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A QUORUM OF THE HUMAN SERVICES AND VETERANS COMMITTEE MEETING, BEING PRESENT.
I CALL TODAY'S MEETING TO ORDER THE CALL.
TODAY'S MEETING IS TO DISCUSS SUPPORT, SERVICES AND PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR DISABLED RESIDENTS IN CAMBRIDGE.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENT.
PRESENT, PRESENT, COUNSELOR FLAHERTY.
PRESENT, PRESENT, COUNSELOR SIMMONS.
PRESENT PRESENT, COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER.
THAT'S FOUR MEMBERS PRESENT, ONE RECORDED AS ABSENT.
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
IN ADDITION, THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING THIS MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE ALSO SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK OR POSTED IT THERE.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU'LL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
TO WATCH THE MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
WITH THAT, ANY VOTES TAKEN TODAY WILL BE BY ROLL CALL.
UH, SO THAT'S THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UH, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UH, JOINED COUNSELOR ZUBIE IS THE CO-CHAIR OF, OF, OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT I'LL BE CHAIRING TODAY.
UM, MAYOR SIDIKI IS GONNA BE A LITTLE LATE, BUT SHE'S ALSO GONNA, UH, IS GONNA JOIN US AT SOME POINT.
UM, I USUALLY DON'T GIVE A BIG LONG INTRO.
UM, BUT JUST SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE ISSUE AROUND DISABLED RESIDENTS, UM, WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO, UM, I THINK RIGHTFULLY WERE CONCERNED THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH, UM, ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THE DEPARTMENTS AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A, A, A COMMISSION ON, ON, ON DISABILITY RIGHTS, BUT, UM, THINK ABOUT DISABLED RESIDENTS IN THEIR PLANNING, WE DON'T ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT PUBLICLY THAT MUCH AND, AND, AND HOW WE SUPPORT THE DISABLED COMMUNITY AND, AND THE, YOU KNOW, THAT DEFINITION, YOU KNOW, CAN BE VERY BROAD, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MY MOTHER WHO'S 80, OH, SHE'S PROBABLY WATCHING, I WON'T OUT HER AGE, BUT SHE'S UP THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, USES A ELECTRONIC SCOOTER SORT OF TO GET AROUND.
AND SHE LIVES FOUR BLOCKS FROM ME AND PROBABLY COULDN'T SAFELY GET TO MY HOUSE, YOU KNOW, IF SHE WANTED TO BECAUSE OF SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS AND NARROW SIDEWALKS AND, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS OTHER THINGS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FOLKS SORT OF ON THAT END, AND THEN YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT, UM, MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ARE, UH, HAVE ISSUES WITH THEIR SITE OR, OR, OR OTHER ISSUES.
YOU HAVE KIDS WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR SCHOOLS WHO, WHO, UM, HAVE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, I WOULD SAY IT'S PRETTY LARGE PORTION OF OUR POPULATION, BUT I ACTUALLY COULDN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE I DON'T OFTEN SEE ANY DEMOGRAPHICS OR ANY CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, AT CITY COUNCIL ANYWAY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HEAR, OBVIOUSLY FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE, BUT WE DON'T OFTEN HEAR DURING THE COURSE OF THE REGULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, COURSE OF THE TERM.
SO, UM, COUNCILOR ZUBIE AND I FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A HUMAN SERVICES MEETING JUST TO KIND OF START A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND GET BETTER INFORMED AND GET THE COUNCIL BETTER INFORMED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE REALLY THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT? AND, UM, AND HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW AND WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING? SO THAT'S SORT OF THE PURPOSE OF, OF, OF TODAY'S MEETING.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GONNA ANSWER EVERY QUESTION AND, AND, AND SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM TODAY, BUT I THINK IT'S A START.
AND I, AND I THINK IT'S A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE A CONVERSATION THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD, UM, UH, BEFORE.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA, DOES NO, OKAY.
LEMME TURN TO MY CO-CHAIR, BUT SHE'S, SHE'S GOOD.
UM, SO THE WAY THE AGENDA'S GONNA WORK TODAY, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, A PRESENTATION, A, A, YOU KNOW, NOT, IT'S NOT TOO LONG.
WE'LL HEAR FROM DIFFERENT, UM, UH, DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC SPEAKERS, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMITTEE
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QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.SO I THINK I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, WATKINS, TO KIND OF, UM, AND IF FOLKS COULD, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE THE, THE NAME TAGS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, JUST FOR THE FOLKS ON TV, OR FOR THE RECORD, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO ANSWER A QUESTION OR SPEAK, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR POSITION.
UM, I WILL GO HAVE A FEW INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, RACHEL GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
AND THEN WE'VE ASKED VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO COME IN AND GIVE SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN TERMS OF HOW THIS WORK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND SUPPORTING RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES REALLY EMBEDDED INTO THE WORK OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WE THINK IT'S HELPFUL, AND AGAIN, UM, TO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN'S, YOU KNOW, LEAD OFF, IT'S CHALLENGING TO SAY THIS IS EVERYTHING WE DO IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO GIVE AN OVERALL FLAVOR OF THE WORK.
SO THAT IS THE OVERALL INTENT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, BUT WE DO HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF STAFF HERE FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL START OFF WITH, YOU KNOW, MCGOVERN, UH, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN RAISED THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHICS.
WE DO HAVE INFORMATION FROM, UM, THE CENSUS SURVEY BASED ON THAT, UM, PEOPLE HAVE IDENTIFIED ABOUT 7.5% OF RESIDENTS IN CAMBRIDGE IDENTIFY AS HAVING A, UM, A DISABILITY.
UM, SIMILAR ALSO TO WHAT COUNCILOR GOVERN SAID, THAT INCREASES OVER TIME.
AS WE ALL GET OLDER, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INCREASES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOLKS OVER 75 YEARS AND OVER 40% OF THOSE FOLKS IDENTIFY AS A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES.
SO WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA BE REACHING AND HELPING SUPPORT AS THEY'RE NAVIGATING CITY SERVICES AND LIFE IN GENERAL.
UM, AND ALSO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS A DISABILITY CHANGES OVER TIME AND WITH AGE.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE SORT OF PIECE OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL IN SORT OF SETTING THE FRAMEWORK.
UM, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO RACHEL, AND SHE CAN REALLY GO THROUGH THE WORK THAT SHE AND KATE THURMAN DO WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE CRITICAL ROLE THE COMMISSION PLAYS.
I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WITH STAFF, EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE SEES THE COMMISSION AS A RESOURCE, AND I THINK THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, UM, WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES.
SO PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY REACHING OUT, ACTIVELY SAYING, WE'RE NAVIGATING THIS COMPLICATED SITUATION, HOW CAN YOU HELP US? UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST DO A LITTLE BIT OF A SIDE DETOUR JUST IN TERMS OF SETTING THE STAGE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THIS WORK IS REALLY EMBEDDED IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO I THINK MOST FOLKS KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN I WORKED AT DPW FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE, UM, THIS, THE CURRENT GIG, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I WENT TO DPW, THE IMPETUS OF THAT WAS REALLY ABOUT OUR SIDEWALK ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, SO WE HAD HAD, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SIDEWALK WORK THAT WE WERE DOING THAT WAS SORT OF, WE WERE MAKING THINGS BETTER, BUT IT WAS NOT FULLY COMPLIANT.
AND SO PEOPLE WERE SORT OF DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT NOT ACTUALLY MEETING CODE.
AND SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST THE CITY, UM, AND WE REALLY TOOK A STEP BACK FOR ABOUT OVER A YEAR AND DIDN'T PROCEED WITH ANY SIDEWALK WORK UNTIL WE REALLY DUG IN AND SAID, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WHAT ARE THE CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE IN TERMS OF STAFFING, IN TERMS OF TRAINING, IN TERMS OF EXPECTATIONS, IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH OUR CONTRACTORS? AND SO THAT WAS WORK THAT WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, EMBEDDED INTO THE DEPARTMENT, WORKING CLOSELY WITH RACHEL'S PREDECESSOR, ALTHOUGH ALSO WORKING WITH RACHEL WHEN SHE WAS ON, UM, THE COMMISSION AS A COMMISSION MEMBER.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE COMMISSION AND WITH THE STAFF TO SAY, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS PROGRAM REALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS? AND SO THAT WAS A WAY THAT, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS WORK IS REALLY TRULY EMBEDDED IN THE DEPARTMENT AND WHY YOU SEE SO MANY FACES AROUND THIS TABLE THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO RACHEL WHO WILL DO A PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'VE ASKED EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO SORT OF GIVE HOPEFULLY ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE, UM, LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THEY'VE EMBEDDED THAT WORK INTO THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK TO COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN'S POINT, UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANSWERS TO TODAY.
WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW BACK UP WITH PEOPLE.
WE ALSO SEE THIS VERY MUCH AS AN EVOLVING CONVERSATION.
AND SO IF THERE IS AN AREA OF PARTICULAR INTEREST, WE CAN ALSO FOLLOW UP AND SAY, LET'S HAVE A FOCUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC AREA, AND THEN WE COULD DIG INTO THAT MORE.
SO WE REALLY LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS WELL.
UM, BEFORE, BEFORE WE, WE, WE GO TO RACHEL, UH, JUST TO THE CHAIR AND TO THE PEOPLE GATHERED HERE.
MY APOLOGIES, I'M GONNA STEP AWAY.
I'M GONNA GO ONLINE, SO I'M STILL A PART OF THE MEETING.
I'M JUST NOT GONNA BE PRESIDENT IN THE ROOM, SO MY APOLOGIES.
UM, WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ONLINE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RACHEL AND WE'LL BRING UP THE PRESENTATION.
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AFTER RACHEL GOES THROUGH HER PRESENTATION, WE'LL HEAR FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, IF THAT'S OKAY? YEP.AND I'LL JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD, NOTE THAT COUNCILLOR SUZI IS JOINING US.
SHE'S NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT SHE'S ATTENDS ALL THESE MEETINGS, WHICH IS VERY, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING DONE.
UH, I CANNOT SEE YOU, SO IF YOU ARE A CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE AND YOU ARE TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION FOR SOME REASON, UM, YOU WILL NEED TO EITHER YELL OR THROW SOMETHING, OR YOU CAN SIGNAL TO KATHY TO KICK ME.
UM, BUT, UH, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANY SIGNALS YOU ARE TRYING TO SEND MY WAY.
UM, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, WORKING AT THIS POSITION.
I AM THE A DA COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAMBRIDGE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE AND I WOULD SAY RIGHT HAND PERSON, BUT IN FACT, LIKE SHE MANAGES TO SUPPORT ALL SIDES OF ME.
SHE HAS BEEN HERE FOR, WHAT, 16 YEARS.
UH, SHE, SHE IS OUR ASSISTANT, A DA COORDINATOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
UM, AND, UH, SHE IS RECENT THINGS RUN WELL.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE ALSO HAVE A THIRD MEMBER OF OUR BOARD.
WE HAVE A PART-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, MAYA FRIEDRICH.
SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE HER, BUT LET'S NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.
AND, UM, SHE, BUT BECAUSE SHE IS PART-TIME, UM, SHE'S ALSO A GRAD STUDENT, AND THAT IS WHAT SHE IS OFF DOING TODAY.
UM, SO, UH, THOSE, I, I AM, MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER.
I AM A BIG OLD WHITE WOMAN WITH PURPLE AND BLONDE HAIR, AND I AM WEARING A BURGUNDY AND BLACK DRESS.
AND I WANNA MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR THAT, UM, WE DO WHAT WE DO FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UM, IT IS NOT FOR THE FAME AND GLORY, UM, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE NICE.
BUT, UH, THIS IS, I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ABSTRACT FOR US.
THIS IS OUR, THESE RIGHTS THAT WE WORK FOR ARE ALSO OUR RIGHTS.
THE BARRIERS THAT WE HEAR PEOPLE CALL US ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT OUR WORK ARE THE ONES THAT WE OURSELVES FACE WHEN WE LEAVE THIS OFFICE.
WE ALSO DO THE CALCULUS OF WHEN I LEAVE MY HOUSE OR WHEN I LEAVE THE OFFICE, HAVE I USED UP ALL MY ENERGY SUCH THAT I CAN'T HANDLE THE ACCESS BARRIERS THAT I MYSELF, WILL FACE IN MY DAY-TO-DAY LIFE? THESE ARE, AND I KNOW THAT ANYONE WITH A DISABILITY AND ANY FAMILY MEMBER WHO, UH, WHO WHO HAS, UH, OF SOMEBODY WHO HAS A DISCIPLINE, HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF MATH I'M TALKING ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO I WANNA MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ABSTRACT WORK FOR US.
THESE ARE THINGS WE DO BECAUSE WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM.
AND BECAUSE FRANKLY, THEY ALSO IMPACT US NO MATTER, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE GO AND WHAT WE DO.
UM, AND I WANNA, I WANT TO THANK VERY MUCH THE MANY DEPARTMENT HEADS AND STAFF THAT HAVE TURNED OUT TO SUPPORT US.
I, I'M A LITTLE REC CLAMPED, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, BUT ALSO, UH, OUR CART PROVIDER, DENISE GRACIA, WHO FRANKLY AT THIS POINT SHOULD HAVE A PLAQUE IN THIS, UH, ROOM FOR ALL OF THE WORK SHE HAS DONE FOR THE, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, SO I WANNA, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, I WANNA TALK, I WANNA JUST SAY THAT OUR OVERALL PURPOSE, THE, THE CAMBRIDGE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, WHICH WE, UM, ABBREVIATE CCPD, SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT ALL OVER.
UM, WE ARE HERE TO MAKE THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE A WELCOMING AND ACCESSIBLE PLACE FOR PEOPLE WITH ALL TYPES OF DISABILITIES.
UM, AND I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT.
UM, WE ARE, AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER, SMALL BUT MIGHTY.
THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF US, A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL US THINKING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET AN ENTIRE, LIKE, LARGE STAFF OF PEOPLE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE GOT TWO AND A HALF PEOPLE, AND THEREFORE, THE NAME OF THE GAME, THE COIN OF THE REALM FOR US IS COLLABORATION.
THIS IS HOW WE GET THINGS DONE.
AND HONESTLY, THAT IS HOW ACCESS WORKS, IS COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION.
YOU CAN'T DO THIS STUFF IN A VACUUM.
YOU MUST WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE
[00:15:01]
TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.AND IN FACT, THAT IS HOW THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY WORKS.
WE ALSO VALUE OUR ALLIES GREATLY.
BUT WE ALL, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
WE FORM THE COMMUNITY THAT KEEPS US ALIVE.
SO, UM, I WANT TO TALK FIRST OF ALL ABOUT OUR INTERNAL WORK, BECAUSE WE DO BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACING WORK.
UM, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS.
WE WORK WITH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EMPLOYEES IN DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
MY PREDECESSOR HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS, I DON'T KNOW QUITE HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS THERE ARE, BUT LET'S JUST CALL IT A LOT.
AND, UM, WE KNOW JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM AND HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM.
UM, WE PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND WE ARE HERE TO, WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO WE, WE WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE COMFORTABLE.
WE'RE HERE TO TEACH THE PEOPLE TO FISH, RIGHT? WE, WE ARE, WE WILL HAPPILY ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN, BUT WE ALSO ARE HERE TO BUILD THE CAPACITY.
UM, SO, AND WE, UM, YOU HAVE FIGURED OUT BY NOW THAT SOME OF US LOVE TO TALK.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GLADLY GIVE PRESENTATIONS AND TRAININGS AND YOU CAN CALL US UP WITH QUESTIONS YOU CAN DO, AND PEOPLE DO.
UM, WE TRY TO PROVIDE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE ON ALL KINDS OF ACCESS RELATED THINGS.
WE DO DESIGN, REVIEW OF, UH, FACILITIES.
UM, THAT'S BOTH, THAT'S TRUE, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
UM, BUT AS YOU MAY NOTICE, THERE'S OFTEN A GREAT DEAL OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AND A GREAT DEAL OF WORK ON, UH, ON CITY BUILDINGS.
UM, WE GO TO MANY, MANY MEETINGS, MANY, MANY MEETINGS.
LARGE PORTIONS OF MY JOB ARE GOING TO MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S NOT A COMPLAINT BECAUSE THAT MEANS I'M AT THE TABLE.
UM, AND I AM PLEASED TO BE INVITED TO THE TABLE.
AND SO, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE IS A NEW PROJECT GOING ON IN TOWN IN TERMS OF DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, OFTEN PART OF THAT.
CAN I BE AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING I'M INVITED TO? WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT, UM, WE DO PROVIDE A LOT OF INPUT ON SUCH THINGS.
AND WE ARE OF COURSE, ALWAYS HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THINGS WE MAY HAVE, WE, WE MAY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT ARE NOT TOP OF MIND, BUT WHAT WE ARE HERE TO IS TO DO CITY BUSINESS THROUGH A DISABILITY LENS, BECAUSE ALL CITY BUSINESS HAS A DISABILITY LENS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOVERN, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT WHEN YOU SAY THAT, YEAH, ACTUALLY THIS STUFF SHOULD COME UP MORE AT CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING THE CITY COUNCIL TOUCHES THAT DOESN'T HAVE A DISABILITY ASPECT TO IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A FOCUS ON THE REGULAR.
UM, I'M NOT CRITICIZING HOW YOU DO YOUR WORK.
I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS A LENS THAT ACTUALLY WOULD BE USEFUL TO EVERYBODY TO BRING TO THE TABLE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN CRITICIZE WE'RE, WE EXPECT IT
I MEAN, WE'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS.
BUT LIKE THAT I, THAT WASN'T MY INTENT
UM, SO, UH, SOME EXAMPLES OF THE INTERNAL WORK THAT WE DO, WE ADVANCE COMMUNICATION ACCESS.
THIS IS WHERE I ALL HAVE TO ALSO HAVE TO CALL OUT KATE, WHO IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMUNICATION NEEDS, PARTICULARLY FOLKS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY.
KATE IS THE PERSON WHO REALLY, REALLY WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE CAPTIONED, THAT EVERYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN HEAR, UM, AND CAN PARTICIPATE IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
THAT WAS DUE TO TIRELESS EFFORT BY KATE.
AND SO I, I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE.
UM, SO, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER KINDS OF COMMUNICATION ACCESS THAT WE ARE, THAT WE WORK ON, INCLUDING AROUND OUR, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, RIGHT? OUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW WE GET INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, WHAT IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE WORK ON.
WHAT IF SOMETHING CHANGES WITH HOW THE TEA IS RUNNING IN OUR CITY? OBVIOUSLY THE TEA HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT, BUT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE T SO WE WORK ON THAT.
UM, WE, AS I SAID, WE PROVIDE A DESIGN EXPERTISE ON STREET AND SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PRO, UH, OBJECTS.
AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY A LOT OF THOSE THAT GO ON.
DPW CAN ADDRESS THIS A LOT BETTER, A LOT MORE,
[00:20:01]
YOU KNOW, ELOQUENTLY THAN I CAN.BUT IT IS, I AM TELLING YOU THAT CAMBRIDGE OPERATES IN A WAY THAT MANY OTHER PLACES DO NOT OPERATE.
I TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO MY JOB THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY THE STATE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THE WAY THAT DPW HANDLES CITY AND STREET AND SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
DO WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO? ABSOLUTELY.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION HERE THAT DON'T GO ON OTHER PLACES, AND WE ARE PART OF THAT.
AND DPW IS ALWAYS VERY OPEN TO OUR INPUT, WHICH IS SOMETHING I APPRECIATE GREATLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERYWHERE.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, WE'RE WORKING WITH A LOT OF CITY DEPARTMENTS TO UPDATE OUR EMPLOYEE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY AND THE REPORTING PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS.
UM, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT AS A CAREER PUBLIC SERVANT, I HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR 22 YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT OUR JOB AS PUBLIC SERVANTS IS FOR OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES TO REFLECT AND RESPECT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
AND THEREFORE, IF WE ARE NOT HIRING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE AIN'T DOING IT RIGHT.
AND SO, AND IF WE DO NOT MAKE THIS PLACE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN WORK, CAN DO THEIR BEST WORK, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT EITHER.
AND SO WE ARE HERE IN PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
UM, UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, A LOT OF THAT WENT THROUGH OUR OFFICE.
I AM PLEASED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT WAS SOME OF MY FAVORITE WORK.
LIKE, IT WAS JUST REALLY AMAZING WORK WORKING WITH PEOPLE ON THESE THINGS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT AN HONOR IT IS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAME TO ME AND SAID, I'VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE THIS BEFORE.
AND THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO, THAT WE AS AN OFFICE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT SO THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE IN FACT, COMFORTABLY AND SEAMLESSLY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, REPRESENTED AS, AS REFLECTING THE PEOPLE WE SERVE AND DOING THE BEST, MOST QUALIFIED POSSIBLE JOB HERE AT THE CITY.
UM, SO I, I WANNA SAY THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR WORK, BUT AS IT HAPPENS, WE HAVE RECENTLY HAD A CHANGE THERE WHERE HR NOTICED THAT, UNDERSTANDABLY, I'M NOT MAD, UM, THAT THERE, THIS WAS AN HR PROCESS AND IT WASN'T AN HR.
AND I COULD COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND GETTING A LITTLE SQUIRRELY ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A FABULOUS PERSON AT HR, JORDAN WILKINSON, WHO HAS BEEN, UH, NOW PUT IN CHARGE OF, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR, UH, PEOPLE FOR EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES.
AND WE WORK ON A CONSULT CONSULTING BASIS WITH THAT.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, I WAS NERVOUS, BUT HE GETS IT LIKE YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS WITH JORDAN.
UM, WE ALSO ASSIST, WE WORK WITH COLLEAGUES IN RESPONDING TO REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.
MANY DEPARTMENTS GET QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC SAYING, I HAVE AN ACCESS NEED THAT IS NOT BEING MET.
UM, WHAT CAN I DO? BECAUSE AGAIN, OFTEN PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THESE THINGS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB, MANY THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB, I'M A NERD.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB IS THAT ACTUALLY I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING MEMORIZED.
I JUST HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT MY HANDS ON IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO, THE PHRASE, CAN YOU HOLD ON A SEC, CAN YOU HOLD THAT THOUGHT A SECOND? LET ME MAKE SURE I GET YOU THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY COOL PART OF THE JOB TOO, BECAUSE MANY, MANY REALLY INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN AND WE HAPPEN TO LIKE SOLVING PUZZLES AROUND HERE.
IT IS AN INTERESTING, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS JOB IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY FASCINATING THINGS THAT HAPPEN, AND YOU SIT THERE GOING, GOD, THAT'S SO INTERESTING.
AND THEN YOU GO, AND IT'S HAPPENING TO OTHER HUMANS.
SO LIKE, THE BAD PART IS THAT IT'S HAPPENING TO OTHER HUMANS, BUT IT'S NEVER BORING AROUND HERE BECAUSE THE WORLD IS JUST A REALLY VARIED PLACE.
UM, WE SIT ON NUMEROUS INTER DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEES, SO MANY IN FACT, THAT I HAD MADE A SLIDE ABOUT THEM AND IT WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING.
AND SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT A FEW OF THEM, JUST GO OVER A FEW OF THEM.
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
AND I DID NOT WANT TO BE, I DID NOT WANNA BE THE FIRE HOSE COMING AT YOU WITH ALL THE STUFF THAT WE DO.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE, UH, KATE IS ON THE SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE, WHICH IF THERE IS A SPECIAL EVENT THAT HAPPENS IN THIS CITY IN GENERAL, IT GOES THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE.
AND KATE IS THE PERSON THAT HELPS ENSURE THAT THAT EVENT IS ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE WE GOT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER BRINGING US SPECIAL EVENTS,
[00:25:01]
AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE.UM, I PARTICIPATE IN IN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION GROUP, WHERE WE TALK WITH MANY DEPARTMENTS ABOUT HOW TO, UM, HANDLE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN THIS CITY.
UM, I AM, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GRANT FROM THE MASS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON, UH, ON IMPROVING ACCESS AND INCLUSION IN PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AND I'M ON THE, I GET TO HELP OUT WITH THAT.
UM, WE, UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT HAS REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE MBTA.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT MYSELF, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT'S NOT COMMON.
UM, AND SO THE, UH, WE MEET MONTHLY AS A CITY, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WITH THE MBTA TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE TEA WORKS, GAZ TITE AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
LIKE, DO THOSE MEETINGS ALWAYS GO SMOOTHLY? NO, MANY MEETINGS DON'T ALWAYS GO SMOOTHLY.
BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THESE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN, AND AGAIN, I GOTTA GIVE PROPS TO ANDY FOR NOT ONLY BEING THE LIAISON ON THAT, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IF YOU WANT TO RUN A MEETING WHERE EVERYBODY IS INCLUDED, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE A DISABILITY, AND IT JUST SORT OF HAPPENS, AND IT'S NOT THIS THING WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE TO DO THIS THING FOR RACHEL, 'CAUSE SHE'S SPECIAL.
UM, WE, UH, THERE'S THE DESIGN COORDINATION, UH, GROUP THAT MEETS MONTHLY, UH, THAT IS, UH, MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL ACROSS DEPARTMENT ABOUT DESIGNING, UH, AND CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I'M ON THE CITY'S OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE.
UM, I AM ON THE, UH, WE WERE ON THE, WHICH IS IT STILL CALLED THE NET ZERO TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP.
'CAUSE ZERO EMISSION, THE ZERO EMISSION TRANS TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP, WHICH AGAIN, IT WAS ABOUT HOW TO GET, UM, THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION RELATED, UH, EMISSIONS, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UH, DOWN TO ZERO BY, WHAT IS IT, 2050? YES, 2050, RIGHT? SO STEPHANIE OVER HERE, LIKE WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS GROUP.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU WANT AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO LEAD AN INCLUSIVE GROUP THAT GOES TO THE PEOPLE WHOSE VOICES ARE NOT ALWAYS HEARD AND NOT JUST THE LOW HANGING FRUIT.
I'VE TOLD HER SHE NEEDS TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS RIGHT, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA JUST QUICKLY SHOUT OUT THAT I WAS ON THE PLANNING GROUP FOR THE DISABILITY PRIDE EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN OCTOBER, UH, WHICH WAS FUNDED IN PART BY THE GRANT THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
AND I DON'T KNOW SOME PEOPLE HERE, ABSOLUTELY WERE AT THE DISABILITY PRIDE EVENT, BUT SPEAKING AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
THAT WE HAD A SPACE WHERE IT DID NOT MATTER HOW YOU SHOWED UP.
AND LET ME TELL YOU HOW RARE THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND PROBABLY ALSO FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
YOU SHOW UP NO MATTER HOW YOU MOVE, NO MATTER WHAT SOUNDS YOU MAKE NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE.
DO YOU NEED SOME SENSORY, SOME SENSORY SPACE? DO YOU NEED SOME TIME AWAY FROM SENSORY SPACE? YOU ARE THERE TO CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE.
AND WE ARE SO RARELY CELEBRATED THESE DAYS.
I LITERALLY LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE I HAVE BEEN DECLARED A THREAT TO THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE BECAUSE I HAVE A DISABILITY.
SO, NOT TO GET TOO POLITICAL ON MAINE, BUT HAVING THAT SPACE WHERE WE ARE NOT ONLY ACCEPTED, BUT PROUD OF EXACTLY WHO WE ARE IS PRICELESS.
AND I, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW BAD YOU NEED IT TILL YOU'RE IN THAT SPACE.
AND SO I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE PLANNING GROUP FOR THAT.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME IF YOU CAN, WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, BECAUSE BEING PART OF THAT SPACE IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOME OF OUR INTERNAL WORK.
UM, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR EXTERNAL WORK BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF THAT.
UM, WE ARE NOT JUST HERE TO WORK ON WHAT THE CITY DOES, THE CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES DO.
WE ARE HERE TO TALK, WE PROVIDE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL TO CONS TO FOLKS, TO CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE DISABILITY RELATED QUESTIONS.
AND THAT IS A LOT OF WHAT WE DO BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES CALL US.
WE GET CALLS FROM PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE GET CALLS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OF FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE.
WE GET CALLS FROM BUSINESSES WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
[00:30:01]
ARE.WE GET CALLS FROM OTHER CITIES WANTING TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT RIGHT? AND I DON'T JUST MEAN ONES IN MASSACHUSETTS.
UM, SO I, THIS IS A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.
AND THE OTHER REASON WHY WE DO A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THERE'S SOME THINGS WE DON'T DO THAT PEOPLE WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO DO, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR, RIGHT? SO WE ARE NOT A DIRECT SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE PERSON WHO FINDS YOU A PCA OR ACCOMPANIES YOU TO COURT.
I DON'T EVEN ACCOMPANY ME A COURT.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HOOK YOU UP IN THAT PARTICULAR WAY.
WE CANNOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE.
WE DO HAVE THIS ONE AREA OF THE LAW THAT WE KNOW AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT, AND WE KNOW WHERE TO LOOK THAT STUFF UP.
BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ACTUAL FORMAL LEGAL ADVICE, WE ARE NOT IT, AND WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE IT.
UM, SO THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE ON EXCELLENT SPEAKING TERMS WITH EVERYBODY WHO DOES THOSE THINGS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST TO, TO MAKE THAT REALLY, REALLY CLEAR THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY A LOT OF WHAT WE DO.
WE ARE A LIAISON FOR FOLKS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES ACCESSING CITY SERVICES.
SOMETIMES CITY, AND THIS IS NOBODY'S FAULT SPECIFICALLY, BUT SOMETIMES CITY PROCESSES ARE NOT TRANSPARENT, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT INTUITIVE.
THEY'RE JUST NOT, BECAUSE CITIES ARE BIG AND COMPLEX.
AND, UM, AND NOT EVERYBODY, NOT EVERYBODY'S A PUBLIC SERVANT TO US TO NAVIGATE THIS ON THE REGULAR.
SO WE OFTEN GET PEOPLE CALLING AND SAYING, I AM HAVING THIS PARTICULAR ACCESS RELATED DIFFICULTY, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO TO TALK TO ABOUT IT.
OR I THINK I AM HAVING A CONFLICT WITH A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT.
I SHOULD NOTE THAT WE HAVE ZERO AUTHORITY.
WE DON'T GET TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO.
WE HAVE INFORMATION BUT NO AUTHORITY.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO SOMEONE CALLS US UP AND SAYS, I THINK THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON AND I AM BEING MISUNDERSTOOD AT A DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN CALL UP THAT DEPARTMENT AND SAY, HEY, THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SOMETHING YOU GUYS WOULD DO.
IS THERE SOMETHING GOING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT? LIKE, CAN WE HELP YOU? CAN WE HELP GET THIS, UM, WORKED OUT? RIGHT? UM, AND OFTEN IT DOES.
WE ACTUALLY, I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS WE GET, REMARKABLY FEW BECAUSE WE MANAGED TO GO AND TRY TO DO THE PROBLEM SOLVING FIRST.
UM, SO THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY GET TO THAT POINT BECAUSE SOMEBODY WILL CALL ME UP AND SAY, I'M HAVING THIS ISSUE.
AND I'M LIKE, LET ME, LET ME CHECK OVER THERE WHAT'S GOING ON.
OR ACTUALLY, THE PERSON YOU CALLED IS NOT THAT PERSON.
UM, I HAD A FRIEND COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF WORK SAY TO ME, I HAD THIS THING GOING ON.
I'VE CALLED ABOUT THIS THING, AND I'M NOT RAGGING ON ANY DEPARTMENT HERE, BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE WHY IN A SECOND.
I CALLED ABOUT THIS THING HAPPENING AT DHE PARK, AND I CALLED DPW AND LIKE, WHAT THE HECK, NOTHING IS HAPPENING.
AND I SAID, THAT'S 'CAUSE DPW DOESN'T HANDLE DHE PARK.
BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH THAT.
UM, WE ALSO ARE HERE TO LOOK AT WHERE THE GAPS ARE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE, FOLKS OUT.
THERE ARE OUR EYES AND EARS ON THE GROUND.
AND IF THERE ARE PATTERNS AND GAPS IN COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE REGARDING INCLUSION, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE MEETINGS I GO TO, I CAN SOMETIMES BRING THINGS UP AT THOSE MEETINGS AND SAY, HEY, DID YOU GUYS KNOW? BECAUSE OFTEN THE ANSWER IS NO, WE DIDN'T.
WHAT CAN WE DO? UM, SO THAT IS PART OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB IS TO, TO, TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT SHOULD GO.
MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER DISABILITY RELATED LAWS AND ORDINANCES, LIKE I SAID, WE CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE, BUT WE CAN SURE LOOK UP A, A, A REGULATION AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT IT SAYS, A CHAPTER IN VERSE, RIGHT? AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY CALL US, THEY'RE NOT SURE WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
THEY KNOW SOMETHING FELT WRONG, SOMETHING DIDN'T SEEM TO GO RIGHT.
UH, DO I HAVE RIGHTS HERE? WHAT'S GOING ON? SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT SURE WHAT THEIR QUESTION IS, AND A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS WORK WITH THEM TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND THEN TRY TO GIVE THEM AN ANSWER.
AND UNDER FEDERAL LAW, IT IS THE JOB OF THE A DA COORDINATOR TO INVESTIGATE A DA GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE CITY.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY OF THEM.
AND ALSO, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, SOMETIMES PEOPLE TAKE IT DIRECTLY TO THE STATE.
UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SO THEY GO TO
[00:35:01]
THE MASS COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.UM, AT WHICH POINT, I CAN STILL INVESTIGATE IT, BUT YOU'VE GONE KIND OF ABOVE MY HEAD A LITTLE BIT, AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS NOW INVOLVED.
UM, SO THE, BUT THAT IS PART OF OUR, UH, MY JOB AS THE A DA COORDINATOR.
UM, NOW OTHER KINDS OF GRIEVANCES THAT ARE NOT AGAINST CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, BUT ARE AROUND THINGS THAT TAKE PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE, LIKE BUSINESSES OR HOUSING.
THOSE GO TO OUR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR WHOM WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT HAPPENS THAT THE CITY'S HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE INCLUDES AN ANTI-DISCRIMINATION, UH, CLAUSE AGAINST DISCRIMINATING AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND SO THEY DO HANDLE THE COMPLAINTS ON THAT.
THAT DOES NOT GO TO OUR OFFICE.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY A BUILDING, BY YOUR LANDLORD, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, SO, UM, JUST QUICKLY, A FEW, I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER THIS WHOLE LIST, BUT THE KIND OF STA UH, COLLABORATIONS THAT WE HAVE EXTERNALLY, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WANNA KNOW WHAT'S UP.
UM, WE ARE A MEMBER OF AN ALLIANCE OF COMMISSIONS ON DISABILITY THROUGHOUT MASSACHUSETTS.
MOST OF THEM ARE IN EASTERN MASS, BUT NOT ALL THAT'S RUN THROUGH THE DISABILITY POLICY CONSORTIUM.
NOT ONLY THAT, WE ARE PART OF A NATIONAL COALITION OF MUNICIPAL OFFICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
WE ARE BY FAR THE SMALLEST MUNICIPALITY THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HANG OUT WITH NEW YORK AND LA AND ALL THOSE FOLKS, AND WE GET IDEAS FROM THEM, AND THEY GET IDEAS FROM US.
UM, AND I ALSO TALK TO, UH, MUNICIPAL, A DA COORDINATORS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE AT MEETINGS THAT ARE RUN BY THE MASS OFFICE ON DISABILITIES.
WE HELP OUT WITH, UH, WITH MEMA, MASS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
THEY HAVE A, AN ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, WITHOUT GETTING TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS, THAT'S BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WHO HAS ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS, AND PARTICULARLY AN EMERGENCY, IDENTIFIES AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
BUT THEY'VE STILL GOT THE SAME NEEDS AS SOMEONE WHO DOES.
PLUS, THAT INCLUDES FOLKS FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE, THAT KIND OF THING.
WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH MOUNT AUBURN AND ADVISE THEM ON A NUMBER OF THINGS.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH AND DISABILITY PARTNERSHIP THAT'S RUN THROUGH THE MASS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY THEIR HEALTH AND DISABILITY PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE PROVIDED, UH, ASSISTANCE TO THE MASS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES.
UM, I WANNA BRAG ABOUT OUR, OUR CCPD ADVISORY BOARD.
AND SHOUT OUT TO ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE TUNED IN TODAY, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DID INVITE THEM.
UM, WE HAVE A BOARD OF, WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY FULL, IT IS 11 PEOPLE.
UH, THAT INCLUDES SEVEN FOLKS WHO ARE RESIDENTS.
WELL, CURRENTLY IT INCLUDES SEVEN FOLKS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE, WHO EITHER ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FAMILY MEMBERS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OR OTHER INTERESTED INVESTED PARTIES.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE, UH, UM, WE HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS AT THE MOMENT THAT ZACH SOLOMONS FROM THE INCLUSION PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S IN THE ROOM, 'CAUSE HONESTLY, I CAN'T TELL WHO'S IN THE ROOM, BUT LIKE, HE'S FANTASTIC.
AND THEN WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY USEFUL TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM DPW ON YOUR BOARD.
THEY PROVIDE, UH, FEEDBACK AND INPUT TO DEPARTMENTS ON ALL KINDS OF, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
THEY'RE NOT SHY, AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT THEM.
UM, THEY DO SPECIAL PROJECTS AND WORKING GROUPS TO MAKE THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE MORE WELCOME AND INCLUSIVE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY KEEP US APPRISED ON COMMUNITY NEEDS BECAUSE WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES.
AND THEY LIVE IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
THEY HELP US OUT WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AT EVENTS.
AND I WANNA GIVE A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT, UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE IN DEMAND, WHICH I LOVE, LIKE DEPARTMENTS LINE UP TO PRESENT AT OUR MEETINGS.
I FEEL LIKE, I'M SORRY TO, EVERYBODY'S HEARD ME SAY THIS ALREADY, BUT I FEEL LIKE A BOUNCER AT A REALLY EXCLUSIVE CLUB BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, CAN WE COME TALK TO YOU AND GET INPUT FROM YOUR BOARD? AND I'M LIKE, I WOULD LOVE YOU TO DO THAT, BUT WE ARE FULL UP FOR THIS MONTH.
CAN YOU MAKE IT NEXT MONTH? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, I'M GONNA BRAG.
LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
WE ALSO ASK FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN.
FOR EXAMPLE, AT ONE POINT WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE TEA WORKS AND INTERACTS WITH THE CITY.
AND I SAID, LET ME TALK TO OUR TRANSIT PLANNER WHO
[00:40:01]
NOT ONLY GETS IT AROUND ACCESS, BUT KNOWS HIS STUFF.SO ANDY CAME IN AND HE PRESENTED TO AND HAD A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION WITH OUR BOARD.
SO LIKE, WE, PEOPLE WANNA HEAR FROM US AND WE WANNA HEAR FROM THEM AND KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE HAD, UH, NOT TO BRAG TOO MUCH, BUT WE HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON, AND THIS IS SORT OF A WEIRD TIME OF YEAR TO SAY THIS, BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT THE PROCESSES AROUND SNOW REMOVAL HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE YEARS.
AND A LARGE PART OF THAT WAS BECAUSE ABOUT A DECADE AGO, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER, WE HAD SERIOUS, LIKE WE CALLED IN DPW AND SAID, CAN WE TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW THIS IS IMPACTING OUR LIVES? AND ACTUAL PROCESSES DID CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THIS.
AND DPW WAS EXTREMELY OPEN TO LISTENING TO US.
LIKE, I WANNA GIVE PROPS FOR THAT.
UM, WE'VE HAD OVER THAT OVER TIME, A WHILE, A LONG TIME AGO, WE USED TO HAVE A FILM SERIES, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE LIKE REALLY INTERESTED THAT FOLKS ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN.
AND IT TURNS OUT THE DISABILITY REPRESENTATION IN FILM AND TV IS EXTREMELY INTERESTING AND TELLING ABOUT HOW WE SHOW UP IN SOCIETY AND HOW SOCIETY SHOWS UP FOR US.
AND SO FOR A WHILE WE HAD THAT UNTIL THE FOLKS, UH, WE DO HAVE TERM LIMITS.
SO THE FOLKS WHO ARE RUNNING THAT, THEIR TERM LIMITS EXPIRED.
UM, SO I WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THIS I'VE COVERED ALREADY, BUT THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT WE GET, WE GET PHONE CALLS, WE GET EMAILS, WE GET WALK-INS, UM, WE PROBABLY GET FAXES.
UM, PEOPLE, CITY STAFF COME TO US, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS COME TO US.
LOCAL BUSINESSES COME TO US AND WANNA KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO.
UM, AND IN FACT, LIKE, UH, WHERE'S, WHERE'S CHRISTINA? CHRISTINA'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE LIKE WE HAVE JUST SOME, AGAIN, ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE CAMBRIDGE HAS A PROGRAM NOBODY ELSE HAS AND NOBODY KNOWS HOW AWESOME IT IS.
SO I'M SO EXCITED THAT, LIKE CHRISTINA GETS TO BRAG ON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 10.
UM, YEAH, I DO WANT TO MOVE IT.
SO I'M SORRY, BECAUSE HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO YEAH.
UM, PUBLIC COMMENT AND QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW.
SO YEAH, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, WE PROVIDE FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DESIGN PROFESSIONALS THAT LITERALLY SAVES THEM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN TIME AND MONEY AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES COME TO PRO, UH, TO PROBLEM SOLVE WITH US.
UM, THE ONE THING I WANNA LET YOU KNOW REAL QUICK IS THAT WE HAVE HAD A VERY EXCITING MOVE UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, SINCE BEFORE DHSP EXISTED.
WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE EXISTED SINCE 1979, AND WE WERE PART OF DHSP WHEN IT STARTED THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS. AS OF NOW, WE HAVE MOVED TO THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION DEPARTMENT.
AND HONESTLY, I LOVE, I LOVE AND MISS EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THAT FROM, FROM DHSP, UM, WE'RE STILL SORT OF DISENTANGLING OURSELVES, ADMINISTRATIVELY AND FISCALLY FOR THEM, BUT WE ARE PART OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION NOW, UH, DRI TRAVIS BROWN IS MY SUPERVISOR AND I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND SO WE STILL EXIST IN THE SA AT THE SAME ADDRESS AT THIS TIME.
BUT THIS, THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE CITY P TO SUPPORT THE CITY IN SERVING PEOPLE AS THEIR WHOLE SELVES.
THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE ANYTHING AT THE DOOR.
WE BELIEVE IN INTERSECTIONALITY AND WE INTEND TO PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.
WE WORK WITH THE OTHER PORTION OF PEOPLE IN THE OTHER GROUPS IN EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND THEY SEEM TO BE AS EXCITED TO HAVE US THERE AS WE ARE TO, UH, TO BE THERE.
SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE FANTASTIC.
IN CONCLUSION, THIS IS THE FABRIC OF CAMBRIDGE.
WE ARE ONGOING AND ESSENTIAL PROCESSES.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ACCESS EVER BE TREATED LIKE A TICKY P BOX THAT IS DONE.
IT HAS TO BE PRIORITIZED CONTINUOUSLY, AND IT TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF CITY LIFE.
AND THEREFORE WE WORK ACROSS THE CITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR NEEDS ARE NOT SPECIAL.
DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT SPECIAL NEEDS, LIKE PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES, DON'T HAVE ANY.
UM, BUT THEY ARE NECESSARY TO HOW THE CITY FUNCTIONS.
AND THEN THE NEXT, UH, SLIDE IS MY CONTACT INFORMATION, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO READ OUT IF NECESSARY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO TALK TO FOLKS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE.
UM, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF HAVING THIS MEETING TODAY WAS TO GET THE INFORM EXACT INFORMATION THAT YOU PRESENTED AND, AND BETTER EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND, AND THE COUNCIL ABOUT
[00:45:01]
ALL THE DIFFERENT WORK THAT, THAT YOU'RE DOING.AND, UM, IT WAS VERY, UH, ENCOURAGING, UH, TO HEAR.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO KATHY, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WATKINS, TO, UH, NAVIGATE THE SOUNDS GREAT.
UM, YEAH, I THINK YOU, WE ASKED DEPARTMENTS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE MINDFUL OF TIME, MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH TIME FOR CONVERSATIONS.
SO REALLY, UM, JUST WANNA SORT DO A LITTLE BIT OF A POPCORN AROUND WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND HAVE FOLKS GIVE SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THE THINGS THAT RACHEL TALKED ABOUT.
I MEAN, I THINK SHE HIGHLIGHTED SOME, BUT IT REALLY IS THE WORK IN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT IS ALSO SUPPORTING AND REALLY EMBEDDING THIS INTO DAY-TO-DAY.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF A RANDOM ORDER, BUT MAYBE I'LL START WITH DHSP.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE JOE CORINA AND ADAM CORBE, WHO I THINK CAN TOUCH ON, AGAIN, TRY TO GIVE A FEW SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ALL THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY JUST SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES.
AND IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF RECREATION DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND I'M JOINED WITH THE SUPPORT OF, UH, MY DEPARTMENT HEAD JOE KINI.
UM, ONE SIGNATURE OF OUR WORK, UM, IS THAT IT'S NEVER OVER OUR PROGRAM SORT OF EXIST, UH, FOR THIS WORK TO HAPPEN AND CONTINUE.
SO, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE BIT LIKE A VICTORY LAP, UH, 'CAUSE I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DO, BUT IT IS NEVER SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA STOP.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT DRIVES US.
UM, WE LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE EFFORT IS EVERYTHING, AND WE TRY TO TURN DISABILITIES INTO CAPABILITIES.
UM, THAT'S A MANTRA OF SOME OF OUR SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WE LIVE BY.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HOSTS THE INCLUSION INITIATIVE, UM, THAT WORKS WITH PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AND CITY STAFF, UH, TO SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES ENROLLED IN OUR OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS. UM, WE PROVIDE MODIFICATIONS, UH, WE CAN DO, UH, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PROGRAMS, UH, BUT THEN WE ALSO PROVIDE RESOURCES LIKE TRAINING AND STAFF SUPPORT, UM, EVEN DOWN TO ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, UM, FOR, UH, PEOPLE THAT, THAT MIGHT NEED IT.
UM, WE OPERATE THE OFFICE OF, WITH THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH SPECIAL START TO SUPPORT FAMILIES, UH, THAT HAVE PRESCHOOLERS, UH, WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS OR DISABILITIES.
THE, UH, OEC ALSO HELPS FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOP DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION PROCESS, UH, WHEN THEY ENTER THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND STAFF MAKE SURE THAT CCPP PROVIDERS GET PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, UH, TO WORK WITH CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM.
UM, WE'VE RECENTLY GONE THROUGH THE DHE IMPROVEMENT, UM, PLANNING PROCESS, UH, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT.
UM, AND HUMAN SERVICES WAS A CO-CHAIR OF THAT.
THERE'S A, A CROSS DEPARTMENTAL EFFORT, UM, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, AT DHE PARK AND WHICH WAS, UH, RENOVATED BEFORE THE A DA, UM, OF 1991, UM, TO UPDATE THAT PARK IN WAYS THAT BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE AND, UH, ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY.
UM, WE OPERATE THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN CAMP RAINBOW.
UM, AND IN THOSE PROGRAMS, PEOPLE GET TO COME AND BE THE HERO IN THEIR OWN STORY EVERY DAY, UH, WHICH DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN ON THEIR WAY TO THE PROGRAM OR WHEN THEY COME HOME.
UM, BUT WHEN THEY'RE IN THAT PROGRAM, SOMETHING SPECIAL HAPPENS, THEY GET TO BE THE STAR OF THE SHOW.
WE RUN AN ANNUAL PLAY, WHICH IS A FUNDRAISER.
UM, THOSE SHOWS ARE ALL ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU WANNA LOOK THEM UP.
UM, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF GOLD MEDALISTS.
THE CURRENT STATE CHAMPIONS IN POWER LIFTING, THEY WERE AT THE DISABILITIES PRIDE EVENT, UH, DOING THEIR POWERLIFT DEMONSTRATION.
UM, AND, UH, AS PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE HEARD, WE HAVE A 93 AND OH UH, CAMBRIDGE WARRIORS TEAM THAT IS QUALIFIED FOR THE NATIONALS, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY RANKED NUMBER ONE.
UM, AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL COMPETE IN MINNESOTA ON JUNE 21ST THROUGH JUNE 26TH, UM, FOR THE NATIONAL TITLE AND BASKETBALL.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR AND GEARING UP FOR A LOT.
UM, WE ALSO DO FIELD TRIPS, UM, JOB PREPAREDNESS, ART SHOWS, UH, YOU NAME IT.
UM, AND DAVID TINES IS THE, UH, IS THE LEADER OF, OF, UH, THE PACK WITH THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM.
UM, AND, UH, HAD A SIGNIFICANT, UH, IMPACT ON CAMP RAINBOW AS WELL, UH, WHICH WE'LL BE RUNNING THIS SUMMER.
UM, WE ALSO OFFER ADAPTIVE SWIM LESSONS, RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTION FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES, UH, TO WAR MEMORIAL AND GOLD STAR POOL.
UM, WE, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO ARE, THAT WE CAN MODIFY ARE, UH, ICE SKATING, WHICH WE OFFERED EVERY SECOND GRADER IN THE, UH, CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, YOGA, AQUA AEROBICS, ZUMBA, ET CETERA.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE ADULT ADAPTIVE GOLF LESSONS, UM, AND HANDICAP ART, UH, CART ACCESS AT FRESH POND GOLF COURSE.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GREATEST EXAMPLES OF THIS, JOANNE KRUPA, OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF GOLF, UM, STARTED RECENTLY IS THE PGA HOPE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, UM, WHICH GETS VETERANS, UM, AND SERVICE MEMBERS OUT ON THE GOLF COURSE WHO MIGHT HAVE PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS, UH, OTHER DISABILITIES, OR BE DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES.
UM, JUST A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
[00:50:01]
A LOT EACH YEAR ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND HOW WE MIGHT RETROFIT, UM, SPACES BASED ON FEEDBACK WE GET, UM, TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE.AND WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, DPW ON THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO OFFER A SNOW EXEMPTION LIST AND, AND A TEEN SHOVELING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES SERVICES, UH, DURING SNOW EVENTS TO THOSE THAT QUALIFY BASED ON IN, UH, AGE, INCOME AND ABILITY.
SO, I'LL STOP THERE 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S MORE, BUT, UH, WE'LL NEVER BE.
UM, NOW I, UH, COURTNEY, MAYBE IF YOU WANNA COME UP TO THE TABLE, I WILL GO TO CDD.
UM, WE HAVE JEN CARA, WHO IS THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF PLANNING.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE HAS MET HER.
SHE IS ONE MONTH IN TWO MONTHS IN, TWO MONTHS IN.
SO PROBABLY THE NEWEST PERSON AT THE TABLE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE COURTNEY KIRK AT THE TABLE FROM CDD AND CHRISTINA DIO.
UM, SO MAYBE IF WE HAVE COURTNEY AND THEN CHRISTINA JUST AGAIN HIGHLIGHT A FEW EXAMPLES.
I'M THE SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, I'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW, UM, ALL ABILITIES ARE INCLUDED IN OUR PLAYGROUNDS AROUND THE CITY AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS IN PLAYGROUND DESIGN.
UM, EVERY CHILD DOES HAVE, UH, UNIQUE SENSORY NEEDS NO MATTER WHAT THEIR ABILITY IS.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT A PLAYGROUND, IT IS A SPACE THAT HAS TO ACCOMMODATE CHILDREN FROM THEIR VERY YOUNG YEARS ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH TEENAGERS.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIVERSE EXPERIENCES THAT A PLAYGROUND SHOULD INCLUDE.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT 99% OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS LIVE WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK TO AN OPEN SPACE.
SO WHEREVER SOMEONE LIVES, THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PARKS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPERIENCES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF LEARNING OUTDOORS.
UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO QUICKLY STATE IS THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY FIVE SENSORY EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT WITH A PLAYGROUND DESIGN.
UM, ONE IS VESTIBULAR, WHICH IS A FANCY WORD FOR MOVEMENT.
SO A PLAYGROUND'S A PLACE WHERE A KID CAN SWING A SLIDE JUMP, UM, DO LOTS OF THINGS WITH THEIR BODY AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO MOVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, TO BUILD BODY AWARENESS AND THEIR MOTOR SKILLS COORDINATION, BALANCE CONCENTRATION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ALMOST ANY SORT OF PLAYGROUND, TRADITIONAL PLAYGROUND.
UM, THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S PROVIDED TACTILE SENSORIES, SO THIS IS WHERE THE SURFACES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN A PLAYGROUND CAN TAKE ON DIFFERENT SHAPES.
THERE MIGHT BE WOOD, UM, RUBBER METAL, UM, PLACES THAT INCLUDE SAND OR WATER.
THOSE ARE DIFFERENT TACTILE EXPERIENCES.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF RESIDENTS LOVE ALEXANDER KEMP, KEMP PLAYGROUND AS A VERY UNIQUE WATER AND SAND, UM, PLAY SPACE, UM, VISUAL.
SO, UH, I LOVE PLAYGROUNDS THAT INCLUDE VERY BOLD COLORS.
AND, UH, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT A DESIGNER PICKED A COLOR BECAUSE THEY LIKE IT.
IT, A LOT OF TIMES THERE IS THOUGHT AND CONSIDERATION AROUND CONTRASTING COLORS, MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS DIFFERENT VISUAL STIMULATION AVAILABLE ON A PLAYGROUND.
UM, AND EVEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, A YOUNG CHILD DEVELOPING VERSUS A TEENAGER, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, RANGE AND VISUAL ABILITIES.
AND EVEN SOMEBODY WHO CL WHO WHO IDENTIFIES AS BLIND, UM, THERE CAN BE VERY VARIOUS RANGES OF EYESIGHT.
SO HAVING, UM, CONTRASTING COLORS AND OTHER ELEMENTS ON A PLAYGROUND CAN REALLY HELP MAKE A SPACE INCLUSIVE.
THERE'S THIS LIKE, UM, ANIMAL AREA AND THERE ARE THESE REALLY BOLD CIRCLES AROUND EACH ANIMAL.
UM, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF WHERE, UH, A LOW VISUAL PERSON CAN COME IN AND REALLY EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT SPACE IN A UNIQUE WAY.
UM, AUDITORY, UM, THERE CAN BE EVEN JUST LIKE, UM, SOUNDS IN A PARK, LIKE PEOPLE PLAYING BASKETBALL, UM, A SQUEAKING OF A SWING.
LIKE THOSE ARE SPECIFIC SENSORY, UM, AUDITORY EXAMPLES, BUT ALSO A LOT OF PLAYGROUNDS INCLUDE MAYBE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OR, UM, CRANKS THINGS THAT CAN MAKE DIFFERENT NOISES.
UM, THE UD PLAYGROUND HAS A LOT OF THAT INCLUDED IN THE,
[00:55:01]
THE SPACES, BUT ALSO THERE ARE PARKS LIKE THE ELMAN HAMPSHIRE PLAZA THAT DOES HAVE, UM, A XYLOPHONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLAZA.UM, YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS A TRADITIONAL XYLOPHONE, BUT PEOPLE CAN STEP ON IT, ROLL OVER IT, AND IT MAKES NOISE.
UM, AND LASTLY, I WOULD SAY AROMATIC.
AND I THINK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS LOVE THIS COMPONENT BECAUSE MOST LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS LOVE PLANTS.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHERE PLANT CHOICES CAN REALLY BRING, UM, A UNIQUE SENSE TO THE SPACE.
I THINK YOU'LL ALL PROBABLY BE AWARE OF IT IN, IN THE SPRING, UM, WHEN THINGS LIKE, UM, SERVICE BERRY OR CHERRY BLOSSOMS OR CRAB, APPLE BLOSSOMS START TO BLOOM.
UM, SPACES THAT HAVE A LOT OF THOSE TREES CAN ADD A, A AROMATIC SENSORY EXPERIENCE TO OPEN SPACES.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE FIVE SENSES THAT, UH, JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY COVER.
UM, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IS, IS, UM, VERY DIVERSE AND REALLY TRIES TO INCLUDE A LOT OF THESE ELEMENTS.
SO, UM, CAREFUL CHOICE, UM, AROUND, UH, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A PLAYGROUND.
THERE'S ALWAYS, UM, ACCESSIBILITY IN MIND AND ALSO JUST THINKING ABOUT CHILD DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL THROUGHOUT, UM, THE FULL RANGE OF, UH, CHILDHOOD YEARS.
CHRISTINA, YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? THANK YOU.
I'M AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UH, AS RACHEL MENTIONED, I'M VERY LUCKY TO BE THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR TWO CONSTRUCTION GRANTS OUT OF OUR DIVISION, THE STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING FOR EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS AND THE RETAIL INTERIOR ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING FOR INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO ACCESSIBILITY UPGRADES.
UH, THOSE TWO GRANTS ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE DIVISIONS, WHAT I WOULD CALL LIKE FLAGSHIP SUITE OF GRANTS.
WE'VE BEEN OFFERING THAT PROGRAM I THINK SINCE ABOUT 1998, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
UM, BUT WHEN WE GO OUT AND TALK TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE ARE ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT, RETAIL INTERIOR ACCESSIBILITY AMONG OUR OTHER CORE GRANTS.
THE REASON THAT THESE TWO GRANTS ARE SO IMPORTANT IS THAT OBVIOUSLY THEY HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE HELPING OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY TYPE OF PERSON.
EVERY TYPE OF CUSTOMER MEET, EVERY NEED THAT IS OUT THERE.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT HAPPENS WITH ANY KIND OF SUCCESS IS BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH CCPD AND SPECIFICALLY THROUGH KATE THURMAN.
SO PRIOR TO DOING ANY KIND OF PAPERWORK WITH A BUSINESS, WHAT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN IS KATE AND I WILL GO OUT AND DO AN INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH THE BUSINESS OWNER AT THEIR ACTUAL BUSINESS BECAUSE THESE TWO GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LIKE REPAIR AND REBUILDS OF EXISTING FACILITIES.
THESE ONSITE VISITS ARE CRUCIAL BECAUSE EVEN IF WE'RE WORKING WITH A BUSINESS OWNER THAT HAS THE BEST OF INTENTIONS AND IS APPROACHING THE PROJECT IN GOOD FAITH, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT IS OR IS NOT ACCESSIBLE.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT AN EXISTING BUILDING AND YOU'LL BE LIKE, OF COURSE, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE PROBLEM HERE? AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT CODES THAT ARE ALL INTERACTING IN A STRANGE WAY.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO UNTANGLE THEM IS WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION AND PATIENCE AND ALL THAT COMES FROM KATE.
AND THE REASON THAT THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE BUSINESS OWNER UP FRONT, BUT THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS, THE BUSINESS OWNER IS WORKING WITH WHATEVER CONTRACTOR THEY WANT.
SO THAT BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO TURN TO THEIR CONTRACTOR AND SAY, NO, NO, YOU CAN'T JUST SMOOTH OUT THIS STEP AND CALL IT A DAY.
LIKE, I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO KATE AND I KNOW THAT THE CODE SAYS THAT I HAVE TO DO X, Y, Z AND 1, 2, 3, AND THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.
SO IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THIS GUIDANCE, KATE IS ALSO TRAINING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON HOW TO TALK TO CONTRACTORS.
AND THAT RIPPLE EFFECT IS SOMETHING THAT I SEE IN MY WORK BECAUSE STOREFRONTS BEEN IN EXISTENCE NOW FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.
I'M GETTING CONTRACTORS WHO ARE COMING TO ME AND SAYING, OH YEAH, I KNOW ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS STUFF BECAUSE WE DID IT WITH THIS OTHER BUSINESS OWNER, AND WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF FAMILIAR ABOUT HOW THAT ONE LITTLE CODE CAME UP BEFORE.
SO IT'S THIS KIND OF EFFECT THAT IS HAVING A REALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH THESE TWO PROGRAMS, AND SPECIFICALLY THROUGH KATE'S WORK TO COMMUNICATE ALL THIS UPFRONT.
I SHOULD ALSO SAY CASEWORK IS FELT ON THE BACK END OF THESE PROJECTS AS WELL, BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, KATE IS ALSO VERY GOOD AT SAYING, AND ONCE THIS IS DONE, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CASH REGISTER IS NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION BECAUSE IT WILL UNDO ALL OF YOUR GOOD EFFORTS.
NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO THE SPOT THAT THEY NEED TO GET
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TO.SO HER WORK IS FELL BEYOND THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL.
UM, THE LAST THING THAT I WILL JUST SAY VERY QUICKLY ABOUT THESE TWO GRANTS IS THAT, UM, YOU CAN GO SEE THEIR EFFORTS EVERYWHERE.
SO RIGHT DOWN THE STREET WE WORKED WITH CENTRAL SQUARE FLORIST, THEY INSTALLED A NEW CUSTOMER COUNTER WHERE A PORTION OF IT IS AT A DA HEIGHT.
WE WORKED WITH THE CAMBRIDGE CAT CLINIC THERE ON CAMBRIDGE STREET.
THEY INSTALLED THIS FANTASTIC NEW RAMP.
AS YOU KNOW, CAMBRIDGE STREET IS, IS AN OLDER AREA OF CAMBRIDGE, AND THE THE COMMERCIAL STOCK IS, IS OUTDATED, DIFFICULT PROJECT, BUT THE BUSINESS IS NOW FULLY ACCESSIBLE.
UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY IF YOU'RE IN THE AREA AROUND HARVARD SQUARE, THE LITTLE CRIP CAFE IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF A BUSINESS THAT WE WORKED WITH TO HELP MAKE THEIR ENTRANCE ACCESSIBLE DESPITE SOME DIFFICULT TEAS WITH THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE IN THE AREA OF A SORROW BAKERY, THEY DID SOME WORK TO REPAIR THEIR A DA BATHROOMS THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. SO IF YOU ALL ARE OUT AND VISITING OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS THAT YOU THINK MAYBE CAN BENEFIT FROM EITHER OF THESE TWO PROGRAMS, DEFINITELY SEND THEM MY WAY.
SUCH GREAT EXAMPLES IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT SEEMINGLY SMALL DETAILS MATTER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE ROLE OF BRINGING CONTRACTORS ALONG.
I KNOW LIKE FROM THE PUBLIC WORK SIDE, THAT HAS BEEN A BIG EVOLUTION THAT WE'VE SEEN.
CHRIS, IF YOU GUYS, CHRIS AND ALEXIS.
CHRIS COTTER, DIRECTOR OF HOUSING IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, JOINED BY ALEXIS BUCKLEY, WHO IS OUR SENIOR INCLUSIONARY HOUSING RENTAL MANAGER.
UM, AND I, I'LL START WITH, UH, JUST A, A DESCRIPTION OF HOW WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, CCPD.
SO, UH, IN THE AREA OF SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS, UM, WE, UH, OPERATE, UH, PROGRAMS WHERE FOLKS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH APPLICANTS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING OR AFFORDABLE HOMES.
UH, AND INVARIABLY HAVE, UH, UH, APPLICANTS OR RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO WANT TO, UH, WHO AREN'T SERVED BY THE WAY.
OUR PROGRAM WORKS IN A PARTICULAR WAY AND WANT TO REQUEST A MODIFICATION OR AN ACCOMMODATION, UH, UH, UNDER THE A DA.
SO WE ARE, UH, CONTINUALLY REVIEWING THOSE REQUESTS WITH, UH, RACHEL AND KATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING, THAT WE'RE, UH, UH, PROVIDING THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS WHERE WE CAN, WHERE WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAN, IF THERE'S A, AN ELIGIBILITY ISSUE OR SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT, UH, ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY ON, BUT THAT WE'RE THERE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVELY HOW WE CAN SUPPORT RESIDENTS.
AND I'D SAY THAT THAT THEN EXTENDS TO, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING MORE BROADLY TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS WHERE, UH, WE, ALONG WITH STAFF FROM THE OFFICE OF THE HOUSING LIAISON, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, UH, MEET REGULARLY, UH, UH, TO REVIEW ISSUES THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, UH, AREAS OF CONCERN, QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, UH, PROPERTY OR SOMEONE THAT NEEDS SOMETHING.
AND WE DO INCLUDE KEY DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE THINK, UH, THE PERSPECTIVE IS HELPFUL.
AND, UH, WE WANT THAT EXPERTISE THERE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUSHING WHERE WE NEED TO PUSH, UH, LOOKING FOR FLEXIBILITY WHERE THERE SHOULD BE FLEXIBILITY AND REALLY GIVING THE SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS THAT THEY NEED.
AND, UH, WE INCLUDE BOTH RACHEL AND AND KATE IN THOSE MEETINGS.
'CAUSE THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS REALLY INVALUABLE AS WE LOOK AT, UH, THE WAYS IN WHICH RESIDENTS NEED SUPPORT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN OUR PROGRAMS THAT HAVE GOT DISABILITIES, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UH, GETTING THE, THE, THAT THE SERVICE AND THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THEY, THEY DESERVE TO, TO, TO BE THERE, UH, IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH, THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. UH, AND THEN LOOKING MORE BROADLY, ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, UH, UH, THROUGH, UH, PARTNERING NONPROFITS IS, UH, WE CALL OUR HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, THIS IS A LOW INTEREST IN DEFERRED FUNDING FOR HOMEOWNERS TO MAKE HOME REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WHICH OFTEN INCLUDE ACCESSIBILITY, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S THERE, THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, WE FIND THAT IT WORKS VERY WELL, UH, OR FOR FOLKS THAT NEED, UH, UH, GRAB BARS OR A RAMP OR, OR SOME OTHER ACCOMMODATION TO HELP THEM STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
AND THROUGH, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH TWO LOCAL NONPROFITS, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO BRING IN OTHER FUNDING IF THERE, THERE, THERE'S A NEED FOR, FOR A LARGER, UH, UH, INVESTMENT, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, WORK WITH FOLKS TO HELP THEM, UH, STAY IN THEIR HOMES WITH, UH, WITH THOSE CHANGES.
UH, AND THEN MORE BROADLY, UH, WE WORK, UH, TO CREATE NEW HOUSING.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, UH, CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS AND INCLUDING, UH, AFFORDABLE ACCESSIBLE UNITS IN, IN NEW BUILDINGS.
UH, IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE COMPLETED WORK ON CLOSE TO A HUNDRED AFFORDABLE UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, ALL OF WHICH ARE NOW HOUSING SOMEONE WITH, UH, UH, UH, A DISABILITY.
UH, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PIPELINE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE THAT, CERTAINLY NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THE CODE MANDATES THAT THERE'S A, A
[01:05:01]
CERTAIN, UH, COMPONENT OF, UH, ACCESSIBLE UNITS IN NEW BUILDINGS.UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO, TO SEE WHERE ARE THE, THE, THE, THE PROGRAMS, WHERE ARE THE, THE SERVICES IF THEY'RE NEEDED, AND LOOKING AT OUR PIPELINE TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND WHERE CAN WE, UH, CREATE, UH, EITHER STANDALONE, UH, HOUSING WITH, WITH SERVICES, OR WHERE CAN WE INCLUDE COMPONENTS OF THAT FOR, TO SERVE FOLKS, UH, WITH DISABILITIES AS WE LOOK AT, UH, NEW BUILDING OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I SAVED THE TWO, I THINK THE BIGGEST DEPARTMENTS FOR THE LAST 'CAUSE.
I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT EACH ONE OF THESE COULD BE A FULL TWO HOUR DISCUSSION.
AND SO I'M GONNA CHALLENGE YOU EACH, I'M LOOKING TO THAT SIDE OF THE TABLE, UM, TO EACH TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES AND DO THE FLAG.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, RACHEL HIGHLIGHTED THERE'S A LOT OF CO UM, COLLABORATION AND REGULAR UPDATES AND MEETINGS.
AND AGAIN, ANNUALLY, WE DPW GUYS STILL SAY WE DPW GOES TO, UM, THE DISABILITIES COMMISSION TO TALKS, UM, ABOUT SNOW, TALKS ABOUT SIDEWALKS, AND SO EACH OF THOSE COULD BE A FULL, SO I'M GONNA CHALLENGE US ALL.
SO I'LL START WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND TURN IT OVER TO JOHN NARDONE.
I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA DROP THE MIC, RACHEL, AFTER YOU SAID YOUR THING ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I'M THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS WITH ME TODAY.
I HAVE, UH, KARA FELIZ, WHO IS ONE OF OUR SUPERVISING ENGINEERS, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THESE THINGS REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, I DO JUST WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT I THINK, UH, RACHEL HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AS FAR AS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HER AND KATE.
UM, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEVER A TIME WHEN WE CAN'T REACH OUT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL.
AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IN OUR OFFICE IS HAVING PROBLEMS, CAN YOU HELP US? OR, WE HAVE A PROBLEM OUT ON THE SIDEWALK, CAN YOU COME AND TAKE A LOOK WITH US? SO THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE FOR US.
UM, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT AROUND, AROUND THE OPERATIONAL SIDE AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY AND SIMPLY THE TWO BIGGEST THINGS WHERE WE REALLY GET INVOLVED WITH THE COMMISSION, UH, IS OUR SIDEWALKS AND OUR PARKS, UM, FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, WHILE WE, CAROL WILL TALK ABOUT OUR BIGGER CAPITAL STUFF, YOU KNOW, BUT SIMPLE SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE CAN ALSO, CAN ALSO BE, UH, CHALLENGING.
UM, SO THINGS JUST LIKE ONE OR TWO SIDEWALK PANELS, UM, TREE PITS WITHIN THE PUBLIC, UH, WAY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WORKED WITH THEM ON SEVERAL YEARS AGO IS WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE WOULD CALL A LOT OF TRIP HAZARDS ON SIDEWALKS, WHERE SIDEWALKS PANELS ARE UNEVEN.
AT THAT POINT, WE STARTED A SIDEWALK SHAVING PROGRAM WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND REMOVE THE PANELS AND TRY TO MAKE THINGS WORK.
WE CAN SHAVE THOSE DOWN AND MAKE THEM MORE ACCESSIBLE WITH TREE PITS.
WE WORK WITH, UH, THE COMMISSION AND WITH OUR, UM, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR, I I THINK FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY GROW OUR CANOPY.
UH, AND IN A CITY LIKE CAMBRIDGE WHERE OUR SIDEWALKS ARE REALLY NARROW, THAT'S DIFFICULT.
SO THINGS AS SIMPLE AS LOOKING AT HOW WE LAY OUT A TREE PIT, MAKING THEM MORE NARROW AND LONGER, AND STILL BEING ABLE TO HAVE A TREE SURVIVE, GIVES US A DA ACCESSIBILITY, WHICH IS GREAT.
KATHY MENTIONED THE SNOW AND SHE'S RIGHT.
WE COULD TALK FOREVER ON THAT.
WE DO MEET WITH THE COMMISSION ONCE A YEAR.
RACHEL MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 10 YEARS.
I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS.
AND THIS REALLY STARTED OUT AS, UH, THE COMMISSION PUSHED US ABOUT, UM, SIDEWALK COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT RESIDENTS DO.
AND IT REALLY MADE US THINK MORE ABOUT HOW WE DO ENFORCEMENT, HOW WE DO INSPECTIONS, HOW WE TICKET PEOPLE THAT MELDED INTO, WELL, THE CITY'S DOING A LOT TO CLEAR SIDEWALKS, BUT CAN YOU DO ANYMORE? AND SO THERE'S BASIC THINGS THAT WE DO AND THAT WE HAVE TO DO AROUND CITY PROPERTY, BUT THEY REALLY PUSHED US, COULD WE DO MORE? AND THAT'S WHEN OUR, UM, PEDESTRIAN RAMP AND BUS STOP OPERATION, UH, CAME INTO EFFECT.
UH, AND THAT HAS REALLY EXPANDED OVER THE YEARS.
SO ANY OF OUR MAJOR ROUTES THAT HAVE BUS STOPS ON 'EM, WE ARE, UH, GOING THROUGH WHEN WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT STORMS CLEARING OUT, UM, ALL OF THE PEDESTRIAN RAMPS, CLEARING UP THE BUS STOPS SO PEOPLE CAN ACCESS, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO IT'S BEEN A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AND I REALLY GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE COMMISSION FOR PUSHING US TO DO THAT.
UM, ADAM MENTIONED THE EXEMPTION PROGRAM.
WE WORK WITH HIS FOLKS WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE THINGS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ACCESSIBILITY OF MATERIALS WE MAKE.
WE ARE IN MOST OF THE BUILDINGS WE WORK WITH THE LIBRARIES, MAKE SURE THAT THAT STUFF IS ACCESSIBLE.
AND THEN WE WORK CLOSELY, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION ON THINGS LIKE SEE CLICK FIX STUFF THAT WE GET IN.
A A REAL GOOD EXAMPLE, I JUST TAKE HATS OFF TO RACHEL, IS THAT, UH, SHE DOESN'T JUST TALK THE TALK, SHE WALKS THE WALK.
WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL, UH, BOTANICAL OBSTRUCTIONS THAT WE OFTEN GET IN WHERE PEOPLE HAVE REALLY NICE LANDSCAPING IN THE YARDS.
IT OFTEN SPILLS OUT INTO THE PUBLIC WAY.
WE NEED TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT CUTTING THAT STUFF BACK, WHICH CAN BE CONTENTIOUS.
UH, WE HAD AN ISSUE JUST LAST YEAR WHERE WE WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE RESIDENT.
SHE CAME OUT, SHE LOOKED AT IT, SHE GAVE ADVICE TO BOTH US AND THE RESIDENT, AND IT WORKED OUT.
SO EVEN THE SIMPLE THINGS WE TRY TO WORK WITH THE, UH, COMMISSION
[01:10:01]
ON.SO I'M A SUPERVISING ENGINEER WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I'M GONNA SPARE SORT OF THE LAUNDRY LIST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT WITHIN THE ENGINEERING DIVISION, I THINK TWO GOOD EXAMPLES OF HOW SORT OF CONSIDERATIONS FOR PEOPLE USING PUBLIC SPACES OF ALL ABILITIES IS SORT OF IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS AND ALSO IN WHAT WE CALL OUR COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN I STARTED AT THE CITY, KATHY AND I WALKED EVERY SINGLE SIDEWALK IN THE CITY.
IT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST TASKS HERE, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE REALIZING WE HAVE GREAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OUR, AND THIS WAS 15 YEARS AGO.
UM, WE HAVE GREAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE CONDITION OF OUR STREETS AND THE ROAD SURFACES AS WE'RE LOOKING TO PLAN PAVING PROJECTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
A HUGE DEFICIT IN THAT INFORMATION AS WE WERE PRIORITIZING AND FIGURING OUT WHERE TO GO NEXT WAS HOW DO THE CONDITIONS OF SIDEWALKS RELATE? UM, WHERE ARE OUR SIDEWALKS BETTER? WHERE ARE THEY WORSE? WHAT ARE OUR IMPEDIMENTS FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO USE THESE SPACES? SO KATHY AND I WALKED, WE MADE UP OUR OWN MATRICES AND WE WALKED EVERY SIDEWALK WITH A CLIPBOARD AND MARKED THINGS DOWN.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS FOR A LONG TIME.
WE JUST RECEIVED PROBABLY OUR FOURTH ITERATION OF OUR SIDEWALK ASSESSMENT THAT WE NOW DO IN CONJUN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PAVEMENT ASSESSMENT, WHICH WAS DONE BY SOMEBODY ELSE,
SO NOW THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO THE ENTIRE STREETS DIVISION IN THE ENGINEERING DIVISION AS WE'RE DOING CAPITAL PLANNING AND AS WE'RE USING SORT OF OUR MAINTENANCE LEVEL STREET AND SIDEWALK REPAIR CONTRACTS.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING SORT OF THE THINGS WE KNOW WE NEED TO KNOW, AND NOW WE'RE ALSO ADVANCING THEM IN TECHNOLOGY SO THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO US AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE DOING OUR PLANNING.
UM, THAT PLANNING IS ONE PIECE, OR THAT ASSESSMENT IS ONE PIECE OF WHAT DRIVES OUR FIVE YEAR STREET AND SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION PLAN.
I THINK THE COUNCIL HAS PROBABLY HEARD PLENTY ON THAT.
UM, BUT OUR PROGRAM, EVEN WHEN WE STILL CALLED IT CHAPTER 90, WHICH IS THE STATE SORT OF FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH GAS TAXES THAT'S INTENDED FOR ROADWAY RESURFACING, THOSE CHAPTER 90 PROJECTS FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE, HAVE BEEN INCLUDED A MORE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF A COMPLETE STREETS.
WE'RE DOING STREETS, WE'RE DOING SIDEWALKS, WE'RE NOT JUST REPAVING.
UM, SO NOW THEY'VE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY CALLED THAT, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, AND SORT OF THE STATE HAS COME ALONG AND WE ACTUALLY CAN TAG INTO ADDITIONAL FUNDING BY HAVING SORT OF THE CHAPTER 90 AND SOME COMPLETE STREET FUNDING TO SUPPORT THESE PROGRAMS. THEY'VE ALWAYS INCLUDED ADDITIONAL CITY MONEY IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO THAT NEXT LEVEL WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT RAMPS, CROSSINGS, UM, ACCESSIBILITY OF SIDEWALKS, ET CETERA.
SO WE COULD GO ON AND ON AND WE'RE HAPPY TO.
UM, BUT I SPENT SOME OF MY FIRST YEARS HERE ALSO AS THE DPW REPRESENTATIVE TO THE COMMISSION.
AND THE EXPERIENCE IS INVALUABLE.
UM, WE ENCOURAGE ENGINEERS TO SORT OF TAG ALONG AS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THOSE MEETINGS BECAUSE SORT OF LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE HAD WERE REALLY, WERE REALLY MEANINGFUL AND HELP US SORT OF DRIVE OUR PLANNING.
NO PRESSURE FOR THE FINAL GROUP, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BROOKE AND TEAM FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
BROOKE MCKENNA, TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER.
UM, I'M GONNA LET STEPHANIE GROHL, OUR ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR, UH, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
TALK US THROUGH THE PLANNING SIDE OF THINGS.
HI, STEPHANIE GROHL, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT
I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AS A TEAM, UM, WE LIVE WITH YOUR VOICES IN OUR HEADS AND WE, UM, INTERACT WITH YOU CONSTANTLY.
SO IT'S, IT'S CONSTANTLY REINFORCING IT.
UM, SO JUST A FEW, UM, ITEMS. WE REALLY START IN PLANNING WITH THE VALUE OF EQUITY AND TRANSPORTATION.
UM, THAT, AND WE UNDERSTAND THIS IN TWO WAYS.
THERE IS EQUITY IN THE PROCESS AND THEN THERE'S EQUITY IN THE OUTCOMES.
UM, AND IN DISCUSSING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, HOW OUR, UM, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS GOING TO LOOK IN THE FUTURE, UM, WE ALWAYS CENTER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN, IN THE PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE OUTCOMES ARE GOING TO WORK FOR THEM IN MANY, MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, SO ONE EXAMPLE IS THROUGH THE ZERO EMISSION TRANSPORTATION PLAN, UM, IN THE MANY WAYS THAT WE, UM, COMMUNICATED WITH,
[01:15:01]
UH, BOTH LISTENED TO AND SHARED INFORMATION WITH, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THROUGH THE COMMISSION AND THE BOARD, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THINGS ABOUT HOW PARKING REALLY SUPPORTS PEOPLE'S LIVES.WE HEARD THINGS ABOUT, UM, WHAT PEOPLE NEED FOR THEIR DAILY MOBILITY WHEN THEY CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IF THEY HAVE A, UH, A DISABILITY THAT THEY ACQUIRED LATE IN LIFE.
UM, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER ABLE TO DRIVE, BUT STILL NEED INDEPENDENCE IN THEIR LIVES, UM, AND WHAT, HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO OUR TRANSPORTATION, UM, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO HAVE THAT INDEPENDENCE.
UM, AND ONE, UM, PROGRAM EXAMPLE I WANTED TO GIVE ABOUT HOW WE, UM, CENTER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE HAVE A BICYCLE VOUCHER PROGRAM THAT IS ONE OF OUR ARPA FUNDED PROGRAMS. UM, AND WE, UM, IT'S, IT'S INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOMES, BUT AS WE KNOW, UM, THROUGH INTERSECTIONAL STUDIES THERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOMES ALSO HAVE DISABILITIES.
UM, AND WE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE, GENERALLY TAKE A CASE MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR HOW WE, UM, PROCESSED APPLICATIONS THROUGH, THROUGH THIS, UM, PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT ANYBODY WITH DISABILITIES OR ABLE TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AND ABLE TO PURCHASE A BIKE AND ABLE TO STORE THE BIKE AND ABLE TO RIDE A BIKE.
SO WE REALLY, UM, TOOK A VERY HANDS-ON APPROACH THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE HELD A TRY AND ADAPTIVE BIKE EVENT IN COLLABORATION WITH BIKE ON WHO SELLS ADAPTIVE BIKES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AS WELL AS SPALDING REHAB AND, UM, COMMISSION.
UM, WE, IN THAT PROGRAM, WE HAD NINE RESIDENTS, UM, PURCHASE AN ADAPTIVE BIKE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, COMMUNICATING WITH, UM, DAVID TINES, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, FOR THE, THERE ARE PEOPLE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM WHO ARE, UM, PURCHASING THAT BIKE, THOSE BIKES.
UM, AND I WILL HAND IT TO ANDY VERY QUICKLY TO TALK ABOUT OUR N-B-T-T-A WORK.
AND THEN, SO GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, I'M THE TRANSIT PROGRAM MANAGER, UM, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND, UM, ONE OF MY MAIN JOBS IS TO WORK WITH THE MBTA ON A, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ISSUES.
I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I THINK, UM, A LOT OF OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS DO APPROACH, UM, WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IS A LOT OF THE TIMES WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION OR CAN, UM, GET PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT FOLKS.
UM, I THINK, UH, RACHEL MENTIONED THE MONTHLY COORDINATION MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE MBTA, AND THAT'S ONE VENUE IN WHICH WE CAN BRING UP ISSUES.
UM, AND I THINK OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS, UH, I THINK TO GIVE KUDOS WHERE IT'S DUE, THE MBTA HAS MADE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN MAKING THEIR SYSTEM MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE EVEN IN THE COURSE OF THE SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE, MANY OF THE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES THAT WE HEAR ABOUT, THE FREQUENCY THAT WE HEAR ABOUT THEM HAVE BECOME MUCH LESS AND LESS, UM, HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE, TO THOSE KUDOS.
BUT, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAS BEEN TO BRING UP THESE ISSUES WHEN WE, WHEN FOLKS DO ENCOUNTER THEM, UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT COULD BE A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THE CENTRAL SQUARE ELEVATOR, YOU KNOW, NOT WORKING AGAIN OR, UH, OTHER ISSUES AS THEY COME UP.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, HISTORICALLY AS WELL TOO, THE MBTA HAS REALLY, UM, I THINK STRUGGLED TO MAKE THE CASE AND, AND COMMUNICATE WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH THEIR PROJECTS, THE RATIONALES AND HOW IT'S MAKING THEIR SYSTEM BETTER.
UM, AND SO THE CITY, UH, UNTIL, YOU KNOW, WELL STILL DOES MAINTAIN INFORMATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT, UM, ELEVATOR PROJECTS OR OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT THE MBTA IS DOING TO MAKE ACCESSIBILITY BETTER, UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY SUNSETTING THAT WEBSITE BECAUSE THE TA HAS BECOME SO MUCH BETTER AT DOING THAT KIND OF WORK.
UM, I DID JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, UM, FINALLY JUST ALSO CALL OUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK RACHEL MENTIONED IN OTHER WAYS THAT WE DO INCLUDE, UH, HER AND MANY OF OUR, OUR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.
AND I THINK, UM, HER FEEDBACK IS INTEGRAL TO ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON, WHETHER IT'S BEEN THROUGH OUR QUICK BUILD CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE PROJECTS OR THINGS LIKE THE RIVER STREET RECONSTRUCTION, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY WORKING GROUPS THAT WE HAVE RELATED TO THOSE AS WELL.
AND I'LL TRY TO BE REALLY QUICK, BROOKE MCKENNA, UH, TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER.
UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE AMAZING COORDINATION THAT WE HAVE WITH, WITH RACHEL AND KATE, UM, WE TRY TO USE THE ACCESSIBILITY LENS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, SOME EXAMPLES IN KIND OF THE, THE MORE
[01:20:01]
ON THE GROUND WORK THAT WE DO, UM, WE TRY TO MAKE OUR BIKE LANES, WE ADVOCATE TO HAVE OUR BIKE LANES BE AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED NOT JUST BY BIKES, BUT ALSO BY, UM, ADAPTIVE BIKES AND, UM, FOLKS USING PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES.UH, WE TRY TO MAKE OUR CROSSWALKS AS VISIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE LIKE TO ADD CROSSING ISLANDS WHERE WE CAN, THAT OUR PEDESTRIAN REFUGES WHERE PEOPLE CAN STOP AND WAIT WHILE THEY CROSS, UM, SHORTENING CROSSING DISTANCES AND JUST GENERALLY MAKING PEOPLE MORE VISIBLE AS THEY'RE CROSSING THE STREET.
UM, AT OUR INTERSECTIONS, UM, ALMOST ALL OF OUR INTERSECTIONS ARE SET UP SO THAT THE WALK SIGNAL COMES UP AUTOMATICALLY DURING EVERY CYCLE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRESS THE BUTTON.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO HAVE, UM, ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN BUTTONS.
SO WHEN SOMEONE WHO IS VISUALLY IMPAIRED IS CROSSING THE STREET, THEY CAN USE THE BUTTON.
WHEN THE CYCLE COMES UP, THERE'S A AUDIBLE, UM, INDICATION ON HOW TO CROSS WHICH DIRECTION IS SAFE TO CROSS AT A GIVEN TIME.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO BRING UP TO A DA, UM, STANDARDS THAT HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, UH, IN THE CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE, WE WORK HARD TO BOTH DESIGN AROUND EXISTING ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS AND TO TRY TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.
UM, WE KNOW WHEN PARKING GETS TIGHTER, WE LIKELY NEED MORE DESIGNATED ACCESSIBLE SPOTS, SO THAT'S PART OF EVERY PROJECT.
UM, ON THE PARKING SIDE OF THINGS, WE OFFER LONG-TERM HOME CARE PERMITS, WHICH ALLOW, UM, HOME CARE ATTENDANCE OR OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES TO PARK IN RESIDENTIAL PARKING AREAS, WHICH IS REALLY ESSENTIAL.
UM, THERE IS NO FEE FOR OUR RESIDENT PARKING PERMITS FOR ANYONE WITH A DISABILITY, UH, PLATE OR PLACARD.
UM, FOLKS WITH PLATES OR PLA DISABILITY PLATES OR PLACARDS DON'T HAVE TO PAY AT OUR PARKING METERS, AND THERE ARE NO TIME RESTRICTIONS.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, WE MAINTAIN OVER 450 DISABILITY PARKING SPACES ACROSS THE CITY AND ARE, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE'RE REDESIGNING OR MAKING CHANGES ON THE STREET, WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE DISABILITY SPACES THERE.
AND THEN JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'VE, UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE ALL OUR SERVICES MORE ACCESSIBLE, INCLUDING PROVIDING, UM, TRANSLATION, INCLUDING, UM, SIGN WE WORK WITH, UM, UH, CRYSTAL ROSA IF WE, IF SOMEONE WHO'S DOING A PARKING TICKET, UM, HEARING NEEDS, UM, ANY SORT OF, UM, TRANSLATION SERVICES.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, OF OUR WORK.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU ALL, UM, VERY MUCH.
I WILL, UH, I WILL TAKE THE BLAME, THE RESPONSIBILITY.
I INVITED SO MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO COME TODAY THINKING YOU WOULDN'T HAVE AS MUCH TO SAY AS YOU HAD BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON.
SO, UM, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND, AND, AND BRINGING ALL THIS TO, UH, TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, PLEASE LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT THAT MAYOR SIDIKI HASS BEEN WITH US FOR FOR A WHILE.
UM, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
UM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UM, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MS. STEFFAN FOR, UM, TO RUN THAT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JOHN SUMMERS, FOLLOWED BY NIEA GREEN.
JOHN, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, I LIVE ON FAIRMONT STREET.
I'VE BEEN IN CAMBRIDGE FOR 26 YEARS.
I WANNA THANK, UH, MARK MCGOVERN FOR CALLING THE HEARING.
AND, UM, KATHY ZUZI FOR HER SUPPORT, UM, UM, SINGLE FATHER TO TWO CHILDREN, ONE OF WHOM IS 14 AND SEVERELY DISABLED, UH, WITH, UH, NINE DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES, INCLUDING NONVERBAL AUTISM.
BEFORE I HAD MY SON, I DIDN'T THINK VERY MUCH ABOUT DISABILITY, ESPECIALLY NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
UH, IT'S BEEN A LEARNING PROCESS AND I'VE, UH, LEARNED TO LISTEN.
I'VE LEARNED TO LISTEN TO THE GAP BETWEEN THE EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE OF FAMILIES LIKE MINE AND THE WAY THAT CITY OFFICIALS TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK.
A MINOR EXAMPLE, WHEN MY SON WAS FIVE, WE ATTENDED OUR FIRST AUTISM AWARENESS DAY CEREMONY ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL.
I COME TO LEARN THAT THE AUTISM COMMUNITY HATES THOSE CEREMONIES, IN PART BECAUSE THEY'RE CONDESCENDING.
IN PART, THESE RITUALS ARE HATED BECAUSE THEY'RE SO, THEY SO OFTEN ARE A SUBSTITUTE FOR POLICY IMAGINATION.
I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULDN'T EXCHANGE A PRIDE EVENT FOR BETTER RESOURCES.
[01:25:01]
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE RITUAL CELEBRATIONS AND GOOD POLICY ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATION ARE IMPORTANT, BUT I HOPE THAT WE DON'T PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK TOO MUCH FOR COMPLYING WITH FEDERAL LAW.MORE GENERALLY IZING THE ISSUES OF ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATION IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
WHETHER CAMBRIDGE IS BETTER OR WORSE THAN OTHER CITIES IS IRRELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE HERE.
ONE HEARS IN SUCH PRAISE AND ECHO OF THE OLD CANARD THAT FAMILIES LIKE MINE SHOULD FEEL FORTUNATE TO GET WHAT WE GET.
IT COULD BE WORSE, IS IN A GOOD BASIS FOR POLICY, NOR DOES WAITING MORAL WORTH BASED ON IDENTITY ADVANCE THE COMMUNITY.
I HOPE I DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THE PRESENTATION TO IMPLY THAT HE DOESN'T DESERVE THE SAME ATTENTION AS HIS NON-WHITE PEERS.
MY HOPE IS THAT THE MUNICIPAL MINDSET WILL DITCH MANY OF THE CLICHES AND BUD BUZZWORDS.
AND WE'LL INCORPORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE LISTENING.
EARLIER WE HEARD THAT THE CITY RECEIVES VERY FEW COMPLAINTS.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT SYSTEMS ARE WORKING? ANOTHER INTERPRETATION IS MANY RESIDENTS HAVE SO LITTLE HOPE OF GETTING THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT THEY DON'T BOTHER COMPLAINING.
JUST LOOK AT THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS MEETING.
DOES ANYONE BELIEVE THAT ONLY TWO INDIVIDUALS IN CAMBRIDGE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ON THESE ISSUES? WHAT EFFORTS WERE MADE TO RECRUIT COMMUNITY VOICES TO THIS MEETING? AS OF LAST NIGHT, THE MEETING WAS NOT EVEN ON THE CITY'S CALENDAR.
HOW MANY ADULTS AND CHILDREN LIKE MINE LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE? THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER SAID THE CENSUS SURVEY INDICATES DISABILITY DEMOGRAPHICS.
PERHAPS THAT'S, SO PERHAPS I MISSED IT, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHERE ON THE CITY'S SURVEY CENSUS THAT IN THAT INFORMATION IS REQUESTED.
THE CITY'S HOUSING ELIGIBILITY TOOL DOESN'T ASK WHETHER APPLICANTS HAVE A DISABILITY, NOR DOES THE COVENANT OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST CONTAINED AN INHERITANCE PROVISION FOR OWNERS WHO HAVE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
YOU FINISH UP AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL THE, THE COUNCIL COMMENTS.
BUT I KNOW THREE MINUTES ISN'T THAT LONG, AND YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY, BUT CAN I SAY YEP, JUST IF YOU COULD WRAP IT UP, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SAYS WE ALWAYS CENTER WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT'S FLATLY UNTRUE.
UM, WE HAD A MEETING IN DECEMBER 9TH AT THE RUSSELL CENTER TO DISCUSS CONCERN ABOUT THE INSTALLATION OF BIKE LANES THAT WOULD'VE DESTROYED ACCESS POINT FOR CITY, THE, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CITY, UH, IN THE CITY'S, UH, CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM WITH FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
I ASKED AT THAT MEETING TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER BROOKE MCKENNA, WHY THE PLANNING PROCESS DIDN'T INCORPORATE THIS, THIS QUESTION.
AND SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, WHICH IS A CITY PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 30 YEARS.
SO I WONDER IF SOME OF THESE ISSUES COULD BE EXPLAINED IN LIGHT OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NATA GREEN NIRA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HELLO, IT'S MAITA GREEN, AND I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE, UM, ADVISORY BOARD OF, UH, OF THE COMMISSION OF UM, DISABILITIES IN THE CITY.
I'M, I'M HERE TO JUST VOICE A CONCERN AROUND ACCESS TO YOUR PROGRAMS. UM, AND I'VE NOTICED THIS AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS DEPENDING ON IF YOU NEED ZERO INCOME.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR HEATING ASSISTANCE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO NOTARIZE YOUR STUFF.
HOW FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH THE INCLUSIONARY PROGRAM YOU DO.
AND AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO RELIES ON A MOBILITY DEVICE, UM, AND A LOT OF MY MOBILITY DEVICES GOT BROKEN DURING THE WINTER STORM, SO I HAVE TO REPLACE THEM ALL.
SO I'M KIND OF STUCK IN THE HOUSE FOR THE MOST PART.
I USED TO BE ON SECTION EIGHT, AND WHEN I EVER NEEDED TO FILL OUT A ZERO, UM, ZERO INCOME FORM, I JUST DID IT ONLINE.
I DID NOT NEED TO GET IT NOTARIZED.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT PAPER FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, LEARNING DISABILITIES, READING DISABILITIES WHO ARE NEURODIVERGENT, IS ACCESS BARRIER IN AND OF ITSELF AS SOME, I ACTUALLY NEED ELECTRONIC THINGS.
AND A LOT OF YOUR PAPERWORK APPLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO FILL OUT ELECTRONICALLY.
IF YOU'RE RECEIVING SNAP, THEY ALSO, YOU CAN RECEIVE SNAP AND MASS HEALTH AND YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE, BUT
[01:30:01]
FOR THE MOST PART, A LOT OF THE CITY STUFF, YOU HAVE TO DO IT VIA PAPER.YOU GOTTA GO DOWN AND IF YOU HAVE MOBILITY, NEED, ACCESS NEEDS OR ANY SORT OF ACCESS NEEDS WHERE LEAVING THE HOUSE IS DIFFICULT, IT'S A BARRIER.
AND I THINK THE CITY, AND I SAY THIS AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, NEEDS TO DO BETTER.
UM, THE BOARD DOES A GREAT JOB.
THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THE ADVISORY BOARD EXISTS.
AND, AND I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT TAKE MORE OF AN INTEREST IN COMING TO OUR MEETINGS EXCEPT AT ELECTION TIME.
AND I DON'T, AND I WISH THEY WOULD POP INTO OUR MEETINGS MORE.
MARK DID ASK ME IF I COULD ATTEND IN PERSON AND TO VOICE MY CONCERNS AT THE TABLE, BUT GIVEN THE FACT THAT I HAD CARE NEEDS, I COULD NOT BE THERE.
SO I SAID I WOULD VOICE IT IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, MAY LOU, MAY YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? YEP, YEP.
UH, I AM A MOTHER OF, UH, 17, SOON TO BE 18-YEAR-OLD WITH AUTISM INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND, UH, HARD DEAF AND HARD HEARING.
SO, UH, ALL THE NICE THINGS THE CITY IS DOING, IT'S GREAT FOR CHILDREN.
BUT NOW THE BIGGER QUESTION IS HOW DOES HE MAINTAIN, UH, HIS ENBRIDGE RESIDENCY ONCE HE BECOME 18? HE'S AN INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT PERSON.
HOW, WHAT'S THE JOB OPPORTUNITY? YOU KNOW, I KNOW CITY OF BOSTON, UH, REQUIRES RESIDENCY FOR A LOT OF THEIR BASIC JOBS, LIKE THE CLEANERS, THE PARK WORKERS, BUT CITY OF CAMBRIDGE DOES NOT.
SO THAT PUT OUR YOUTH WITH DISABILITY AT A DISADVANTAGE OF APPLYING JOB LOCALLY.
AND THE SECOND THING, AS JOHN MENTIONED, UH, I THINK CITY OF BOSTON OFFERS, UH, A PRIORITY TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY, WITH THEIR PUBLIC HOUSING.
SO BEING ON A EIGHT TO 10 YEARS WAITING LIST FOR HOUSING THAT HE PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE OR MAYBE WILL BE ON THE STREET, UH, IN CENTRAL, UH, IN CENTRAL SQUARE, AS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY ARE.
SO I'M ASKING THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF ALL THE NICE THINGS, THE PARKS, THE SHOPS, THE ADAS, ALL THOSE THINGS, HOW DO WE KEEP OUR USE, GIVE THEM A FUTURE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE? SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO ASK.
OH, AND ANOTHER THING IS, UH, WHEN WE, UH, WENT TO A FEW OF THE POLICE EVENTS, ONE THING THE POLICE OFFICER ARE TELLING US, PLEASE DO NOT LET ETHAN RIDE A BICYCLE.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THINGS CHANGED, IS THE BIKE LANE WIDER NOW? AND WHY WE ENCOURAGE KIDS WITH DISABILITY, UH, YOUTH WITH DISABILITY TO RIDE BIKES NOW.
HOPEFULLY SOMEONE HAS ANSWERS FOR MY QUESTIONS.
THAT IS ALL THAT WE'RE SIGNED UP.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, I KNOW I HAVE LIKE FOUR PAGES.
UM, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE TO BE ANSWERED, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S, THERE ARE, UH, A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO I'M GONNA GO TO MY, MY, UH, MY CO-CHAIR, FIRST COUNSELOR ZUBIE, THANK YOU.
UM, THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT I HAVE TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THESE DIFFERENT PIECES, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED WORK ON, ON THESE THINGS.
I, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME THINGS AROUND THE SIDEWALKS THAT CAME UP THAT I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, UH, DIRECTOR BERNARDO, I THINK YOU MENTIONED WE TRIED SHAVING THEM A LONG TIME.
WHAT WERE THE OUTCOMES OF THAT PROCESS? UH,
SO IT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD GOING ON FOR 10 YEARS.
SO IT'S A CONTRACT THAT WE DO WITH AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR.
UM, AND IT'S A SIDEWALK SHAVING.
SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE TWO PANELS OF SIDEWALK, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY IT'S BEHIND A TREE OR IT'S SOMETHING, SOMETHING ELSE THAT PREVENTS US FROM PUTTING THAT BACK IN AN EASY WAY WITHOUT DOING A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
SO THE SIDEWALK SHAVING ACTUALLY JUST SHAVES DOWN THE UPPER, THE UPPER PIECE, AND IT GIVES YOU MORE OF A EASY TRANSITION.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE ABLE BODIED OR DISABLED, IT MAKES THAT TRANSITION THAT MUCH EASIER.
[01:35:01]
THINK THE OUTCOME'S BEEN PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD.I MEAN, WE DON'T SPEND A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON IT.
UH, WE DO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PANELS TAKEN CARE OF, BUT, UH, OVERALL IT'S BEEN A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
AND JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
WERE THERE PARTICULAR PARTS OF THE CITY THAT YOU ALL WORKED ON IN THE SHAVING PROGRAM? AND IF SO, COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO, LIKE, IF IT WAS THE CENTRAL SQUARE AREA, HARVARD SQUARE AREA, LIKE I'M THINKING MORE OF LIKE THE, THE RED BRICK, THE UNSTABLE UNEVEN SIDEWALKS, BUT IF IT'S, UH, OTHER PLACES TOO THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THAT KIND OF MATERIAL WOULD BE HELPFUL TO YEAH, I MEAN, WE'LL THIS, IT'S, A LOT OF OUR STUFF IS COMPLAINT BASED, RIGHT? SO WE'LL GET A LOT OF STUFF IN THROUGH C CLICK FIX, WE'LL GO OUT, WE'LL HAVE AN INSPECTOR TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND THAT'S CITYWIDE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL DEVELOP A LIST OF LOCATIONS WHERE THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL WORK.
SOMETHING LIKE UNEVEN BRICK SIDEWALKS, UH, THAT'S KIND OF A WHOLE NOTHER BALL OF WAX.
BUT IF IT'S, IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE A COUPLE OF MISSING BRICKS, WE HAVE CREWS THAT GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S REMOVING SOME OF THE PANELS AND PUTTING ASPHALT LIKE AROUND TREES AND THINGS, WHICH AESTHETICALLY PEOPLE DON'T LOVE.
BUT, UM, IT GETS THE JOB DONE AND IT MAKES THINGS SAFER FOR FOLKS.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH A CITYWIDE PROGRAM.
THE ONE THING JUST TO ADD IS THAT I THINK WHERE THE SHAVING'S BEEN REALLY EFFECTIVE IS WHERE YOU HAVE A PRETTY NEW SIDEWALK.
SO OVERALL IT'S IN REALLY GOOD CONDITION, BUT THEN YOU HAVE A TREE ROUTE WHERE IT'S LIFTED UP.
AND SO YOU CAN GO IN AND AGAIN, MAINTAIN THAT OVERALL COMPLIANCE WITH SIDEWALK.
AND A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE IS BROOKLINE.
SO IF YOU WALK UP AND DOWN BROOKLINE, YOU CAN SEE SOME GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT SHAVING.
YEAH, NO, I KNOW LIKE BETWEEN THE HARVARD SQUARE AND EVEN PARTS OF CENTRAL SQUARE AREA, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE PLANNINGS AROUND CENTRAL SQUARE IMPROVEMENTS IN PARTICULAR HAVE KIND OF SLOWED DOWN SOME OF THE CHANGES AROUND ACCESSIBILITY FOR EVEN SIDEWALKS IN THE AREA.
UM, AS SOMEONE WHO EVEN TRIES TO NAVIGATE THOSE ON SNOWY, ICY DAYS, LIKE THAT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT THING TO NAVIGATE.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT SOMEONE WHO'S NAVIGATING A DISABILITY IS, UH, FACING WHEN THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO GO OUT AND LIKE, GET A COFFEE OR GET THEIR GROCERIES OR GET THEIR MEDICINE.
UM, I'M, I'M CURIOUS ALSO, I MAYBE THIS GOES TO DIRECTOR KOTTER ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, UM, AROUND SHELTERS AND HOW WE NAVIGATE DISABILITIES WITHIN SHELTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UM, OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
UH, COUNCILOR ZUBIE, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I GUESS RATHER THAN MISSPEAKING, I THINK I'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU AFTER CONSULTING WITH FOLKS THAT WORK WITH THE HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
THAT WOULD BE DEFINITELY GOOD TO HEAR.
'CAUSE I KNOW OFTENTIMES, UM, AGAIN, PEOPLE NAVIGATING DISABILITIES AND OR UNHOUSED OR NAVIGATING SUCH TUMULTUOUS CHALLENGES.
UM, AND IT'D BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON WAYS TO ALSO SUPPORT THEM.
UM, I AM I'M ALSO CURIOUS ON THE, THE, THAT KNOWING THAT EVERSOURCE IS ALSO GONNA BE INSTALLING SOME SMART WIRELESS ELECTRIC METERS IN CAMBRIDGE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, AND THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS, UM, ABOUT THE IMPACTS THAT, THAT MIGHT HAVE, DEPENDING ON WHERE THOSE, UM, SYSTEMS ARE PLACED IN HOUSING.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S WAYS TO MAKE SURE ANY UTILITY THAT GOES IN THAT HAS CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES THAT COULD IMPACT PEOPLE'S PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE NAVIGATING DISABILITIES, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT, AND IF, IF SOMEONE HERE COULD SPEAK TO, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS.
AND THEN I'LL YIELD, UM, IS SPEAKING TO MORE OF THIS NEURODIVERGENCE AUTISM PIECE, I, WHEN WE NAVIGATE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NAVIGATING DISABILITIES, I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALSO DIVERSITY AND HOW PEOPLE NAVIGATE DISABILITIES.
UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE TALKING AT PUBLIC COMMON.
BE CURIOUS TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT ASPECT.
ARE YOU OKAY? TALK ABOUT THAT? YEAH, SURE.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY, IF YOU GO UP TO YOUR AVERAGE PERSON WHO DOES NOT HAVE A DISABILITY, AND YOU ASK THEM TO PICTURE SOMEBODY WITH A DISABILITY, THEY'RE GONNA PICTURE A WHITE DUDE IN A WHEELCHAIR, RIGHT? THAT IS NOT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, WE SERVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE MANY INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
WE HAVE LOTS OF NEUROS, SPICY PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE CITY.
AND, UM, I I FEEL LIKE, UM, AND EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR.
YOU'VE MET ONE AUTISTIC PERSON.
YOU'VE MET ONE AUTISTIC PERSON, RIGHT? SO LIKE, THERE'S, YOU HAVE TO HAVE STUFF OUT THERE THAT WORKS FOR THAT, THAT THAT WORKS FOR, FOR EVERYBODY.
ANYBODY WHO TRIES TO TELL YOU THAT ACCESS IS NOT OCCASIONALLY CONTRADICTORY AND COMPLEX IS LYING TO YOU
[01:40:01]
BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE, UH, DIS HAVE ACCESS NEEDS THAT, UM, CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE BOTH REALLY VALID.SO I, I THINK THAT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO, TO ADDRESS SOME OF IT, BUT I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE MORE SPECIFICS AS TO EXACTLY WHAT QUESTIONS ARE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING, LIKE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAKING THE CITY ACCESSIBLE, WE ABSOLUTELY INCLUDE NEURO, UH, NEURODIVERSE FOLKS.
LIKE THERE IS, THERE IS NO DOUBT.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SOME OF OUR CASES, WE WOULD BE DOING OURSELVES A DISSERVICE IF WE WEREN'T.
UM, SO I, IS THERE A SPECIFIC KIND OF SITUATION THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE TA TALKING ABOUT? BECAUSE YEAH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT SIDEWALKS ALL DAY LONG AND I WILL GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE ARE PLANNING AN EVENT, IS THERE A QUIET ROOM, RIGHT? WE MADE SURE, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE DISABILITY PRIDE EVENT, THAT THERE WAS BOTH A SENSORY TABLE AND A QUIET AREA WHERE PEOPLE COULD GO TO, BECAUSE PEOPLE'S NEEDS ARE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SORT OF, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, I DO REMEMBER ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT, THAT DEFINITELY STUCK OUT FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS ABOUT HOW WHEN SOMEBODY TURNS 18, WHAT HAPPENS? THAT IS A LARGER, THAT THAT IS AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS QUESTION.
IT IS ALSO, AND I AM NOT ABSOLVING RESPONSIBILITY HERE, BUT WHAT I I'M SAYING IS THAT IS A MUCH LARGER QUESTION THAN CAMBRIDGE.
THAT IS ACTUALLY A FEDERAL QUESTION.
THIS, WELL, VERY GOOD, IS NOT, LET ME NOT PUT THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS LAWS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR AGES ZERO THROUGH 22 AND THEN AGES 64 UP.
AND THERE'S A BIG CRACK IN THE MIDDLE THERE RIGHT NOW, IN THEORY, WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WITH YOUR STATE, WITH YOUR STATE'S VOC REHAB, UM, ORGANIZATION, IN THIS CASE DEVELOPMENTAL, THE DDS, UH, DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING YOU WORK ON A TRANSITION PLAN FOR WHEN SOMEBODY BECOMES TRANSITION AGE, SUCH THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER, YOU KNOW, IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WORKING OUT THERE IN THE WORLD, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU'VE GOT FOR A, FOR A CASE MANAGER OR WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE IN YOUR AREA.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT CAN GO, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, THE, WHAT DO WE DO WHEN SOMEBODY TURNS 18, OR IN A LOT OF CASES, 22, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOES HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICES UNTIL YOU'RE 22.
UM, THIS IS A, A HUGE ISSUE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE CAN DO STUFF ABOUT IT IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT IT GOES WELL BEYOND OUR CITY BOARD, UH, UH, BOUNDARIES.
AND IT, IT SCREWS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
'CAUSE THAT WAS GONNA BE THE FOLLOWUP WAS THE ACCESS TO JOBS PIECE.
AND, UM, DEFINITELY IF THERE ARE WAYS TO WORK ALSO WITH THE, SOME OF THE WORK THAT, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST CIO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, IF THERE ARE WAYS TO ALSO BRING IN EVEN, UH, THE GREEN JOBS WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, I THINK WE DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T SHY AWAY FROM FINDING WAYS TO BUILD THAT ACCESS, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NAVIGATING DISABILITIES AND GROW UP AND THEY, THEY DESERVE THAT RIGHT TO DIGNITY AND WORK.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND NEIL, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.
UM, O ONE THING I'M GONNA SUGGEST BEFORE, UM, UH, WE GO TO OTHERS, UM, IF WE DON'T GET TO EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS, UM, SOMETIMES WE SAY, OH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
RIGHT? AND THEN THAT NEVER GETS OUT INTO EVERYBODY ELSE AND OUT INTO THE, THE PUBLIC.
SO IF MY COLLEAGUES, WHETHER THEY'RE ON THE COMMITTEE OR NOT, HAVE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANT FOLLOW UP, SEND THEM TO ME.
I WILL SEND THEM TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WATKINS.
AND MAYBE THAT CAN COME BACK INTO COMMUNICATION SO THAT IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IT AND ACCESS IT AND GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S A WAY TO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE GETTING INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES THAT NOBODY ELSE HEARS ABOUT.
UM, SO BEFORE I GO, I WILL GO TO CO UH, COUNCILORS WHO ARE NOT ON THE COMMITTEE.
COUNCILOR SUZI, YOU, YOU WERE TAKING A LOT OF NOTES THERE.
UM, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, I, I GREW UP, MY LITTLE BROTHER HAD SPECIAL NEEDS, SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME.
[01:45:01]
DO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY REALLY NOT HAVE A PREFERENCE WITH PUBLIC HOUSING? SO I WONDERED ABOUT THAT.AND THEN I JUST REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, MY WHOLE FAMILY SUPPORTED MY BROTHER AND MY FATHER WOULD GO THROUGH HIS MAIL, YOU KNOW, HE ALWAYS HAD A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, HE USED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HE USED TO DELIVER NEWSPAPERS.
HE HAD A LANDSCAPING BUSINESS.
SO HE STOPPED AT JCPENNEY AND AT DART DRUG, UH, MY FATHER ALWAYS HELPED HIM WITH HIS RESUME AND MADE SURE HE HAD A JOB.
HE ACTUALLY WAS AN AIDE ON SCHOOL BUSES.
UM, AND THAT GAVE HIM A SENSE OF SELF-WORTH.
SO NOT EVERYBODY IS AS LUCKY AS MY BROTHER WAS, UM, WHO WAS NO LONGER 'CAUSE THEY, HE HAD MY DAD.
BUT, UM, I DO WONDER HOW THE CITY MIGHT SUPPORT, UM, OUR RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND HELPING THEM TO FIND WORK BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS A FRED ZUI.
UM, MR. LEAKY, ANYTHING, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO THE CO-CHAIRS FOR HOLDING, UM, THIS, UH, IMPORTANT MEETING.
I DID HAVE A FEW KIND OF VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE WANNA FIRST JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT KATE AND RACHEL, UH, HAVE, HAVE DONE AND, YOU KNOW, ARE ON VARIOUS AREAS AND, UH, WHETHER THAT'S CART AND CLOSED, UM, CAPTIONING THE, THE WORK AROUND ASSISTIVE LEARNING SYSTEMS. UM, AND SO I I ALSO KNOW I DON'T WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE TO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, PB DELEGATES TO WORK ON ACCESSIBILITY RELATED PROJECTS.
WHILE SOME OF THOSE HAVE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN FUNDED, UH, I THINK THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO I DO THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING.
AND, AND SOME OF IT, I KNOW IT, IT'S A PROCESS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET, YOU KNOW, GET THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SAY THAT I ALSO, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, I KNOW LAST TIME WE WERE IN TOUCH, UM, YOU HAD SAID, KATE, THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF SIGN LANGUAGE, UM, AND INTERPRETERS.
AND, AND I THINK YOU WERE WORKING ON KIND OF, UH, MAKING MAYBE A CONTRACT FOR A SL SERVICES.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S, UM, ANY UPDATE THERE.
UH, AND THEN FOR THE CITY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAVE DONE SOME WORK AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING OUR BUILDINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE.
UH, THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE IN MY KIND OF, WHICH HAD COME TO ME WAS IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, RIGHT? HAVING AN AUTOMATIC OPENER.
AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT OTHER, WHERE ELSE, HOW, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET KIND OF AN UPDATE AROUND HOW HAVE WE MADE OUR CITY BUILDINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE.
UM, SO A LIST OF THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, UH, JUST TO KNOW.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY TWO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UH, DID YOU WANT FOLKS TO RESPOND NOW, OR FOLKS? UM, I THINK, KATE, DO YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THE, UM, INTERPRETATION AND THEN I THINK THE CITY BUILDINGS, AGAIN, RACHEL TALKED ABOUT WE WORK CLOSELY ON.
I THINK THAT IS ONE THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE PART OF THE FOLLOW UP, UM, COMMUNICATION, IF THAT'S OKAY, MAYOR? DEFINITELY.
THIS IS KATE THURMAN SPEAKING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CCPD.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON A SL INTERPRETATION, WHICH IS THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CRYSTAL ROSA AND, UM, THE LANGUAGE JUSTICE WORK, AND IT TURNS OUT THERE, WELL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FAIRLY NEW PROGRAM THAT IS OFFERED BY THE TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES WE USE FOR OTHER LANGUAGES THAT CAN PROVIDE, UM, ONLINE ACCESS TO A SL INTERPRETERS, WHICH IS NOT IDEAL BECAUSE, UM, A SL, OF COURSE, IS VERY, UH, DIMENSIONAL AND EMOTIVE.
UM, AND IDEALLY WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE AN INTERPRETER ON SITE.
BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG STEP FORWARD BECAUSE, UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S NO NOTICE TO ARRANGE FOR SOMEBODY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FULFILLING A SL REQUESTS BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE.
WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF LOOKING INTO VARIOUS OTHER VENDORS AND WORKING WITH PURCHASING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOME SORT OF CONTRACT SITUATION FOR IN PERSON.
UM, OKAY, SO I'M GONNA GO TO A FEW, A FEW THINGS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, JUST THANK EVERYBODY
[01:50:01]
AGAIN.UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS SORT OF IN, IN, IN GENERAL, WHEN WHEN WE TALK AT COUNCIL OR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY AND WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS AND WE TALK ABOUT WHO'S MISSING FROM THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT SOCIOECONOMICS.
WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION SERVICES.
WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT RACE, WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS.
WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES AND OBVIOUSLY FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES CROSS ALL OF THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS, RIGHT? UM, SOME DON'T, YOU KNOW, MANY DO.
UM, AND SO ONE THING I JUST WANT SIT, MAYBE NOT A QUE THIS, I'M GONNA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME SORT OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UM, ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE? YOU KNOW, FOR FOLKS, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT TRANSLATION, BUT WE'D BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UM, WE USED TO HAVE, UM, A, A WOMAN FROM IN THE COMMUNITY ASKED US ABOUT, UM, SHE'S SIGHT IMPAIRED.
AND SHE SAID DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU USED TO HAVE A 15 SECOND WARNING, LIKE A LITTLE BELL WOULD GO OFF AT 15 SECONDS.
SO SHE'S LIKE, I CAN'T REALLY SEE WHEN MY TIME IS RUNNING UP.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT I, AS SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAVE THAT STRUGGLE, WOULDN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE CITY SERVICES AND, AND CITY MEETINGS AND CITY PROGRAMS, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDER RANGE OF PEOPLE THAT WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES ARE IN THAT LIST.
UM, THAT OF FOLKS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF NOT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MEETING TODAY, AGAIN, WAS I THINK, YOU KNOW, VERY IN INFORMATIVE, I THINK FOR A LOT OF US TO HEAR THE DIFFERENT, UH, COLLABORATION THAT'S GOING ON THE, YOU KNOW, CROSS DEPARTMENT, UH, WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD SCHEDULE ANOTHER, UH, MEETING, MAYBE NOT FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S, WHO'S HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND WE DID, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET TO SORT OF NEXT STEPS AND WE DIDN'T REALLY GET A LOT TO WHAT, UM, WHAT WE COULD BE DOING BETTER, RIGHT? AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I'M ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO SAYS WE SHOULD APPLAUD OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BUT CRITIQUE OUR SHORTCOMINGS, RIGHT? IT'S GOOD TO TALK ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO, AS JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THOSE THINGS.
OR, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T MIND COMPARING US TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AND SAYING, HEY, WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE, THEREFORE THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL AND NOT ADVOCATE FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T WORKING.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PERFECT AND WE CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE CRITIQUE WHAT'S NOT GOING SO WELL AND WHAT HAS TO GET BETTER.
SO, UM, THERE'S A WAY TO HOLD BOTH OF THOSE, THOSE TRUTHS.
UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, I, I THOUGHT PUBLIC FOLKS IN PUBLIC COMMENT BROUGHT UP SOME GREAT POINTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, MS. GREEN TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSIBILITY OF APPLYING FOR SERVICES AND, AND, AND THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENTS, I THINK ARE, UM, AND HOW INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING IT, IT MUST BE THAT, AND, AND THERE ARE SOME FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT, LIKE WHEN YOU THINK OF THE FUEL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE GET, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO REQUIRE THAT MAYBE WE AS A MUNICIPALITY WOULDN'T REQUIRE, BUT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TO COMPLY.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IT'S GONNA BE A PERFECT APPLES TO APPLES KIND OF THING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I EVEN THINK OF OUR WEBSITE.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS.
EVERY DEPARTMENT WHEN YOU GO TO THEIR WEBPAGE ON OUR WEBSITE IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? THEY ALL HAVE THEIR DIFFERENT FORMATS.
THEY ALL HAVE THEIR DIFFERENT, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BETTER NOW THAN IT USED TO BE, BUT, UM, OH, I DIDN'T SEE THE DOG.
OH, HEY CUTIE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE ARE DIFFERENT IN SOME WAYS, RIGHT? SO IT'S HARD TO NAVIGATE, RIGHT? AND, AND IT'S, AND SO YOU'RE USED TO MAYBE GOING TO ONE PAGE THAT HAS THINGS IN A CERTAIN PLACE AND THEN THE OTHER PAGE, IT'S NOT EVEN ON THEIR WEBPAGE.
YOU GOTTA DIG FOR IT, RIGHT? THOSE ARE THINGS WE GOTTA GET BETTER AT, RIGHT? AND I THINK IF WE'RE REALLY UPLIFTING AND THINKING ABOUT FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES WHO MIGHT HAVE, OR, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE MORE DIFFICULTY NAVIGATING THAT, WE WOULD CLEAN THAT STUFF UP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE KINDS OF THINGS I THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE DOING BETTER.
UM, TO THE, THE, THE QUESTION THAT CAME UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE RES RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR WORK.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A MILLION YEARS AGO AT SOME POINT.
[01:55:01]
I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY HARD TO DO IN CAMBRIDGE.UM, THE REALITY IS, GIVEN THE COST OF HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BACK 40, 50 YEARS AGO, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR THE CITY PROBABLY LIVED IN THE CITY.
UM, I BET YOU THAT IS NOT THE CASE NOW.
UM, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING A WORK REQUIREMENT, A, A RESIDENTIAL WORK REQUIREMENT I THINK MIGHT BE A CHALLENGE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT I THINK IN A LOT OF PROGRAMS, LIKE WITH INCLUSIONARY, FOLKS WHO LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE DO GET PRIORITIES IN, IN THINGS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT THAT RESIDENTS ARE PRIORITIZED.
UM, UH, MR. CORBE HANDED ME A NOTE.
UM, THE, THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM HAS A JOB READINESS PROGRAM THAT SERVES ADULTS.
UM, IT'S TUESDAY EVENINGS AND SERVES USUALLY 20 TO 30 PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, UH, PROMOTE THAT? HOW DO WE EDUCATE PEOPLE? I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF EDUCATION CAMPAIGN CITYWIDE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CER NOT JUST SERVICES, BUT UPLIFTING THE DISABLED COMMUNITY IN OUR CITY.
UM, UH, I'M INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS WE HEARD A LOT TODAY.
UM, ASSISTANT MANAGER, UH, WATKINS, YOU SAID SEVEN, 7.5% OF RESIDENTS IDENTIFY AS HAVING A DISABILITY.
WHERE DOES THAT NUMBER COME FROM? UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT THE CENSUS FORM DOES NOT ASK THAT QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD IMAGINE YOU COULD PROBABLY PUT 50 DIFFERENT CHECK BOXES ON THE CENSUS FORM, RIGHT? FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MAYBE, BUT THERE'S GOT, WHERE DOES, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE ACCUMULATING THIS NUMBERS, MR. COTTER, YOU TALKED ABOUT A HUNDRED OR SO UNITS THAT ARE A DA COMPLIANT.
IS THAT ENOUGH? IS THAT NOT ENOUGH? UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE KEEP TRACK OF THAT? UM, PARKING, UM, UH, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT THIS, MS. MCKENNA.
ANYWAY, UM, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT PARKING STICKER CHANGES POTENTIALLY AND WHATNOT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS ON THE PASSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO WORKERS WHO ARE COMING IN TO HELP PEOPLE, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT THOSE PASSES GO WITH THE CAR AND NOT WITH THE HOUSE.
AND I KNOW CERTAINLY FROM MY MOTHER'S EXPERIENCE, SHE GOES THROUGH HOME HEALTH AIDS, LIKE DRINKING A GLASS OF WATER.
AND SO SHE MIGHT HAVE SIX DIFFERENT PEOPLE RIGHT, IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AND THEY'RE ALL PAYING INDIVIDUALLY OR SHE'S PAYING TO GET THOSE PARKING PASSES.
SO WHY DON'T WE LIKE A REGULAR VISITOR'S PASS? WHY DOESN'T THAT GO WITH THE HOUSE? AND THEN SHE CAN USE IT WITH ANYBODY? YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY EVERY SINGLE TIME.
AND UNLESS I'M WRONG, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.
UM, PEOPLE COMING TO HELP CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS CAN DEFINITELY USE VISITOR PASSES.
SO THESE ARE ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE.
AND WE DID, WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE SO THAT IF SOMEONE HAS, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE MANY PEOPLE NEED SAY 24 HOUR CARE AND MAY HAVE MULTIPLE CAREGIVERS AT ONE TIME, WE ONLY CHARGE A SINGLE, UM, FEE FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PLATE SPECIFIC HANG TAGS THAT GO FOR, SAY, IF YOU HAD FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE, UM, HELPING SOMEONE OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK, EVERY EACH INDIVIDUAL WOULD GET UNDER THAT ONE PERMIT, THEIR OWN HANG TAG, UH, FOR THEIR VEHICLE.
UM, BUT, BUT FOLKS CAN ALSO USE THE VISITOR PACK PARKING PASS AS WELL.
AND, AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THEY GET ONE.
AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I JUST THINK SOMETHING WE, WE COULD, WE, WE COULD THINK ABOUT IN, IN MAKING, MAYBE MAKING THAT A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
I KNOW WE'RE UP ON IT ON THE TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT CITY EVENTS ARE HELD IN PLACES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE.
I GOT A COMPLAINT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMPLAINTS COME TO YOU GUYS YET THAT WE DID THE MLK EVENT IN THE CHURCH.
SO A GENTLEMAN WHO USES A MOBILE, UH, MOTORIZED VEHICLE, TRAVELED ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE AND COULDN'T ATTEND THE EVENT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ELEVATOR AND NO WAY FOR HIM TO GET INSIDE INTO THE EVENT.
LIKE THAT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN, RIGHT? AND I ASSUME THAT WAS JUST A MISTAKE THAT, AN OVERSIGHT AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT JUST THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT.
UM, UH, DPW I'M SORRY, THEY, JOHN SAID THAT THEY HAD TO LEAVE, BUT, UM, I WOULD JUST, I'LL BE EMAILING THEM.
UH, LIGHTING, RIGHT? A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS.
UM, IT'S GREAT IF YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M JUST GETTING OLD.
UM, BUT I THINK THE CITY IS SO DARK ON SIDEWALKS.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY, THEY DON'T WANT BRIGHT LIGHTS OUTSIDE THEIR, THEIR HOUSE.
BUT I THINK WE WENT FROM, WHEN WE SWITCHED TO THE LED LIGHTS 10 YEARS AGO, WE WENT FROM A CITY THAT WAS
[02:00:01]
MORE BRIGHT TO A CITY THAT IS REALLY DARK.UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME MIDDLE GROUND THERE.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR SIDEWALKS AND HOW THERE ARE, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS IN THE BEST CONDITION.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING, THAT'S, THAT'S DANGEROUS.
AND SO, I'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT LIGHTING.
UM, I, ON THE SNOW REMOVAL PIECE, AND, AND BROOKE MAYBE, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S DPW, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CLEAR OUT HANDICAP SPOTS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS LAST STORM, THERE WERE SOME HANDICAP SPOTS THAT NO ONE WAS PARKED IN AT THE TIME OF THE STORM, AND THEY GOT BURIED AND THE CITY SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A PARKING SPOT, RIGHT? BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT HANDICAP SPOTS DON'T BELONG TO ANYBODY, RIGHT? JUST LIKE ANY OF THE PARKING SPACES.
SO WHO'S GONNA DO THAT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA ASK SOMEONE WHO PARKS IN THAT SPOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DISABILITY, THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT AND SHOVEL AND, AND DIG OUT THAT SPOT, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN BELONG TO THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PROBABLY CLEAR THOSE SPOTS OUT.
UM, IN TERMS OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS, UM, I LOVE OBVIOUSLY THE DEEPEST QUALITY PLAYGROUND.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE FINALLY GETTING, WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS GETTING A BATHROOM FACILITIES THERE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, WHOSE, YOU KNOW, KIDS MIGHT BE IN WHEELCHAIRS.
NOW, DON'T ACC GIVE THEM ACCESS GIVE, BUT ARE WE, DO, ARE WE REQUIRING, OR DO WE REQUIRE, ARE WE MOVING TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS EQUIPMENT, UM, IN EVERY PLAYGROUND, SOME EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY PLAYGROUND IS GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCESSIBLE, BUT ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S EQUIPMENT IN EVERY PLAYGROUND FOR, FOR, FOR CHILDREN TO ACCESS? RIGHT? UM, SO THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, I COULD GO ON WITH MORE.
I'M NOT GOING TO, UM, I, BUT IF FOLKS CAN SEND ME QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN A DOCUMENT AND IT, AND IT CAN COME BACK.
YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY DO WE HIRE THAT ARE, ARE, ARE DISABLED, RIGHT? AND, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO THE ACCOMMODATIONS PROGRAM IS GREAT, BUT ARE WE GETTING PEOPLE IN THE DOOR AND ACTUALLY GETTING THEM HIRED, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE CAN DIG DEEPER INTO.
SO, UM, I, I THANK EVERYONE AGAIN, UM, FOR THIS.
UM, I THINK IT'S A LONG OVERDUE CONVERSATION.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, BUT YOU ALL KNOW A LOT AND, UM, AND THAT PEOPLE DO FEEL, UH, THE DISABILITY COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, DOES HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND IS AT THE TABLE.
UM, SO OFTEN THAT'S, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, WE'LL COME BACK AT ANOTHER TIME TO TALK ABOUT, UM, MAYBE SOME THINGS WE COULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER AND, AND TO GET AN UPDATE.
BUT I THINK WE'RE OKAY FOR TODAY.
UM, ON A MOTION BY COUNSELOR ZUBIE TO ADJOURN.
MADAM CLERK COUNSELOR ZUBIE? YES.
THAT'S THREE MEMBERS VOTING YES.