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Home My WebLink About2016-02-25Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee Date: Thursday February 25th, 2016 Location: Conestoga Room, Kitchener City Hall Present: Amanda Moorhead, Donna Hartzler, Carrie Speers (Co -Chair), Sharon Giles (Co -Chair), Rob Bender, Paula Saunders, Mike Shipley, Dawn Clelland, Brenda Robinson, Lolita Paroski (City of Kitchener/City of Waterloo), Vanessa Lopak (Region of Waterloo), Johanna Ellis (City of Kitchener, Recorder) Reg rets: Keri Cameron, Greg Moore, Andrew Tutty, Councillor Kelly Galloway-Sealock (City of Kitchener), Councillor Sue Foxton (Region of Waterloo), Councillor Bob Mavin (City of Waterloo), Julie Forth (Township of Woolwich), Julia Sippel (Township of North Dumfries), Wendy Smith (Township of Wellesley), Dawn Mittelholtz (Township of Wilmot) Absent: Kathie Must 1.0 Welcome and Introductions * Sharon welcomed everyone. 2.0 Approval of January Minutes and February Agenda • Motion by Donna Hartzler, seconded by Mike Shipley to accept the January minutes, carried. • Motion by Amanda Moorhead, seconded by Dawn Clelland to accept the February agenda, carried. 3.0 Declarations of Pecuniary Interests * None 4.0 Co-Chair(s) Report • Sharon Giles and Carrie Speers attended first co-chair meeting on February 16tH • Attended Compass Kitchener meeting on February 23rd. Networking with other committees. • Sharon shared expectations and meeting etiquette to members, for example, knocking on the table for those who have low to no vision. She also stated that members go through the Chairperson when they have questions. • Committee should go through the Co -Chairs with any agenda items they want discussed or with any information the committee would like distributed. 5.0 Terms of Reference Refresh (Vanessa Lopak) • Vanessa reviewed the GRAAC mandate, legislated duties and functions and other duties outlined in the GRAAC Terms of Reference. • There were questions about the role of GRAAC in advising the private sector and other organizations. • There was a discussion about the role of an advisory committee to municipal councils and the lack of obligation for private sector to listen to GRAAC advice. • There was also discussion about the role of advising versus advocating, emphasizing that GRAAC is an advisory committee to municipal councils. 6.0 2016 GRAAC Workplan Development (Lolita Paroski) • Lolita facilitated a brainstorming discussion regarding GRAAC member's ideas of what they would like to work on in 2016. Members suggested the following: • DOPSIOBC Accessibility requirements — to better understand the legislation. • Streetscapes (transit stops, roundabouts, construction, independently getting from point A to B, policy and council delegation). • Completing the "Accessibility at Intersections" work that GRAAC started in 2015 (curb cut issue, design, policy, training, TWSI's being directional). • Snow Removal — keep it on the radar. • Feedback — annual review — tracking feedback GRAAC provided and what happened with that feedback. • What's coming up in 2016? • Is GRAAC being effective/strategic. • Accessible transit (i.e. bus stop walk is 400m, benches, ION 800m between stops, connect transit to public spaces like the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. Currently the planned stop is too far of a walk). • Bob Henderson — invite him to GRAAC frequently for ongoing conversations. • Accessibility Forum to educate others. Members prioritized the top 4 to start working on for 2016 (in no particular order): 1. Completing the "Accessibility at Intersections" work that GRAAC started in 2015 (curb cut issue, design, policy, training, TWSI's being directional). 2. What's coming up in 2016? 3. Streetscapes (transit stops, roundabouts, construction, independently getting from point A to point B, policy and council delegation). 4. Accessible transit (i.e. bus stop walk is 400m, benches, ION 800m between stops, connect transit to public spaces like the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. Currently the planned stop is too far of a walk). BREAK 7.0 Design Guideline Feedback Summary (Vanessa Lopak) • Vanessa compiled the feedback GRAAC members provided at the January 21St, 2016 meeting to discuss the draft Region of Waterloo Accessible Design Standards. • Changes/additions to feedback: Recommend the document is a set of standards, not guidelines. Guidance TWSI's are not to be installed at pedestrian crossing (external) and from main entrance to main information/reception counter (internal). GRAAC — February 2016 Minutes page 2 Recommendations re: roundabouts are to be incorporated into curb cut recommendationslwayfinding recommendations as needed. Roundabout specific recommendations for remaining feedback. Find consistency with current work on curb cuts and pedestrian crossings. Action: Vanessa to find out where the "not knurled" recommendation comes from and find out what seating standards are for bus stops. Action: Vanessa to coordinate with Lolita and Paula on curt cut/pedestrian crossing recommendations. Action: Vanessa to revise feedback to reflect discussion and provide to group for review. Lolita provided GRAAC members with information on how Regional and Municipal Guides are used. Region City of Kitchener City of Waterloo Guide applies to new Guide applies to new Guide applies to new construction and construction and construction and redevelopment. redevelopment. redevelopment. Guide includes the Design of Guide includes the Design of Guide includes the Design of Public Spaces Standards and Public Spaces Standards Public Spaces Standards the Ontario Building Code because this guide is used for because this guide is used for because this guide is used for exterior purposes. exterior purposes. exterior and interior purposes. Guide is used for facilities or Guide is used for facilities or Guide is used for facilities or spaces that are owned, spaces that are owned, spaces that are owned, leased or operated by the leased or operated by The leased or operated by the City Region of Waterloo. (for City of Kitchener (for example; of Waterloo (for example; example; Waterloo Region Forest Heights Pool, Victoria Waterloo Memorial Recreation Museum, Waterloo Region Hills Community Centre, Complex, Albert McCormick Police Buildings, Region of Kitchener Memorial Community Centre, RIM Park Waterloo airport etc.) Major Auditorium etc.) City streets in etc.) City streets in your roads (for example; Weber your subdivisions, not the subdivisions not the major Street, Erb Street and public major roads. roads. transit like Grand River Transit. Overall, this is an internal Overall, this is an internal guide and also a guide used guide and also a guide used Overall, this is an internal for private development (for for private development (for guide. example; plazas, apartment example; plazas, apartment buildings with a focus on the buildings with a focus on the outdoor built environment only outdoor built environment only (for example; accessible (for example; accessible parking spaces, access parking spaces, access aisles). aisles). BREAK GRAAC — February 2016 Minutes Page 3 8.0 Built Environment Committee Update (Paula Saunders) • Paula and Lolita attended a meeting on February 23rd to learn about the Central Promenade (City of Waterloo) project. There is a meeting on March 2, 2016 from 6 - 8 pm, room 202 at the Waterloo Recreation Complex if any members are interested. Lolita will send an email to all members regarding the meeting. • Westmount Sports Park in Waterloo is scheduled to open in May. Lolita will check to see if City of Waterloo staff is available to do a site visit with GRAAC members or come to a GRAAC meeting to do a presentation on the Westmount Sports Park. GRAAC decided to invite staff to a future GRAAC meeting. Action: Lolita will follow up and will invite staff to a GRAAC meeting. 9.0 Staff Report(s) (Lolita Paroski, Vanessa Lopak) • The City of Waterloo is doing a committee review through a survey and asking all committees of council to complete. Lolita will send all GRAAC members the link to the Committee Review Survey, • Regional Council - Transportation staff report went to council. Highway traffic act was changed. 10.0 Adjournment • Motion to adjourn by Donna Hartzler, seconded by Paula Saunders - Carried. Next meeting is Thursday March 241h, 2016 from 1:30 - 4:00 pm at Kitchener City Hall in the Conestoga Room. GRAAC — February 2016 Minutes Page 4