Commission on Disabilities October 1, 2009 Approved Regular Meeting Minutes
Town of Westport
Commission on Disabilities
Members present: Elaine Ostroff, Michael Ouimet, Stanley Cornwall, and Selena Howard
Members absent: Richard Squire
Also attending: Norma Judson
Commission on Disabilities
October 1, 2009 Approved Regular Meeting Minutes
Call to Order: Chairperson Elaine Ostroff called the meeting to order at 10:00am in the Town Hall meeting room.
Members present: Elaine Ostroff, Michael Ouimet, Stanley Cornwall, and Selena Howard
Members absent: Richard Squire
Also attending: Norma Judson
- Minutes: It was moved by Stanley Cornwall and seconded by Selena Howard to approve the minutes of the 9-24-09 meeting with the following revisions:
- Insert “and acknowledgements to donors” after the phrase “ensure proper processing” in line 5 of Discussion.
- Insert the sentence “Michael Ouimet agreed to be the contact with the schools.” following “…contact for the COA.” in line19 of Priorities
- Insert “especially for people with disabilities to identify concerns and opportunities at the beginning…” following “…Public Comment to…” in line 2 of Other Matters.
- Insert “use of” following “…role pursuant to the…” in para. 2, line 2, of Other Matters. Insert “…for people with disabilities” following the words “parking placards” in para. 2, line 2, of Other Matters. Insert “use, as per the 2009 Town Meeting approval,” between “placard” and “is” in para, 2, line 3 of Other Matters. Delete “placement” and “the placement” from lines 1 and 2 respectively.
- Insert the word “Disabilities” between “…the…” and “…Planning…” in para.2, line 1 of Member Comments and Input; insert the words …”include them in the emailing of meeting notices along with the approved minutes” after “It was agreed to…” in para. 2 , line 2 of Member Comments and Input. Delete “hold off until” and “people are approved” in that same sentence.
2. Community Input: Commission members took comments from the public including:
- Request for railings at the Town Hall Annex at the exterior south-side steps leading to the lower level;
- Suggestion to look into Emergency Preparedness, access at the new fire station, participation of ADA Coordinator in Commission meetings, and formal approval of Commission bylaws.
3. Announcements:
- Michael Ouimet announced he has accepted a new position and may have a conflict on Thursdays. Following discussion of alternate meeting days, the Chair suggested keeping to the current schedule for the next meeting and revisiting the issue at that time.
- Elaine Ostroff suggested locating a phone with decent speakerphone option for Commission teleconferencing opportunities such as the recent teleconference on updating ADA regulations. Any member who has such a phone should bring it to the next meeting for a trial run.
- Elaine Ostroff announced that planning for the proposed bank across from Lees Market includes consideration of both pedestrian safety and traffic flow improvements.
4. Discussion of Public Awareness Programs, next steps:
- Logo Members discussed various ideas for a WWB (Westport Without Barriers) logo and tagline. The Chair stated that members should continue to consider the ideas presented and that this topic will be revisited at the next meeting. No motions were made.
- Website Elaine Ostroff noted that Greg Stone has offered to assist with website development by setting up links but we will have to do the updating on a regular basis. At a minimum, the website page should have meeting dates and meeting minutes available. Michael Ouimet will look in to setting up a blog. No motions ensued.
- Brochure Various items were discussed concerning reprinting the brochure including: review of the current brochure content, selection of a printer and cost estimates, using environmentally conscious materials, seeking donations to defray costs, black and white vs. color, weight of paper, and the like. Stanley Cornwall agreed to get cost estimates for various options. No motions were proffered.
- Flyers It was agreed to put flyers on hold until the logo is finalized. No further action was taken.
- Letters to Boards and departments Elaine Ostroff suggested that the Commission send a letter of introduction along with a brochure to all Town Departments. No action was taken.
- Press Releases, Meetings Elaine Ostroff stated that she will do the press release for the next meeting. It was moved by Michael Ouimet and seconded by Selena Howard for the Chair to contact Denise Bouchard, the Town ADA Coordinator, to invite her to the next meeting and to have her contact information put on the website. The motion passed 4-0-0. Stanley Cornwall suggested that news articles and press releases should be saved.
- Cable TV scroll Elaine Ostroff stated that she will have a notice placed on the cable government access scrolls. No further action was taken.
- Other: There was a brief discussion regarding Norma Judson’s suggestion to incorporate a discretely placed universal access symbol (wheelchair) into the logo design. No action was taken.
5. Town Departments, Boards, next steps Following up on the citizen concern regarding lack of any hand railings at the Town Hall Annex south-side steps, it was moved by Michael Ouimet and seconded by Selena Howard to contact Denise Bouchard regarding the possibility of installing handrails. The motion passed 4-0-0. It was noted that Michael Ouimet was designated as the schools contact person at the last meeting. Elaine Ostroff suggested that he might want to get in touch with the two parents who are spearheading a program in the schools. No motions were made.
5. Participation in Placard Program – postponed to next meeting
6. Other –The Chair announced that there is a Special Fall Town Meeting at the High School on October 27th at 7 pm. At that meeting, the Community Preservation Committee will be presenting an article that recommends additional funding for the Final Design of the Central Village sidewalks project.
7. Next meeting priorities, responsibilities – approval of bylaws
Adjournment: It was moved by Stanley Cornwall and seconded by Selena Howard to adjourn the meeting at 11:37am. The vote was unanimous.
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