COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES March 12, 2015, MINUTES Commissioners Present: Roxanne Miles, Krystal Monteros, Luke Byram, Gerrit Nyland, Gary Peterson, Todd Holloway Commissioners Absent: Don Izenman, JoAnn Fritsche, Susan Dye Staff Present: Joy St. Germain, Sandy Davis, Cathy Journey, Vicki Walker, Donlisa Scott Guests Present: Joan Eads, TACID Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 4:02 pm. Chair Nyland announced that the PSHSE presentation scheduled on March 26th was moved to the end of April. He then called for acceptance of the March 12, 2015 agenda. The agenda was accepted with the date change for the PSHSE presentation noted. Commissioner Byram motioned to approve the February 12, 2015 minutes with a correction to the spelling of Jeannie Darneille’s last name. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peterson. The motion was then carried. Public Comment > None REPORTS: Human Resources Report – Joy St. Germain, Human Resources > Director St. Germain stated that the city supports the ADA 25th anniversary celebration event. There are some concerns about the scope of the event which has monetary costs that utilize a number of city staff resources, expectations, and Commission member resources. Director St. Germain shared that Marya Gingrey, Human Rights Manager would like to partner with the Commission and has identified two events where the Commission could promote and celebrate the 25th anniversary. The Family Community Learning Academy on April 25th, and the Fair Housing Conference on May 28th. She also stated that the Broadway Farmer’s Market would be another option for the Commission to promote the 25th anniversary. Sandy Davis has drafted a proclamation for the Mayor and City Council. > Director St. Germain provided a handout of the 2015 COD sub-committee goals, city staff/Commission roles, responsibilities, and feedback from managers. Director St. Germain will forward a copy to the Commission to review. Chair Nyland said that time would be allotted during the next committee meeting to review. TACID – Joan Eads > Joan Eads reported that TACID completed their reporting for the year and provided highlights for January – March 12, 2015. > Funding has been received for the new cycle from the City of Tacoma. A proposal for funding was submitted to the Rotary. > Their mental health block grant has been completed and they have been recommended for continuation. > They are developing a resource guide that will address multiple disabilities. > Interviews for the Executive Director position will begin next week. Interested candidates can send their resume and cover letter to Joan@tacid.org. > They are planning a large ADA event in October and are hoping to get a well-known speaker to attract people to the event. Business Approve update to bylaws – Cathy Journey, Training and Development > Cathy Journey provided an update of the bylaws. Commissioner Miles submitted a motion to approve the bylaws and they were seconded by Commissioner Peterson. Everyone was in favor of approving the bylaws and the motion carried. The bylaws were signed by Commissioner Gerrit and Commissioner Miles. The official document will remain in the Neighborhood and Community Services Department. Team Charter Roles and Responsibilities > Cathy Journey provided a revised draft of the Team Charter for the Commission to review. Discussion ensued and it was decided that a final copy of Team Charter would be reviewed during the April 9, 2015 meeting. > Cathy Journey asked that the Commission consider using a Meeting Evaluation form at the end of each meeting. Discussion followed with overall agreement that using the form would be helpful. 25th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration Update – Luke Byram > Commissioner Byram reported that the 25th anniversary of the ADA event has been scheduled at TACID on September 26, 2015 from 11am – 4pm. Discussion ensued. The committee will meet on March 19, 2015 at TACID from 3:30pm – 4:45pm to discuss plans and proposed ideas for a smaller event or to piggy-back onto another event. Director St. Germain suggested that this might be an event that Vice-Chair Miles might oversee and involve everyone. She also noted that the city could send an email and use existing materials that could be prepared from the Commission. Discussion followed regarding distribution channels. The Mayor is developing a standard protocol on how Commissions can utilize social media. Director St. Germain will follow up with the Mayor and provide a status update. COMMITTEE REPORTS Build Design, Planning and Parking – Roxanne Miles > Commissioner Miles reported that the Right of Way group will continue. She has been working with Gail Himes, and they are setting up their first sub-committee meeting. Effective Communication - Luke Byram > Meeting scheduled on March 18, 2015. ADA Web Accessibility – Chair Gerrit Nyland > Chair Nyland shared that there continues to be a problem with city staff purchasing software packages without fully understanding how they work. Emergency Management – Todd Holloway > Commissioner Holloway reported that they will address the Early Warning and Communications software. Commissioner Miles and Commissioner Holloway are working on SMART goals. Some communication will take place between the City Fire and the County to work on some things that are in place and may be adopted by Tacoma to drive the goals for 2015. Wheelchair Accessible Taxis – Krystal Monteros > Commissioner Monteros reported that they are drafting a letter to Pierce Transit for a donation. They are planning for the letter to be approved by the end of the month. Chair Nyland mentioned that the taxi companies are slow in getting the information on the $.10 per cab fee to the Commission. He suspects that they will have the information by mid-April. Employment – Gary Peterson > Commissioner Peterson reported that they are working on receiving feedback on some of the trainings. He would like to attend one of the management trainings to see how it’s presented and provide feedback. Sandy Davis sent two videos to Cathy Journey to incorporate into the Supervisor Management training. There was a concern about copyright issues and misspellings with the closed caption. They are working on having a departmental aide to work in various departments. Good of the Order/Announcements > Commissioner Peterson shared that March is Title IV Telecommunication Accessibility Month > Jennie Adams, a former Taxi sub-committee member, had her book ‘Discovering Your Identity” published. > Tacoma Community College is hosting the Tools for Success conference on March 24th from 8am – 1pm, which is a free conference for individuals with disabilities. Chair Nyland mentioned that this might be a recruitment opportunity. Tacoma Community College is also hosting a Pierce County Resource Fair in partnership with PAVE and PC2 on March 24th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. > There are two vacant positions on the Commission. Sheryl Ellis of the Employment sub-committee recently applied. > The University of Puget Sound is hosting an event on Ableism next week. > Joint Human Rights Commission meeting scheduled on March 19th. The current state of the City’s employment and housing discrimination investigations will be discussed. Next Commission on Disabilities meeting, April 9th, 2015 - 4:00 – 6:00 pm Joint Human Rights Commission and Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities Study Session – March 19th, 2015 – 5:30pm, TMB 708 Public Safety, Human Services, and Education Committee presentation, April 23rd, 2015 – 4:30pm, TMB 248 1 To request this information in an alternative format or to request a reasonable accommodation for this event, please contact Gail Himes, (253) 591-5785; TTY (253) 591-5153 1 To request this information in an alternative format or to request a reasonable accommodation for this event, please contact Gail Himes, (253) 591-5785; TTY (253) 591-5153