ADA Advisory Commission Meeting - August 2025 - Part 2

A free, I guess, transportation service with the idea of it expanding eventually from not being just for people in the Baltimore communities. It would be available to everyone, but to start with, I want to work to establish this for those with disabilities, which is true to my heart.

Okay, thank you. I'm going to hold my thoughts for later, but thank you. We'll move on to the next one. Go ahead for number 2.

I would like to expand the job of the crisis team where they would hire people where it was their sole job would be going on the bus and work to just get the escalated behaviors before they become out of control, they would be set up in what's called trouble routes and might be placed at bus stops. And then I put notes. Another issue is— consider is what's called hospital dumping. It's where hospitals dump patients who are either too acute behavior-wise for the hospital to handle for the number of beds they have available, or don't have insurance, so they dump them out on the curb. Where they have full-on psychosis.

Unfortunately, a lot of those hospitals are on the bus route. I like to see a team set up to intercept those and de-escalate these before the problem arises because they go on the bus and they cause a lot of drama. But if they can intercept that before this stuff, it would effectively not cause a lot of issues. I've seen it happen many, many times when I was taking the bus. Because I usually was driving around the U Med District, and I think I can count about 3 to 4 times where we had a— I've had patients who were obviously just got, uh, just, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, I guess dismissed from the hospital and but they are, but they are still, in my opinion, on full-on psychosis and that kind of stuff.

This would effectively take this and act as the middleman to dissipate this so that they're not going to cause drama and all that kind of stuff on the bus and that kind of thing. But I'd like to see your opinions on this, and maybe this might be a thing in the conversation for those who work in the mental health field itself.

Richard, what is the crisis team? Does that exist today with UPASS? I guess I'm a little lost in the systems and structures we're proposing. Like the UPASS, and sorry, this is maybe just an education question.

The UPASS is part of the bus system, like I'm lost. Like, sorry. The UPASS is part of the bus system. It's for passes for, for organizations, but the CRIES team is set up through the, is set up through, I believe, the, the police department. And I think the homeless one is actually set up through the fire department.

They would effectively set up a, a sub-team in a sense to go on the, on the buses and de-escalate behaviors before they become an issue so that the buses are more safer. In the bus systems anchor rides, is that what, like, what is the overarching, what are we talking about? What is UPass?

UPass is a pass system, but go ahead, sir. This wouldn't, this is, this wouldn't portray the UPass. This would be a thing where these people wouldn't go on anchor rides. They would effectively go on the regular bus, the people mover. And work with those who are having mental health issues by de-escalating the situation.

Let's say someone is on substances or they're having acute psychosis. Let's say they have bipolar psychosis or schizophrenia. They're on a medication. They would effectively go on there and ensure that they're not harassing other people. And they need to take them off the bus by going on, by making a stop at the next stop with, and arranging with their team.

They would take that person off the bus and arrange maybe a stay at the hospital or work with them to get on medication and give them resources, that kind of stuff. That's kind of the idea of this, but it's separate from the U-Pass. That's what I'm trying to get across.

Jump in, others. I'm just trying to capture—. Yeah. Yeah, this is Ryan. I have a follow-up question for you.

So, Bridger, you're the expert in this area, so I'm going to defer to your knowledge, but I'm wondering what is the role of the bus driver if they see a situation happening on the bus? Are they responsible to ensure the safety of everyone on the bus? Or from, because from my observations, most of the time the bus drivers, they don't really engage with what's happening. They just keep driving until the last stop. And then, you know, maybe kick the person off.

So I'm just curious from your perspective, but you think the role, or you're aware of the role of the bus driver is currently in the in a crisis situation? I personally don't know. From what I've seen myself, the bus driver usually doesn't get involved unless it's, let's say, it's physical.

But I don't really know the rules and regulations and the responsibilities of the bus driver itself. I just want to try and say on this particular thing right now is I want to try to de-escalate these issues before they come up by adding a middleman so that— because crime has gotten to the point where it's getting scary.

And having this right here would hopefully mitigate this a little bit and nip it in the bud.

But I don't know exactly what the play of the bus driver is and the rules and regulations they have to follow. So I know in retail, for example, people who work in loss prevention, they can't go and touch people, for example. I don't know anything about bus drivers. I just am trying to advocate for those with disabilities, and I know they, they don't want to see this kind of stuff.

This is Ryan speaking again. I have a few thoughts about this. I do want to see what others' comments want to make first. To open the floor again back to Jessica or Krystal or Onome, if you guys have any thoughts you want to add. Yeah, this is Krystal.

So, just to go back to the really quick, the bus driver. The bus driver is supposed to just experience-wise and with working with the PeopleMover with previous employment. So a bus driver is supposed to just observe from a safe distance. They have to be clear and respectful with their communication to everybody on the bus, even those having the mental breakdown, if that's what they're actually having. And then they have to call the police.

That's their sole purpose of their job. However, my feelings— again, it's just my personal feelings— if you're putting a monitor, and essentially that's what it is, is a bus monitor on the trouble routes To me, that's like profiling. You're profiling those routes because they might be nervous areas near the hospital and things like that. But that's kind of profiling as well. And again, just devil's advocate, having— being in this field professionally, just because you think that they're in mental psychosis doesn't necessarily mean they are.

I also want to point that out too.

And just my last thing is the financial system. The financial sustainability. Where is all of this coming from when it comes to finances?

And I don't really know how this would be sustainable financially, though. I would assume it would piggyback on existing funding they have for the crisis team.

And while you're correct, I definitely don't want people being profiled, and I would assume they would get training to avoid that. Mistakes happen, but I also can't really figure out a way to— can't really figure out a way to, in my opinion, mitigate the issue without bringing someone on there that's effectively acting as a monitor that's trained in mental health.

And this is Ryan speaking. I do have a few thoughts about it. So the role of the commission here, commissioners, is to make recommendations to the mayor's office. So we could make a recommendation to, to the, uh, find out the exact department under the city.

Um, I don't know if we'll— we don't— we're not involved with finding the money or figuring that out with the budgeting. We just make the recommendation. So from what you've shared so far, it seems like maybe we want to separate some different aspects of your proposal. So it seems like, for example, the U-Pass program we want to expand, and that's great. That's one good idea we have.

And now we're talking about a separate issue of mental health crises. So I think maybe there's sort of two.

Separate recommendations, and it might be more clear, so it's not confusing to people. Of course, I understand the overall intention is to improve the transportation services for everyone, and we're making recommendations about that. But what I'm hearing so far, it's just a little bit confusing with them combined together. So when we give it to the city, I think it would be confusing to them as well. So that's just my suggestion so far, is to separate the recommendations.

And I know you do have a few more to talk about as well, so I just want to throw that out there as considering them as separate recommendations. And I agree with you 100%, and we can separate those. Are you guys ready to move on to the next one? I just wanted to throw a quick comment in, Bridger, if that's okay. So one, I think this is just a phenomenal area to focus on, so really applaud your efforts to start this conversation.

Sometimes with developing solutions, what we might do is focus on what is the need we're trying to solve for, and Bridger, what I was hearing in the crisis team conversation was more about how do we create a safe riding transportation situation? Is that— because what I'm hearing is there's routes that don't feel safe. You were kind of going down a solutioning path on the healthcare side of it with mental health, but it sounds like the goal, though, is every route should be a safe experience for those on the bus. Is that— was that more about safety? Okay.

It's, it's, it's both. Um, so I've noticed, um, and I think I've been taking rides now for almost, I think, a year and a half now. Uh, so I haven't been on the bus in a while, but beforehand it was getting to the point where, um, I know, I know it's a drastic change and, and just the people riding it, even the 55 route where I thought it was safe. I was getting situations where we were having people who were on substances who were being just acting just strange enough where I wasn't feeling safe on the bus and on the, on the stop, particularly on the, on the stops around, I think the, the Diamond Mall, the Midtown mall-ish, I think, area, particularly around Midtown and, and downtown area and that kind of stuff. I was just— it, it got to the point where I was having to make strategic plans on where I was supposed to go so I can have directional, um, I guess, alternatives to avoid those areas.

It was getting to the point where it was just getting dangerous, and it was about to be— it was a point where eventually I was going to get either assaulted or I was going to end up getting a, um, just in a verbal match with someone. Not myself causing it, but someone who is on drugs that is out— it's just not sensing the, the surroundings and that kind of stuff. And Okay. Thank you, Bridget. I appreciate it.

Yeah. Yeah. I am sorry if that came out wrong. I just— it sounds like— it was a traumatic time. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. It was really traumatic.

Anything else? I think you can go ahead and move on to the next part. And we have about 30 minutes left. I just want to remind everybody about our overall time. Okay.

I—. The third one is I recommend they purchase a few vehicles that would double as supervisor cars to allow for certain situations for those with disabilities and seniors that would act as Ubers. They would only be used for the following situations, and they must be already approved for ANCA rides. Going to and from job interviews, and I made a note that job centers DDR, and other funding sources might be available. But I also want to note too, as someone who's done interviews, I made mistakes where I took anchor rides to my, to my interview, and I was there for an hour, and I wasn't aware that wasn't proper, and I messed up my opportunity for working at a couple places, I think because I stayed there for an hour after I was waiting for my anchor rides.

And I was just— I don't know, I wasn't thinking. The other one was going on dates, meaning because of discrimination and the expectations that the person has— expectations the person has to 3 months to be able to tell their partner about their disability limitations, then use anchor rides and pay for the— and pay the $3.50 a ride charge. If they ride with them. And I made a note, the date can ride in the car and the driver can't say anything about their privacy. An individual must pay for the extra ride.

And emergency last-second doctor's appointments or prescription pickups. It's up to the discretion of the manager on duty to make decision or not to. It's an emergency. Emergencies in general is what I made. And then it is up to discretion of the UDM manager whether or not to make it an emergency.

This cannot be used for ambulance as a non-emergency. There's already a program. Those who qualify, there actually is, and it runs off a separate program. And I really don't want to try— I really don't want to dig into another person's program because it can get complicated. And then if the person has a toddler and runs out of diapers or formula, it would be acceptable to go to the store, for example.

And if the person owns a service animal or support animal, they will be able to— they're entitled to go to the vet in case of a last-second emergency. Let's say they get poisoned or whatever it is, they can go to the vet. They set call-ups. And if the person needs to get food bank and back, It might be a good idea to set up a group ride or a regular bus stop, bring folks with assistance that way.

And then expanding the funding opportunities by working with— and then actually, sorry, before moving to number 4, actually, is there any questions on that one?

I have questions, but I'm not sure how to formulate them yet. So I might jump in here. Um, it is a— okay, go ahead. Yeah, no, I, um, I, uh, I'm just going to use reflective listening and maybe try to synthesize the need we're describing. Versus kind of the solution proposed.

When we think about accessible transfer— safe, accessible transportation for people experiencing— people with disabilities, it sounds like the need is we— so we have established infrastructure with our bus systems that run at a schedule, but at times to live our fullest lives, we also need subsidized or supported flexible access to transportation. And so this very detailed write-up effectively describes, like, how do you, at a moment, get the support you need? So I wonder if we couch this in terms of we need, like, a flexible option available. And I'll throw out as an example, like, Medicaid, as an example, has, like, there's a taxi voucher program they have. And I don't, I can't, like, there's quite a bit out there, but there's a multitude of ways to meet similar needs, but the overarching need, it sounds like, is flexible access in certain situations.

Does that seem like a— is that a fair synthesis of your— the need you're trying to solve? Yes. Okay. And effectively, it's set up where it effectively fills those gaps in. So, if you have to go to a job interview, job interview, a job, Hiring manager is not going to want you to stay there for 2, 3 hours, but if you can't go on the bus because of whatever reason, you're pretty much stuck there.

So this thing would effectively stay there while you're going through your interview and then immediately pick you up and drop you back home, along with if you have an emergency, need to pick up medication, whatever, or you need to go and Let's say you broke— let's say you have a last-second appointment that's an emergency. It's up to the discretion of the manager on duty, but you can get a last-second ride, let's say day of, to bring you to that appointment. Then that effectively you would go on anchor ride, but let's say you can't do that because it's day of.

So would they pay for the ride? In the cars the same as they would if they'd get on AnchorRide? So assume— I would assume it would use the exact same funding as AnchorRides. So they would pay $3.50 or they have UPass, it would be free.

And if you bring an extra person, it would be $3.50. Anyone over one person would be, I think, $15. And it should act the same in a sense, but I also assume it would act as a— I also assume if it's not being used, it would act.

As a supervisor vehicle when not being used.

Okay. And then my last question just for this section is, can you justify the dating aspect of the dating ride for that? That one seems a bit, just in my opinion, a bit far-reaching.

Mainly because of discrimination.

Do you really want to show up on a date in an Anchorage bus?

Um, I want to meet up, that's my transportation. So that's why I'm— I guess I'm just questioning it because if I'm going on a date, that's a personal thing. That's not going to an appointment or a doctor's or groceries or, you know, bringing service animal to the vet. You're choosing to date somebody. No, independent living, even service.

And I totally get that though. It's just the problem is that making that first impression on a date, if you want to make that good impression people are going to judge you on that first date or two. And by coming in anchor rides, they're automatically going to assume that you're going to be a, I guess, a burden on them in a sense. And it might take them a while to learn who you really are. And by having the service, effectively you could mitigate that and have better odds of having a more successful relationship because they can understand that maybe you don't, you're not a burden, you are an individual, but you need a bit of extra help.

That's what Anchorize does. That's what I'm trying to get at right there, if that makes sense. Yeah, so this is Brian.

Oh, sorry. Okay, so this is Ryan. We've been spending a lot of time on this topic. I want to make sure that we're respectful of each other's opportunities to make comments. So we might need to move forward a little bit, but some of my thoughts about our recent comments about the personal usage, mostly of the funding for the public transportation with the subsidies.

Are based— are needs-based, right? So, I understand the perspective of the humanity, the human element of relationships and connecting with peoples. But, you know, people with disabilities are just like everybody else. We go to life events. We go on dates and things like that.

But I don't think it would look good from the perspective that this is more of a needs-based transportation. So, I do feel like it's a little bit of a sticky situation. To have those budgetary, you know, considerations brought out for personal needs. It's just something I wanted to throw out there.

I have a comment if I can, if I may make one. Yeah, go for it.

So I think maybe, well, with the first, the very first Your first thing that you brought up, Bridger, you know, I think maybe if I could understand how it connects to helping people with disabilities. My— the feel I got of that was there's people on the bus that are sort of disruptive and putting people at risk who need to be monitored and possibly removed from the bus. But those people themselves are also disabled. And so I'm wondering if we're meeting our goal if we're just trying to find a way to get them off the bus. And I think you said maybe get them to a hospital.

But maybe some way of writing that out that outlines what would become of the people, I mean, once they're off the bus because they're disabled. And that's who we're supposed to be protecting, or at least making recommendations for something to make life better for them. And even though they're more challenging, they are equally disabled as someone that didn't have legs. So I think this may be teasing it out more with our goals in mind. I keep calling them goals.

I don't actually know what they're called. In the charter that lists what this commission is supposed to be. Let me see. I don't know if you guys can see the chat, but I found it online. But those are— that's what we're supposed to be working with.

So maybe figure out how we can— how your suggestions link up to one of these things and write it out in a more detailed way. Like what exactly the goal is and, you know, what the recommendation is, I think it would be better, better understood. That's just a thought.

No, and I totally agree with you 100%. It needs to be, it needs to be weaved out. I know my work at CFC does do the training for crisis, the crisis team. So we'd be a pinnacle part in that training. And maybe I can get one of them to come in and give some advice and a comment, maybe in the next meeting.

But thank you for your comment.

This is Ryan. Bridger, if you don't mind making a recommendation, I think that we should assign this so we can table this so we can go back and try to kind of segregate your proposal into the different areas that are applicable. And do a little bit more research, um, from now until our next meeting. Have some time to take the opportunity to talk with other people from the City Hall within the Transportation Department that may be able to help get you through your thoughts and ideas so that we can come back to the committee and have an even stronger, robust, specific proposition for each of the goals, each of the objectives that you have, so that we can maybe discuss this again further. I agree with you.

Do you want to— do you want to— you want to go ahead and we skip 4 and then we just revisit that later?

If you want to go forward with number 4, that's fine, as long as we make it short. We have about 18 minutes left. We want to make sure that we are able to get through the rest of the agenda. Okay. So, number 4 is expanding funding opportunities by working with Mental Health Trust, Medicaid, Native Health— Native corporations, and doing fundraising to cover transportation costs for vulnerable communities.

The Mental Health Trust has already agreed to pay for the cost associated with anchor rides. What if we were to use them as a last resort, meaning we'd collect funding using UPass first, and if more is needed, they'd then be considered for other funding sources to ensure everyone gets better, equal access. We can even speak with the mayor, possibly setting up fundraising opportunities, maybe sign up to pick if you can give. And other local initiatives.

Okay, this is Ryan. It seems there are no other comments or thoughts, so I propose that we table this until our next meeting. Second. Okay, thank you. We will proceed to table this until our next meeting.

Thank you, Bridget.

So the next thing on the agenda is the bylaws discussion, and that's mine.

We are still analyzing and taking a look at the different committee and commissions bylaws samples that were provided to us, so I don't really have an update date at this time. So we'll go ahead and table that again until the next meeting. But we do encourage everyone on the Commission, if you notice any Commissioners, Commissioners online or in person, you can get information, you can get their information to Maya, and we can try to look through those bylaws as well to try to help us make our meetings more efficient. And we still have the— I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone to just try to show up on time, or really 5 minutes before the meeting, so that we are all prepared. Prepared and ready to start the recording on time and get going with the meeting.

So, I'd like to make a proposal that we can discuss how long maybe like each agenda item is, maybe like sort of 10 minutes or something to respect everybody's time. So, I don't know if there's any feedback on that or anybody want to discuss that before I move further. [Speaker:JULIE] I would motion when the agenda is put together, we put time limits on it, and then we have a process checker Yeah, I like that idea. I'm going to add that in my notes.

Okay, so now we'll move on to the next item, which is.

Update on the Winter Accessibility Priority Program. I think—. I can't remember who spoke to that. That was me, Crystal. Crystal, yes.

Okay, do you have any updates? I have not heard anything yet from them, Amy, not since we sent everything in.

Okay, so then we'll save that for the next meeting. Bless you. Excuse me, sorry.

So, hmm, I'm noticing for new business we have some items, uh, the sunset clause. But I don't think that's new business. I think that's more of an update. Maya, is that—. Yeah, so it is sort of new, sort of not new.

There has been some sort of like finality to it, I guess I could say, because they have conducted the audit and determined that they will recommend that this Commission be continued.

Yay! Good, that's good news. Fantastic job, Maya. Good job to the commission members.

And then I do have one question, still Ryan. In the charter that was, uh, I know I was posting, it says we're supposed to update the mayor's office and the assembly. What does that actually look like, updating? From my understanding is we reach out to Marie in the mayor's office I don't have much more direction on what to do and who to send updates to or make recommendations with.

Okay, thank you.

So we— there's no proposal or anything required for the sunset clause now, so we can move on to the educational and public relations program that was onome? I don't know that there was anything new. I think from what I recall, we were going to submit that, or you were, I think, Ryan. I'm not sure. But either way, I think we were going to have Marie Hughes look at it to see if it was— if that was appropriate or if it was written appropriately or if there was something that needed else that needed to be done.

Did I, did I misunderstand?

No, you are correct. I haven't really had an opportunity to speak directly with Marie yet. So if you— if there's no changes, then I will follow up with that and contact Marie right after this meeting. Maya, you don't know anything? You hadn't heard anything either?

I have not heard anything. I asked for an update and didn't get one.

Okay, then I will follow up. Thank you. Or do we have any questions or comments from the rest of the Commission for Onome about this topic?

No? Okay. So then we can move on.

So then we have the property tax exemption update from Jessica. So, um, Maya had helped tee that up for Marie to get feedback around. Marie sent it to the policy advisor to the mayor's office who engaged someone from the tax exemption group. They provided some initial feedback and some clarifying questions and said it was an interesting idea. Here's a couple of things things we'll want to kind of talk through.

That's my summary. And we are working on finding a time to get together. So I sent a— I was out for on vacation 2 weeks. So we're working to identify a time to meet to discuss further.

Great. Thank you for that update.

And then we're going to circle back to you, Bridger. Do you have any updates related to the disability town hall?

I don't, and I'm going to work on that in the next, the next meeting.

Okay.

So, we do have one person from the public attending today. This is Sandra McMahon. Do you have any comments that you wanted to make during our public comment time? As I was listening, I wondered, do you get updates from other departments for what they're doing? For example, Public Transportation's PTAB meeting has been doing a fare study and who's going to be going fare-free.

And how they're working through that, as well as the safety and security updates they've done?

So the— go. No, not really. We don't tend to hear from other departments from the municipality unless they reach out to us for a specific project or idea. So no, we are—. We're not aware of that.

And then you were talking about accessibility, winter accessibility, and there's been a muni-wide collaboration on that. Have you gotten any of those updates? Can I clarify for one second? Just for baseline education, the commission was dormant for a long time and just recently re-energizing. And so I think we're kind of a sponge at this point and can design—.

Yeah, we— our first full, fully staffed meeting, I think, was March or April, around that time. So since then, we haven't had any specific updates from any community departments. So you're the first. We're forming. Yeah, I'm new to the municipality.

My background is education, and my interest in ADA accessibility predates the ADA laws. My son was in I have a 2.5-year-old in an electric wheelchair. So fully accessible is a passion project for me, and not just physical disabilities. So I'm very excited for what you all are doing and just wondered, as I listened to some of the discussions, where you get accurate and timely information.

Just start now. Thank you for letting me sit in and listen and learn.

Oh, of course. And this is open to the public and people from the city too, of course.

And then it doesn't seem like we have— okay, moving on. Do we have any member comments from the commissioners? Any thoughts or anything?

So I'll just make a quick comment.

For the proposal that I had brought forward from our last meeting, I had been in the process of meeting with a variety of stakeholders. So the Hospital Association, Department of Health, Senior Disability Services, just saying, "Hey, what do you think?" Like, and what was interesting is Senior Disability Services in particular had shared, it's, I think there's an interesting idea, but what they shared is, "Hey, what we're hearing a lot about from people with disabilities that are," I mean, some of the most severely disabled clients they're working with.

A lot of it's about transportation. And so, I just thought it was really neat that tonight's conversation is around transportation. And one of the big issues they highlighted there, where I think if we could focus on the needs component— and Annemay, I really appreciated your grounding us in, like, the purpose of this Commission as well. The lens they brought, though, was how do we keep people with disabilities in their homes. And that's one of the big drivers where lack of accessible transportation, the routes, the services often are what drives people into those higher levels of institutionalized care.

And so I thought that was a really neat tie-in to the work Bridger's done here to bring awareness. And so I know some of these ideas are early, but would love to find ways to collaborate. So whether it's policy recommendations, because it seems like the very tactical detailed recommendations are going to be hard to land versus maybe stepping back from a needs conversation and learning from those that are doing the work to figure out how do we partner with the policy advisors may get us further in the long run.

Thank you for sharing that. I completely agree that sometimes we forget what our primary objectives are, and we really need to look at it from that lens. Yep, totally. We're just getting started, I feel like, as a Commission, so this is a really good time to— yeah, norming forming.

Definitely.

Crystal or Bridger, or anyone want to add any other additional comments?

I'd actually like to add in that we should maybe consider adding in more communication with departments to get updates so we can collaborate and give comments and ideas. And I'm sorry for the background noise. I'm at a barbecue right now.

This is Krystal. Yeah, I think it's a good call out for us to— we definitely need to partner a little bit more to get updates and information, be more communicative or interactive with— as far as more information with specifics that we can— that will help us be more specific with our recommendations. Resolutions and resolution and with our specific proposals and resolutions.

So, oh, did you want to add anything before I close this out? Crystal had a comment. Oh, I'm sorry, Crystal, I missed you. Sorry. No, it's okay.

Um, just, uh, just in bringing up the accessibility aspect of, um, the conversation, I also believe that 100% with transportation, but also at home as well. There is a— SEIL, Southeast Independent Living Center, has designed a program called Home Maps. ATLA is currently the agency that is handling Home Maps for, I believe, the state or certain areas. And I think that is something that the Anchorage municipality should adapt for individuals in town. Home Maps is a program where someone goes in to see how accessible your home is for you and how more accessible it can be so you can live and age independently in your own home.

Crystal, are you saying home MAP? M-A-P? M-A-P, yep. It's called a home MAP assessment. Nice.

The state of Alaska uses it as well. SAIL designed it for SAIL as well as the state of Alaska. So, the state of Alaska is aware that it's a great program to help you find, oh, you have a wheelchair, but your doorway is only 32 inches and it should be 36. So, this is something we should look at fixing. And then part of the home map is finding funding for you to get those modifications to your home.

Chris, can we reply? Oh, go ahead. Oh, yeah, sure. I know we're at time, but that is so neat, Crystal. I'm connecting dots where— so the hospital I lead acute inpatient rehab, as we discharge patients home, we'll do home visits.

And our skilled therapists will, and case managers will go through the house and do an assessment prior to discharge and go through all those types of recommendations. But I love you drawing attention to that because the larger conversation, how do we keep people with disabilities in their homes and some of the funding sources out there for sustainable programs like that, I'm wondering, anyway, you've got a lot of, I've got a lot of wheels turning. Right now, the federal government has developed the Rural Health Transportation Fund. It's a $50 billion fund that things are moving kind of quickly. You may have seen the RFI that went out a couple weeks ago.

And the Department of Health is gathering feedback, but the 4 priorities of the Department of Health, one includes long-term social supports, you know, really how do we, as folks are aging, and there's 3 other kind of key areas, but this much larger topic. So, all that to say, there's opportunities even to submit ideas to the Department of Health for how do we fund programs even beyond the municipality or partnerships between the municipality and the state through the federal program for maybe creating certain Yeah, so I just, I love that, like, that wasn't even on my radar and been thinking about this quite a bit. So, thank you for sharing that program. Yeah, and I think it goes right up there with Bridger's Town Hall, and I wasn't at the last meeting, but the education aspect of it and making sure that the residents of Anchorage actually understand what programs and what things are available to those if they have disabilities, because I have worked for disability agencies my whole career and there are still people who don't know that they exist.

That was my comment. Sorry. All done. Thank you.

Thank you, Krystal. And before I close this out, Onome, I just want to double-check. Do you want to say anything? Oh, no. I'm good.

Okay, great. I just wanted to make sure. Thank you. So, I did notice that the next meeting date on our agenda is today's date. So, actually, it should be September 10th.

So we will update that. So next meeting will be on September 10th here, 6 o'clock, 6 to 7. And with that— September 11th? That's a Wednesday. I think September is 9/11.

Oh, you're right, it is the 11th. I'm sorry, I was— yeah, thank you. I was thinking about Wednesday. Thank you for correcting me. Yes, September 11th.

Okay, so without further ado, I will go ahead and adjourn at 7:01.