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Home My WebLink About08/18/2025 - Disability Advisory Board - AGENDA - Regular MeetingDisability Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING August 18, 2025 – 5:30 pm 300 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado Meeting Contact: Jan Reece, Lead EO Compliance Specialist, Jreece@Fcgov.com, 970-416-4254 TEAMS – See Link Below 1. CALL TO ORDER: Amber Kelley will remind everyone to please state your name when speaking for transcription purposes. a. (TIME STARTED) 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-July 21, 2025 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Budget-Jan Reece Participation for this Disability Advisory Board Meeting will be in person at 300 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. You may also join online via Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft- teams/join-a-meeting Meeting ID: 210 808 079 044 Passcode: Ap6Ud3Ea Online Public Participation: The meeting will be available to join beginning at 5:00 pm, August 18, 2025. Participants should try to sign in prior to the 5:30 pm meeting start time, if possible. For public comments, the Chair will ask participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. Staff will moderate the Teams session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Board or Commission. To participate: Use a laptop, computer, or internet-enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). You need to have access to the internet. Keep yourself on muted status. Masks Strongly Recommended in Indoor Public Spaces While there are currently no public health orders in place, Larimer County Public Health officials strongly recommend that well-fitting, high-quality masks are worn in crowded indoor spaces. For more information, please visit fcgov.com/covid Disability Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING 7. GUEST PRESENTERS a. Cortney Geary-FC Moves Safer Streets Northwest Study b. Kristy Bruce-Senior Park Planner Rolland Moor update 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. Executive Committee Report Board and Commissions joint meeting b. Government Relations Report Disability Employment Month Proclamation Review c. Community Recognition DAB Awards Ceremony update Program approval Treats approval September meeting for nominations 18 total as of 8/14/25 d. Public Awareness Report Daisy Montgomery e. Community Outreach and Education Anais-Disability Employment Awareness training 9. OTHER BUSINESS-Jan Reece Report a. Service animal posters are in for distribution b. Gift has arrived c. Decorations approval for 35.00 10. ADJOURNMENT a. (TIME ENDED) 7/21/25– MINUTES Disability Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Monday, July 21, 2025 – 5:30 PM 300 Laporte Avenue and Microsoft Teams 1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:34 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present – Amber Kelley (Chair), Daisy Montgomery (Vice Chair), Matthew Cicanese, Amanda Morgan, Cassidy Dellemonache, Anais Campbell, Linda Drees b. Board Members Absent – Scott Winnegrad c. Staff Members Present – Jan Reece d. Guest(s) – Aaron Hull, John Prieve, Liri Saraes 3. AGENDA REVIEW No changes. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JUNE 16, 2025 Vice Chair Montgomery made a motion, seconded by Dellemonache, to approve the June 16, 2025 minutes as presented. The motion was approved unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Budget – Jan Reece Reece stated the current budget is $4,699.33 with a projection of $2,500 slated for the Disability Advisory Board ceremony. 7. PRESENTATIONS a. Aaron Hull – Northern Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization NFRMPO) and RideNoCo Aaron Hull, NFRMPO Mobility Planner, stated NFRMPO is the regional 7/21/25– MINUTES transportation air quality planning agency that covers about 549,000 people over 675 square miles in Weld and Larimer Counties. He noted the MPO has three components: the VanGo van pooling service, an overall transportation team which looks at things like active modes planning and the regional transportation plan, and a mobility team, which looks at transportation on a smaller scale including supporting older individuals, individuals with disabilities, non-English speaking communities, low-income individuals, or other underserved groups. Hull noted the MPO runs RideNoCo, the one-call, one-click center providing information on all transportation resources in the region and beyond, the My Way To Go trip planning platform which helps incentivize different modes of transportation through rewards and challenges, School Pool, which is a carpooling tool for schools, three mobility committees, and others. Hull stated RideNoCo is the main mobility program, and it has the goals to improve individual mobility in the region and improve regional mobility through enhanced coordination and collaboration. He noted RideNoCo has a call center and website which helps provide information on mobility programs and provide a trip discovery tool that allows users to develop an efficient route using various transportation options. Hull outlined the questions asked when users call the call center to help determine which transportation resources would be best suited for them. Vice Chair Montgomery asked what kinds of resources are provided for veterans and/or disabled veterans. Hull replied Qualified Listeners is a non- profit that will provide free transportation to veterans and families. Hull noted most inquiries for transportation assistance come from the northern and southwest parts of Fort Collins where the fixed route service does not exist. Additionally, Hull noted 60% of calls come from individuals over the age of 60 and 50% are related to medical needs. Hull discussed the MPO’s 2025 Coordinated Plan, which is the strategic plan for mobility in the region that is updated every four years. The Plan sets project priorities for older adults, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals, and other underserved populations. Hull stated the four components of the Plan are: analyzing existing conditions, evaluating ridership data, identifying mobility gaps, and strategizing for improvements. Hull noted Colorado is in the top five states for an aging population; therefore, having transportation resources available will be important. Additionally, he noted the MPO’s region for total non-institutionalized individuals is about 470,000 with about 11% of those being disabled. Hull outlined the volunteer and non-profit transportation services available in the region and discussed gaps in service, including certain locations as well as temporarily disabled individuals. Chair Kelley asked how users discover RideNoCo. Hull replied they have paper brochures that are distributed to Chambers of Commerce, convenience 7/21/25– MINUTES centers, libraries, health districts, and other locations. Hull discussed some of the previous projects and strategies that resulted from previous Coordinated Plans, including the three mobility committees, technical assistance for grant writing and vehicle purchasing, and outreach, marketing, and education. Dellemonache commented on the fact that certain for-profit agencies that provide rides are required to have newer vehicles and asked if the MPO helps to provide those. Hull replied in the affirmative and noted the MPO assists in connecting agencies with grant funds. Vice Chair Montgomery commented on another resource that provides activities, and therefore transportation, to people with disabilities. Campbell stated the ARC is exploring using private donations and noted they have a donated transportation fund that is being used to support clients with community access. She noted that if individuals have an active case at the ARC, they can request those transportation services. She asked if the MPO has explored private donorship or if there are boundaries around that. Hull replied there are boundaries given the MPO is technically a federally, state, and locally funded agency. However, the MPO Director has been exploring different ways to work in foundations and with other funding sources that have not traditionally been sought. Campbell commented on the importance of leveraging community donations. Hull outlined suggested ideas, strategies, and projects, including a volunteer driver pool program, a medical chaperone program, an emergency fund program, an earn-a-bike workshop for adaptive bikes, and expansion of RideNoCo. He provided a survey for members to complete and pass on to others. b. John Prieve – Hi There Solutions John Prieve, Hi There Solutions, stated his company develops mobile apps for the D/deaf and hard of hearing community as a communication accommodation. He stated the app was soft launched on Apple App and Google Play stores and noted the technology has been developed by D/deaf individuals for D/deaf individuals. He discussed his family history with the D/deaf and hard of hearing community and noted the community accounts for about 15% of the United States population. Prieve commented on the accommodation requirements for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals per the ADA. He described the apps his company has developed, including Just Talk, which transcribes speech to text and text to speech in ten languages and is encrypted end-to-end, and Hi There, which is a video chat platform that includes speech to text and instant messaging. Prieve noted the City and County of Broomfield is undergoing a pilot program with the Just Talk platform and he discussed the ways in which the platform 7/21/25– MINUTES could work in a municipal setting. Reece asked if English is the only supported language. Prieve replied transcription occurs in ten different languages in the first generation and translation will occur in the second generation. Vice Chair Montgomery asked if there might be a future version that would not be dependent on WiFi or 5G for emergency situations. Prieve replied that it is a future possibility; however, cloud servers are currently used to run the back end of the apps. Additionally, he noted Broomfield will be pushing the apps onto the smart phones of first responders. Cicanese asked if the data was trained on D/deaf users and noted Microsoft Teams rarely get subtitles correct. Prieve replied that the apps were all created by D/deaf friends and influencers. Members discussed whether some members of the D/deaf community would rather be able to use interpreters. Reece noted the company does not believe the apps replace an interpreter but rather enhance and provide accessibility to individuals who need it. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. Executive Committee Report Boards and Commission Joint Meeting Chair Kelley reported on a recent joint meeting with representatives from the Human Relations Commission, Senior Advisory Board, and Women and Gender Equity Board to discuss possible future collaborations. She noted the group will meet again in September. b. Government Relations Report Disability Pride celebration Cicanese stated he is scheduling a call with Drees to connect about the October National Disability Awareness Month and Invisible Conditions proclamation. He also reported on the proclamation and celebration for Disability Pride Month. Dellemonache commented on a conversation with an individual at the event regarding the ways in which Pickleball is not accessible to people with disabilities given the court locations in the city which are outside bus route service areas. Drees commended Cicanese on his work on the proclamation noting it was the first time it has occurred in Fort Collins. c. Community Recognition DAB Awards Ceremony update Chair Kelley noted the DAB Awards nomination form is available on the website and the event will be October 20th. Cicanese suggested the possibility of having the Hi There representatives attend the event in an informal capacity. 7/21/25– MINUTES d. Public Awareness Report Daisy Montgomery Vice Chair Montgomery reported on the City of Fort Collins adaptive bike fleet and its wide range of available devices for people with all types of disabilities. She also reported on the recent Human Relations Commission/JEDI event. e. Community Outreach and Education Cassidy Dellemonache – Blue Envelope Dellemonache reported on the Blue Envelope initiative which allows people to give police officers information about themselves in a blue envelope to hopefully provide for a better encounter. She stated she is working to determine the best ways to distribute the envelopes to people with disabilities and suggested someone from Police Services come to the Board to discuss the topic. Reece stated she is working to develop an initiative wherein a car would have a sticker that would indicate to officers that a blue envelope will be provided. Additionally, she noted she has already sent a message to Police Services regarding the best way to distribute this information to the community and has asked a representative to attend the next meeting. Dellemonache suggested the possibility of having a smaller version of the blue envelope that would be small enough to fit in a wallet. Campbell suggested having a speaker directly from Blue Envelope. Reece requested that contact information. Drees noted the Fort Collins Police Services Facebook page has announced the implementation of the initiative. Anais Campbell – Disability Employment Awareness training Campbell stated the second three-week National Disability Employment Month series with the City will occur on October 13th, 20th, and 31st, with a focus on supporting City staff in understanding employment supports for invisible disabilities and the reasonable accommodations process and providing a discussion panel with individuals with lived experience with disability and employment. Campbell noted she is working with Teresa Cribelli, a member of the Human Relations Commission, to partner with various organizations to do disability inclusion trainings. 9. OTHER BUSINESS – Jan Reece Report a. ADA Conference Reece reported on attending the ADA conference last month and noted its focus was digital accessibility. 7/21/25– MINUTES b. Digital Accessibility Plan Reece discussed the City’s digital accessibility report and work on improvements. c. DAB suggestion to purchase service animal posters/brochures Reece reported on her work with Transfort on questions related to service animals versus pets. She noted only two questions can be asked of a person with a service animal and only dogs and miniature horses fall under the service animal category. She asked if the Board would authorize the purchase of 20 posters for the front-facing customer service areas of the City that would provide associated information and to purchase 50 brochures to have available at those locations and at the October training. Members discussed having more than 50 brochures available. Dellemonache made a motion, seconded by Morgan, to support the purchase of 20 posters and 50 brochures and examine the purchase of a digital copy. The motion was adopted unanimously. Morgan commented on the beta testing for Dial-a-Ride text messaging regarding estimated timing of rides. 9. ADJOURNMENT a. 7:26 PM Minutes approved by the Chair and a vote of the Board on XX/XX/XX Signature: Headline Copy Goes Here Fort Collins Active Modes Manager Cortney Geary 8-18-25 Safer Streets Northwest Disability Advisory Board Headline Copy GoesHereMeetingAgenda 2 ProjectOverview01 Work toDate02 MappingActivity03 NextSteps04 Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes Here 4 Active Modes Plan Vision Zero Action Plan Safer Streets Northwest SS4A funded) Headline Copy GoesHereStudyArea 5 Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Study Process MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB Existing Conditions Visioning Community Engagement Corridor Screening Safety Audits Countermeasure Selection & Analysis Countermeasure Scoring Report Drafting Concept Planning Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes Here 8 Completed initial data gathering Conducted review of relevant plans Developed vision statement and goals Drafted Public Involvement Plan Completed corridor screening and safety audits Selected corridor segments for further study Headline Copy GoesHereStudyVision 9 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s vision statement? A: To describe a future state dependent on the success of the Study. The streets in Northwest Fort Collins are safe, convenient, comfortable, and joyful for everyone. Headline Copy GoesHereStudyGoals 10 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s goals? A: To describe the criteria to guide and evaluate the Study’s recommendations. Safe Convenient Comfortable Representative Feasible Competitive for funding Headline Copy GoesHereStudyConsiderations 11 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s considerations? A: To describe other factors that could influence the development of the Study’s recommendations. Non-negotiable City values Context sensitivity Transit integration Gridlock prevention Negotiable Motor vehicle travel times and capacity Protected bike lanes vs. shared-use paths Non-mobility benefits Headline Copy GoesHerePublicInvolvementPlanHighlights 12 Phase 1 (June): Feedback will guide the screening of corridors in the study area, the selection of shortlisted corridors, and priority areas for field audits. Phase 2 (July-August): Feedback will guide the selection of potential countermeasures. Phase 3 (September-October): Feedback will inform how the project team should revise and finalize prioritization. Key Activities Audience Technical Advisory Committee TAC) Meetings City of Fort Collins, North Front Range MPO, CSU, Poudre Fire Authority Stakeholder Interviews Businesses along key corridors, bike and pedestrian advocacy organizations, educational and cultural institutions, health organizations, social service organizations Presentations to City Bodies Disability Advisory Board, Transportation Board, Active Modes Advisory Board Pop-Ups at Community Events and Destinations Larger Community Headline Copy GoesHerePhase1Recap 13 Event Date TAC Meeting #1 June 12 Active Modes Advisory Board Meeting #1 June 16 Food Truck Rally Pop-Up June 24 Bike to Work Day Pop-Ups (2)June 25 Where We Collected Feedback: Feedback Results: Need for more separation between bikes and vehicle traffic especially on Mulberry, Drake, Taft Hill, and Overland. Dangerous intersections with poor visibility/signal timing and no dedicated bike space at key crossings like Mulberry Shields. Calls for traffic calming to slow speeds on Mulberry, Taft Hill, and Overland. Debris, poor snow clearing, and narrow widths make bicycling unsafe on several arterials. Headline Copy GoesHereSelectedKeyStreetCorridors 14 The project team identified the following corridors in northwest Fort Collins for further study: Shields Street between Mulberry and Lake streets, Shields Street between Stuart Street and Swallow Road, and Taft Hill Road between Mulberry Street and the Spring Creek Trail Headline Copy GoesHereWhat’s Happening Now 15 Phase 2 engagement What are people’s safety issues when traveling on the selected corridors? Road safety audits What are the safety challenges? How could those challenges be addressed? Identify safety countermeasures: What safety improvements are most appropriate for the selected corridors? Headline Copy GoesHerePhase2Feedback 16 Collecting feedback on safety issues members of the public notice while walking, biking, taking transit or driving on selected street corridors. Stakeholder interviews with groups along selected corridor segments 1:1 discussions with residents Pop-ups at Lagoon Concert Series, Neighborhood Night Out, and CARE Housing Apartments CSU CBAC Bike Ride Memorandum to City Council Door-to-door engagement with local businesses Presentation to Advisory Boards Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy GoesHereActivity 18 1.What is it like to walk, bike, or roll on these streets? 2.Are there any barriers that make it harder for you to get around or access transportation options? 3.Are there any intersections or areas where you don’t feel safe, are confusing to navigate, or that you avoid? 4.Have you ever had a close call like a near crash or scary experience) while getting around using these streets? 5.Are there places where it is hard to cross the street or places where people drive too fast? Headline Copy Goes Here 19 What questions do you have for us? Who else should we be sure to engage? Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy GoesHereWhat’s Coming Next 21 Analysis/Decisions: Identifying potential countermeasures Analyzing feasibility of countermeasures Scoring and ranking countermeasures Producing concept plans Engagement: More pop-ups around Fort Collins Presentations to Disability Advisory Board, Active Modes Advisory Board and Transportation Board Second Technical Advisory Committee meeting Infrastructure Replacement Program Conceptual Design Presentation Disability Advisory Board August 18, 2025 Agenda 1.Project Introduction 2.Focus on Tennis Complex Concepts 3.Focus on Playground Concepts 4.Anticipated Project Schedule 5.Questions/ Comments Park Details •Community Park (1 of 7) •72 Acres total •1984 Construction Project Scope •Tennis Complex •Playground Tennis Complex: •Code and standard compliance •Expand tennis programs •Reestablish hosting high school events •Add 2 courts (if feasible) •Update lighting to Dark Skies code compliance •Make the space more welcoming and functional •Improve safety Playground •Code and standard compliance •End-of-life replacement •Align with Design Guidelines of ReCreate Plan •Reduce maintenance •Make FUN, safe, and inviting for users Project Goals Existing Conditions: Tennis Opportunities•Existing shade•Existing pathways & trails•Potential repurpose of racquetball court•Utilize existing tennis court footprints •Established tennis community and recreation programs Constraints•Existing trees and floodplain •Challenging vehicular and safety access to tennis complex •Obstructed sight lines and wayfinding issues •Confined by surrounding boundaries (ditches, Spring Creek Trail) View looking Northwest Feedback: What We Heard •Surfacing •Widths •Gates •Doorways •Paths •Ramps •ADA Parking •Accessible Restroom •Mid-Court shade •Water coolers •Storage – Lift, chairs •Stadium seating areas •Practice wall Adaptive Recreation Engagement •Court improvements including lighting & resurfacing •ADA Improvements •More courts •Add and improve parking and wayfinding •Spectator shade and seating •Larger, improved Pro Shop and facilities •Additional practice amenities (backboard or covered space) •Park amenities (water fountain,picnic, BBQ) •Keep and improve volleyball courts •OK to repurpose racquetball courts •Request tennis courts are USTA compliant Concept Design: Tennis Complex Concept Design: The Grove Concept Design: Shade Canopy DAB Questions/ Discussion •What else important to consider for accessibility at the tennis courts? •Which designs are your favorite? •Other? Existing Conditions: Playground Constraints•Existing trees •Floodplain •Pedestrian/vehicle intersections•Distance from neighborhoods •Sight lines in playground Opportunities•Existing trees •Existing Facilities•Spring Creek •Existing playful grade changes•Adjacent recreation facilities•Adjacent Senior Center•Trail connectivity•Adjacent to Natural Areas View looking North Feedback: What We Heard Open House #1 Engagement •Improved ADA access •More shade, seating,and picnic areas •Improved circulation (bike/ped separation) •Keep maze and bridge features •Opportunity for fort-style elements •Nature based theme connection to adjacent Natural Areas or Spring Creek •Tall slide and play tower •Sightline and visibility improvements o Visual connection between toddler and big kid areas •Updated play equipment with more variety o Toddler and big kid play areas Concept Design: Fort Bumblebranch Feature Elements This playground is a Nature Fort adventure, kids can explore, climb, and imagine in a world inspired by local wildlife and habitat. The whole playground is surrounded by native grasses, logs, and natural textures, making it feel like a secret hideout in the woods. Concept Design: Fort Bumblebranch Playground Concept Design: Skipping Stones Feature Elements This playground is designed to feel like a journey through nature—from a creek all the way to the forest. Each part of the playground is like a different part of nature, letting you explore, imagine, and play along the way. Concept Design: Skipping Stones Playground Anticipated Project Schedule https://ourcity.fcgov.com/rollandmoore Next Steps: DAB Questions/ Discussion •What is important to consider for accessibility at the playgrounds? •Which designs are your favorite? •Other? PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, October 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM); and WHEREAS, the purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities; and WHEREAS, the history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when it started as a week and focused only on people with physical disabilities. Later it expanded to a full month, and its name and scope evolved to acknowledge the importance of increasing the workforce inclusion of people with all disabilities; and WHEREAS, the official theme for this year is “Celebrating Value and Talent” that all Americans – including people with disabilities – add to our nation’s workplaces and communities, and WHEREAS, workplaces welcoming of the talents of all people, including people with disabilities, are a critical part of our efforts to build an inclusive community and strong economy; and WHEREAS, activities during this month will reinforce the value and talent people with disabilities add to our workplaces and communities and affirm City of Fort Collins ’commitment to an inclusive community that advances access and equity for all, including individuals with disabilities. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeni Arndt, Mayor of the City of Fort Collins, do hereby declare October 2025, as NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH and call upon employers, schools, and other community organizations in Fort Collins, to take steps throughout the year to recruit, hire, retain, and advance individuals with disabilities and work to pursue the goals of opportunity, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and independent living for people with disabilities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the City of Fort Collins this 21st day of October, 2025. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk