Fw: discussion on natural surface trails and mountain biking
Cynthia Palmer
Hi Ms. Palmer,
Thank you for your email. I apologize for any confusion that may have happened with our participation at the BAC meeting. As I understand it, BAC first requested a DPR representative come to BAC to discuss mountain biking and natural surface trails at your December meeting. Our position at that time, was that we were just getting started with this effort and the County itself did not have very much information yet and could share an update in the New Year.
As part of a small subcommittee of the Public Spaces Master Plan – Implementation Action Committee (PMSP-IAC), DPR staff is working with the representatives from BAC and NRJAG to help steward our efforts on natural trails. As such, the main committee the natural trails effort is moving through is the PSMP-IAC and accordingly, DPR has not specifically briefed any individual committees such as BAC, FNRC, PRC, NRJAG or Sports Commission. In the interim, DPR has suggested commissions reach out to MORE and other regional mountain biking or natural surface trail organizations to discuss and better understand natural surface trail management and mountain biking in the DC region.
When BAC subsequently requested that DPR come to the January meeting, we suggested that BAC invite MORE and that we would happily agree to share a written update with the BAC staff liaison. Here is where it appears that we ran into some confusion over the holidays with a variety of staff on vacation, so again I apologize that BAC was left with the impression that staff would be attending and that it appeared as a "cancellation".
Staff and the committee representatives from the PSMP-IAC will continue with their next meeting in January. Typically, we would ask that the PSMP-IAC representatives then brief their respective commissions. However, with the transition between BAC representatives on the PSMP-IAC, if it is helpful to you and your members, DPR staff can attend to give an overview of what this effort is intended to do in case any information has been lost in that transition. We could then come back to BAC and other relevant commissions during the process at the appropriate time.
Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in so we can ensure that DPR staff attends the next BAC Meeting.
Thank you,
Jane
Jane Rudolph
Director
Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation
2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 414
Arlington, VA 22201
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From: Cynthia Palmer <cmp...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, January 3, 2022 11:32 PM
To: Jane Rudolph <Jrud...@arlingtonva.us>
Subject: discussion on natural surface trails and mountain biking
I hope your new year is off to a good start.
I am writing to raise an issue that has come up twice… last month and again, tonight… in our Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings. For both meetings, we were told that your staff member Ryan Delaney, Principal Planner, DPR, would come speak about natural surface trails and mountain biking. Yet each time, one of Mr. Delaney’s supervisors (maybe yourself?) pulled Mr. Delaney off our meeting agenda at the very last moment. Tonight, I only learned about this while I was chairing the meeting and about to introduce Mr. Delaney. Last month he was pulled right before the meeting, as well.
The County BAC reports to the County Manager and is staffed completely by volunteers. Several individuals scheduled their calendars around these two meetings specifically to hear Mr. Delaney’s presentation and to have the opportunity to engage with him in conversation.
Why was Mr. Delaney instructed not to meet with the BAC? And why was this done at the very last moment?
If your office is not comfortable with Mr. Delaney discussing natural surface trails and mountain biking with the BAC, then please come speak with us yourself. Our next meeting will be held on Monday Feb. 7, 2022 at 7 pm on Microsoft Teams. Please let me know if you will be joining us.
Thank you.
Cynthia Palmer
Chair, Bicycle Advisory Committee
Gillian Burgess
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