Condensed from draft minutes.
Board Attendees: Alex Bernhard, Barbara Couturier, Steve Darling, George Heaton, Lindy Heim, Cody Hussey, Dustin Ladd, Charles Martin, Ricker Miller, Don Moyer, Myra Mayman, Peter Southworth
Committee Member: Craig Heim
Welcome Guests: Katy Murray, Goodale’s Bike Shop, Nashua; Justin Barriault, Lakes Region ebikes, Franklin; Clipse Ndayizeve, Concord
Preamble: We Cleaned Up! Before embarking on business matters, the Board welcomed Katy Murray’s report on the corporate-sponsored Trail clean-up event she organized and led on July 17. About 12 eager trash-seeking rail trail cleaners met in Franklin and proceeded to tidy the Trail, greet Trail users, and then gather for lunch at Wyatt’s Family Restaurant, courtesy of Trek Nashua. They even won prizes for their efforts! Super-fun and super-productive, this event deserves to become a tradition. Many thanks, Katy!
Business Matters
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Dustin Ladd formatted his report into three components: a balance sheet of current accounts; a monthly income/expense tally for July 2022, in a yearly context; and the projected budget. We see significant new income and healthy current balances, coupled with a clear need to raise new funds to cover vital future projects.
The current account shows approximately $80,000, which is mostly already committed for budgeted projects, with about $11,000 remaining.
We are thrilled to report a $22,000 grant from AARP to cover the Cycling Without Age initiative in Lebanon, which brings seniors onto the Trail via a Trishaw powered by pedaling volunteers.
In the future, it is clear that additional sources of funds will be needed to finish construction of the Trail Extension in Boscawen – now in its early stages – and to have matching funds for expected RTP grants from the State of New Hampshire for Trail maintenance and improvement.
Committee Reports
Maintenance Committee: Chair Don Moyer’s report covered a wide range of activities – from legal developments, to Trail improvements, to monitoring numbers of Trail users and volunteers.
At the top of the list, we greeted the long-awaited arrival of a Temporary Use Agreement with the State for work on the Boscawen Extension of the Trail. This agreement sets the terms of construction and expenditure and is being forwarded to our contractors for signature.
Special Use Permits (SUP) are now required by the State to undertake projects on the Trail, coupled with a deposit of $1,000. Given questions about the intersection of the SUP for particular projects and FNRT’s general Memorandum of Understanding with the State, discussion will go forward.
Mowing of the Trail began earlier this year than usual – with the promise of better vegetation control. Consistent with the SUP, a movable sign is now required to warn Trail users of mowing operations. We have acquired a reusable sign that will serve for many years.
A hoped-for connection in Franklin between the Winnisquam River Trail and the FNRT is now under study. The Franklin Mill City Park is undertaking analysis of design possibilities, whose results we eagerly await.
Always attentive to the history of the Trail and its precursor railroad, the Board welcomed the discovery of three historic culvert markers. Ricker Miller has begun the restoration and re-installation of these. Many thanks, Ricker!
With plans to improve the surfaces of three Grafton County tunnels in the future, for the present we have installed signs that warn Trail users: “Caution: Uneven Trail Surface Ahead.” We urge all to take care!
Users of the Trail are our “raison d’etre”; volunteers on the Trail are our sustenance. A remarkable total of 10,000 users was counted, largely in Lebanon; overall Trail usage in 2022 is up by about 2,000 over 2021. Volunteers have put in 400 to 500 hours so far this year. We go!
Administration Committee. With great thanks – and regret – we announce the resignation of Alex Bernhard, a true “father” of our Trail, from his position as Vice-President. If no longer an officer, Alex will still be with us, working hard and giving excellent counsel.
As this resignation is the first by an officer, it occasioned a look into the By-Laws, and a resolution by the Admin Committee of how they should be changed. This resolution was put before the Board, and unanimously approved.
The following changes were made: 1) provision for resignation of “Members” is deleted, as “members” enter and leave at will; 2) resigning directors may be replaced at the discretion of the Board; 3) officers should be replaced as expeditiously as possible, with nominations from the Committee or a Board member.
Promotion Committee: With the acceptance of the AARP grant mentioned above, the Cycling Without Age program moves forward by leaps and bounds.
New volunteer Clipse Ndayizeve assisted our Treasurer in accomplishing the international purchase of the electric trishaws central to the CWA project.
Upcoming Events
A Concord Coach from Northern Railroad history will soon lodge at the Potter Place Depot, in a Andover Historical Society structure near the Trail. We welcome this addition!
Pot Luck Supper for all Friends of the Trail – Wednesday, September 21.