Blog

April 21, 2026 at  6pm 

Silver Maple Construction

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/miu-axot-zam

Kaitlin Hayes, Megan Walsh, Sam Morrissey, Tim Steele, Rob Wheland, Eric Berg, Wes Butler, Ashar Nelson, Luke Snell, Andrew Hirsch, Sarah Schumacher present

Board Members:

Bold indicated people in attendance

Action Items: Red = immediate follow up; yellow = action before next meeting; orange = provide update at next meeting; purple = not urgent or on hold

MEETING MINUTES:

6:03 bring to order

No quorum on voting board members. Voting on board positions to be done over email (Tim).

• Board positions – VP, Bristol TB, Vergennes TB
  • VP – Sam Morrisey 
  • Bristol TB – Seth Beck
  • Vergennes TB – Luke Snell
  • Voting to bring new board members online might need to happen via email for quorum. Both Kaitlin and Meg are both interested in joining the board; Tim will look into how we standardize terms and seats. We think it’s 12 total board members. 
• Membership Update – Rob
  • 52 memberships, 92 members from membership report from VMBA site as of calendar year 2026; we had 200 total memberships in 2025; 12 add-on members from other areas; we don’t know where we were in memberships at this point last year; 
  • Rob asks the board to talk to people we know to get involved and pay; Rob emailed Amy Potter at VMBA, wants to email expired ACBC members who have not purchased a membership and current VMBA members who are not home members of ACBC.
  • Sam wonders how targeted communications we should do; Rob thinks we should do more social media requests for membership; Showing us doing things on social;
  •  ACBC Payout 2026
  • Rob has drafted a member survey to send to existing, past and potential members. The survey will help inform messaging, engagement efforts, fundraising etc.
  • Next Steps – delegate action items with info needed and timeline
• Treasurers Report – Carl 
  • Budget discussion – ACBC P&L
  • Currently we have $11,257.93 in the bank
  • Review committed expenses, Sarah, operating expenses, Events
    • Executive Assistant – $5000-7500yr
    • Operating expenses – Website $550
  • Review Optional expenses, 5TR, Moose Map, materials, tools, promotional materials;
    • 5TR $1000, Moosalamoo Map $500, Events $250-750;
      • Moosalamoo Association will allow us to use logo without donation
    • Trail Materials, signage; Tim says he doesn’t anticipate materials for New Leaf; Sam says Timberlands is a black hole of need;
      • Andrew needs metal tags for signage for name of trails; needs permission to buy tags; some branding on them; Rob recommends a metal stamp; Eric suggest #2 plastic reflective with two nail holes with ACBC branding; Tim says can we print trail signs for all the trails within Addison county; Metal is preferred;
      • Skatelight material roofs for condensers; porcupines like the signs; HDP sheets; 
    • Event Gear – Tent, table, banners, promotional materials; Rob thinks total would be $2000 or less; branded table cloth; pop-up branded tent is around $1000; Rob emailed Seth about alternative branding from years ago; Logo that let’s busy; Eric says the history of the logo is that Carl had a friend draw it up; not much sentiment to it; Rob says it feels governmental; 
    • $5500 in revenue last year; Tim expects similar unless we actively engage in fundraising;
    • Carl set up a Paypal account with recurring monthly payments;
    • Tim asked VMBA if they could provide hosting for chapter websites;
• ACBC Calendar– upcoming events, tasks and opportunities
  • Trail days – updating to 4/26; 5/6 (Bristol); 6/13; 8/3
  • Movie Night –
    • George: I have costs for two options, let’s choose a date(s) and I can organize one or both.
    • Best Day Ever = $500 cost https://www.bestdayever.mov/ 
    • Mountains of the Moon = $595 92 min https://www.chrisbenchetler.com/mountains-of-the-moon
  • Timberlands Public Forum: Timberlands trail community forum 5/14 at 6pm; where is it?
  • Family Ride Series – Wes to present
    • 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12
      • Wes will do a write-up and send to me
      • Bridging gap from kindergarten to second grade
        • Moosalamoo pump track; bridge and back; campground trail 6/13
        • Lincoln trails for 8/8 to showcase their trail
        • Joint Ridgeline 9/12 on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
      • Ideally have another adult to join as a lead
      • Needs help with social media and outreach; 5 town riders; Rec department; day cares/preschoolers;
      • Snacks, First Aid, Google sign up, After the Ride ACBC-funded snacks? Popsicles or creemee voucher?
      • Scavenger hunt on bikes?
      • Create a sign-up for Wes to have people signing up to joining on each of these rides; 

• Pride Ride – Kaitlin 
  • 100 Women Who Care donating org: compelling project in Addison County
  • Chris Hunt from Barre started the pride ride; Kaitlin and partner have been searching for community; a good way to bring other folks in at college level or from around town; which trail system would be best;
    • Tim said it would be good to identify a good time to add this to calendar.

• Development Committee Plan to Board for review/blessing – Eric
  • Present plan for review
    • Eric proposed a committee to do development; haven’t had a need before for strategic plan; biggest stumbling block has been for organization;
      • Short-term how do we fund executive assistant position
        • $10,000 would maintain budget for two years;
        • Cushion for tent, tablecloth, swag;
        • Compelling story to reach out; 90% of funds come from 10% of donors; get them to become sustainable;
        • Creating a statement for need; identify donors; going after members who will commit again;
        • Should we just ask for $20,000 to fund for even more
        • Find out from survey what people want;
        • Tell the story of the trails instead of asking for admin money;
        • Meg says that in Oregon, pitched fundraising campaign around health and healthy community; hospital donated $12,000;
        • Eric says find ACBC members to sustain this and then hit the realtors, the hospital networks;
        • Hope and dream to make Battell adaptive; Wes and Rob talked to Adaptive; feedback is to have beginner-friendly trails; Approach the college for money;
        • Sam said Timberlands could be adaptive at least; hire an L&D to do an assessment of the the trails for adaptive or accessible;
        • Sam said with resources, we have momentum; we can get that first $10,000 from members;
        • One at New Leaf; QR code
  • Forming of FSU Committee
    • Eric wants to partner with MALT in an effort to force transparency on the  Battell Trust;
      • Tim suggests that Eric send an email out to all of board to see who would want to join the FSU committee;

• Communications Plan – and action item accountability – Sam
  • Present plan for review
  • Monthly Email Content – delegate tasks
  • Social media posts – delegate tasks 
  • Website – update content, delegate tasks

Meeting adjourn: 7:34pm