08/11/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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an attendant .and an operator in an emergency vehicle, what constitutes. public need, qua:lificatio1Js of an oper.ator, etc. .Comm Mr. Murray moved second by Mr. wilhams to schedule publi c hearing 7/30/75 - on tbe request .for the. August 11,.1975 Council meeting. Motion Pl)b Hrng . carried unaniinbus'lY, I.-A:.. 7 Backgrourid 'of the request.wasreviewed(see committee minutes above). : . Public.. hearing was opened. Stephen R. VanHouten, 1200 High Street, #5, described the service proposed by the private nonprofit organization. He said an Urban Mass Transit grant was available to such organizations for capital purchases, vehicles to t'ransport elderly and disabled people. On checking services in this commun.ity, he said, it was discovered there was definite . need .for that type servic'e, but he found that code. restrictions prevented their firm . from obtaining a business licerrse and taking advantage of the. Federal funds. I-A-8 Speaking in favor of the code change were John Craig, 2042 Washington Street, speaking for the Mayor's Committee on Aging; Martin Weidemann, member of theMayor's Committee on I - B-1 Handicapped and past president of Oregon Architectural Barriers Council; Greg Long, 1333 Oak Patch Road; David Kleger, representing Oregon State Rehabilitation and Voca- . tidnal Division; Rob Bunnett, transportation developer for Lane County Social Services; Jewell Baker, 3206 Gardenia Way, speaking for the Senior Lobby; and Sylvia Pinkerton, 1877 Brewer Street, #J':'5. They felt the service was needed for the elderly and disabled because volunteer services hesitated to accommodate people in those categories in view of possible liability; vehicles were needed for public transportation that would accommodate wheelchairs and e people on crutches as well as those finding it difficult because of their age to board public busses; elderly and disabled persons were usually in lower-income brackets and needed less expensive transportation to recreational and cultural activities as well as to job training and educational facilities; less public funds would be spent trans- porting disapled and elderly to and from job training programs; many people needing this type of transportation did not need medical services provided in the only wheelchair transportation now available; vocational programs would be justified if it was known transportation would be available for the disabled to get to work; the service would give "equal protection under the law" to the handicapped; the service would compliment services proposed by Lane Transit District; a truly broad-based transportation program would be available in the community with this service in conjunction with medical trans- portation provided by ambulance services and other transportation provided by volunteer services; there could be more participation in activities provided for the disabled with the more easily accessible transportation proposed. I-B-2 Fred Dyer, manager of Lane Transit District, said the plan and application for funding of Associated Consultants, Inc., was in conflict with LTD plans. He said he under- stood it .was an interim step to provide transpotation immediately, but he felt that legally, economically, and politically, the plan was not appropriate in this area at this time. I-B-3 Bill Leonard, Oregon Emergency Medical Transportation Systems, pointed out the three types of services - curb-to-curb, which service LTD is planning and has been budgeting for; door-to-door, a service that provides for pickup of passengers on call; and door- through-door, the service provided by ambulances which his firm had been providing in e this community for a number of years. He had no objection to the proposed change if the service proposed was curb-to-curb or, with certain limitations, door-to-door. But he had not yet been able to obtain a definite description of the service proposed. He was concerned about the safety of people when getting up and down stairs or getting into a vehicle. He also noted the importance of driving a vehicle differently when it was 8/11/75 - 5 442..