Salem Bicycle Club
Board Meeting Minutes
January 14, 2026
Call to Order- Present: Steve Budde, Colin Benson, Terry Robbins, Jim Miller, Tim Newman, Debbie Miller, Robin Robins, Ken Freeman
Approval of Minutes- The December minutes were reviewed and approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report- Tim Newman reports that the current total account value is $25,360.53 with a negative income for the year of $2584.38. Tim requested board members review budgeted items and provide input via an Excel document before the February meeting.
Safe Routes to School Update- Debbie Miller just emailed Jacob Lippert at Safe Routes and hasn’t heard back yet for an update. She knows that the volunteer numbers are way down with only three SBC members currently volunteering. Debbie will follow up with Jacob and let Tim know if another call for volunteers is needed. The grant request for bike vouchers has been tabled since Tim and Kirk at the Hub discussed quarterly billing instead and Tim will follow up with Jacob and Kirk about that before the next meeting. Steve brought up issue with the firing of Beth Schmidt and suggested the Club consider sending a letter of support to the Council of Governments. Debbie mentioned that COG and Beth are in litigation currently and the decision was made to hold off on a letter at this time.
Rides Committee Report- Terry Robbins reports that he discussed with Doug Parrow several route changes over time since ride conditions on various roads do change over time. They also discussed updating a Ride Leader Guide, the Ride Cancellation Policy, and the Event Rides Policy. The Committee also discussed potential Club rides in San Juans with no new updates from Steve as well as potential Sisters Scenic Bike rides in June that Debbie is planning. Terry was interested in doing the latest scenic bike way, Aufderheide, and mentioned that the Oregon Coast Siletz ride may be closed due to landslides. Currently club rides are scheduled through the end of March. Jacob Lippert is going to be brought into planning for gravel rides. Tim will look into insurance costs for mountain bike trail rides this year. Application for Event Ride leaders is open and will likely be voted on in March or April. Terry may have an article about potential event rides in Spokes.
Member Forums- Terry Robbins reports no updates on these
Membership Update- Robin Robbins reports we’ve gone from 258 members December 10th to 268 currently and believes that some of that may be due to the Monster Cookie registration opening. We currently have 177 expired members.
Awards Banquet- Tim Newman reports that the Marco Polo event went well though there were some minor issues like not enough desserts that were discussed with the manager there. The club cost was $2478 with $1621 club expenditure. The club spent $1,621 on a volunteer dinner and distributed $1,691 in certificates, totaling $3,312.44 for the year.
Spokes Update-Colin Benson reports a 55% open rate for the last issue. Colin encouraged members to submit well-crafted articles for potential inclusion in Spokes. Tim mentioned that member spotlights are scheduled through June, and Debbie reported on interviews with the Lewis’s and Sangster’s for articles about the club's 50th anniversary.
Monster Cookie Update-The group discussed upcoming volunteer opportunities and event planning, with Kenneth reporting that 50 people have signed up for an upcoming ride, including 46 doing the 63-mile route. Debbie shared details about food arrangements for the 50th anniversary event, including turkey, vegetarian, and gluten-free wraps, along with chips, fruit, cookies, and breakfast items, though she noted higher costs with the lunch inclusion at Mount Angel and hard boiled eggs at breakfast. The board discussed updates to the Monster Cookie ride maps and GPS routes, with Kenneth confirming that the Hazel Green and Silverton routes were no longer under construction. Tim requested the SAG phone number to be added to the map, which Kenneth provided, and agreed to post the map on the website with a disclaimer about potential changes. The board also reviewed poster designs for the ride, with Steve and Debbie presenting different options, and Kenneth agreeing to make a final decision. Tim has a meeting to obtain insurance for the event on January 21 and insurance certificates should be available after that time and Debbie will send the Insurance certificates to the three rest stop venues and the City of Mt Angel after that time.
Next Meeting: February 11th, 2026 at 6:30 PM