Disability Advisory Committee - Regular Meeting

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This meeting is being live streamed by Under Production Multimedia. All right, let's uh start this meeting off. It is Monday, September the 8th at 5:01 p.m. The disability advisory committee will begin. Let's uh get a call to order or should we do the pledge first? Pledge. Let's do the pledge. 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. All right. Now, we have to call to order. All right. All right. Liz, you want to start us off the circle here?

Yep. Elizabeth Hardy, secretary. Ashley Toms, vice president. Think about it. vice pres principal Amy Venevas, President Andrea Frasier, Cindy McNeel. All right. To welcome everybody to the meeting. Um, does anybody have any um changes to the U agenda or the uh minutes from the last meeting? None. Okay. We need a motion to approve those minutes. All right. Second. I'll second it.

All right. All right. Oh, yeah. Let's do a vote. All in favor say I.

All right. All right. Let's move on to uh we didn't really get into too much the last meeting uh but we did talk about some things with community days. So with that being said, we're going to kind of skip on to the new business with that. um because we're going to be getting a general update from Mayor TA that's going to talk about community dates and a few other uh events and projects that are going around the city right now. Yeah, sure. Um thank you. Um appreciate you guys and what you do, of course. So, community days this year will be on the 19th and 20th. It's a Friday, Saturday. looks a little different this year. We acknowledge that there's a home football game Friday night and so we are encouraging since it's community days, we are encouraging that night that people participate in that on behalf of our youth and we are encouraging folks to go to the ensembles tailgate that happens from 5:30 to 6:30 before the game begins right there across from the tennis court. Ensembles is on the corner of Rosewood and Monroe and the city is providing them with an tent for their front lawn and some extra chairs. Um it is an accessible space. She does have sidewalk um parking. We can make sure that we're reserving some parking for people to pull if they need to. But um they have musicians that come. I think Robin Hry is playing that night there. Um and the city's sponsoring that event just to try to encourage the community to come out in support of our youth. So the official community daisies on square will be on Saturday and so it'll be all day festival just like years pass with the vendors bands throughout the day runs basically from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. The drum show will take place about 9:30 or

10. Um we we have the um we'll have golf carts running throughout parking around town. And so in the same way that we run Founders Day where we encourage anyone who can ride a golf cart to wait for a golf cart and get on a golf cart, we're reserving wheelchair only access at the live stream parking lot so that we have a space for people that have devices that can't get on a golf cart and ride um to be able to park. We also will have parking available uh reserved at the Arts Enrichment Center, so it's not too far away. Um, and we will we are going to have the arts enrichment center open as a um quiet space or a space to cool down or nurse or whatever someone might need to do. We have the building on hold and be open for those kinds of things. Or for people who need who have trouble with we will have portaots of course in the alleyway but that building has an an accessible bathroom. Um more easy for for people that have children or you know getting the be difficult. So,

will the Greenway Park bathroom area be open? It will be. There's nothing going on in Greenway. I didn't know just because I was thinking because if anybody needed to go that way for

Yeah, it is. It's open every day now. We have it on timer. So, we switched those bathrooms over to single use only. And there's an adult size changing table in one and then a regular child regular baby changing station in the other. And they're single use now instead of multi-use. And they're on a timer. So, they're actually open during the day every day. any events going on down there um up here on the square. So um that's pretty good. Any other questions you'll have for me on that? I have none on community days. We will have a city tent sit out front. So anybody that wants to show up, um Tony Jackson will be working it with his staff a lot during the day because he's got a lot of swag items to give away. Um so if you show up, that's fine. if you want to come at the A&E as well. Um, let people know. We're going to try to Cindy of course is new. So, welcome Cindy to the board. Um, and she and I were chatting before this and she said one thing is we could probably increase our communication on these events to to help people let people know that they are accessible events and what accommodations we do have available because it would be more welcoming for people who may not know. And so, I'm going to work with Brian on putting a piece as He's working on the marketing for this now. And I'm going to ask him to include one of the marketing pieces on our social to be explicit invitation for people who maybe either have children with disabilities or who live with disabilities so they know what accommodations are available that we have the ad available for quiet space cool down nursing mothers private time. Um that we have the fully accessible parking lot here and that we have just so they know what's available. I think that's a great idea

because there's so often that I go places and I just have to figure it out. Yeah. And you know, I guess when you're internally in our heads, we just assume people know that's the thing to assume. So, we'll put out a specific marketing piece to make sure people know what accommodations are available. So, that's why I was thinking about the greenway part, the bathroom. I was thinking about her and Morgan if she needed to go, but I keep forgetting about Manny having the new bathroom. Yeah. No, it does not have a changing. There was not enough room to fit an adult changing station in there. Unfortunately, we're it's an old building. We're limited at what we can do. So, we would just take

not the truck bed. Yeah. We don't We're trying to avoid truck beds. We want to give people space integity.

Yeah. All right. Sounds good. And I think the next thing on your agenda was Amy texting me trying to capitalize on a video that I made. So I don't know what you have in mind. I am not a cook. So well I just thought we we've discussed multiple times like what could be our thing or you know it's so hard with the events you know trying to hit every single event and set up tents and setup booths and getting people working. So, I don't know if you guys had seen on the social media, TVA had did um chocolate gravy and biscuit video. Um and so I text her and I was just like, "Hey, you know, um we should take it over for the disability advisory committee and have something like at the A&E center just like a breakfast with Truda and then make you stand back there and do the you know, you know, do do cooking back there. you know, and or you know, we we both can.

Okay, that'll be a disclaimer on Angry and I I mean, I know we both I don't know about everybody else as far as cooking and bacon, but I know Andre and I we do bacon and I'm happy to serve it up on a plate. Well, and that was another thing. She did me I was just going to make you look good, you know, like you really was cooking, but she messaged me back and was just like, I don't like to cook. I don't enjoy it. I don't I don't enjoy it. You like to serve them. serve the food. This was just like a two meal, like a twoperson meal I did, you know, and so we I just laughed about it and she was like, "Well, let's just talk about it at me and see what people think." But I think she got a lot of feedback. Yeah.

From that. And then you did another one of making the hummingbird stuff, too. And now seeing that has a lot of feedback. So, I thought, well, with with that, what we could do if you guys were up for it, we could have a breakfast and just literally serve the chocolate gravy and biscuits and then um we could take that money and we could donate it towards the uh money that TA's going to be losing in the budget for the employees um Christmas stuff. So, full disclaimer, right now in the budget, we have that in there. for Yes. But we would have it for Yes. So, let me take that back. So, would it go to this year because they're Well, we have it in next year's budget. So,

Oh, you do? Okay.

We It's It's complicated. So, for anybody who doesn't know, we're under some extreme budget stress thanks to this new Senate enrolled act that we're facing and it's been a really challenging year writing this budget. The problem that we have is that the numbers are all over the place. And so, when I said that originally made that cut, it's because the numbers were coming back worse than we had seen them. Well, now the financial analysis says it's not that bad, but then the state is saying it is. So, we're looking at a situation where the financial review says we're losing about 800,000, but the state says we're losing 1.2 million. We don't know what to expect, but we're going with worst case scenario because we don't want to not plan for that and then that actually be the correct number. So, we've tentatively kind of put that back in the budget for next year, but it's not ideal. However, if you want to do a fundraiser and donate it back to the employee recognition, there are other ways that we would recognize the employees. Yeah. That we could do that. So, we like to try to we like to try to fund um department lunches throughout the year where we get them in and just show them that we appreciate them and that, you know, get their feedback. It's a great time to hear from them what's working, what's not, what needs do they have as a department, those kind of things. And so, that has all been significantly kind of

But you guys are good for all that for the rest of this gift card. Yeah, we're fine next year. So, this would be something we would plan out for next year. Um, you know, the more time we have to plan, the better I can, you know, prepare myself for cooking.

Um, so I guess, you know, I think that this would be a ticketed event so that we would know how much we need to prepare um and not just an open thing. And I would encourage um us to get the parks team involved to look at the calendar um feedback from you on what what you know a Saturday morning. I would think it's something you'd want to do kind of what you're what you're looking at, what your ideas are, but it's certainly possible. Um, we have several groups that do um breakfasts over there. You know, Lions Club has their very popular pancake breakfast and um we've had other things. So, it's not it's a good space and now it's renovated if you haven't seen it. Um so, brand new sparkly new kitchen just waiting for me to burn stuff.

Yep. So, yeah. So, if anybody has any, you know, opinions on and what you think for that. I would encourage, you know, it could be something we could attach as an Easter event. You know, we always have our egg hunt. Um, it could be something that we attach with that. That way there's kind of a a larger draw. Um, and we want to make sure we get out of the winter season because we don't want people trying to get out while it's snowing and all that potential. That's Easter.

So, we can I can talk to the parks team and figure out what they're looking at for their Easter event next year and perhaps we can attach it to that where we do that first and then have Easter time. That sounds good. Okay. The other uh you know if something comes up I know since we have the budget cuts and everything if there's something that comes up that uh disability wise we would like to see the city and the city just doesn't have the budget we might be able to use an idea like that to help fund raise to cover too. Y and you might know more about the budget by Easter to where we might

you know what you can divert the money to. Yes, we we're so we can't raise money like and have money like we can't have an account with money, but like you know they have special accounts set up through the city where the stuff goes specifically when it's a designated thing. So we could always do that. We could say 50% to go to employee recognition, 50% to go to if you know there there's a lot of there's several groups around here um that you can contact like building a ramp or doing like very small things homewise for people, you know. So I would suggest it be something like you said actual for where helps the whole city. So something like so something that you might think about um I was trying to fill Cindy in kind of before the meeting on some of the things that because you know I told her you know we strive for perfection. We know we'll never reach perfection but we do our best to strive for perfection. So we have a list of things that we want to accomplish and one of the things that I might recommend is to consider fundraising to improve and increase the walk path down in in Greenway Park. You know that's something that came up where where we have to set our food trucks because of the electricity. Um, we need to expand that walking path around and create another loop there. Um, that might be something that would be worthwhile because it's going to require some significant drainage work. And I don't know, I thought for a while that our staff could do it in house, but what the drainage needs is the water comes off that hillside pretty significantly. We're going to have to create a space for the water to go before we can just pave that. And so that might be something that um we could use assistance for. that would be directly linked to the goal of this or of this committee, but also very beneficial for the entire community.

Yeah, it's one of those beautiful things that um when you make it more accessible, it's literally for everyone. Yes. Walkers, strollers, I mean everything. So, yeah, just tossing that out. But we can you can nail that down and I think the first thing is to nail down what day you'll do the event, how many people you think we can serve, what what's the suggested donation, all that. Okay. Yeah. and we can have a um workshop for that. Yep. We don't have to do it through the meeting. So, we can we can put that on the schedule when we talk about um after the first of the year just before you reach your final decision and make a formal rec you would make your formal recommendation in a meeting so that public.

Okay. All right. All right. Tril treat. What do we know about trailer?

So, we are doing it on October 24th. It's a Friday. Um, the H&R block should come down any day. The redevelopment commission met on Tuesday last week and formally authorized the bids, accepted the bid and authorized the demolition of that building and the construction of the parking lot. That parking lot will be fully it's dedicated 100% for home handicap parking. So, um they know that their deadline, their drop date is to get that done before that event. So, we've given them kind of a like early October deadline to get that done. Um, so we will have as far as making that event accessible, we will have that parking lot and the Spring Street parking lot where the basketball court is reserved for handicap parking. Based on the numbers we've seen, we feel like that will be sufficient for the come and go that we kind of see. Overflow parking will be regular parking, but also overflow parking will be at the dog parking lot as well as at the hilltop, which isn't great, but you can still come down the sidewalk if need any time there as well. So, we are talking about um we are hoping that the school parking lot will be done by then because we've also had success in the past people parking there. We can possibly shuttle people down. We're just kind of waiting to see what happens with the schools. It's

moving. It is moving. It is. Got all the curve curving put in this week. So, that's going really well. Um And then yeah, I didn't know. So last year I had to fess up and save it and and apologize because I dropped the ball because I was supposed to make sure that they picked up things that were not candy for y'all. Bubbles. Yes. So my question to you this year is do you want bubbles? Someone please order the bubbles. Okay. So I'm gonna send a message right now um to make sure that that happens. Get bubbles. And then do we have a theme on that yet? Yes. And I haven't seen that. Oh, we haven't announced. Shook your head. You got

We went We went to I US today to um um get video and pictures so that Brian can make that announcement. And we have So, you want to wait? Don't want to sell it right now? I mean, I don't I mean, you can wait. It's It's 100% fine. I think it's going to be exciting. It's Harry Potter. Oh, okay. So, I think they actually calling it like something wizardy, a Harry Potter themed event because we want to be careful. This is a Harry Potter themed event. Okay, that would be a popular one,

I think. Cindy's watching. Our other Cindy, I know she's watching. Yes. All right. Um we um we need to schedule a meeting for October possibly or can we skip to November? What are you guys thinking? Um also make sure that one thing that we need to add to the agenda is making sure we have public comment available on the agendas as well. So that's I was going to do that after the Okay.

Yeah. Do do you guys think we need anything for October since she's she's going to be getting our bubbles taken care of and there really shouldn't be too much new I would think for us to discuss. Dan, maybe we could meet in November to discuss if we to participate in anything on Christmas. Okay.

So, the normal meeting date would be the second Monday to be the 10th. Okay. Is everybody going on that day? So, I'm good. November 10th if you guys are here today and at 5:00.

Okay. And then at this time if there is no other new business we can open up public comment. an official welcoming of new uh I had it to do that before we adjourn but we can't we let's go ahead and do the public comment then we will because I have it nobody on here do we have any public comment doesn't look like it n public comments okay well then we will uh we have a new uh committee member with us uh is representing u living with a disability. Is that what you're Yeah, I live with a disability. And you're a caregiver. Caregiver.

Yes. So, you're falling into either category. Yeah. Either are. All right. Did you want to tell a little bit about yourself or

I don't think there really is a lot to tell. I just wanted this opportunity to give a um a different perspective since I'm older crowd. A lot of you have children. Um, so the be polar opposite sometimes on some of the needs and concerns. Um, so I just wanted to be able to share some of my thoughts and feelings and also kind of give back a little bit for all the help that's been given me through the last quite a few years. So, well, we welcome you to our

group. Thank you very much. I'm happy to be here. Lovely committee, I shall say. All right. So, with nothing else, get a motion to anybody want a motion. If y'all want to journ, you're here all night. Motion. I'll second. 523.