Board Meeting Minutes - June 2008

Bettyboarder · Since 18 Mar 2005 1823 Posts PDX/ White Salmon XTreme Poster

Hi guys sorry for the delay in getting these out to you. I am going to work with Adam to get all of the min posted from past meetings. Here are the ones from our most recent meeting (June 2008). I am working on my notes from the meeting with the CGWA and I will post them in a little while so stay posted.

We have a meeting tonight at the Sandbar!!!

Bettyboarder · Fri Jul 11, 08 6:51 am

Board Meeting Minutes
CGKA
Board Meeting Minutes: June 13, 2008
Port of Hood River, Oregon

Board Members:
Present: Jim Grady, Cory Roeseler, Pepi Gerald, Garret Zallen, Nicole Doolittle, Adam Monaghan, Henry Rico, Mark Barnes, Forrest Rae, Steve Fisher, Brett Kelly, Lloyd Nickson
Absent: Tonia Farman
Quorum present? Yes
Others Present:
Michael McElwee, Executive director for the Port of HR
Dave Tyburski from the Gorge Games
Janet Erjavec
Jim Erjavec
Ken

Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President, Jim Grady
Last meeting minutes were amended and approved

Motion to approve last meetings minutes via email, motion passes

Port of Hood River provided by Michael McElwee, Executive director for the Port of HR:

Michael thanks us for our time and effort put into the CGKA. The port is looking forward to supporting our sport and becoming a partner with the CGKA to help work towards mutual objectives.

He suggests - things we can do - show up to at Port Board meetings, write letters, voice our opinions. The port’s last meeting for public input regarding their budget, no public person voiced their opinion.

The port acknowledges the change going on with kiteboarding and windsurfing. The number of kites is constantly growing. The port is trying to budget for improvements to the sand spit road. Evolution and improvement takes time. The road to the sandspit was not originally intended to be a road which is one of the reasons for the numerous bumps and holes. Other related issue is improvements for the spit. Challenges related to putting in sewer and running water to the spit. Naito (new condo developer – where the boat works was at) is willing to look into the feasibility of getting running water and electricity to the sandspit.

Green bathrooms and other green improvements will be the only improvements Brett Foster from the Columbia River Keeper will put his approval on.

Board member suggested changing room, bathrooms and showers would be nice. Shower water and toilet water must be pumped back into a sewer line. Need to formulate a plan for improvements; figure out how much it will cost.

Mark brings up the point of crowded parking lot - Spit. It’s friday night and people are already parking along the road. He suggests that the sport is growing at such a rate that Kiteboarding will over take. The growing number of people kiting will eventually require more access to waterfronts.

Michael's first response is that we need to figure out where to expand the access. Cory brings up needing to improve parking at the spit or people will start parking and filling up the event site. Normally kiters would be parking at the event site but a lack of sandbar is preventing people from walking out from the event site.

Mark brings up the issue of pumping and drying on the event site to alleviate some of the congestion at the sandbar. Pepi notes that during a busy day at the event site there is not room to walk because of all the sails and boards. The delta management plan that was agreed on in spring of 2007 and should continue through to spring of 2009. We can bring it up as an item at another CGKA meeting. The delta management plan refers to the agreement between CGKA, CGWA, and the Port agreed upon the 600 foot no fly zone.

Garret asks if it is too late to submit a proposal to get a feasibility study or survey to come out and determine how much various improvements will cost. A letter should be submitted on behalf of the CGKA to appropriate money to do a survey on how much improvements at the spit will cost. Jim Grady offered to take the task of writing the letter.

Members brought up to Michael that the Water front recreation committee is more biased towards windsurfers. CGKA needs representation on the WFRC. Michael is going to look into helping us get a board member on the Waterfront recreation committee.

Gorge Games by: Dave Tyburski:

Tybo (Dave Tyburski) introduces Janet Erjavec who is leading the volunteer effort for the Gorge Games Kiteboarding events. She said they are still actively involved in soliciting volunteers for a number of things. Anyone wishing to volunteer should notify Janet or Dave. Put up volunteer signup sheets in local shops and at the demo day. Nicole will email all members asking them to volunteer.

How to deal with traffic flow and recreational use of the spit during competition times. Gorge games organizers are taking steps to offset increased traffic. Local businesses have contributed their parking spaces in and around town to be satellite parking for Gorge Games visitors. The Gorge games organizers want feedback on how best to address the parking and traffic problems.

The kiteboarding competition will happen from the event site. We need to get co-operation from the schools to create a no staging area on the southwest side of the sandbar, near where the competition will occur. We need co-operation from the schools to keep lessons out of that area, or put up some sort of tape to mark the zone off.

Kiters will still be able to use the spit and park there. There needs to be signs posted the week prior to the gorge games to warn of the parking issues the following weekend as well as signs the weekend of that say kiteboarding only, paid parking only, etc. CGKA will have a table in the athlete’s village during the event (correction it will be at the event site).

Demo Day by: Garret Zallen, Board Member:
Members pay 10 dollars for demo day, non-members pay 25. Wrist bands will be issued to all participants who must also provide a credit card to demo. $200 for BBQ approved by board. Liability form for demo day – Pepi, Garret and Nicole will make. Party @ River City after demo day. Movie premier of Lines and live music featuring the quick and easy boys. Raffle for Liquid Force gear proceeds go directly to the Slider Project, LLC. Jim got the Corp to lower the water level for the demo day and approval to drive authorized cars out on the sandbar for demo day and the slider demo on Sunday.

Lyle by: Forrest Rae, Board Member:
Forrest, Jim and Cory met with USFS meeting with regards to Lyle. The USFS staff has recommended to close Lyle to kiteboarding. Safety and access issue and the natural resources issue, birds and fish. USFS is unable to provide a solution to either the safety or natural resource issue at Lyle. Their suggestion is to encourage kayak access, do not park on HWY 14. We must maintain a light footprint. WSDOT has decided to reclaim the parking lot north of HWY 14 for habitat. Cory inquired as to what public comment and opinion had been taken into account before this decision had been made. WSDOT, USFS, DSL, Native Tribes are all groups involved. Can we get local community, fisherman, rock climbers, public to sign a petition to keep Lyle open.
Best thing right now is to redistribute information on how to maintain a light foot print with regards to access at Lyle.

Other business:

4th of July spit parking closed but we can still kite from spit.
Forrest talked about the Slider Project, LLC.
Janet asked about Secret spot access. She is going to take on the project of trying to get access back at Secret Spot.
Nwkite has the CGKA section up and running. Nicole can give members access.

Future business:
-Re-evaluated the Delta management plan that was agreed on in spring of 2007 (runs through
2009). Event site access for kiters.
-Get a board member on the Waterfront recreation committee.
-Can we get numbered CGKA vests for identification during events?
-How can we direct more people to the CGKA section of the forum?
-Why should we loose access to the spit on July 4th?
-Clean up Sauvies Island
-Budget
-2008 Blowout
-Lyle
-Meet with CGWA and Waterfront Committee

Assignments
-Jim Grady offered to take the task of writing the letter to request money from Port for study.
-Janet working on Secret Spot
-Liability forms for Demo day – Pepi, Nicole & Garret

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Adam Monaghan.

tonyb · Fri Jul 11, 08 7:14 am

Nice job on the minutes Adam! Thanks for getting them up for us Nicole.

Tony

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Jul 14, 08 7:49 am

yes, nice minutes indeed. Bummer about Lyle. Saw that coming like 1,000 miles away. Parking lot as habitat? Give me a break, that thing has little to no habitat value. Non native grasses and gravel adjacent to a state highway? Sounds like the USFS and WSDOT colluding to me.