[NFBO-Linn-benton] FW: testimony on follow up to paratransit crisis

Tue Dec 21 16:06:04 UTC 2021

Hi All,

Please see the latest on Dial-A-Bus below

From: kjocums at icloud.com <kjocums at icloud.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 8:04 AM
To: 'bocinfo at co.benton.or.us' <bocinfo at co.benton.or.us>
Cc: 'city.council at corvallisoregon.gov' <city.council at corvallisoregon.gov>;
'Jim Day' <Jim.Day at lee.net>
Subject: testimony on follow up to paratransit crisis

Good Morning:

I submit this written testimony for the BOC meeting this morning.

My name is Kristen Jocums.  I am a  resident of Benton County and the
elected President of the National Federation of the Blind, Linn-Benton
Chapter.  I speak for myself and for our Benton County members.   

Last month our organization reached out to you about a serious crisis in
paratransit services for our County. Subsequently, several county officials
met with us and other people with disabilities and also met with Dial-A-Bus.
These meetings have apparently addressed the immediate crisis and started a
process that will hopefully restore paratransit to the once excellent
service we once had. We thank you for that.

We believe that this crisis would have never happened if the county had
fulfilled its ADA mandates to keep people with disabilities informed and to
solicit their input on paratransit developments. We are particularly upset
that the county called a meeting of the previously defunct or dormant
Special Transportation Advisory Committee (STAC), with no advanced notice to
any of the people who have raised the alarm and inadequate posting on the
County website, and then ran that meeting as a PR event with not one single
mention of the current crisis. This is not the way to restore good
relations. 

We understand that the STAC will soon be merged with the State
Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) Advisory Committee and note with
alarm that the proposed state rules mandate only one place on this new
committee be given to a person with a disability. We urge that this new
committee be expanded from the minimum required by the state and include
representation by people with different disabilities. The NFB requests that
it be included along with groups representing other disabilities in planning
for this new committee.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to continuing more productive
engagement with you on transportation issues.    

Kristen Jocums, J.D.

President

Linn-Benton Chapter

National Federation of the Blind of Oregon

993 NW Circle Blvd. Ste. C

Corvallis, Oregon 97330

Mobile: 706-718-8055

Fax and office: 541-286-4738

kjocums at icloud.com <mailto:kjocums at icloud.com> 

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