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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDisability Advisory Board - Minutes - 08/19/2021Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 1 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 1. CALL TO ORDER Terry Schlicting called to order at 5:33pm 2. ROLL CALL Present: Terry Schlicting, Anna Fuller, Rachel Knox-Stutsman, Mandy Morgan, Marilee Boylan, Joe Tiner, Linda Drees, Davina Lau Board Members Absent: Staff Members Present: Carol Thomas, Seth Lorson Guests: Cari Brown, (ARC) Kimberly Chambers (LCDHE), Alex Tankersley, Scott Winograd, Katherine H 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Corrections: 1) Sam Laurence (Moritz) 2) Consultant had advised to not replace using current model of adult changing tables, but City will look at more reliable options to put in. b. Marilee motion to approve with corrections, Terry second, approved unanimously 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION a. Kimberly Chambers – ignite skiing, Special Olympics, spirit crossing clubhouse b. Alex Tankersley – participated in RainbowSwim, changing rooms at Mulberry Pool are often used in gendered ways, but the only accessible stall is in the family restroom which is always busy with families. Men’s room does not have curtains in the changing areas at all. At Mulberry, the weight limit on the transfer chair restricts him from being able to use it. At City Park pool, the transfer chair is old and doesn’t support his weight either. Carol: asked Alex to contact her directly for additional information and communication. Marilee: what does CSU offer? Terry: CSU has gender neutral locker rooms are separate rooms inside of locker rooms. Also seen at Lifetime Fitness. Joe: currently collaborating to adapt for folks for disabilities and genders, has zero slope entry and chair access. Joe provided contact info for access to CSU pools as a community member. Mandy: similar experiences with both Mulberry family changing room, and no locker access at City Park Pool. Alex: no way to shower at City Park Pool. Marilee: what did self-inventory look like at pools? Would the city help pay for community members to access CSU pool for more accessibility Carol: 2016, has a transition plan, outlines and commits resources to brining facilities into compliance with ADA. Program access is the key, so Epic is the most accessible to allow programming/swimming to take place. Other pools are Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 2 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 in the transition plan and will be transitioned further out since Epic does provide access to swim. The City would likely not pay for CSU use, but the City offers access through use of Epic. Terry: with Transition plans, is it strictly done from ADA compliance or an overall inclusivity lens? There are gender issues here as well, that may not be considered in ADA compliance. Carol: Legally, restroom use is based on a person’s gender identity, not gender expression. Alex: access is limited to Epic from the city bus Mandi: concurs that she has to travel further with longer transportation to get to the only accessible pool. c. Scott Winograd – has there ever been consideration of “dedicated people movers” to give access to people for things like city pools, who can do transportation with shorter notice or more flexibility. (Exists in Sterling, uses Medicaid) 6. GUEST PRESENTATIONS a. Seth Lorson and Aaron Iverson: North College MAX Plan – Project Introduction i. Extended MAX to North College and ii. Includes info from Transit Master Plan, URA Engagement, NFCBA Conversations and My Climate Future iii. MAX Bus Rapid Transit 1. Higher frequency, don’t need a schedule, linear route with dedicated travel lanes, improved service with level boarding, additional amenities iv. Project will explore: bus lanes, bus routes, coordinate routes 8 and 81, station areas for urban design, access to MAX (bike, pedestrian, and ADA), land use complements, phasing transit improvements v. Project Schedule, currently in visioning and existing conditions Design Options in fall Adoption of plan 1. Public Involvement 2. Inclusive outreach 3. Meaningful participation 4. Documenting and incorporating public input 5. Flexible and adaptive approach Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 3 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 vi. QUESTIONS: 1) If the MAX were to come to North College, what concerns do you have? 2) What would you want to avoid or not see happen? 3) What would make the addition of the MAX on North College appealing to you? Frequency, safety, etc. • Mandi: would be helpful to not transfer as often when using the 8 on the weekends. Would like to see past 6pm so people can use those parts in the community without having to get stuck Terry: any updates to when TransFort will return to normal hours? Seth: unsure, and limits may be extended due to delta variant • Terry: how does this relate to the West Elizabeth Enhanced Travel Corridor Plan? Seth: North College is the result of the 2017 plan, West Elizabeth is ahead of this plan and in the funding stages and a lot closer. • Terry: would it involve a transfer if you want to continue between current MAX and on to North College Seth: ideally, it could look like and express and local, where every other or every third goes to different end points, ideally you could have one ride without transfer as an option in this plan. • Mandy: has experiences with bus drivers that are unwilling or grumpy for having to strap in wheelchairs when they are behind and have to stand up to help load her chair • Katherine H: I would have concerns about safety at the stops for young adults with disabilities. The services provided at the Blue Spruce facilities support a diverse population and I would not feel comfortable with using the MAX transportation without companion support. Carol: Personal aides do ride free Seth: they recognize that it would serve different populations and there may be opportunities for Urban designs (lighting, high activity areas) that can help with safety. Bullying happens a lot less when there are a lot of people around. • Rachel: would have concerns about placement for crossing the street on North College, there is a lot of faster traffic through there. Seth: agree that average traffic is faster in that area, average is currently 36 mph, constraints that it is a state highway and more shipping trucks travel through there Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 4 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 • Terry: would this fully merge with College Ave/287? Seth: may look at individual bus lane or bus only lanes, will be looking at this in next phase and will return to DAB with options • Mandy: make sure that stops are not in a grass patch Seth: will work to make sure that the MAX stations are fully accessible like the MAX is now • Joe: placement of stations, when riding the MAX, the Horsetooth station is tucked back from the street, so riders are not really in the public when exiting • Mandy: some automatic bus lifts do not function and the drivers have to use the pull out lifts • Terry: the road in Old Town, example Laurel stop headed north, there is a steep incline to get on bus because of the slant of the bus • Mandy: many Old Town stops are similar, chairs almost tip backwards vii. Fcgov.com/NorthCollegeMAX for newletters and more information, Seth will return two more times during their planning process 7. NEW BUSINESS a. DIAL-A-TAXI & AFTER-HOURS TRANSPORTATION i. Mandy: Dial-A-Ride, ends when the last bus ends, July 5th she was stranded at a gas station until after 11pm, after the gas station had closed, gas station staff stayed late. She could not get ahold at anyone at ztrip, and there is no alert to riders that the last trip with finished. There were not other drivers on the road to help with an ambulatory vehicle to help for getting her home even without her chair. Was finally able to get a ride with someone she knew. Ztrip did not communicate what was and wasn’t available, but dispatch didn’t have any information. She uses this route regularly. Even dispatch is closed after the last trip that was booked is finished, as early as 6:30pm. 1. Dial-A-Taxi will now be dispatched right away through the day, but there is still no answer for after hours times when emergencies happen. 2. Wheelchairs cannot go with you in an ambulance, there needs to be a hotline available for these emergencies. 3. Carol: service ends very early, there is a gap in services. City has a contract with ztrip for Dial-A-Ride, but the City does not have authority outside of this contract. Dial-A-Ride has to do an RFP every five years, ztrip was the only one who submitted an RFP, the Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 5 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 City has a good partnership with them. Ztrip is experiencing a shortage of drivers (like the city and others). ii. Effective 7/23, ztrip will dispatch accounts with these type of attributes with a higher priority, even over VIP rides. iii. Ztrip and city are analyzing times and routes to identify gaps in service areas and times iv. Ztrip will work to increase number of drivers, in June they hired a new driver recruiter to increase the training and knowledge of these needs, has brought in additional drivers from within the region to serve this area v. Ztrip is a contract relationship, City is looking to restructure the fee schedule and to ensure that ztrip drivers are motivated to accept. vi. Carol talked with Deputy City Manager about these pieces and when emergencies happen. Identified underlying factors. Possible direction is to seek grant for battery charging stations for wheelchairs throughout the City as one solution for people with battery-powered mobility devices. Will look to community partners for additional solutions (including Lyft or Uber accessible vehicles) vii. Carol: What community partners can we access? 1. Mandy: has had trouble three times in one year due to MAX early closures and emergencies that put her in dangerous situations viii. Carol: that is when private options come in, to ensure safe ride home. We need to identify similar services that can provide help around the clock. ix. Marilee: Do EMS have accessible vehicles? For arrests or medical emergencies. Would like to see what other cities do have one? 1. Mandy: her experience is that they cannot take wheelchairs in ambulances, she was given the option to get to the hospital on her own or leave her wheelchair on the side of the road x. Terry: Denver Police does have an accessible vehicle to make arrests xi. Terry: how do we create accountability to ensure that ztrip follows their updates? 1. Carol: following up with Kaylee and Katlyn (TransFort). Will send out any response she gets from Dial-A-Ride to DAB members xii. Anna: who do we address these issues with? 1. Carol: Mayor Arndt is the DAB council liaison. xiii. Mandy: what resolutions can be available for Dial-A-Ride covid restrictions that have been listed which puts multiple riders in a space with each other, “passenger share” puts vulnerable folks at risk for covid? Thursday, August 19, 2021, 2021 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Zoom Access via City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue 8/19/2021 – MINUTES Page 6 DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD (formerly COD) REGULAR MEETING – Contact: Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity & Compliance Manager – 416-4254 xiv. Terry: what service is Sterling (Scott’s son) using? 1. Scott: it’s through ztrip dispatch and another company, it was solved through a Larimer County case manager. Sterling is in an EBD (elderly/blind/deaf) category, which offers certain supports through outside programs Goal would be a culture shift, where there is more visibility and more protection of the most vulnerable. Police is an example, could there be a culture shift that the police have an accessible (lower priority than crimes of course) way to transport folks in need since they serve around the clock already? 8. OLD BUSINESS a. OCT. NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH PLANNING b. PROCLAMATION –email to DAB members 9. ADJORNMENT a. Announcements: Terry Schlicting called to adjourn at 7:45. Joe second. Next meeting will be September 16th, 2021, on zoom. Cari Brown provided contact info: cbrown@arclc.org