2022 GMPT Membership Meeting Recap

For the first time since 2019, GMPT held its Annual Meeting in person! It was nice to have a chance to be together in one room again, and as we continue to move out of the pandemic, we hope to offer more opportunities to gather in person. This year’s meeting was held at the Wright County Government Center, with members attending in person and virtually.

The morning began with a review of the Treasurer’s report and organizational updates, and we were pleased to announce that membership has grown thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Membership Committee. This past year has been busy with forums from the Communications Committee and navigating the waters of yet another chaotic legislative session. Even with the challenges at the Legislature, we did see an LCCMR bill pass at the last minute that included $3.56 million for local parks and trails grants through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

We were also fortunate to have a couple of guest speakers participate in the event. First, we had Jeff Haberman, Forester for the City of Rochester, who gave a presentation on Emerald Ash Borer that covered topics from identification to treatment and replacement plans. His presentation also offered valuable insight into the efforts that proved successful for the city of Rochester and how they implemented each plan. Later in the day, we were lucky enough to have Ann Pierce, the DNR’s Director of State Parks and Trails, with us to discuss the Department’s priorities going forward.

The Annual Meeting proceeded with elections to the Board, including officers and Districts 1, 3, and 5. After deliberation, Sarah Ciochetto was elected to serve in the District 1 position, Kevin Fellbaum in District 3, and Scott Wold in District 5. Brad Harrington was elected to continue serving as GMPT Secretary, and Tom Salkowski as Treasurer. A vote was held to adopt GMPT’s Legislative Policy and Agenda, which can be found here.

After the business part of the meeting concluded, members were invited to attend a park tour of Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park & Campground in Monticello. This location is one of the most popular parks within the Wright County Parks and Recreation System, consisting of 1,200 acres (including water surface), nearly 8 miles of hiking trail, 15 miles of singletrack mountain bike trail, and a modern campground with 6 camper cabins. These amazing features are made possible by Bertram’s partnerships with the YMCA, the City of Monticello, and Wright County.

If you were unable to attend this year’s event, you can view the presentation materials here. For questions or comments about this year’s Annual Meeting or future events, please reach out to us at greatermnparkstrails@gmail.com. Thank you to all who attended, and we look forward to the next meeting!