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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: