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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommission On Disability - Minutes - 09/10/1986• MINUTES • COMMISSION ON DISABILITY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1984 The regular meeting of the Commission On Disability was called to order by chair- person Bobbie Guye at 6:40 P.M. on Monday, September 10,1984, in the Old Fire Station, 232 Walnut, Fort Collins, CO. MEMBERS PRESENT: Bobbie Guye, Betty Shuey, Charlotte Kanode, Eldon Decker, Penne Thomas, Nancy Jackson, Tim Kientz, Betty Pidcock, Bill Bertschy, Rosalie Smith, and Judy Siefke. CITY STAFF: Diana Royval GUESTS: Felix Lee, Chief Building Inspector Bill Way, Disabled American Veterans Bobbie Guye introduced new member Dr. William J. Bertschy. VARIANCE REQUEST Bobbie Guye introduced Felix Lee, who indicated he was in attendance because of a request he had received from Tim Conine , owner of a proposed multiple structure, fourplex condominium project at the "Wharf Phase II% concerning a waiver of the re- quirements for accessible/adaptable units stipulated in House Bill 1477. It had been understood that Mr. Conine would be present also. In a memorandum dated September 5, 1984, Felix had outlined the appeal and sent copies to all COD members prior to the meeting. Mr. Conine asked the waiver on the grounds of "undue hardship" because the project design was approved by the City in May 1982, without specifically noting the accessibility requirements at that time. Nancy Jackson questioned Felix about the hardship clause claimed by Mr. Conine. Felix stated that the State statute (HR 1477) has been in existence for 7 or 8 years, but only enforced for the past year. He also pointed out that it has taken several years for some ap- proved projects to get underway due to financial difficulties. Additionally, the builder may have a "hardship case" but not a legal one. Nancy suggested that the building plan review committe could look at the blueprints at a regular Thursday afternoon session and then make recommendations. It was noted that the current ANSI regulations for accessibility are not all that hard to adhere to in the initial con- struction phase, so it is possible Mr. Conine has come to this conclusion and will not pursue the matter further. Felix will consult with him and let COD know the results. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Nancy Jackson moved that the minutes for the August 13, 1984, meeting be approved with the following corrections: Bottom of Page 1, the spelling on Buff's Restaurant should be Buffie's; on page 2, Hyme Madras should be spelled Jaime Marez; and on page 3, under House Bill #1477, Felix Lee, Chief Building Inspector for Fort Collins, has indeed been very involved on behalf of the City, including attending the August 9th meeting on accessible housing when the legislation was discussed. The motion to accept the minutes was seconded and carried. REPORTS FROM OTHER BOARDS/COMMISSIONS Bill Bertschy reported that the Larimer County Recreation Board, of which he is a member, had requested input from COD concerning the problem of people abusing -1- COD SEPTEMBER 10, 1984, MEETING MINUTES - Page 2 the free annual park passes issued to disabled citizens, especially at Carter Lake, Horsetooth Reservoir, and Horsetooth Mountain Park. The current policy is to issue the permits to a vehicle instead of to a specific individual, thereby making it possible for anyone to take advantage of the privilege whether there is a handicapped rider in the car or not. Moreover, there are no clear guidelines on what constitutes a disa- bility, and Rangers are finding themselves faced with making on the spot decisions when approached for a park permit. Following an extensive discussion, it was proposed that the most satisfactory so- lution might be to establish a designated place where handicapped persons can obtain a yearly pass, verifying their disability through a physician or other professional representative. In conjunction with this, Park_personnel could collect a daily fee from families requesting a free year's pass, then direct them to the central location where they could obtain the annual permit. COD members also thought it more appropriate that passes be issued to individuals rather than to a vehicle and all its occupants. 504 LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Nancy Jackson informed the membership that the August 29 meeting of the city's Section 504 compliance committee had been cancelled, and so far not been rescheduled. She has been in the process of drafting letters to the Foothills Fashion Mall and K-Mart concerning installation of automatic doors there. BUILDING PLANS REVIEW Plans recently reviewed by the Building Plans committee included the Marriott Ho- tel, the Downtown Plaza, Bed and Board, Helmshire Inn, Data Service Center, Electrical Systems Consultant, Inc., and an addition to the Fort Collins Bible Chapel. Diana Royval has developed a format for submitting committee recommendations to Peter Barnes, Code Administrator. There has still been some difficulty in interpreting plans, es- pecially those for the Downtown Plaza, but Mr. Barnes has assured us that the entire complex is accessible. ACCESSIBILITY RESEARCH TEAM Bobbie (bye reported that an open meeting concerning accessible housing in Larimer County was held last month, at which time a committee was appointed to outline some guidelines for the County's compliance with Section 504 and House Bill 1477. They will meet on September 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at the REA Building on South College to draft same for presentation to the local officials and builders. Recommendations made at the August meeting for constructing accessible housing included having all potentially handicapped occupied units on the ground level, provid- ing building access via a regulation ramp, negotiable threshold, and automatic doors. Adaptable features incorporated might utilize adjustable cabinets/counter tops, and re- inforcing walls to accommodate future installation of grab bars, mirrors, shelves, etc., and rooms large enough to maneuver a wheelchair. Fort Collins personnel have been questioning the merit of establishing the number of handicapped persons in the city in order to determine how many accessible units are feasible to build. It was contended, however, that such statistics are impossible to compile, and also irrelevant if disabled citizens are to achieve equal opportunities in housing. Nancy Jackson stated that according to a.recent survey conducted by the Handicapped Information Office concerning constructing an independent living center called LUV (Living Units With Versatility), the majority of those handicapped individuals questioned re- vealed they would prefer to continue to be mainstreamed. Plans for the LUV complex have therefore been abandoned. -2- COD SEPTEMBER 10, 1984, PTING MINUTES - Page 3 • Nancy also commented on the fact that the new access ramps being constructed in the city do not have a textured broom finish as had been recommended by COD, in order to ensure the safety of visually impaired. Mike Herzig, Assistant City,Engineer, has said that the current wood float finish being used in Fort Collins is best according to a study done in California. Betty Shuey recently visited California, and reports that the wood float finish is indeed used there, but that it incorporates diagonal ridges which are absent in the Fort Collins ramps. Tom Gathmann is aware of this problem and has suggested that he and Mike meet with Charlotte Kanode and Betty to determine the best possible solution. It was suggested that the City Engineering Department take the initiative of contacting California engineers to find out the particulars of their methods for texturing ramps. City Councilman Kelly Ohlsen has been apprised of the need for amending the city's building code for accessibility in order to avoid future situations such as the one with the new State building recently constructed on South Mason Street. The Human Relations Commission submitted a letter of support to the City Council expressing concern about current building code requirements on accessibility features. Nancy sent a letter of commendation to the new Mc Donald's Restaurant on South Col- lege for its astuteness in making the premises handicapped accessible. The Fort Collins Transit Center open house ceremonies were attended by several rep- resentatives of the handicapped community. It was found that the garage area of the Center is not directly accessible, and this was discussed at the time with Council members Ed Stoner and Kelly Ohlsen as well as Ken Sylvester of Transfort. However, Felix Lee said that current building codes do not require that garages be accessible. Diana Royval distributed a letter of thanks from Tom Gathmann for the Commission's assistance in determining the most appropriate locations for access ramps in the city. AWARDS BREAKFAST TRANSPORTATION: Rosalie Smith has been working on the transportation arrangements with Care -A -Van, and as soon as participants at the breakfast are verified., Bobbie will pass that infor- mation on to Rosalie so routes and times can be determined. RESOURCE DIRECTORY: Rosalie reviewed the Resource Directory and suggested revising the format to one that more readily lends itself to being updated. She and Judy Siefke plan to continue their research, but the directory will not be available for the breakfast. REFRESHMENTS AND ROOM FACILITIES: Food donations have been pledged by the following merchants: The Bagelman - 50 mini bagels which can be served with cream cheese. Mercy Farms - A sliced coffee cake to serve 25 persons. Jack In the Box, McDona'lds, and Perkins Restaurants - Orange Juice. Columbine Cafe - Blueberry Muffins (tentatively). Penne Thomas -suggested contacting some of the catering services for food donations, and Nancy Jackson also intends to contact grocery stores for possible contributions of fruit. Coffee, tea, cream and sugar are to be provided by the city. Rosalie Smith volunteered to help with picking up food items from merchants and transporting them to the breakfast. Bobbie Guye will ask Bill Kanode if he would help, too. Bill Bertschy thought he could obtain 4 linen tablecloths, and we will also need paper plates, napkins, tableware, and cups. INVITATIONS AND. ROLE PLAYERS Bobbie Guye has prepared the invitations and they will be mailed out this week. Bobbie had some suggestions for role players and the floor was opened.for others. Among those mentioned were Felix Lee, Chief Building Inspector; John Feeley, Editorial -3- COD SEPTEMBER 10, 1984, MEETIivv MINUTES - Page 4 Page Editor for the Coloradoan; John Pfeiffenberger, Triangle Review Editor; Lee Hansen, School Board Superintendent; Bruce Glasscock, Fort Collins Police Chief; Ray Dixon, DMA; Robert Lee, Streets and Traffic; John Clarke, Assistant City Mayor; Dr. Ralph Austin,CSU President; County Commissioner Courtland Hotchkiss; and Gene Mitchell Rosemary Kreston is going to be asked to act as moderator for the panel discussion, and possible panel members are Beth Campbell, Eric Krengle, Keith Wilcheck, Charlotte Kanode, Susan Strickland, Rick Keeton, David Nilsson, and Bobbie Guye. Rosalie Smith suggested trying to find someone with epilepsy who would be willing.to serve on the panel. Bobbie will contact Jan Rushneck of the Epilepsy Task Force, and perhaps Tina Tapply of the Multiple Sclerosis Society for one of their members to par- ticipate. Charlotte Kanode thought a display of assistive devices would be educational,too, and Diane Brown, PVH speech pathologist can perhaps supply a communication board for this purpose. It was agreed that the disabilities to be represented in the role playing would be speech, hearing, visual and mobility impairments such as wheelchairs and crutches, as well as total blindness.Prospective persons to partner with role players are Jeff Dietz, Bobbie Guye, Susan Strickland, Rosemary Kreston, Sharon Hinde, and Sharol Enockson, wheel- chairs; Beth Campbell,•crutches; Charlotte Kandode, Betty Shuey, and John Duffy, Visual impairments; Eric Kringle and Henry Kreyser , hearing impairments; and Rick Keeton, speech impairment. Participants will be contacted by Bobbie. Simulation items will also be needed. PUBLICITY: Bobbie Guye submitted publicity articles to area newspapers, and sent publicity material to Betty Shuey for recording spots on the local radio stations. Betty has been on vacation, however, so this has not as yet been done. COLORING CONTEST: Tim Kientz reported that a picture for the school children coloring contest had been sent to the Coloradoan and should appear in the September 19 issue of the Front Range section. The contest will again be divided into two age groups, with small cash awards for the winners of each category. Entries are due by October 5, and will be judged shdrtly thereafter. AWARDS/NAME TAGS: Awards nominations have been printed and are available at Diana Royval's pffice or the Handicapped Information Office. Deadline for entries is September 28, so there- will be sufficient time to judge the applications and make up the certificates. Diana has agreed to letter them, as well as the name tags which will be provided for all COD members, panel participants, and award winners. Bill Bertschy volunteered to distribute name tags at the breakfast and monitor the guest book. PROGRAM/HOSTING DUTIES: The program has been outlined on the invitations, and hosting duties are to be as- signed to those committee members-: Tim Kientz, Betty Shuey, Nancy Jackson, Diana Royval, and Bobbie Guye. DISPLAY TABLE: The display table will feature the employment brochure, newspaper articles on COD, the "People With Disabilities" booklet, and adaptive equipment. Nancy Jackson and Betty Shuey are working together on that. Finalization of plans will be done at the October 8 meeting. CITIZENS TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD_. Betty Shuey announced her resignation as chairperson of the Citizens Transportation -4- COD SEPTEMBER 10, 1984, WTING MINUTES - Page 5 • Advisory Board, citing health problems as the rdason. An expression of sincere appreci- ation and thanks was extended to Betty by the entire Commission for the effort and time she has expended in helping to establish this much needed body, especially for chairing it. Charlotte Kanode accepted the appointment as her successor as COD liaison person. Betty noted that according to Ken Sylvester of Transfort, the recommendations for issuing bus passes to handicapped riders did not contain sufficient information to es- tablish their eligibility. It was suggested that applicants provide a physician's statement or a reasonable facsimile from another involved professional to verify disa- bility. ABRF APPLICATIONS A letter of regret was sent to Vitalia Martinez in regard to her application for an ABRF grant to build a ramp at her home, denied because the combined household income exceeded current guidelines. Fortunately, the Handicapped Information Office had a ramp that it was able to donate to the Martinez family, and it appears to meet Mrs. Martinez' needs. Bobbie Guye read a handwritten letter from Mrs. Loretto Bishop expressing her anger and feelings of discrimination at being denied a grant from ABRF to replace cupboard doors in her apartment. Bobbie recently spoke with Mrs. Bishop's attorney, and explained to him the proper procedure for obtaining a grant from the ABRF program was to submit an application, and if approved, the city draws up the plans for the project, then lets it out to contractors for bids, and the contractors are subsequently paid from the funds when the job is completed. Guidelines do not permit reimbursing clients for work already completed on their own volition. Bobbie received a letter from the attorney shortly thereafter,however, stating Mrs. Bishop had indeed gotten bids for the job, so apparently she and her attorney still do not understand the program's operation. The matter was presumably turned over to the city attorney, but Diana Royval will verify this. MISCELLANEOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS The high tech loan closet at PVH received $20,000 from this year's CDBG monies to. assist with ourchasino needed ascictiva davirac ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Charlotte Kanode made a motion that the meeting be adjourned at 9:25 P.M. The motion was seconded and carried. Respectfully submitted, Try Kla , lz Tim Kientz Secretary