e good evening welcome to the May 14th uh Commission on disabilities meeting uh if we could please uh s the flag uh I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all uh if uh Pauline Vice chair if you could do a roll call of the members oh you're on mute I apologize for that I thought I clicked off uh Ralph too present paen perno is present uh we've been notified that Jason Baron is absent from tonight's meeting Mario ganis present and Ellie Vargas present and anarie FY present that concludes thank you item one on the agenda is a motion to approve the meeting minutes from the April 9th uh 2024 meeting I had sent everyone the uh meeting minutes uh last Friday from the April meeting um not sure if everyone had a chance to take a look at them uh if there's any questions concerns if there's any errors please let me know now we can correct it uh before a uh remember makes a motion to approve and then second it were there any questions or concerns with the meeting minutes from April by any member right if I can ask for a motion to approve I'll approve I approve by and byell thank you okay item number two is updates and next steps from our April 9th meeting uh any updates regarding um the calendar for future monthly guest speakers from Pauline or uh once we'll go through Pauline then we can ask for any other members that have been trying to work on reaching out to anyone else so Pauline I'll open it up to you first thank you um I have reached out to over 30 entities shall we say various in Sury people organizations whatever and I have had absolutely zero response I've followed up with all of them so I'm going to change and expand how I'm looking for people to come and and join us um I've I've been keeping a list so that I'm not repeating my own um time management issues but um I'm finding that there's been turnovers in people um mailboxes are full emails are it's going to a central location that's not being checked those sorts of things so short of finding exacting telephone numbers to match these individuals or these entities um it's been very very difficult very time consuming and energy consuming so anyone would care to join in and jump in dial in whatever please feel free to um I'm not sure if it's the season if it's just the trend um but I have been having an awful time to either a answer or B commit um so that's where I'm at right now unfortun understood uh any other members uh so Ralph I mentioned that I was working on um getting someone from the community family in Everett which is like a um Day program for people with disabilities it's actually one of the first for Alzheimer's patients as well um and the contact person there I think they'll be willing to do it um but they're away until the end of the month so I have to reach back out at the end of the month and hopefully um they'll be willing to to meet with us and be a guest speaker okay just as a point of information we don't have a meeting in July um and um tentatively I know June since they're wait till the end of the month June would probably be to soon so maybe um see if there's a possibility if they wanted to join for our August meeting in just a second Tuesday at 6 PM you would just get their contact information and just Loop me in on the email um and it's just via Zoom so they don't have to come anywhere in person um and I also have had preliminary conversations uh Pauline with uh Adrian Maguire from dph Department of Public Health and reair uh and possibilities that she may be wanting to come uh to one of our meetings to uh discuss some um some ideas and some programs that um she's looking to work on that we've actually tried we've discussed in the past about trying to have Outreach in uh what people with disabilities to have um how we would how we would be able to know who the people with disabilities are in our community and what their needs are um so she's working on some programs like that and uh maybe um may be able to come to our June meeting uh so I've had preliminary discussions with her so I will keep you up to date for the June meeting excellent okay perfect so like I said anyone that knows of any any any entities that would uh that would like to come to the commission on disabilities meeting that has any programs or any knowledge for for our resources for people with disabilities please reach out to myself for Pauline on an email with them um would love to have them come to our commission meeting uh we try and want to try and book them in advance a few months in advance uh will be the best way um to to get this done all right item number two uh is Any Grant updates regarding save the hobor save the bay the uh the better Beach program I do want to update you that um we are definitely getting the the Grant from uh save the hob or save the bay uh they are U going to be doing a formal presentation uh with a check uh check dispersement uh on Thursday um May 23rd uh in Boston that um hopefully I will be attending um it's in Boston um depending upon um my availability uh if not they're more than willing to mail us the check also part of the process is that there's a permitting a permitting application that had to be submitted to DCR uh and that has been submitted to them for the date that we are looking to have it so I am still waiting for the approval of DCR for that permit um but tentatively we are hoping that they approve the date of August uh 17th for all our all abilities Beach uh beach pro Beach day at the beach at Riv Beach uh there'll be more information uh to come uh with trying to uh get some uh some work on the background of getting that done um so it's I'm just I'm waiting to get the approval for the permit from DCR um for the location um I'm looking to have it in front of the new bath houses uh at at Rivier Beach um so logistically I think that's the best place um and the safest place especially um for people of all abilities the restrooms are right there it's more accessible for everyone uh it's a nice level air entrance area onto the beach uh we're going to be having hopefully the universal access program which is p TC to be bringing down uh accessible beach sand uh Wheelchairs and more accessible mats uh for people to be able to get from the from the fluffy sand down to the hot sand to get into the water along with uh other activities that I'm trying to uh solidify but I just want to have the the official uh approval for DCF for the permit before I solidify everything excellent update everyone on that and also uh I am in the final stages of completing the gothfield uh the the the George V colala Community Center at the Garfield School uh just finishing up that finishing up that that Grant uh process um finishing up all the paperwork um waiting for um one of the contractors to come in to um bring in the um the new parts for the accessible uh chairlift father the pool um so that that will be back in operation uh hopefully it be hopefully we're working trying to get a day for this week for them to come and do that uh for the new parts and to also go through the chair itself and make sure everything is all working order um and uh we're also working on um with the architect to uh try and finalize some drawings once we uh can get some meetings uh in place um so that hopefully next year we will be able to go after another grant to get some other work done uh in the uh Community Center to make things more accessible um for the for the community center at the same time we are also getting more Visual and accessible signs ordered for uh City Hall um so hopefully that will be getting done within the next month so there's going to be more visual signs um and wayf finding for for people um to know where to go um especially for the handicap entrances um parking spots and the offices themselves so the signs will be uh more ADA compliance along hopefully with uh with some Braille lettering on them and at the the proper height requirements so that is all part of that Grant and uh through surveys that we had put out um I had left the spot in the surveys to the community for the community for the gothfield community center I left the place in there for for suggestions or any other issues that residents had for any other uh municipal buildings within the city not only at the community center so that is what was uh finding in that so we're trying to take care of that so I if anybody has any questions or any comments or any any want any more information on those be able to provide that I just have oh sorry go ahead go ahead pa okay thanks real quick one the the entrance to the pool the actual entrance into the water is via staircase no oh to the pool itself there's no ST there's no staircases there it's ladder so that's why we have the accessible chair the chairlift that you sit onto the chair it's a a mechan it's an electronical arm that takes you right into the pool uh it lowers you into the water and then you get off of the chair and then you get back into it same you can back out of the water the same way okay that's what I thought thank you where is that what pool is this where is it's the it's at The Drudge V kalala Community Center which is part of the go school oh okay okay thanks okay so my only um question is the signing there's like no signing at the basement level of the elevator of City Hall so that's going to be all y that's part of the signage that I'm getting uh all the signage that's going to be put in place not only inside the basement but the outside to let people know that's the handicap entrance on the Pleasant Street side uh along with being placed on the outside of the building with directions and how to arrows going to there where the handicap accessible doorway is and where the elevator inside um so those are are all out to bid right now to get those signs the quotes for the signs so that they can get made and then installed [Music] awesome um at the same uh the same part time that's uh we did did an assessment and there were some um where the handicap parking spots were outside the Pleasant Street entrance there was no handicap signs on the polls those are immediately installed already they were already installed they're already on those polls there so those are already all set um any other questions concerns or suggestions um okay item number three Coda which is the commission of disabilities Alliance monthly Zoom meeting which happened um on Wednesday May 1 um there were Cod Commission members discussed the new dog web accessibility we we weag which is wcag 2.2 AA guidelines for cities towns and other municipalities will take effect on June uh 24th um so what's going to happen is the web accessibilities for cities and towns are going to have to now meet the the new standards and guidelines um and what it's going to be is any city or town of 50 uh of 50,000 more residents uh has to have these guidelines and standards in effect in in and initiated by uh June 24th uh 2026 if you have I believe if they're a city or town uh municipality with less than 50,000 I believe they extended it to 2027 this was the date as of the time uh that I did these notes um I believe they may have changed that to April of those same years but the the law does not go into effect till June 24th of 2024 and at that time they said it was going to be two years from that date um so that's what I'm going by right now because I was on a couple of meetings for that um so that's going to just bring your web accessibility and design everything has to be uh meet those standards and guidelines which is which is is very beneficial um so there's not a lot of a lot of cities and towns and and state government um I wouldn't say um in Massachusetts um the bigger cities of towns a lot of them are already meeting some a lot of the compliance but there's some changes that they're going to that they're that they're implementing so if anybody wants a copy of what those guidelines are they did create a fact sheet um that I do have so I'd be willing to share that with anyone that's a lot of technical information so I made me more information that you you would want to look at but just in case you want to you can reach out to me and I I can get that to you yeah send me a copy of the fact sheet I would just send me send me just send me an email and I could get that copy to it's right from the doj um so I do have that um and if any other any other questions if not I will move on to the next item that was discussed at that Coda meeting uh Cod uh commission commissions had discussions on monitoring and assessing dog poxs for people with disabilities that are dog owners some examples would be the proper Pathways leading to the dogp surfaces and gate hand and that g handles meet ADA requirements uh some commissions mentioned that dog parks in their cities the handles you cannot open the handles with a closed fist so you know ADA requirements door handles Gates uh you know they they you need to be able to open them when a closed fist you cannot have a handle that you have to grasp uh because you know people with certain disabilities don't have that that dexterity and and are able to do that um so they just you know want to make sure that you know they they all meet the ADA requirements and they just through our meeting we just had discussions so that you know commissions do know that they reach out to the proper entities with their within their cities and towns to make sure that when they when they do design dog poxs are existing dog poxs do have have these uh these specifications in the dog box um so that was one of the items uh lastly um some Cod Commission members mentioned that they are looking into applying for this year's mod Grant um the application cycle will run until June 14 I myself am also looking to apply for theod Grant uh which is the mass office on disabilities grant for um any um any accessible uh issues or barriers within the municipality um the one thing that they look at is if you had a self- evaluation and transition plan done in the past they highly uh like that if you are doing any um any projects that are outlined in those transition plans um they look favorably on those types of projects and luckily we do have uh a transition plan that was done and we do have several projects and I am in the process of uh trying to till uh a few projects within City Hall uh for uh some municipal offices for the the height and design of counter stops for a few of the offices to make sure that they meet the accessible requirements specifically outlined in the transition plan so I'm in the process of trying to get that that done um it's taking a bit of time but uh I'm working on that with uh with Department with this with the proper department heads uh within within the city if anyone has any questions sorry if my voice is a little little low uh but please let me know if I if you can't hear me Park thing is that just addressing the dog parks the accessibility the monitoring and assessing of dog parks or is that for all of them um the reason is and I'm not sure even what is going on down the end of the beach before you turn on to Rivier street that new park it what's I don't even know the name Park Sullivan Parkin Park is that going to be fenced in it looks like there's fences then there's no fences what is that exactly is that that's a DCR project I can't remember if it is going to be Fen in but I know it's a it's definitely a DCR DCR project is doing that um but the the the commissions basically just discuss had discussions at at that meeting just for dog parks um but as you know everyone notic that you know you when you have Gates enclosures you need to make sure that they're they're fully compliant ADA requirements that they're they're accessible for for for everyone to be able to open and close them but that at that meeting they specifically were discussing dog parks dogs okay because I haven't been over to that dog park the one that's in West r i I know that there's a smaller one at the corner of is it Campbell AB Campbell and I'm trying to think the Campell on Northshore road before Northshore Road I forget that's there the cross comes off of Northshore road to Campbell out yeah there's a small do park there and I I I've never been in it again I do it a dog but my dog stays at home I don't I first of all I couldn't handle her I don't know if anybody but um I call Island but it's not even accessible but doesn't even look like a dog park it's usually like closed off for the most part C have yeah it's not even it looks like a a little island it's not even an entrance I don't even see dogs in it half the time but I don't know if that's the one PA's talking about that that exactly the one I'm talking about Ellie it's go buy it and I'll see a one or two dogs in there and then I won't see any for several weeks and so I'm not really even sure what that is if that's even a dog park or if it's just a park that people just take their dogs to um and I don't even know I don't even know and it's not even accessible I don't even drive on the sidewalk it's not even accessible to even walk on p i us just I just go on the street and the two building that are being built the new apartment buildings that are being built on the other side just makes it atrocious just just go on the sidewalk but yeah I know exactly what talking about that was never accessible you just see a gate and it's like I think I see a little blon board for like the the the flower committee but that's it that's all I know about oh the beautification committee yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly and I think the one in West rivere um there's like three entrances and maybe one of them would meet height requirements the surface is definitely not very accessible I don't think because it's mostly gravel um and I don't know with all the new apartment communities being built most of them are building dog parks which I'm assuming would fall under them for ADA compliance but I don't know if if they're making them compliant or not yeah I think by right they have to make them compliant right yeah and yeah okay well thank you thank you for that update all right um next is item four is CPAC May June events uh provided by Julie Brown the president of the CPAC uh CPAC recently had a free virtual workshop on Wednesday May 8th for parents and professional events via Zoom which was hosted by the Federation for children with special needs um I don't know how the attendance was since it was um it was May 8th so I did not get any followup uh information on that um cpac's next meeting is going to be Thursday May 30th uh CPAC is going to be meeting in person with a zoom link option and the agend the agenda should be coming out um the beginning of this month and this is going to also be the last in-person event of the year because uh the school year will be ending in June um also they mentioned that they they are looking for any and all interested parties to join us either as board members or volunteers or overall support anyone interested in getting more involved in CPAC R can send us an email at CPAC rier gmail.com I'll call Julie Brown at 617 817 2653 and that's all in the all that information is all on on the agenda um so that's all there uh item number five is is commission uh commission members late items or information not sure if any commission members uh have any late items or or information okay item number six is residents concerns or issues I was recently contacted by a resident um from the uh it was the Beachmont area but not from Beachmont uh regarding the overpass uh on o on uh I believe it's it's Ocean AV um going from the after the last Department building going into Beachmont uh and I know this has been an issue that uh believe Council McKenna has been trying to work on that the sidewalks are impassible over there there's overgrowth this tree stumps uh and everything there and it's it is I guess it's a it's either DCR R do um and it's there's been a lot of um back and forth as to who to take care of it um so wants to take accountability it's a area where the stop the shop is no one wants to rebuild the side block so it's it's I don't know who's responsible but never GNA fixed at this point well I'm going to try and have follow-up conversations uh I left a message for the resident they contacting me by email um to see what who if we have somebody definite that we can talk to instead of just sending General emails to to to dot if not if we have to get the state delegation involved I know representative turo is a great help uh with any needs down there so may reach out to representative turo uh because that's it's I guess it's I I haven't physically been down there but what I gotten the email it's in deplorable condition there uh she cannot get her dad uh through that sidewalk there in his wheelchair uh going through that walk really I don't have I have no issue going to turl next month I I visiting him yeah so I guess it's the overcast that goes from the ocean abide going going to the opposite side [Music] um I have to go Beach and see that area I didn't see since the big building went up I didn't know that was yeah they said it's not that bad on the building side but on the on the beach side it's worse is is what I what what was told to me in an email um but I haven't physically seen it myself so that's one of the one of the issues um that was related to me um uh so that's the only thing that I had uh brought to me um next steps is uh I will just keep updating everyone on um the all abilities uh day at River Beach and also uh next steps if anyone has any information for uh any organizations departments or agencies that want to come and and come to our um monthly Commission on disabilities meeting uh we'll just keep that on here as next items um and item number eight is our uh monthly reminder Pauline would you mind uh reading that I would love to I know the commission on disabilities office number is 781 28682 67 residents can also call R 311 and speak to their staff Monday through Friday they will answer most questions but if they are unable to or if you want to speak to one of our department directly or schedule an appointment please ask to be transferred to the disability office if we are unavailable please leave a detailed message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible as always please tell us if you want something discussed or added to our monthly meeting agenda you can let us know if you would like to speak on any issue or concern the commission is here to help and assist all the disabled residents and families of rier thank you um before we ask for a motion to adjourn our next meeting via Zoom uh will be Tuesday June 11th uh 2024 at 6 PM as always we do not have a July meeting so that will be our uh uh meeting be our last meeting uh for before our summer monthly Break um so as as I just mentioned the next meeting will be to Tuesday July 11th uh via Zoom at 6 PM if I could ask for a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn and someone second I'll second second there you go okay as always thank you for for the commission members for attending this meeting I really appreciate it uh and like I said anyone any questions or concerns please fail to reach out to us uh we're here for for for the residents and families of people uh not only with disabilities but people with all abilities have a great night enjoy the rest of your week thank youbody bye