Rail Trail Committee

JOHNSON RAIL TRAIL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES JOHNSON MUNICIPAL BUILDING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025 Present: Committee Members: Adrian Schmidt, Lynda Hill, Jan Gearhart, Doug Molde, BJ Putvain, Kim Dunkley Absent: Mary Lou Kopas Note: All votes taken are unanimous unless otherwise noted. 1. Call Meeting to Order Adrian called the meeting to order at 6:06. 2. Review and Approve Past Minutes Doug moved to approve the minutes of August 20 and September 17, 2025, Lynda seconded and the motion was passed with Kim abstaining. 3. Review Agenda Additions Adrian said Peggy Williams reached out to him and said she does not have time to balance this committee with her other commitments and she would like to resign for the time being. Doug added an information item about a mountain bike trail through Vermont. 4. Notice of Chair Resignation Adrian said he is resigning as chair. Doug said he is willing to be chair. Adrian moved that the committee accept his resignation as chair, Lynda seconded and the motion was passed. Adrian said he will remain on the committee. 5. Vote New Committee Chair Adrian moved to elect Doug as chair, Jan seconded and the motion was passed. 6. Presentation of Final Draft of Ted Alexander Welcome Center Map Doug said Adrienne Parker was going to come tonight and present her map but she was unable to attend. Jan said she thinks Adrienne’s map is not zoomed in as much as we need it to be. Doug said he likes the map Cambridge has. He will send it out to board members. Jan showed a picture of a map at a trail in Stowe that shows buildings in the village. She thinks that is similar to what we need. Kim asked where Adrienne’s map will go. Jan said at the Welcome Center and she believes also on the map stand we got permission to put between the Masonic Temple and Marvin’s. We can put a bike stand, a map stand and a picnic table there. It was agreed that Doug should send Cambridge’s map to Adrienne and let her know the committee was happy with its specificity. 7. Plan Kiosks Installation Adrian said someone needs to dig the holes. There is no town augur. Jan said at one village trustee board meeting Will Jennison had suggested the village could dig the holes at the Village Green and Legion Field. Doug said the village has the necessary equipment; the town does not. He asked if BJ could ask the village if they are willing to dig the holes. BJ said yes. Kim said a lot of people are parking their bikes at the Village Green. It would be nice to have a map there. She suggested maybe a kiosk could go on George Pearlman’s land between the gallery and the green. She likes the Masonic Temple idea too. Lynda said George no longer owns that property; Rail Trail Committee Meeting Minutes p. 2 October 15, 2025 someone from out of state does. Doug said he thinks that horse has left the barn. That area is a right of way in any case. BJ asked, the committee couldn’t figure out with village staff a spot for the map on the Village Green? Jan said the last time they met they couldn’t figure out a spot. It was left up in the air. It was not determined that we could put a map stand and a bike rack there. Jan showed a picture of a post in a Sonotube and asked if committee members think that is the best way to put in the posts. There was general agreement that that would be good. Doug said the kiosks should be put together and installed quickly so materials that could be stolen are not left on site. The kiosk kits are currently being stored in Doug’s shed. BJ said he will ask Erik Bailey about the village crew digging the holes. It should be done the day the kiosks are to be installed, so there will not be open holes. Lynda agreed that everything should be done in one day. Doug said Jackie Cassino of VTrans will be in Johnson on October 29 and suggested meeting with committee members at the Welcome Center to answer Doug’s questions to her about kiosk location. He will ask Jackie about the time and send out an email to see who can attend. Jan said we have selectboard approval to put a kiosk on Legion Field at the location we suggested, but a couple of committees have questioned it. Doug said he thinks we should think about getting the maps printed. Jan said LCPC is printing the map for the kiosk at the trailhead. They were making final changes to it and said they probably wouldn’t print it until November. She will check on it. Doug said he needs the space in his shed back by the end of October. Jan said she believes Tom Galinat was going to check to see if there was any room in the town or village garage. (BJ left at 6:42.) Kim offered to follow up with him to see if he located storage. BJ came back briefly to say that Erik said the village can help with digging the holes. Lynda asked if there is any reason we can’t move ahead soon with installing the kiosk on Legion Field. Jan said we already have permission from the selectboard to install it to the left, near where the portable toilets are located. The committee discussed the efforts to come up with a plan for all of Legion Field, which are still in progress. It was agreed to hold off on installing a kiosk there for now. So storage space will be needed for at least one kiosk kit. 8. Bike Rack Order It was agreed that Jan should talk to Mary Lou and get the numbers that were budgeted for various projects so we know how much is left for bike racks. 9. Update on Ted Alexander Welcome Center Adrian said Brian Raulinaitis is approved to do the Welcome Center work. Brian provided an itemized list of work. It was not as itemized as Adrian wanted, but it was adequate and he and Tom approved it. 10. Bike Rack Order (continued) Adrian said Mary Lou is getting a quote on the bike racks she showed the committee last time. Rail Trail Committee Meeting Minutes p. 3 October 15, 2025 11. Rail Trail Adjacent Cedar Bench Location Doug said Jackie Cassino also wants to talk about bench locations on October 29. 12. Ted Alexander Welcome Center – Water Spigot and Additional Picnic Tables The committee discussed that Brian Raulinaitis’s itemized list of work to be done did not include a new water fixture. Doug said Tom Galinat had suggested a different fixture that would allow people to fill a water bottle or dog bowl and that would drain into the sewer system, instead of the current downward-facing spigot that drains onto the ground and allows moisture to get onto the side of the building. It was agreed that Adrian should call Brian ask him how much it would cost to add a new fixture. Adrian will also clarify with Brian when he expects to start and finish work. It was not clear whether he intended to start in December or finish in December. Doug said he suggests that we try to put two additional picnic tables at the Welcome Center. Jan suggested putting that in next year’s budget as it is almost winter. She said she and Lynda will move the existing tables back inside. 13. EPA Recreation Economy Rural Community Planning Award Discussion Doug said 25 towns in the US were awarded this grant. It does not provide any money. He found that past grant recipients included Marshfield (in 2023) and Poultney (in 2019). He talked to a selectboard member from Marshfield who said that as soon as they finished this program they had serious flooding that damaged multiple bridges and they never got back to it. The community and economic development person in Poultney said the grant was fabulous for them. The recreation economy planning it provided added 3 restaurants to their community. Under this grant, the EPA comes in with experts. It has a recreation economy focus. Tom Galinat is very excited about the idea. We would bring in every organization that might do something to help recreation in Johnson and the EPA will bring their own committee of experts. There will also be an appointed committee of local people. He doesn’t know when the work will start. Poultney found that this grant grew investment and infrastructure in their community. The selectboard will appoint the committee members. The rail trail committee may want to participate in this work because we want them to highlight the rail trail. 14. Lamoille Rail Trail Community Connection Meeting October 21 Doug said the LCPC rail trail committee will have a meeting at 10:30 on October 21. He will send out information on it. There will be people giving short presentations on camping. Kim agreed to post information on the meeting for those who may be interested in developing campgrounds. 15. Velomont Trail Doug said on October 23 there will be a Zoom meeting with RJ Thompson and his trail manager about relocating the Velomont Trail so it goes through Johnson. It is a mountain bike trail that runs the whole length of the state. It will have huts on it. The meeting is not open to everyone. Doug will attend. 16. Adjourn Jan moved to adjourn at 7:33, Lynda seconded and the motion was passed. Minutes submitted by Donna Griffiths