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Home My WebLink About2024-05-28 Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes ACREIHR Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers Members Present: Chair Liana Fellis, Vice Chair Katie Brydon, Member Andre Chasse, Member Kathryn Robinson, Member Gabrielle Wiley, Members not present: Member Julie Davis, Member Theron Letterlough, Student Rep. Rebecca Jones, Student Rep. Evelyn Marasco, Member Jason Canniff, Member Melissa Bulcholz City of Bangor staff and guests present: City Manager, Debbie Laurie; Community and Economic Development Director, Anne Krieg; City Council Chair, Cara Pelletier Call to Order Call to order at 6:OOpm Introduction of advisory board members and city members present Minutes • Motion to approve • Passed unanimously Education ADA Certified, DisabilitylN staff, and Bangor City Council Chair, Cara Pelletier Municipal Accessibility: The Basics of Disability Inclusion • Identifying ways to make Bangor more inclusive for our citizens and our visitors Review of the ADA and examples: apparent and non-apparent Disability statistics: 27% of adults have some type of disability (1.3 billion people worldwide) Medical model of disability vs. social model of disability • Disability is not something that needs a medical cure; society needs to change to make it easier for people with disabilities to live independently ADA:Americans with Disabilities Act • 34th anniversary in July; signed into law in 1990 • Prohibits discrimination for work, transportation, living, etc. • Title II of the ADA requires that state and local governments make all programs accessible • Government agencies must ensure effective communication so all individuals with disabilities can participate in civic life o Examples: voting, education, transportation, recreation, health care, emergency services, etc. • All new buildings and facilities need to be accessible to people with disabilities Building a Culture of Disability Inclusion • The ADA is not the end-all-be-all; it's the law, but we should be beyond the law (more progressive) • Use inclusive language; respect how people identify themselves • Avoid improper language, disempowering language, euphemisms • Train and practice inclusive behavior • Develop a listening strategy; include people with disabilities in all planning and strategies • Make it easy to request modifications/accommodations o Ex. on the web redesign: add clear link for accommodations to every page • Design with accessibility in mind i Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers • Infuse Inclusion Everywhere o How are we celebrating, honoring, uplifting people with disabilities Q&A: How are we prioritizing housing modifications and new builds while keeping in mind the needs of those living with disabilities? • Modifications allowed for dormitory style housing for folks who have communal space to gain supports How are we updating housing to accommodate individuals with disabilities (outside of new builds)? • Rental registry pilot rolling out at next week's BDE meeting • Will include subsidies available for landlords to make updates for accessibility • Will the rental registry be able to identify if the space is accessible? o It will be a changing/flex program as we continue to grow and tweak the program in its pilot form Hiring people with disabilities: • How can we share this information with employers? o Use examples of changed minds (working from home actually results in productivity) • Can we host a symposium about hiring people with disabilities? • What is the appetite for people in Bangor to create inclusion opportunities? o It's there; we just need to make it a 'light-lift' to become an Autism Certified City? o People want to make this change; we just need to make it easy o Create opportunities for people with disabilities to Bangor Updates: CBDG Updates from Business and Economic Development Office • Consolidated plan: a five year review o Action plan will review each year of those five years o Neighborhood centered approach including citizens from Bangor o Need support from the committee to ensure access for all Bangor citizens to participate o Will start in August 2024 Housing Study • Identifies the types of housing that Bangor needs (different from the revaluation program being done) o April to August data collection by consulting group o Trying to evaluate what we need: universal design or attached residential or first-time home- buying, modern income, etc. • The data has been collected over the past few months by HRNA • The consultants will share in the June ACREIHR meeting the information collected and ask for feedback/insight from the committee • Landlord stakeholder meetings are being attended City Reveal Project • May 30t": at Downeast School • June 11t": at Cohen • Zoom options z Advisory Committee of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Minutes for the Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Meeting 6:OOp � Council Chambers Grandview property update: May 29t": Design charrette for Grandview plot; will be held at Husson at the Dyke Family Center at Spm —7pm Working Group Updates Accessibility Committee • Meet with Chamber of Commerce and hear what is happening in the city for hiring people with disabilities o Listen and sharing with Bangor companies and how we can help • Symposium for Hiring with Disabilities o Information sharing and myth-busting Events and Education • ACREIHR table for PRIDE o Need to staff; Debbie will send an email to the group for people to sign up o Will have one-sheet of details and butcher paper for people to share what they want to see from this committee City Manager Updates City budget being finalized in the next few weeks • Will increase to �$370 per home (school and city budget combined) 60 million awarded from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LITCH) • 50 unit senior housing on Sunset Ave. Council will be hosting proclamation for PRIDE Month and for Juneteenth • Will connect Events and Education Sub-committee with the Bangor Public Library to help support/amplify the events Summer Meeting Changes • June meeting moved from June 25 to June 18 at 5:30pm o Need to meet at 5:30pm because the meeting room is being used starting at 7pm on that date o Will receive update from consultants doing housing survey • July meeting will be cancelled • Goal to include new superintendent in upcoming meeting (October?) Closing • Meeting adjourned; motioned by Member Chasse, seconded by Vice Chair Brydon • Next meeting Tuesday, June 18t" at 5:30pm 3