TOWNSHIP OF LOWER MAKEFIELD
DISABLED PERSONS ADVISORY
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2004
A meeting of the Disabled Persons Advisory Board of the Township of Lower Makefield was held in the Municipal Building on Tuesday, July 27, 2004. Chairman Rogers opened the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
Those
present:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: John
McConville, member
Lisa Huchler-Smith, Secretary
(absent)
David Rogers, Chairman
Ann Piccinotti,
Vice-Chairman
Liz Harbison, member
OTHERS: Scott
Fegley, Supervisor Liaison
Mr. Fegley said
that he is a member of the BCCID. He
said the Council is having an awards dinner on October 28th and he
invited the Board members to attend the dinner.
Mr. Fegley
stated that the state has given a $250,000 grant to build a Center for
Independent Living in Bucks County. He
stated that the money would be given to the BCCID to build the Independent
Center. Mr. Fegley said that when the
money is received, there will be a lot of spin-off work for this Board such as
where should the Independent Center be located and what will it include. The Board discussed the possible roles the
Independent Center could provide.
Mr. Rogers asked
Mr. Fegley if the Board should make a motion stating the Board’s full support
of the state grant to build a Center for Independent Living in Bucks
County. Ms. Harbison moved, Mr. Rogers
seconded and it was unanimously carried to write a letter of support for the
state grant to build a Center for Independent Living.
Mr. Rogers asked
whom the letter should be sent to. Ms.
Harbison said she would be meeting with Ms. Liberti the next day and would ask
her about the details of where to send the letter of support.
Ms. Harbison
said that she received the first of the reference materials she requested for
the reference library the Board was creating.
She said that she would contact Mary Beth States to order binders and a
bookcase to hold the materials at the Township building.
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Mr. Rogers said
that he spoke with Mr. Fedorchak regarding the request from the Bexley Orchards
Homeowners Association to the Township to alter the traffic signal on Big Oak
Road to accommodate a blind woman living in their development who walks to the
nearby shopping center. Mr. Fedorchak
said that he spoke with the Township engineers who would provide the Township
with a price to alter the light to accommodate a disabled person. Mr. Fegley suggested if Mr. Rogers does not
hear from Mr. Fedorchak, that he request to be placed on the next Board of
Supervisors meeting agenda.
Mr. Rogers said
that he and Mr. McConville looked at the Memorial Park Plans and sent a memo to
Nancy Frick and Terry Fedorchak with their comments to the plans. Mr. Rogers said he is concerned that because
this board is not on a formal list to review plans, plans that should be
reviewed will be overlooked. Mr. Fegley
suggested that Mr. Rogers first ask Ms. Frick to include the Board on the list
to review plans and if she objects, then Mr. Fegley suggested the Board ask to
be placed on the next Board of Supervisors meeting agenda.
Mr. Rogers said
that asked Chief Coluzzi if he could provide the Board with a number of how
many people in the Township are disabled.
Mr. Rogers said Chief Coluzzi was very receptive to giving the Board
that information and would provide the number of people he has from his records
and the Neighborhood Watch Groups as soon as he could.
Mr. Fegley
suggested having a section on the Board’s web-site asking people if they need
information about services for people with disabilities. Ms. Piccinotti suggested reaching out to the
seniors in the area also.
Mr. Rogers
discussed possible invitees for future meetings. He suggested inviting the Fire Marshall to
discuss evacuation procedures for disabled school students, Jeff Werner of the
Yardley News and a member of the Bensalem Disabled Persons Advisory Board to
get ideas on how to get their group started.
He would extend and invitation to attend the September meeting.
The Board
unanimously carried to table approval of the June meeting minutes until the
next meeting.
The Committee
scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, August 24th at 7:30 p.m.
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The meeting was
adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Lisa
Huchler-Smith, Secretary