Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommission On Disability - Minutes - 04/26/2012COMMISSION ON DISABILITY Fort Collins City Hall: Council Information Center: 12:15 p.m. April 26, 2012 PRESENT: Jennifer Arndt, Jeffrey Coon, James Dunlap, Hettie Hueber, Michelle Miller ABSENT: Michael Devereaux, (Contact), Gwendolyn Dillman (Contact), Wendie Robinson (Contact), Terry Schlicting (Contact), Rosanne McDonnell (Contact) CITY: Ethan Cozzens GUESTS: George & Marilyn Knight - Elderhaus Call to Order: 12:31pm 1. Introductions Unnecessary. 2. Approval of February/March Minutes Motion to approve – Arndt Second - Hueber Approved - Unanimous 3. Open Discussion General Public Knight read an article about upgrades that were made to several bike trail locations and was wondering if the “old” equipment (flashing lights, etc.) could be recycled and used for the pedestrian crossing at Elderhaus. Cozzens reported that it would be more costly to the city than to install new equipment at the location. Coon attended a citizen’s meeting for city budgeting and reported that in budgeting for outcomes, citizens are able to share responsibility for prioritizing projects. Cozzens has contacted Olson to inquire if this project has been submitted yet. If so, where are they in the process. Coon will continue to keep Knight in the information loop. It was also mentioned that the SE corner of Harmony and College has a severely limited bike trail, a 50 foot gap with no sidewalk and a very steep hill. Knight will take pictures of this corner and get them to Coon. 4. New Business a. Mayor’s Awards Ceremony - Planning New members will be provided with copies of the nomination form and can visit the COFC/COD website to watch the video from last years’ event. Hueber will discuss revamping the nomination process with McDonnell. Hueber would also like to increase the distribution of the cards, possibly placing them on restaurant tables for patrons to peruse while waiting for their food. She would like to see more interested generated than just a press release, possibly a “Soapbox” article. Coon will contact The Coloradoan for more guidance, but all agree they would like to generate more interest and attention. Dunlap shared that he has great marketing skills and would be willing to share proven marketing techniques. COD will revisit the Mayor’s Awards at the next meeting to form a sub-committee and plan times to meet. b. Mulberry/Shields Interesection Dunlap stated this is a very intense intersection for bicycles and wheelchairs. He has seen that work is currently being done at that intersection, but will it improve the accessibility for bikes and chairs? Cozzens will look into this. c. Mayor of Old Town Dunlap mentioned on FaceBook that this establishment was extremely difficult to get into in a wheelchair due to the high threshold and tight space in the airlock. The owners wrote back that they were following City Code, but they would see what they could do to make the entrance more accessible. When Dunlap returned he found that it measures had been taken to make the entrance more accessible. Kudos to Mayor of Old Town. d. Inaccessible Parks Dillman reported that the COFC Parks Department would like a comprehensive list of inaccessible spots within city parks. Please e-mail these to Dillman, if you know of any, or discover problem spots/parks. e. Bike To Work Day Molly North, the Interim Bicycle Coordinator, has invited chair and device users to participate in this event. Lights and reflective devices are available to chair and device users to make them more “street appropriate” at little, or no, cost. To find out more about this the Transportation Planning Department is located at 281 North College. They can also be contacted by phone (970-224-6058) or e-mail (aplanning@fcgov.com). 5. Old Business a. Boards/Commissions Process Improvement On Monday, April 2 nd and Wednesday, April 4 th , two City Forums were held asking for representation from each Board/Commission in the form of Chair or Co-Chair. Coon and Devereaux each attended one. City Staff facilitated these forums. COD has received no direction from its’ liaison. Contact has been attempted. Hueber, Arndt and Dunlap wanted to compliment Coon on his leadership and dedication as Chair to the COD. All members present were in agreement. Coon reviewed the initial mission of the COD and reiterated that the primary focus is to be a voice in the community and City Council for citizens with disabilities. b. City Sidewalk Survey Update Tracy Dyer has indicated that this project is still on hold and may be 2-3 months out. c. Mason Corridor MAX BRT Station Naming Arndt, Coon and Devereaux attended this and gave input. Two suggested names will be brought before City Council for a vote. They are “Spring Creek Station” and “Midtown Bridge”. 6. Community News and Updates The Soapbox article written to address the wheelchair bike lane usage can be read on- line at www.coloradoan.com. 7. Adjourn 2:03. Motion by Coon, 2 nd by Hueber.