HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 15, 2024
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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
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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
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P1CKER1NG
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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.
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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;
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• 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.
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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.
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Carried
Meeting Adjourned: 9:24 pm