Disability Advisory Commission

City of Fresno 2600 Fresno Street Meeting Room A (2165) Meeting Minutes - Final Fresno, CA 93720 Disability Advisory Commission Chairperson Frances Reyes Acosta Vice Chair Tiffany Potter Board Member (ex officio) Carlos Duarte Board Member Ken Elvington Board Member Heather Flores Board Member Dr. Jenelle Pitt Board Member Mary Beth Randall Board Member Kyra Schleef DAC Secretary Shannon M. Mulhall Tuesday, January 10, 2017 10:00 AM City Hall 2600 Fresno Street Regular Meeting 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Reyes Acosta at 10:06am. No quorum. Present 4 - Chairperson Frances Reyes Acosta, Board Member (ex officio) Carlos Duarte, Board Member Ken Elvington, and Board Member Mary Beth Randall Excused 3 - Vice Chair Tiffany Potter, Board Member Heather Flores, and Board Member Dr. Jenelle Pitt Absent 1 - Board Member Kyra Schleef 2. Approval of Minutes ID17-73 Approval of the Disability Advisory Commission Minutes from December 13, 2016 AS there was no quorum, no action could be taken on this item. 3. Member Reports and Comments Chair Reyes Acosta reported that there will be a community meeting on 1/12/17, 5:30pm - 7:30pm regarding Transportation for Inspiration Park. Director Marshall from Public Transportation and Director Mozier from Public Works will be available to answer questions. The meeting will be held at City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 1 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission Parc Grove Commons, located at Fresno/Clinton. 4. Secretary's Report Secretary Mulhall thanked the DAC for their letters of support for recent grant applications.There have been almost $3 million in recent project awards that directly improve accessibility. These include the Midtown Fresno School Area Multimodal Interconnectivity Project, Intersection Improvements to Increase Active Transportation along Bus Rapid Transit Project, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program. 5. Unscheduled Communication / Public Comments Yonas Paulos addressed the commission, stating that he is happy about the new 15 minute buses. He has ongoing concerns about the lighting at Manchester Transit and Downtown bus shelters. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons desiring to address the DAC on any matter not on this agenda (presentation are limited to 3 minutes per person). The DAC is generally legally prohibited from taking any action on informationpresented in unscheduled communication until subsequent meetings. 6. Action Items ID17-74 Citywide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self Evaluation Update Public Input Meeting Secretary Mulhall provided an overview of the Self Evaluation Update project. The floor was opened for Commissioners comments and questions. Member Duarte commented that he concurs that is a great need for accessible on-street parking and is glad to see this in the action steps. Chair Reyes Acosta commented that she is concerned about the lack of mention of individuals with intellectual disabilities. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 2 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission Mulhall responded that after last months meeting she verified that the Police Department does have mandatory training related to working with individuals who have mental health, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. It is her intent to change the wording within this plan from a focus on people who live with autism spectrum disorders to a broader category that includes a wider range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also noted that within the mandatory annual training is another opportunity to incorporate more information about how to work with individuals with unseen disabilities. Member Duarte made mention that the homeless, especially veterans, are often living with these kinds of unseen disabilities. Member Elvington stated that especially within law enforcement situation, when working with a person who is having difficulties it may be a challenge to correctly identify what that person's needs or circumstances are within a situation. The key focus needs to be on providing ongoing training as this is a perishable skill, not just a one-time thing. It also bears noting that there tends to be trends of focus, such as currently on autism spectrum disorders, and that the training needs to be responsive to the community needs at the time. The floor was opened for public comments. Sarah Harris addressed the commission with questions about the target date for this to be brought before council and if the public will be notified so that they may address the council. Harris stated that there also needs to be a note of the need for alternative formats, including Braille and large print. She asked if the courthouse was under the City jurisdiction. Mulhall responded that the target is to bring to Council by March 16, 2017 and the public will be invited to attend. She also indicated that the pending Effective Communication Policy includes procedures for the provision of alternative formats. The courthouse is not under the city jurisdiction. Reva Guimont addressed the commission. She applauds the City's efforts with the Police Department. She appreciates the commissions comments about the need to broaden these steps to include not just people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is a parent of a daughter who lives with a disability who falls on the autism spectrum disorder. The efforts with the Police City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 3 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission Department does need to address disabilities that manifest in behaviors that are misunderstood. Their family has experienced law enforcement involvement. She is supportive of collaboration for both sides to meet to develop some positive experiences. She is excited for the possibilities and positive outcomes from these efforts. Yonas Paulos addressed the commission. He indicated that he has Traumatic Brain Injury from concussions, vision loss and has experienced some negative interaction with law enforcement. He believe that there is a need for police to have training and sensitivity toward those like him who have had concussion or other issues similar. Glenna Gammel addressed the commission. She has a daughter and grandson with intellectual disabilities. They have had issues with social workers not getting things right for them. She has years of experiences working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. No further comments from the public were received. 7. Subcommittee Reports 7-A. Outreach Subcommittee Appointed to this subcommittee are Chair Reyes Acosta, Member Pitt, Member Flores (alternate) and community member Gabriel Diaz. Chair Reyes Acosta reported that work on the outreach media booklet continues. The floor was opened for comments from members of the public. No members of the public wished to comment on this item. 7-B. Transportation Subcommittee Appointed to this subcommittee are Chair Reyes Acosta, Member Duarte, FAX Assistant Director Jim Schaad, FAX Operations Manager Elizabeth Watlington, Handy Ride Operations Manager Noella Rios (Paul Kwiatkowski, alternate), Community Member Bill Hyatt, Community Member Sarah Harris. Member Duarte asked Jeff Long to report on FAX15 launch, Manchester Transit Center (MTC) and courthouse remodeling projects, and the recent meeting to test the transfer and change cards in the fare boxes for City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 4 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission accessibility for people who are blind/visually impaired. Long reported that FAX15, with 15 minute route frequencies on Shaw and on Cedar, launched the day before. MTC remodel is beginning, so the center is closed to buses, but currently still has staff for passes for the next 2-4 weeks. After that time these services will be relocated inside the mall. Anticipated duration of closure is 6-9 months. The courthouse project is continuing with good progress. Long and Subcommittee member Harris reported that they met to test options for the transfer and change cards to make them more accessible for people who are blind/visually impaired. Long discovered that suggested options such as folding or punching tickets can damage the fair boxes and it would impact the warranty if personnel modified or encouraged modification of the cards. He indicated that the machine does make an audible distinction when it is ejecting each of the cards that will aid with identification by passengers. Harris indicated that from an advocacy perspective her organizations will work with the local community to assist with setting up individual systems for themselves, much as they do with money. Member Elvington read about the future extension of the bus hours and commended FAX. Long clarified that FAX extended service hours will most likely occur closer to August of this year. As with FAX15, this would probably only be the high-frequency corridors. Harris asked how FAX will ensure that the Handy Ride service continues to be complimentary. Long indicated that they are in discussions about how to implement. Member Reyes Acosta offered letters of support from DAC for any future grant funding for which FAX may be applying. The floor was opened for comments from members of the public. Reva Guilmont addressed the commission to ask how the information about City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 5 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission the changes is provided to the public. responded that it goies out in multiple modes, incluing in the guide, posting staff at MTC to tell people, providing information on the bus, an announcement on the FAX phone number (621-RIDE), website, advertisements in the newspaper, and via a press conference. Glenna Gammel had questions about her specific route changes. Long will address those with her directly after the meeting. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 11:07am. The Disability Advisory Commission welcomes you to Meeting Room A (2165N), located in City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, California 93721. The City of Fresno’s goal is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all respects. The meeting room is physically accessible. If, as an attendee or participant at the meeting, you need additional accommodations such as interpreters, signers, assistive listening devices, or the services of a translator, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at (559) 621-7650 or clerk@fresno.gov. To ensure availability, you are advised to make your request at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. The agenda and related staff reports are available at www.fresno.gov, as well as in the Office of the City Clerk. La Comision Consultiva de Discapacidudes le da la bienvenida al Cuarto de Junta A (2165N), ubicado en la Alcaldía (City Hall), do piso, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, California 93721. El objetivo de la Ciudad de Fresno es cumplir con la Ley de Americanos con Discapacidades (ADA) en todo aspecto. La sala para juntas es físicamente accesible. Si usted, como asistente o participante de la junta, necesita acomodaciones adicionales coma intérpretes, lenguaje de señas, aparatos auditivos, o los servicios de un traductor, por favor comuníquese con la Oficina del Secretario Municipal llamando al (559) 621-7650 o al clerk@fresno.gov. Para asegurarse de la disponibilidad. Se le recomienda llamar y hacer su petición por lo menos 48 horas antes de la junta. La agenda y los reportes de personal correspondientes están disponibles en el www.fresno.gov, o en la Oficina del Secretario Municipal. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 6 Disability Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final January 10, 2017 Commission Tso Disability Advisory Commission tos txais koj rau Meeting Room A (2165N), nyob rau hauv City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, California 93721. Lub hom phiaj ntawm nroog Fresno yuav ua kom tau txhua yam raw li txoj cai American with Disabilities Act (ADA) kom fwm txhua tus. Lub rooj sab laj txhua tus yuav tsum muaj feem koom kom tau, txawm yog cov tuaj koom, cov muaj feem rau lub rooj sab laj, yuav tsum kom muaj kev pab rau sawv daws xws li txhais lus, piav tes, tej twj mloog pob ntseg los yog ib tug txhais lus, thov hu rau Office of the City Clerk ntawm (559) 621-7650 los sis clerk@fresno.gov. Yuav kom paub tseeb tias npaj tau rau koj, koj yuav tsum tau hais ua ntej 48 xuab moos ntawm lub rooj sab laj. Daim ntawv kom tswj thiab tej ntaub ntawv cov ua dej num yuav coj los ceeb tshaj muaj nyob rau ntawm www.fresno.gov, los sis ntawm Office of the City Clerk. City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 7