Yeah, I think we heard of Sergeant Hughes who's planning to join.

Okay, so we'll give an extra couple of minutes here.

I didn't get back to you about the audience.

I don't have to eric and I forgot to have that.

Okay, yeah, no worries.

Yeah.

Why don't we go ahead and get started?

Um it appears we have everybody from the committee either in person or online, except um Officer Hughes at the moment, and I'm hoping she'll be able to join us momentarily.

So welcome everyone.

Um I am joining and chairing remotely.

I'm hoping people can hear me okay.

I'm hoping I can hear people when the discussion, as I had mentioned earlier, it's sometimes a bit challenging online to at least for me to discern when multiple people start talking and um hearing them clearly, so I'll do my best.

I'd be looking for a motion to approve those minutes.

I'll move to approve.

Okay, a motion uh by Robbie.

Do we have a second?

Second by Randy.

Any any corrections or modifications to the minutes?

Not seeing any.

All those in favor of approving the minutes as presented, say aye or thumbs up.

Any opposed?

Not seeing any.

Okay, our minutes are approved.

Our first agenda item is a discussion of pedestrian-related opportunities.

And for that, we have our ADA coordinator and sidewalk.

Uh, I'm sorry, Colin, I don't have your exact title, but um sidewalk um guru uh Colin Haldeman from Engineering joining us.

And Colin, I think um we hear from a lot of folks that um you know pedestrian issues are very important, just as we are very concerned about bicycle issues or mobility issues, pedestrian issues are very important.

And I guess we were looking for your perspective on you know how things are um when it comes to pedestrian access, what type of work uh you're involved with, um, including accessibility and what type of projects are in store.

And I guess the last thing I know that um the consultant Benish has been working on you know, looking at our facilities, looking at our buildings.

If you could give us an update on that um in particular, related to pedestrian issues.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Um I can start off with Benish update.

Um three more facility inspection sheets I have to send me in.

Um, and then it'll be completely done with all of our facilities for the year.

Um, and then the next process is to actually write the final product, I guess, of the entire uh draft of our transition plan.

It's gonna be very long, expensive, and once they have it all put together, we'll figure out a timeline of what would be realistic for the city of lacrosse to actually become fully compliant city.

Um be a very long process, but um it looks good.

Honestly, everything's been moving along really well.

Um you mean a little where they are where um I'll fast a little long if they have if I have any questions that literally pop up on a day-to-day basis on certain things I can ask many questions and they're willing to help out.

So they've been a great company to work with.

As far as other projects and things that are going on, um, I'm fixing other sidewalk uh trip hazards on a day-to-day basis.

Um anywhere around the city.

I have an idea of list of sidewalk complaints that are made by residents that um that's all they bring to my attention.

I go and walk certain sections of the city each every year to see what kind of uh trip hazards or literally emergent situations we need to have taken uh taken care of each year.

So the list gets very long very quickly.

Uh allow to get a lot of things accomplished each and every year, but do our best what we got.

Um there's another sidewalk infill project that's happening down on 29th Street this year that will go from uh James Street to Highland Street, where you're on 29th Street Don't we have Hinch Elementary?

Um we almost have a full connection back to Henshin again.

We have a full connection made from on 28th Street from Hinch Elementary all the way up to Diagonal Avenue or Diagonal Road and High Street there.

So I'll take some time to fill that entire neighborhood in yet, but yeah.

I guess Colin, what what do you find is the most is the major concern from residents when it comes to pedestrian um access, whether it's sidewalks or intersections or whatever?

In my realm of the world here, it would definitely be uh sidewalks and curb ramps are my two biggest uh things people kind of with me about.

Um sidewalk trip hazards that all of a sudden you can really see underneath the entire sidewalk, you know, it's a tree route has lifted so badly, or the new uh curb ramps that are going in downtown, people don't like them.

Um, but uh it's tough to retrofit stuff in uh in an older city like lacrosse, and it's challenge every day to make sure people have the access they're they're supposed to have.

But uh yeah, those are two probably big ones, honestly.

What about pedestrian signaling?

I know for the auditory signals.

Um, where are we with that throughout the city?

Uh we have a project for all the signals on connecting highway to replace the um pedestrian signals with accessible ones, but that's a slow process, and we have to decide if it makes sense to put those in before the state comes through and replaces all of the signals, or if we should just sit back and wait and not spend the money.

Um the signals that are not on connecting highway, we do not have a funding source right now to replace them.