Salem Bike Path Committee
Minutes of Meeting
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A regular scheduled meeting of the Salem Bike Path Committee was held on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM in Meeting Room 313 at City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street.
Members Present: Dan Shuman, Jeff, Bellin, David Pelletier, Christine Michelini, William Peck, Ernest DeMaio, and David Hallowes. Also present was Staff Planner Frank Taormina
Members Absent: Jamie Metsch
Public in Attendance: Dr. William Cameron, Superintendent of Salem Public School Department
Chairman Shuman called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.
Chairman Shuman welcomed two of the three newly appointed Committee Members: Ernest DeMaio and David Hallowes. The Chairman also acknowledged those members absent and present for the record.
J. Bellin made a motion to approve the March 10, 2010 Meeting Minutes seconded by D. Pelletier and approved unanimously.
Chairman Shuman asked the public in attendance if they have any comments. No public comments were taken at that time.
- Bike Safety Material for City Website and Distribution to Salem School System
Chairman Shuman opened up the item for discussion.
W. Peck updated the Committee on his efforts to date, which included the drafting of a cover letter, compiling of bike safety information, discussions with the Salem Police Department and Superintendent of Schools, and the invitation of both to tonight’s meeting.
Chairman Shuman also complied some English and Spanish bike safety material that could be incorporated into the letter or as an attachment to the letter.
D. Pelletier asked Superintendent Cameron if the Public School Department can handle mailing something that large or should the Committee consider condensing the information into one or two pages (front and back). D. Pelletier suggested that the cover letter include only two pages from the attachment that Chairman Shuman passed out to all the members. Discussion ensued.
Superintendent Cameron stated that the use of the Salem Public Schools Website could be used instead of mailing the material directly to parents. He also mentioned that if we agree to mail the material out or sent the material home with students that that is only done in elementary school, they do not do that with middle school or high school because often times that material never makes it home for the parents to see. He circled back to the use of the website and added that it could be used regardless of whether a mailing goes out or not, as that method may reach more parents.
C. Michelini asked Superintendent Cameron if the Public School Department could notify parents in advance via e-mail that a mailing regarding bike safety would be sent home with students or mailed to them directly.
Superintendent Cameron stated that the School Department does not have that ability. They do have the ability to call Salem Residents via reverse 911 but that will contact everyone in the City, instead of just targeting parents of school children. Discussion with the Committee regarding other options ensued.
F. Taormina mentioned to Superintendent Cameron that the draft letter was put together by a committee member and submitted to the rest of the Committee prior to the meeting. It has not been reviewed by the rest of the Committee yet. In terms of mobbing forward, he asked if the Committee and the Salem Police Department could take a closer look at the cover letter and the attached material prior to submitting it to him for review, approval, and dissemination to parents and students. Superintendent Cameron agreed.
D. Pelletier and the other members of the Committee thanked Superintendent Cameron for attending the meeting tonight to discuss the distribution of bike safety material throughout the Salem School System.
After Superintendent Cameron left the meeting, the Committee and F. Taormina updated the two new members (Ernest DeMaio and David Hallowes) on the rational and efforts made to date regarding this matter.
Salem Bike Path Maintenance Contract
Chairman Shuman opened up the item and turned the floor over to F. Taormina.
F. Taormina informed the Committee that next month Ferrari Landscaping will start maintaining the Salem Bike Path twice a month from May to November with a major clean-up in May and at the end of the season in November. He when into detail as to what is expected of the hired landscaping contractors at each mowing and clean-up period. He also mentioned that Ferrari Landscaping is on contract with the City next year as well, until Nov 2011. After that period, the City will re-bid the bike path maintenance contract for another three year period. He explained to the two new members that the funds used to maintain and mow the Salem Bike Path come from funds allocated by a yearly in-lieu of taxes payment (approx $7,000 a year) from the Town of Marblehead Light Commission for the perpetual rights and
easements on, under, over, and through four parcels of land which comprise the Salem Bike Path Right-of-Way for the future access and maintenance of their underground and overhead electrical transmission lines. Those funds are directly deposited into a special account set up by the City of Salem for the general maintenance of the Salem Bike Path.
D. Pelletier asked if the Town of Marblehead could spread out the two bollards before and after each of the foot bridges over the Forest River, as it is a hazard for bikers.
F. Taormina stated that the Committee reached out to the Town of Marblehead Light Commission twice already regarding this very thing. He stated that Bob Jolly, General Manager of the Light Commission, came to a committee meeting and explained why they would not allow us to do that. Among other things, the reason was that the area had subsurface lead contamination and they were not permitted to dig into the ground.
D. Pelletier insisted that the Committee try to persuade them to reconsider. F. Taormina asked if this matter could be tabled to the next meeting. A motion was made by D. Pelletier and seconded by C. Michelini and approved unanimously.
Bike Path Extension Update
F. Taormina brought the two new Committee Members up to speed on the planned extension of the Salem Bike Path. He stated that there is one remaining items that need to be resolved in order for the City of Salem to enter into a lease agreement with the MBTA to utilize an unused railroad right-of-way (ROW) and a portion of the MBTA’s active railroad ROW, which is to obtain a letter from PAN AM Railways stating that they have abandoned their freight rights in the unused railroad ROW owned by the MBTA. He updated the Committee on his efforts to date, and informed them that the property owned of 142 Canal Street, the former California Olive Oil Company, is not clear as to the future use of the property and is not willing to eliminate any of his options moving forward. One of his options is to
potentially reactive the unused railroad ROW and bring freight service back to that abandoned property. He stated that PAN AM Railways will not abandon their freight rights if there are any future customers. In short, he mentioned that the City will have to wait and see at this point. He is hopeful that the 142 Canal Street property is redeveloped without the need for freight access and the City can continue discussion with PAN AM Railways and ultimately with the MBTA.
Outstanding Bike Path Maintenance Items
D. Pelletier followed up on a previous request to have the bike gate paved around or opened and a removable bollard installed at each entrance. Discussion ensued.
F. Taormina stated that last year he requested that DPW pave around the gates but they were not able to fit it into their schedule last fall and have yet to get to it this year. He agreed that opening the gates and installing removable bollards at each entrance is a better idea. The committee members agreed.
D. Pelletier made a motion that Frank open the bike gates and install removable bollards a each entrance identical to the ones at the Canal Street Entrance, seconded by J. Bellin and approved unanimously.
Adjournment
Chairman Shuman asked if there were any further old/new business items to discuss tonight. There being none, he asked for a motion to adjourn. W. Peck made that motion, seconded by C. Michelini and approved unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 8:16 PM
Respectfully submitted by:
Frank Taormina,
Planner/Harbor Coordinator
BPC 4-14-2010
| 
