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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDisMinutes_2013_02_22Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities February 22, 2013 A meeting of the Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities was held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013 in the Brookings City & County Government Center with the following members present: Jeff Vostad, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, Dave Miller, Lonnie Bayer, Matt Simet, Alan Davis, Geoffrey Graff, Kathy Heylens, Sylvia Lozada and Nadine Gjerde. Jessie Kuechenmeister was absent. Shari Thornes was present. Miller called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. Chamber of Commerce entrance design, “Train the Trainer,” and the Governor’s Awards were added to the agenda. The agenda was adopted. The January minutes were approved. Next meeting – March 22nd @ 2:00 p.m. NEW BUSINESS Brookings Summer Arts Festival. Shari Avery, BSAF Member, said the BSAF committee was told the direction of traffic flow for this year’s event is yet to be determined due to the Sixth Street construction project. There is optimism that other impacts of construction will be mitigated as much as possible during the event. They are working with the DOT and city officials to coordinate details. Enforcement of parking on the east side of the park was discussed. Miller expressed his frustration as someone who has attempted to utilize van spots. There seemed to be a question about who had enforcement authority. Parking attendants should be trained on accessible parking locations and the purpose and location of van accessible parking. Avery said the Committee aggressively advertises the location of accessible parking. Accessible shuttles were provided in the past but were discontinued due to lack of use. Hillcrest Elementary Restroom Remodel Phase II – Program Review. The Committee and Thornes reviewed the proposed restroom remodel at Hillcrest Elementary. A family restroom is located in the office. There should be signage at the group bathrooms indicating location of family restroom. Since the family restroom is located inside an office suite, there should be additional signage in the hallway directing people around the corner. No other changes were recommended. Recommendations on 2013 Sidewalk/Curb Ramp Replacement Routes. The City Engineer provide a map of the city indicating current compliant and non-compliant curb ramps. The Committee was asked to provide input on priority ramp locations for the 2013 construction season. The Engineer also noted that the following streets will also get new ramps as part of a street project: 12th Street South from Main Ave to Medary Ave; 17th Ave South from 6th Street to 8th Street South; 3rd Street from Main Avenue to 22nd Avenue and around Rotary park on State Street. The City has also checked the intersection at 4th St & 9th Ave (with the mail box in the ramp). Due to slope and alignment, the Engineer is unsure how to correct the intersection. The City is open to design suggestions. The Committee made the following recommendations: 1) 8th Street , 2) Medary Avenue, north of 6th Street to campus, and 3) Around government buildings . 6th Street Project – Medary Avenue to Main Avenue. Last month, the City received correspondence from the SD Department of Transportation Environmental requesting written comments and concerns regarding proposed project P-PH 0014(179)419 PCN 027B – US14 from Main Avenue to Medary Avenue in Brookings including the intersections of US 145th Avenue and US 14/7th Avenue. Three blocks of the Central Residential National Historic District abut the proposed project on the south. Four and one-half blocks of the University Residential Historic District abut the proposed project on the north. The proposed project would eliminate the north and south boulevards and tree canopy. On January 16, Mayor Reed sent a letter to the SD Secretary of Transportation inviting him to Brookings to discuss this project. The Brookings City Council has identified this issue as a project to monitor (see 2013 Strategic Plan excerpt below). City Engineer Jackie Lanning was assigned as the lead staff on the issue. “Planning/monitoring involvement with SDDOT on Highway 14 upgrades Commentary: The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) will be undertaking major reconstruction of Highway 14 from the ‘diagonal’ to Main Avenue; and planning for improvements to 14B and future re-construction projects from Main Avenue to 34th Avenue in future years. The first phase of construction and the planning of subsequent phases will be done by SDDOT in 2013. As the single-most significant transportation corridor in Brookings, the City needs to be an active participant with SDDOT in their planning process to insure the best interests of the community are addressed as SDDOT undertakes this project.” Public Education Campaign Ideas. A subcommittee of Bayer, Davis, Lozada and Kuechenmeister was formed to develop a strategy for disseminating disability related public education information. Statewide Conference Call. The statewide ADA Local Network affiliates conference call has been scheduled for Friday, March 22nd at 9:30 a.m. The following members are available to participate: Hartenhoff-Crooks, Heylens, Kuechenmeister, Miller, Gjerde, Bayer and Simet. Hartenhoff-Crooks, Vostad and Thornes will meet to develop talking points. PROJECT & ISSUE UPDATES: Public Education on Sidewalk Snow Removal. Thornes learned that the City Community Development/Code Enforcement Department will not be issuing fines for snow removal violations. Anyone being fined must be served by a law enforcement officer. The City said it’s too expensive to serve anyone living outside of Brookings. Code Enforcement sends warning letters requiring compliance within a specified timeline. The City will clean private property and bill for costs. The Committee asked to see a copy of the letter. How often are the letters sent? Discuss Possible Revisions to the Committee Enabling Ordinance. No changes were proposed at this time. Local Accessibility Concerns. The 9Bar has not corrected the entrance. Italian Gardens removed the path of travel obstruction. Bayer and Thornes will meet to discuss plans for another local concern. National ADA Symposium. The National ADA Symposium will be held in San Antonio, Texas, May 12-15. ADA Network members are eligible to receive a $1000 stipend for registration and expenses. To be eligible for funding, members must have successfully completed certification requirements. Hartenhoff-Crooks, Bayer, Vostad and Miller expressed interest. Thornes will check with Kuechenmeister. Govenor’s Awards Nominations. The Governor’s Awards “long form” nominations are due on February 28th. Simet will prepare and submit the Brookings nomination. Chamber of Commerce Entrance. The Committee reviewed plans to install a vestibule in the Chamber of Commerce building located at 414 Main Avenue. There were path of travel concerns with the proposed design. Graff and Thornes will view the property and provide recommendations. Other Business: Correspondence/Announcements/ Calendar May 13-15 National ADA Symposium, San Antonio July Durable Medical Equipment Drive July 28th Ice Cream Social, Pioneer Park Sept ____ ABLE Awards March Agenda: Ordinance Amendments Meeting adjourned at 3:53 p.m. Submitted by Shari Thornes