Appropriations & Oversight Committee — 2023-07-13
Attendance
Christopher Cinella ; Jack Eccles ; Mark Garipay ; Jen Grigoraitis ; Maya Jamaleddine ; Manjula Karamcheti ; Shawn M. MacMaster ; Leila Migliorelli ; John Obremski ; Robb Stewart ; Ryan Williams
Agenda
Minutes
CITY OF MELROSE APPROPRIATIONS & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CALENDAR● JULY 13, 2023 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall Committee Meeting 8:45 PM 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Leila Migliorelli Chair Present Maya Jamaleddine Vice Chair Present Shawn M. MacMaster Present Christopher Cinella Absent Jack Eccles Present Mark Garipay Present Robb Stewart Present Manjula Karamcheti Present John Obremski Absent Ryan Williams Present Jen Grigoraitis President, Ex Oficio Present
INFO-2023-16 Informational Presentation by the Institute for Human Centered Design of a final ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan Report completed on behalf of the City of Melrose Recommend Place on File City Council City of Melrose Page 1 7/24/2023 1:37 PM
Transcript
▶ 1:39:55 Leila Migliorelli: first up on our agendas public comment, I will motion by Ms. Consent to open the floor for public comment. Seeing no objection, we are now open for public comment. This is a portion of the meeting where anyone can speak on any item on our agenda tonight. Um, Mr. Clerk, is, um, anyone online? Uh, not at this time. Okay. If there's no objection, I'd like to close public comment. Seeing none, we are now closed for public comment. Um, since we have members of the Administration slash public here tonight to speak on the item before us, I'd like to motion by unanimous consent to suspend the rules before we proceed. Seeing no objection, the rules are now suspended. Our one and only order tonight is info 2023 dash 16
▶ 1:40:39 Leila Migliorelli: presentation by the Institute for Human-Centered Aging, human-Centered Design of a final ADA Self-Evaluation Transition Plan report completed on behalf of the City of Melrose. Okay, sure. Yeah. Tonight we have, um, the institute or members of the Institute for Human-Centered Design, um, presenting remotely as well as, um, mayor Broder, um, David Hoff, the commission disability chair, and our other hearing board. He's vice chair, also from the Vice Chair. Thank you for the title. Um, nice to have you all here today. Um, I don't know how you'd like to get started. If you wanna intro the presentation, I'm gonna speak extremely briefly. I'm gonna kick it over to these guys who, again, introduce the folks doing the presentation.
▶ 1:41:31 Paul Brodeur: I mostly just want to say thank you to the community, to the staff, um, and to, to the commission, obviously to our consultants, um, for the work that they did. We got a lot of bank from our, our buck, you'll recall you all, um, approved, uh, grant money that allowed this to, uh, allowed this to go forward. And it is, um, particularly for a young, quite frankly, commission on disability with a lot of different ways they can go. I have seen, um, uh, other communities or other groups, um, that take a long time figuring out kind of where they want to go or how they can even put some guardrails around what, what the work is they want to do. Uh, and this is an, an incredible start. It is, um, quite frankly,
▶ 1:42:20 Paul Brodeur: sobering because it points to a lot of, um, things that we can do that we can do better and that are gonna cost, quite frankly, a lot of money. But, you know, anecdotally, there were several folks known on the council who suggested you don't want to go there because that is what you're going to learn. Um, I'm not sitting here suggesting that we have multiple millions of dollars to address everything that you're going to hear about tonight. Uh, but honestly, shame on us if we didn't make the effort to identify what those needs are. Cuz without that, we can't make the decisions that we want to need, particularly given the, the nature of the resources, uh, we have or, you know, we have available to us. So with that,
▶ 1:43:06 I will close my mouth and turn it over to, um, chair Hoff. Okay. Uh, thank you Mr. Mayor. And thank you, um, for this opportunity to share the findings of this report. And, uh, thank you to our, our entire commission as our vice chair Garn Boyd, as with me this evening. Uh, just really quick, cuz I know it's late. Um, I'll turn it over to H C d. Just real quick background. Um, this project, which was funded by the mass office and disability, uh, with great cooperation from the city, and thank you to all, as the mayor said, the cooperation of the city. Um, it is, this is a legal requirement. This is not something we just, uh, conducting a self-evaluation, an ADA transition plan is a legal requirement under the Americans Disabilities
▶ 1:43:49 Act. The last one was done in 1996, and I think we believe that's the only one that was ever done for the city. So long overdue. As, as the mayor said, this is really, you know, it's a long term plan. How to ensure that not only is the city of Melrose in compliance with the Americans of Disabilities Act in terms of the city buildings, facilities, and policies, but also that it is, you know, as fully accessible and welcoming and Twilio community for all. Uh, so we're real excited by this plan. We know it's as, as the mayor said, it's a bit sobering, uh, cuz there's a lot in there. But we, we knew that going in, given the infrastructure of the city and all that. So, without further ado, uh, I'm gonna turn it over to, uh, Anna,
▶ 1:44:28 Jillian and David West from the Institute for Human-Centered Design. Who, uh, uh, did the work on this report. So take it away. Well, David, um, my name is Anna. I'm here with my colleague, um, David West. And we are going to go over the findings, uh, that we, um, have from the city. Uh, I will go be going through the findings regarding the policies, practices, and procedures, uh, for the city. And then David will go over, uh, the findings, uh, for the buildings, for the buildings and other facilities. Um, I dunno if I can share my screen or should I go ahead and share my screen? Uh, yes. Uh, okay. Okay. I guess I, I'm, I'm looking at, I'm looking at hand signals in the room here, so, okay. There we go. Yep.
▶ 1:45:27 There we go. Yep. Okay. Okay, Here we go. So, as David mentioned, we are here from the Institute for Human Center Design, and, um, we were hired by the city to pro conduct a self evaluation and provide a transition plan for this, uh, uh, for the transition plan for this city. So our scope of work, um, included the evaluation of the, of program services and activities, which is an infrastructure of policies and procedures that support program access. Uh, it also included the evaluation of facilities and the A D C evaluation, which is a comprehensive data about the current state of compliance that identifies issues that need collective action and gaps in policies and procedures. So, um, the key aspect of the American With Disabilities Act is
▶ 1:46:48 to make sure that the city does not discriminate against people with disabilities in the program services and activities. And also that the city must take steps to examine their programs and establish a plan for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, um, for the evaluation of programs, services and activities, uh, we provided a report, uh, that summarizes our findings of the ADA title to compliance. And the information was obtained by, um, an online a d a questionnaire developed by us, the Institute for Human Centered Design, and submitted by 20 departments, which, uh, it was a very good turnout. It shows the city's commitment to improve accessibility, also information from the city's website,
▶ 1:47:49 and feedback from the Disability Commission. So there are some, uh, key requirements that the A A D A requires from cities and towns to make sure that they comply with the law. One of them is the designation of a responsible employee. Uh, the City of Melrose has, uh, designated two employees as the ADA coordinators. One is the building commissioner, and the second person is the Human Resources director. So, again, um, going beyond what the, the A D A requires, which is to have one a d a coordinator, uh, grievance procedures, the city has appropriate grievance procedure. But the, the issue was that, uh, the respondents, the people from the department are respondent to the questionnaire was, uh,
▶ 1:48:47 saying that, um, they are not aware of the existence of the CVA procedure and the notice of the a d a requirements. Again, the city has a notice of non-discrimination. But the same thing in respondents. Um, most of respondents are not sure if or where the notice is posted. The notice should be posted in mo in prominent duties in a prominent location. So members of the public can see the notice, uh, that the city does not discriminate against people with disabilities. And employees must know where to find that. Notice there level notification of policies, practices, and procedures. There is no evidence that the city has failed to modify policies and procedures. But again, um, staff didn't. They were not aware of the process to provide, um,
▶ 1:49:46 a reasonable regarding a employment and reasonable accommodation. There is no evidence that the city has failed to provide accommodations for its employees. In fact, there is, uh, in the equal employment opportunity, there is an equal employment opportunity, uh, statement on the city's website. And the employment manual identifies the a d as a law that the city complies with. And finally, effective communication, uh, o Cary aids and services, the city must ensure that communication with people with disabilities is as effective as communication with people without disabilities. Uh, based on, um, survey responses, it would be beneficial for the city to clarify its process on effective communication, uh, with trainings. Uh,
▶ 1:50:40 I must say that this questionnaire was sent to us, uh, before the training was provided. The, the City of Melrose has, uh, we are home to the New England Aada Center, which is one of 10 centers around the country, providing 10 training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our director of training, our former director of training, Kathy Gibbs, she provided, uh, training on the requirements of the A D A back in November, the basis for the self-evaluation. We review all facilities for compliance with the 2010 a d standards of accessible design. And with the requirements of the rules and regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, we review for compliance with both and provided recommendations based
▶ 1:51:37 on the one that provide more accessibility. Then for each building, for each, uh, facility that was, uh, surveyed, we provided a building report, which contains a basic information about the building, including the location of entrances, exits, vertical circulation, interior layout and functions. It also has the key accessibility issues and some, um, order of mandated cost estimates. And the cost estimates is material only. There is no labor or design or unforeseen conditions or overhead. And together with the building report, it was a building catalog, which is, which is a database of records of each building element that is not compliant with regards with, uh, one or more applicable accessibility code.
▶ 1:52:38 So each record in the catalog contains a photo, a floor, and location. Information and elements list of issues with measurements is possible, possible remedies and cost estimate. So for each building, or each, uh, outdoor area, or each school building that was, uh, surveyed, we provide those two, uh, reports. And then the key, uh, requirement under the A d A is to make sure that programs are provided in a more integrated setting appropriate. So there are three strategies to ensure access to programs, services and activities. One is the relocation of programs, services, and activities within the current facility. So, for instance, if there is a program that is, uh, being offered on a second floor of a building that doesn't have an elevator or
▶ 1:53:33 doesn't have an accessible route, uh, the program can be relocated to the accessible level. Another strategy to ensure, uh, programs, um, services and activities are provided in a more integrated setting is to relocate a program to another facility if the facility is not accessible at all, or renovate renovation of the facility to ensure access to program services and activities. And that is when the program cannot be, uh, relocated. So in that case, uh, renovation must be provided. And now David is going to go over the findings, uh, for our, um, in the, in the buildings and other areas. Thank, thank you Anna. Um, so we have some images in the next few slides that show, uh, some representative, uh, issues that we found in different buildings.
▶ 1:54:38 Uh, starting here with City Hall, uh, at the top left, we see a non-accessible entrance. It's not accessible, uh, for people with mobility disabilities because of the staircase. And, uh, what we would like to see, there is a directional sign that lets a visitor know the location of the nearest accessible entrance. Um, and again, in the top row in the center, uh, we see a service counter That doesn't include a lower portion that would work well for someone of short stature or, uh, again, uh, uh, typically someone in a wheel mobility device. Uh, we, the ADA wants the counter heights to be, uh, at least for a portion of it, no higher than 36 inches. And that's not the case here in this particular image.
▶ 1:55:22 Uh, top row all the way to the right, uh, we see an elevator and on the floor that the main entry and egress level in the case of an emergency, uh, both inside the elevator, on the elevator buttons and outside the elevator at the elevator door, jambs, um, there should be a star, uh, that, uh, lets someone know that, that that's the floor of egress. Uh, in the bottom, uh, we, at bottom left, we see, uh, some doors that lead immediately to an accessible entrance. Uh, meaning, uh, for example, that someone with a Mobi mobility disability or anyone else, uh, could exit this door and immediately get away from the building, uh, in case of emergency or for whatever reason, and not worry that they were,
▶ 1:56:08 would encounter a staircase or something along those lines. And when we have an egress like this, and there's an illuminated exit sign, um, there should also be an illuminated international symbol of accessibility at the sign that's the, uh, wheelchair symbol that you see at accessible parking spaces, for example, or accessible toilet rooms. And it's, uh, very helpful for people with disabilities to be able to see those. They, they know instantly that they can head that way and safely get out of the building. They need to, um, bottom center, uh, the ADA always requires, uh, that, uh, drinking fountains are in pairs. Uh, they don't have to be immediately next to each other on the same floor. Um,
▶ 1:56:52 but if there's a drinking fountain for standing users, as is the case in this, uh, image on the same floor, there also needs to be a drinking fountain for seated users. And vice versa. Uh, often you'll see, uh, I'm sure you now that you'll look for it, you'll notice this in many buildings, uh, that there are drinking fountain designs where the two types of drinking fountains, uh, basically connected the same point and they're right next to each other. Um, and then also in city hall, the bottom right, uh, there was a lack of an accessible woman's, uh, toilet room. And, uh, I'm sure what we suggest here is that these two compartments, uh, be converted to provide a, a single accessible compartment. Uh, next slide,
▶ 1:57:32 please. Thank you. Uh, so now at the Milano Center, the top left, uh, there's a lack of an accessible parking space. Uh, there's an accessible cross slope in the access aisle. And, uh, the, the slope in all directions should be no greater than 2%. And, um, for folks who don't have mobility disabilities, that might not, might not seem like much, um, but when the slope is excessive, people with walkers and wheelchair users and others find it very difficult to, uh, navigate. Uh, and, and it can be very unsafe. Uh, and so th this should be regraded and the slope should be reduced. Uh, in the center, we see doors where the landing at a door should be level, uh, and here there's an excessive running slope. Uh, at the right, uh,
▶ 1:58:24 we see lack of a tactile exit sign. And as I look at the image, uh, that there should be a tactile, uh, exit sign with, uh, raised characters in braille, um, between 48 and 60 inches on the left side of the door. And as I look at this, I think there could be an additional problem if the sign were properly located. There also needs to be at least 18 inches of clear floor space at the sign. Uh, the reason we talk about things like that is because people who are low vision or blind are taught to find the lap side of a door and then reach up, uh, where they would expect the, the sign to be, and, and read the braille and know what kind of door they're encountering. On the bottom left. Uh, we see, uh, designation signs,
▶ 1:59:08 uh, at a toilet room. Um, at least the one on the left door, uh, may be compliant, uh, as a sign design, but it, but it, again, it should be on the left side of the door because that's where someone who is low vision would look for it. Um, and then, uh, in this, uh, public meeting room, uh, gathering room at the bottom right, um, if audio communication is essential to the use of the room, and, uh, we think it may be in this case, um, an assistive listening system should be available. There've been a lot of advances in assistive listening systems recently. Uh, many of them, if you have the proper equipment, can work through people's cell phones and that kind of thing. Uh, and they can be portable if the proper equipment is in the room or in the
▶ 1:59:53 building. So, uh, portable system could be moved, uh, between different locations in the building if there was more than one space where an assistive listening system would be required. Next slide please. Here at Memorial Hall, uh, at the top left, we see a ramp that has an excessive running slope. That's the slope that's in the direction of travel. Uh, the sl the slope should be no greater than 8.33%. Uh, and in this case, it was greater than that. Uh, this is a repeat in the center. Again, uh, a non-accessible entrance. We'd like to have a directional sign to the nearest accessible entrance, um, in, uh, this, the image at the right, uh, at at least at, uh, the fixed seating. Uh, there, there are no designated wheelchair spaces. Uh,
▶ 2:00:45 there would be an opportunity to cor to create them, uh, have them available where there's non-fixed seating. Um, and at the bottom left, uh, we see handrails that aren't compliant, uh, uh, at least for the reason that they're not continuous, where they're required. Uh, at the end of the handrail, you can see, uh, post stick up beyond them. And actually, uh, uh, what would, uh, be required is that the handrails extend, uh, 12 inches beyond the landing and the post isn't there. So a person can, uh, run, uh, their hand along the railing without having to remove it so that they can maintain their balance. Uh, in the bottom right, uh, we see lack of a, an accessible single user toilet room at, at level L. Um,
▶ 2:01:29 and there's a variety of issues wrong with the toilet room pictured, uh, including non-compliant grab bars. Uh, there should be a rear and a side grab bar. Uh, it, there appears to not be the floor space, uh, so that someone in the wheelchair could transfer. So there's a lot that would need to be corrected there. Next slide, please. Uh, here at different, uh, uh, schools, uh, some of the exterior issues we saw, um, this, uh, curb ramp leading to the ramp has, uh, an excessive slope. Um, and that makes it, again, di di difficult for people to navigate safely and, and, uh, uh, control their position without falling or losing balance, or losing control of their wheelchair or whatever the case may be. Uh,
▶ 2:02:17 the top center, uh, there's a lack of an accessible route within the playground. This is an issue we see in many, many places. Um, the, uh, 5 21 C M R, uh, that honor reference, the regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, uh, do not allow engineered wood fiber as the, uh, primary accessible route, uh, to under and around play equipment. Um, and that's because, uh, it's not sufficiently impact attenuating, uh, to try to prevent injury. And also because, uh, it basically needs constant maintenance. It piles up in some areas and is completely absent in others. Um, engineered wood fiber can, can exist within the playground, but, uh, it's not what would, what can, uh, be used as the accessible route to move within the playground to get to the
▶ 2:03:08 different unique play. Uh, and at the right, again, we see, uh, something that I referenced before, an excessive slope at an accessible parking space. And, uh, also the access aisle has to be, uh, required width for the full length of the access aisle. And, and it, it's, with this shape, uh, that's not the case. It becomes too narrow at one end. Uh, bottom left, uh, next to the building, you can see a bike rack. Uh, there needs to be a firm stable and slip resistant, uh, accessible surface of sufficient width and slope going to the bike rack and grass does not constitute that kind of surface. And then finally, again, the bottom right, it's a repeat of the top center. Uh, if you see the engineered with fiber, again, um,
▶ 2:03:52 we typically recommend port in place rubber, although there are other solutions, uh, to create an accessible route to under and around each plane line. Next slide, please. Uh, so here's some things in, in the interior of schools that we saw, uh, at the left. This is another example of, uh, a completely accessible egress out of the building in case of emergency. But at that illuminated sign, we received the international symbol of accessibility. Uh, in the center, uh, we see a sink. And the, the problem with this sink, uh, particularly for someone who would be a wheelchair user, is there's no t knee and toe clearance. So they can't, uh, have a forward approach and, and be able to probably reach the controls and use the sink and also
▶ 2:04:39 probably get to that paper towel dispenser. Uh, and if there's a sink in a room that's used by members of the public, at least one sink, uh, needs to be accessible. And that was not the case here. Uh, in the top left, we see a, a stage that has a steps and handrails to access it with handrails just on one side. But the key issue is there's no accessible route to get up there. And if students go up there to address the classroom and that kind of thing, uh, there needs to be some kind of accessible route, which would typically be a ramp, although it could also be a lift. Uh, but something needs to be done so that students, uh, with, with, uh, mobility disabilities can get up to that location. Um,
▶ 2:05:18 at the bottom left at permanent rooms, um, we need to have compliant, uh, designation signage. So, uh, in this case, if it were, say, classroom two 50, uh, the, the, or I actually, I, I'm apologize. I can actually see it's classroom 22. Um, the classroom number is not likely to change. Uh, it's possible that a classroom could change from, say, uh, first grade to second grade from one year to another, or teacher that teaches in the room could change, but the room number is very likely, uh, gonna remain the same indefinitely. Uh, just as, uh, a designation of something like a conference room or a cafeteria, it's not likely to change over time. And in cases like that, uh, we want the kind of sign I was describing earlier with raised characters in
▶ 2:06:05 braille on the latch side of the door, so that someone who is low vision or completely blind, uh, can determine that they've reached room 22 or the conference room, or whatever the case may be. Uh, and the bottom right is another example of a reception, uh, desk, A reception counter that's, uh, uh, doesn't include a lower portion. Next slide, please. Uh, so some issues with toilet rooms. I know I've mentioned, uh, a few of them, but, uh, at the top left, the issue here is that paper towel dispenser sticks out more than four inches from the wall. Uh, blind users or very low vision users who, who use a cane, uh, often run their cane along the wall. And if there isn't something under, uh, an element that sticks out more than four inches, that's 27 inches or lower,
▶ 2:06:54 uh, so perhaps a trash can or a plant or whatever the case may be, uh, uh, that, that low vision or blind person walking along the wall can run right into that element and, uh, really hurt, uh, him or herself. Um, in the center, again, a lack of a wheelchair accessible compartment. All of these compartments are too small and have other issues, and at least, uh, one compartment should be accessible, or, uh, there should be a sign at this toilet room to the nearest accessible compartment. Uh, the top right, um, uh, urinals for adults, if you, if there is a urinal in, in a toilet room, there must be at least one where the rim is no higher than 17 inches, uh, for adults, or no higher than 15 inches for children. Um,
▶ 2:07:36 my understanding is that part of the reason for that is, uh, some people may have a colostomy bag that they need to empty into the urinal. So, uh, and there probably are other reasons as well. But anyway, there's, there's a height requirement that isn't met here. Uh, and at the left bottom, left again, uh, toilet room was not accessible for a variety of reasons. Uh, looking at that photo, I can tell the side, grab bar isn't long enough and, uh, doesn't extend the proper distance, uh, towards the back wall. Uh, and that, uh, toilet paper dispenser, while it doesn't have any toilet paper in it. It's improperly located. Um, it's not clearly shown here, but just to mention, in Massachusetts, dispensers can never be above the gravel.
▶ 2:08:19 Uh, and then the right, um, looking at what the, uh, ADA calls a lavatory, which is a, a sink in a toilet room, um, all of these have exposed plumbing, uh, meaning, uh, pipes that aren't wrapped under the sink. Uh, it's a very inexpensive, uh, fix, but those pipes need to be insulated because, uh, some users, uh, particularly, uh, wheeled mobility device users, in some cases may have no feeling in their legs. And if a lot of hot water has gone through their pipe, those pipes, they can actually burn their legs and not be aware that they're doing it. Uh, so you want at least, uh, one sink, an accessible sink with knee clearance and a proper mirror and so forth, uh, to have wrap pipes. Next slide, please.
▶ 2:09:03 Uh, So some things here in locker rooms, uh, when, uh, showers are provided, looking at the top left, um, there has to be a, a certain percentage of accessible showers, uh, that are on an accessible route. So that, uh, the route has to not have an excessive change in level and, uh, at least for, uh, let's say a transfer shower. There are different shower designs. There have to be things like grab bars and a seat properly located. And in this case, there's a whole series of showers, but, uh, none of them are accessible. Uh, at the right you see a changing room, uh, at least, uh, one in 20, uh, have to have certain accessible features, which include sufficient clear floor space for someone to enter the toilet room,
▶ 2:09:48 and also clear floor space at one side of the, uh, bench so that they can transfer onto the bench. Uh, and we don't see that here. And then in locker rooms, again, a certain percentage of benches, uh, have to have back support clear floor space. Uh, this bench looks like it may have to clear force space, but there were none in this area that had, uh, back support. They also have to have a required depth, and I think this one is also too narrow. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, so here, uh, it's some outdoor facilities. Uh, we see a spectator seating, the bleachers, uh, they're not located on an accessible route. Uh, there, there has to be a firm stable and slope resistant, uh, accessible root with a proper width and proper slopes, uh, leading to, uh,
▶ 2:10:37 spectator seating. And we would also want a firm stable and slip-resistant surface. Uh, next here, at least next to the, uh, lowest bleacher. So someone in a wheeled mobility device, uh, could sit next to a companion who would be on the bleachers or just, uh, sit there by themselves and, uh, watch their friend or son or grandson or whatever the case may be. Uh, the center photo, again, uh, we see, uh, at least if we go all the way around the playground, Massachusetts requires a 48 inch firm stable and slip resistant surface around the playground and distance. We can see that there's just grass. So that's not achieved there. And I think this is also another example of just engineered with fiber within
▶ 2:11:18 the playground, which we don't like. Um, on the right, you see a bench, and again, uh, we need, uh, to at least, uh, at least one on 5% of benches in each, uh, distinct area where there are benches. We need an accessible route to them, firm stable and slip resistant and so on. And then, as a best practice, we always recommend having a firm stable and slip resistant circle at one end of the bench so that, uh, a person with a wheel mobility device or a walker, or whatever the case may be, uh, just as with the spectator seating and the bleachers can sit there with their, uh, friend or, uh, you know, acquaintance, whatever, uh, the case may be. Uh, at the bottom left, it's similar to the, uh, spectator seating. Uh,
▶ 2:12:00 we have player seating by the baseball field. Um, and there needs to be an accessible route to the player's seating, uh, and an accessible route to what's called the boundary of sport activity. That's the, uh, basically the edge of, of the field where play would take place. Um, you are allowed to have things that are sort of, by their nature not accessible like a skateboard park. But, um, but if that's considered a, since that would be considered an area of sport activity, we need an accessible route to the boundary of it so that, um, uh, a friend or a parent or a grandparent can get to that point and, uh, see, uh, their, their friends or children or grandchildren and at address them and that kind of
▶ 2:12:40 thing. Um, and then at the bottom right, uh, we see a picnic table. Uh, I believe that's engineered with fiber going to it, so there's no accessible route to the picnic table. And then again, uh, at least one 5% of, uh, picnic tables in each area where they're provided. Um, we needed at least one, uh, uh, place where, uh, someone in a, and we need an accessible picnic table. So, uh, someone in a wheel mobility device or the walker or whatever could sit there as well. Um, I've seen the design of picnic tables like this, where basically one of those benches is removed and provided there's knee and to clearance there, and there's a route to it, uh, that allows someone with a, a real mobility device can we either,
▶ 2:13:21 either use the fib on their own or join others who are there. Next slide, please. So, uh, summary of some of the, uh, typical signage issues that we talked about. Again, lack of directional signage and inaccessible entrances, uh, letting people know where accessible entrances are. Uh, lack of tactile, uh, uh, accessible signage at egress doors of raised characters in braille. Uh, also, uh, lack of the signage, uh, mounted on the lack side of the door. Uh, and, and it, it, when you have an inaccessible egress door, we want accessible signage, letting someone know where the nearest accessible egress is. Uh, we mentioned a few times at an completely accessible egress, um, lack of the illuminated international symbol of accessibility,
▶ 2:14:09 that wheelchair symbol if there's an illuminated exit sign there. Um, and then it, what I was talking about with permanent rooms, lack of accessible, again, raised characters and braille on the black side of the door, designation signs at permanent rooms like, uh, conference rooms or where you have a room number. And, uh, lack of raised characters. Um, uh, I'm sorry, lack of signage with raised character accessible signage, raised characters in braille, uh, if there's an inaccessible toilet room. Uh, and of course, uh, there's also an accessible toilet room. Uh, we want signage there, letting a user who needs to know it, where the nearest successful toilet room is located. Next sign, please.
▶ 2:14:53 So, um, we also often notice, and it was the case, uh, here, uh, that cities and towns do some things really well. Um, obviously, uh, our brief, our mandate is to identify things are out of compliance, but we like to let you know that we've noticed, we noticed things, uh, you know, that, that are already in compliance or even, uh, beyond the minimum requirement and done very well. So at the top left here, we have a basketball court, and there's a firm stable and slip resistant, uh, pathway to the boundary of sport activity. Um, at, at the right, uh, we see that large international symbol of accessibility there, and that's letting people know from a distance that there's an accessible entrance, uh, at that point. And in this case, it actually, uh,
▶ 2:15:39 it also goes to where there's an elevator, which provides vertical accessible vertical axis within the building. And in contrast to what we showed earlier, uh, here's a bike rack, uh, where there's a firm stable that slips an accessible route to it. Uh, it's, it, there's no excessive slopes, anything like that. So that's a compliant bike rack, which is excellent. Next slide, please. Um, some other things we were very pleased to see. Uh, something that we tend to recog recommend in all staircases, interior and exterior, is having a contrasting color on the nosing of each stair on the edge. It's very helpful for people with vision issues and depth perception issues, uh, to let them know where they're, uh,
▶ 2:16:24 where they should be stepping and to be able to use, uh, the stairs safely and efficiently. And also, we see good handrails here that at the top and the bottom are extending, uh, 12 inches, uh, beyond the bottom riser and top riser. And that also, uh, helps people who need it to use the stairs safely. Next slide, please. Um, so I, on the left here, I was mentioning before that when you have a urinal, you need one urinal at the proper height. And in this, uh, particular toilet room, uh, the lower urinal was compliant, which is excellent. And then on the right, there are requirements for the, um, maximum height for the bottom of the reflective surface of a mirror at a lavatory, which is a sink, the toilet room.
▶ 2:17:11 And one way to address that is to have a mirror that's tilted down the way this one is in this picture. Uh, and that allows the reflective surface to work well for, uh, wheeled mobility device users and people who are of short stature. And also in this lavatory, if, uh, as you look under the sink, you can see that here the pipes are wrapped, uh, and insulated, which as I mentioned earlier, it means that someone, uh, who uses the sink, who may have no feeling in their legs, are not likely to get burned, uh, without being aware of it while using the sink. Uh, next slide, please. Um, so among the key things that we produced for you, uh, as part of the self-evaluation process, uh, included some, uh, summary reports,
▶ 2:17:57 uh, Ana was referencing, uh, the, uh, part B report that is programs policy and procedures. We also have a legal overview and a, and an executive summary that we've provided. And then on the right is one of the most important documents that we deliver. It's the transition plan database. Uh, this includes all of the information that's in, uh, the, the catalog, the survey catalog that Anna mentioned earlier, uh, that identifies issues has measurements when appropriate, identifies remedies, includes costs. Uh, the only thing it doesn't include here are the photos, uh, which are, which are in the individual building report catalogs. But, um, this file, it's an access Excel file, and it's not locked.
▶ 2:18:41 So you can sort, for example, there often are accessibility issues that can be remedied with little or no cost. Um, uh, for example, things that are blocking, maneuvering, clearance at a door just be moved out of the way. Uh, what, what, and, and other things that, that are, are very, uh, inexpensive or really no cost to do. You can, you know, easily search, search to locate those first and, and maybe take care of those things right away. Have existing staff take care of most, if not all of those issues. Um, you can also, um, make this, um, transition plan available to the public and let them see as you check off things and correct accessibility issues. Uh, one thing we always like to, uh, remind towns, uh, cities and towns, is that as you, uh, fix things,
▶ 2:19:27 uh, make things more accessible or completely accessible, that that weren't for, be sure to, to publicize that, let people know. Uh, because then you will find that people who can benefit from those improvements and others as well in many cases, uh, will take advantage of the improvements you've made and will be, um, presumably, you know, grateful that the town is, uh, moving forward in addressing their accessibility needs. So this is a living, working document that you can sort and work with in different ways. Of course, you can also, uh, go through it to identify things that will be more expensive, uh, say capital expenses that can be part of the budgeting process and be planned to address over a period of time. Uh, next slide, please.
▶ 2:20:13 Uh, so the transition plan goals, uh, is that all the city's programs when viewed in their entirety are readily accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Um, and that's achieving the pro the priority of what we call program access, uh, with the goal of equal participation for people with disabilities. Um, just talking about that transition plan document that and the other things will provide, uh, should, uh, lead to an implement implementation strategy to correct issues that, uh, accessibility issues that's integrated into the city's planning and budgeting. And the overall goal is that all residents, uh, regardless of ability feel that they both know about and can participate in all
▶ 2:20:57 Leila Migliorelli: that the city of Melrose has to offer. You have a lot of great things and, uh, you know, people with, uh, disability issues want to be able to, uh, and should be able to access them as well. Next slide, please. So, uh, we've reached the end of our presentation, and Anna and I would, uh, be happy, uh, to at least try to address, uh, any questions you may have. Thank you. Um, I just wanna make one comment that we neglected to make during public comment. There was a person who had submitted an email to the counsel, which has been added to the record, um, as reflected, I think we're fine. Yeah. Um, so it's in the record. Um, I think also would be helpful if, I'm not sure if I'm directing this question to Mr. Hoff or the mayor,
▶ 2:21:47 Leila Migliorelli: um, just to have the copy of that presentation also included in the, the record. And, um, there was reference made to the transitional plan database. I, I didn't see that in our packet either, so if that's something, I don't know if it was intended for the city council to have access to, but if so, um, it would be helpful to have that. Uh, yeah, the, the self-evaluation plan, self-evaluation and transition plan and database are all public documents. And actually they were on, at least they were on the website for, cause we had a period of public comment, so, okay. We can make those readily available. Okay, Thank You. Uh, the, um, yeah, the database is a, actually, I, I, I just, you know, wanna compliment I H C D, the database, the Excel spreadsheets. Uh,
▶ 2:22:26 one thing David, uh, didn't mention is there's also a priority system on that as well, which is really helpful in terms of, this is something that's needed for compliance. This is something that would be nice. It's actually, I think it's a one to four system. It's, which also I think helps in terms of setting priorities as well as looking at the cost, the things that are, you know, relatively easy to fix versus getting long-term capital expenses. So, yeah, I, it's a great document and compliments to I H C D on that, so. Okay. Thank you. Um, councilor McMaster. So Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Hoff, thank you to, uh, members of the Disability Commission, mayor Broder, and, uh, the representatives from the Institute of Human-Centered, uh, design, uh,
▶ 2:23:06 for your work. Um, I'm glad to see, um, that we've embarked upon a new transition plan. And I'm just curious what the tr what the impetus was, uh, for, for doing it? Um, Well, first off was the fact that as, as a, as a commission, even in our early stages, and, uh, gar you want to add more to this, is we recognize that there was a lot, even in our early stages, that there was a lot of accessibility issues. And, um, frankly, the money was available for mass office and disability. And, you know, we, we wrote the grant and in partnership with the city, uh, but also the fact that this had not been updated since 1996. So, you know, there was, it was clear, clear and just, uh, a variety of needs that were quickly identified. And so that,
▶ 2:23:48 Shawn M. MacMaster: that was the impetus for It. So, well, well, thank you for that, and thank you for, um, your leadership in that regard. Uh, it shouldn't have to take 26 years, but for those of us who do work in, in government, it's not unusual. Yes, most transition plans happened a few years after the American Disability Act was, uh, was passed. Um, and then were never looked at again. And unfortunately, it's when something bad happens, when there's a grievance, when there's a settlement agreement from the Department of Justice, that tends to, um, so reignite, um, that, uh, that conversation and that process. So I appreciate us being, uh, you know, proactive and preventative, uh, in that regard. Um, I, I did have a, a couple questions. I mean, as, as you know,
▶ 2:24:29 Shawn M. MacMaster: very well being on the disability Commission, is that barriers change, uh, over time. Uh, something that's a barrier or not a barrier today may be a barrier a few years from now, whether it's, uh, something that becomes, weathered, a piece of equipment, whether it's at a park, um, really anything, anything that is part of infrastructure. Um, so in, as you also know, the list of qualifying disabilities under the law, uh, also grows, and it's grown significantly, um, since the ADA was passed. So with that in, uh, mind, I'm wondering, um, well one, I'd like to encourage you to work with the next administration to ensure that it's not another 26 years. I think a good transition plan should happen every five years.
▶ 2:25:11 Shawn M. MacMaster: We should be taking a look at these things, whether or not that is something that we look to codify in city policy. Um, but I, I would encourage you to work with the next administration to, um, make sure that we are regularly, uh, looking at this. Um, it's, it's important for a few reasons. It's most important for our disabled population. Um, and it's also important from a compliance and liability, uh, perspective. So, um, I, I would ask that, that you do that. Um, I did have a question about the scope of work, but focused on municipal buildings, uh, on the schools, uh, on, um, parks, um, recreation. Was there any look at, at sidewalks? Um, no, there was not that we, well, and the mayor actually was,
▶ 2:25:57 Shawn M. MacMaster: was hoping there would be sufficient funding for that, but that was definitely, um, and we, when we had the discussions about with, uh, the Institute for Human Centered Design, it just was not within the, within the, um, funding that we had available. But it's definitely a need. Uh, and frankly, we get a lot of questions about sidewalks and ramps every month. Every month. Yes. It's a regular, if people come to public, comes to us all the time. So, yeah, I think you're up to a good start. I think, you know, maybe trying to identify some sources of funding through grants or whatnot to, uh, look at that next stage, because yeah, I do with the number of sidewalks, and we all have 'em in our wards. Uh, in my ward, particularly, uh,
▶ 2:26:33 Shawn M. MacMaster: going towards Oak Grove, both on Main Street and particularly on Pleasant and Washington Street, you have some sidewalks that aren't ADA compliant. You have roots growing, uh, from trees that were planted many, many years ago, um, that are impeding access. Uh, you have, uh, sidewalks that are not continuous. Um, you have sidewalks that, um, are just not wide enough. Um, so these are all, you know, these are two very important routes of travel, uh, for pedestrians to, uh, Oak Grove. So, um, it'd be great to try to identify, identify some funds for that. In addition to crosswalks. There's some other things, excuse me, uh, sidewalks, uh, other notes, crosswalks, uh, pedestrian signals as part of, uh, traffic,
▶ 2:27:17 Shawn M. MacMaster: um, uh, control signals. Um, so I'm sure these are things you're, you're already thinking at, thinking about and looking at. And I, I would just ask you to keep them, uh, on the forefront. Um, the other thing too is just modes of communication, the city website, uh, city forms, uh, the phone system. Um, and, uh, one of the things I didn't see was, did we look at the holding cell at the police department? Um, that's a question for H c D, did you guys look at the holding cell? I know you did look at the public safety building, and obviously given we all, we all know the issues there. Um, did you look at the holding cell there? I, I can't remember. I don't have the report in front of me. My guess is considering the age of the building, it's not ADA compliant,
▶ 2:27:59 Paul Brodeur: but we should Look at that, I believe. Yeah. Not to be flipped, but they probably couldn't get to it. That is an important focus. But we all know that, um, with, without, without the good work that they're doing, that accessibility for the general public, for, um, folks that are under arrest. Mm-hmm. Um, it's nothing short of a disaster. Yeah. I I, I do recall when we read the report that there was, that was definitely noted. I don't recall exactly, but I'm, I know they, they absolutely looked at that. And it was se obviously we all know the issues of the public safety building of the police station In general, and I'm not sure if there's, I know there's a side entrance, but I don't think it's a public entrance. So you, the steps. So just again,
▶ 2:28:40 Shawn M. MacMaster: you're off to, I think, a terrific start and I commend you. But a, a few things to, uh, look at. And then, um, this might be more of an appropriate question, uh, for the mayor is do, so we have the ADA coordinators, which of course is great, and that, that's required. And we have the two, we have one on the HR side for reasonable accommodations made by, uh, employees. And then we have under, uh, title II and, and Title ii, Mr. Teleco. That is correct. Um, but I appreciate the question because, um, if we were to do, I was gonna say if we were to do it right, but if we were gonna do best practice, we would have a dedicated individual to do that work. And there are, you know, certain positions in the city that we have stipended
▶ 2:29:27 or added on to someone's other roles. It's, I mean, it, it works, but it's not ideal. Yeah. And, and most, most places do have a ADA coordinator who's not full-time. Correct. It's somebody who wears multiple hats. So that's not, that's not unusual. It's just kind of how it is. I should, I should add though, it's often at least a, you know, significant part-time position. And I think, you know, the mayor, we've had discussions with the mayor about this, and we've went back and forth, and because it, ideally, it's somebody who is, this is a significant part of their job. And I mean, there is national training, uh, that goes on for that physician, for ADA coordinators, and yeah. And so it really, if long term it would be great,
▶ 2:30:03 Shawn M. MacMaster: and not that these individuals aren't, you know, wonderful and great that it's part of their job, but if, if the city long term can think about how can we designate somebody's, you know, a significant number of hours, because I, you know, you see this plan here, this is not going to be, somebody's gonna be, have to be keeping an eye on the ball here in terms of implementation. And obviously we as a volunteer commission will do the best I can, but Well, short, short of having a dedicated employee, one thing, and I'm not sure if we have this, uh, Mr. Mayor, but something to look at prospectively is an ADA advisory group of internal, internal employees. Yeah. That can meet regularly, uh, that can work with the commission. That's great idea to have the dialogue, um,
▶ 2:30:38 Shawn M. MacMaster: when there is an interactive dialogue with the public being able to come and debrief as a group. And it also, I think, is helpful to keep, uh, you know, to, to keep matters on, on track when there is a grievance or whatnot. Who, who's doing what, and are we being responsive and is it continuing to be an interactive dialogue and whatnot. So that, that's all I have. This is an important issue. I appreciate everyone's work. Uh, I appreciate the, you know, the mayor's leadership on it. Uh, and, and certainly would encourage you, um, as a commission, uh, to continue working, um, with, uh, the council in the future and with the next mayor. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Vice Chair, Jamal. Dean, thank you. Um,
▶ 2:31:14 Maya Jamaleddine: I'm very happy and excited to see this report coming. I appreciate your work on it. Uh, thank you so much. Um, any of the recommendation was able to be implemented in terms like, easy fix, anything that was recommended to be done or change? Uh, sorry, I don't quite understand your question. So what, what would recommend immediate more immediately In terms of anything that was seen or noticed that was, we were able to fix it or change it immediately? Like it didn't require actually, like big Projects there. There's a, well, there's actually, I mean, the signage is a good example. Yeah. I mean, that's a very, you know, relatively low cost can probably be done with existing resources and signage.
▶ 2:32:00 You know, the, the positives of signage are, it's a relatively low cost and yet makes a huge difference in terms of just people's accessibility and also perception. So I think that's, those are absolutely, you know, you were, you know, the mayor was looking at sort of, you know, uh, and we had a discussion about priorities and things like that. So I think that's something that could be done immediately. There's some items in there. I mean, uh, you know, uh, uh, they were talking about like the installation on the pipes and things like that. Those are things that are easy fixes. So I, it would be great if, you know, I think that priorities, immediate priorities should be, okay, what can we do now with the resources that we have available? And I,
▶ 2:32:35 Paul Brodeur: I don't know, The real break, I mean, you'll recall that, um, we put forward and y'all approved, uh, $75,000 free cash allocation to really, really prime the pump. Yeah. More than anything else. We know that that is, um, it's not zero, but it's not a significant amount of money given the scale of some of the things, um, that we've seen. But it was, I think it was important to show the community that we are prepared to put some resources in. And to the chairman's point, um, I hate the term lowanger fruit to a certain degree, but there are, there are certain, let's call it bang for the buck, things that we can do, um, that, um, do make significant improvements, but also show that we're serious about this. And, um,
▶ 2:33:31 Paul Brodeur: to council McMaster's point that it's almost kind of a, a two piece scenario here where part of it is remediation and part of it is moving forward. Um, so that to the, you know, kind of cooking it into what we do, much like, you know, we have the electric vehicle first policy, which, you know, what we say when anyone's going to buy a vehicle, they run it through channels so that we make sure that that that option is being considered. Kind of the same thing here. There are different, you know, we, we, the schools biggest properties that we have here, um, the library happily is gonna go from zero to a hundred, um, uh, fairly quickly. That's a fairly unusual circumstance, I will admit. But, um, we need, we need that thinking at the table mm-hmm.
▶ 2:34:25 Paul Brodeur: With all the things that we do. Cuz it's easy for, you know, it's easy to tell the plan department, or when we procure this new building, we want X, Y, z, while the ADA kind of takes care of that, but when we're doing maybe a smaller retro piece of something recognized, not just throwing the, the, the water fountain is probably a good example that's not that old. Um, and my guess is, I don't think we did it under my watch, but there was grant money available to swap 'em out for, um, water cont reusable bottles from an environmental point of view, all terrific and all good, but when we did that, we probably also should have rolled in this piece of it. And it's not that it's not anyone's fault,
▶ 2:35:15 but when you don't have that front and center, it's not necessarily something you gotta think about. The, The other thing I'll add that is really no cost, and this is something we, we wanna look at as a commission, is how do we ensure that, for example, there is very clear public notice for every meeting about the availability of modifications, um, accommodations, um, that every public event, I mean even large public events, that there's efforts made to have sign language interpreters that okay, there was a cost there, but, but there's at least, there's a lot of little things that can be done as a city in terms of just really being, thinking proactively and making sure that like every public meeting it is very
▶ 2:35:53 clear that people with disabilities are welcome. Yes. And that if they have, you know, support needs or need accommodations that those will be provided for, and that the procedures for that are easily available because it is one of the most, That's the key, Really the most frustrating things is when people are like, well, there's that eight point type at the bottom of a, of a notice and then may not be able to read rather than, it's right up front. And like, and like our meeting notices, we try to be the example of that. If you look at our meeting notices, we're very, very clear right there, here's how you get accommodations here, here's how you get assistance, please reach out. So I, I dunno if you have anything to add there, Karen,
▶ 2:36:29 Maya Jamaleddine: at all, but on that, You actually hit on every question that I have on in the queue. Um, so my, I'm hoping that moving forward, any project that we have, regardless how big or small it would be to take into consideration ADA compliance and included, rather than doubling also the cost in the future. Um, and, and in a, uh, in first place to be more accessible for everyone. Um, the other one is, I was wondering, you mentioned the websites and everything that we use, uh, virtually. Um, I was hoping that we can start also using, um, close caption, uh, for everyone, for example. And that's, that's, uh, very important. And, um, I was wondering if what we have now, the website, if it was also, um, reviewed if it's, uh, compliant with
▶ 2:37:25 Ad so it was not reviewed again, we under some resource issues. Um, uh, but we as a commission have made that a priority. Um, I actually had somebody who works my, my day job at, um, the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, who was an expert on website accessibility. He, I had him look at the city's website. He actually said it wasn't bad. He said there was some issues, but he was actually felt there was. But it's definitely a priority of our commission. Um, we have a bit of funding, but we, we definitely want to take a look at that and make sure that the, the city's website is, is, is fully not in compliance, but also as accessible as possible. I would assume, and maybe this is something for our experts on screen, that,
▶ 2:38:05 Paul Brodeur: you know, with things like websites and, and tech assistance, it's a very fast moving environment compared to, um, you know, maybe physical infrastructure that we traditionally think of when we, when we think of accessibility issues. I'm wondering if there is, if there is any wisdom or any kind of paradigm for how you keep up with the, the more fast moving technological pieces that help, help do this work. Anna or David have any thoughts on that? I can, I can speak to a little of this as, as an IT guy, a lot of it is in the design and a lot of it is not, um, as common sense as people think where somebody with visual impairments may have a, a light on a, on a dark back, you know, a light color on a dark background.
▶ 2:38:58 But if it's like a light blue on a dark blue, it's almost impossible to say white on blue. Contrast, being mindful of those things, being mindful of print size, being mindful of using black instead of gray design wise, it's always gonna look better. But for accessibility and for being able to see a lot of it makes a big difference for someone like me who has visual impairments that can't see, you know, light blue on dark blue or light red on yes, dark red. And I'm sorry if I may say, uh, the Department of Justice consider websites a program, so it means that it has to be accessible. And today, uh, many peoples, uh, conduct businesses or pay their bills or go to their city website to, like we did, uh, yesterday to check the,
▶ 2:39:50 the meetings and everything. People go to their website to see what is going on in the city, uh, things that have been changed, things that are coming up. So I think it is very important, uh, for the city to have a, an accessible website, certainly Agreed. Right. And, and, and if I could, I would, I would add that, you know, part of that means that it's, um, usable by people who use screen readers. And, um, while you're completely correct that there's a lot of fast moving technology, there are some consistent things, uh, in terms of how, uh, websites are built in design. Uh, if they have, uh, descriptive text for pictures, if, uh, tables and charts are done in certain ways, um, that, uh, honestly don't change that frequently. And,
▶ 2:40:40 and that if they're consistently done to the proper standard, uh, means that a a lot of people in your city and town can access the information that Ana was talking about. Find out about job openings, apply for jobs, uh, provide input that you'll need to know. And, um, honestly, as Anna said, it's a, it's a program, uh, uh, you know, and, and the, and the Department of Justice, uh, actually requires that it, that it be accessible, that it achieves certain minimum standards and it's, it's something you certainly would be capable of doing. It's not, it's, it's not so fast changing and complicated that it's beyond the scope of, uh, uh, uh, you know, a place like Melrose. Thank you President Greg Reis. Thank you Madam Chair. Um,
▶ 2:41:29 Jen Grigoraitis: thank you all for being here tonight and thank you for not being afraid to ask the questions that we're worried about the answers to. Um, there's a plan here, which I think is great. Um, I know it's late. I just have a few questions. My first is that the Mass Office for disability offers a grant program for municipalities. Um, the application opens August 1st Yes. And closes September 1st. Yes. Are we going to be applying for one of the things out identified in this wonderful plan of ours? Well, well, yeah. So the domestic, yeah, I did notice that's actually on our agenda for our, our meeting on Monday. Um, so and definitely wanna have a discussion with the mayor's office about, cuz you can apply for up to quarter million dollars. So, and definitely,
▶ 2:42:09 Jen Grigoraitis: we definitely wanna get an application and we just need to figure out, okay, what are the priorities gonna be? And I believe that application is due end of September, so, um, definitely wanna, you know, yes, we wanna jump on that. Okay. You know, you never know if you're gonna get the funding, but you want, definitely wanna put our names in and, and, and hopefully we get some funding again, that'll help us chip away at that. So yes, thank you for Bringing that up. And that's a, I mean, I know you know this, but it's a fantastic resource and they also offer a lot of training both for municipalities and for, um, folks working in the disability field. Um, I know just to go back to the, your point about the agendas. I, I feel,
▶ 2:42:43 Jen Grigoraitis: I understand that we have Polly and she's able to address employee concerns since we have ADA requirements to our employees, but we also have huge requirements to the public that we don't currently properly notice all of our meetings. Like you have this wonderful notification on your meeting, that's Monday night, we have a meeting Monday night also that doesn't say anything about how you request an accommodation. So I guess maybe this is more a question for you Mr. Mayor, but like, how were we, what's the timeline for transitioning to consistent messaging across public meetings so that the public knows how they request an accommodation? I honestly don't have one, I would say. And, um, I, there there are certain things that I don't know around what is
▶ 2:43:24 Paul Brodeur: acceptable and what isn't. I know like things that necess, you can't necessarily expand the document, which may be pdf. We, there, there are certain things that I would think would work, um, that don't. I mean, I, since the, the clerk's office is really the portal to all this stuff except for school side stuff to a certain degree, we probably have to put our heads together and settle on ideally with something you guys could probably help us meet on. Um, and again, there's probably also different levels of this, some of which it sounds like it's pretty easy to do that we don't do, just in terms of notice on the notice. I, I, yeah, I, I would say that, you know, it's kind of been, as you know,
▶ 2:44:09 we're working on a number of different initiatives trying to get this, but I think that would definitely be a priority for the commission to maybe come up with some recommendations along those lines, recommended policies and procedures along those lines. Cause I think that would, I mean, you know, we have the expertise plus, you know, and I think that would really need to be a good start in that direction that, you know, and then ultimately it's up to the city to adopt those things. But I think we can offer some, some, and frankly, relatively easy implement things to implement in that regard. Mm-hmm. So, Thank you Counselor Carm Shady. Um, first let me start by saying, as well as my colleagues already have,
▶ 2:44:45 Manjula Karamcheti: thank you so much for making sure that this evaluation happened, um, and that we have all of this information that we need. I also wanna commend the Institute for Human-Centered Design. I really appreciate this report. It is so detailed, so informative. It has pictures, it has a plan. It, it is like so comprehensive. I'm just, I'm appreciative and impressed. I think maybe it touches on some of the questions that Councilor Rick Master asked Councilor Jamal and asked him, president Grigoraitis asked, this is a lot, and I guess, and maybe it's for the, for the institute, but what are your recommendations for best practice in terms of implementation? Because the clearly in some way, shape, or form, what is here in the report needs to transition into a strategic
▶ 2:45:40 Manjula Karamcheti: plan. And the actual doing of all of these things needs to be planned and purposeful. It needs to be the responsibility of an individual or a group of individuals to make sure that this happens. And I guess from your experience, what is the structure and the system to make sure that that happens? Cuz I, I'm listening to our commission, it is a volunteer position. I don't feel that they should be responsible for everything that is here. I don't think that's reasonable or practical or fair, quite honestly. But, and I know that you would do it in the best way that you can. So I guess I'd love to, let's not talk him out of anything. No, I, my question is very much in support of you. Thank you. But also, you know,
▶ 2:46:26 Manjula Karamcheti: how, what are your recommendations for the city, for the city council to support this work moving forward? Because it is so important in making sure these things are done and that they're prioritized, but they're also paying attention to what is critical, what is a want, sort of all of it. It seems like it needs a real strategic plan. So what are the recommendations for that, if you have any? What have you seen work really well in terms of taking this, taking an evaluation and making it come to life and actually happen? I think, um, one of the first, uh, point to do is to start working with the community. Great pro, you probably have that work with the Commission on disabilities like you already
▶ 2:47:15 have. But when you are, try start putting together the plan. Make sure that people with disabilities are part of the co of that, of that, uh, community of that committee that puts together the plan because they will be able to tell you what works as with that, what does, uh, what are the things that are more important to them, because that's the, that's the goal, is to make sure that the city is accessible for everyone and that every person, um, in the community can participate in your programs. So when you put together that commission, make sure that people with disabilities are part of that commission, uh, and have a say on whatever decision is, is, is made. Okay. And I do think, I mean, just to echo, I do think a,
▶ 2:48:18 there's also a saying in the, I mean, our com, uh, in the disability world, nothing about us without us. And so it's really critical. I think your point is well taken about that the, the, you know, the engage for engagement. And fortunately our commission is highly represented by people with disabilities. So I think that's an important part that they be, you know, be inclusive of that. And I do think, you know, and I think some of the, you know, early discussions we've had about this is the city thinking about how does this get incorporated into the capital improvement plans, into the, you know, annual budgets. Um, and really thinking, you know, how how do we make this into something that's just not a nice report? Yes,
▶ 2:48:53 Leila Migliorelli: that's great, but how are we committed long term to, to implementing it? So, Any further questions, counselor For another time? Okay. Any other questions from the, uh, committee? Seeing none, what is it? Councilor McMaster. Thank you Madam Chair. Motion to recommend that we place on file Second. Second motion to recommend made by to place on file made by Councilor McMaster, seconded by Vice Chair Jamal Dean on discussion, seeing none. Um, what, uh, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? None. Okay. This, um, order will be, um, brought to the full counsel with a recommendation to place on file. Thank you all so much for being here tonight. Very late. Thank you. We really appreciate it. It was a pleasure. Um,
▶ 2:49:54 entertain a moment. Motion to adjourn. Madam Chair. I'll make a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn made by Councilor Stewart. Seconded by Councilor Williams. Um, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? We are now adjourned. What's your address? Thank you. What's your address? Follow.