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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 15, 2024 Page 1 of 6 Minutes/Meeting Summary Accessibility Advisory Committee May 15, 2024 Hybrid Electronic Meeting Main Committee Room 7:00 pm Attendees: C. Rudberg-Chin B. Ferguson M. Shackleton K. Sullivan S. Azhar D. Currie Councillor M. Brenner T. Higgins, Accessibility Coordinator (Staff Liaison) J. Currie, Legislative Coordinator (Recording Secretary) A. Mostert, Manager, Landscape & Parks Development R. Mackay, Supervisor, Parking Enforcement Absent: M. Wilson M. Thorpe Ross A. Khan S. Snyders Councillor M. Nagy A. Topple, Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion Action (summary of discussion) Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) 1. Review and Approval of Agenda Moved by C. Rudberg-Chin Seconded by K. Sullivan That the Agenda for the May 15, 2024, Meeting of The Accessibility Advisory Committee Meeting be approved. Carried 2. Disclosure of Interest No disclosures of interest were noted. 3. Approval of Minutes -C~of- P1CKER1NG Page 2 of 6 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) Moved by M. Shackleton Seconded by B. Ferguson That the Minutes of the April 17, 2024, meeting of the Accessibility Advisory Committee be approved. Carried 4. Presentations/Delegations 4.1 Colin Walcott – Improving Accessibility and Eliminating Barriers in Pickering Not in attendance 5. New Business 5.1 Inclusive Community Grant Proposal T. Higgins and A. Mostert provided information regarding an Inclusive Community Grant for the purpose of providing funding for projects focused on improvements to public spaces with accessible enhancements. They noted that the City of Pickering will be submitting a grant application to fund the development of Accessible Trail Signage. With the aid of a slide show, A. Mostert provided a presentation highlighting the City of Pickering’s resource of trails and the benefits of enhancing trail signage to be inclusive and accessible. T. Higgins solicited the Committee Members for input and support of the City’s grant submission. Discussion ensued with Committee Members and Staff regarding: • the importance of colour contrast, durable/weather resistant material, and the addition of braille to the trail signs; • requiring notice that the trail is not continuous with various interruptions to the trail; • requiring notice of the presence of poisonous plants and other hazards; • clarification that the application for the grant is for the design of signage and the launch of a pilot project; and, • should the grant be awarded, there being further consultation, once a rough draft has been completed, with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, other Committees including the Waterfront Visionary Advisory Committee, and other experts in the field. Page 3 of 6 Moved by K. Sullivan Seconded by B. Ferguson That the Accessibility Advisory Committee endorses the application for the Inclusive Community Grant for the purpose of designing Accessible Trail Signage and Navigation in the City of Pickering. Carried 5.2 Accessible Playgrounds With the aid of a slideshow, A. Mostert provided a presentation outlining Accessibility Standards for Playgrounds and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements. He provided information regarding various aspects of inclusive playgrounds and the differences between inclusive playgrounds and 100% accessible playgrounds. A. Mostert provided an update on four parks that have been reconstructed since 2021, when an Enabling Accessibility Project began with approved funding from Council. He gave an overview of plans for the Dave Ryan Community Park project plans, to start at end of 2024, and a summary of the City Playground Replacement Program’s ten-year budget forecast. T. Higgins noted that, while there has been some expectation from residents that the reconstruction of playgrounds would provide 100% accessible playgrounds, that the AODA requirements do not provide for full accessibility, and that the City is building playgrounds in which the entire area may not be accessible to all users, but encourages an integrated solution in which children of varying abilities can play together. Discussion ensued between Committee Members and Staff regarding: • including adult features, such as chess boards or water features, in the same areas to create a community environment; • water parks being accessible; • providing a public presentation to highlight the progress of the City Playground Replacement Program hosted by the City, that the Committee Members may attend in support; and, • ensuring restructuring of playgrounds is occurring throughout all three Wards of the City. 5.3 Accessible Parking R. Mackay addressed a number of concerns raised by Committee Member K. Sullivan through discussion with Committee Members regarding: • policies and procedures not being governed consistently from municipality to municipality; • the current process for submitting accessible parking complaints in the City of Pickering being through Customer Care; Page 4 of 6 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) • Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) having the authority to issue parking tickets, however, they are generally not the ones responding to parking issues; • consideration of other approaches to requesting parking enforcement such as “apps”; • the City having open communication with DRPS, and that they are rarely required to be involved with parking enforcement; • there being approximately 100 property owners in the City of Pickering registered to permit private parking enforcement; • the number of Accessible Parking Permits issued being in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport through Service Ontario; • there having been 129 accessible parking complaints recorded since 2015; • there having been 1188 accessible parking infraction tickets issued by the City in 2023; • there being an opportunity to provide parking permit education followed by cancellation or reduction of an issued ticket; • most tickets being resolved prior to going to court; • enforcement using digital technology being researched and assessed for future use; and, • providing a broad educational campaign to highlight parking by- laws specific to the City of Pickering and adding specific information pertaining to Accessible Parking to the City’s website. 5.4 Sub-Committee Planning Members of the Accessibility Advisory Sub-Committee presented a draft of a Site Plan Accessibility Standards checklist to provide to the City’s Planning Staff as a guideline that Pickering may use. Discussion ensued between Committee Members regarding: • the intent of providing a Site Plan Accessibility Standards checklist to developers being to show the City’s desire to go above legislated requirements; • continuing sub-committee meetings and their meeting with City Planning staff through the summer months; and, • the AODA and Building Code requirements being a minimum standard and that municipalities may opt to “over-regulate”. 5.5 Durham Transit – Update Councillor Brenner provided confirmation that the new scheduling of buses will begin in September of 2024 as a result of feedback from the community, and that On Demand services will continue to meet accessibility needs. Page 5 of 6 Item/ Details & Discussion & Conclusion Ref # (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) 5.6 Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Accessibility With the aid of a PowerPoint slide show, C. Rudberg-Chin provided an overview of the Toronto integrated bike and bus lanes and how the TTC ties into the integration. Councillor Brenner provided that at the last Durham Transit Executive Meeting, finalized plans for 36 km of corridor bus lanes are planned on Kingston Road, and that construction will begin in 2025. Councillor Brenner will provide the link to the presentation. 5.7 Council Presentations Planning – May 27, 2024 T. Higgins provided information regarding the May 27, 2024, Council Meeting and requested volunteers to participate in the form of a delegation. 5.8 Canada Day Planning T. Higgins noted that he will send out a chart for Committee Members to sign up to volunteer at the Canada Day Event, hours 10 am – 4 pm. 6. Correspondence There were no items of correspondence. 7. Other Business Councillor Brenner advised that beginning July 1, 2024, there will be a free, accessible, new bus service, Route 100, to the waterfront. The service will be run by Durham Regional Transit and paid for by the City. 8. AAC Member Roundtable Updates There were no updates provided. 9. Next Meeting – June 19, 2024 10. Adjournment Moved by D. Currie Seconded by C. Rudberg That the meeting be adjourned. Page 6 of 6 Item/ Ref # Details & Discussion & Conclusion (summary of discussion) Action Items/Status (include deadline as appropriate) Carried Meeting Adjourned: 9:24 pm