Item 1: Draft Minutes from 08.08.2025 Meeting — original pdf

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Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes August 8, 2025 MAYOR’S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Friday, August 8, 2025 The Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities convened in a regular meeting on Friday, August 8, 2025, at City Hall, 301 W 2nd St. Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Chair Kelly called the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Conor Kelly, Chair Gabriel Arellano Kristen Vassallo Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Elisabeth Meyer, Vice Chair Lisa Chang Elizabeth Slade PROCLAMATION Proclamation – 35th American Disability Act Anniversary – Presented by Mayor Kirk Watson PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting minutes on July 11, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes from the meeting of July 11, 2025, failed on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Chang’s second on an 5-0 vote. Vice Chair Meyer abstained. Commissioners Comer-HaGans, Diaz, Fetonte, Franks and Murphy were absent. 1 Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes August 8, 2025 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. Presentation from Jetal Bhakta, Pedestrian Crossing Program Manager, Transportation and Public Works and Sheida Carugati, Transportation Planning Engineer, DKS Associates regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plans for Pedestrian Crossings Program and Urban Trails Program. Presentation regarding the ADA Transition Plans for Pedestrian Crossings Program and Urban Trails Program was given by Jetal Bhakta, Pedestrian Crossing Program Manager, Transportation and Public Works and Sheida Carugati, Transportation Planning Engineer, DKS Associates. Update from the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) representative on the work of the committee from the July 2025 meeting. Update provided by Commissioner Chang. Update regarding the most recent meeting of the Austin Transit Partnership Community Advisory Committee. Postponed to the next regular meeting with no objection. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 5. Update from the October 2025 Disability Event Working Group on their most recent meetings and accomplishments. Update provided by Commissioner Arellano. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. 7. 8. Formation of a working group regarding the expansion of therapeutic recreation program access and the creation of budget recommendations for therapeutic recreation programs within the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. Discussed and the working group formation was postponed until the next meeting. Formation of a Budget Working Group to discuss and create recommendations about the committee’s budget priorities. The motion to approve the formation of a Budget Working Group to discuss and create recommendations about the committee’s budget priorities adding Chair Kelly and Commissioners Chang and Vassallo as members was approved on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Vassallo’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Comer- HaGans, Diaz, Fetonte, Franks and Murphy were absent. Approve an update to the membership of the AWEbility Festival Working Group. The motion to remove Commissioner Chang from the AWEbility Festival Working Group and add Commissioner Slade as a member was approved on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Arellano’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Comer- HaGans, Diaz, Fetonte, Franks and Murphy were absent. 2 Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes August 8, 2025 9. 10. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the creation of a community center in the South Congress and Riverside Development. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the creation of a community center in the South Congress and Riverside development as amended by Vice Chair Meyer to insert a bullet under the Recommendation to Council section stating, “Ensure accessible public transportation serves the community.” The motion was approved as amended on Commissioner Arellano’s motion, Chair Kelly’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Comer-HaGans, Diaz, Fetonte, Franks and Murphy were absent. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the creation of a partnership between the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the Texas Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the creation of a partnership between the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the Texas Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities was approved on Chair Kelly’s motion, Vice Chair Meyer’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Comer- HaGans, Diaz, Fetonte, Franks and Murphy were absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Request a presentation from Austin Parks and Recreation Creation of a therapeutic recreation working group Project Connect Committee discussion Chair Kelly adjourned the meeting at 6:28 p.m. without objection. 3