Meeting Minutes

Members Present: Toni Schiff, Terry Horwitz, Doug Johnstone, Jo-Ann DiOrio, Ken Russo

Members Absent: None

Minutes of the December 14, 2005 Disability Commission meeting were read and approved.

Old Business:

Laurie deSousa’s term expired on 12/31/05 and she did not wish to be re-appointed because she is moving out of town soon. Ken Russo and Jo-Ann DiOrio were each re-appointed to another three-year term on the Commission. Toni will continue to try to reach Henry Tuttle, Executive Director of Outer Cape Health Services for potential OCHS employee to join Commission. Toni mentioned that Michelle Crone may be interested in joining the Disability Commission and Toni will follow-up with Michelle.

New Business:

Toni discussed the need to let other Town Boards/Committees to be aware of the Disability Commission and consider the needs of the disabled in their planning process when appropriate. Doug suggested a general memo to selected boards reintroducing ourselves and our mission, and to request that they take into consideration the needs of the Disabled in their deliberations. Doug will draft memo.

Jo-Ann questioned whether money was available to reimburse Commission members when attending State sponsored Disability conferences. It was determined that there were no conferences in the immediate future that anyone wanted to attend, but if conferences should arise in the future the Commission would discuss the merits of the conference and determine where the money would come from to pay for the conference prior to anyone attending.

Terry and Doug took a wheelchair out to Shank Painter Ponds Uplands to experiment on the new walkway. They found two areas in particular that were not accessible by wheelchair and one area where the wheels of the chair got stuck in the bluestone paving. Doug will draft memo to Conservation Commission and copied to the Open Space Committee to state our lack of support for the project due to inaccessibility, and to recommend that the project not be advertised as handicapped accessible.

Toni mentioned that DPW needs to be made aware that after every power outage, the automatic door opener by the back elevator needs to be re-set.

Ken mentioned that how accessible the Provincetown Art Association and Museum is after their new construction. Ken to draft letter to PAAM acknowledging PAAM’s efforts in regards to accessibility.

The Disability Commission 2005 Town Report draft for the Annual Town Report was read and edited by Commission.

Toni discussed lack of accessibility to many of the stores in town. There was a brochure made several years ago detailing those establishments in town that were wheelchair accessible. Toni will follow-up with Val Carrano to find out if brochure is updated and maintained. Possible oversight of updating brochure through use of Senior Volunteer was discussed, if needed.

Next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:00 am.

Motion to adjourn by Jo-Ann, seconded by Doug.

Respectfully submitted by Terry Horwitz & Doug Johnstone