Date:               Thursday, September 11, 2008

Time:              12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Place:             1400 Emeline Avenue, Bldg K, Multipurpose Room, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

 

1.0       Call to Order

Chair Stone called the meeting to order at 12:35 p.m.

 

2.0       Roll Call

Present:          Charles Stone, Peter Heylin, Robert McGaw, Doug Patrick, Michael Bush, Jeanette Cosentino

Absent:           Joseph Quigg, Paul Ticknor, Aaron Spencer

Staff:               Mary Thuerwachter, Commission Coordinator

Guests:           John Daugherty, Metro; Everdyn Westcoat

 

3.0 Approval of Minutes

Action Msp MB/DP Minutes for the August 7 retreat were approved.  JCW abstained.

 

5.0 Community Presentations

Everdyn Westcoat came to the commission about the lack of railings at the UCSC Performing Arts Center.  The University’s position is that they have ushers to escort people to their seats and no railings were needed.  Ms. Westcoat circulated a petition.  Msp JCW/MB The Commission should write a letter to UCSC regarding problems for persons with disabilities at the Performing Arts Center.

 

John Daugherty announced that he is looking for candidates that can volunteer for the appeals panel for Metro.  There is no shuttle to the County Fair this year.   California Rural Legal Assistance is representing 2 clients with complaints filed with the Elderly and Disabled Transportation Committee.

 

Joseph Snyder prepared a legislative update that includes numerous regulatory changes in the ADA, including definition of disability.

 

Commissioner Heylin filed an appeal with the Coastal Commission about the current restriction on parking RVs near Twin Lakes Beach.  Persons with disabilities often use RVs to accommodate their needs.  Msp DP/BM Send a letter to the Coastal Commission about the effect of the restriction on disabled beach users.

 

            6.1 Coordinator Report

Terry Brickley Scholarship.  There is no current proposal for donation.  What is the Commission trying to accomplish with this scholarship ?  More exposure for the Commission ?  Should it be for any person with disabilities ?  Or for a person who is going to work with PWDs ?

 

            Follow-up Items

 

Parking- City of Santa Cruz – Staff reported a conversation with Mike Molesky who is out of town.  He said he recently was given a ticket for failing to display his placard.  It had fallen down when he pulled his wheelchair out of the car.  The fine was reduced to the administrative fee of $10.  Commissioner Heylin said in the past he had gotten the city to waive that $10 fee.  He also noted that a produce vendor has set up a cart in the striped portion of the handicapped parking spot at Kelly’s.  He will follow up on this.

 

Evaluation of Community Resources – The Commission received a response from CCCIL.  They will not make their consumer surveys available to the Commission.  John Daugherty who is on the CCCIL board reported that the Capitola branch office of CCCIL is closed and moved into the office of the State Department of Rehabilitation on 41st Avenue.  He is willing to be liaison between CCCIL and the Commission.  There is now only one fulltime staff person for Santa Cruz County who is one day a week in Watsonville and 4 days a week in Capitola.  There is a recruitment for New Options Services Coordinator.  Commissioner Cosentino remarked that the job duties and salary are not realistic.    Commissioner Patrick expressed disappointment that the Commission’s request for information regarding CCCIL consumer service evaluations was denied.  The Commission authorized him to prepare a letter of response.  Msp DP/PH 

 

Accessible Design – There has been a software problem with revising the brochure.  It will be distributed to the four cities.  The new commission website will include a link to this brochure.

 

Reelwork Film Festival – Everyone will bring their top five list of films concerning persons with disabilities to the next Commission meeting.

 

Annual Report – Commissioner Patrick will request that major organizations providing services to county residents with disabilities, be asked to submit written annual reports regarding needs of their consumers, services provided, service coverage, and initiatives to educate the public.  The reports will be attached to the Commission’s annual report to the Board of Supervisors.

 

Public Education – At the retreat, the Commission explored a public education campaign to raise awareness about the problems faced by PWDs.  Staff will contact Joseph Snyder and UCSC about involving student interns in producing 10-15 second spots for TV.  Chair Stone and Commissioner Heylin will form the committee to brainstorm ideas for the spots.

Some one from the Veterans Administration will be asked to speak at the next Commission meeting.

 

The next agenda will include a consent agenda for items that do not require discussion.

 

Meeting adjourned 2:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Mary Thuerwachter

Commission Coordinator