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Accessibility committee approves minutes; chair signs Parks & Recreation grant-support letter as an individual
Summary
COBAC approved amended minutes and the chair read a letter of personal support for a Parks & Recreation grant; staff clarified the chair signed in a personal capacity (not on behalf of the committee). Cassandra will circulate Garrett's presentation slides and an email from a student describing housing barriers; the next COBAC meeting is Dec. 18, 2025.
The City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee approved amended minutes from its Oct. 23 meeting and received updates on a Parks & Recreation grant-support letter and other follow-ups.
Carl Burnett moved to approve the amended minutes; the chair called for a majority raise and declared the motion carried after members responded in the affirmative. Chair John Halen clarified that he signed a letter in support of a Bend Parks & Recreation Department (BPRD) grant application "as the chair" in his personal capacity and not as the entire committee, following guidance from the city attorney to expedite timing. Cassandra, the accessibility and equity manager, explained the letter summarized COBAC discussion and noted the chair's signature reflected time constraints around the Parks & Rec deadline.
John Halen read a letter he attributed to outgoing chair Liz Woodfin emphasizing inclusive park design: "In my professional role supporting people with disabilities, I'm seeing more and more barriers to accessing basic resources... I have great faith in Bend Parks and Recreation's ability to design and build spaces that don't just meet ADA standards, but go beyond them." The committee discussed returning to BPRD for further input if the grant is awarded and requested that staff share project materials with COBAC.
Manager Cassandra said she will email Garrett's presentation slides, forward a student email about housing barriers for the group's awareness, and reach out to absent members for December work-plan contributions. The committee set its next meeting for Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, from 1:00–2:30 p.m., and the chair adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m.
Votes at a glance: The amended Oct. 23 minutes were approved after Carl Burnett moved to approve; membership used a majority-raise procedure rather than the traditional motion/second format and the chair declared the motion carried.
