Title
Minutes from the February 10, 2021 Commission on Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Body
Roll Call: 6 Commissioners present
Chair Morrison, Commissioner Roloff, Commissioner Kenny, Commissioner Brillinger, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner Mullins
Minutes: December 16, 2020
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4-A Recommendation to provide feedback on draft recommendations from the community-led committee on police reform and racial equity
• Presentation by Christine Chilcott and Al Mance on behalf of the Steering Committee
• On Jan 6, they made their first public presentation, the same day as the riot on the capitol
• Policing in American looks very different for different people
• We saw police officers taking selfies with capitol rioters -- compared to tear gas for BLM protesters -- different responses by the police for different groups
• Approach to work - committed to reforming all aspects of the way policing is done. We believe the way it is done can be improved so everyone feels safe, secure and protected - policing for all not just some
• Steering committee was appointed in August 2020
• 60 members of 5 subcommittees were chosen in September
• When they put out the call for volunteers, there were 250 responses!
• They wanted a wide variety of people and voices on this work - they have a wide range -- police officers, former ADP, connection with law enforcement agencies, some no connection
• This is a group of volunteers that is committed to this work and to positive change in ADP
• Not everyone is an expert and not every is a novice either
• They aimed to have a lot of Black voices
• Shared links to the website and survey
• Defunding - what does it mean? Unbundling services the police department provides that they shouldn’t be providing -- homeless issues for example
• Committee’s work process: Steering - subcommittees - standing meetings, larger group meetings
• The work we are doing will have a natural end - work is ongoing - initial work expected to end sometime this March - hope another group will pick this work up and elevate the work we have started
• Preliminary impressions - overarching themes - provided excerpts from 5 subcommittees
• Note there is a typo - slide says hiring freeze - it has been rephrased to say institute a hiring freeze - there is not one in place now. City is hiring now to get to 73 sworn positions - the subcommittee is asking that they pause at 73 and do not hire to get to 88 at this time until we can see what can be unbundled.
• They are now on a tour of commissions and boards and the second public forum is Saturday at 10am on Zoom
• Conclude initial work in March 2021 with the hope these recs will continue
• BK: on subcommittee, asked about PD training to work with people of color and people with disabilities - there is not enough training and would like to see recommendations about training
• Especially for non-verbal people or people who struggle - that is a disaster waiting to happen
• Hope that we can really make some changes, think it is important to think about it from a systematic way
• AB: I’m on the sidewalk and see a lot of interactions, interested in making sure everyone’s rights are protected, want to see the final outcome
• LH: Thank you, mental health is a huge issue and the police should not be dealing with this, we have to make changes and learn how to deal with people going forward, grateful for the people giving time and effort. We have a common goal, stop the horrifying injustice of racial bias that has been going on for many years in our police force
• One thing the subcommittee realized is that more than 50% of calls for service are non-criminal, want to see mental health professionals respond to mental health crisis, lots of different models out there, people with disabilities call for help and end up being killed - that has not been the experience in Alameda but we do not want to wait for that to happen
• BK: The City did pay out Mr. Shelby Gattenby -- called for a crisis, tased, died in custody in 2018, settlement in 2020. A lot of other types of harm are done, even with children, police officers can exacerbate the situation
• AM: Thank you, informative, impressed with the amount of work that has been done, if there is help needed, if there are gaps, can the commission help?
• We are at a good base level but we are just at the beginning. We know there are detailed plans that the commission could support going forward. They could use help finding programs for Alameda - or ways to address these supports
• JR: This was a huge commitment, thank you. Re: unbundling, is the recommendation to take the money and put it into a separate non-police part of the budget for mental health or bring in new mental health services instead of using police?
• Halt new hiring, take a look at what the services they are providing, look at data over time to see how much work could be done by someone other than a police officer. Recommend funding go to other services - mental health, homeless, then restructure police department and determine if the same number of officers are needed. Will also need to educate people to use new resources
• Some models require police to put people on psych hold, some have officers on standby - they would like feedback
• Work will take another form after March, they have recommendations as to what this could look like that allows the work to continue
• LM: Has practiced law for 2 decades and has a lot of experience in this area, including with deaf people and people with Downs syndrome. Disabilities is cross sectional and needs are very different, support training with all disability groups, would like to participate more fully, hope there are recommendations for a quality assurance feedback loop. Want a quantitative review - stops, arrests, required by RIPPA act - is training effective? Do some officers have additional needs? Are some not cut out for this work?
• Rippa will be collecting information but it is based on officers decision so it is junk data - need training on better collecting data for people with disabilities -- some people have hidden disabilities - make process more robust - ask for funding or create a position in the city - crime analyst. Current data is inadequate
• Impressive group and body of work, look forward to engaging
4-B Presentation from the #nobodyisdisposable campaign regarding vaccine distribution and self-advocacy
• Presentation from Brandie Sendziak, co-founder of nobodyisdisposable coalition
• COVID vaccine priority affects me personally
• We have been putting off lifesaving care because we have not left our house since March
• This impacts people around the country and here in Alameda
• Guidelines re: vaccine continue to change
• Currently a tiered system - people with disabilities and at high risk are in tier 1c
• CA implemented part of the federal recommendations - 65 plus - and did not include people with disabilities
• Now after 1b the state is moving to age based system
• That does not prioritize people with disabilities at all
• The state says equity is a main goal
• But they are not giving priority to these groups - that is not equitable
• State advisory committee - it was announced CA would prioritize people with certain disabilities
• Restriction - could only get from health care providers who can verify need
• Can instead get a letter from their doctor
• Survey - please take and help share: nobodyisdisposable.org
• LM: Works at state DDS, following the shifting tiers
• AM: Tier changes are wreaking havoc - system is broken
• BK: Delayed cancer screenings, mobility treatments, autistic son - balancing his needs, it has been devastating, illogical, immoral, don’t understand why it is not part of the daily news feed. Veterinarians are part of front line workers - they are before people with disabilities. The message is that the dogs are more important than people at high risk
• Some people are listening, the Vaccine advisory committee - sending stories every day, Surgeon General has been responsive. They have a Valentines campaign, are calling the Governor
• AB: Lives in nursing facility, told first week in January was eligible, finally got the shot on the 13th, thank you for keeping it up
• LH: Will take the survey, have heard a lot of different frustrations, 61 with a preexisting condition, teachers, medical providers are doing their own thing - not all are following state guidance, that’s why forcing people to go to their health care provider is a huge problem, disproportionate impact on people of color
4-C Approve the City of Alameda Transportation Program Plan for seniors and people with disabilities
• We come present to you once a year
• So lucky to live in Alameda County
• Measure B and BB funds help transport people with disabilities
• Shuttle - still going, not a lot of people because of the pandemic
• Service overview: Loop shuttle, free ac transit bus passes, group trips, door to door transportation, customer service - outreach, management
• Recommend - maintaining shuttle, 40% of rides in the past, cost has increased by 50% per trip because there are fewer people, expanded free passes for low income residents, a year ago they learned the taxi company could not meet requirements, 53 new bus sign ups, Group trips - door to door services - looking at new options! Meal delivery
• Budget - expenditures $396k, revenues $441k
• Planning - did a survey, talking to commissions, will submit a program plan in 2021, grant application
• Community of shuttle riders - how many are still on? Almost everyone here has been inside since March. Who are the drivers? Lester, Don, Robin
• Pitch for taxi service -- does it have to be an Alameda company? No, it doesn’t - went out to bid that was the only company that bid. Let’s get uber or lyft
• Major issue is people getting to their vaccine - can we use shuttle for that?
• Emergency wheel chair program called FASTER - extended hours, converse the whole county - if you get stuck, 510-704-2111
• Where are driver salaries - one amount - don’t know what drivers make
• Could you ever lose reserves - no, but they are limited - too much is an issue
• Motion to approve, 6 yes votes
4-D Election of Officers
Chair: Leslie Morrison
Vice Chair: Jenny Linton
4-E Select Subcommittee to meet with the City Attorney’s Office to discuss the Commission’s role in settlement agreements for people with disabilities and other disability related cases
Subcommittee: Allison Mullings, Beth Kenny, Jennifer Roloff
5 Old Business
None
6 Staff Communications
--Police reform and racial equity
If you need a printed copy of the recommendations or the survey, please email me at shenry@alamedaca.gov <mailto:shenry@alamedaca.gov>. The recommendations are at www.alamedaca.gov/policing <http://www.alamedaca.gov/policing> and the survey is at www.alamedaca.gov/policingsurvey <http://www.alamedaca.gov/policingsurvey>. We will be reviewing responses in the coming weeks, so if you have not yet taken the survey, please do!
--COVID-19 update
Today there was a press conference today about the first cases of the South African variant of COVID-19 found in Alameda County and Santa Clara County. The County is still investigating and doing contact tracing, but what’s important to know is that the preventative measures we have been taking protect us from the different variants -- so now is the time to double down on these measures.
Here in the City of Alameda, we have seen our case numbers declining in the last few weeks. We have had 2121 cases to date and 53 deaths. In the last 7 days, we have had 76 cases, which is down from a high of 257 cases.
Our test positivity rate is also declining - in the City of Alameda we are at 3.3% and in the County we are at 4.7%.
Alameda County remains in the purple tier for reopening and they expect that won’t change for a few weeks, as our case rates are still considerable higher than the next tier - the red tier.
But we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel with the County moving to phase 1b of their vaccine framework. We have more information online at alamedaca.gov/vaccine.
Adjournment
8:43pm