MINUTES of CentreBike General Meeting

February 3, 2015

Meeting held at the State College Borough building.  Present:

• Jim Serene, President

• Paul Barsom, Treasurer

• Joan Potter, Secretary

• Anna Morrison Nelson

• Paul Rito

• Brian Dempsey

• Lynda Crow

• Sue Barsom

• Catherine Grigor

• Ben Lawrence

 

The meeting was called to order by Jim Serene at 5:30 pm.  A quorum was present, and the meeting was ready to proceed with business.

Minutes of the December 9, 2014 meeting were reviewed. Lynda Crow moved to approve; Sue Barsom second; all in favor.

South Atherton Bikeway Winter Maintenance

The multi-use path from Hills Plaza to Villa Crest Drive is being cleared of snow by College Township, and it was noted that it is being used by many people. The Harris Township manager would not commit to clearing the remainder of the path to Boalsburg this season, but indicated they would reconsider next year.

Marketing and Communications Committee

Anna Nelson, Committee Chair, reported good progress is being made on the website. It was noted that purchasing stock photos and a site template would be helpful to improve the look. A motion was made by Lynda Crow to approve up to $500 for the website and Brian Dempsey second; all in favor.

 Events Committee

It was noted that Meagan Tuttle has a tentative list of events proposed for May to celebrate Bike Month, and would like to plan regular events throughout the year. Jim Serene is planning to meet with the Mayor to discuss potential community events.   Anna announced that February 13th is National Winter Bike to Work Day and suggested publicizing it and asking commuters to meet at the Old Main steps at 8:00am for a photo opportunity. www.winterbiketoworkday.org  Paul Rito volunteered to organize the National Bike Challenge again this year for Centre County. Last year we had very good participation, and hope to exceed the number of miles this year.

 

Jim Serene announced this will be his last year serving as President of CentreBike.  The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for the 3rd week in March, pending room availability.  There being no further business to come before the meeting, it adjourned at 6:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Joan Potter, Secretary

MINUTES of CentreBike Executive Meeting

January 20, 2015

Meeting held at the State College Borough building.

Present:

• Jim Serene, President
• Meagan Tuttle, Vice President
• Paul Barsom, Treasurer
• Joan Potter, Secretary
• Anna Morrison Nelson
• Jean Bemis
• Paul Rito
• Brian Dempsey

The meeting was called to order by Jim Serene at 5:30 pm.  A quorum was present, and the meeting was ready to proceed with business.

Joan Potter noted that 28 members paid dues in 2014. A membership dues notice will be sent to the listserv in May to coincide with Bike Month.

Website Update

Anna Nelson, Marketing Committee Chair, announced that Travis has ported the website over to WordPress. Anna’s proposed content changes for the Join and Who We Are pages were approved. She mentioned the need for photos/images for the website, and a graphic artist to design a new logo. Anna will draft an email asking the listserv to share photos that can be used. Suggestion made to create a DropBox or Google Drive folder to deposit photos. Additional website progress expected this month.

Mission-Safety

Jim referred to BikePgh’s events as an example of fun activities that have a focus on bicycle safety. CentreBike can learn from this and take the lead in our community for Safe Streets.

Events Committee

Meagan Tuttle, Committee Chair, shared their recommendations for planning a fun advocacy event every other month and asking other groups to partner with us. Examples:  March- Spring Bike Maintenance; May- Bike to Work Kickoff; July- Bike Storage at Peoples Choice/Arts Fest; Aug/Sep- Young Professionals Wino Ride.

Commuter Cycling Information

Brian Dempsey offered to distribute cycling info to bike commuters at a couple key locations. He said the idea originated from Teresa Lafer.  Brian thought a good place to start is McKee & Park Ave, and he and Lynda would be happy to lead this.

There being no further business to come before the meeting, it adjourned at 6:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Joan Potter, Secretary

Marketing and Communications Committee

Anna Nelson, Committee Chair, reported on the input gathered from committee members assessing the current situation and the proposed recommendations. The focus:

1. Develop a new visual identify for the CentreBike brand.  Create a new logo, color scheme, tag line, etc., utilize branded emails with a new email client and limit the listserv for outbound communication only (no discussions), and plan a launch of the new CentreBike identity in Mar/Apr.
2. Improve member communications. Provide immediate confirmation (automated message) to new members with a friendly message sharing upcoming events, send annual membership renewal notices, and develop newsletter to share activities, achievements and upcoming events.
3. Promote CentreBike to the community. Plan special events; partner with businesses and organizations to promote cycling.
4. Update the website.

(A member noted that the new automated message should contain info on how to log in to website.)

Events Committee

Meagan Tuttle, Committee Chair, reported the first event was a success:  Maintenance & Mittens was held at FreezeThaw Cycles on Dec 6^th. Information was presented on how to care for your bike in the winter and what to wear to stay comfortable. The second event will be the CentreBike Holiday Party for members and non-members, which will follow tonight’s meeting and is being hosted by FreezeThaw Cycles.

Bike Safety

Good discussion around the recent controversy over bike safety with ideas on how CentreBike could lead a Bike Safety Initiative in the community: start a safety campaign within the biking groups (SCCC, NMBA, PSU Cycling); public promotion with a full page CDT ad or billboard showing photos of who bikers are – mothers, fathers, teachers, doctors, etc.  Attend township meetings and talk during “citizen input” sessions.

Clarifying Roles of CentreBike and Centre Region Bicycle Advisory Committee (CRBAC)

Brian Dempsey explained why CRBAC was created and its purpose as a separate entity from CentreBike.  Suggestion to provide CRBAC informational updates on CentreBike website.

There being no further business to come before the meeting, it adjourned at 7:10 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Joan Potter, Secretary