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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommission On Disability - Minutes - 05/09/2002COMMISSION ON DISABII,ITY Regular Meeting Minutes May 9, 2002 Council Information Center, City Hall West Members present: Mark Beck, Jerry Patterson, Laura Burnett, Jill Lancaster, Paul Ostrof, Joan Cook, Ruth Bell Skogerboe, Diane Dittus, Susan Williams, Alan Apt City staff. Tracy Ochsner Guests Steve Sutter Mark called the meeting to order at 12:20 pm. Minutes approved unanimously. Motion made by Diane and seconded by Susan. Sub Committee/Proiect Renorts Employment — City staff training — Tracy suggests we move ahead with planning the training and Tracy will figure out where funding will come from. The audience for the training is city department managers who have the authority to hire. Tentative speaker would be Cathy Schelley from Colorado State University. Action: Alan will talk to Cathy and see when she is available and what her fee is. Hopefully we can get her sometime in early October during Disability Awareness Month. Mayor's Awards — Susan suggested that we include Fort Collins as a "City of Character" on our printed materials for the Mayor's Awards. Action: Steve will call the University Park Holiday Inn and see if we can get space on October 25 for the Mayor's Awards. Action: Steve will try and get the sub -committee together on Monday, May 13 at 2:30 pm at the Harmony Library Community Room. This meeting would immediately follow the BLN meeting regarding the career fair. Steve will email the subcommittee if it is a go or set another time for the meeting. Practical Housing for All — Mark presented a resolution supporting the effort to encourage the construction of housing with features that provide basic access and functionality to all occupants and visitors. Motion: That the COD enthusiastically support the resolution as written (attachment A.) Made by Alan, seconded by Diane- Approved unanimously. Susan suggested we include "City of Character" somewhere in the resolution. Accessible Technology — Tracy indicated that the city staff we should talk with to discuss accessibility web changes is the overall city web master. Action: The accessibility committee will meet with the city web master. Old Business Dial -a -Ride Concerns Fort Collins/Loveland Para -transit Connection - Fox Trot is very unreliable and the COD would like to see both cities' para-transit systems work together to provide dependable, quality service between Loveland and Fort Collins for the disabled. Action: Susan will draft a letter regarding the COD's concerns to be sent to the consultants with a copy to the council. Dial -a -Ride Pickup — Dial -a -Ride has a policy that prohibits drivers from entering homes to help the disabled get out the door. Paul relayed a specific case of an individual who has been stuck in her home and not able to get to the doctor. Transfort was contacted and the only reason given was that it was a "rule." Susan is on the Dial -a -Ride advisory committee and said that the insurance company will not let a driver cross the threshold of the home. It has been an issue for the committee for a long time. The COD would like to know the reasoning behind the rule and if there is any way to provide an exception. Action: Tracy will issue an invitation to Marlis (Dial -a -Ride supervisor) to attend a COD meeting to discuss and bring documentation regarding this rule. New Business, Parks and Recreation Liaison The parks and recreation board would like our liaison (Laura) to attend their meetings (0 Wednesdays at 5:30 pm at the North end of the new city building) as they have concerns regarding construction of new parks and accessibility issues, especially around playgrounds and trail accessibility. Concern: Laura brought up a concern that the new city skateboarding park does not require helmets. Laura can bring up this issue at the Parks and Recreation board. Loveland Handicap Advisory Council is having a Barrier Awareness Day on Tuesday, May 14 from 8:00 am — 1:30 pm at the Loveland Library. Meeting adjourned at 1:40 pm Respectfully submitted, Jill Lancaster (Attachment A) RESOLUTION 02 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SUPPORTING THE EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING WITH FEATURES THAT PROVIDE BASIC ACCESS AND FUNCTIONALITY TO ALL OCCUPANTS AND VISITORS WHEREAS, no federal, State of Colorado, or City of Fort Collins regulations or programs presently exist that encourage or require individual single-family houses, multiple -story townhouses, multiple -housing unit buildings containing less than four housing units, and other multiple -housing unit buildings located on properties that contain less than a total of eight housing units, to be constructed with practical features that provide basic access and functionality for people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities; and WHEREAS, many people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities are discouraged from visiting family and friends because of design barriers that prohibit or make access to and functionality within most housing impractical to many, and WHEREAS, there is a very limited number of residences available for purchase or rent with features that provide basic access and functionality to people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities, and. WHEREAS, the proportion of the general population with special mobility needs who continue to remain active is increasing due to medical and technological advances; and WHEREAS, much of the general population at some point in life will incur an extended temporary or permanent condition that results in physical limitations or special needs related to mobility or to performing basic daily life tasks, and WHEREAS, increasingly more people are facing or will face loss of independence and having to leave their homes for institutional or assisted care living facilities, becoming more dependant on social and public services because most homes do not provide basic access and functionality features for people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities, and WHEREAS, the cost of installing basic access and functionality features for people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities during the construction process is significantly lower than the cost of installing those same features after construction; and WHEREAS, the Commission on Disability has several functions as prescribed in Section 2-153 of the City Code, including the following: "To form special committees including non -commission consultants or specialist to address issues affecting the well-being of individuals with disabilities;" "To recommend to the city design requirements that ensure accessibility;" "To serve as advocates among city departments, private businesses and the community on behalf of individuals with disabilities." and WHEREAS, the Commission on Disability formed a special committee represented by the Commission on Disability, the Home Builders Association of Northern Colorado, private consulting business, and City staff to investigate the concept of a voluntary program designed to encourage construction of housing units that are not otherwise regulated by federal, State of Colorado, or City of Fort Collins regulations with respect to accessibility features, to be built with basic access and functionality for all residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the Commission's said special committee is proposing a program dubbed, "Practical Housing for All (PHA)", the purpose of which is (a) to create awareness among designers, builders, and the community at large of the need for providing basic access and functionality features for people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities; and (b) to encourage those fundamental elements being included on the first or main floor of new housing units that are not otherwise regulated by federal, State of Colorado, or City of Fort Collins with respect to accessibility features, and WHEREAS, the Commission on Disability, the Affordable Housing Board, the Building Review Board, the Planning and Zoning Board, and the Home Builders Association of Northern Colorado support the purpose and the inclusion of the practical housing features proposed under PHA as stated herein; and WHEREAS, the City Council believes it is in the interest of all citizens of and visitors to Fort Collins, that the City encourage the construction of more housing with practical functional features that provide all people, residents and visitors alike, regardless of individual mobility and ambulatory abilities, the fundamental freedom to enter and use a home. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that it supports the purpose of PHA and efforts to encourage the inclusion of the basic practical features as described below that foster independence and enable people of all ages and widely varying mobility and ambulatory -related abilities through appropriate voluntary incentive programs such as tax rebate programs, fee deferral programs, specialized processing consideration and through certification and recognition of builders that construct PHA -eligible housing,; and., which housing t includes new housing units that are not otherwise regulated by federal, State of Colorado, or City of Fort Collins with respect to accessibility features and which housing incorporates the following five basic access and functionality features in the main or first floor: 1. A wheel -chair accessible exterior route is provided to a ramped or no -step accessible entrance and entry door with any ramp along such route not exceeding a slope of 1 in 12. 2. A minimum of standard, 32-inch wide, interior passage doors. 3. A minimum 36-inch wide wheel -chair accessible route is maintained throughout the first or main floor except as otherwise provided at doorways. 4. Bathrooms and toilet rooms are constructed with built-in structural reinforcement in walls for future installation of assist bars and at least one such room is provided that contains no less than a lavatory and a water closet with a clear distance of 56 inches measured perpendicular from the wall behind the water closet to the opposing wall; and, that such rooms in which the access door opens inward are provided with a 30- inch by 48-inch clear floor space beyond the arc of the door swing. 5. Electrical switches, outlets, thermostats, and service panels are located within 15 and 48 inches above the floor.