Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities

Hampton Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities May 9, 2024 Minutes Members Present Liaisons Present Ellen Shackelford, Chairperson Tauib Mohammad – City Manager’s Office Debbie Apperson, Vice Chairperson Sara Snowden – Emergency Management Vivian Austin, Secretary Hui-Shan Walker – City Manager’s Office Gwendolyn L. Burnett, Treasurer Steven Bond – Hampton Interim City Attorney, (excused) Judge Elect Virginia 8th Judicial District General District Court Rev. William E. Anderson Shaeron King – Parks & Recreation Dept. Evelyn Alston Kimberly Judge – Hampton City Schools Venezia Jimenez Robin McCormick – Communications Strategist Dora Parker-Jimenez Tyrell Mullen Guests Sally Jo Nichols Shirley Nettles Dana Reid (excused) John Berry Keene Philip Siff Courtney A. Stovall The meeting was called to order by the Chairperson at 3:00 pm. A roll call was conducted among the members present. The minutes of the last meeting were reviewed with correction(s) and were approved and accepted. The treasurer’s report was represented from last month, as there were no deposits made for the month of April. The treasurer’s report was accepted as read. City Manager’s Office – Ms. Hui-Shan Walker distributed copies of the HMCFPWD Grant applications to all the committee members. Mr. Tauib Mohammad prepared the documents from the web site for the sub-committee to review for possible approval. Once reviewed, the sub-committee presented the information found in the applications to the committee and voted on grant distribution(s). The application can be found on: www.hampton.gov/MayorsCommitteeforPeoplewithDisabilities Under the Grant Application tab. There are two (2) cycles for distribution: Application due date: September 30 – January 1 (winter cycle), March 31 – July 1 (summer cycle). Application deadlines are September 30th (winter), and March 31st (summer). If there are questions regarding the process, inquiries should be sent to: mcfpwd@gmail.com 1 |Page Emergency Management – Sara Snowden shared information regarding the Community Emergency Preparedness Day which was held on Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 10am to 2pm at West Hampton Community Center, 1638 Briarfield Road. It was well attended by two hundred people. There was a total of one hundred fifty emergency kits given out to the attendees. Ms. Ellen Shackelford and Ms. Vivian Austin were manning a table to represent the Individual Needs population. Ms. Snowden expressed her gratitude for their participation. Round Robin Show - Robin McCormick shared information regarding assistance on developing social media presence and how often the committee would have to post content to develop a following of interested individuals using social media (Facebook). In addition, she spoke of creating content for specific groups of interested individuals on a specific topic, and what this would look like. Ms. McCormick gave information about an alternative option of developing a “News Flash” of small bits of information to share with persons interested in topics of interest which would be linked to City of Hampton. This information can be sent to the Marketing department (regularly) and the content would be posted to the web page. Also, to get the word out about the happenings of the HMCFPWD, sharing information about the grant process and what the committee does, it would be helpful to have a presence on the Round Robin Show. She encouraged participation and suggested scheduling a taping by contacting her office for a time and date convenient for the committee. Hampton City Schools - Kimberly Judge shared information on the May 6-10 Teachers Appreciation week. The Jeffery Smith Science Wing at Kecoughtan High School is the recipient of the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association Honor Award. May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. We celebrate all of our (Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), Educational Interpreters and Hearing Specialists. Also, the Hampton High School 2024 Crabbers Invitational in collaboration with Special Olympics, will be held on June 6, 2024 from 10am-1pm for secondary students with disabilities that have significant cognitive delays. Parks & Recreation Department - Shaeron King gave a listing of events happening with Parks & Recreation: Special Olympics – Hampton had their annual track & field meet on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Bethel High School with nearly 50 athletes participating from Hampton and Newport News. There were wonderful volunteers helping us from Target, Sentara and the military. We also participated in track & field in the Chesapeake games on May 5. Next will be the Virginia Beach Games on May 18. We will be participating in bowling and track & field. Summer Camp Registration began on April 8 with eight spots remaining in week one. Sign up now. You may call: 757-251-2826. 2 |Page Committee reports - Accessibility: Ellen Shackelford reported as of April 30, 2024 the updated version of the Hampton Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities Guide has been completed. Our last version was printed and distributed in 2016; the time before this one was 2007. The Excel File has been sent to Sir Speedy for printing and publication. A quantity of 1,200 will be ordered upon approval by the committee. Once the printed guide reaches our hands, the next step is to distribute them in various locations throughout the city. The total cost: $1,452.47 of which no tax will be charged as HMCFPWDS are tax exempt. In addition, Mayor Tuck has sent a message to add to the accessibility guide, which has been sent to Sir Speedy for print as well. A special thank you to Vivian Austin for assisting with combing the streets of Hampton to make this venture a reality, and thank you to Dora Parker-Jimenez, and Sally Jo Nichols for assisting us with phone calls in ensuring contact information, addresses and services were available. This was certainly a huge undertaking but worth the work it took to complete the task. Transportation: Tyrell Mullen & Courtney Stovall reported drivers are getting rehired by the company agent for Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). The call center is located in Norfolk, VA and reservations and fees remain the same. The phone number to contact the agency is: 609-437-3011 – www.gholsinger@eastoncoach.com. The goal is to purchase 57 new buses. Service time for pick up is 7:00am to 11:00pm. The new agent will begin in June 2024. Grant Committee: Vivian Austin, Rev. Anderson, and Philip Siff reported the application was reviewed by the sub- committee and denied because the applicant was a resident of Newport News, VA. The applicant requested funds for blood pressure monitors. Publicity/Luncheon: Tyrell Mullen, Dora Parker-Jimenez, Gwendolyn Burnett (absent), had nothing to report. However, they will consult each subcommittee member to see when they will be able to meet. Newsletter: Rev. Anderson discussed options for social media representation for the HMCFPWD by ways of sharing information on what the committee does. Old/New Business: Old Business - The accessibility guide has been voted on and approved by the committee for purchase of printing and distribution of the price of $1,452.47. The newsletter will appear on a City of Hampton web page “News Flash”. 3 |Page The Excel File of the 2024 Accessibility Guide will be sent to the Hampton Marketing Department. New Business – There was no new business. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05pm. 4 |Page