The Fall River Commission on Disability held its meeting on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023. The meeting began with the reading of the open meeting law statement and a roll call, where Chairman Dennis Paulzelli, Commissioner Lisa Silva, and Commissioner Dan Robillard were present, with Vice Chairwoman Debbie Pacheco joining later. The minutes from the April 19th, 2023 meeting were unanimously approved. Key discussions revolved around work group updates. Under ADA, two main items were referred to the ADA work group: a project involving nature trails with Perkins School for the Blind, initiated by an email from Sandy Dennis, and a request for a variance related to construction at Battleship Cove. Commissioner Robillard raised concerns about the limited accessibility for wheelchair users at Battleship Cove, prompting the suggestion to include ADA coordinator Attorney Gary Holyak in the work group meeting. Updates were also given on finance, noting the April budget report, and outreach, confirming plans for an event at McGovern's Restaurant on June 3rd, where a scholarship will be presented, possibly by the Mayor, with a representative from Bay Coast Bank also attending. No old or new business was brought forward. The next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, June 14th. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which passed with recorded 'yes' votes from Chairman Paulzelli, Vice Chairwoman Pacheco, and Commissioner Robillard.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.
Council
City Officials
Public / Other
okay this is the meeting of the Fall River Commission on disability um for Wednesday May 10. that May 10th I'm sorry Wednesday May 10th um just give me a few seconds and I will find the open meeting law statement which we must read okay pursuant to the open meeting law any person may make an audio or video or let me start again pursuant to the open meeting law any person may make an audio
0:43or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible okay and next is the Roll Call chairman Dennis paulzelli present commissioner Lisa Silva present commissioner Dan robard Rosa all right
1:31the next item is public input I'll ask three times if there's any public input um is there any public input is there any public input is there any public input okay um next is the approval of the minutes for the meeting of Wednesday April 19th 2023.
2:07promotional accepts I'll second that all right is there any any discussion roll call chairman Dennis Paul Sally yes commissioner Lisa Silva yes commissioner Dan robillard yes okay work group updates under Ada we have a couple of things coming I just got a uh an email um from Sandy Dennis the executive director um and this has a lot to do with I guess some nature trails they're working with
2:46Perkins School for the Blind in a number of places and would like to know if there's some way that we can help out so I'm going to refer this to the Ada work group for betting and then I will schedule them um to the full commission after they've met with the Ada work group when you uh when you um when you reply back to Ms Dennis uh would you ask her to forward any documents
3:17uh uh ahead of the meeting I will I will because I I I wanted some clarifications also but I knew that I knew that we would be able to get a lot of questions answered in the work group and by the way work groups um I am and know me by no means keeping people from coming before the full commission I just think that we can spend more we can go into things with more detail if
3:49proposals are vetted before they go before the full commission I just think it's it's much more efficient that way so we will be meeting with Sandy Dennis as an ADA work group since this is an ADA matter and um and then I I I I would just like now to the full commission but I will make sure that any any documents and so on are presented um what do you call it I presented to us
4:19um before the work group meeting um and I also got a call from I guess they're doing some construction at Battleship Cove so I will be getting some documents um I don't think there's anything we need to vote on but um I will be sharing the documents there's going to be an application form with some um with an outline of what this is hi Debbie I'm sorry Emily I got taught up in
4:53another meeting but I'm here now that's okay um there's going to be a um um there's going to be a kind of uh they're asking for variance this is Battleship Cove I guess they're doing some renovation and he then the variants the variants will be explained in the documentation since some of it was conceptual I had trouble conceptualizing it so he's just going to send the whole packet to me
5:23and I will share it with the rest of the commission um and I would ask that any feedback that you need to give this person if you can give it directly to the individual okay and just um just do it that way I don't know when the hearing is scheduled before the architectural access board I don't know any of that I just know that there is somewhat of a Time sensitive
5:54um thing to it and as soon as I get the packet I will forward it to the rest of you and if somebody wants to go down and check it out that's okay too but I don't think it's anything that we necessarily need to vote on but if you have any further questions um his name is Peter I don't know his last name but he's going to give me all that information yeah
6:19are they asking us to give support for the variants I believe so yeah I don't know when the architectural access board meets Dan I'm commissioner so I don't know if if we want to schedule uh a special meeting or or or if you want to probably vote on it or uh where were you we usually we usually formally vote on acceptance of the variances uh what I'd like to do at this
6:51time is I'd like to have a work group meeting uh with this person to see exactly what they want to do okay so let's refer this matter to the Ada work group and then um if we'll see what needs to happen if we need to have a full vote of the full commission um we can do that um you know I I don't think it's I don't think it's something that it would
7:20probably probably be just one agenda item if it's not my next meeting the the reason I suggest an ADA work group first is because I know there are pots of Battleship Cove uh in quoting the battleship itself that is at least not accessible to wheelchair users okay so I I don't know what they want to do down there uh I don't know what kind of renovations if any they have planned I
7:58don't know what kind of variants they're looking for but as of right now at least to wheelchair users and when I say a wheelchair user uh I'm I'm gonna clarify uh individuals that are confined to wheelchairs uh there's no accessibility on the battleship okay so is it okay is it okay if I refer this to the Ada work group to work it out absolutely that's why I want to see exactly what they want to do okay
8:33okay if there's no objections that's that's where this is going to go this is going to go to the Ada work group with a full report back at our next regularly scheduled meeting in June unless we need to do something beforehand which I will correspond with people I don't know I I don't know if we've won but we vote on every variance request that I don't think I'm doing it since I've been on
8:58the commission but uh we did we did vote on a couple uh something for Durfee and one other thing I record right I am remembering it now yeah we did okay so but Battleship called at best have limited accessibility uh so that that's why I'm extremely curious uh what it is they want to do okay I will I will also um and I'm kind of thinking out loud which
9:36is dangerous but I will also ask our Ada coordinator to be at this meeting because if this is a if this is a serious issue well it is a serious issue but if if there's a record of of of of of non-accessibility when it comes to wheelchair users on board the battleship you know that then you know I think I think there needs to be some kind of plan of action to bring
10:04them in compliance whether it happens on this particular project whether they come up with a plan of action or whatever I think I think we would let the um we'll ask attorney Gary holyak to join us for that work group then Mr chairman if I could make this one point of clarity uh I I thank you I don't know if there's ever been a formal a record of non-compliance I just know
10:30that over the years I've been asked to go on the battleship for different events fireworks political events and there is no way to mine knowledge uh for a person who is confined to a wheelchair to get on the battleship so I don't know I don't I don't know whether anybody has ever filed a formal complaint I don't know if their grandfathered in I'm not I'm not trying to throw them under the
11:00bus I'm just saying uh what I believe is this limited accessibility if any for confined wheelchair users to my knowledge aboard the battleship okay all right um is there either is there any other um uh are there any other uh suggestions or comments on this area none at this time okay thank you um next is policies from our vice chair no updates okay um under Finance under Finance um you all have the budget
11:48report for April um we just got that about a week or so ago so I'm I'm I'm I'm going to assume that you're you've all seen that and we'll move on to outreach um we are pretty much all set for June 3rd at McGovern's Restaurant um I think that arrival time is going to be at 10 30 because um I've been informed that the mayor has may have some other commitments so we
12:27may be presenting the scholarship before the meal which is at 11 A.M so we're going to ask for arrival time at 10 30. that will be conveyed to everybody um but but we are we are pretty much all set there will be a representative from um Bay Coast Bank who will also be joining us as well so that's Saturday June 3rd at McGovern's and we're pretty much we're pretty much going smooth
13:05um on this event so I don't know if anybody has any questions
13:15all right hearing none um do we have any anybody have any old business
13:29okay anybody have any new business our next meeting will be Wednesday June 14th Flag Day um so does anybody have any new business okay hearing none do I have a motion towards your Jesus I'll make a motion to adjourn ing okay do we have a roll call Tim and Dennis Paul Sally yes Vice chairwoman Debbie Pacheco yes commissioner Lisa Silva that's it I think she had an appointment okay uh commissioner Dan robard yes
14:20all right we are adjourned all right thank you