Part 2: Parks Accessibility Priorities, Grant Support Process Approved, and Planning Tools Strengthened — 09/25/2023

This section of Accessibility Advisory Committee held a special meeting on September 25, 2023 documents who spoke, how motions were voted on, and how decisions affect accessibility for residents in the County.

Parks and Recreation Master Plan discussion

Lisa Sverson, Director of Recreation and Community Facilities, outlined how the Parks and Recreation Master Plan will guide future park investments. Councillor Roy Pennell raised concerns about the lack of dedicated mobility bus parking at parks such as Rotary Park in Wellington and Ameliasburgh, noting challenges for accessible transit vehicles.

Jane Lesslie emphasized the importance of planning for future public and accessible transit expansion, including designated bus stopping areas, while Carolyn Rice asked about AODA standards for parks and the availability of gender neutral washrooms. Lisa confirmed that single use washrooms are being converted where possible and that accessibility standards are mandatory in all upgrades.

Sarah Moffitt also raised concerns about equity between communities, referencing Macaulay Heritage Park and the distribution of recreational investment.

The committee voted to forward all accessibility related feedback to staff for inclusion in the master plan.

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Grant support process and Committee appointments

The committee approved grant support letter templates. Ivan Robinson and Councillor Roy Pennell moved and seconded the motion allowing the Chair or designate to prepare letters, and requesting Council approval for the Mayor to sign letters when deadlines fall between meetings. The motion was carried.

Sarah Moffitt was appointed to the Primary Care Infrastructure Working Group following a motion moved by Carolyn Rice and seconded by Councillor Pennell. The motion was carried.

Meeting format decision

Members including Councillor Pennell, Jane Lesslie, Carolyn Rice, and Ivan Robinson spoke about meeting format preferences. The committee voted to recommend in person meetings with Zoom available as an option. The recommendation will be forwarded to Council for approval.

Accessibility site plan checklist approval

Irene Harris presented revisions to the accessibility site plan checklist. Councillor Pennell, Ivan Robinson, and Sarah Moffitt spoke in support of sharing the checklist with developers at the earliest stage of the planning process. The committee approved the revised checklist, directed that it be posted publicly, and supported the creation of a planning working group for time sensitive reviews.

The committee approved accessibility related questions for a Visit the County business survey, received updates on the Access the County project, and confirmed the next meeting date of November 20, 2023. The meeting adjourned following a motion moved by Ivan Robinson and Councillor Roy Pennell.

What it means for residents

Accessibility related feedback discussed during the meeting has been forwarded to staff for consideration in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Approved processes, including grant support letters and the accessibility site plan checklist, will be used in future accessibility related projects and planning reviews.

Committee recommendations, including meeting format changes, will be considered by Council, while ongoing initiatives such as the Access the County project and the business survey will continue into the next meeting cycle.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:46:03. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.