Buffalo Trail Board
May 22, 2008
Author: Bill Cooley

Buffalo Trails Board
Minutes for April 17th and 18th, 2008

A regular meeting of the Buffalo Trails Board was held at Buffalo’s City Hall at 12:00pm on April 17, 2008.

The following board members were present:
Bill Mentock, Norb Lyle, Bill Cooley Jerry Gladson, Steve Knuckolls, Fred Gray, City Planner Colin Betzler, Assistant City Planner Alicia Bankston.
Absent: Jack Tarter, Ed Von Holst

Chairman Mentock called the meeting to order at 12:07pm

The minutes from last meeting were discussed and a change in spelling of Thune to Theune in April 7, 2008 minutes.
Mr. Cooley made a motion to accept minutes with changes noted.
Mr. Lyle seconded the motion. All present voted aye.

Update Fed Grey cleaned Centennial Trail. Thanks Fred!!

Recreation Board applications:
Update by Colin money Jan 09 need to specify project and application(s). Shed, tools, and another application for help with re-signing project
Mr. Mentock thought not much interest for a tool shed at the last meeting, Mr. Cooley, Mr. Lyle, Mr. Gladson mentioned they thought it was a good idea. Mr. Lyle asked what amount we would want. Discussion about tool shed and size ensued.
Mr. Cooley made a motion for two applications. The first request is to be for a tool shed, tools, and a second application to be for funds for the re-signing project.
Mr. Lyle seconded the motion. All present voted aye.

Trails work day discussion about what day to schedule. What project we should do was discussed and Ms. Bankston mentioned the trash along Clear Creek in Washington Park and she mentioned that Andy Stafford’s science class might be interested in helping. Mr. Betzler gave an update about the Wetlands Delineation Study and mentioned that we are still waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers’ response. The response should be here mid-May. Mr. Mentock mentioned that he had talked with Patty Bills about helping clear brush at the Historic Bridge placement site. According to Mr. Mentock, the upper Clear Creek residents are more interested in helping once the bridge has been placed. Mr. Cooley asked what needs to be done at the placement site. Mr. Mentock mentioned that brush and downed trees need to be cleared out. Mr. Betzler mentioned that the board may want to contact 3way to find out if clearing the brush and trees was included in the work they were planning in doing. Mr. Mentock mentioned that the north side needs to be cleaned and if we could get the debris out of the flood plane and up on the north bank the city could grind it all up when they come along to clear the brush he had previously piled up. Mr. Cooley made a motion to have May 17 and August 30 designated as Trails Work Days. The project for May 17 to be trash clean up along Clear Creek through Washington Park. Then move to the bridge sight and clear brush. The August 30 workday project to be determined later. The motion was seconded by Mr. Lyle. Mr. Gladson mentioned that the bushes and trees would have to be removed roots and all especially with some willow species. Mr. Betzler thought that they would not need to be taken out roots and all since the northern portion from the bridge to the greenbelt trail is to be elevated. Mr. Mentock mentioned that there is a lot of debris in the flood-plane that needs to be removed. Public comment; Glen Hare expressed a concern that the walk way not obstruct the flow of water in a flood situation. Mr. Mentock and Mr. Betzler mentioned that studies have been done to determine the elevation of the walk way and they would be happy to show them to anyone who is interested.

Ms. Bankston read a comment from Susan Theune about areas to allow dogs off leash. Her opinion is that Heritage Park could be a good off leash area especially if dog waste bags were provided. Discussion followed about where dogs could and could not be allowed off leash, most notably the area by the homestead cabin in Mountain Plains Heritage Park but not including the wetlands (north of Stockyard road). Also the area west of Mosier Gulch from the pipe-barrier across the road up to the spill way.
Mr. Cooley made a motion to recommend the Mountain Plains Heritage Park board to allow dogs off leash in the area around the homestead cabin, but not across Stockyard road to the north. The Trails Board would also recommend to City Council an area west of the pipe-barrier across the road at Mosier Gulch and continuing west along and around this road up to the site of the city water take-out & spill way (Crippled Children’s Camp) that will allow dogs off leash. Signage shall be provided as to the areas where dogs are and are not allowed off leash. Dogs must also be leashed in parking areas adjacent to the off leash areas until they reach the designated off leash area.
Lyle seconded the motion. Mr. Gladson made a comment that he wasn’t in favor of the motion, and didn’t like that we are making a blanket statement about where dogs can and cannot be on a leash. Discussion about following the city ordinance in regards to dogs ensued. After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Cooley withdrew the motion to wait until the board has gone through the trail inventory.

Discussion then centered on the name of the trail system. Mr. Mentock mentioned the names that are in consideration as: Buffalo Trails Connection; Buffalo’s Clear Creek Trail System; Clear Creek Trail System (Mayor Anderson’s favorite). Grey mentioned that we should just add an “s” to what we have. Ms. Bankston clarified the situation on names and added that Mr. Tarter had recommended the name of Clear Creek Trail System of Buffalo Wyoming and Johnson County. Mr. Cooley mentioned the possibility of adding the term “Open Space” to our name. Mr. Betzler explained the possibility of using open space in a “tag” line. Ms. Bankston asked if we want to add to our choices for names. Discussion ensued as to what and how we can recommend trail names. Mr. Gladson asked us to review the names we had recommended. More discussion ensued about what a name can be and what it should describe about our trail system. Ms. Bankston mentioned her opinion that the word system was important as it denotes that the trails are more than just one or two. System denotes just that, a system of trails. After much discussion Mr. Lyle made a motion to add Clear Creek Trail System to the other list the board had all ready recommended. The motion died for lack of a second. Mr. Lyle then made another motion that we recommend the name of “Clear Creek Trail System” only. Mr. Gray seconded the motion. Discussion: Mr. Gladson clarified that the motion we were about to vote on was to abandon the two other names we had all ready voted on to recommend. Mr. Mentock called for a vote and all present voted aye.

The next item involved going through the trail designations and standards. Most of the standards for Primary/Hard, Secondary/Hard, Primary/Soft, Secondary/Soft were agreed upon. However, much discussion centered on the minimum width of the tread size of Un-surfaced trails. Mr. Gladson expressed an opinion that 18” was too narrow. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided to make the spec 18” or 24”. Mr. Gladson noted some differences in specs between sections of the Draft Master Plan. Ms. Bankston explained that the different specs were included in the draft to give the board choices.

The next discussion was when to meet next. The decision was made to meet the next day at 8:00am.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:57pm

Buffalo Trails Board
Minutes for April 18, 2008

A regular meeting of the Buffalo Trails Board was held at Buffalo’s City Hall at 8:30am on April 18, 2008.

The following board members were present:
Bill Mentock, Norb Lyle, Bill Cooley, Jerry Gladson, Steve Knuckolls, Fred Grey, Assistant City Planner Alicia Bankston, City Council Member Don Vogle
Absent members: Jack Tarter, Ed Von Holst

Chairman Mentock called the meeting to order at 8:45am.

Ms. Bankston started with a description of where we had left off at the end of the last meeting. She continued a discussion about the Trail Standards and Classifications, as defined in the Draft Version of the Master Trail Plan. Initial discussion centered on the question of the minimum width for an Un-surfaced trail. Eventually it was decided that the minimum width presented to the public for their input will be 18” or 24”.

Mr. Lyle made a motion to accept the Trail Standards and Classifications. Mr. Cooley seconded the motion. Chairman Mentock asked for further discussion. Having no other questions or discussion a vote was called, and all members present voted aye.

The next order of business was to decide on the names of the Trails. The board went through the inventory of trails and decided on names. The lists of the names are contained in the Trails Inventory. Mr. Gladson made a motion to accept the Trail Names as described in the Trails inventory. Mr. Lyle seconded the motion. Chairman Mentock asked for further discussion, having none a vote was called and all members present voted aye.

The next order of business was to decide on the rules by which dogs shall be governed. A lengthy discussion ensued with different opinions from allowing dogs to be under voice and visual control to leashing of dogs at all times. After much discussion, Mr. Gladson made a motion to keep the current leash laws and recommendations including no dogs allowed on the Veterans Home of Wyoming property. Other areas of allowing dogs off leash as indicated on maps and in trail descriptions as recommended by Buffalo Trails Board and approved by Buffalo City Council. The areas to allow dogs off leash are south of TW road in the area of the Homesteader Cabin: Mountain Plains Heritage Park, and the area west of the barricade near Mosier Gulch up to and including the “spillway” (area where the Crippled Children’s Camp used to stand). Mr. Knuckolls seconded the motion. Chairman Mentock asked for any further discussion, there being none, he called for a vote and all members present voted aye.

As time was running short and board members had other business to attend to the remaining items on the agenda were tabled until the next meeting.
Mr. Lyle made a motion to adjourn, Mr. Cooley seconded, and all members voted aye.
Chairman Mentock called the meeting adjourned at 10:55am.