DRAFT
Girdwood Trails Committee
Minutes of Regular Meeting
Forest Service Office Lawn, 7:00 pm 
Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Call to Order
Vice Chair Norman Starkey called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.  Kate Sandberg acted as secretary for the meeting. 

Others present: Diana Livingston, Alison Rein, Carolyn Brodin, and Tom Yeager.

Approval of Agenda
The agenda was approved as written.

Approval of Minutes, June  5, 2007
The minutes were approved as written.

Introduction of Guest
Announcement: John Gallup is our new Parks and Recreation GBOS Representative, replacing Nick Danger. John already has been working hard for Trails.

Old Business
1.  Trails Issues
A.  Alyeska Highway Bridge/Bike Path Repairs—There are two particularly dangerous spots just south of the Bike Shop, and patching needs to be done.  Kate will email John Gallup to see if he can get emergency funding for these repairs. As well, the bridge over the railroad is seriously damaged, and John may be able to get emergency funds for planking.

Alison will contact MOA to see if we can use Trails Initiative funding for patching repairs.  

B.  Glacier Creek/East Side (Joe Danish) Trail Update—Kate reported that she attended the MOA Platting meeting on behalf of the Trails Committee to testify for the Joe Danish Trail.  She mentioned that Platting Committee members like community people to testify and that we should send a representative whenever there is a trail issue.  They also clearly read the online comments for the Danish Trail.  

The Cabana/HLB land trade went through, with many stipulations--two for the trail—an easement along the creek, but not necessarily a 200 foot easement, and HLB and Lori Schanche, Non-motorized Trails Coordinator, work out an agreement for the trail.  Lori told Kate that she will contact Trails when she and an HLB representative flag the trail.

		C.  Other Trails Issues
	a.  Lower Valley Trails and ATVs--It has come to the attention of the Trails Committee that there still is ATV traffic on the lower valley trails, and their use is tearing up the trails and making them muddy. 

The Committee asked Carolyn to see if any interested party will find out the cost of placing 3-foot tall boulders at both ends of the trails in question and on either side of the footbridge. The Committee agreed to spend not more than $1000.00 for this project. The money will come from SAGA and Trails Committee funds.

	b.  Broken Enchanted Forest Bridge--Eben Stone wrote to say that the bridge just beyond the Enchanted Forest has broken.  He would fix it, but needs four beams and recommends 4” x 12” x12.”  The Committee asked Kate to email Eben to see if he would check out the extra wood that we have, and if that is not satisfactory, give us an estimate of the cost.

2.  Budget
	A.  Immediate Expenditures:
	Norman will talk to Jonnie about the $500.00 for moving the shed. We hope that it comes out of Parks and Recreation funding, but we do have other funds if necessary.  

	Also Norman will use $50-75 for pizza for SAGA crews. The SAGA port-a-potty bill from last year has been paid, and this year’s bill will be due. 

	B.  Materials to be Purchased:
	1.  Stock Pile of Wood

	2.  Boulders for Lower Valley—up to $1,000.00

	3.  Beams for Enchanted Forest Bridge—Four at 4 x 12 x12”

	4.  Two bollards for top of Deb’s Way

	5.  Gravel for shed pad—possibly not needed

3.  SAGA Crew—Norman reported that the crews have done the following:
	A.  Beaver Pond Trail—completely brushed out the trail, added hundreds of feet of boardwalk, and will be told to cut out benches from logs at the beginning of the trail and at the viewpoint.
	B.  Virgin Creek Trail—installed steps, brushed out around the sign. There was no railing put in.
	C.  Campground—Met Alison and put in 1.5 days maintaining and cleaning the campground.
	D.  Shed—Helped move wood to Jonnie’s yard from the shed area.
	E.  Abe’s Trail—cut up downed trees in trail (?)

The crews will spend the next seven days on the Iditarod Trail and build benches for the Beaver Pond Trail.

The Committee thanked Norman for once again leading the SAGA effort.

4.  2007 HLB IGP Approval of Trails—Jonnie had expressed concern that IGP status approval by GBOS not get lost.  Committee members asked that she either resend her May 1 letter or contact Jerry Reichlein again. Also John Gallup may be able to help us. Kate will email Jonnie.

5.  MOA and Girdwood Master Trails Plan—Tom Yeager, Chair of the Girdwood Area Plan Review Committee, said that Tom Nelson, Director of MOA Planning, told him that the Girdwood Area Plan revision will be included in his 2008 Work Plan. Committee members confirmed with Tom that we want a special trails section in the revision of the Plan.  

Carolyn reported that Matt Wedeking is drafting a trails policy. He sent Carolyn a beginning draft. Carolyn will edit the Girdwood Trails System document, and Kate will retype it because no electronic copy can be found.

6.  Bylaws Location—Kris Malecha, GBOS Secretary, told Kate that she cannot locate a copy of our bylaws.  She has spent over an hour looking and is willing to keep searching. Carolyn and Norman agreed that the bylaws were written around 2000 and should be found in the GBOS Rules and Procedures.

New Business
1.  Shed/Trails Equipment Move—The Resort has moved the Trails Shed to the far end of the soccer field. John Gallup has been instrumental in helping with this move. He would like a crew to crib up the shed. Committee members decided that Norman will talk to Larry Daniels about having a Hotel crew do the cribbing.  We may decide to put down a gravel pad.  Jonnie has some of the extra wood at her house; the snow machine and other large equipment are still where it was before, only covered.

We need an inconspicuous path to Moose Meadow to get the snow machine out to groom. There should be no extra traffic around the shed.

2.  Fall Activity Guide—no report

3.  Extra Groomer for Cooper Landing—no report

4.  New HLB Representative—Now that Art Eash has moved to Seattle, we don’t know who will be representing Girdwood’s interests. Alison will try to find out.

Other Business
Norman has contacted the Resort to get their maintenance log for the Four Corners tram.

Diana still has $512 left in the Nissman Memorial account and hopes that this will be spent this summer on landscaping. 

Meeting adjourned approximately 8:20 pm. 

Next meeting is September 4, 2007, Glacier City Hall