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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-08-03 Committee on People with Disabilities Minutes COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Friday, August 3, 2007, 10:30 a.m. Kona Mayors Office Conference Room PRESENT: Lawrence Scadden, Chair; Laura Tobosa, Secretary; Denise Cowdrey, Jean Navarro, James Souza EXCUSED: Michael Gleason, Vice-Chair; Jack Matsui, Ronald Wagner-Wright, Ted Yamanaka GUESTS: Sandra Cowdrey, Malina Dravis-Tucker, Interpreter; Susan Golden, Carolyn Lucas, Reporter from West Hawaii Today; Alisa Mitchener, Recreation Specialist-Department of Parks and Recreation CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:32 a.m. An introduction of committee members, staff, and guests wasmade. APPROVAL OF MINUTES D. Cowdrey made a motion to accept the minutes of May 4, 2007. L. Tobosa seconded the motion. The motion was passed. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ISSUES None. TREASURERS REPORT The treasurers report was reviewed. L. Tobosa made a motion to accept the treasurers report assubmitted. D. Cowdrey seconded the motion. The motion was passed. L. Scadden suggested that he would like to put on next months agenda discussion about the use of unexpended funds at the end of the fiscal year. CORRESPONDENCE A. Letter from MCPD to Mayor Harry Kim regarding the Volunteer Parking Violation Enforcement Program B. Letter from Mayor Harry Kim to MCPD in response to the Volunteer Parking ViolationEnforcementProgram C.LetterfromLawrenceMahuna,PoliceChief,inresponsetotheVolunteerParking Violation Enforcement Program Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer D. Email from Debbie Jackson, Planner of DCAB, regarding €Understanding the Legislative Process workshop, Part 2 scheduled for August 30, 2007 L. Scadden will ask M. Gleason if he is interested in attending. E. Email from Francine Wai, Executive Director of DCAB, inviting one person from MCPD to come to the Disability Access Conference in September, provided that the person is a consumer J. Souza and L. Scadden said they are unable to attend due to a conflict. COMMUNITY LIAISON REPORTS A. EDUCATION/PUBLIC AWARENESS LIAISON ‚ M. GLEASON No report. B. RECREATIONLIAISION ‚ L. SCADDEN No report. C.TRANSPORTATION LIAISION ‚ D. COWDREY D. Cowdrey reported that there have not been any changes since the last time she spoke to Tom Brown. S. Golden reported that she is getting ready to write T. Brown a letter. The Mass Transit Agency is establishing bus stops in the village of Kailua-Kona and there are none that are accessible. Last week, the bus drivers have told her that they cannot pick her up or let her off. L. Scadden said that he will address S. Goldens concern in a letter to the Mayor. D. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LIAISON ‚ L. SCADDEN No report. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. VOLUNTEER PARKING VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE ‚ SGT. D. VERIATO Sergeant D. Veriato submitted program statistics for the Volunteer Disabled Parking Enforcement Program for April to June 2007 which was distributed to MCPD members. S. Golden suggested that a letter be sent to doctors offices or community hospitals in recruiting volunteers for the program. A. Mitchener said that maybe a flyer should be displayed at the location where you get the disabled parking placards. L. Scadden said there are a lot of things the police department could do to advertise the program. MCPD struggled to put something in the newspaper and it took the third letter to the Mayor for the police department to follow through. 2 B. UPDATE FROM DCAB ‚ C. FLEMING/N. OLESEN/C. TOWNSEND The July and August report from C. Townsend, Program and Policy Unit Coordinator of DCAB, was distributed to MCPD members. C. ADA COORDINATORS REPORT ‚ T. SPINOLA-CAMPBELL T. Spinola-Campbell provided her report as the ADA Coordinator for June 2007. A. Mitchener read her report to MCPD members since she was not present. D. PARKS AND RECREATION REPORT ‚ A. MITCHENER A. Mitchener provided a report on the Recreation Division. The report is attached. A. Mitchener suggested that MCPD send a recommendation to the Mayor in developing interesting programs for young adults such as inclusive programs or events. The Department of Parks and Recreation would also like funding for adaptive equipment (beach wheelchairs, beach mats) and a therapeutic unit that can respond to and create more programs. There have been ten requests for access to the water via mats and beach wheelchairs. However, a structure needs to be in place for loaning out the beach wheelchairs. The beach wheelchairs are also limited in what they can and cannot do. Sometimes certain products are dangerous in the water because they are only meant to go on the beach sand and rocks. But, when youhitthewaterwiththesegiantballoontires,yourekindoffloatinganditlookslike a giant floating tricycle coming at you. L. Scadden said that he will mention these concerns in the letter that he will be drafting to the Mayor. A. Mitchener suggested that leftover funds from MCPD at the end of the fiscal year be targeted for purchasing adaptive equipment such as the beach wheelchair or mats that can be used by the community. The meeting was recessed at 11:25 a.m. The meeting was reconvened at 11:30 a.m. E. HAWAIIS MOST WANTED PROGRAM ‚ J. SOUZA J. Souza reported he complained at the May meeting that there was no closed- captioning for the Hawaiis Most Wanted program. He and T. Spinola-Campbell spoke to the Police Chief and they started the closed-captioning two weeks ago. Several deaf people told him that they have seen it and they are satisfied. NEW BUSINESS A. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Nominationsweremadefromthefloorforthefollowingpositions: Chair‚M.Gleason Vice-Chair ‚ L. Scadden Secretary‚L.Tobosa 3 D. Cowdrey made a motion to accept the slate of officers. J. Souza seconded the motion. The motion was passed. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDA ISSUES S. Golden reported that there was an article on the front page of the West Hawaii Today a couple of days ago about a Civil Rights issue at Kealakehe School. The complaint was based on race and disability. However, there was nothing in the article about disability. S. Golden reported that some locations in Kailua-Kona were dug up on both sides of the street by the county last week because of curbcuts. She called the Department of Public Works to complain that they are required by law to put in an adjacent accessible path. L. Scadden said he will mention S. Goldens concern in his letter to the Mayor. ANNOUNCEMENTS D. Cowdrey announced that she will be moving back to the mainland next month. Therefore, the September meeting will be the last meeting that she will be attending. The next meeting will be held on Friday, September 7, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. in the Hilo Lagoon Centre, Department of Liquor Control conference room. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, _______________________________ JEAN VIERNES, STAFF SECRETARY 4