Good times!
#bikeestes #epcc #epnrc

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Source

Music: purple-planet.com Moosehead Honk and a live performance by Ran Off The Rooster

Some pictures

Estes Park News Video

A good time was had by all, thank you generous sponsors and volunteers!

• ­AR: thanks for showing up to public meetings. ­
• Hermit Park work days: we will send out a sign up soon, but work day on Aug 6 th , rain day Aug 27 th ­
• Highway 7 and other updates: construction on Highway 7 to start this fall, but no resurfacing until this spring. First priority is storm water drainage fixes. However, CDOT is aware of bike and pedestrian needs associated with the project. Suggested that EPCC puts together a letter to send to Rich Christie, CDOT project director. ­
• Dry Gulch project is moving forward, updates were provided by various members. ­
• Kim Sliniger with EVRPD: provided update on Trails Master Plan ­
  • Connectivity is the focus
  • ­Biggest priority: safe and secure access to RMNP through downtown ­
  • Other connections: Spur 66 multi­use trail idea to connect to Aspen Brooke trail.
  • ­Factors: Is it feasible? Available resources?
  • ­$670,000 in account currently for building trails thanks to mill levy. Will try to leverage funds with GOCO and other options. Maintaining existing trails is a priority as well.
  • ­Closed meeting with USFS, Boulder County, etc. on southern end of EVRPD. Possible connection with Front Range? ­
  • Master Plan also includes Trail Standards, i.e. erosion controls, grades. Much more stringent than USFS standards. Anything above 10% is much more difficult to maintain. ­
  • Trails Master Plan product: dynamic document at end of May that allows prioritization. Provides credence with funding sources moving forward. ­
  • Next Trails MP meeting: April 28 th , 5­7pm (?) Town Hall ­
  • Another product is a map of existing trail ­
• Ride the Rockies: Bike wash station, parking and traffic support, baggage, food/beverage provider, booth, fun activity for the riders. ­Club decided bike washing station and a booth ­
• YMCA: Trek rental retailer, would maybe rent bikes one day. ­
• Bikes on shuttle buses: hard with insurance on the leased shuttles, but potentially on the trolleys?
• ­Bike Park update: currently 9 people on the committee. RFP in progress, short list of 10 or so bike park designers. Next firm step: get a design, then go to EVRPD and Town Board to build out. ­
• Next EPCC monthly membership meeting: April 20 th , 6.30pm, Rock Cut Brewing 

The Estes Park Cycling Coalition (EPCC) elected its first Board of Directors. The new leadership will guide the Coalition to work towards achieving its Mission in the coming years. The Mission of EPCC is to create, enhance and preserve great bicycling in and around Estes Park, and create a bicycle-friendly community through cycling awareness, safety, advocacy and promotion of bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation.

EPCC started in 2014 as a grassroots effort by local bicycling enthusiasts who wanted to improve opportunities for all forms of bicycling in Estes Park. EPCC’s main goals and objectives are to focus on improving bicycling safety, developing trails, and improving and maintaining bicycling routes in and around town. Estes Park is recognized as a bicycling destination for professional level road cyclists.

There is potential to attract mountain bikers and more families looking for safe places to ride with their children. Board Chair Alicia Rochambeau explains “On behalf of the Board, we are very excited to improve cycling opportunities of all kinds in and around Estes Park. Bike riding has countless benefits for our health, the environment, the local economy, and community building.”

EPCC holds meetings once a month with the next meeting on January 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Rock Cut Brewing Company. Anyone interested in attending is welcome to join and learn more about the Estes Park Cycling Coalition.

Estes Park Cycling Coalition Board of Directors, left to right on the photo: Mike Lewelling (Director), Alicia Rochambeau (Chair) Todd Plummer (Treasurer) Erica Goad (Secretary), Thad Eggen (Vice-Chair)

1. Erica Goad presented on how to vote on-line for the nine nominees for the five positions on the EPCC board. Voting ended on Sunday 11.22.15. Members who were voted in to be board members are: Thad Eggen, Erica Goad, Mike Lewelling ,Todd Plumber and Alicia Rochambeau.

2. Alicia Rochambeau requested that anyone who is not receiving EPCC emails send her their email address. Please send her an email at alicia@bikeestes.org or sign up at http://www.bikeestes.org/newsletter-archive/

3. Erica Goad updated us on the Tom Carosello, the new executive director of the Estes Valley Recreation District, enthusiasm to develop trails. There will be another group of public meetings in January and February to gather input for the next ten years of the trails master plan. We will keep you posted on dates and times for these meetings.

4. Todd Plummer and Randy Biddle updated the group on the current status of the proposed bike park. The Rec district did not win the first grant that it applied for and the grant writing committee is waiting on direction from Tom Carosello to apply for other grants. Tom has received the maps and plans for a potential bike park. Good news is that there is $5,000 from a silent donor to pay a professional bike park designer to draft plans. Families for Estes is still willing to donate $10,000 for design and creation. A professional designed bike park plan seems to be an essential piece for the grant application process. A caveat to the bike park is that the Rec District would like EPCC to maintain the bike park (we got that )

5. Steven Wens, aka Mr. Speed, presented on Cross of the North. Steven has presented the idea of Estes Park hosting the Cross of the North. Karen Lynch, the fairgrounds contact person, has been contacted and after the holidays the planning committee of Cross of the North and she will meet and discuss this exciting opportunity. We all know Steven is excited to get dirty at home, on his bike.

6. T-shirts were discussed. EPCC members want more! And in different colors. Kay and Zenda have been contacted and we should know more by next meeting.

7. By next EPCC meeting, tentatively the 20th of January, the new board will have met and discussed membership dues, membership discounts, EIN and other official business stuff, and hopefully Chris Johnson from Bike Ft. Collins will be able to join us and discuss their bike club.

Thank you for the wonderful input on the EPCC survey over the summer, we learned a lot from you in terms of how the Cycling Coalition can best meet your needs. In order for EPCC to start accomplishing all of the great projects, ideas, and events we all have in mind and have been discussing for a while, it’s time to get a little more formal. We are going to start the journey to becoming a 501(c)3 organization, which will allow us to do fundraising, purchase liability insurance, and have more clout as an official organization. The first step is to establish a more official leadership structure. From there, we can start working on drafting by-laws, getting bank accounts set up, narrowing our objectives, and incorporating the organization.

None of the following ideas are set in stone, so we welcome any feedback to bikeestes@gmail.com.  Please let us know if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions as we start moving through this process! Here are the highlights of the structure that we are most strongly considering:

• Beginning in 2016, EPCC will begin charging annual membership dues of $25 per person/$30 family. Funding will be available for upcoming projects, events, or to leverage more funding from granting agencies.
  • By becoming a paying member of EPCC, you can vote on important decisions, serve on committees, and know that you are supporting a better biking culture in Estes Park
  • Membership will also get you a 15% discount on non-sale items at both the Mountain Shop and Via Bicycle Cafe
• We will have a Board of Directors with 5 members, including a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Each member will have a term that lasts one year, with annual elections occurring in November or December.
• There will be Board meetings quarterly, where business and administrative information, such as budgets, by-laws, and policies will be reviewed. These meetings will be open to anyone, but only the Board of Directors will be required to attend.
• We will continue to have monthly membership-wide meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, where the purpose of the meetings will be to provide a place for the Board of Directors to hear from the members and to update the members on any news, where new ideas and projects can be discussed, and where fun events can occur or can be organized. We’ll keep these meetings light on “business”, and as short and efficient as possible, so we can all go out to happy hour afterwards.
• Group rides, potlucks, and happy hours will become a bigger focus, and can be organized by anyone.
• Project- or goal-specific committees will be organized and can include both Board of Directors and volunteers from the wider membership. General members may lead committees.

The Board of Directors will be nominated and elected by the wider membership. We would like to hold the first vote at the next meeting on November 18^th at 7 p.m. at Rock Cut Brewing Company. If you can’t make the meeting, we’ll send out another email with information on how to vote online. Please see the job descriptions for Board of Directors below, and send any nominations to bikeestes@gmail.com. If you or anyone you know is interested, please let us know (you can nominate yourself)! Help set the direction and impact of EPCC!

Board of Directors will be required to attend 4 meetings per year. Directors will rotate “hosting” monthly membership-wide meetings (so each member will be responsible for 2-3 meetings per year, but not required to attend all meetings). Board of Directors may always abstain from votes or decision-making if there is a conflict of interest. In the near term, the focus of the Board will be to formalize EPCC as an organization.

President:
The President of EPCC Board is the main contact and spokesperson for EPCC. In addition, the President will be responsible for leading Board meetings, managing or delegating the management of official collaborative relationships, fielding outside inquiries, and assisting with committees.
Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours/month

Vice President:
The Vice President of EPCC Board will be in charge of maintaining membership information, communications with the membership, and leading meetings if the President is unable to do so.
Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hours/month

Secretary:
The Secretary of EPCC Board will be responsible for taking minutes at Board meetings, keeping official records, and working with the President to set the agenda for the Board meetings. The Secretary will also work with the Vice President to communicate EPCC news and events to the wider membership and the public.
Estimated time commitment: 5-8 hours/month

Treasurer:
The Treasurer of EPCC Board will be responsible for managing the finances of the organization, and reporting on the finances biannually at Board meetings. Any fundraising efforts or spending will be approved by the Treasurer.
Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours/month

Director:
Any Board Director not serving in one of the above 4 functions is a Director.  Directors will be responsible for assisting with committees, researching and voting on important decisions, and representing the organization.
Estimated time commitment: 3-6 hours/month

Email nominations for Board of Directors to bikeestes@gmail.com. Nominations will be announced at the November 18th meeting at Rock Cut Brewing Company, and voting will start there!

2. Message from President Greg– Thad relayed some thoughts on keeping EPCC fun and the focus on having a good time on two wheels from Greg Sampson. Thus the next items…

3. BD/Christmas party – It’s hard to believe that EPCC is a year old next month. Many last night were commenting about how wonderful it is to have met new friends, gone on organized rides with new folks and to have accomplished so much in a year. To celebrate we will have a Birthday/Christmas party on December 17th at the Twin Owls Steakhouse at 6PM. Bring something fort the potluck and a bicycle themed Dirty Santa gift. Please note Alicia Mittleman that Dirty Santa is a type of gift exchange and not something…else…

4. Sunday Fall River Road Ride – YO! Fall River Road is opened, and well re-built! Good job RMNP! It will close after the 31st. Now is the time to ride it and enjoy the incredible autumn we are having this year. Post when and where to meet on our facebook group page if you are planning to ride it this weekend! Have a great ride!

5. Halloween – likewise if you are planning on riding into town for Halloween post something on facebook so we can say “HI” and have someone fun to ride with! (Many of us with families are planning on riding to Kind Coffee and assailing the town from there. Some rumors have been spread about going directly to Laura’s via bike to beat the crowd for one of their incredible caramel apples.

6. 3 feet rule video –  Alicia Mittleman informed us that significant progress has been made on the making of a 30 second infomercial on the 3 feet passing space between motorist and cyclist. Alicia shared that – “Public Information Officer Kate Rusch has agreed to review the script, SRGT Rick Life has agreed to be in an interview, and best of all, Nick Molle from Channel 8 agreed to run a 30 second commercial/Public Service Announcement 10 times a day in the summer for FREE.” Nice job Alicia!

7. Bike friendly application – Alicia also shared that we will know the results of our bicycle friendly application mid-November. Additionally she has contacted the League of American Bicyclists (the group we submitted a bicycle friendly application to) about hosting a League Cyclists Instructor Seminar here in Estes!

8. 34 and 7 – Mark Kougl wanted us to know that there is a meeting at EP town hall Thursday night at 6 PM to discuss 34 & 7 reconstruction and Mark K. Plans are to have CDOT spec’ed highways (= more biker friendly highways) finished by December of 2017. Attend and wear your EPCC t-shirts!

9. FLAP – Erica Goad- updated us about the FLAP project and plans from the TAC for downtown. The Fish Creek trail will be an 8 foot wide trail consisting of crushed refines south of Scott Avenue. North of Scott Avenue there will be a 10 foot paved trail. FIMA funding largely influenced this development. Many of the EPCC members are excited to grind some gravel and have a trail in place again! TAC- There are three different ideas on the board regarding our town’s main street. Two of the three options offer something better to cyclist and pedestrians, a third option does not. It is extremely important that we attend the TAC meetings, Belle Morris- please continue to keep us posted!, and voice our concerns for a more bicycle friendly Estes Park.

10. Mini grant – Erica Goad has submitted an application for a Safe Routes to School mini-grant of $1,000. As part of the application process, John McGrath and Heidi Tryon visited with Park R-3’s superintendent to discuss bike friendly paths to school. Plans are to send two members to training so that they can lead fun and instructional clinics on bike safety. We will know in December if we have been awarded the grant. Thanks Erica, John and Heidi!

11. Trails in Hermit Park – Thad Eggen contacted Christine Flemming, District Manager of Larimer County Open Space. She is excited to meet and discuss some trail ideas for Hermit park. Thad will post the results of the meeting on fb and the website. Thad is also working on obtaining a map of the forest service land surrounding Estes Park in order to rough draft a Perimeter trail that could be presented to the forest service for input, assistance and hopefully approval.

12. Bike Fun Park – Cherly Sarnwick shared some ideas for the Bike Fun Park. A bike park is in the master plan and ideas have been shared to incorporate some of the new beach-front area of Fish Creek into it. Steven Wens shared that the Bike Park in Eagle, CO is only a half acre in size and draws visitors for competitions from across the state. EPCC hopes to keep the dialogue going on this idea and help bring a park into Estes. Randy Biddle has been in contact with a silent donor who is willing to help with the design of the bike park. Please continue to discuss this wonderful idea with our Park and Recreation board members and employees.

13. Non profit status – Mark Thiess, Alicia Mittleman and Erica Goad all brought up that we need to move forward with establishing EPCC as a non-profit and moving our status with IMBA from chapter member to charter member. Reasons are: higher success with grants, accountability with finances, resources (assistance in trail design, tools for trail building, volunteers) from IMBA and a greater level of respect with other government agencies. EPCC needs a volunteer who has some experience with this process to help. Anyone out there with some non-profit know-how?

Alicia also mentioned that the Bike Friendly Application has been submitted, and that Mayor Bill Pinkham had signed the letter!

2. Outreach and Bike racks: Erica Goad has requested bike rack designs from local artist. By our September meeting we should have some designs to vote on. The town is looking for designs that are inexpensive to build and maintain. Erica, Charley Dickey, Zenda Smith and others have spent a significant amount of time locating current bike racks and recommending additional new sites- Thanks guys!

Regarding the redesigning of Elkhorn and the FLAP grant, we need to e-mail, call, write, send smoke signals to our town trustees and mayor to get Bike lanes put in the re-design! In your communication point out that there is no safe bike access to the library for families, people on bikes slow down and spend more in shopping areas and $ available under the Safe Routes to School (a CDOT funded program that gave 4 million in grants this year).

Erica also brought-up that in November one of the ballot issues will involve renewing a tax that helps funds our open spaces in Larimer County. Please 1) get out and vote & 2) vote in favor of maintaining this tax

3. Our next meetings will be: September 24^th, October 15^th and November 12^th (we are going to take-a-pass on December, it is such a stress-frees month…)

3. We need to make efforts to engage the latino population

Thad Eggen knows a few Mexican guys who mt. bike and road ride- efforts will be made to get them involved in dirt church, group rides and EPCC meetings.

5. Greg Sampson will be discussing with Frank Lancaster at their next meeting:
   1. Signs that encourage/promote Sharing the Road
   2. Safe bike routes for families to schools, future community center and Library
   3. Bike racks
   4. Flashing lights and cross walk guards
6. Discussion was brought up regarding social rides, trail work and future ideas
   1. There is a pancake feed fundraiser for the Restorative Justice program on September 6^th. EPCC members are planning on meeting at 8 at the Mt. Shop, doing some rides and then eating at 9:30. Cost is $5.
   2. Trail work is being done on the North Fork Trail (Glenhaven retreat area) this weekend. Contact Poudre Wilderness Volunteers for more information.
   3. Creating a trail network that encircles Estes Park (great idea by Zenda Smith). We need to get the land managers of the area: Parks and Recreation Dept., Estes Park Trails Committee, Forest Service, National Park and Hermit Park (County?) together and discuss this idea as well as new trails