The Upper Charles Trail Committee’s meeting Wednesday night was abruptly cut short after experiencing technical difficulties as well as a search for the last version of the revised charge and charter the committee had hoped to approve for submission to the Select Board.

HCAM-TV Director Jim Cozzens confirmed via text that the meeting would not be able to be broadcast live on the public cable access station because of a “technical problem in the master control.” He stated it was being taped and would be available on the HCAM playlist.

The hybrid meeting also was broadcast on the Google Meet platform, but a server problem abruptly stopped the broadcast after about an hour.

The meeting got off to a late start. Member Scott Knous pointed out that there were two documents being used by members at the beginning of the meeting. Alternate member Jamie Wronka told the committee that the revisions made to the charge and charter agreed upon on at the last UCTC meeting on May 15 were not included in the document she had after comparing them to her handwritten notes from that meeting.

After she pointed out that a previously stricken paragraph was in the document and changes made to another paragraph were not included in the version they were looking at, Knous asked the committee to go through the original document and revise it. Wronka took notes of the revisions in Google Docs to ensure they would be included in the document being developed at this meeting.

One change that was made was changing the term “development plan” to “proposed routes” to add more clarity. While some other changes were basically grammatical, others pertained to the structure and mission of the committee.

The updated language about the purpose of the Upper Charles Trail was discussed, with Wronka stressing that the concept of inclusivity be included. It now described it as “a multi-use active and passive recreational path available to and accommodating users of all abilities that will include the Center Trail.”

A discussion arose between Wronka and member Jim Ciriello over language about how the trail would “align with the aspirations of the community.” Ciriello questioned whether accessibility was truly “an aspiration” and thought the language should refer only to those with mobility impairments. Wronka adamantly objected, saying that people who are neurodivergent or have visual or hearing problems have just as much of a right to be able to enjoy the Upper Charles Trail as others. The term “all abilities” was used.

The composition of the committee was discussed at length. The committee presently consists of seven members and two alternates. Discussion revolved around whether alternates were necessary at this juncture of the UCTC’s existence, making all members full members.

Alternate member Tim Ritterbusch noted that while serving as an alternate member has been a good “training ground” to learn about the issue, it would be more valuable to him to be able to participate more fully.

“It does test your mettle a bit because I have to make it to these meetings,” he said. “I don’t always feel like it’s the best use of my time.”

All members will be full members in this iteration of the draft and “serve at the pleasure of the Select Board.” It was specified that one member should have a background in civil engineering. Another member should have experience in information technology and communications. The Conservation Commission and the Trails Committee would have designees of their choosing, who must commit to “be responsible for bidirectional communication.” All members must be residents of Hopkinton.

The new draft stressed “dialogue and communication,” which was something residents voiced more than a year ago as an area that needed improvement. There also was a goal of working with other committees and nonprofits.

The board would annually elect a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer.

The goal of creating a nonprofit organization called the Friends of the Upper Charles Trail was removed from the old version of the charge.

The UCTC committed to reporting to the Select Board semiannually. It also decided that three trail options would be presented to the Select Board for its approval.

In an email Thursday morning, Moran confirmed that the final revisions were approved at the meeting.

Stated Moran: “This final version is what we will present to the Select Board on a tentative meeting date of Sept 17.”