The Corporation of The Town of Cobourg

Accessibility Advisory Committee

MINUTES

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Electronic Participation
Members Present:
  • Jerry Ford
  • Susan Caron
  • Aaron Burchat
  • Kathryn Richards
  • Troy Mills
  • Dan Wilson
Members Absent:
  • Elizabeth Sheffield
Staff Present:
  • Laurie Wills, Director of Public Works
  • Brent Larmer, Municipal Clerk/Manager of Legislative Services
  • Jamie Kramer
Staff Absent:
  • Krystal Christopher

1.
CALL TO ORDER
 

Vice-Chair Kathryn Richards called the Meeting to Order at 10:03 A.M.

2.
TRADITIONAL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 

3.
APPROVAL/ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
 

Brent Larmer, Municipal Clerk/Manager of Legislative Services joined the meeting at 9:50 AM.
Jerry Ford joined the meeting at 9:50 AM.
Jamie Kramer joined the meeting at 9:50 AM.
Troy Mills joined the meeting at 9:55 AM.
Aaron Burchat joined the meeting at 9:56 AM.
Kathryn Richards joined the meeting at 9:57 AM.
Dan Wilson joined the meeting at 9:58 AM.
Laurie Wills, Director of Public Works joined the meeting at 10:00 AM.
  • Moved byTroy Mills

    THAT the Agenda dated April 21, 2021 be approved as amended. 

    Carried

4.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST BY MEMBERS
 

There were no Declarations of Interest Declared by Committee Members. 

5.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
This item has attachments. 

  • Moved byJerry Ford

    THAT the minutes dated March 17, 2021 be adopted as presented.

    Carried

6.
DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS
 

7.
COMMUNICATIONS/CORRESPONDENCE
 

8.
REPORTS
 

8.1
Jamie Kramer, Accessibility Coordinator, on the successful Inclusive Communities Grant Program Application.
This item has attachments. 

  • J. Kramer provided an overview of the grant application that was successful through the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility in the sum of $60,000. 
  • D. Wilson: Have we already decided how it's going to be used?
  • S. Caron: Should the Town not pay for all of this?
  • J. Ford: Some of the elevation in the area are acceptable but very difficult to manage and go through. Some municipalities in B.C. made sure to grind the high spots off to make sure there was a smooth slope to go down rather than a rough ride.

8.2
Jamie Kramer, Accessibility Coordinator, regarding the first accessibility awareness letter to businesses in Cobourg.
This item has attachments. 

  • J. Kramer provided an overview of the letter that will be provided to the businesses in Cobourg about the Customer Service Standard. The letters about the other Standards will be drafted and completed for the next meeting.
  • The members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee will provide a list of businesses to provide this letter and information to.
  • D. Wilson: Customer Service Standard still applies to third parties and additional internal clients or customers. It is not just for the public facing customers.
  • T. Mills: If someone was trained in Standards and was the Inspector, that may make them think this may happen in the future.
  • D. Wilson: Members of the public still need to access your building and goods and services.

8.3
Jamie Kramer, Accessibility Coordinator, with a verbal update regrding Accessibility Awareness Week.
 

  • J. Kramer provided an overview of the types of events that will be conducted during the week for Accessibility Awareness Week.
  • The Accessibility Advisory Committee wants to provide an award for a person or organization during the week that is providing service above and beyond.
  • S. Caron to contact Chesler Shoes about being an award winner for this during Accessibility Awareness Week.
  • K. Richards: What should the award say?
    • D. Wilson: The Town of Cobourg's Accessibility Advisory Committee acknowledges that Chesler Shoes has made notable contributions to accessibility in Cobourg.
    • J. Kramer to look into the costs of plaques to be made for the award.
  • Councillor Burchat: Question from Councillor Chorley - if we could show a picture of the banner for the next Council meeting.
    • S. Caron to take a picture of the banners.
  • S. Caron: Would like to display in different window fronts for banners and posters as well as the diorama that Sue made.
  • K. Richards: Could we also show the video that Sue made for Council two years ago?
    • S. Caron to send J. Kramer the video to display.

8.4
Laurie Wills, Director of Public Works, regarding a Transit update.
 

On Demand Transit

  • On Demand transit started on Monday and is available for WHEELS during WHEELS service hours. For all other residents, it is evenings and weekends.
  • Then on Monday, June 14th it will be on demand for everyone at all operating hours.
  • WHEELS members need to call Century before setting up the account online because Century has to manually book you for all hours of the operation for WHEELS.
  • Can still continue to call the call centre.

Training

  • Time to get ready with the drivers so haven't been able to do the winch training but scheduling it as soon as possible with the On Demand.
  • Given COVID restrictions, it's been challenging to find the time to get the drivers together but hope to finalize it over the next few weeks.
  • Safe push, pull, and lift training for all drivers which will be able to increase the service levels.

Winch Operations

  • Want to get some user feedback and hear from the rest of WHEELS members for a few weeks to see how it works.
  • We intend to purchase a second one for the second WHEELS bus if we receive favourable feedback.

Discounted Monthly Passes

  • Contactless payment bus pass was approved at Council and will take some time to get up and running.
  • RideCo has additional fees currently but are working to provide these discounted passes.
  • The Town will have a link on the website and will be a reloadable smart card.
    • Can buy them empty or loaded.
    • Hoping to have them at major areas such as Shoppers, Walmart, Metro, etc. and also at Victoria Hall, the Library, CCC, etc.
    • Register the card online and then monthly passes can be bought online.
    • These passes will be validated upon first use.
    • Not a date to date pass but one month after first use.
    • Can even top it up on the bus if you are about to run out for the month.

Other Available Pre-Loaded Cards

  • 10 or 20 ride passes on these pre-loaded cards which could last people who do not need them as long for that.
  • Cash will also be available to purchase on the bus.

Comments/Questions

  • T. Mills: Using the app already, you will know who the driver is, what vehicle is coming, and the license plate that is on the vehicle so it's easier to locate. The app says $4.00 but it's only $2.00.
    • I can switch over to my manual wheelchair and use some of the additional features like the ramps to make sure they work properly.
    • Haven't tried out the bus yet to see if it will go into the vehicle.
  • L. Wills: The front of the large buses should be loading in the front because of how we collect fares.
  • T. Mills: One more thing, after you have taken the ride, there is a follow-up. You can add comments about how your ride went and the driver.
  • L. Wills: Any suggestions at all are very beneficial because we are trying to adapt to new things with this process. We are reviewing the comments weekly with the team so we can try to work through them as we go through the trial period.
Susan Caron joined the meeting at 10:11 AM.

9.
NEW BUSINESS
 

9.1
Jerry Ford, Member, regarding an update from the Transportation Advisory Committee.
 

  • At the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), they were discussing what we covered with Laurie. Very impressed with the thoroughness and completeness with how everything was structured.
  • Brought up how are we going to meet the needs of people for emergency measures - the 24 hour problem.
  • J. Ford notified them that it was not a transit problem but an emergency measures problem but we were waiting for responses from the Emergency Planner who was on leave.
  • TAC thought it was the right way to go because it took the burden off the transportation system and moved to those who are already available on a 24 hour basis.
  • How we move forward with this has to be determined but paramedics and fire fighters are already available so it makes sense to tie it to them.

10.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
 

10.1
Members at Large regarding education and awareness campaigns.
This item has attachments. 

10.2
Sue Caron, Chair, regarding Barrier Free Units.
 

  • K. Richards: Could we present it to potential builders and realtors?
  • S. Caron: Send it to Council and the Town Planner as well as the MPP to let everyone know how the Barrier-Free Units are impacting people with disabilities.
  • J. Ford: Not expecting this government to give us much credence because of how focused they are on COVID-19.
  • K. Richards: Might put a thought in their mind even if they don't use it right away.
  • D. Wilson: Do we know that the province has a direct role in the number of accessible units in the municipalities or is it a Building Code item?
  • J. Ford: A need for all buildings to provide accessibility and putting it into all buildings which is left partially to the municipality and amend it within their own jurisdiction. For example, London, Ontario has created their own Facility Accessible Design Standards (FADS).
  • J. Ford: The accessibility requirements in the Building Code simply do not cut it for people with disabilities.
  • Councillor Burchat: There's a minimum code for this and the Ontario Building Code is not what is actually required for these accessible units. Builders are not looking for the top notch but the minimum to do this but the Building Officials cannot force it on them until the Standards change. As the units get built out, they are looking at minimum today not into the future.
  • J. Ford: They are lacking education on what it means to truly be barrier free. Education of our building department as well. We should have an open house once COVID is done to make people aware of what accessibility features can be built in to a unit.
  • S. Caron: Another reason to have barrier free units is that people wouldn't need PSWs to come and do the mundane tasks like taking down dishes, helping put things away, etc.
  • T. Mills: Could we make a list of the things that builders should be looking at when doing their buildings when doing their ideas? Or send the list to the provincial government.
    • J. Kramer: We could come up with a list together that could be done to provide to developers during the development review team meetings to help with education for developers.
    • T. Mills: We could contact Nancy from Peterborough to have a full list to bring forward for development.
  • J. Ford: Would it make sense to make a list of all the things that should be put into a barrier-free home and submit them to J. Kramer?

10.3
Unfinished Business Tracking Chart - April 2021.
This item has attachments. 

  • J. Kramer: Once Director Wills has provided an update on the training conducted by the drivers, the Accessibility Advisory Committee can add that into the WHEELS Policy and Procedure.

Ramps into Buildings

  • D. Wilson: There is the potential to use StopGap for ramps to enter into the businesses that are downtown, especially the storefront.
  • S. Caron: There is a need for more education about the interior spaces and moving around inside the storefronts.
  • J. Kramer to contact planning about the use of StopGap and follow up to see what options.
  • D. Wilson: If we could work with StopGap on this, could we invite the DBIA to a future meeting?
    • Councillor Burchat: Two Councillors sit on that board so we could definitely invite them in.
    • J. Kramer: The hope with some of the grant money is to have these types of resources available for businesses to improve that type of accessibility downtown.

10.4
Jerry Ford, Member, regarding Emergency Preparedness.
 

  • J. Kramer to request S. Murphy to attend a future meeting in the next month or so and to have this as an item on the agenda until the matter has been solved.
  • A. Burchat: Had my one-on-one meeting with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and explained this to her as being on the radar of the Committee to give us feedback on what other municipalities are doing.
  • J. Ford: We need to look at the most cost effective and most benefit for the citizens. We don't want to do it at a cost that is prohibitive.

11.
ADJOURNMENT
 

  • Moved byJerry Ford

    THAT the meeting be adjourned at 11:28 a.m.

    Carried
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