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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-06-03 Committee on People with Disabilities Minutes COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Friday, June 3, 2005, 10:30 a.m. Kona Mayors Office Conference Room PRESENT: Lawrence Scadden, Chair; Ted Yamanaka, Vice-Chair; Betsy Whitney, Secretary; Denise Cowdrey, Michael Gleason, Jack Matsui, James Souza, Laura Tobosa GUESTS: Malina Dravis, Interpreter;Susan Golden, John Hartman, H.A.W.K.; Teri Spinola-Campbell, ADA Coordinator (Personnel Program Specialist) CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:31 a.m. An introduction of committee members, staff, and guests wasmade. APPROVAL OF MINUTES T. Yamanaka made a motion to accept the minutes of May 6, 2005. J. Matsui seconded the motion. J. Souza said that he is sure that he added more information in the minutes on page 4 regarding the deaf visitor from California who was stopped by a police officer. He said that he got the information from a deaf woman who lived in Waimea. The deaf woman was called by the police because they needed her help for interpreting. T. Spinola-Campbell reported that she sent a memo to the Police Chief asking him to look into the matter. The police contacted her to get more information and she contacted J. Souza to get the name of the witness. The police conducted an investigation with the witness and found the allegations were based on misunderstandings.Thewomanwhowasthewitnesssaysthattheincidentnever happened and the incident occurred on the mainland about 20 years ago. The witness told her that people were discussing it at a party and people overheard and thats how the allegations came to be. Therefore, there was no evidence to support that allegation and it never happened here. B. Whitney explained that J. Souza was correct and he had more information in the minutes. She took it out when editing the minutes because people have been commenting about shorter minutes. She apologized if it was inappropriate and the information can certainly be added back in. L. Scadden reported that he felt it was inappropriate to draft the letter since there was no evidence that it occurred here. J. Souza said that in the future if a deaf person tells him a complaint, maybe someone should talk directly to that person first before they contact the police. He is sure the Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer witness meant it and she told the story to the deaf community. He and the deaf community are upset for believing the witness. The motion was passed. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ISSUES S. Golden reported that she enjoys the printed report from the ADA Coordinator attached with the minutes. She preferred a written report for all of the committees reports included in the minutes. If the report comes in before the meeting, then it needs to be in alternative format. If it comes in after the meeting, then it could be included with the minutes. L. Scadden said that MCPD usually receives the DCAB report prior to the meeting. The committee will be happy to furnish a copy of the DCAB report when requested by the public. Sometimes A. Mitchener provides a written report for the parks and recreation report at the meeting. S. Golden said that the county council has established a new order for the agenda. Statements from the public on agenda issues used to be at the start of the meeting and now it is split up during the meeting. She asked if MCPD is willing to change their agenda. L. Scadden replied that he has been very lax and he has certainly allowed the public to speak during the meeting. At the last meeting in Hilo, there was as much talk from the floor than from the table. He offered to check the county policy to determine if there has been any change. J. Hartman added that when the public is asked to make statements on items on the agenda,thepublichasnoideawhattheyaregoingtohear.Therefore,itsverydifficult to talk about items on the agenda. If the public learns what was going to be said, then the public can talk to those issues. If not, then the public has to wait two months because the meeting is held in Hilo and then comes back to Kona. B. Whitney wondered if it would be helpful to change the order of the agenda by switching statements from the public on agenda issues with statements from the public on non-agenda issues. S. Golden recommended comments from the public before, discussion from committee members, rebuttal after each item, and then the vote. TREASURERS REPORT The treasurers report was reviewed. M. Gleason made a motion to accept the treasurers report as submitted. L. Tobosa secondedthemotion.Themotionwaspassed. CORRESPONDENCE None. 2 TEAM REPORTS A. EDUCATION/PUBLIC AWARENESS TEAM ‚ M. GLEASON No report. B. RECREATIONTEAM ‚L. SCADDEN No report. C.TRANSPORTATION TEAM ‚B. WHITNEY B. Whitney reported that the pilot project for free public transportation is receiving more ridership. S. Golden said that two times last week there were two wheelchairs on the bus. There are two places for wheelchairs on the bus. But, it is her choice not to be tied down when she uses the bus because its easier for her to maneuver and the drivers drive so slow anyway. D. Cowdrey said that she works for Goodwill Industries and their waiver contract says they need to provide transportation for their participants. The Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC) is the provider of this service. HCEOC had to lay off drivers which means participants were unable to have transportation because funding has not been received from the state to the county. Therefore, staff members had to drive over to the homes and pick up the participants. There is no transportationforanynewparticipantsatthispoint. L.ScaddenfeltthisissueneedstobeaddressedwiththeGovernor. M.Gleasonmentionedthatthebigislandrepresentativesandsenatorswillbe traveling around this summer for public forums to get input from the community. This concern can be addressed with them at the forums. A schedule will be published in the next couple of weeks. He offered to e-mail the information to MCPD if he can get the schedule. S. Golden stated that there has been discussion about expanding the public transportation for Kona during the evenings and weekends. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. VOLUNTEER PARKING VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE ‚ SGT. D. VERIATO No report. B.UPDATEFROMDCAB‚C.FLEMING/D.JACKSON/N.OLESEN The May and June report from D. Jackson, DCAB was distributed to MCPD members. J.HartmanraisedaconcernaboutaplannedcurbcutonKuakiniHighwayby McDonalds. The plans calls for the curb cut to be put in with side slopes of 15.5 3 percent. A person in a wheelchair or a scooter who gets on a crosswalk like that will end up in the middle of Kuakini Highway flat on their face. Apparently, approval was received by DCAB to imply technical and feasibility, therefore it will be built because a waiver was given. He spoke to Clifford Chew, federal highway administrator on Oahu, and Clifford was planning to come to Kona to look at the curb cut. J. Hartman maintains that you cannot use federal funds for something that will put somebody in danger. He read N. Olesens comments from the last meeting and said it is incorrect when he says €DCAB can usually find a compromise that meets the ADA requirements. It is not ADA, its Section 504. According to N. Olesen, this project never came up before his committee on DCAB. Yet, F. Wai from DCAB issued a variance on this project due to technical and feasibility because the architect and contractor could not figure out what they are going to do. He is waiting to hear from C. Chew to see if he can withhold funding on that project until a solution is found. T.Spinola-CampbellsuggestedthatJ.Hartmanfileacomplaintinwritingtothe Department of Transportation because its a Title VI complaint. C. ADA COORDINATORS REPORT ‚ T. SPINOLA-CAMPBELL T. Spinola-Campbell provided her report as the ADA Coordinator for May 2005. ADA Coordinators report attached. The meeting was recessed at 11:20 a.m. The meeting was reconvened at 11:30 a.m. D. PARKS AND RECREATION REPORT AND ADA GUIDELINES UPDATE ‚ A. MITCHENER No report. E. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ‚ L. SCADDEN L. Scadden reported that he has had many discussions with the Civil Defense Agency regarding getting emergency preparedness information into the hands of the public. How can MCPD help the county move these documents in to the hands of peoplewhoneedthem? D.Cowdreyofferedtodisseminatetheinformationthroughseveralprogramsat Goodwill Industries. M. Gleason offered to distribute 250 brochures through The Arc ofHiloandL.Tobosaofferedtodistribute350brochuresthroughCenterfor Independent Living. J. Hartman suggested distributing the brochures to property managers who manage hotels,condos,rentals,etc. B.Whitneymentionedthathotelguestdirectoriesalwayshaveasectionaboutwhat to do in case of a fire. She has never seen anything about hurricanes or earthquakes. 4 S. Golden said that gated communities need to be addressed in civil defense issues. B. Whitney stated that there has been discussion in the past about how many of our evacuation sites are not accessible. She does not know what progress has been made and maybe this issue can be brought to the table again. NEW BUSINESS A. ELECTION OF OFFICERS B. Whitney made a motion to nominate L. Scadden as Chair. T. Yamanaka seconded the motion. The motion was passed. D. Cowdrey made a motion to nominate T. Yamanaka as Vice Chair. L. Tobosa seconded the motion. The motion was passed. T. Yamanaka made a motion to nominate B. Whitney as Secretary. J. Souza made a motion to nominate L. Tobosa as Secretary. B. Whitney seconded the motion. B. Whitney was selected as Secretary with six votes and L. Tobosa receiving one vote. The motion was passed. L. Scadden reported that MCPD has onevacancy on the committee. He inquired if there was a list of applicants. J. Viernes replied that Corporation Counsel has taken over the duties and responsibilities of boards and commissions. M. Gleason said he knows an interested individual from West Hawaii who wants to serve on the committee.L.ScaddenaskedthatJ.ViernesfollowupwithCorporationCounsel. She will forward the list and their applications to thenominating committee consisting of M. Gleason, L. Tobosa, and B. Whitney for recommendations to the Mayor. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDA ISSUES J. Hartman reported that it appears that Stan Levin, attorney who filed a lawsuit against the countys Department of Parks and Recreation, hired Bruce Clark, President of Accessibility Planning and Consulting, to certify sixteen parks that have been called €completed by the county. Someone in the county provided B. Clark with a list of facilitiestosurveyandcertify.B.ClarkdidhisjobandgavethelisttoS.Levinwho provided a list to J. Hartman. J. Hartman said that to his knowledge 4 of the 16 facilities arenotfullycompliantandheinformedS.Levinaboutit.S.Levingotupsetandhe wrote a letter to the County of Hawaii stating that he wants to have a meeting at Hale HalawaiinKonasometimeinmidJuneorJulywiththeMayor,ParksandRecreation, Joe Kamelamela of Corporation Counsel, and Planning Director Chris Yuen to address theaccessibilityoftheseparks. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting will be held on Friday, July 1, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. in Hilo. Location to beannounced.M.Gleason,L.Tobosa,andL.Scaddenwillnotbeattendingthenext meeting. J. Matsui will inform J. Viernes if he is able to attend the meeting in order to determinequorum. 5 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:57 a.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, _______________________________ JEAN VIERNES, STAFF SECRETARY 6