HomeMy WebLinkAboutm2007_09_14Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities
September 14, 2007
A meeting for the Brookings Committee for People who Have Disabilities was held at 2:00
p.m. on Friday, September 14, 2007 in the Brookings City Hall with the following members
present: Kurt Cogswell, Emily Bennett, Lisa Sonnenburg Dave Bertelson, Nancy Hartenhoff-
Crooks, and Dave Miller. Dona Kornbaum, Victoria Riggs, Erin Brubakken, Jeff Vostad and
Tom Schaffer were absent.
A enda. Updating the employment booklets was added to the agenda. The amended
agenda was adopted.
Schedule next meeting - Next meeting of the committee is scheduled for Friday, October 12,
2007 at 2:00 p.m.
Brookings area. Dennis Falken, Brookings City Manager, was at the meeting to discuss the
proposed project with the Committee. His primary concern was how to keep the data updated.
Outdated data was just as harmful as no data. He recently learned that the Brookings
Telephone Company offers phone equipment adaptations to people with disabilities who apply.
There is a form that is filled out and the Company updates the information annually. He
suggested there might be a mechanism for the program.
Falken thought the information should be updated two or three times per year. The Committee
discussed the possibility of committee members or another organization maintaining the data.
Confidentiality was also a concern and would need to be addressed. Distribution of the E911
forms should be limited in the beginning to offices and locations where people with disabilities
are known to utilize (i.e. doctors' offices, vocational rehab, and hospital).
Once the Committee is ready to go with the project, the Police Chief will need to be contacted.
It was noted that a "special needs registry" for emergency management personnel to use in the
event of an evacuation and an E911 registration form were two different things. Thornes
distributed two Special Needs Registry examples her staff had found on the internet.
Cogswell will review the examples and draft a new form for Committee review.
Employment Booklet. More booklets are needed for upcoming presentations. Cogswell will
order 200.
"Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility", Rapid City - Oct. 24`h & 25m
No members were able to make this conference. Thornes said she offered Brookings as a
future host to the workshop and possibly host the conference on campus.
Project Updates/Reviews:
Update on City Budget - Thornes reported that the City Council will take final action on the
budget on September 25`h. Approval is expected of the Committee's full request of $3,050
for the 2008 fiscal year.
October Awareness Activities tt Governor's Awards - The Luncheon to recognize
Governor's Awards nominees will be held on Tuesday, October 23rd. Bennett asked if the
Mayor was available to make the presentations and if Cogswell could introduce the Mayor ft
say a few words. Suggested nominees include:
o Employer of less than 100: Pizza Hut, Mills Property Management, and McDonald's.
o Employer of more than 100: 3M
o Citizen with a disability: Victoria Riggs
o Public Employee: Nancy Hartenhoff -Crooks
o Meritorious Service - pending
o Employee - Pending
• Summer Arts Festival Access -At a previous meeting Thornes said she heard from other
city management personnel that the aisles in the antique section of the festival were too
narrow and impassable by a wheelchair. She also questioned if wheelchairs were
provided at this year's event. Cogswell reported back that
ADA Coordinator's Report:
• Update on Pioneer Park Band Shelf project - Thornes circulated a copy of the final
architectural ft engineering report on the historic city band shell located in Pioneer Park.
Architecture Incorporated, a firm from Sioux Falls, prepared the report which will now
serve as a baseline for the restoration of the structure.
Downtown Streetscape Project. The schedule for the downtown streetscape project is as
follows:
✓ September 26 £t 27
• Coordinate preliminary drawing sheet index and overall drafting requirements.
• Confirm geometry and alignment for roadway, intersection nodes and mid -block
crossing.
• Discuss construction sequencing and phasing requirements.
• Determine consultant requirements need for Design Development Submittal.
• Schedule design development review w/ City of Brookings sometime toward the
end of October.
• Identify information needed by consultants to maintain project schedule.
• Review and update project schedule.
• Identify other design and coordination issues.
✓ October - Review of draft plans
• State Historic Preservation Commission
• ADA Access Team tt ADA Coordinator
✓ November 8t December - finalizing plans
✓ January 2008 - Advertise for bids
✓ February 2008 - Open & Award bids
✓ April 2008 - Project commences
✓ September 2008 - Completion
2
On September 13" Thornes met with Marc Hoelscher, PE, Federal Highway Administration, SD
Division, Quality Et Operations Engineer, Kenneth Erlenbusch, Federal Highway
Administration, SD Division, Realty Ft Civil Rights Specialist, and Jackie Lanning, City
Engineer, Brookings for a Pedestrian Accessibility Assessment. The Federal Highway
Administration is under Federal mandate to conduct an assessment of all recipients of
federal -aid highway funds. Currently they are conducting a pedestrian accessibility
assessment of all 14 South Dakota "First Class" municipalities (i.e. over 5,000 in population).
Prior to the review, the FHA representatives independently toured the city to view sidewalk
and curb ramps conditions.
Thornes and Lanning completed a questionnaire scoring 100% on responses with all items
meeting compliance.
Best Practices/ Improvement Ideas:
✓ Contact Kyle Mathies, City Engineer, in Spearfish for a copy of curb ramp assessment
form/tool that he uses.
✓ DOT has hired June Hanson, ADA Coordinator, and 4 interns to map statewide projects via
GIS. Ask her to make a presentation at a future conference.
✓ Could make improvements to annual review process. Better tracking of progress is
needed to prove what improvements have been made.
✓ Add "assurances language" to future project Resolutions to include a written assurance to
the FHWA that it will not discriminate on the basis of disability in the provision of its
programs, services, activities, and facilities, and that it will be in compliance with Section
504 and all its requirements.
✓ We offered to host a future "DESIGNING PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES FOR ACCESSIBILITY"
training course in Brookings. Contacted SDSU Disability Services Coordinator Et the
Brookings Committee for People who have Disabilities to serve as co -hosts of the
workshop.
✓ Very interested in obtaining transition plan software.
Compliance Action Steps:
1. Modify City Resolutions pertaining to urban DOT street projects
2. Purchase TTD/TTY for City Hall (meet requirements having at Police, but should also
be one at City Hall).
3. Develop process for tracking curb ramp £t sidewalk improvements / annual report to
City ADA Coordinator.
Tentative October Agenda Items:
✓ October Employment Awareness Month
✓ Governor's Awards
✓ Emergency Response Project
Announcements /Correspondence/Calendar.
• Focus on Ability, Sept/Oct 07
• ADA Leadership Network - Conference Call Highlights - 8/23/07
• DBTAC Summer 07 Newsletter
• "In -Focus" Summer 07 Newsletter
See "Hospitality: Top 10 Tips for Operators"
• Oct 24 £t 24, 2007 Training - Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility - Rapid City
• Dec. 6`h - Mayor's Christmas Party
May 12-14, 2008 National ADA Symposium ft Expo - St. Louis, MO
Meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
Submitted by Shari Thornes, Brookings City Clerk