Title
Minutes from the December 16, 2020 Commission on Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Body
Roll Call: 7 Commissioners present
Chair Morrison, Commissioner Linton, Commissioner Roloff, Commissioner Kenny, Commissioner Brillinger, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner Mullins
Minutes: July 15, October 7, 2020
Approved (Commissioner Mullins abstained because she was not present)
4-B Presentation on Census 2020
• Count of US population conducted every 10 years, last in 2010
• PowerPoint presented by Eric Fonstein with the City’s Community Development Department with information on the Census
• Why it is important -- an undercount represents $1,000 in lost federal funding per year per person, this Census was radically different from past census including that fear may deter participation and that it was the first digital -- and of course, in a pandemic
• New technology, reduced funding
• The Mayor established a complete count committee to help with outreach including with Commissioner Morrison and Sarah Henry, PIO
• Outreach was targeted to community events (pre COVID), Census started March 12
• Early march had volunteer trainings, we could not use those volunteers
• Then the Shelter in Place health order started March 16 in Alameda County and March 19 statewide
• Resources reallocated to food bank, AUSD, posters created, chalk art, library take out, AMP insert, lawn signs
• When the Census was complete, the Statewide response was 69.6%. In 2010 it was 68.2%. In Alameda County the response was 75.8%. In the City of Alameda it was 79.2%, compared to 76.2% in 2010. Link to data: <https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates/nrfu.html>. Alameda Point/Coast Guard Island increased 13.1% from 2010 and the west end increased 5.2%
Commissioner Comments:
• Are there pockets of underserved communities that you have a sense of? People with disabilities for example? No - we only have the data by Census track, it will be a few years before variables are published before we know how things turned out by demographics
• What is the location called Crown Beach parking lot - what is the methodology - it is the area around that?
• Surprised it was 70 percent response and that it was similar 10 years ago - what was it historically? Like 100 years when they knocked on people’s doors?
• The City at 75 is great - saw it in so many places
• How do you establish percentage being that this is based on population? The Census is based on addresses and the Census is looking at who is at what address
• Why were disability questions left off this year’s census? Some demographic questions are done in the off years through the American Community Survey, which is not a complete count but a statistically representatively sample every 5 years -- <https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/CA>
4-C Update on Police Reform Steering Committee and Subcommittee work and opportunity to provide public comment
• City wanted to look at police reform and ongoing racial disparities
• City Council decided it should be a community-led process
• The City Manager selected a steering committee who asked for people to join subcommittees
• 60 people were selected to be on 5 subcommittees including Beth Kenny
• Research included record requests, 3 public forums with the Police Department (available on Youtube)
• Unbundling police services is Commissioner Kenny’s Subcommittee, and she is on the Subcommittee because of the Commission’s meeting where members thought the Commission should be involved in this work
• Subcommittees have submitted draft recommendations that will be available to the public Jan 20
• Being on the Subcommittee has been an amazing process, a lot of great info - safe parking area is up and running
• Steering committees want to come before our Commission
• Facts: 50% of people in prison have a disability, 20-25% of the population, 33-50% of people killed by police have a disability, a third to half of people who experienced excessive use of force have a disability, number of suicides is 2.5 times the number of homicides
• Starting around the New Year the Police in CA will now be tracking 24 points including if people have a disability - solely by observation of the police officer
• Comment: A Commissioner was aware of a man having a diabetic seizure - police give a shot to calm down which made the man go into convulsions - good example of why we need mental health people instead of police officers - needs to be looked at and changed, treated like a drug addict
4-A General Plan Subcommittee to share feedback on the General Plan
• Sheffield Hale is here tonight receiving Subcommittee feedback, he works with Cultivate, the City’s consultant on the General Plan
• They have been working on the General Plan for year and a half and have received great feedback so far
• Alameda2040.org
Commissioner Comments:
• Is this too specific in terms of addressing concerns with people with disabilities? We are all part of the same community, this should be built into every aspect of the plan, a holistic view
• Working closely with businesses to incent them to make more accessible. 2 years ago Facade Grant Program - matching funds for blowing out a curb where a wheelchair could come in - need to incent business owners
• Roads, a lot of nice curbs that are inclusive but trees - roots are popping up - how can we maintain sidewalks with the roots?
• Accessibility on roadways
• Appreciative of trying to make everything inclusive and available -- being more inclusive is making sure public safety is staffed with mental health professionals so we have the right resources to address issues and calls
• Theme in general plan - irrespective of physical disability
• Include mental, physical, vision, hearing, intellectual, developmental
• Overview of safety, should not criminalize noncriminal matters
• People with disabilities and people of color should be identified specifically
• Will there be an opportunity to review next draft - yes - how long do we have - end of the year is best, but any time
Old Business
• Commissioner Kenny is on the Vision Zero task force and their goal is to reduce serious traffic incidents to zero
• Partners in achieving goal - what does that entail? Should the Commission be a partner?
• City staff will present about this at a future meeting
Staff Communications
COVID-19
• COVID is surging, ICU availability dropped below 15% in the Bay Area
• In Alameda we are at 874 cases, 18 deaths, alarming, 21 percent of cases to date have happened in the last 14 days
• Resources: alamedaca.gov/c19 is city dashboard
• Many people are asymptomatic and not part of the positive test results
• COVID page, alamedaca.gov/covid has all other resources
• EOC is still active, still have a State of Emergency, Fire Department is fully staffed
• Alameda testing site is up and running with a telemedicine appointment first, very easy and quick
• Alameda Hospital - 4 people hospitalized on 12/10
• Vaccine update - worked with public health to set up a flu vaccine clinic to test the roll out, Mayor Town Hall with Eileen Ng - shared vaccination plan for the County
Elections
• Need to open it up again for Chair and Vice Chair, annually, members can send nominations recommendations to me, Leslie is open to being nominated
Announcements
• Future agenda items? Please send to Sarah and Leslie
• School board, liaison appointments, Vision zero, police reform - we should review at a future meeting
• Thanksgiving in Alameda, they fed 800 people at Christ Church, really made a great impact this Thanksgiving and people received a nice dinner, they also have the Thursday lunch program at the Day Center and portable showers
Adjournment
Happy holidays, stay safe and healthy