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The Westport Commission on Disability met on September 28, 2026, to discuss upcoming events, administrative policies, outreach materials, and town accessibility initiatives. The commission reviewed plans to staff an informational booth at the rescheduled Westport Harvest Festival on October 2–3, coordinated booth materials including an updated trifold brochure and branded tent tarp, and discussed proper compliance with Open Meeting Law protocols as outlined in the town's newly issued policy handbook for appointed boards. Treasurer Lisa provided a financial update, reporting a current gift account balance of $2,916.93 after recent donations. The commission clarified the formal municipal process required for accepting and recording public donations through the Select Board and Town Accountant. Members also shared information on regional assistance programs, including the Massachusetts Office on Disability Client Assistance Program, home modification grants through the Southeast Center for Independent Living (SCIL), and heating assistance through Citizens for Citizens. Project updates included an overview of progress at Hicks Bridge Landing, where accessibility walkways and floats are underway ahead of the commission's planned $5,000 contribution. The commission reviewed ongoing curb cut and five-foot sidewalk installation on Sanford Road in coordination with Highway Superintendent Chris Gonsalves and engineering contractors. Finally, members discussed ongoing collaboration with SRPEDD on the Open Space and Recreation Plan update to ensure accessibility requirements are thoroughly incorporated.
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Education
Public / Other
Okay, he's open the meeting.
0:11Good afternoon everyone. Today is a September 28th place meeting of the Commission on Disability. My name is Brian Gallagher.
0:20I am the chairman and none of our members are participating remotely today.
0:30Um, did everybody receive the minutes that I sent around for our last meeting?
0:34Mhm.
0:35Yes.
0:35Any uh suggested changes or modifications?
0:40Nope.
0:40Nope.
0:44Well, thank you, my friend.
0:46Yeah, I have a motion to approve the minutes of our August 2026 meeting.
0:52So moved, Mr. Chair.
0:55Second.
0:56Second.
0:56Second. All in favor?
0:58I have those minutes were approved.
1:02Thanks.
1:04The next thing on the agenda is the harvest festival which um has been rescheduled because of rain last week and hopefully it will not be raining when it's the rescheduled date of October 2, three, and four.
1:20That's right. Um, I know that some people signed up and uh, not everybody was going to be able to make it. I I myself have a hard time navigating places like that.
1:34Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Use a disability for an excuse.
1:37Oh, Martin, what's the point of having a disability card if you don't play it once?
1:42Yeah, I do all the time, my brother. I do.
1:45No, I understand. In all seriousness, it's kind of tough. It's not really accessible as far as, you know, getting pushed over the grass and all that kinds of stuff, right? So, um, can can Dick, can you make it Friday still or? No.
1:55Uh, it's a different weekend for you.
1:57I can make make I can put in some time this weekend. Uh, I don't want to do four hours straight and I can't because this weekend unlike last weekend is got more stuff going on.
2:08Sure.
2:09So, yeah, I can do Friday.
2:11You want to come and do a couple hours?
2:13Yeah.
2:14Yeah. But I can do a couple hours on Saturday too.
2:19I'd like to We talk about just doing one day, but if somebody else will come out on Saturday, I'll go on Saturday as well.
2:24And I'll stay a little bit longer. I'll stay at 4 hours, but if you come for couple of those hours, that'd be awesome. Can we do it a little bit later, like 1:00? I think it opens at 12:00 or something because I got something in the morning.
2:33Yeah, that's all right. Okay.
2:36All right. Is that all right with you?
2:38We'll leave we'll leave the table up there. I I'd like to put the tent up just in case, but you don't think we should do that?
2:44Well, I think it's I think we should watch the weather, you know. Obviously, I you know, I still think the tent looks nice.
2:50I think so, too.
2:51But is that a pain in the neck for you and and Bruce to do? Yeah. No, not at all.
2:54You could leave it overnight. You don't feel bad about they have gods there. You know, they're not going to steal a tent.
2:59No.
2:59If they do, I I'll buy you a new one.
3:02Okay. You have my personal I'll hunt you down.
3:05Sunday or No, I think we should just do We're just gonna do Friday and Saturday.
3:08We won't do Sunday because we don't have You don't want to do Sunday.
3:12I won't. I rescheduled my my plans because of the rain.
3:16Yeah, I know.
3:17I didn't realize they were rescheduling, but I think there was like a lot of conflicts.
3:21The uh the gal who's that we've been talking to by email said that Fridays tends to be the slower day. Uh which is fine. Uh Friday night, and that Saturday and Sunday when are the family days, so it' be nice to go on a Saturday or a Sunday. So me and Dick can do a few hours. That'll be enough.
3:35Okay. And then we can just leave the brochures there for the rest of they don't want us to tear down in the middle of the festival.
3:42Correct.
3:42So we'll leave that there for the weekend.
3:45So is it Lisa you doing Friday?
3:47I'll go whenever. Yeah.
3:49Uh I can do that too for a couple of hours. And what time would you think? 6 5.
3:55Yeah. I I think what the uh it's 3 to 8 or something. Do you want to do like 3 to 6 and then when he comes at 6 o'clock either you or I can go?
4:02I think we should all stay there.
4:04Whatever. Yeah, I think we should all go together. I think I think I if it's if it's okay.
4:09Yeah, but he wants to do six. I would like to do sooner than six. No, I'm okay with sooner than six as well. I mean, well, there's not going to be at three at the rate or at the beginning. Maybe four:00.
4:17Yeah, I'm thinking four.
4:18All right.
4:19Four, five, six.
4:20And then you go when you want and then and then we can kind of gauge it if there's a lot of people and we if there's enough people cuz you know people are going to come up to us because they're going to recognize Dick or they're going to recognize you or me or whatever. Um and then if if we don't have a busy table, then we can just bow out gracefully and still have a presence
4:37there. Okay.
4:37I think unfortunately because of the rain that they had to reschedule, so I think people were planning on going last week. Um and then now moving it to this week, you know, people other people might have had other plans and conflict.
4:50My my hope is that they still have a successful event. And um when Martin did speak to them, they said Friday has a tendency of more of a family day where kids and families come.
5:01No, that Saturday. Friday is senior citizens.
5:03Oh, I'm sorry. Seniors senior time.
5:05We're seniors.
5:07Um and then of course Saturday seeing how uh seeing how busy it is and it's the first time we've done it. So I think having a presence would I think it'll be fine even though they changed the date. They said that they're going to miss I guess they're going to have a um with a chainsaw that's not be able to make it. lumberjack guy or something was not going to make it.
5:23Yeah, the lumberjack something like that and then they would have I think cuz Yeah, cuz they were booked and the food trucks is another like you know they have other things on the next weekend anyway. So those things I know it's terrible.
5:34I think people will still come out.
5:35I think so too and I think having us there is just going to give them uh great support.
5:40Yep.
5:40You know, we'll still have a good event.
5:42It'll still be a good event.
5:43Yeah. As long as the weather's good like like everybody said. Yep.
5:46Yep. Perfect.
5:46At the moment the weather's good for Friday and Saturday, but it looks like Sunday was iffy.
5:50That's what I thought. Yeah, because I don't trust any of but that's I think the last three weeks on a Sunday it's been total rain.
5:58Yeah, it's been terrible.
6:01Friday is one of the days that temperatures actually supposed to be up.
6:04Yes.
6:04Warmer.
6:06That'll be good.
6:06Okay, perfect. Yeah, we'll make it work.
6:10And then the next item on the agenda is the appointed select board appointed boards commission and committees guide and policy handbook. I'm holding it up.
6:25Is that does everybody have one? Did you print one off?
6:27Well, I didn't print one off, but I already went through it online. Okay.
6:30Sent in the signature. It's important to have because the select board wanted to condense everything into this one publication so you understand what your ethical requirements are and um other requirements if you're going to serve on a town board or committee or commission.
6:54So, let's make sure that if you don't have a copy, you just at least have read it online.
7:01Mr. Chair, I had recommended this in the context of the open meeting law because there's a section here. I didn't I have it on my iPad here, but I didn't start it up, but I know what it's all about.
7:13So, I thought it would be good for us to talk a little bit about the open meeting law. And yeah, there's there's a section in here about the open meeting law. And it's actually well written because it's even the meeting law is kind of a thick thing with a lot of parts and and in this handbook u I think it's page 12. It has a nice condensed version tells you what
7:36you got to do and it it calls to mind a couple of things that we should just be aware of and I get a lot of this from the select board because we have to pay attention. I don't think anybody's gunning for the Commission on Disability, but they can be gunning for us and we have had complaints. We've never been fined. I think we've been lucky in that respect because a few
7:57years ago, we were misfiring quite a bit on the open meeting law. And when I became my first stint as chairman, I had two stints. I I focused on that and we were able to uh keep from getting uh cited by the attorney general for being out of line.
8:14Um the thing a couple of things I learned and I've been playing with the open meeting law since the 1990s when I was in the insurance business and uh I've had my my full dose of it but a lot of people don't like the open meeting law but I think once you kind of understand it and get used to it it's it's it can actually be used to your advantage. uh
8:37for example, it gives the chair of any any committee uh quite a bit of authority in terms of controlling the the discussion or jutting people off if necessary. I never had to do that, but it came close a couple of times. Um but it does point that out that the chair must and it's not like it's a luxury. You have to control the meeting.
9:01Yes.
9:01And you have to prevent disruption and take action.
9:05And um but having said that, it hasn't been a problem around here. Um the other thing we have to watch out for and I've noticed a couple of times I thought we were on the edge on multiple emails like reply all. that's uh not liked by the open meeting law because you can when you send an email out to all members of the committee, you are unwittingly engaging in deliberation there. Now that's there's an exception
9:37to that. You can send out stuff about meetings and you know how many people are going to go to the harvest festival.
9:42That's that's all right. Stuff like that.
9:44You have you have to be able to organize your meetings and do the usual usual protocols. It's usually the shared visit, but I noticed that we we have a tendency to do that. Um I almost never send a reply all to anybody at any time.
9:58Okay.
9:59Just so I don't cross any lines, but it is something to watch out for because that's the thing that can get a a group like us into some difficulty. Um I don't see any other areas that that are that important here. I mean, we take minutes. We have our agendas. Uh we we welcome the public and we've had a few public members along the way here, including your spouse. U so I think
10:24we're we're pretty good. Not that I'm really checking up on this, but I think the uh the reply all and having too many those are called serial uh deliberations. So serial deliberations is this. So, I talked to Lisa about something we're going to talk about at the next meeting and she talks to you.
10:44With us, it's just two. That's a minority. And we're okay. But now with three, I guess we're still a minority.
10:51But no, if we go to four. Oh, I just saying if you have Steve, now we have four. It has to be less than four.
10:57Yeah. The minority. So, if we are less if we less than four, three or less, we're okay.
11:05We're okay. Um, but the trick is if I talk to you and you talk to Martin and Martin talks to Rick, we have now engaged in a serial discussion, a serial deliberation.
11:20Um, so that's that's where it gets tricky and uh I know the select board has had some problems and we have oftentimes at the bottom of an email would say this should not be for general distribution. is only intended for you know these two people and um please don't reply all and then we put a little caveat there. So it also shows and I don't know if we have to do that here
11:44but it shows that we're paying attention to the law and we're aware of it.
11:48Mhm.
11:49And we haven't really had any problems in recent years.
11:53The other departments in town are supposed to be well they are by definition like the uh finance committee you know the conservation committee all of them they're all meet we're all meeting under the open meeting law whether we realize it or not so we do have to pay attention so anyway I thought it was worth talking about it's something I've had some experience with for many years and uh it's just a good
12:20reminder that uh and if I see something that that looks a little bit out of line, I'll just mention it.
12:26It's a great idea. Makes sense. It makes sense.
12:28I don't think we should lose a lot of sleep over this.
12:30But it does uh and it's kind of lengthy to read. You might thumb through it one of these days. One of the sections is about executive session, but we don't do that here very often.
12:40Right. Right.
12:40But there's only like eight reasons to go into executive session. We often have that debate at the select board as to whether or not we on a particular item we can go into executive session. And it gets a little bit dicey, particularly when it comes to litigation.
12:55Yep.
12:56And you can't just say, "Oh, we're going to there's a one in a thousand chance of going to court, so therefore we can go into executive session." No, no. It has to be an immediate threat of litigation.
13:06And that's one of the things that the attorney general looks for. So anyway, I thought it was worth talking about and um I don't have anything else further to say and we'll just but it's in the uh the handbook now and the handbook has other things in it that are quite good.
13:21So that's my pitch.
13:22Thanks. Well, thank you. I think it was well worth it. It makes it makes total sense, right? And congratulations to the people who put that all together because I'm sure it wasn't easy, you know, to us.
13:33Yeah. To the town. So that's wonderful.
13:38The next item on the agenda is an update on our marketing material. Yes, sir.
13:45Lisa has handed out um an updated and revised form of our commission on disability handout.
13:55Yes, sir. So, everyone has a copy of actually what our final um trifold is is going to look like. Obviously, we're going to be putting it on a heavier stock, but the verbiage, uh, thank you, Martin, and, um, Kaylee for looking through it, making sure that it's, you know, not redundant and that we're not repeating things, uh, you know, throughout the brochure. It basically highlights, as you can see, uh, our
14:24mission and what our goals are and, you know, just making Westport, you know, uh, accessible and, um, you know, bu building a more inclusive Westport. Um, I think for the first time out, I think we did a good job.
14:38Yeah, me too.
14:39Um, it does show who our commissioners are and how to get in touch with us and where the meetings are typically held.
14:45Um, and I just think it's a good start and and you know, moving forward if we want to make changes. Um, you know, we will have the brochures available for our first uh handout at the harvest festival and uh looking forward to to getting these out into the community.
15:02Well, thank you. Very professional looking. Better than having the flyers that we had.
15:06I think so too. Yeah.
15:09Everyone who worked on this holders with Lisa.
15:11Thank you.
15:12It looks terrific.
15:13Yeah. Great job.
15:14Thank you.
15:14Thank you Lisa for getting the the uh printing done.
15:17Anytime and all the all the not only the printing but y all the words to you know the graphics.
15:23And the other thing that I just wanted to bring up too is um on our tent we're getting a blue tarp.
15:29Sorry.
15:30Um that's okay. and maybe with um your guidance that we can actually put on the tarp um Westport Commission on Disability. So when we do have the tent up, people will be able to see the tarp and see Westport Commission on Disability.
15:47You don't have that ready now, right?
15:48No. You mentioned that last.
15:50Yeah. I I kind of wanted your guidance or permission to do so to get Well, I think it would be a good idea so the people know who everyone is who right while they're sitting under the tent or Yeah. at table and it will match the tablecloth that we already have done. So, um I just wanted to kind of keep it all in sync. So when you wear your shirts and you see our
16:13table and then you see the tent, um it's something that we can look forward to using for the next season, but we could get it done this year.
16:23I think we should do it. Can you get a price for us?
16:25Yeah.
16:26Yeah, I'm sure it would. Except, you know, it can't be more than 100 bucks.
16:28Yeah, I wouldn't think it's much. They they basically cut out the whatever they adhere it to on on a transferable and then they just Is it sticky? Is that what we're saying?
16:38It's going to be sticky. I think we need to I think it's I think it's waterproof and it and it it it affixes to the tarp the I don't know what the tarp is actually made. It's a fabric.
16:48It's probably a heat transfer vinyl.
16:50Could be. Could very well be. Yeah.
16:53And so we'll we'll have those on this for this festival we're going to we're going to bring the banner so we can put it behind us perhaps. Right.
17:00We're going to have the banner like we normally did at River Day. Okay.
17:04So at least we'll have the banner or in front of the table. Right.
17:07In front of the table. We'll have the tablecloth and then we will have a tent, but the tent won't be um won't have our signature on it. Um but we're going to have it for the weather.
17:17Wait, no, we I'm sorry. We have a banner as well, right?
17:20We do have a banner.
17:20A banner plus the tablecloth or is it the same thing?
17:24Yeah, we have both.
17:26Okay. So, we're going to have the banner for the table and um is there going to be something on the tent as well?
17:35My proposed um suggestion is um when we do go out and it's in climate weather, whether it be too sunny or rain, um there's no signature on the on the on the roof of the tarp uh you know like the tent that goes up um that protects us against inclement weather. So there is like a flap that we could have Westport Commission on Disability, which I'm just suggesting that we we use it in
18:04that manner because I have more than one tent. We don't necessarily have to buy a new tent. We can just switch out the tarps uh or the the roofs, if you will, of the tents and and represent uh our our But but to be clear, we're going to put because we don't have that ready this time, we're going to put a banner behind us, right? Can we do that like we did over
18:25at River Day? Put a banner behind us that says Correct. Okay.
18:28Well, we have the banner and we also have the table.
18:30Tabletop. Okay.
18:31Yeah, the tabletop. So, they'll be able to see.
18:33Yes. To answer your question. Yes.
18:34With the Yeah, we have both.
18:38Yeah. It's great. I forgot because you I believe we have both.
18:40You had that at the middle school. You do that. Yeah.
18:42Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
18:44And you the brochures that people can make paper airplanes out of.
18:48Yes. And we have some games for the kids and candy and all that stuff. paper.
18:55Can't help myself.
18:56It is a little It is a little thin, but that's okay. Yeah, it'll be fine.
18:59No, the kids like to play.
19:01You only made 100 copies, too, which is good. And because, as you said, if this changes, we can change it and then print more.
19:06Yeah, I did 150, actually.
19:08Oh, okay. That's good.
19:09Just so that we have it just in case because I'm thinking we should put some at the town hall, give some to Mr.
19:14Brewer so that he can show the select board, you know, whoever wants to, you know, know about what we're doing. And Sure. Yeah, I think I'll be good.
19:24Thank you.
19:25You're welcome.
19:31I'm sorry.
19:32I have one more um suggestion, too. So, I have um Kaylee, your business cards are on order for the commission. So are mine. Mr. Brewer, did you want to You don't I have I still have select ones. I got it.
19:46Yeah, that's true.
19:47And Brian, would you like some business cards made for yourself, sir?
19:52One just one.
19:55I I still like I think I have a bunch that um Stanley Cornwall handed it out to sold those.
20:03Unless you used to print your name in a good idea.
20:06I never use one of them. Yeah, I know.
20:08I don't think I need a business card. I can just tell people sure that and if they have any insults to direct them to Martin.
20:16Oh, there you go. I love that idea. I know that Mr. Grundy had said that we can actually do digital cards. So, he can take a picture of the format that we have and then we can actually do a digital card where we can send it to someone. Um, I don't know how to do that, but uh Rick did say that he knows how to set that up. So, we can do
20:34digital cards so people who want to be paperless so you can still participate with our with our business cards in case someone's looking for a cont. I think that if you give each of us a few copies of the brochure y so if somebody says what's all about they don't necessarily care to know my particulars but they might want to know so I can at least hand them one of these
20:57absolutely and I think um Mr. chairman that your email is actually out as a you and Martin. So, our chairperson and our vice chair. Um, the emails are the direct contact number uh emails uh along with our contact number which is the town hall number.
21:14The email on this.
21:16Yes, sir. When at the very bottom No, but it's incorrect.
21:20Oh, no.
21:20It is. Yeah.
21:22What? What is it?
21:24The Gallagher 155.
21:27All right.
21:27Why didn't you say something when we passed this around?
21:30All right. What? I can I can fix it. I can correct it. Don't make me laugh.
21:34But really, you should have said something. You passed it around.
21:37I'm sorry, sir. Hold on. Sh.
21:38I'm fighting with him.
21:39Okay. I'm sorry. You can That's okay. I didn't realize that either. I I Brian, I should have been picked up on it myself.
21:44That's okay.
21:44So, um Okay. Well, Mr. Chairman one one Yeah. 1155.
21:501155. Okay. We have to put a one in on those 150.
21:54No, I can change it. I can change it.
21:55No, no, don't don't throw those 150 away.
21:58No, but I want to change it on the template.
21:59You can put a little No, we're not doing that.
22:02Okay. 1155. I got it. And the only thing is is you you guys are the only ones who have seen it so far. So I can change that. 1155gmail.com.
22:10I think May I say something? I think Mr.
22:12Chairman did that on purpose so all the emails will come to me and I have to do most of the work. Am I right, Mr. Chairman? Let me put you on the spot on that.
22:19Slick move. There might be a method to my madness.
22:22Is yours correct? Martin C.
22:24Oh, I hope so.
22:25Yes. Yeah, it's right.
22:26Thank goodness. Okay, so Martin at charter.net when people don't Shame on you. You're the like the good.
22:32Yeah, I write to him all the time. You think I'd notice that? Yeah.
22:34People won't get a response from me, though.
22:38No wonder he doesn't answer my emails.
22:40No wonder why he doesn't. Oh my goodness. Okay.
22:42All right. The next thing I have is a treasurer's report. And I put this down because I was looking through the report that you gave us the last couple times that we're here. And it shows the handicap parking fines through the end of July.
22:58Correct. And I imagine that there may have been more fines collected through Labor Day.
23:04Correct.
23:04So, so you can get an update at some point that would be great.
23:08Yes. So, I do have an updated report.
23:12Um, and the reason being it it's it's com it's incomplete and I'll tell you why. Because um Nicole and Mrs. Landry um Joanne, is that Joanne? They're working on condensing several reports for other departments and our department happens to be included. And knowing that now that we have a treasurer, they kind of want to simplify it where you're not getting two separate reports. They kind of want to
23:44do like one report so it would be inclusive um with our gift account in addition to the revolving account and so on and so forth. So, um I'm going to give out this this one report in particular, which is the revolving account, um that they gave me a copy of knowing that the gift account, we don't necessarily know who's actually donating to the gift account.
24:15If somebody comes in and gives $50 or $100, we don't have that broken out as of yet. And my question to you, Mr.
24:25Chairman, is if somebody gives one of us a check and said,"I would like to give this to the Commission on Disability."
24:32Do we have we gotten checks like that in the past or do they come to the town hall and say, "My grandfather passed away and I would like to give a $100 to the Commission on Disability." How do we actually receive those monies? In the past, there was a gentleman in town who had a disabled family member.
24:52Mhm.
24:53And he made a donation, and it was a very generous donation.
24:57Mhm.
24:58Of $1,000 um every year.
25:03And he made directly. It went to the town. He didn't hand an individual to any one of us.
25:11Mhm. And I I I don't remember ever having a situation where one of us has been handed a check.
25:20Okay.
25:21Where as a donation to the commission on disability. If that ever happens, I would say that it should immediately be handed over to the town of council.
25:31Correct.
25:31I had talked to uh Sue Brighten on this.
25:34Oh, good.
25:35And there's a check from me floating around somewhere.
25:37Oh, you make it to the town of Westport.
25:39Mhm.
25:39Okay. Don't do it to the commission or any any uh and don't you write the commission on disability on the note line below then it goes into our gift so they'll know what count to give it to.
25:49So make it to the town of Westport.
25:51Correct.
25:52Yeah. I g I happened to give mine to Carla and she said she take care of it but it went down to Sue.
25:56Okay. And the reason why I was asking is because I had um two people that had passed away um in town and they really wanted to do a donation in memory. So, I felt that, you know, asking your guidance as to how we should address that. Um, and maybe Donald West, right? But I think maybe um we might want to do um a flyer or something or Yeah, but even sending a thank you card
26:24on behalf of the commission for the donation, definitely do that. But if in fact there are people that do want to donate um to our gift account if we did a flyer saying if you would like to memorialize a loved one or you know that it is an opportunity to do it and then what we actually use those funds for. um you know uh I don't know how the uh commission feels about that but you know
26:48there are people that instead of buying flowers or you know because they you know they they the fl the flowers die or or you know or you know just something that they can commemorate a loved one um I think would be uh they find it it's more beneficial than buying flowers. I think they want to kind of stretch their their donation into something that's meaningful in memory of a loved one.
27:12Well, yeah. And that would be a very generous thing to do and we should acknowledge it and thank where it does it.
27:20Yeah.
27:20On behalf of I think maybe like everybody could sign it.
27:25Yeah. I have because it's not going to be all that often, right? Everybody could sign a thank you card and we can send it back because it may be somebody that you know and then it's kind of nice if you kind of write a little note inside, you know, on behalf of us and the rest of us can sign it and vice versa happens to me or whatever.
27:39Yep. And I and I can order them through uh Vista Print and we can do it on from the Commission on Disability and you know kind of have it all in sync with Well, you know, these also have to be approved by the select board.
27:51Oh.
27:52Oh, we know that. Thanks, Mr. Select.
27:54Kind of sometimes we get like $40 like the veterans.
27:59I think last time we had $40.
28:02You mean the You mean the donations have to be approved by the approve them?
28:07Money. It seems odd, doesn't it?
28:08I think I think Yeah. And I've seen that at at a select board meeting. I think because when the council on aging gets a donation, she has to mention like where the checks came in. So would that be something that I would be responsible to do to go to the meeting and then say we got a check from so and so. And you don't have to go to the meeting. It
28:26just has to appear as an item.
28:28So I could give it to you.
28:30You call you and tell you?
28:31No, you should give it to the person who sets the agenda. So give it to Carl.
28:35Okay. All right. Give it to Carl and they will put it as an agenda. They have to put it as an agenda item. It has to be voted on. I mean, this seems ridiculous.
28:42Okay. So, and then so but individually they it can't be like one lump sum. So if we got a check for $20, a check for $30, it can't be like a total of $100 in checks.
28:54Sure it can.
28:55Oh, it can. It has I didn't know if it had to be itemized.
28:58Yeah, it does. So, in other words, let's say the Council on Nation gets this all the time, but they might get six checks and it has to they have to say this, you know, they write down the list and sometimes it doesn't have a a per it doesn't say where it's supposed to go like in like the veterans things. It might be for the cemetery, it might be somebody who's disabled, it might be
29:20something that they need, but each item has to be spoken for.
29:24Okay? Sometimes there's a long list.
29:27Wait a minute. I'm getting confused. So that's if there's if there's several checks. Yeah.
29:33You want them item itemized and also where each check is going to go.
29:38Yeah. Sometimes though that part is they don't the donate the don donor donor. Yeah.
29:45Doesn't say who.
29:47Okay.
29:48Or what say you know council on aging $50. But we have to say it's from Joe Jones.
29:55Yes.
29:56John Doe, Mary Doe. $30.
30:00Okay.
30:00And preferably with the purpose of it.
30:03Okay.
30:04Sometimes it's general use, right? For example, uh we should be getting a check now from we should check the mail. It may actually be in there from Lee Supermarket for the uh receipts.
30:15Yep.
30:16So that would go in general. First of all, gift account.
30:20She puts in the gift account. um of a treasur Nicole puts it in the gift account.
30:25But my point is that's a general in other words.
30:28Yeah. Just let it where it's going as long as it gets here.
30:32It depends if it's donor restricted or not. So if somebody donates a check and says I want this specifically go to the XYZ, then the that would the select board would be approving it under the condition that it went to so and so donated $100 for XYZ.
30:47Correct. So that's but if it's not restricted then I did check on that Kaylee and you were right but to date we don't have any checks that were donated that are restricted in any way shape or form. So I did I did ask that question to Nicole.
31:01So basically it's you it would be voted on by us um if you if we were going to do anything and we would take it from um the gift account.
31:12Yeah. But are you not sending these to the these these gifts the gifts of money checks? Usually you're not sending them to the select board.
31:23The we received mine was but we received $325 last year was it from Lee Silver and I didn't know we were supposed to send moving forward moving forward since I've been in the position we're we're going to follow the protocol. Prior to that, there was money in the gift account that was prior to me coming on board. Um, and the money is there. So, I can't speak on behalf of
31:50That's the only one that that's the only check that I know of. There was no other gift checks.
31:54Yeah. And and when I asked Nicole what has been given so far, I have an amount for the gift account, but um she has to dig a little deeper as to where the the cumulative amount came from.
32:11Well, I can Brian, it should be pretty easy. I'm sure Steve didn't have any and Rick didn't have any uh donations on their behalf. You haven't had any.
32:19Correct.
32:20Correct.
32:20And all I all I know is I saw that 325 last year go into the gift account. I didn't even know she put in the gift account.
32:28So, and that that was true.
32:29To answer your question, I remember seeing that excuse me, a letter in the mailbox.
32:35Yep.
32:35And I was like, "Oh my gosh, here's a check. Here's a check from Lee Supermarket." So, I just gave it to um the treasurer.
32:40So, in our gift account currently from 7126 to 630 of 27, we have $2,391.71.
32:50That's how much we have in our gift account.
32:52So, where that money came from had to been before it was before me.
32:55Before you for sure and I I mean since I since I'm looking at them now, so and probably that $1,000 you're talking about, Brian, I would think Yeah.
33:06You know what I mean? You're saying there was $1,000 every for a couple of years from a donor, right?
33:11So that would make sense that that would So now what we're doing moving forward, okay, during during the that month 71 of 26 to um from and 630 of 27, there was also $52,522 that was also donated. So, the total gift account um reflects $2,916.93.
33:37What Nicole and and uh Joanne are doing now is they're going to break it down even further for us to tell us where those monies actually came from. So, moving forward, like Mr. Ruer said, we now have to itemize the checks, correct?
33:54Mhm.
33:55And then have them as uh an agenda, an item on the agenda.
34:04Correct. With Mrs. Smith that $50 donation. Correct.
34:10Well, we don't have to approve it.
34:12It's only the select board, right?
34:14Well, that's what I'm saying.
34:15Yeah. Yeah.
34:15So, moving forward, Yeah.
34:17Um, with regards to someone giving us Yeah.
34:20a donation, Yeah. I would need we would then need to get that on your agenda, meaning the select board's agenda, broken out and itemized for each check that needs to be approved to go into the gift account. And based on the gift account, we need to be sure that it's either unrestricted or restricted.
34:40That's right.
34:42Yeah. But you want to get it to obviously to be able to thank the people.
34:46Oh, yeah. Well, I'm going to start a running name and address and so that we can send the thank you cards and you know all that other kind of thing too.
34:54Yeah.
34:55Well, I I did this sort of experiment, but did my check show up yet?
35:00I will I will check on that.
35:02Where did you send it?
35:04I gave Oh, you gave it to Carla.
35:06I gave it to Carla who gave it to some great but it was on the agenda, right? Does the town not have like a a policy for this?
35:16This a little crazy.
35:18That is the policy.
35:19But what's the policy though? This seems a little bit crazy to have they so when if check somebody donates and the checks come in, it doesn't go specific to like let's say the town administrator or somebody and then that person gives it to the accountant to make the deposit or the treasur.
35:34Well, it should go to the accountant, but Mr. Brewer said that he gave it to u Mrs. Brightton who's our treasurer.
35:41Correct. she is our treasurer. So if if in fact that was the case, I'm sure um that there was a conversation between Mrs. Brayen and Nicole saying I have a check from Dick Brewer going to the Commission on Disability. Is that is that correct, sir? And then um I'm assuming well maybe I'm I need to ask you this. Did it go before you and it was approved already as a select
36:06board? Yeah. Okay. So yeah, so then it goes into that. What he's asking is we don't have anywhere on the report showing that $50 or whatever $100 or even $1,000.
36:17Correct. So now with regards to your check, Mr. Brewer, how much was your check written for, if I might ask?
36:22$200.
36:23$200. So what I will do is I will go into um when I meet with them tomorrow to find out exactly where that donation I'm assuming that it came in with the 52522 because that's for the month.
36:37All right. So if it came within the last month, I'm I'm assuming that it was in So hold on. That's always going to be a problem because if some, you know, we didn't know about this stick until you brought it up, right? So how can we know about it before it goes to the tre it goes to the accountant because she just throws into the account and then we don't know. She didn't she didn't call
36:56us and say, "Oh, Dick Brewer gave a $200 check." You know, so we didn't know.
36:59moving forward cuz I've already met with Nicole and and Joanne.
37:04These are the things that they want to now do for us because knowing I apologize knowing that we haven't um knowing that we really didn't have a format, if you will. Um Oh, yeah. Nobody told we need to obviously follow protocol.
37:24the the town as a whole needs to have a better system of informing people of how do you go about making a donation. So, if I wanted to make a donation, I should be able to either call, let's say, the town clerk's office, and then she should say, "Okay, yes, if you want to make a donation, here's a form, fill out this form," and then internally, it goes to whoever
37:45it needs to go to next, whether that's treasur or the town accountant. Then it should be the town accountant's responsibility to notify each commission. Hey, we received XYZ because it to have like just random checks like if Martin's getting check in the mail, then Brian's getting check mail. It that's a terrible system.
38:02But I but what I'm what I'm trying to explain though now is is is where we didn't have a treasurer be well I shouldn't say we we've had a treasurer at some point I'm assuming. But now that we have that that I'm taking on that role, I'm asking for the definitive part. And so I'm learning this as I go as well. And they do have a a policy and a protocol with regards to when a check
38:31is actually received, that it has to go on the agenda, that it has to be approved by the select board and all of that. I would assume that when you do give a check to the treasurer, Mrs.
38:43Brighten, that it's going to be given to Nicole and deposited accordingly into the gift account for the Commission on Disability.
38:52All right. So, let me ask you this. Why don't you ask um the accountant and also the clerk if they get donations is will they let us know what they got or is that up to us? Because if it's up to us, then the check should come. In other words, if the clerk gets a check, she should let us know, right? by just saying here's here's a notification that
39:10a donation is made and then we can go before the board the select board. Do you see what I'm saying?
39:14Yeah. So this is what I'm trying to explain to you where we haven't had that breakout of where all of these donations have come from. That's the report that Joanne and Nicole are actually doing for us to let us know what has been what has been donated with who donated it and the amounts.
39:34But they're going to but are they going to do that every month? Yes. But then we're in violation of the the town's No, because we don't know what it is.
39:45So, if we don't know what it is and these donations did not go in front of the select board and weren't approved, we're moving forward now that we have a person in in the treasurer's position.
39:56So, we can't like I would love to say that we're going to go back.
40:00No, you can't. No, I understand that.
40:02Moving forward, we're going to follow we're going to follow the procedure. um violations, but that the the issue is more on the the town end of thing for not having a proper policy in place.
40:15Maybe there is one that each board is required to follow in regards to check pro like receiving donations.
40:22This is the first I heard of it that the select board has to approve it. I didn't know that. That's why I didn't send forth the uh check. But oftentimes, like I've even heard when the harbor master I'm just bringing him up as a as a when someone donated I think they donated uh money to get a defiill um and it was approved uh to receive that gift from someone. So when I think anybody who who
40:45does that, keep in mind when we do get a check in, the check is either going to go to Mrs. Brighten or it's going to go to the um to Nicole, our accountant. And then you have a meeting with the select board every two weeks.
41:02Yeah. Well, more or less.
41:03More or less every two weeks. So, we have to look at that. And if you get it and now there's not going to be another meeting for two weeks, then Nicole or will red flag me saying we did get a donation in lease. Um, you're going to want to put this on the agenda and then I would have to contact Carla and let Carla know. And then we put it on the
41:24agenda. It will be accepted and then it will go onto the gift account.
41:29Yeah. I don't know if you have to be involved with Carla. The town is supposed to do this.
41:34Oh, okay.
41:35This is an accounting function.
41:37So So are you saying that the responsibility is now with Nicole to do it?
41:41It was.
41:42Oh, okay.
41:43I mean, that's how it got done. I mean, Chris Vitalian before him, you know, uh, my neck and they weren't sitting around waiting all day for checks.
41:52Oh.
41:53And they wouldn't put it on the agenda when I was the chair. They they somebody just give me the list and say, "Here's the list of donations for this time."
42:01And look through it and I didn't really care. I just wanted to make sure we got it done.
42:05Perfect.
42:06And we'd approve them. We wouldn't even look at the checks, but it does have the amount and and the donor.
42:12Perfect. Now, what happens behind the scenes? Like, is communication needed here to thank people?
42:18I think the night that this one was approved, Rick Mundy gave a donation for uh I don't know what it was, maybe in the veterans. Uh but anyway, so you need a loop back to tell us in this case. So if we want to thank the people which we should I mean the whole idea is to generate enthusiasm for donations and you know people appreciate it when they get a thank you.
42:45Mhm.
42:45I don't know if it needs to be signed by six people anyway you know that's important.
42:51Yeah.
42:52So and if we could get you know more attention to this.
42:56Yeah. And I I like the idea that council on aging was was council on disability just as council on aging just recognized at the select board. So it's that's public.
43:08It's like come on folks let's Yes.
43:10join the join the club.
43:11Join join. Yeah. Join the club. Yeah.
43:12Good. Good idea.
43:13Exactly. And I think like I said, um, Nicole and and Joanne are are working, you know, to simplify our report and then also get the pertinent information that we need. You know, obviously because I did mention to them that we did want to thank people that did give donations. Um and then the other thing too is when we're doing certain projects, you know, what the responsibilities are with regards to um
43:39uh grant money and and you know, if we're paying for um an accessibility ramp and what have you that there's certain protocol that we need to follow and a checklist that we have to complete as well um with regards to um any type of vendor that we're paying that they're asking for now too. So, um they just ask for a little extra time, you know, so that they can produce a a more um
44:06definitive report so that all of our questions are answered and that we do have a running list of people uh you know, obviously that have uh given a donation moving forward. um and that there's followup with regards to checks that we do release uh to make sure that the work is in fact done and and we do a followup with regards to the monies that have been uh awarded to uh different organizations and or individuals. I
44:32shouldn't say individual but the companies that provide the services for accessibility that that we've engaged with.
44:41Okay, everybody stand. I say we move on. But I agree with you, Martin.
44:47Uh the next item is are there any other community events that we should be participating in coming up?
44:56I don't know anything else coming up beyond the harvest festival.
45:00I think the harvest festival is about that'll be the last one for the year.
45:03I think that's the only out Christmas thing.
45:05Oh, they do the um the thing at the old high school for the kids. They have Santa.
45:11Oh, the holiday stuff.
45:12The holiday stuff. I don't know if that's like a Christmas events are coming up, but I don't know.
45:16We'll keep an eye on that, but we don't have anything.
45:18No, I don't even think they have like the dates for that.
45:21When when do they do the um the thing at Whites where they do the uh the health fair? Remember that?
45:25Yeah, they spring, I think, right?
45:27And they do con frauds and scams for people that um for people who are taken advantage of during during that time.
45:32They have some highlighted uh topics that the the DA does um who gets a great turnout. I know when I did it with them him with regards to stroke buddies and friends, we had over 200 people that came uh to talk about these new scams that they have a tendency to come out with that target um not only people with disabilities but the elderly uh getting gift cards and and different things like
45:57that. They're pretending you're a family member and you they need to get someone I don't know that's they need money and they coersse them into going to get Walmart gift certificates and all kinds of things like that. Have you heard of that, Mr. Brewer?
46:11No.
46:11No. Yeah, they do.
46:12They do it a lot with um like they'll call somebody and say, "Oh, your grandson is in jail, right?
46:18And we need x amount of dollars to get them out." It's so you have to go and get a money order for $500 and you know he's distraught and you know and people are thinking like it's their grandchild and they go and they get the money and you know I have to give it to the banks even the Westport Credit Union um Tony uh sits on the board uh over there and
46:40these ladies and the gentlemen who wait on these uh patrons that come in, you know, they they know their habits uh of people when they go in and they do deposit and they pretty much know their routine. They catch a lot of this uh these happenings and they always um have a sympathetic ear in supporting that particular individual when they come out and they want to take like $500 or $800
47:04and they've saved a lot of their patrons from getting involved in a scam um that have occurred. And it's because of the relationships that they have. They have very personal relationships from seeing them two, three times a week over years and years and years that they've developed, you know, a protection mode for for Westport um you know the credit union. So they do a remarkable job um
47:27with protecting their patrons. So um I think it's important to note.
47:32So Brian, to answer your question, I think for the rest of this year, this is what we're going to do. And then the beginning of the year, if we I don't know if we take January off this year or not, whatever, in February, we'll have a better idea of what the spring's bringing up as far as events. And we'll we'll try to do a year calendar. That way we don't get people last minute, you
47:50know, hit people last minute with can you help us, can you help us?
47:52I would like to mention in closing the farmers market. I know they're going to be doing it for another month or so um with the uh um the American Legion. Uh they uh Murray May had contacted me this past week and said that they're going to be doing it. I believe it's at the annex. Um and they have a great turnout.
48:12Uh we're going to be doing an interview with them. Um so we'd like to push people. Um, if you still want to participate in farmers markets, they're going to be having uh I believe it's every Tuesday for the month of October so far that I know of. Um, but look on their website or um with regards to uh maybe we can even put something up uh with regards to our website because we have a website, right?
48:43Yeah.
48:43Yeah. Um, with regards to the farmers market, I think that's the only other activity moving forward.
48:49Yep. I think so. Okay.
48:57Um, the next two items I'm going to combine new old business and thoughts and concerns. One of the things that I wanted to mention was something that an email I received earlier today about the the Massachusetts Office on Disability Client Assistance Program.
49:19Here I have handed me a brochure today.
49:22Yay. I was glad to hear that you guys.
49:25You're well aware of this program saying Oh, nice. Thank you.
49:29Aware of this program?
49:30Yeah. So, so the um CAP client assistance program um it protects the rights of people with disabilities um if they're receiving services from IEL centers, which is where I work, or um it used to be called Mass Rehab Commission and is now called Mass Ability. So, if you are a vocational rehabilitation consumer of Mass Ability, this applies to them as well. If you're experiencing any issues with services, um if you're
50:00unhappy with services maybe receiving at an IEL center like skill and you're not comfortable coming to skill to talk to anybody there to file a complaint, you can um go to mass office on disability um and they will assist you with filing the complaint and working um with you to get those issues resolved. So it's just um consumer protection.
50:25Never heard of it. So that's good.
50:26Y thank you.
50:27Y there a lot of things that the state does for the folks and we're very so often we try to make them known to people, you know, including the the money that's available to help people upgrade their homes if they need to do that.
50:46I told you I was one of them that did that with the uh with the upgrade of my bathroom.
50:50Yep. to the state of Massachusetts grant program. So if anybody have any information, send them my way.
50:55I'll let them know about that. Okay.
50:57Yeah.
50:57We can also help at skills. So if there's any Westport residents that do need help with home modifications, uh we could help them apply for the grant funding. Uh title 7 part B would um be the home modification that we have access to the federal funding to help to help with that.
51:16Oh, that's nice to know. That's good to know.
51:18Yep. And do they call your office?
51:20Yep. So they would just call Southeast Center for Independent Living. Um you call the main line. You can also go on We have a Facebook page. You can actually apply for services directly through our Facebook page or on our website. And um I always recommend people call it it it's best to pick up the phone. Um you will get a person.
51:39Yeah.
51:40Uh Janice, she's a wonderful lady. Uh she's been at Skill for 23 years. She's very knowledgeable. So, it is easier if you do call. Um, she will take what's called an information and referral over the phone. It just gives us a little bit information about the reason you're calling, what services you're looking for, and then we will call you back and set up an appointment with one of our
52:02workers, and they will do an intake and help you with whatever your needs are.
52:09So, that's perfect.
52:10That's great. I'd also like to mention too that um now is the time to get any type of uh fuel or heating assistance along with any type of um electrical assistance, you know, for your electric bills. I know that they they're starting their new the grant funding for 2027 and you're able to um apply for any type of assistance uh starting for October 1st.
52:37Um, I had a couple of people that reached out to me. Uh, citizens for citizens is a great outreach, you know, for those types of, um, uh, for that type of support. It's a very simple process. You can either do it over the phone or actually go in person and make an appointment. Um, they're very supportive, very understanding, handicap accessible. um and they encourage people to apply because they get x amount of
53:04dollars and they want to use it up because um you know with the need because they don't want to see um any monies uh being taken away from them. So they want to get the word out as early as possible. Um and that's really along with what you're saying too Katie that you know the monies are there and sometimes people don't even realize that there's money available on a grant where
53:25they don't have to pay it back. So, I think that's important.
53:28And what is that organization again?
53:30Citizens for Citizens. Uh they're on Griffin Street in Fall River. And the director um extremely helpful and supportive and his staff is remarkable.
53:40So, um they welcome the calls. Uh then they cover the town of Westport, Fall River, some of Swansea, that kind of thing. So, is Craig Duter involved in it?
53:50I thought he might be.
53:51Oh, really? Our select board member?
53:53Yeah.
53:54I don't know.
53:55Yeah, I think so. Mr. Sullivan started Citizens for Citizen many many many years ago. Um when I first got out of uh college, I uh worked in protective custody children in the transportation area and he started that organization years and years ago since retired and um and other family members are now involved with it. They just do a remarkable uh job in in all areas. Um, so I just think it's in, you know, like I
54:25said, important to share as much information as we possibly can with other agencies that we can partner with moving forward.
54:31It's Michael Sullivan.
54:32Yeah.
54:33And he's been very involved in our town over the years.
54:36Yeah. He's a good guy.
54:43Well, the next item is our next meeting is October 26th.
54:49Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You you you missed the Hicksbridge Landing.
54:52Yeah, we got to talk about new and old business Hicksbridge Landing status AD.
54:55What were you going to say about that, Brian?
54:57I talked to Jeff Bo about the Hicksbridge Landing and whether or not it's time for us to um actually make the donation that we've promised the $5,000.
55:11And he said they're getting closer, but not quite yet.
55:15There's still work that has to be done to finish the landing project.
55:20and make it completely handicapped accessible. The new floats are available and that of course they're not in anymore because of the fall season, but u there's still work to be done on the walkway that's going to lead to the to the floats. Mhm.
55:37Um I I'm not sure if all the handicap parking spaces have been completed, paved, and painted or at least signed signage for handicap parking. But the work is progressing and I I will keep in touch with Jeff.
55:56He'll let me know when it's time for us to make that donation.
56:07Anybody have anything else?
56:08I do, sir. I'd like to give an update.
56:11If you guys remember, I believe as it was at the last meeting, um I think you brought it up, Martin, with um the Sanford Road uh pedestrian and roadway safety improvements project. These are in regards to the curb cuts uh that they're putting on Sanford Road. I don't know if anyone's had an opportunity to go down and take a look. Um Chris Gonzov and the highway department are doing a
56:34remarkable job with regards to that whole project. Um they started to put in the actual curb portion of it. I know I I drove in uh on that road today with with the with the rains. I was hoping that you know it it was not too messy but it looks beautiful. Um we're working with the engineering group uh with it's called K Deante. Um they had reached out to Martin uh with regards to uh recommendations. Uh
57:07yeah, they want to know um Chris wanted to know how wide the sidewalk should be.
57:11So five feet is the recommended ADA suggestion so that you can fit two wheelchairs. So it's five feet wide actually could be really nice. I mean there was hardly anything there. Maybe a foot and a half wide. Yeah. And so, um, I met with, um, George Melo, who is our engineer, along with, um, um, I guess, uh, well, George and a representative from K Deponte. Um, they were very happy
57:38with this little cheat sheet that we put together, which is what we used when we went to our training.
57:44Um, really happy about that. Um, and, uh, it's coming along. I guess they decided to extend it because they found some additional monies that could be utilized to extend.
57:55They were surprised about that. I took it right back back and forth. Chris had said originally was going to go up to a certain point just Yeah. short of the far and Glenn club and now we've gone past that.
58:05Yes. And I I think it's like an additional I I don't want to quote any numbers just in case I you know I don't want to misquote uh uh Chris uh in any way. But the most important thing is that um everything is according to ADA compliance with regards to residential properties. Um and most of if not all of of the uh uh the the curb cuts are within the residential property. Uh
58:34what do I want to say?
58:36Their jurisdiction or yeah within their measurements.
58:39Um so we are um we were asked to participate. Um we always uh give uh support to our highway department and we can't thank Chris uh Gonzalz and his team enough to not only include us but uh you know share uh the training that we have had both both Martin and myself and now Kaylee I know that you've been to some trainings with regards to that as well and I think you have done some
59:04no you haven't done any training with regards to that comes in handy because you know it does Chris asked us to go there and basically sign off on on this stuff so it's good to be able to look at the crib cuts and know what the measurements are and the uh you know the so we've been at the we went at the beginning of the project to meet with everyone. We were all on the same page.
59:21Now we're in kind of like the middle of the project and then of course we'll have the final end result. So this is just an update sir.
59:30Very good. Thank you.
59:31You're welcome.
59:31Mr. Chairman, I don't know if this is part of nine but says ADA coordinator. Is there some issue there or is that part of Well, I I just want to be sure that Mr.
59:44Battel is aware that he is our ADA coordinator.
59:49Well, he is aware. We You and I sat with him correct?
59:51Right. Yeah.
59:52And I want everybody else to be aware of that fact as well since we no longer have our ADA transition team, but we have agreed that we will sit amongst ourselves and figure out what Yeah, items need to be addressed and we have Chris that we can contact if there's an issue that we needs to be addressed by the town through our ADA coordinator.
1:00:24Listen, we should um maybe put on the next agenda. I just dawned on me when you mentioned the AD coordinator. Did we not did did you not send an email out from um Serpit? I called Serpent SRP. Uh that said, did we want to get involved with them again to decide what extra work we might want to do with the transition plan?
1:00:43That's actually I remember that email. I remember reading.
1:00:47I I think we should I don't know that we need to I'm sorry to interrupt you. I don't know that we need to contact Serpent necessarily, but we need to look at the plan and decide what is the next couple of steps we should make. most of them was were the landings that are not access accessible.
1:01:03So, so just to give you guys a little bit of information um with regards to open space um which myself and and Mr.
1:01:11Brewer actually sit on um we are putting together um certain information uh that they're looking for from us and that's the reason why we sit on open space.
1:01:24I don't know who keeps calling me. I'm so sorry. Um, Madame Treasur, will you shut off your phone please?
1:01:29Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't know why these people keep calling me. Um, so with regards to that, um, we we work very closely with Sered in addition to, um, uh, Ross and, um, and we work with, um, Mr. Capone. Um, and and in doing so, they keep us, uh, pretty much informed as to what they're looking for from us with regards to the transition. Um, and I think I had sent out an email. I
1:01:57believe you got it, Mr. Chairman, and I think you shared it with the group. This would have been last month, I believe, uh, looking for some specifics. So, what they wanted to do was have an opportunity, um, to sit down with myself, so that we would actually know what their concerns are, like you had brought up, and then in turn, we'll do a document and to share it with everyone.
1:02:19Well, I'm glad it didn't get dropped.
1:02:20No, it didn't get dropped. It's just that we're we're trying to do the final draft, I do believe. Um, Mr. Brewer, we're we're trying to do the final draft of what we're doing with open space.
1:02:31Correct.
1:02:31Which is a work in progress, correct?
1:02:34Used to be.
1:02:34We haven't got there yet, but we we we're I think this is like the third draft looking for the final draft.
1:02:42Well, it's really uh kind of complicated this. Okay. We're talking about a plan.
1:02:47This is now the open space and recreation committee which is revising the open space and recreation plan of 2016 I guess it is.
1:02:57That's correct.
1:02:58It's a 10-year update, right?
1:03:00And it's so SERD is assisting us. In fact they produced the money to to pay the SERAD people. They got a grant for that.
1:03:08That's separate from the ADA transition, but there's overlap here.
1:03:11Okay.
1:03:12So, it can be confusing. Um taking it one at a time. So it looks like the uh open space and recreation plan and committee will continue their work past the first of the year because I think there's a public uh we want the public to give input onto the plan all 100 pages of it or more and it's really a big a big task. So, we should have that wrapped up when we're
1:03:44we're making making some progress.
1:03:46You know, you guys had that uh public meeting, correct? With was just to get ideas put. Okay.
1:03:52So, now you put the ideas in there and you're going to have another public meeting to say, "What do you think of this?"
1:03:57I don't know if it's a public meeting.
1:03:58I'm going to find that out next Monday when we meet, isn't it? Next Monday.
1:04:03Right. So, basically what they what they asked of us is that like what Mr. Brewer said there is an overlap because the Commission on Disability and Accessibility is a whole section, if you will, with regards to what what SERPED and Open Space is trying to do. I I I kind of like, and maybe it's not proper to do this, but you'll correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Brewer. the document that that they're so diligent
1:04:34on trying to put together kind of reminds me of what maybe it's more um maybe it's more informative and it's more distinctive than the transition plan that like we did for the commission on disability but it's but it's kind of similar. It kind of like gives an outline of what they stand for, what they're doing and then all inclusive all of the different parts that have to be a
1:04:57part of it. and ADA is a part of their of SERD's um uh process.
1:05:05Yeah, I understand that. So, in doing so, because our transition plan is really all inclusive to accessibility and what we're required to do, rather than repeating all of that, what they would like to do is have a meeting um just based on um ADA accessibility and condense a version that will meet their needs on their final report. Is that safe to say?
1:05:34Yeah. because they don't really want to take everything that we have in our transition plan and like kind of move it all over. They want to kind of like customize it to what their needs are in their final draft.
1:05:45Yeah. Their their work has a lot of requirements in it. We have to have because of the state and what they want in a open space and recreation plan a section on disabilities. How do we handle that?
1:05:59Right.
1:06:00And anyway, that that will be finished early next year.
1:06:04I thought you were going to talk about and I would like to if I may, Mr.
1:06:08Chairman, the uh the uh executive summary of the ADA evaluation.
1:06:17This is the next one is due in 2030. We talked about this before.
1:06:21Yes.
1:06:21Because I was confused about it.
1:06:23Yes.
1:06:23So that you know we've got a couple of years here. So we can and as we did away with the committee.
1:06:30Yes.
1:06:30So now it's this this committee will deal with it and that's fine. Yes, I I'm just destroying I'm describing a distinction between Yes. And Serpent has involved both to make Yes, that's right.
1:06:41Right.
1:06:41But they're two separate projects with two separate purposes, but they both involve Serpent and ADA with disabilities. How do we respond to their needs?
1:06:51So, I'm just making that as a clarification because when you talk about this, when I talk about these things with people, they don't know what I'm talking about. So, I say now one step at a time.
1:07:00Yep. Think about Dana Stewart in terms of the the the open space plan and recreation plan. She's key in that and there's a lot to do with recreation.
1:07:10So that's that's that project and I happen to be on that and then we have this project here which is the update the 2030 update. So just for the record so it's clear so I can share this with you guys. So Karen Penelli is actually our SERD representative that um Mr. Brewer and I work with um on open space and basically she just said that you know she invited
1:07:35us to um well myself Ross and uh herself and I don't know if you'd like to be a part of that um Mr. Brewer.
1:07:42What what is this?
1:07:43Um we we're going to set up an impromptu meeting to talk about um what information and assessments and um what what they would need for their their document moving forward. So they asked um sometime in September um to try to meet sometime in October in order to get questions or concerns of um what they would like to see.
1:08:09Well, we're meeting on from us on Tuesday, right?
1:08:12Yeah, this is a separate meeting just based on the commission on disability and accessibility. Yeah.
1:08:17Well, is Yeah, I don't have to be involved in that because I'm involved in the whole thing anyway. Yeah, I was just wondering what was going to be different with this and what we're going to be doing Monday anyway.
1:08:28Well, I think more in depth, I guess.
1:08:30I think the one with the ADA, they want to go a little bit more in depth about them telling like us exactly what they need from ADA and they're going to use the transition plan as an example and then customize it towards their document.
1:08:47That's that's what I kind of thought of.
1:08:49Well, that that's a different purpose and right I'm involved in it anyway. Okay. Yeah.
1:08:53And we'll be at that meeting as well together. I'm sorry.
1:08:56I'll meet with you with with her surid if you want to do that. Aren't you talking about a separate meeting for the ADA?
1:09:02Did you say that?
1:09:02Yeah, we'll be meeting with Ross and Karen and Yeah, that's fine. Yep.
1:09:07Perfect.
1:09:11Okay. So, I'll keep you informed.
1:09:12Yes, please.
1:09:13Okay.
1:09:16Did you review all your chapters for the next meeting?
1:09:18I did. I did. You got four chapters and one of them has one of them has like a 100 page.
1:09:25It has like Wait, wait until you see all the information you got to read. It's like 200 pages for the whole thing, right?
1:09:31Yeah. I'm not quite done with it, but I I'll have some comments.
1:09:35Well, I got some reading done because of the rainstorm. So, there you go.
1:09:38Yeah.
1:09:39Yeah. So, but I just wanted to let you know. So once we have that meeting, then I'll be able to do a one-page email to everyone about the different topics that they're looking for from us and then move forward. But like Mr. Brewer said, there's a there is an overlap. So rather than be redundant, I think they're just looking to utilize what we already have within our transition plan and it and
1:10:02customize it to their document.
1:10:04Okay.
1:10:06Okay. Perfect. Our next meeting is October 26 of 2026.
1:10:143:45 be in this room again.
1:10:18Yay.
1:10:20Time to adjurnn. We have a motion to adjourn.
1:10:22So moved.
1:10:23Second.
1:10:24Second.
1:10:25All in favor?
1:10:26We are adjourned.
1:10:28Thank you. Thank you.