NMMBA Board of Directors Meeting
Date and location: Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 Acme Twp Hall
Board present: Mike Walters, Kim White, Tim Jenema, Chad Schut, Brian Pugh and Steve Mentzer
Board absent: Chad Jordan, Tim Reicha, Heath Day and Tom White
Guests: Andrew Farron and John Roe
Mission statement —---> It is our mission to Envision, Build and Protect the mountain bike experience while respecting all forest users and uses.
September meeting minutes were approved online.
Public comment:
Andrew Farron, representing the Commons Bike Park was in attendance. Andrew and Tim Pulliam have been working with the Grand Traverse county Parks and Recs reps. A Memorandum Of Understanding(MOU) has been submitted and approved to start building trails. NMMBA will oversee the project.
Phase I will encompass the first mile of trail. Trail design and construction will be handled by Rock Solid and Trail Sense.
Phase II will begin in 2026. This will cover another two miles of trail. A total of $400,000 has been budgeted for the entire project. The Twp has earmarked $300,000. NMMBA will include links on its website.
Financials:
Kim led this discussion.
For discussion were the final numbers generated by TCTF.
Total gross receipts came in at $34,912.64
Total expenses were at $9,875.66
Leaving net revenue at $25,037.18
General fund stood at $17,529.08
TART and NMMBA will put together a full accounting of the monies received for TimBarn. This will include names, amounts, etc. Kim will submit monies and donor information each month.
Grants:
Carl Ferguson completed work on the Marijuana grant application but it was not submitted in the Fall grant cycle.
TART had asked us to delay reapplying for this grant until the Spring grant cycle, as they are applying for funds this Fall to improve the Bunker Hill trailhead.
Chapter reports:
TimBarn: As of this meeting, $400,000 was still needed to reach our financial goal. Needs to be our primary focus between now and Iceman.
Also mentioned was giving out a grooming badge to anyone donating $1000 or more.
TCTN:
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Iceman Course Update: Course is complete and operating. Sand removal, root removal and minor changes will continue until race day. TJ agreed to help mark the course from Williamsburg to Icebreaker. Thanks TJ!!!!
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Greilick Park and Trails Development Group formed a broad and inclusive advisory group. Tom to represent NMMBA. The next meeting is scheduled for November 6th.
VST Supply Rd Trailhead:
Brian provided this update.
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Work is progressing on concrete sidewalk from parking lot to pavilion and the fire pit seating area. After concrete work has been completed the seating benches around the fire pit will be installed. This initial phase will be completed by the end of October.
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Final elements will be completed Spring 2026 which will include: curved pathway from parking lot to fire pit seating area, large decorative/protective rocks to be placed in strategic areas, misc. natural landscaping to clean up specific areas.
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Potential elements to consider: community bulletin board for posting communications, lost and found area. Lots of discussion on this topic.
Shop rides:
Chad is reviewing dates for future Ambassador days at the VST Trailhead. Looking at either Saturdays or Sundays. This will take advantage of increased out n backs that take place. Also mentioned was making these a combined Ambassador day and Trailblazing Tomorrow fundraiser.
At this writing there were no updates filed by Bike Leelanau, Cadillac Pathway nor Glacial Hills.
Vasa Bike Park:
Tim J. noted that there have been reports of mini-bikes and or E-motor bikes using the Vasa Bike Park. TART has also received complaints. We are now working with John Chase from GT county on signage to discourage this action.
Winter Trails:
John Roe commented on the Winter trails. A new Tidd-Tech groomer has been purchased for Palmer Woods for the 2025-26 season.
New grooming sled for TC and repairing V-plow and also looking to add a new roller and compaction drag.
Grooming badges have been ordered and received for the 2025-26 season.
LMB/MMBA:
John also filed this report.
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We met the ED Andy Rohrer (new ED)
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Topics discussed were community engagement for trails, collaboration with other forest user groups, LMB needs to engage all cyclists through image change and action.
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The next meeting is the First Thursday of each month starting in October. Anyone is welcome to attend. Contact John Roe or Kim White for info to join. We will be meeting the new Executive director at the October meeting.
Old Business:
Joint staff position.
NMMBA will fund the entire salary. Exploring job description and also funding sources.
Board still to meet with Megan Motil from Parallel Solutions.
She will be conducting a Code of Conduct/Community Agreement kickoff meeting on Wednesday, November 12th.
New Business:
Discussion of merch to sell at Iceman Expo.
T-shirts, sweat shirts and corduroy hats.
John R and Rachel Decker to coordinate this.
There will be a jersey store reboot through Jakroo.
All insurance documents have been submitted to the Festival Foundation.
Also a spreadsheet with Expo times, etc for volunteers to man the tent will be posted. Kim to work on this.
Also a discussion on current membership rates was discussed. Nothing has changed at this time but are we in line with other mountain biking groups?
Also discussed were liability insurance coverages for general trail maintenance work and events. Are they needed?
Lastly, a summary was put together on comments, etc following TCTF.
Below is a list of ideas and comments from different groups and individuals.
2025 TCTF Summary
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Norte
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Let's Norte and NMMBA check in a month prior to the event and make sure we’re all good to go!
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Confirm earlier if Norte is supplying walkie talkies to NMMBA
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Improved communications on timing - website said 12:30pm but confirmation email was 12pm & improved communications on the start time of the 2.5 mile race.
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Improved signage throughout Timber Ridge of where things are happening, directional arrows? Along with the starting location of the 2.5 mile course- PROPS! We had a family reach out and say the course for the 2.5 mile race was wonderful!
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Ensuring medals are good to go, we had them ready for the balance bike race but it was assumed we also had them for the 2.5 mile course, so we gave them old iceman medals! :)
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Add maps to website/ confirmation email of where things are happening, including balance bike race and 2.5 mile course.
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We are good to load in and out on Saturday- can it be communicated to Timber Ridge that we are bringing the Norte Van and need to temporarily bring it to the drainage field?
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More comments:
1-mile loop, with kids having the choice of 1 or 2 laps. This would also let parents see their kids throw down a lap.
- Start about 100 meters further up on flatter ground
- Finish "up" out of the dip where we started this year to avoid that sandpit/right-hand turn
- Snacks would definitely be fun
Maybe waters at the end or snacks? Fruit snacks or go-go squeeze (happy to try and reach out to local stores or go-go squeeze for next year).
-It would be great to have different trail identifiers for the kiddos, maybe animals or animal print arrows something way different. The orange and yellow look very similar for those little eye balls.
- Some of our volunteers were not familiar with the course/trails but still wanted to help out. A sign with their name on it by their station would be helpful to prevent other volunteers from taking them to their given spot.
Volunteers:
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Volunteer T-shirts
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3 x Volunteer sponsorship:$250 cash, $250 gift cards (10x$25)
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Provide 2 x beer tickets for volunteers
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A nice meal for all volunteers at a local restaurant.
First aid/paramedic:
Bee stings. Chad Schut offered these remarks. I looked over a few bee sting recipients at my course marshaling post. (I am certified first aid/CPR) All were not allergic, but displayed the normal localized swelling/redness for typical stings. Some racers expressed concern to me as they raced by, but to me (Us) that is a risk we take when racing or riding. For future races, having someone certified in first aid/CPR/paramedic would be required.
Course markings/wave sizes/Award ceremony:
Also remarks from Chad Schut.
Lots of great feedback on how well the course was marked, both long and short. I did have two individuals from the short course somehow find their way onto the long course. They were a bit agitated and I offered them a connector/way back to the short course, but they declined and complained about the poor marking of the course. They did not have the available course GPX loaded so I have no sympathy for them.
The entrance into White Meat singletrack was a bit deceiving for racers. With tunnel vision and riding fast, some had issues coming off Sand Lake Road and finding the singletrack entrance. Some rode through the left hand runoff ditch to the left of the entrance. Course marking was spot on, just an awareness thing for the racerboys and girls. I was guiding them in.
Had one male participant turn south on Strombolis Road. He was gone for 12 minutes before returning back to the White Meat entrance. I shouted at him to let him know he was off course. He gave me a wave and upon his return he told me he made a mistake and went off course. Huh?
With that the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm
Submitted by
Steve Mentzer, secretary