Meeting Notes 012009

Meeting with Mighk Wilson of Metroplan Orlando and Cristina Cruz and Charles Brown of the City of Orlando
@ 903 Mills Market

Attending:

Ike
Derek
Sean
Mike
Nicole
Ryan
Mighk Wilson (Metroplan Orlando)
Charles Brown (City of Orlando)
Cristina Cruz (City of Orlando)

Notetaker: Ryan

The meeting flowed "free-form" with informal discussions. No facilitator or stacker were needed.

Mighk Wilson introduced himself - he works with Metroplan Orlando, a non-profit quasi-governmental agency which is not part of the city. He coordinates for Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties on a pedestrian and bicycle transportation board. He works from above (less hands-on) to help develop public education programs about bicycles and bicycle advocacy. Helps organize a regional transportation plan, the agency filters federal money to projects.

"The Collective" adressed Wilson and two city staffers about what we're about and our ideas about how to achieve the goal.

Staffers informed us that they've had some meetings about similar prospective programs and nothing has yet come to fruition. The city, through liability concerns, had waited for a grassroots group to take such a project on.

Some discussion followed about incorporation as a 501(c)3 federal non-profit. As well as ideas about prospective umbrella organizations that might sponsor such an event to "share" the 501(c)3 status. Both Carrot and Fist Collective, Inc. (the financial disbursement entity of Orlando Food not Bombs), and the Florida Bicycle Association (a group on which Mighk Wilson is a board member) were mentioned

Get Active Orlando was explained by Mighk. It has existsed for 5 years to promote the usage of bicycles and walking as a viable transportation method. It also helped organized a bike ride with Parramore kids zone. This ride was a "hit" as kids got to ride in their streets freely and be out in numbers without worrying about crime. They started to throw around ideas for an Earn-a-Bike program through parramore kids zone. Mighk follwed up with that explaining the bevy of programs "throwing" bikes all over parramore, without sufficient public education programs about the maintenance of the bikes or a program to get locks to people, so as a result, many bikes were falling into disuse from disrepair, or being stolen. These are topics the collective should not only take into account, but also actively try to address through the public education aspect of the collective, and a possible "earn-a-lock- program.

Charles stressed the importance of checking in with the commissioner of parramore (daisy lynum), as well as other local groups and entities about integrating the project with the community to avoid synonymity and increase the effectiveness of the program.

Charles stated the city's concerns with startng a similar program is mostly due to liability issues - but still wants to help somehow.

Mike summarizd the fundriaser on saturday.

Bike month - Charles asked us if we'd be interested in providing some sort of entertainment for kids for an event. If we did tricks or knew of anything like that. Mike added that freak bikes would be a "good draw." Some interest on part of the collective was shown about either a trick show or some polo games - Charles requested that we email him some relevant videos to give him a better idea of what they look like.

Mighk announced the Get Active Orlando Meetings are the first tuesday on each month
9AM at Parks and Rec hq on Primrose.

In a word, the meeting was "introductory"

new emails:
Charles Brown, City of Orlando Transportation Planner - Charles.Brown@cityoforlando.net
Cristina Cruz, City of Orlando Transportation Planner - Cristina.Cruz@cityoforlando.net
Mighk Wilson, Metroplan Orlando, Smart Growth Planner - mwilson@metroplanorlando.com

Existing List:
jon.scarboro@gmail.com
antimo.ponticello@gmail.com
ryanfromdeland@gmail.com
agliofallsdown@aol.com
elocinukka@aol.com
seanybmusic@bellsouth.net or fulllsail.edu
mujahidfas@gmail.com
Derekyelled@aol.com
clockworkdroogie_77@yahoo.com
adams.sk8@gmail.com
oncloud26@yahoo.com
headphoneliquid@gmail.com
sicklullabies@gmail.com
horse2skull@hotmail.com
steveo.willis@gmail.com
scurvyjonathan@gmail.com