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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Community and Family Advisory Board 2022-01-06 January 6, 2022 9:00 a.m. VIRTUAL To view or listen to the board meeting by Zoom Webinar ONLINE (Zoom Meetings): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97515043195 Webinar ID: 975 1504 3195 CALL-IN (Telephone Option): 877-853-5257 (toll-free) Meeting ID: 975 1504 3195 1. Public Comment. 2. Trustee and Staff Liaison Update. Trustee Younglund & Assistant Town Administrator Damweber 3. Minutes dated December 2, 2021. Board Consideration 4. Officer Appointments. Board Discussion 5. Feedback on Draft Childcare Reserve Fund Policy. Board Discussion 6. Recommendations for CFAB (continued from December 2, 2021). Board Discussion Adjourn. THIS SPECIAL MEETING WILL BE HELD IN PLACE OF THE REGULAR MEETING. THERE WILL BE NO CFAB MEETING AT 3:30 P.M. ON JANUARY 6, 2022. AGENDA COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING       Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, December 2, 2021 Minutes of a Regular meeting of the COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ADVISORY BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held Virtually in said Town of Estes Park on the 2nd day of December, 2021. Committee: Chair Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Almond, Members Brown, Bryant, DeLorme, Douglas and Strom Attending: Chair Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Almond, Members Brown, Bryant, Douglas and Strom, Town Board Liaison Younglund, Assistant Town Administrator Damweber, and Deputy Town Clerk Beers Absent: Member DeLorme Chair Dale Marshall called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT. None. MEETING MINUTES DATED NOVEMBER 4, 2021. It was moved and seconded (Brown/Bryant) to approved the minutes dated November 4, 2021 and it passed unanimously. TRUSTEE AND STAFF LIAISON UPDATE. Trustee Younglund stated she would assess Town Board interest in establishing a Childcare Reserve Fund at a future Town Board meeting. Assistant Town Administrator Damweber provided an overview of the CFAB discussion from the November 9, 2021 Town Board Study Session, where it was determined Mayor Pro Tem Martchink and Trustee Younglund would create recommendations on how to proceed with CFAB. He requested input on how to address issues previously identified by staff related to community and family needs. CFAB bylaw amendments were briefly discussed, though no changes were determined. Vice Chair Almond joined the meeting at 4:12 p.m. REFLECTION & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. Chair Dale Marshall requested CFAB provide feedback on the role of CFAB, representation, makeup and expectations. Responses have been summarized: The benefits of establishing a quarterly round table to discuss what is happening in the community and gather information related to needs, gaps and barriers for families; the importance of a diverse membership on CFAB and hearing from educators, healthcare workers, business owners, and all types of demographics; the removal of “community” from the focus which created too broad of a spectrum, and confusion regarding whether CFAB identifies both issues and solutions for Town Board consideration. Concerns were heard related to meeting effectiveness, empowerment struggles and worth of CFAB by the Town Board. Trustee Younglund provided distinction between an advisory board and a task force and discussion ensued on whether CFAB should be one or the other. It was determined CFAB would hold a three-hour working meeting to further discuss essential elements of restructuring CFAB. There being no further business Chair Dale Marshall adjourned the meeting at 4:59 p.m. Bunny Victoria Beers, Deputy Town Clerk DRAFT       CFAB Meeting 1-6-22 Agenda Item #6 – Working document for discussion/decision making Color key: Blue = new suggestions formulated from CFAB member discussions and feedback Red = questions that need attention Green = Patti’s input, to get the discussion started. Other input needed here. Chair Dale Marshall, Vice Chair Almond, and Member Brown have worked offline according to Advisory Board rules to cull feedback, historical discussions, and decision-making to develop these structure formats. The role of CFAB Current Bylaws: • Research and summarize factual data on issues of importance to families in the Estes Valley. • Develop recommended policies that align with the Town Board Strategic Plan to address these issues. • Present these recommendations to the Town Board and/or Town staff. Consider these changes to the current bylaws: • Research, review and summarize data on issues, challenges, needs, service gaps and barriers to service facing families in the EV. • Discuss, prioritize, and summarize information to share with Town Board, and present policy recommendations that align with or inform the Town Board Strategic Plan. • Provide the perspective of families on current projects and plans of Town and deliver informed and timely responses to TB for information as requested. Name We elected to add “community” to our name in 2021, to reflect a more inclusive definition of family. How do we feel about that now? Does it make our focus too broad and create some confusion over our role and purpose? Do we want to recommend to the TB narrowing our focus to “families raising children” and return to the name FAB? Or do we want broader representation and maintain the name CFAB? (I think returning the name to Family Advisory Board while providing an operational definition of what is meant by family is a good “re-boot”—PCB) A proposed operational definition of family: In our society the definition of “family” has changed from what was once considered a “traditional family” to various household configurations of two or more people who share a bond of marriage, blood, or commitment. The Family Advisory Board recognizes that the ages of individuals within a family unit may range from infants, children, teens, adults, seniors, to the elderly. These differing household groups have various needs and concerns, yet they share the common thread of being a household unit under the broad umbrella of “family.” Is CFAB’s focus on this inclusive definition, or shall CFAB narrow our focus to “families raising children?” Recommendation: possible: return to FAB and adopt “families raising children” as the guiding definition of representation. Membership CFAB Chair, Vice Chair, member Brown propose membership should include representatives from key “family-serving” organizations across the community, as well as members at large who represent the voice and perspective of diverse families. A suggested list of representative membership: EP Schools (ES, MS and HS) – representing families with children K-12 (include a counselor or social worker with front line experience with families) Estes Park School Board EVRPD Board EVICS Family Resource Center – representing diverse families, EC, and childcare Crossroads Ministry – representing families in need and the faith community EPH and/or Salud – representing medical community EPHA – representing housing Restorative Justice (or law enforcement) – representing youth and community issues Summitstone – representing mental health Business community – representing workforce families At-large community members - representing diverse families (min of 3) Others? Who are we missing? Expectations and initiatives: (yea or nay to each of these, and open the discussion to other suggestions) * What would need to be added to by-laws? 1. FAB meets a minimum of 10 times per year, monthly, with the option of no meeting in July and Dec. Why? To be “family friendly” and sensitive to members representing those organizations heavily invested in work with families. 2. FAB is charged with providing quarterly presentations to Town Board on progress, topics of interest, and/or policy recommendations that align with Town Strategic Plan. Why? To increase accountability, communication, and impact. 3. Policy recommendations made to TB will receive feedback within one month of the presentation of the recommendation. Why? To demonstrate that FAB recommendations are valued and considered. (Question: Is there a procedure for presenting recommendations, to ensure we are following policy?) 4. The Town Board will clearly communicate specific tasks and requests to the FAB. Why? To utilize the expertise of the FAB in accomplishing the mission of Town Board and to use the group to gain the perspective of families on current and potential projects, endeavors, and/or action items of the Strategic Plan or Town, generally. 5. Each year, the FAB will review the Town Strategic Plan, and make suggestions as needed, to ensure that family’s needs and contributions are reflected in meaningful ways throughout the plan. Why? To show value of families in community decision-making by intentionally including feedback from CFAB as part of the Strategic Planning process. 6. Annually, CFAB will review and update the Community Resource List provided on Town’s website in partnership with local nonprofit organization. (Why? Originally created by FAB in the early days, a really great resource that needs to be kept up-to-date and utilized in the community. Other decisions/recommendations: • Should we create a mission and vision statement? (The idea of the advisory board creating/writing our mission/vision statement is great as this allows us to define and shape the advisory board according to the expertise on the board—PCB) o How does this look in alignment with other Town Advisory Boards and must they be uniform, meaning ALL boards have a mission/vision statement? • Should we establish focus areas annually? (The focus areas should come out of our mission/vision statement and can be reviewed and adjusted annually—PCB). o Again, how does this align with all Town Advisory Boards and must it? • Should the FAB have a role in producing and/or reviewing the annual community services survey? If so, what role? (This is an excellent annual task for the FAB on several levels. It keeps the list updated for the TB and community, it keeps the members of the board aware of the resources and gaps in services—PCB) o CFAB can analyze identified trends with community services survey results as a way to reinforce or challenge results and provide deeper insight. • Should the FAB have any involvement or input in the selection of Town- funded community services? (The FAB is an “advisory” board. It makes sense that we would be aware of/be made aware of town funded community services which impact families—PCB.) Base-funded and community service grant organizations largely impact families in EP. Is our voice important or useful in that process? (Yes, as an advisory board we can bring the “family” lens to the discussion of how the town distributes funds to services that serve families—PCB.) Is there value to the Town in having a FAB representative serve on the grant review and selection committee? (Yes, there is no reason to not have someone from the board at the table to provide advice as decisions are made about funding family services—PCB.) Is there an expectation that 2 times per year FAB invites town-funded partners to a FAB meeting for updates, networking, and collaboration? (This is an excellent way to take the pulse of the town-funded partners and see where there are barriers and gaps as well as successes in services—PCB.) o Many may be represented as members. • Should all organizations receiving funds from the Town through Base or Competitive Grants Process, be mandatory or suggested members of FAB? (It may be a bit much to have all organizations represented on the FAB—but the FAB can meet with town-funded partners to monitor and understand the needs, gaps, barriers, etc. of community services for families—PCB.) o LDM believes all Town Base Funded organizations should have expectations of regular reporting to Town Board. The proposed structure of CFAB would see most of these organizations represented anyway and the CFAB expectation of identification of trends, emerging needs, and gaps in services aligns with valuable reporting of base funded organizations. So, this could be an excellent manner in which to have vital data points delivered via CFAB. Additionally, recommendations may be informed via base funded organizations in terms of capacity to deliver needed services that then would offer guidance for utilizing base funds in the most beneficial way for the community. Also, it supports and encourages intentional collaboration among base funded organizations to meet community needs. • Should the FAB be expected to meet at least one time per year with the other Town Advisory Boards? And if so, to what end? (I am not sure this is absolutely necessary/essential, though networking and communicating are always good ideas. There are several advisory boards that I’m aware of, and there may be others: Parks; Transportation; and Comprehensive Plan—PCB.) • Does the FAB have a role in emergency response support during a community crisis or natural disaster? Example: Ensure access to resources for families is streamlined and communication is clear, accurate, and timely? If this is our role, and how do we do it? (This is also an EXCELLENT question and we should explore how this fits and would work with our board being an “advisory” board. Perhaps an annual meeting with the town’s emergency preparedness/planning people would be wise to best learn how they focus on families in emergencies— PCB.) o CFAB and/or the members may be an important source of information on how local families are able to receive information during emergency. There is currently overlap in CFAB and Estes Valley Resiliency Collaborative, a representative group that takes action collectively in times of emergency in support of the community and to share information for proper decision-making. Continuing that overlap with intention might be a response to this. Proposed Agenda for FAB Meetings: (1.5 hours)  Welcome/Updates/Announcements from FAB Chair  Introductions and updates from members - roundtable  Report and updates from Staff Liaison  Report and requests from TB Liaison  Action items: Minimum of one action item will be addressed at each meeting. Action items will be selected by FAB officers prior to the meeting and will directly align with current FAB mission/vision statement and focus areas. This portion of the meeting may include a presentation on new or updated info, a guest speaker, presentation from member organization, or discussion/response to a request brought to FAB by Liaison.  Old/New Business – a time for members to ask questions, follow-up on prior business, or suggest new items of business for consideration. Prepare for quarterly presentation to Town Board. o Identify most important items from meeting to be shared with full board by Trustee Liaison as determined collectively by the group.