Meeting
Minutes: Approved 3/4/04
Date: February
5, 2004
Time: 10:30am-Noon
Place: 1400
Emeline Avenue, Bldg K, Room 206, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1.0 Call to
Order
Chair Stone called the meeting to order at
10:35 am.
2.0 Roll Call
Present: Bob
McGaw, Charles Stone, Deborah Calloway, Michael Bush
Excused: Thomas
Ferr, Jenny Sarmiento
Guest(s): Mary Balzar - SPIN
Staff: Andrea
Smith
3.0 Announcements
4.0 Minutes
ACTION:
The Commission approved minutes for the January 2004 meeting.
msp Bush/McGaw
5.0 Additions/Deletions
6.0 Oral Communications
Mary Balzar of SPIN (Special Parents Information Networks)
presented information on her agency. SPIN was formed to assist parents with
children with disabilities through the special education system. They currently
have offices in Watsonville and Hollister where they advocate, refer, and
educate. In addition to a quarterly newsletter they offer:
- Information
on and referral to local resources for children with special needs.
- Mentor
program for parents who want support and information from
another parent who has a child with a similar disability or has experience
navigating the system of services.
- Educational
workshops and training on various topics to educate
parents and professionals to better meet and advocate for a child's needs
at home, school and in the community.
- Networking
opportunities through support groups, events, workshops and
training, and parent-to-parent support.
- Resource
Library of books, periodicals, journals, brochures and videos
on various special needs topics.
SPIN conducted a parent’s needs assessment in 2003. They received a 17% response rate from 6000 parent surveys sent out. The Executive Summary to this survey is available on their website at www.spinsc.org.
The bulk of their funding is received from FEC – Family
Empowerment Centers for Education funds.
7.0 Reports
7.1
Commissioners Reports
Chair Stone reported that he would be
attending a 2-day conference in Sacramento in March representing the Santa Cruz
County IHSS Advisory Committee. The focus of the conference will be on how to
stop cuts to IHSS services and /or how to survive them. He also reported that
he is serving on a Legislative Action Taskforce, a spin-off from the IHSS to
monitor legislation and actions.
7.2 Coordinators Report
- The
Coordinator and intern have begun randomly surveying parking lots in
unincorporated areas of the County as a follow-up to our 2000 survey.
- Announced
that the Para-Transit summit is scheduled for today at 4p.m in the Board
chambers.
8.0 Ongoing business
8.1 Updates
Inclusive Home Design: Vice Chair Bush announced
that State guidelines will be available January 2005. Ninety-days after they
become available they will be mandatory.
Accessible Parking Enforcement: No
report
Legislation: State Legislators are proposing
to change how Section 8 is funded. The
proposal recommends removing the decision from Counties and placing it with the
Housing Department.
Cultural Competency Standards: No report
Terry Brickley Scholarship: Commissioner Ferr
submitted a report by telephone prior to the meeting. He continues to solicit
donations for the scholarship fund which are sent directly to the Cabrillo
College Foundation.
8.2
Goals ongoing update-remove
9.0 New Business
9.1 Commission vacancies
Commissioners discussed vacancies. The Coordinator will send
Mary Balzar of SPIN an ad for their newsletter
9.2 Commission Visibility
Commissioners discussed ways that the Commission could
increase visibility. Some ideas included participation in the following activities:
- County
Diversity Awareness Month Art Exhibit
- IHSS
Workshop: Under One Roof in May 2004 at the UCSC Inn
- CCCIL
Disability Awareness Fair in Watsonville
- Distribute
Flyers
- Terry
Brickley Educational Enhancement Scholarship
- Ads
in disability related newsletters
Next meeting’s agenda:
Quarterly review of goals
The meeting adjourned at Noon
Andrea Smith
Commission Coordinator