PUBLIC ACCESS COMMITTEE OF EASTHAM
AUGUST 13, 2008
Present: Richard Adelman, Helen Derman, Grady Scholl, Jeanette Marcucci
Town Officials: Sheila Vanderhoff, Town Administrator, Frank DeFelice, Building Inspector
Guests: Coreen Brinckerhoff, Director and Cathy Taylor, Assistant Director of CORD
TOWN PROJECTS:
1)Arturo’s: Variance is not in place yet. The elevator is has an installation date of November 20, 2008.
2) Lobster Shanty – still not in compliance with HP spaces and signs. Richard sent a letter of complaint to MAAB. Frank will check legality of pulling CO until HP spaces are in compliance.
3) Town buildings – Sheila will check that all HP spaces have “van” markings and signs.
4) Brackett Road: The permit includes Visitability standards for the specified units.
5) Wiley Park Bridge/Trail: Richard and the DPW are meeting at First Encounter and Wiley Park on Tuesday, August 19 at 10AM to consult on fixing the dips at the end of the mobimat and at the ends of the bridge at Wiley Park. Sheila reported that the Town is submitting a plan to the Conservation Commission to get an order of conditions and an engineer to fix the approaches to the bridge on both ends and to develop the trails to make them HP-accessible.
6) Steele Road: Frank spoke to both owners and explained Visitability features.
7) Mark Agostino’s townhouse/condo project: His original bank failed. He now has funding from a different bank and will frame the rest of the buildings in the near future.
VISITABILITY:
Richard and/or Grady will attend the Planning Board meeting on August 20th at 5 PM to promote Visitability. He will contact Sarah Raposa to get placed on their agenda. Zoning Board does not make policy, but Sheila will include information on Visitability in her report to them.
Discussion held re: getting architects educated on VS so plans won’t have to be redrawn after they are permitted. Richard will speak to Jean Ann McLaughlin re: whom to contact at AIA (Architects Assn).
Discussion re: VS Bylaw – Sheila said that if Eastham is the only town to enact a VS Bylaw, builders would go to other towns to avoid adhering to the Bylaw. At this point, VS info is handed out with building permits. Single-family homeowners are not required to incorporate VS features.
AD HOC COMMITTEE on VISITABILITY:
No meetings scheduled this summer.
HEARING ASSIST FOR SMALL MEETINGS: The Selectmen ruled that the cable station money was not available for the purpose of getting a portable sound system for small meetings.
PACE BROCHURES: Richard and Helen met in July to incorporate the findings of PACE members’ survey of building accessibility and HP parking spaces/signs of all town businesses. Sheila will meet with us in October/November to go over our brochure for additions/corrections.
BEACHES & RECREATION: Orientation for Beach Staff was Wednesday, July 16th at First Encounter. Richard, Grady, and Don (Olson) represented PACE. There was no demo of the beach wheelchair, but PACE emphasized that the attendants cannot do lifting.
Richard noted that bicycles were parked in the HP-space striping at First Encounter. Sheila said more people are riding bikes to the beaches this year. The Town has ordered bike racks that will be placed away from the HP spaces.
Helen and Jeanette noted the absence of the beach wheelchair at Cooks Brook. Sheila will check with Mark Powers re: the whereabouts of the beach wheelchairs this year.
Grady, Peggy and Jeanette (for PACE) wrote letters to the Selectmen in support of Mobimat for First Encounter. Mobimat is very costly; its inclusion in the budget is questionable.
NEW PACE MEMBERS: Jeanette put an article in COA’s September issue of Windmill Whisperings newsletter re: volunteering for PACE Committee/Friends of PACE. She also mentioned that PACE members will advise homeowners re: ramps and accessibility on request.
LONG-RANGE PLAN: Town Resolution re: Visitability needs to be added.
CAPE DISABILITY COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES:
Coreen and Cathy have been visiting disability committee meetings. PACE has been sharing Minutes with some Lower Cape committees, but has received none in recent months from others.
Grady suggested that CORD enlist a reporter (Marilyn Miller from Cape Codder, Doug Frazier from the CC Times) to write an article about the work of disabilities committees. This might generate some interest/volunteers.
If Visitability is included in any articles, Sheila suggested that we mention temporary disabilities (broken leg, etc.) as well as disabilities related to aging as a way of informing all age groups as to the benefits of Visitability.
CORD is hosting an Assistive Technology Fair in Falmouth on Wednesday, August 20th, 1-3PM. They are planning to do another Fair in the Eastham/Wellfleet area in the near future. They will possibly use Eastham Town Hall. PACE will help them book the room once we have a date.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEM: Discussion on applying to Town for a PACE budget was postponed until we have a list of items that we need funding for. The Town currently does copying and mailing for PACE.
These Minutes were approved electronically on August 24, 2008.
NEXT MEETING – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 at 9:30 AM in the LARGE Meeting Room
Respectfully Submitted,
Helen Derman, Secretary
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