Salem Bicycle Club
Board Meeting Minutes
3-13-2024
Call to order: Present: Debbie Miller, Ken Freeman, Tim Newman, Steve Budde, Julie Glass, Norm Johnson, Rob Gramenz, Jillian Trinkhaus, Dan Shryock
Approval of Minutes: February 2024 Minutes were reviewed by the board and approved unanimously
Treasurer’s Report: Rob Gramenz reported that the financials were as to be expected. Financial Reports were reviewed by the board, including last month’s expenditures, and seemed in order. Current assets are $32,369.37.
-A motion was made and approved unanimously to approve reimbursement of expenses to Debbie Miller for reflective safety tape 300 pieces at $25.47 for give aways at events and a spinning wheel at $38.99 for tabling at events. The total to be reimbursed is $64.66.
Membership Update: Julie Glass reports membership is growing especially with the Monster Cookie coming up. We currently have 269 active members with 211 memberships.
Spokes Update: Dan Shryock reports that the transition to electronic Spokes has been seamless, much easier than paper copies.
-The open rate for the magazine is 77% with currently 666 recipients and 512 opens. A point was made that we should make sure our sponsors know how wide the distribution and interest in the newsletter is.
-It was pointed out that the current newsletter form on the website is PDF only and Tim will be working on a live form with input from Dan and others.
-Thoughts on a new section to the newsletter that highlights a member each issue would be considered.
Ride Committee Update: Tim Newman reports that it is going well, and rides are set up through mid-June, though some more active participation from ride leaders is needed.
-We are still looking for a replacement rides committee chairperson for the fall, after Tim finishes his term.
-There was discussion about including more non-club ride participation for club mile credit. Portland Bicycle Club (PBC) currently votes yearly on what local non-PBC rides to give club members credit for, and the Monster Cookie is one of them. Debbie Miller would like to be ride leader for some other local event rides, such as the PBC sponsored Pioneer century and the Mid Valley Bike Club sponsored Covered Bridge Ride. Bylaws make it clear that this is not normally done, but in the interest of the club and with board approval, exceptions can be made. Tim will take this up at the Rides Committee for review.
Bike Advocacy- Rob Gramenz reports that the City of Salem recently met with bike advocates such as ourselves and Salem Bike Vision regarding cyclists having a voice in road development and reconstruction/repair around the city. Club members in attendance were David Philbrick, Tim Newman, Jillian Trinkaus, and Rob Gramenz. The meeting went well and was respectful and SBC gave specific concerns to consider. At this point we are waiting for the minutes on the meeting and follow up will be based on that. A suggestion for a call out on Spokes for advocates from the community was made.
Budget: The 2024 budget was reviewed and approved unanimously by the board
Club Merchandise: Tim Newman has been working hard on this and a sock for the club to buy in bulk and sell was reviewed by the board. A motion was made and approved unanimously to purchase of 10 dozen socks at a cost of $5.50 per pair for a total cost of $710 with the $50 set-up fee.
Monster Cookie Update: Ken Freeman reports that Salem-Keizer School district has accepted our insurance as is without additional riders, which is a cost savings to us. A contract from them should be available soon and we will have to pay at that point.
-The Marion County application is in and paid for and awaiting review. Once that is complete, additional needs such as signage from EZ rental and flaggers and route guides can be set up.
- Rest stops have accepted the insurance and Debbie Miller is working to help coordinate the rest stops. She has concerns about recent grass seeding at Benedictine Brewery, which may affect rider flow at the event.
-Jillian Trinkhaus reports that volunteers are steadily filling the spots and currently there are 25 open spots left. This includes things such as sag support and route monitor. Debbie suggests that Jillian contact prior sag drivers directly to see if that might highlight the need. The number of route monitors may vary depending on Marion County review of the route. Jillian will coordinate the volunteers lunch choices and T-shirt/ pie orders with Mary Schmidgall, Steve Budde, and Debbie Miller.
ROCC Bike rack- The board had approved a grant of $600 to help cover a bike rack for Recovery Outreach Community Center (ROCC). Northwest Hub was supporting them as well but realized that the cost for the type of rack that was actually needed was $200 more than originally requested. Given the important role the NW Hub plays in supporting cycling in our community, as well as our club directly, a motion was made and passed unanimously to provide the additional $200 that was needed, for a total of $800.
Next Meeting: April 8th in person at Painter’s Hall from 6 – 8:30 PM. Guest Speaker will be Dan Shryock. He will talk about his new book "Cycling Across Oregon," which follows a group of friends as they set out to ride each of Oregon's 17 scenic bikeways in a single year.