AS&R Meeting Notes – Sunday, November 15, 2015
(Attendees: Harry Chomsky, Preston Jordan, Ken McCroskey, Sylvia Paull, Nick Pilch, Amy Smolens)
(Scribe: Nick Pilch; edits by attendees incorporated, posted by: Sherie Reineman – not present)
Successes
- Family Cycling Workshop: Good turn-out – 50-60+ families. Well publicized. We do not get paid. We requested it and Bike East Bay administered it.
- Leg bands: already $45 back from them. Rendezvous paid half the cost.
Bay Trail Cleanup
- Groundswell of support for this. Teacher from St. Mary’s High School, Rotary, ACF, maybe dog groups. ACF – food, Rotary – will donate supplies. Perhaps dates in Jan. Sylvia will help publicized. AS&R will co-sponsor. Liam of City Staff can help publicize via NextDoor website. Ken proposed date of Saturday January 16.
(additional note: Nick: interesting item in the Disbursement items in the City Council packet ((City of Albany paid the Watershed project $7K for the Coastal Cleanup event.):
http://albanyca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=514&meta_id=87021
Arts and Green
- May 1 – not a great turn-out, maybe the weather, maybe Warriors game. Disappointing configuration for AS&R says Amy.
Treasurer’s Report
Balances:
- Mechanics $5,140.29 (includes GPC $1,500)
- PayPal $349.12
Receivables:
- Solano Ave Assoc $1,000 (Harry will send a reminder)
- Rendez-Vous $200 (should come soon)
Payable:
- BikeLink $64 (awaiting instructions from vendor)
Net assets: $6,625.41
GPC Donation
(Note: AS&R received $1500 from Grizzly Peak Cyclists as part of GPC’s annual charitable donations package to bicycling-related non-profit organizations)
AS&R using donation: Large item expenditures – Bike racks, Replaced canopy, got leg band program going, AirKit purchase.
(see copy of GPC’s October 21, 2015 letter to AS&R with 2015 donation and post-meeting AS&R’s thank you ltr to GPC for 2015 Donation from AS&R back to GPC)
Airkit
Take photo to post on Facebook. some people don’t know what Airkit is so need to promote to cyclists via list, website and Facebook (hence recommendation to post photos on Fb)
Bike Bike Racks
Look for more businesses who want them. Eisenmann Architecture wants BBR so need at least 3 more racks before placing order.
Big Picture Bike Racks
When a new business owner takes over a business, then bike parking is not necessarily required. How can we get this changed?
Amy (post-mtg): City Staff previously ensured us that Bike Parking was a checklist item for P&Z. Looked at Little Star P&Z approval and although car parking was an item bike parking was not mentioned at all, nor was it mentioned in Staff Report.
Also, some businesses changing hands have different usage – Hal Hoffman vs future Coffee Shop – where bike parking should be required but has not been.
Sidewalks
$137K – $25 per parcel, can allow us to maintain all sidewalks in perpetuity. Should we take a position to support an ongoing property tax to support sidewalks. ($25 per parcel is the figure from City data)
Vote/Position taken: Pursue a property tax to pay for sidewalk maintenance (one abstention with the rest in favor)
Grizzly Peak Cyclists (GPC)
GPC should consider us on the basis of our entire organization – we should not be beholden to GPC.
Vote/Position taken: unanimous with 1 abstention. (Amy can explain connection of sidewalk improvements to kids cycling).
CIP for Strollers & Rollers
Discussion and possible authorization of a multi-year capital improvement plan funded by AS&R. Here is an initial list for consideration:
- Sidewalk to Ocean View Elementary School (2015)
- Bike racks at Albany High School (2016)
- Bike path to Albany Middle School (2017)
- Bike lockers at Albany High School (2018)
- Public art along Buchanan bike path along railroad overpass and through freeway interchange (?)
- Purple street name signs along bike boulevards (?)
Ocean View sidewalk:
Should AS&R donate $2K?-consensus? Commit to asking if ACF is interested in joining. unanimous.
Vote/Position taken: Offer the City $2K toward construction of a proper sidewalk leading to OV Elementary from the north and to seek partnerships, such as with ACF, for funding this construction (unanimous vote)
Bike racks at Albany High School; Bike lockers at Albany High School:
Vote/Position taken: Pursue cooperating with AHS EarthTeam to install more bike parking at AHS (unanimous vote)
