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Accessibility committee advances work plan: membership diversity, mentorship and transit engagement
Summary
The committee reviewed work-plan priorities May 28, including proposing charter language to encourage (but not require) greater representation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, planning a mentorship initiative, and identifying volunteers to join a city transit work group that will feed into a broader transit visioning effort.
At its May 28 meeting the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee reviewed elements of a strategic work plan focused on increasing representation, creating mentorship pathways, and improving the committee’s role in agency project engagement.
Committee members discussed adding charter language that would set a goal to encourage more representation from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities rather than a strict quota. "Instead of having the committee will have at least 51%... I think a goal of having that is the more realistic way of phrasing that," Amanda Hamer said during the discussion of voting‑membership language.
The committee discussed two linked initiatives: (1) consider updating the committee charter to encourage representation and lay groundwork for a mentorship program; and (2) create a practical engagement process so agencies know when to notify the committee about projects and the committee can decide whether to engage. Ian Isaacson described the desired outcome as a simple flowchart or stakeholder‑notification practice so agencies would include COAC on project stakeholder lists and the committee could opt in as appropriate.
City Assistant Manager Stephanie Bedidge and staff asked for a volunteer to serve on a transit work group convened by the city manager to help advise a revised regional transit vision and near‑term transit improvements. Members indicated interest and asked for scheduling details; Derek (staff lead) said meetings are expected to run about an hour monthly and are currently aligned to follow committee meetings but can be adjusted.
Staff also previewed internal recruitment timelines: the city is finishing candidate interviews for board and commission appointments and expects to bring two new COAC members for appointment at the June meeting. Staff invited committee participation in interview panels and other upcoming training opportunities.
Next steps: staff will draft proposed charter language revisions and work with interested members offline to refine mentorship language; committee members will signal interest in the transit volunteer role and staff will circulate scheduling details.
