HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 06/11/2014BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE
MINUTES 06-11-2014
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 11, 2014
at 5:30 pm in the small conference room at the city office building.
Members Present: Matthew Boulanger, Chair; Michelle Connor, Vice Chair, Dana Farr, Clerk; Cathy
Frank, David Jacobowitz, Donna Leban, Roy Neuer
Members Absent: Miranda Voegeli
Meeting began at 5:37 pm.
1. Changes or additions to the agenda
The Other Paper (TOP) articles will be discussed at the end of the meeting.
Michelle announced that she plans to move to Essex, Vermont and will no longer be eligible to be on
the committee. If her offer on an Essex house is accepted, this will be her last meeting.
2. Comments from the public not related to the agenda
None
3. Accept & approve Minutes of May 14, 2014 meeting
Michelle: Moved to approve the minutes as amended
Cathy: Second
Vote: Unanimous
4. Committee Structure comments
Matt thanked the committee for sending comments regarding the city’s planned committee
restructuring. The committee discussed the restructuring and came up with a list of comments
which Matt will put together and send to the City Council on behalf of the committee. There was
limited, general support for the restructuring.
Committee’s Consensus on Restructuring-
· Restructuring should allow for timely and effective address of issues.
· Communication needs to be well structured and supported.
· Committee meetings should be more often than quarterly.
· The committee would like a more formal DRB connection.
· It would be beneficial to have a committee member who serves on both the
Pedestrian/Transportation Committee and the DRB.
· The work that the committees have been doing cannot stop, even as they gain more tasks.
· The restructuring should allow decisions and projects to be made and completed more
quickly.
· A lot of what happens in our committee is driven by staff. Staff should educate the new
committee, and ask for comments. Education of both staff and the committee should be
emphasized.
· A fairly formal relationship between the new Pedestrian/Transportation committee and the
DRB and DPW is desired.
· Zoning Ordinances should include how streets, paths, and sidewalks should be built. The
ordinance should do a lot of the work for establishing standards so that less advocacy hours
are required for each and every development instance.
· Council should create and organized how the committee should function, and what its
powers are.
· Council should more thoroughly qualify the people who are placed on the committees, task
forces, etc…
· Committees need to be involved with the decision process.
· Committees should be involved early and often in policy making.
· Budgets should be included with plans. It should clearly be stated who has the authority to
determine budgets.
· Council will need to interact with its committees instead of leaving that role to staff.
· Question: Does the committee have to advocate its cause to Council?
· Question: Do the committees come up with a proposal of what concerns to address, and
Council set direction? Are the groups now policy making, or advisory?
June 16, at 7:00 PM, City Council will meet to discuss the restructuring. Committee members will try
to attend to represent our view.
5. LAB Bicycle-Friendly communities update
David summarized his own “Five big wants” from the LAB application-
1) A bike/ped coordinator who is on the city payroll
2) A bike-ped plan that is part of the city plan. This should include city-wide facilities,
connections to neighboring municipalities, integration with the regional bike/ped plan
3) Mapping should be readily available.
4) Training for bicycle safety in schools.
5) Involvement of the police.
The application raises consciousness and awareness.
6. Development Review
Nothing.
7. Put together something about pedestrian flashing lights
Dana will ask Justin Rabidoux, DPW Manager for a list of the pedestrian flashing lights that were
installed last year so that the committee can verify their functionality.
8. General matters
The committee wants to keep track of the following regarding the development of Joy Drive: When
the building on the south side of Joy Drive is completed, a sidewalk must be built on the north side
per agreement between the developer and the City.
TOP articles did not have sufficient support from the committee to warrant a series. Individual
committee members are always welcome to submit articles on their own.
9. Adjourn
David: Motion to Adjourn
Cathy: Second
Vote: Unanimous
Meeting ended at 7:13 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Farr, Clerk