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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-01 SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 1, 2017 CITY OF KITCHENER The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m. Present: Acting Chair – Ms. T. Smith Councillor D. Schneider and Ms. E. Clarke, Ms. A. Venner, Ms. J. Metzger and Messrs. G. Albert, A. Ganem-Mohamed and W. Rahimi. Staff: M. Hildebrand, Director, Community Programs and Services D. Keelan, Manager of Aquatics & Volunteer Services B. Pearce, Supervisor, Older Adult Services L. Korabo, Committee Administrator 1.SELECTION OF ACTING CHAIR As neither the Chair nor the Vice-Chair was in attendance at the start of the meeting, Mr. M. Hildebrand requested another member of the Committee consider accepting the role of Acting Chair for this meeting only. Ms. T. Smith volunteered to sit as Acting Chair and this was supported by the Committee. Ms. Smith assumed the role of Acting Chair. 2.AGE FRIENDLY KITCHENER Ms. B. Pearce, Supervisor – Older Adult Services, was in attendance to present the recently- approved Age-Friendly Kitchener (AFK) Action Plan which will support aging community members to live active, safe and meaningful lives allowing them to contribute to all aspects of community life. In order to undertake the development of this AFK Action Plan, the City was invited, in 2015, by the Ontario Seniors Secretariat to participate in this initiative and was also the recipient of a grant to support the work to be undertaken. Ms. Pearce reviewed the process used to establish the AFK Advisory Committee and its’ membership consisting of community members, council representation and city staff. She defined an age-friendly community as a place which has supportive physical and social environments for older adults as well as common values such as: supporting people of all ages; offering choices so people can live in meaningful ways; considering more than physical health; striving for community participation and partnership; and, promoting inclusion of all persons in decisions which affect them. The project timelines covered four phases of work beginning with development of AFK principles (September 2015) to implementation and evaluation (now underway and running until 2022). The AFK committee conducted community engagement using several different methods thereby ensuring the process was as robust as possible. The use of different engagement tools (e.g. workshops, social media, surveys, etc.) ensured the information gathering was as accessible and inclusive as possible. Ms. Pearce shared examples of the various methods / locations information gathering was conducted. The consultations resulted in input being received from approximately 1200 older adults. In addition to receiving input on the community’s strengths and age-friendly assets, feedback on areas of improvement was also gathered, being: Communication improvements; Housing; Transportation; Outdoor spaces and public buildings; Civic participation; and , Community support and health services. Following the consultation and review of the information, the Action Plan was developed, presented to Council and recently approved. The Action Plan identifies four priority areas SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 1, 2017 - 14 - CITY OF KITCHENER 2.AGE FRIENDLY KITCHENER (CONT’D) encompassing 17 actions as first steps towards an age-friendly vision for Kitchener. The priority areas area: accessible and affordable neighbourhoods; access to information; belonging; and connectedness and well-being. The Committee was advised the next step for the Action Plan is to work with members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council for Kitchener Seniors (MACKS) to prioritize the action items and develop a five-year implementation plan. Ms. Pearce noted an annual report will be produced to track the progress of the actions. In response to a question regarding the input received from the 1200 respondents, Ms. Pearce agreed this number is considered a good reflection of the community’s makeup; however, acknowledged that gaps still existed. Ms. E. Clarke provided information regarding a grant that may be available to assist in areas around the issue of senior poverty, and agreed to forward this information to Ms. Pearce. Ms. Pearce also agreed to a suggestion to confirm staff’s connection with the local LGBTQ community to ensure support is available for older adult programming which may already be in place. 2.JULY 6, 2017 COMMITTEE MEETING Mr. M. Hildebrand advised it has been the practice of past committees to cancel one of the regularly scheduled meetings in July and/or August due to the possibility of quorum issues because of member vacations. He asked for feedback from members regarding the meeting currently scheduled for July 6, 2017. Several members indicated they would be unable to attend the regularly scheduled July meeting, however, as a few members were not in attendance this date, it was suggested the Committee Administrator conduct a membership attendance survey for both the July and August meetings and staff review the responses prior to making a decision regarding the cancellation of either meeting. The Committee was in agreement with this course of action. Mr. Hildebrand confirmed sub-groups should continue to meet throughout the summer in order to advance work on action items. In response to a question, he also confirmed staff would be available throughout the summer to respond to email or telephone inquiries from sub-groups. Sub-groups would be asked to present action updates and/or advise staff regarding any presentations for the next available Committee meeting. 3.WORKPLAN DEVELOPMENT Mr. M. Hildebrand requested a representative of each sub-group provide an update on work which has occurred since the May Committee meeting. Additionally, he requested any need for staff support be identified for the scheduling of presentations at upcoming meetings. Mr. G. Albert reviewed work which has taken place under the priority of ‘support to community centres – relationships with schools’ noting that much of the information sought was readily available either on websites or by contacting school board staff. Regarding the priority to foster stronger relationships with local schools, inquiries were made regarding barriers school boards may be encountering in offering services to marginalized community members; current relationships with community centres; availability and booking processes for school facilities; and, associated booking fees. Mr. Albert advised schools are able to receive provincial grants to assist with subsidizing rental rates; however, additional information on target groups is needed prior to determining if grants would be made available to them. He then commented on information related to the possibility of using schools as options for meeting / community space in place of community centres. Mr. Albert commented he was able to easily find information on the school boards’ websites regarding their locations throughout the community and usage guidelines. For this reason, it was not being suggested that a presentation be made to the full Committee. He did comment on the need to communicate with community centres regarding any identified gaps or barriers to offering facilities to marginalized populations. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 1, 2017 - 15 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3.WORKPLAN DEVELOPMENT (CONT’D) Ms. T. Smith noted the sub-group is still attempting to gather additional input from both school boards prior to deciding on a future course of action for this priority. She commented on next steps as being the confirmation of a meeting with community centre staff to discuss how to strengthen their links with the school boards. Councillor D. Schnider suggested identifying which areas are served by the various community centres and then identifying schools in proximity which could be approached about partnerships, etc. In response, Mr. M. Hildebrand advised of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the City and area neighbourhood associations regarding space use at a school being built in Chicopee Hills. Mr. Hildebrand offered to meet with the sub-group on this issue, as the position of Manager of Community Centres is currently vacant. Ms. A. Venner reviewed work which has taken place under the priority of ‘accessibility and inclusion – support to LGBTQ community’ noting the sub-group is meeting with various groups and agencies who support the LGBTQ community and advised they have extended an invitation to the Rainbow Community Council (RCC) to present on results of a research study (Outlook Study) regarding inclusion, belonging and safety needs in Waterloo Region at an upcoming meeting. Ms. Venner also advised that in 2016, the RCC provided the Committee with a list of 10 recommendations for consideration and action. She suggested a presentation by the RCC could assist the sub-group with a specific direction moving forward. In response to a question, Ms. Venner commented the sub-group could continue its work if the RCC presentation was deferred until August. In response to a request to circulate a report entitled ‘Breaking the Silence’, Ms. J. Metzger agreed to forward this to the Committee Administrator to allow for circulation to all Committee members. It was generally agreed a presentation by the RCC on the Outlook Study would be scheduled for the next available Committee meeting. Mr. A. Ganem-Mohamed reviewed work which has taken place under the priority of ‘CPTED reports’, noting action items as follows: Work with City staff to CPTED committee to review all community centres for safety concerns; Ensure necessary tools are available in order to conduct safety audits; and, Tasks listed as required for before, during and after each audit. Mr. Hildebrand commented that Ms. L. Thompson is the staff person responsible for CPTED and he will advise her of the proposed actions of the sub-group. Mr. Hildebrand also commented on his desire to have a safety audit conducted at the Downtown Community Centre (DCC) as there have been concerns in recent months. He indicated he and his staff are looking for a more holistic way to approach the issues currently associated with the DCC. 4. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m. L. Korabo Committee Administrator