HomeMy WebLinkAboutBDACMinutes_2021_11_28Brookings Disability Awareness Committee
Date: November 18. 2021
Brookings City and County Government Center
520 3rd St, Suite 230
Brookings, SD
57006
Phone (605) 692-6281
Attendance: Brianna Doran, Alyssa Gentile, Jenny Grendler, Carol Jung, Aysia Platte, Mark
Sternhagen, Matthew Weiss
SDSU Student: Alyssa Gentile
SDSU Liaison: Vacant
County ADA Coordinator: Kristen Witchey
City ADA Coordinator: Susan Rotert
Absent: Ismael (Izzy) Collazo, Rachel Holm, Jon Stauff
Guests: (None.)
1. The meeting was called to order at 12:04 p.m.
2. Approval of Agenda and Minutes
a.Amendments:
i.Add to 6, item 6b: Welcome Alyssa.
ii.Add to 5, item 5d: Discuss Work Plan Taskforce.
A motion to approve the agenda and minutes was made by Jenny, seconded by Mark. The motion
carried by the following votes:
-Yes: Brianna Doran, Alyssa Gentile, Jenny Grendler, Carol Jung, Aysia Platte, Mark
Sternhagen, Matthew Weiss
-No: (-)
3. Officer Updates:
a.Chair
●Discussed Matt's goal of providing a task list and agenda well in advance of the meeting.
●Met with Jon 1:1 to discuss chair-vice chair duties and organizational design of the
committee.
b.Vice Chair
●Not in attendance.
c.Recorder
●No updates at this time.
d.Publicity coordinator
●Congratulated Briana Doran on Mayor's Generational Leadership Award.
●Conferred with BATA to run during "off-hours" (evening, holidays). Cost is approximately
$100/per event.Would like the committee to approve $100 for Mayor's Award ceremony
evening on December 2, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. (the bus would need to run until 9 p.m., following
the 8 p.m. end of ceremony).
A motion was made by Carol, seconded by Brianna. The motion carried by the following votes:
-Yes: Brianna Doran, Alyssa Gentile, Jenny Grendler, Carol Jung, Aysia Platte, Mark
Sternhagen, Matthew Weiss
-No: (-)
●Mark will reconnect with BATA to organize service on the evening of December 2.
●Wants to partner with organizations who have received awards (ABLE, Empower - in 2021,
Cinema 8, Children's Museum of South Dakota), possibly SDSU (contingent on new hire in
ADA role).
e.City ADA coordinator -
●No updates at this time.
f.County ADA coordinator
●No updates at this time.
g.SDSU Liaison
●Position currently unfilled.
4. Public Promotions:
a.Ideas for Q1 Awareness Events
●Mark: Developmental Disabilities (March).
●Brianna: Frost Fest. Will forward e-mail.
●Aysia: Will compile research on relevant topics.
b.Ornaments at Small Businesses during Holidays
●Mark: Offer to committee members first, then give to whoever can take.
●Matt: Ask local businesses.
●Alyssa: SDSU allows clubs to purchase holiday tree and decorate it. She is chapter
president of Best Buddies, board member for Special Olympics on campus.
●Jenny: Can replicate other ornaments that were used in past events.
A motion to provide $100 to sponsor a tree in the Festival of Trees in the SDSU Student Union was
made by Matt, seconded by Jenny. A motion to amend the motion to provide $200 was made by
Mark. A motion to provide $200 to sponsor a tree in the Festival of Trees in the SDSU Student Union
was made by Mark, seconded by Jenny.
The motion carried by the following votes:
-Yes: Brianna Doran, Alyssa Gentile, Jenny Grendler, Carol Jung, Aysia Platte, Mark
Sternhagen, Matthew Weiss
-No: (-)
●Alyssa: Decorating will take place from 1-5 p.m. on Monday, November 29. Will
register in advance of Monday, November 22 deadline. All three organizations (Best
Buddies, Special Olympics, Disability Awareness Committee) will be listed as
sponsors.
●Carol: May be available to help decorate.
5. Committee/Task Force Updates:
a.Marketing Subcommittee
●Mark: Purpose is to promote events in which the committee is involved.
b.Accessibility Task Force
●Matt: Purpose is to respond to private inquiries from community entities regarding
accessibility, within the framework of the city's boundaries.
c.Mayor's Award - Aysia, Brianna, and Jon
●Aysia: All have already submitted information required for Mayor's Award ceremony
(ABLE, Empower awards).
●Susan: Bonnie Foster will invite representatives from Children's Museum of South
Dakota, Cinema 8.
●Matt: Requested RSVPs sent to Bonnie, and Susan has already done so for all
committee members who verbally noted they would attend. Thanked Aysia and
Brianna for effort in assembling information from award recipients.
●Mark: Updated about status of name tags in advance of the award ceremony.
d.Work Plan Task Force
●Matt: Purpose is to create a roadmap for events that will occur in the following year
(including proclamations, community outreach). We want to collaborate with other
organizations in the Brookings community doing great work, without overlap in
sponsoring our own events if something already exists. Jon will lead this effort.
●Carol: Would like to join.
●Mark: Would like to join.
●Alyssa: Would like to join.
●Aysia: Can propose to Izzy. Suggested that Aysia and Mark advise using expertise
from the marketing subcommittee to inform the work plan task force without pushing
the group over quorum.
●Mark: Will advise, without being on the task force.
●Matt: Task force should meet for the first time in the month of December.
6. Other Items:
a.Next meeting date & format
●Susan: Proposed Thursday, December 16 at 12:00 p.m. All in favor. Meeting room is
booked.
b.Welcome Alyssa
●Senior at SDSU, studying psychology, pre-occupational therapy, with a minor in
gerontology.
●Involved in disability advocacy, twin brother has a developmental disability. This
experience has informed career path.
●Started the Best Buddies chapter on SDSU campus, to cultivate 1:1 relationships
between disabled and non-disabled students. Best Buddies collaborates with
Advance.
7. Announcements
●Matt: Reminder to put Mayor's Award ceremony on everyone's calendar on Thursday,
December 2 at 5:30 p.m.
8. Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Jenny, seconded by Aysia. The motion carried by the following
votes:
-Yes: Brianna Doran, Alyssa Gentile, Jenny Grendler, Carol Jung, Aysia Platte, Mark
Sternhagen, Matthew Weiss
-No: (-)
Adjournment at 1:07 p.m.
Submitted by Aysia Platte, Recorder