Minutes, September 11, 2006

Dutchess County/Putnam County AT Management Committee
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Minutes for the 198th Meeting
Monday, September 11, 2006 7:00PM East Fishkill Library – Cross room

Attendance:  Jim Haggett, Ron Rosen, Gerry Richardson, Salley Decker, Jane Geisler, Ollie Simpson, Walt Daniels [7]
The meeting was called to order at 7:14 PM. by chair Jim Haggett.

• FYI and FYA items circulated as follows:

FYI items:

• Water test results (3 tests in June and 2 in July) were ALL NEGATIVE!
• Others as they arrive

FYA items:

• Next “local” Chainsaw Safety Workshop to be held at Delaware Water Gap (Nov 18& 19)
• Proposed NY/NJ TC Expense Guidelines
• Others as they arrive

• The minutes of the 197th meeting, held July 17, 2006 at the RPH Shelter, were approved as published. The minutes for this meeting can be found on the web at http://www.nynjtc.org/committees/trailscouncil/at-committees/DP/agenda/index.html.  Salley Decker noted her name was missing from the attendance list for May, 2006.

• Meeting highlight:  Update five year project plan.  The following priorities were suggested.

* Hiller Brook/Swamp River Puncheon upgrade to Helical Piers — SHOULD BE moved to 2007, and materials list should show helical pier construction.  We should combine the Swamp River Bridge job into the same “project”
* ATV Access to Harlem Valley State Hospital — combine HVSH & Johnson Road access into one item, lots of iceberged rocks.
* Depot Hill access road — block ATV’s, needs enforcement [sting operation!]. Need iceberged rocks and permission from lower gate landowner to block that location.
* Old Route 55 bridge (Whaley Lake Stream)
* Bridge Inspection program (Cyclic Maintenance — 5 year cycle).
* Privy upgrades (all Dutchess shelters and Shenandoah Campsite — to Moldering Privy designs. Morgan Stewart 2006, Telephone Pioneers 2007, Shenandoah 2008, Wiley 2006, RPH 2010).
* Puncheon north of Pawling Nature Reserve (Green Trail) — SCA for 2007.
* Putnam puncheon work:  Chapman Road 100’ replacement (conventional plastic posts & planking) for 2007 as funding is available.  Swamp at Sweetman has another 100’, same technology, 2008 funding preferred. (Walt will measure for better estimates).
* Puncheon between old Route 55 and Whaley Lake Stream, about 100’ (stringers and planks only), for 2007.
* Possible future projects:
New roof for shelters (2012)
Privy upper structures (2011)
Replace Hosner Mountain Road bridge — move from 2008 to 2010.
Style replacement (e.g., Yegella Farm) — add to DPATMC Priority List.

• Committee topics, short updates, etc.:
• Update on SCA intern accomplishments: Ron expressed concerns with the status of the project. He contacted Leigh Draper upon Alex’s leaving, and she failed to get back to him to discuss our options for a replacement worker. Ron will try to contact Leigh soon to see what options we have at present.
• Harlem Valley relocation (Ollie, Walt, others) — Seven people attended the work project last Saturday (Ollie worked there two more times). Ollie plans to go back next Friday and remove more wire (and take it to a recycling depot). Walt noted the Harlem relo now needs blazing. Ray Winchcombe is the new maintainer (he was present at the work project this weekend). Jane will work with him to do the blazing (except for the ends) during the next three weeks.
• Bulletin Board replacement (Walt) — most of the construction at 9/403 is done (thanks to Ollie, Chris, Jane, and Walt).  Walt will do the testing of mounting the lexan as soon as Jim can get a piece (or two) to him. Walt will test the Bear Mountain bridge location to determine if we can set posts.
• Update Dutchess/Putnam AT brochure (Jim) — Walt noted funding is in question as it was not included in the new NYNJTC budget process.
• Review Maintenance/Monitor reporting procedure, i.e. how can we make it timelier and less time consuming?  Postpone to next time.

• Reports:
• Area Supervisor Summaries: 
•       Jane Geisler: Repeated that Ray Winchcombe is the new maintainer from Johnson Road to Leather Hill Road (formerly Joe Warner). Ollie noted one of the new delineators at West Dover Road got damaged, and Jane phoned to try to get it fixed. The Boy Scouts who were to work on replacing the bridge at Yegella Farm have not done anything yet. Jane talked with Bill Turner about the land situation next to HVSH’s Parcel E during the work project last weekend.
• Frank Dogil has nothing to report.
• Ollie Simpson reported Jerry Richardson will be the new maintainer for Depot Hill South. We are requesting that NYNJTC fire AMC from all of Depot Hill for lack of field performance and lack of reporting. Also David Kinosky maintains from County Route 20 to Penny Road. The committee OK’d the moldering privy upgrade at Morgan Stewart for which Ollie will obtain materials. She will contact J&J for rough-sawn oak materials. Ollie Simpson needs two shelter maintainers and three new monitors. She will put in a request for volunteers to NYNJTC and the Trail Walker. Pete Senterman will work with some scouts to replace the puncheon just trail south of Penny Road.
• Jim Haggett has no new information to report as supervisor.
• Walt Daniels reported that he now has a monitor vacancy due to Dick Redfield’s death. Dick monitored for 23 years continuously.
• Chair reports:
•     Expense reimbursement guidelines proposal — copies were circulated.
• NY/NJ TC AT Chairs & RPC met 8/23/06. The RPC regional meeting will be held at the Taconic Outdoor Ed Center on November 11 and 12. Jim will email the info as it arrives. Jim mentioned that we should make note of parcels of land near the AT that should be considered for acquisition.
• Feedback from NPS Classroom Summer Institute held July 2006: three local teachers went. One teacher was enthused, and she is interested in having her class (5th grade?) create something that will go in the bulletin boards.
• Jim mentioned some OPRHP funding, deadline December 15 [Though info obtained from NY/NJ TC it could not be verified using OPRHP website (JPH)].

• Other: Gerry mentioned Walt Klein, who lives on South Greenhaven Road, can provide some history of the Depot Hill area.

• The meeting was adjourned at 11:05.

Submitted by Ron Rosen with post-processing by Jim Haggett.

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