2017-06-08 ��V, ACU•l�t �
r ;17,� !'
'A hd�r
G'J
Town of Berlin
Commission for Persons with Disabilities
Minutes of Meeting Thursday June 8, 2017
Caucasian Room A @ 6:30pm
Town Hall
Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to the order at 7:00pm by Commissioner Zera.
Members Present
Chairman Robert Dombrowski
Andrew Chatlas
Barbara Cesanek
Peter Zera
Nancy Luddy
Doug Truitt, Staff Liaison
Members Absent
None
Audience of Citizens
None
Approval of Minutes
Commissioner Zera moved to approve the March 9, 2017 minutes seconded
by Commissioner Cesanek, passed unanimously.
Old Business
A. Concerns presented by Berlin Resident
By Carolyn Wysocki - 531 TOLL GATE RD made on 5/11/2017
1. Inadequate handicap parking at the Senior Center (slope etc.)
2. Inadequate handicap parking at the Community Center (1 spot)
3. The Town Hall's ramp is situated in a poor location and ices up in the
winter.
4. The Town Hall's automatic handicap door button is located in the middle
door and would make more sense to move it to door near tax office since most
seniors use that door to pay their taxes.
5. The Town Hall has poor signage for handicap accessible button.
6. The Senior Center bathroom has poor handicap accessibility.
7. The East Berlin Pool has potholes, broken curbs, poor accessibility from
parking lot to pool, and no railings for entering the pool.
8. Percival pool also has no railings for entering the pool. She would like
someone to go out to the Addison pool in Glastonbury to see what their pool
looks like.
9. She would like to bring attention to the SCROG - mobility management for
study done in other areas and the work force alliance transportation and work
source.
10. She would like to see the town do some coordination of transportation
curb to curb service for seniors and handicap persons.
11. She would like to spread awareness of MCS - Multiple Chemical Syndrome.
B. Commission for the Ageing - Chairman. Barbara Gombotz
Mrs. Gombotz would like the Commission for the Ageing to work
together with this commission to try to get adequate accessibility at
town buildings including the library, senior center and community
center.
Peck Memorial Library - Mrs. Gombotz informed the group that the
handicap parking at the library is not up to ADA standards. The lines are
painted on a slant on a hill. This set up makes it very hard for people to
get out of their cars and walk to the library. At the community center
there is only one handicap parking space and the shape of the parking
lot makes it almost impossible to turn around if all the spots are taken.
The new elevator that will connect the community center and the
library will eventually help the situation if something could be done
with the parking. She suggested making all the spots in the lower
community center parking lot handicap as well as reconfiguring the
layout of the lot so people can turn around.
Senior Center- The Senior Center also needs more parking spots. There
were over 4700 people that visited the center from March, April and 1/2
May 2017. People come hours early just to get parking for events there.
If no spots are available people tend to leave and forfeit the activity.
There is a bench outside of the center that people use to sit on while
waiting for a ride or to take a rest that sits in mud. Mrs. Gombotz would
like the bench moved closer to the sidewalk so people don't have to put
their feet in mud. Mr. Truitt suggested setting up a meeting with The
Senior Center Director, Town Manager and Public Grounds Supervisor
to see if the bench came be moved. Commissioner Zera suggested
putting the bench on a slab of cement matching up with the sidewalk as
an alternative if the bench can't be moved.
C. Library Display for Persons with Disabilities
Commissioner Zera informed the group that the display went well. He
spoke with library staff who informed him that the display can be down
once a month. The Commission decided that they would like the display
to be done annually in March which is Disability Awareness Month.
Commissioner Zera will work with the library to get a spot in the library
that is more visible to the public. He would like the display to be in the
front or even in the case when you first walk into the library. The group
discussed doing a flyer with a list of books for Persons with Disabilities.
Commissioner Zera will see what he can put together.
Commission for Ageing
The Commissions for person with Disabilities will attend the June 2017
meeting for the Commission for Ageing. The plan is to form a
subcommittee between the two groups, and then set up a meeting with
appropriate town employees to see what issues can't be resolved in
regard to accessibility at public buildings in town.
New Business
None
Commissioner Communications
None
Staff Liaison Report, Doug Truitt
None
Next meeting date will be September14, 2017.
Chairman Dombrowski moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:25 pm, seconded
by Commissioner Cesanek, passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Marlo Thomas Matassa RECEIVED FOR RECORD, BERLIN TOWN CLERK
Secretary
Kathryn J. Wail
Date.
__ �� - » Time: