Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-DAC-2010-06-02DISABILITY ADVISORY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 12:15 p.m. June 2, 2010 PRESENT: DAC Chair — Roberts DAC Members: David McElrath George Eberhardt Otis Jackson Jason Anderson Allen Walters Andrew Rappaport Alderperson Rooker Information Management Specialist — Myers EXCUSED; DAC Vice Chair - Gizewski Erin Sember Siobhan Whalen APPROVAL OF MINUTES; By DAC Member Rappaport: Seconded by DAC Member Walters RESOLVED, That the minutes of the May 5, 2010 Disability Advisory Council meeting be approved with noted corrections. Carried Unanimously Goals and Objectives: Chair Roberts stated that he reviewed the discussions with the DAC and that it appears the following are goals and objectives that the Council is supportive of working through the coming months: 1. Continue work on the accessibility map — Chair Roberts will provide an update next month on the status of the map. He is working with the staff of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) on a web based map that includes accessibility issues. He asked for a volunteer to be the "point person" between the DAC and the map maker. 2. Work on accessibility issues at Clinton Hall — a more detailed discussion will take place when Historic Planner and Staff Liaison Leslie Chatterton can attend a meeting. She will be able to provide the background history of Clinton Hall. DAC Member Jackson will also be a great resource for information on Clinton Hall. 3. Holding a public forum on pedestrian issues for people with disabilities. A brief discussion followed on the floor regarding when a forum should be held. DAC members should be thinking about this issue so that at the next meeting a specific discussion could take place on the details for the forum. 4. Exterior Property Maintenance issues regarding access to sidewalks because of trees and branches that can obstruct the paths of travel. 5. Recruitment efforts for DAC — Chair Roberts will check with members who have not been attending meetings to determine their interest in continuing to serve. He would like to have a member who is visually or sensory impaired to help provide more diversity to the Council. Discussion followed on the floor regarding other groups that should be represented on the DAC, including seniors, someone from SPACE (a peer run advocacy group through Mental Health Association), and CUDA (Cornell Union for Disability Awareness). June 2, 2010 Updates: A. Handicap Parking: Chair Roberts met with Tompkins County Public Information Officer Marcia Lynch and Sr. Community Service Officer Bordoni to see if he would be interested in participating in a campaign. Sr. Community Service Officer Bordoni would support an August time frame for the campaign to start to coordinate with the start of school. Chair Roberts stated that the next step would be to set up a meeting with representatives from Cornell, Ithaca College, and TC3 to strategize and to coordinate information for orientation packets. He further stated that a representative from Finger Lakes Independence Center (FLIC) would conduct a disability awareness presentation for all the dorms as well, which is required and part of the FLIC's mission. B. Update on City's Website: Chair Roberts reported that DAC Member Sember was in touch with Information Technology Director Duane Twardokus about the City's website. He was so impressed by her business card with Braille on it that he is going to order business cards for his department that will have Braille on them. The website is almost ready to be reviewed by the DAC for input relating to accessibility issues. Let Chair Roberts know if you would be interested in reviewing and providing input on the website. C. Update on Table Heights: Chair Roberts reported that he and DAC Member Anderson met on June 1S`, to discuss table heights. They discussed contacting different restaurants to see who supplies their tables to see what choices they offer as far as table heights. DAC Member Anderson will be making calls this week to get that information and find out what tables are available for purchase. They hope to contact different restaurants to suggest that when new tables are ordered that they consider different table heights for some of them. Chair Roberts suggested that DAC Member Anderson talk with Frost Travis as renovation plans are being made for Center Ithaca for table heights. Chair Roberts noted that this might be simpler than he originally thought to work on, as laws are not being violated but a good business case could be advocated for through this new information on the availability of different table heights and education on accessibility requirements to different restaurants. Discussion of Barriers on City -Owned and Cornell Owned Bridges on Campus: The resolution below will be considered by Common Council at their meeting tonight. Common Council Declaration of Emergency and Authorization of 10 -Week Extension for Existing, Temporary Fences on Gorge Bridges - Resolution WHEREAS, the high bridges across Ithaca's gorges have provided spectacular and inspiring views of the City and its environs, and a unique window for residents and visitors into the natural beauty of the gorges and the area's geologic history; and WHEREAS, these same bridges have also been the site, over the years, of numerous deaths and injuries, both as a result of accidental falls and intentional leaps, many involving college students but also other persons; and WHEREAS, some of the bridges across the gorges are owned and maintained by Cornell University and some are owned and maintained by the City of Ithaca; and WHEREAS, in the late winter of 2010, within a one -month period, three persons jumped or fell to their deaths from bridges across Ithaca's gorges; and WHEREAS, Cornell officials, in consultation with professionals who study suicide and /or work on its prevention, have concluded that these recent incidents could represent a "suicide cluster" or "contagion," and that Ithaca's high bridges could represent "iconic" suicide sites, especially for vulnerable, college -age persons, and that the most effective means of reducing suicides of this type is to place barriers on the bridges, in order to deter impulsive actions; and June 2, 2010 WHEREAS, in March, Cornell erected temporary, emergency fences on its own bridges across the Fall Creek and Cascadilla Creek gorges (without going through the City's normal site plan or environmental reviews or permitting procedure); and WHEREAS, on March 26, 2010, Cornell Vice President Kyu -Jung Whang sent a letter to City of Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, explaining the University's actions and requesting that the City allow Cornell to place similar, emergency fences on three City - owned bridges; and WHEREAS, the placement of a fence or other barrier on a bridge is an action normally subject to the City's site plan review process, environmental review (per City and State law) and other permitting procedures, and is exempt from such review only if it is temporary (i.e., of short duration and reversible) and of an emergency nature; and WHEREAS, on March 26, 2010, the Mayor exercised her authority under Section 4 -1 of the City's Municipal Code, and declared that the string of recent, apparent suicides and the accompanying risk of a "suicide contagion" that could lead to further harm, constituted an emergency "affecting the life, health or safety of inhabitants of the City," and that for that reason she was granting permission to Cornell to install temporary fences on the three City bridges (at Cornell's sole cost), without the normal review and permitting process, but only until June 4, 2010; and WHEREAS, Cornell has now requested that permission to maintain the temporary, emergency fences (without formal review) be extended for an additional 10 weeks beyond June 4th (i.e., until August 13, 2010), to allow time for Cornell and the City to study the situation further, and to consider whether the fences should be replaced with another type of temporary "means restriction," that is more visually acceptable to Cornell and the City, pending a decision on any proposed permanent bridge modifications (which decision would be accompanied by the full, normal review process, including public involvement); and WHEREAS, the University's position and new request, and its commitment to City - Cornell discussions and other steps, are set forth in a letter to the Mayor from Vice President Susan Murphy, dated May 27, 2010; and WHEREAS, the Mayor does not wish to exercise further her (unilateral) emergency authority, regarding the temporary fences, beyond what she has already done, and believes that any extension of the emergency declaration should be considered by the full Common Council; now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council hereby declares that, pending further study of the situation, a threat to the safety or life of certain City residents and visitors appears to exist in the form of a possible "suicide contagion" focused on the use of the high bridges across Ithaca's gorges to end one's life in a public manner, which risk justifies immediate, emergency actions (not contingent upon the normal review and permitting procedures) to deter impulsive jumps from such bridges; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Council hereby authorizes Cornell University to continue to maintain the existing, temporary, emergency fences on the two City -owned bridges on Stewart Avenue (across Cascadilla Creek and Fall Creek) and the City -owned Thurston Avenue bridge, and on Cornell -owned bridges, until August 13, 2010, without the normal review and permitting procedures, and according to the terms and conditions set forth in the above - referenced letter- agreements from Cornell (including Cornell's commitment to remove the temporary fences on City bridges by the end of that period, in the absence of any further extension, and including a 10 -week extension of the indemnification period described in its March 26th letter and); and be it further 3 June 2, 2010 RESOLVED, That the "phase I" City - Cornell discussions as proposed in Cornell's May 27th letter shall include consideration of the effect of fencing and other, prospective means restriction measures on the important views previously available from the gorge bridges, and possible ways to mitigate such effects in connection with any "interim" or permanent measures; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor is requested to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the City - Cornell discussions and other steps outlined in Cornell's May 27th letter, for this extension period, are conducted expeditiously and with appropriate City representation. Chair Roberts stated has an opportunity to address Common Council tonight to provide input from DAC members on their thoughts and feelings about the barriers /fences on the bridges. He explained the resolution and why he feels it is important for the DAC to discuss it. He feels that the barriers should remain in place. He hopes that Common Council will support the resolution to provide the extension for them that Cornell has requested. He further stated that this topic has been discussed for many years, but right now there is hope that something might result from those discussions. DAC Member McElrath expressed his support for the barriers. DAC Member Rappaport noted that statistically most incidents of suicide are impulsive and having fences /barriers in place will stop a lot of people. He also feels that a long term solution should restore the aesthetic features that the views from the bridges provide. DAC Member Eberhardt noted that even with the barriers in place, there had been an attempted suicide that fortunately resulted in a rescue. DAC Member Jackson stated that he had been involved with many rescue /recovery efforts from bridges and the fences /barriers do impede the impulse decisions. He stated that taking away the ability to be impulsive is very valuable. He noted that because of the time it took the person to get around the barriers in the recent incident that it gave the person time to contemplate their decision and they did change their mind. He also stated that when first responders are freed up from recovery issues which take a lot of time and resources, it removes the risks to first responders and resources are available for other emergencies. Chair Roberts noted that the fences /barriers also give observers time to see so they can call for help quicker. He also noted that the Ithaca Fire Department was not impeded in their rescue efforts by the barriers for the recent incident on one of the bridges. CC Liaison Rooker stated that he would defer to the experts on this topic. He stated that studies do show that a lot of suicides are impulsive and barriers remove the ability to make an impulsive decision. He hopes that the City and Cornell will be able to find a more aesthetically pleasing design for the barriers that will help enhance the beauty of the area as well as remove the ability to make impulsive decisions. He supports keeping the barriers in place. DAC Member Walters stated that the general safety on bridges would be helped by the barriers /fences, especially for someone who is not contemplating suicide but because of congestion issues is accidentally pushed off a bridge. Tompkins County Commissioner of Mental Health, Bob DeLuca, joined the Council for discussion of this item. He stated that suicide is preventable and there are interventions available around the world, including barrier intervention on bridges that have been very successful. He further stated that the notion that someone who wants to hurt themselves will go somewhere else to do it is not supported. He explained that substance abuse affects judgment and barriers help prevent actions motivated by the substance. He stated that if impulses can be controlled it will make a big difference. Ct June 2, 2010 Chair Roberts stated that views from the area bridges also provide peace, calm, and to some people and that needs to be considered as decisions are made about what type of barriers /fences to use. He stated that emotional distress and mental health issues are real issues and he would like that to be considered as well. He further stated that the broader discussion should also take place about suicides, attempted suicides, and how to help people in distress. He noted that the reality is that if someone wants to commit suicide they will, bridges don't stop suicides but to remove the ability to make impulsive decisions is very important. The safety of first responders needs to be kept in mind as well. Chair Roberts further noted that Susan Murphy, Vice President Student and Academic Services spoke at the last Board of Public Works meeting and stated that one of the reasons the barriers are so important is because more people with mental health issues are attending college than ever before because of advancements in treatment, which complicates issues and expectations. The DAC expressed their support for Chair Roberts to report their support for the barriers /fences remaining in place on the bridges to Common Council at their meeting tonight. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Sarah L. Myers Larry Roberts Information Management Specialist Chair, DAC `1