CRCA Board Meeting-Minutes
Date: April 29, 2014, 7:15 pm
Location: 115 W. 18th Street, NY, NY (office of Josh Sakofsky)

In attendance: Jayson Jacobs (president), Ken Edwards, Joe Grgic, Roger Parmelee, Josh Sakofsky, Ann Marie Miller, Liz Marcello, Ashley Doane, and David Carr

Club race issues

1) Marshaling

Speeding up check-in: It was resolved to try having the first two people to arrive for marshal check-in assigned to help facilitate the marshal check-in process. If after the check-in process there are already enough marshals on the course to run the race, these two people will be given leave to race or return home.

Whistle-blowing policy: It was resolved that marshals are to blow whistles until the front of the field reaches them. They are not to be asked to blow whistles while the field is passing them.

2) Other club racing issues

Report: VP of Racing, Elizabeth Marcello updated the board on a productive meeting that happened between 6 representatives of the parks department officials and herself, Jayson Jacobs, and Ken Edwards representing the CRCA. The atmosphere of the meeting was cordial and productive. The parks dept. representatives expressed openness to increasing the number of motos allowed for CRCA races, but we are still awaiting confirmation of that change. They also reviewed marshal locations and will send an updated document re. their expectations. For now we need to add a marshal on cedar hill and around cat’s paw/rambles area after the races to ensure cyclists do not loiter in the recreation lane and/or ride on paths. We will ask one of our paid employees to take on this role.

Improving Results: Liz Marcello will contact Rob Rowan, a former coach for the Columbia University team and former USAC official to aid in producing results. The aim is to have the top ten results done at the park shortly after the race (with a formal protest period), and then a full list of results ready by a time that she will work out with him. The board discussed how to offset the extra cost of having this work done by Rob, including possibly slightly reducing the number of coaching sessions (which have not received the attendance hoped for, partly because of bad spring weather). The board will make a final determination on this after another month of warmer better weather and hopefully better attended sessions.

Club Race Direction: Liz will work with Alex on having a firmer registration closing time so that races start on time. Also, there have been some issues with Alex being able to launch fields on days when he needs to move quickly to another finish location. This may improve with Rob Rowan doing results. We will monitor and identify as a topic for board conversation at the next meeting.

Team and Boyd Points: Ashley will remind teams that they cannot collect team cup points and their riders cannot gain Boyd points when one of their riders is suspended.

Roster publication: Josh agreed to generate the roster on Thursday, and Barb will publish that roster on the website later Thursday or early Friday

Open Racing

The Board discussed how the end of year season party, and an award given there, may be an opportunity to further profile the contributions to the racing community by a sponsor.
Josh will create a dropbox account for board documents, and one of the first items for it will be a contract for use with sponsors clarifying and firming up expectations.
David will contact Rob about the plan for onside new member sign-up at Orchard and Bear

Broader Policy Issues

Clarification of policy re. team suspensions: the board confirmed the policy that racers on teams with three suspensions may not race, including not racing as unattached riders. The suspension issue must be resolved first. Teams cannot avoid this or other issues with suspended/double-suspended riders by midyear roster changes. Josh and David will update the relevant webpages.

Fixes of website r.e. donations and marshaling: the problems with the marshaling webpage must await the broader overhaul of the CRCA club database and website. Jayson will work on resolving the problems with the donation page.

Other items for later discussion: policy and enforcement r.e. club rider behavior outside park

NEXT MEETING: is scheduled for Tues. June 3, 7:15 PM at usual place

Longer Term Issues (postponed for next meeting)

13) (David) Club Archives – John Tomlinsen’s work on the CRCA archives – Budget for scanning photos (estimate $540) and storage for 10 bankers boxes (Museum? NY Public Library, the Museum of the City of New York, the New York Historical Society, and possibly Brooklyn College which holds a collection of material about boxing in New York City)
14) (David) Club involvement in advocacy re. planned GWB closure
15) (Liz) 2015 Board elections process suggestion