

Bridge Railing Repair. The “bridge assessment” effort by Alex Bernhard and Chris Norris submitted a report, finding railings in need for repair/replacement on six bridges. In addition, as part of a financial projection, repairs to the Lawrence Street tunnel, projects to be funded by the Brown Foundation grant, and the potential RTP projects were factored in. The bridge repair component is estimated at approximately $23,640.

Substantial discussion of the costs and implications of bridge repair ensued. Undertaking bridge repair would represent a new commitment to FNRT-MC, and a departure from the past, in which snow mobile clubs have assumed much of the responsibility. While the question of liability for non-profits seems well-managed by New Hampshire law and private insurance coverage, Tom Frantz will discuss the issue further with the State Attorney General’s office.

Ultimately the Board, recognizing the public need for such work, voted to authorize not more than $10,000 of expenditure for bridge railing repair on three bridges. Chris Norris will procure a contractor’s bid, in hopes of completing the work this season.

Website Upgrade. It was agreed to upgrade the Web site to Word Press, which will allow for ease of iphone reading, and greater ability for independent postings. Peter Southworth will take the lead on this initiative.

Trail Counts. As in past meetings, the desirability of having counts to assess Trail usage was well-appreciated. Now, after privacy and other legal issues have been addressed, the Association will embark on a first-phase of trail counts, using cameras on public property in Andover. Tom Frantz and Charles Martin will pursue this initiative.

New Concord Portion of Trail. With the “abandonment of service” intention by PanAm of its rail right-of-way in Concord, on the west side of the Merrimack, the possibility of a connection from the center of Concord to Boscawen has become a realistic goal. At the same time, work on various river bank improvements on the east side of the river is in progress.

FNRT feels strongly that extending the existing trails from Boscawen to the center of Concord would bring real amenities and economic benefits to the area. Various parties involved in the ongoing planning will be contacted by Heather Deardorff and Jack Shields, as a first step toward developing a public position/contribution by the FNRT.

Rail Trail Calendar. Steve Rayno is in the process of developing a Rail Trail calendar, that would highlight the appearance and usage of the Trail “then and now.” As a fund-raising effort, the calendar would solicit advertisements from local merchants, a number of which have already pledged support.

Future Dates of Note:

Next Meeting: FNRT-MC “Annual Meeting” to be followed by pot-luck supper, Tuesday, September 20 at the Highland Lake Inn, 32 Maple Street, Andover.

October 1 – Rail Trail Rally of Special Olympics

Respectfully Submitted, George Heaton