sledjunk Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Marni Smith (Dist 4 Governor) is the new 2nd VP. Congratulations to Marni. I think she'll do an excellent job in her new role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DooDette Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 9 hours ago, sledjunk said: Marni Smith (Dist 4 Governor) is the new 2nd VP. Congratulations to Marni. I think she'll do an excellent job in her new role. Thanks Sledjunk. There is a point when you just have to step up whether it's in the original big plan or not. I wanted to stay with D4 through the merge, and make sure all went well, but I know you will be in good hands and I felt my worth could be better used in this position. The majority of the Gov's felt this way too, or there would have been a different outcome. I plan to serve the BOG and also the membership that has put their trust in the BOG and Excom. Anyhow guys, give me some time to get my wheels rolling here and know that I will be doing my best. I don't post here a lot, but I am a member and I do watch the threads. DooDette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Thank you, Marni. We appreciate your dedication to our great sport. Best wishes in your new role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 On 5/26/2017 at 4:40 PM, signfan said: Very true. Equipment age is not the key measure and it seems too many people are getting hung up on it. The replacement program should be looking at uptime and total cost of operation. There is some correlation to age, but lots of other factors to consider that no one is reviewing properly. Hour meters are a better judge of this, but they don't tell the whole story either. This is a good point. The OFSC seems to have 'spurts' of new groomer purchases every so many years, rather than spreading it out. If a bunch of groomers were bought in 2009, then by their thinking they have to be replaced in 2019, regardless of their usage/condition. I don't think outfits in the private or public sector replace their vehicles all @ once following a time interval. I would think the hour meter in the case of tractors would make sense. I know power tools @ our workplace were scrapped when the cost of repairing them was greater than purchasing a new one. Requiring that much work meant the tool was 'spent'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 48 minutes ago, revrnd said: This is a good point. The OFSC seems to have 'spurts' of new groomer purchases every so many years, rather than spreading it out. If a bunch of groomers were bought in 2009, then by their thinking they have to be replaced in 2019, regardless of their usage/condition. I don't think outfits in the private or public sector replace their vehicles all @ once following a time interval. I would think the hour meter in the case of tractors would make sense. I know power tools @ our workplace were scrapped when the cost of repairing them was greater than purchasing a new one. Requiring that much work meant the tool was 'spent'. Many business vehicles are leased for a fixed term and retired at the end of lease. Some are purchased and retired after a fixed window of time as well. It tends to depend on which is most financially advantageous to the company based on the accountants and the impact to the company bottom line. A business can write off the full cost of a lease which is an operating expense. When they purchase the vehicle it is a capital expense and they write off a percentage of the declining balance. They are often looking for the most beneficial expense to their balance sheet. They also weigh the expense benefit versus the increased profit and the tax payable. A couple of months ago the dealer I get my trucks from had about 50 3 year old cars dropped off and the replacements driven away in one day. Fleet renewal time. For technology many companies will retire their laptops, PC's, servers etc. based on a time cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 We need to remember that "Groomers" are only one priority. Many Clubs have serious deficiencies with their Trail infrastructure, primarily the cost of replacement engineered bridges but also culverts and major washouts. Brushing Trails is another ongoing expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsedtoSkidoo Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 16 hours ago, DooDette said: Thanks Sledjunk. There is a point when you just have to step up whether it's in the original big plan or not. I wanted to stay with D4 through the merge, and make sure all went well, but I know you will be in good hands and I felt my worth could be better used in this position. The majority of the Gov's felt this way too, or there would have been a different outcome. I plan to serve the BOG and also the membership that has put their trust in the BOG and Excom. Anyhow guys, give me some time to get my wheels rolling here and know that I will be doing my best. I don't post here a lot, but I am a member and I do watch the threads. DooDette congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doogirl69 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 On 5/29/2017 at 2:59 PM, sledjunk said: Marni Smith (Dist 4 Governor) is the new 2nd VP. Congratulations to Marni. I think she'll do an excellent job in her new role. Great to see some Estrogen back in the higher ranks. Things seem to have gone for a $hit since Brenda left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signfan Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 On 2017-05-30 at 1:48 PM, bbakernbay said: We need to remember that "Groomers" are only one priority. Many Clubs have serious deficiencies with their Trail infrastructure, primarily the cost of replacement engineered bridges but also culverts and major washouts. Brushing Trails is another ongoing expense. Very true. Building good trail as opposed to goat paths where secure land is available also really pays off. There is too many areas where clubs are saying we have to have Husky or a Tucker (or heaven forbid have to groom with snowmobiles) to deal with this trail or that trail. They end up running equipment with much higher per hour operating costs just to deal with that one trail with bad terrain. It's time to get trails off swamps, around stupid steep hills and away from trails built on bare rock. Yes trail building is expensive, but sometimes some out of the box thinking will produce a better scenario. Is that crap trail really needed? Are there better options that can be explored? Better easier to groom trails result in a better riding experience for the riders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 49 minutes ago, signfan said: Very true. Building good trail as opposed to goat paths where secure land is available also really pays off. There is too many areas where clubs are saying we have to have Husky or a Tucker (or heaven forbid have to groom with snowmobiles) to deal with this trail or that trail. They end up running equipment with much higher per hour operating costs just to deal with that one trail with bad terrain. It's time to get trails off swamps, around stupid steep hills and away from trails built on bare rock. Yes trail building is expensive, but sometimes some out of the box thinking will produce a better scenario. Is that crap trail really needed? Are there better options that can be explored? Better easier to groom trails result in a better riding experience for the riders. It's a nice dream however those bad trails you describe are very much the terrain of Muskoka. Sswamps, hills and bare rock in many areas are just what you have available. Don't forget that we are limited also by the availability of those landowners generous enough to allow us to cross their property with our trails. Having said that most of those trails don't require unique groomers to do the work. Typically the swamps are slow to firm up but they do. I have seen some pretty steep hills but the standard groomers seem to make it up and down. Then you have the ongoing challenges presented with beavers changing conditions on us as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signfan Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Nothing is perfect, but opportunities are being missed. I ran a groomer in the Bancroft area and know the terrain well. In many instances (I know not all) over time clubs can transition away from swamps, hills and private land. It means making long range trail development plans which don't seem to happen. Yes beavers are destructive and frustrating. But there's nothing a beaver can do that can't be reversed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsedtoSkidoo Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 11 hours ago, signfan said: But there's nothing a beaver can do that can't be reversed. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I can think one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 On 31/05/2017 at 8:25 PM, signfan said: Nothing is perfect, but opportunities are being missed. I ran a groomer in the Bancroft area and know the terrain well. In many instances (I know not all) over time clubs can transition away from swamps, hills and private land. It means making long range trail development plans which don't seem to happen. Yes beavers are destructive and frustrating. But there's nothing a beaver can do that can't be reversed. Be nice if they would leave snow on the shoulder of the road in snowmobile country. When I went to Elliot lake the side roads, they would leave the snow on the shoulder of the road and groom it to get from point A to Point B. Not very many area's I see that happening. If we could secure shoulder of roads on side country roads, then it would save hundreds of thousands in trail building costs and culverts etc. Be easier to groom and maintain as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinental couch Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 If we are going to run the roads, I will take the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 5 minutes ago, catinental couch said: If we are going to run the roads, I will take the car. Just saying it would be nice for those sections that we have to ride the road to re connect to the trail. Lots of clubs including hailburton have done an excellent job putting trails thru the ditch where ever feasible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinental couch Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Myself and the team didn't spend all that time building a new trail 26km long to get off 9 miles of asphalt because we were bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Sounds like there wasn't much news from last Saturday's Board of Governors Meeting. There are more leaks from the White House and FBI than from the BOG Meeting. Most likely everyone is enjoying the peace and quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pete Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 2 hours ago, bbakernbay said: Sounds like there wasn't much news from last Saturday's Board of Governors Meeting. There are more leaks from the White House and FBI than from the BOG Meeting. Most likely everyone is enjoying the peace and quiet. The BoG Report was released on Friday. Some wording regarding the groomer replacement program that seemed odd to me at least. It seemed there may be a departure from the groomer replacement program we have been following for the last 2 years. They used wording to the effect that groomer replacements would be done according to "historical utilization" whatever that means. They also said groomer fleet reduction targets are to be reviewed over the summer. The 2017/2018 Budget was also approved but no comments on what it contains. There is a surplus of $2.2million in the EQ fund from this season plus the $700k carried forward from 2015-2016. No mention of the plans for this money. If they follow the practice from last year they will wait for the auditors to sign off the financial statements before deciding. If they take the money out of the EQ fund before the auditors complete their work they will have to put it in the financial statements as a subsequent event which just draws attention to. And given the BoGs predisposition to keeping things under the radar that is the last thing they want. We won't know until the FS are released with the AGM package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Thanks Big Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pete Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 On 6/3/2017 at 7:43 PM, bbakernbay said: Sounds like there wasn't much news from last Saturday's Board of Governors Meeting. There are more leaks from the White House and FBI than from the BOG Meeting. Most likely everyone is enjoying the peace and quiet. There are a couple of other changes noted in the BoG Report that I accidentally missed. First The Try Our Trails weekend has been moved to the Feb 3/4 weekend (2 days only). The BoG approved the change but does not say if MOT approval required. The BoG received preliminary results from the Rider Opinion and Preference Survey. Hopefully we will see some analysis sooner rather than later. Apparently there are 10,000+ responses so there is lots of data to crunch. The Participation Committee has been tasked with a refresh of the Trail Patrol Program. Citing declining participation by some clubs/districts as the concern they are looking to increase participation in this "critical role in achieving the strategies and goals of the entire membership". As reported above, Marni Smith has been elected as 2nd Vice and Bill Bleinkinsop has been reelected as Treasurer. Congrats to Marni and Bill and Thank You for filling these positions. While not in the BoG Report, I have heard some rumblings about changes in the budget this year but have not had them confirmed officially. I have heard that the Standard Allowance for Trails and Grooming which were set at $63.09 and $68.24 are to be reduced by $10.00 each to $53 and $58 respectively. The Admin Allowance will be reduced from 10% of Gross Permit Rev to 9%. And finally, the Club Share of Permit Revenue will be reduced from 30% to 10% ensuring that no club/district can accumulate a surplus based on Direct permit revenue alone. I have asked our gov for a copy of the approved budget and am awaiting a reply. Our District meeting is the 15th so hopefully we will know for sure by then. Will post updates as they become available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigfish Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 nice to see the "Try our trails" moved from the family day weekend. as for the Trail Patrol, DUH, what did they expect after it was gutted a couple of years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobills Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thank goodness its gone from the long weekend!!!! I wonder if Quebecs will be the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Finally they listened (partially) to what many of us have been recommending regarding "Try Our Trails" Free Weekend. I still believe it should be dropped for a year or more. So no Trail Permit fee increase this year and likely chance that the Liberal Government won't approve of an increase in 2018 Election Year still doesn't address revenue shortfall. No news either on likelihood of getting a portion of mandatory registration fees coming back to organized snowmobiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pete Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 50 minutes ago, bbakernbay said: Finally they listened (partially) to what many of us have been recommending regarding "Try Our Trails" Free Weekend. I still believe it should be dropped for a year or more. So no Trail Permit fee increase this year and likely chance that the Liberal Government won't approve of an increase in 2018 Election Year still doesn't address revenue shortfall. No news either on likelihood of getting a portion of mandatory registration fees coming back to organized snowmobiling. Brian, I believe permit prices are up $10.00 across the board. As to a portion of registration fees, that ship has sailed. The govt is not going to take the political heat and then hand over the money to the OFSC. There is nothing in it for them. And combining the registration fees and permit fees has 2 problems. One, you catch people who do not use the trail system which is highly controversial based on previous discussions on this board and others. The other problem is that it would make the prov govt the collection point for all funds. The OFSC would then have to wait for the money to flow from the provincial coffers to their own rather than directly to their bank accounts. You might never see the money and if you did how would you ever know if it was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 35 minutes ago, Big Pete said: Brian, I believe permit prices are up $10.00 across the board. As to a portion of registration fees, that ship has sailed. The govt is not going to take the political heat and then hand over the money to the OFSC. There is nothing in it for them. And combining the registration fees and permit fees has 2 problems. One, you catch people who do not use the trail system which is highly controversial based on previous discussions on this board and others. The other problem is that it would make the prov govt the collection point for all funds. The OFSC would then have to wait for the money to flow from the provincial coffers to their own rather than directly to their bank accounts. You might never see the money and if you did how would you ever know if it was correct. Exactly what I and others have long said concerning the zero likelihood of getting Government to approve a mandatory Registration fee going to organized snowmobiling. Why the OFSC and the Executive Director or others ever floated this idea as a saviour is beyond me and shows how little influence or knowledge they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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