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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-DAC-2012-06-07DISABILITY ADVISORY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 12:15 p.m. June 6, 2012 PRESENT: DAC Chair — Roberts DAC Vice Chair - Gizewski DAC Members: Erin Sember -Chase Jason Anderson Information Management Specialist — Myers OTHERS PRESENT: Asst. Civil Engineer- Yost DPW Intern — Highland DAC applicant — Amy Scott Tomo Shibato EXCUSED- DAC Vice Chair - Gizewski David McElrath Allen Walters Andrew Rappaport Alderperson Rooker Jocelyn Scriber Jaime Freilich APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of the May 2, 2012 Disability Advisory Council Meeting Minutes - Resolution There being no quorum, the approval of the minutes will be postponed until the next meeting. NEW BUSINESS: Rescheduling of the July DAC Meeting because of the 4t" of July Holiday — possible dates: The following dates were proposed for the July 2012 DAC Meeting: Monday, July 2 at 12:15 p.m. in Common Council Chambers Monday, July 9 at 12:15 p.m. in Common Council Chambers Tuesday, July 10 at 12:15 p.m. in Common Council Chambers Information Management Specialist Myers will e -mail the dates to all DAC members after the meeting to see what date works the best for everyone. City of Ithaca Sidewalk Program: Asst. Civil Engineer Yost, and DPW Intern Highland were at the meeting to speak to this topic. Asst. Civil Engineer Yost explained that the City of Ithaca has a sidewalk crew that both repairs sidewalk and constructs new sidewalk. The sidewalk crew is currently working on South Albany Street, and then will proceed to sidewalks on Eddy Street, and Williams Street. The crew is also working on the Cascadilla Creek Trail. She noted, unfortunately, that it will not be fully accessible due to its location so near the gorge, and the terrain being hilly, curvy, and uneven. They will be making improvements to what is there. She further noted, that she would follow -up with DAC Member Sember -Chase for specific suggestions she might have regarding accessibility ideas for trail improvements. June 6, 2012 Discussion followed on the floor regarding member's experiences with different trails, accessibility ideas, and materials that might be used as improvements are made to the Cascadilla Creek Trail. Asst. Civil Engineer Yost explained that the sidewalks that need repair have been mapped out and prioritized for this year. Something new that the sidewalk crew is doing this year is reviewing the entire sidewalk on a block where repairs are scheduled to see if more repairs are needed than what has been mapped out. If so, they are repairing those sections as well, rather than jumping around the city to repair sidewalks. This will result in a more efficient way to repair sidewalks, as well as being more cost effective. She noted that she e- mailed the 2012 sidewalk repair map to DAC members, and requested that if DAC members have any other sidewalks that they would like added to the list to let her know. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the use of Braille at intersections, other materials used at curbs, the construction of raised intersections, and the cost for such improvements. Chair Roberts thanked Asst. Civil Engineer Yost for the information that was provided to the DAC about the sidewalk program, and her response and involvement with the DAC to address concerns that are raised. Draft Disability Advisory Council Annual Report to Common Council: Chair Roberts provided the following draft annual report to DAC members for their information, review, and discussion. He explained that the DAC has completed a lot of work, as is shown in the report, and is one of the few city boards that provide an annual report to Common Council. He asked for members to review and provide their input and suggestions to him for the report, as he is planning to present it to Common Council at their July meeting. Time line, DAC work, April 09 - March 12 Report to the Mayor and Common Council July 2012 City of Ithaca Disability Advisory Council I1Ta171-To Members Larry Roberts, Chair Greg Gizewski, Vice Chair Jason Anderson Jamie Freliech David McElrath, liaison to the BPAC Andrew Rappaport Jody Scriber Erin Sember, liaison to the Workforce Diversity Committee Allen Walters Eddie Rooker, Common Council liaison Former Members Charlie Dorsey George Eberhardt Otis Jackson Kendrick Kemp Wendy Skinner Leslie Chatterton, former staff liaison June 6, 2012 Regular Attendees Ed Swayze, director, Information and Referral, Human Service Coalition of Tompkins County Mission The Disability Advisory Council (DAC), established in 1990, advises the Mayor, the Common Council and other city officials about the needs of residents with disabilities. The DAC is comprised of city residents with and without disabilities and non -city residents with an interest in the work of the DAC. Note This is a roughly chronological summary of our work from January 2009 — May 2012 Summary of Major Work Titus Towers /Ithaca Housing Authority Van David McElrath and George Eberhardt advised the DAC that the Ithaca Housing Authority doesn't have accessible vans. The problem is that the vans it has are used by the tenant's council to take out of county trips; that means that some residents with disabilities aren't able to take part in those trips. DAC met with Daniel Hoffman, City Attorney, to get his advice as to the issues and how to address the housing authority. Erin Sember developed a letter which the DAC approved and George brought the letter to the attention of Brenda Westfall, Executive Director of the housing authority. We had a very cordial and productive meeting with Ms, Westfall. The housing authority is willing to address the issue and has checked into HUD funding and has talked with the Ithaca Youth Bureau about its accessible van. According to IHA and IYB the van is problematic as a solution. The DAC will continue to work to resolve this problem. Revised policy for resident requests for designated parking spaces at their residence At the request of Mayor Peterson, worked with Tim Logue, City traffic engineer, to revise the city's Handicapped Parking Policy related to requests from residents for designated spaces at their homes. The Board of Public Works approved the revision. Suicide Means Restrictions The DAC supported the emergency declaration by Common Council allowing the continued fencing of city and Cornell bridges; DAC also supported the ten week extension and placing of black fences on the bridges, replacing the cyclone fencing. The DAC met with the Tompkins County Commissioner of Mental Health to educate itself on the efficacy of means restriction. The Chair testified at Common Council meetings on the topic, representing DAC and telling his personal history of depression, suicidal thinking and suicide attempts; Greg Gizewski, DAC vice -chair testified to Common Council as well. The chair attended public meetings including a presentation by the architect hired by Cornell and the City to design approaches to means restriction for each bridge. The DAC supported the final suicide means restrictions on the city -owned bridges on the Cornell University campus. The chair spoke at the Common Council meeting at which the suicide means restrictions on the City -owned Cornell University bridges were approved. V June 6, 2012 Disability access to Clinton Hall The DAC decided to revisit access issues at Clinton Hall. When Clinton Hall was renovated for retail and office use, the City agreed that the rear entrance could be a primary entrance, thereby avoiding the difficulty of providing front access at the building. Leslie Chatterton, reviewed for the DAC the complicated and controversial decisions that were made about access at Clinton Hall. The current owner of Clinton Hall, Mark Kielman, invited the DAC to tour the building and welcomed feedback from us. We wrote a letter summarizing our opinion and advice. It should be noted that Clinton Hall is a special case. In some ways the controversy about rear access at Clinton Hall is the impetus for the Disability Advisory Council. The DAC is not responsible for assuring that buildings are accessible. That is the role of the building department and other city departments. The DAC sees its role as advisory, and has from time to time (though infrequently) offered advices to non - public entities, such as Clinton Hall. It should also be noted that while the DAC understands the nature of the compromise made at Clinton Hall, it remains ambivalent about the result. Snow and ice removal, specifically curbramps The DAC met with Ray Benjamin, assistant superintendant of public works for streets and facilities. He gave a description of the responsibilities of his division and updated us and answered questions about snow and ice removal. Additionally, the chair met with him to talk specifically about snow and ice removal from curbramps. Because of the `physics' involved (weight of snow, number of ramps, and power of plows, and staff time) there is general agreement that a solution to this problem isn't easy to imagine and would take considerable redesign of the snow removal program and development of resources. A practical solution is difficult to imagine. It should be noted that snow and ice in curbramps is a significant barrier to access for people with disabilities. PSA campaign Greg Gizewski, Vice - Chair, and Julie Conley - Holcomb, City Clerk, are developing a Public Service Announcement campaign to raise awareness about disability issues in the city. Topics under consideration: The DAC itself, the availability of a waiver from parking meter fees, the availability of handicapped parking permits, reminders that it's against city code to park across sidewalks, guide dog etiquette, and snow and ice removal. The DAC also provides input to the Tompkins County Handicapped Parking Education Program Accessibility Map, Downtown Ithaca Alliance The Downtown Ithaca Alliance has agreed to take the lead in the development of an accessibility map for downtown, as part of its website and other public relations upgrades. The last accessibility map of downtown, which was produced by the city, is dated 1994. Il June 6, 2012 Audible Crosswalks Tim Logue, City Traffic Engineer, updates us about signalized, audible crosswalks. The city used to maintain all the crosswalks including those on state routes. That changed recently, with the state assuming responsibility for signals on its routes. The city recently allowed Cornell University to install a fully (state of the art) audible crosswalk at an intersection near Thurston Avenue bridge. Tim and the DAC are pursuing a policy that when crosswalks are installed or upgraded (especially audible crosswalks) that the city will install state of the art universally designed cross walk indicators. Input to the Comprehensive Plan The DAC, and the Tompkins County Office of the Aging, held a well attended meeting to gather input for the City of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan. As a result of discussion at the public input session about the doors at Center Ithaca, we met with Frost Travis, its owner, to express concern and to hear from him about his plans to install automatic door openers; he thinks he'll be able to address this in the beginning of 2013. Other Work • The DAC usually meets annually with the director of the Ithaca Festival to discuss access issues • We had a presentation from Phyllis Radke, Building Commissioner. She gave DAC an overview of the mission of her department and specifically addressed ADA compliance and snow and ice removal • We met with Dane Twardokus, director of information technology, to familiarize ourselves with the responsibility of the department and particularly to talk about adaptations his department has made for employees with disabilities and to talk about the update of the city's website; Erin Sember -Chase arranged for a colleague to review a draft of the city's new website Staff from the Finger Lakes Independence Center also looked at the website • We met with a representative from the Cornell Union on Disability Awareness (CUDA). CUDA is interested in doing more work in the city • Jason Anderson raised an issue about table heights at food courts. Because he uses a large, tall wheelchair he can't independently use standard height tables and has to have someone assist him to eat. The DAC is looking into the issues involved in encouraging food courts to get higher tables. Jason has talked with Frost Travis, Center Ithaca • Met with Gary Bardoni, lead Community Service Officer, IPD. DAC had a conversation with him about handicapped parking; his unit is responsible for ticketing for these violations within the City • We talked with Schelley Michell -Nunn, Director of Human Resources; Schelley described the work of Human Resources and the city's diversity initiative; Erin Sember; Greg Gizewski; and Larry Roberts received training to be community representatives on city hiring committees • DAC is hosted a public hearing seeking input from pedestrians with disabilities; very few people attended the actual hearing but we did get several comments through an online survey posted on the City's website • DAC met with Julie Conley - Holcomb, City Clerk, to discuss updates to guide dog and service animal rules and to discuss issues pertaining to service animals on the Commons. • The DAC met with Leslie Chatterton, city planner and staff to the DAC. She retired in August 2011 She outlined her thoughts about issues the DAC needs to address, including updating the city's ADA self- assessment '61 June 6, 2012 • We had a conversation with Mayor Carolyn Peterson and a conversation with Mayor Svante Myrick • We heard from Tomo Shibatta about problems she's encountered in Ithaca • DAC had a conversation with Tim Logue, Traffic Engineer; Lynne Yost, Sidewalk Program Coordinator; and Danielle Conte, Tompkins County Office for the Aging about the NYS Complete Streets law. Other The chair is a member of the client committee for the commons redesign The chair is a member of the client committee for the comprehensive plan Acknowledgements The DAC acknowledges the service of former members Otis Jackson and George Eberhardt. They contributed much to our work. The DAC acknowledges Leslie Chatterton for her long -term dedication to the work of the Disability Advisory Council; her expertise and commitment to the work of the Council was of great benefit. The DAC acknowledges Mayor Carolyn Peterson for her support of our work. The DAC appreciates the support of the Clerk's Office, particularly Sarah Myers, Information Specialist. We are fortunate to work with very supportive city officials, department heads and city staff. Their support is important to our success. Approved by the Disability Advisory Council: Presented to the Common Council: Report prepared by: Larry Roberts, Chair. UPDATES: Chair Roberts provided updates on the following projects: The Commons Client Committee is currently review materials /products for play elements. Public Service Announcements — Vice Chair met with City Clerk Holcomb and they are working to develop the announcements. City Clerk Holcomb is including her work on the PSA's for the DAC as one of her office's diversity goals for 2012. Accessible Map — DAC Member Sember -Chase reported that she has not been able to touch base with someone from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, and will continue to try to make contact so that updated information is available. Chair Roberts reported that Ithaca Police Department Chief Vallely is planning to attend a DAC meeting in the near future. June 6, 2012 Brainstorming Ideas for Goals and Objectives for the DAC: The following list of ideas /goals was created by those present at the meeting: Create a DAC liaison to the Ithaca Police Department related to information sharing /education about hate crimes committed against people with disabilities. 2. Increased input from community members beyond the disabled community. Need to "market" or develop a process for community input to the DAC, and in an effort to increase membership of DAC; advertise more for membership to DAC. 3. Increase online presence for DAC on city's website — increased surveys for needs in the community for the DAC to focus on; look into televising DAC meetings. 4. Hold monthly meetings at various locations in the city — perhaps host an open forum during the evening at a local meeting place. 5. Develop /increase membership of DAC with a broader representation of the many types of disabilities — i.e. mental, developmental, and physical. 6. Develop goal for each year regarding progress made for each identified area of focus or discussion of the DAC. 7. Broad representation of public at DAC meetings. Provide information about what the DAC is and what it does at local gathering areas. 8. Invite department heads to meetings — possible topic of interest — the City's budget. 9. Invite Ithaca Fire Department staff to explain DAC role to them and offer assistance to the department as needed. 10. Increased communication with the Mayor. 11. Need for a staff liaison to the DAC since Leslie Chatterton's retirement there has been no one to take her place. 12. Structure DAC meeting in a way to educate DAC members about how city government works. 13. Workshop at IFD regarding item #1 14. DAC member liaison to the Board of Public Works for better communication back and forth between both boards. Chair Roberts does not have to be the liaison and would encourage a member of the DAC to take on this role, if they're interested. 15. Update DAC agenda template that is distributed to the public that provides information about what the DAC is, how to provide input or to participate in meetings, so the public has a quick reference as to what the DAC does. 16. Work on delegation of tasks to DAC members to work on goals; create sub- committees as needed. 17. Utilize community service opportunities provided by local colleges and universities with students and faculty for special projects. 7 June 6, 2012 18. Engage content experts as needed for various projects — tasks, and goals of the DAC. 19. Be realistic in setting achievable goals — better to have smaller number of goals and complete them well then take on too many goals and not be able to complete them or to complete them poorly. 20. A. Invite staff from Ithaca Youth Bureau to provide overview of what the youth bureau does, its facilities, etc. Invite Allen Green and /or Joanie Groome. B. Invite representative members or staff liaison to the Ithaca Youth Council to a DAC meeting to provide input as to needs of youth with disabilities in the community. 21. Update DAC on progress of Stewart Park Renovation — Friends of Stewart Park renovation /revitalization project at Stewart Park — invite a representative to do a presentation at a DAC meeting. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Sarah L. Myers Larry Roberts Information Management Specialist Chair, DAC �'3