Community Assessment City Of Westminster Carlos Jaen Frostburg State University.

Community Assessment

City Of Westminster

Carlos Jaen

Frostburg State University

City of Westminster

City of Westminster Geographic Information Land Area – 2010 Square Miles 6.3829 Gross Acres 4,085.0445 Climate Yearly Precipitation 42.0 inches Yearly Snowfall 35.7 inches Summer Temperature 73.7 Degrees Winter Temperature 34.0 Degrees Duration of Freeze-Free Period 181 days

Incorporated in 1818 urban/suburban Westminster is the county seat of Carroll County and is located in northern Maryland, United States. The city of Westminster with Main Street as its historic district is a small town community with residential housing built on the outskirt. The population of Westminster from the 2012 census was 18,628 (100% urban, 0% rural).

Source:http://www.citydata.com/city/WestminsterMaryland.html#ixzz30JYJ6wfZ

City of WestminsterBoundaries and Topography

The city of Westminster’s boundaries and closer cities and towns are: Manchester,

Taneytown, New Windsor, Union Bridge, Hampstead, Mount Airy and Sykesville. There is a major four lane route, MD-140, which connects to I-795 and I-695 to Baltimore, and there are several two lane routes such as: MD-27, MD-194, MD-30, MD-32, MD-91 and MD-26 which connects Westminster to its neighboring cities and towns.

City of Westminster

City of Westminster

Environmental Control

Environmental control is accomplished through the city’s recycling program, household trash pickup, yard waste and leaf removal. Waste disposal for the city of Westminster’s households is done by The Ecology Service. The ecology Service is a private, subcontracted company, contracted by the city and is in charge of household trash pickup, however, bulk trash and yard waste are not included and are collected by the city. The city also has a recycling program in which materials such as plastics, metals, paper and glass are collected separately and taken to the county landfill where they are converted into new materials, hence reducing waste, and preventing emissions of many types of greenhouse gases and water pollutants. This saves energy all around; supplies valuable raw materials to industry; creates jobs, stimulates the development of greener technologies, and reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators.

Sources: (http://www.westminstermd.gov/174/Garbage-Recycling).

City of Westminster Environmental Control

The city also has a county landfill where bulk trash, leaves, trees, and other materials are dumped.

Water is supplied to the city of Westminster by ground water obtained from two wells in Wakefield Valley in central, western Carroll County. The city has two community water treatment plants that cover approximately 8,097 acres; one is the Cranberry System plant, which includes the main Treatment Plant and 12 wells located throughout the service area, and the Wakefield System, a treatment plant supplied by 2 wells. (http://www.westgov.com) Water Reservoir-The city's 121.8-million-gallon raw water reservoir is used to supply water during rain events and to supplement existing sources during times of reduced flow. A pump station and transmission line was constructed in 2008 to supply water from the Medford Quarry during extended dry periods.

Treated Water Storage

Cranberry System:

1.0-million-gallon finished water reservoir

1.5-million-gallon stand pipe

0.5-million-gallon elevated water tank

2.0-million-gallon high-zone water tank

Wakefield System:

2.0-million-gallon stand pipe ( http://www.westgov.)

City of WestminsterType of Housing and Overall Condition

The type of dwellings in the city of Westminster are a combination of single family detached homes, apartments, townhomes and mobile homes. There is a section 8 housing voucher program available for very-low income residents, who qualify for rental subsidy, this is offered by the city‘s public housing agency. Overall housing condition for the city varies because there are many older colonial style homes that are not in good shape, many rental unit apartments are in decent shape and the newer ranch style, single family, detached homes are in much better condition,

Housing

Housing Type – 2000

Total %

Single Family Detached 1,994 29.7%

Single Family Attached 1,889 28.2%

Multi-Family Unit 2,811 42.0%

Mobile Home 10 .1%

Housing Occupancy - 2000

Owner-occupied housing units

53.7%

Renter-occupied housing units 46.3%

Major Non-Governmental Employers within 3 miles of the City of Westminster – 2010.

Sources: http://www.westgov.com/documentcenter/view/49

City of WestminsterIdentify the People of the Community

Population Profiles

Population (excludes on-campus students)

Total % Change

1980 Population 8,808 -

1990 Population 13,068 +48.36%

2000 Population 16,731 +28.03%

2010 Population 18,590 +11.1%

Median Age 2000 32.7 years

Population of Primary Trade Area of Westminster – 2005

125,477

Age Distribution - 2000

Total % Population

Under 5 years of age 1,127 6.7%

5-19 years of age 3,745 22.4%

20-44 years of age 6,842 40.9%

45-64 years of age 2,814 16.8%

65+ years of age 2,203 13.2%

Racial Composition - 2010

City of WestminsterPopulation profilesTotal % Population race and ethnicity

White 15,990 86.01%

Black or African-American 1303 7.01%

American Indian & Alaska Native 65 35%

 Asian 415 2.23%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 .04%

Some other race 352 1.89%

City of WestminsterPopulation profiles

For population 15 years and over in Westminster city:

Never married: 36.9%

Now married: 41.2%

Separated: 3.2%

Widowed: 7.9%

Divorced: 10.8%

987 residents are foreign born (2.6% Latin America, 1.3% Europe, 1.2% Asia).

This city: 5.3% Maryland: 12.8%

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Westminster-Maryland.html#ixzz30f0i96Gl

City of WestminsterPopulation profiles

City of Westminster Population by Age and Sex, 2000 • Age Total Male Female

Under 5 1,127 554 573 • 5 - 9 1,256 634 622 • 10 - 14 1,107 581 526 • 15 - 19 1,382 663 719 • 20 - 24 1,585 787 798 • 25 - 29 1,197 569 628 • 30 - 34 1,341 673 668 • 35 - 39 1,486 733 753 • 40 - 44 1,233 624 609 • 45 -49 924 450 474 • 50 - 54 847 395 452 • 55 - 59 590 270 320 • 60 - 64 453 198 255 • 65 - 69 420 169 251 • 70 - 74 464 174 290 • 75 - 79 435 140 295 • 80 - 84 431 116 315 • 85 - 89 289 60 229 • 90 + 164 34 130 • Total 16,731 7,824 8,907

Source: U.S. Census, 2000.

City of Westminster Births & Deaths Rates

Crude birth and death rates are available for Carroll County as a whole; information for individual municipalities such as Westminster has not been tracked. For the years 1995 through 2000, the County’s average annual birth rate was 12.6 per 1,000 population (Table 3.4). During this time period, the lowest birth rate was recorded in 1999 at 12.0 births per 1,000 population, and the highest rate occurred in 1996 at 13.3 births per 1,000 population. A smaller second peak occurred in 1998 with a birth rate of 12.8.

Birth and Death Rates, Carroll County, MD 1995 – 2000 Year

Birth Rate Death Rate

Total White Other Races Total White Total Other Races • 1995 12.9 13.1 8.6 7.2 7.3 5.4 • 1996 13.3 13.4 11.7 7.2 7.4 3.8 • 1997 12.4 12.5 9.8 6.9 7.0 4.3 • 1998 12.8 12.9 12.5 7.0 7.0 5.0 • 1999 12.0 12.1 7.1 6.6 6.8 5.0 • 2000 12.6 12.6 7.6 7.6 7.7 6.2

6 Year Average 12.7 12.7 9.6 7.1 7.2 5.0

Source: Carroll County Demographics & Data Manual, 2003.

City of WestminsterPopulation Stability

The Carroll County Public School System offers educational opportunity to all of county residents starting from Pre-k to high school. The county also has available vocational and professional programs through the Carroll county Career and Development Center.

Public SchoolsStudents in Westminster are served by 5 elementary schools – Cranberry Station, Friendship Valley, Robert Moton, Westminster and William Winchester; 2 middle schools – East and West; and 2 high schools – Westminster and Winters Mill. The Carroll County Public School System provides several non-traditional schools in the Westminster area, along with the traditional elementary, middle, and high school programs. They include: The Gateway School, Carroll County Public School System's alternative school,  which is designed for middle and high school students who have been unable to function satisfactorily in their home schools. The purpose of the school is to give students an opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and behaviorally so that they can transition back to their home schools. Carroll Springs School is a school dedicated to children with special needs. Carroll Springs provides services for students who are residents of Carroll County, between the ages of three and 21 and have multiple disabilities. Some of the specialized services provided include: nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech and language therapy. In addition to providing direct service to students, Carroll Springs School houses the Carroll County Infants and Toddlers Program. The Infants and Toddlers Program provides services to children from birth through the age of three who are residents of Carroll County. Sources: http://www.westgov.com/233/Schools

City of WestminsterPopulation Stability

The city has a two year accredited college, Carroll Community College and a four year institution, McDaniel College.

The 2000 Census also reported the level of educational attainment for all persons 25 years of age and older (Table 3.12) in the City of Westminster. More than 82% of residents in the City had received a high school diploma, and 24.4% of the population had completed the requirements for a college or professional degree. A comparison between 1990 and 2000 reveals that the actual number of persons age 25 and over without a high school diploma dropped significantly during the 1990s.

Table 3.12 Educational Attainment of Persons 25 Years and Older, 2000 Highest Level of Education 1990 2000 Number of Persons Percent Number of Persons Percent • Less than 9th Grade 743 9.5 690 6.8 • 9th to 12th Grade, No Diploma 1196 15.3 1128 11.1 • High School Graduate 2438 31.2 3198 31.5 • Some College, No Degree 1358 17.4 2084 20.5 • Associate's Degree 364 4.7 577 5.7 • Bachelor's Degree 1001 12.8 1569 15.5 • Graduate or Professional Degree 712 9.1 906 8.9 Total 7812 100 10152 100 Source: U.S. Census, 2000

City of WestminsterWindshield Survey

My community windshield or familiarization survey was conducted by driving and walking around two parts of the city of Westminster; Main Street or downtown which is the historic part of the city, and the neighborhoods that are built on the outskirt of Main Street. I was able to gather data on both places on their physical characteristics, economic and available services.

Physical Characteristics of the buildings, shops, commerce, Library branch, churches and single family homes found on Main Street were in great shape; on the other hand the physical structure of the older, colonial style detached homes were not in good shape as can be noted by missing porch railings, fading color of paint and almost nonexistent landscaping, however the newer ranch style home brick models were in much better conditions. Another characteristics of Main Street is, all the buildings are facing the street and are about the same height. The buildings and shops have big windows and large Awnings with overhanging eaves and sloped roof planes. There is street parking in downtown but most of the Parking lots are located to the rear of the buildings, there are also a small plaza and courtyards in between some buildings and the streets are adorned with street furniture such as: benches, bicycle racks, signs, light poles, and trees with grates and guards around them. There is plenty of room to walk on the sidewalks and the curbs are accessible with wheelchair ramps. The other part of Westminster does not give you that small town felling as you walk by because there are some unfenced empty lots, and street pot holes. People park on the street because not many homes have a driveway or a garage.

Economic - The city of Westminster or downtown is where the businesses, stores, bars, shops, and restaurants are located. This is a very busy area and is frequented by college students from nearby McDaniel College and by many people from around the county; this is where the community economy flourishes. The street pavement s are smooth and the streets are clean, there is also a small town welcoming feeling as you walk through downtown Main Street. On the other hand

City of WestminsterWindshield Survey

The neighborhood around Main Street does not seem to thrive economically as its counterpart in downtown, and there’s a clear

economic disparity as you move away from Main Street into the outskirts of the city neighborhood, it appears as though the economic wealth that seems to be present in Downtown has not reached the neighborhoods around Main Street.

Services -The county library is located on Main Street and this branch provides all types of services for the community,

such as book rental, movies, video games, literacy programs for children and adults, internet and computer access, and e-books.

The recreational facilities are not located on Main street, but outside of the city, there are soccer fields, track fields, skate parks,

tennis & basketball courts and playgrounds available to the community. There are many churches of different affiliations and

denominations in the city of Westminster, I only found one on Main Street during my windshield survey;

Grace Lutheran Church was the church. There are many other churches, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches

right outside of Main Street, this demonstrates the importance of having a place to worship in this community. All of these

churches are tied with the community because many programs such as the soup kitchen, blood drives, community outreach and

gatherings are done here. “The Culture and religion influence the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of people about what they

think will kill them or make them sick, will help them function or make decisions, or will affect their financial status” (Allender,

Rector, & Warner, 2012, p.504).

Carroll County Hospital Center is located in Westminster and it’s the county’s major health institution, this hospital provides all the

necessary services to keep a community healthy; these services include: Mental health, substance abuse, primary, secondary and

tertiary care along with nursing home facilities throughout the county and they work in collaboration with other organizations in the

community.

Collaboration among health care workers, other professionals and organizations, and clients is essential for

establishing effective services and Programs (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012).

City of WestminsterWindshield Survey

The type of social services that the county provides include: mental health, substance abuse, government and public assistance,

social workers, and shelter. The community has access to all of these services are available in one location in downtown

Westminster. Downtown Westminster felt safe as I drove and walked the large police presence patrolling the area contributed to this

feeling of safety. There is also a plaza and a court yard on main street in which people gather for lunch and spend time with their

co-workers, friends and family. On the other hand the neighborhood on the outskirt of main street reveals a different picture from

downtown, because there were little businesses around except for small car dealerships and auto shop places. There were stop

signs on the roads and traffic lights at the main interceptions.

Playgrounds - I saw one or two and they look as though they are in good shape and safe for the kids to play. There were a lot of

political activities, signs of different candidates running for county commissioner, county sheriff, and district attorney and state

delegates. This part of the community does not look safe because there wasn’t a lot of activity in the area, I just walked a couple

of blocks and went back to my car because I did not feel safe there.

Based on my previously gathered data about the city of Westminster, and my windshield survey, I believe that the city of

Westminster is not a healthier community because it does not meet The Healthy people 2020, the national health promotion

and disease prevention agenda published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS). The

goals for the nation proposed by the (USDHHS) are: 1) To attain high quality, longer lives, free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death. 2) To achieve health equity, eliminate disparity, and improve the health of all groups, 3) To create social and physical environments that promote good health for all. 4)To promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages, (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012p.504).

The city of Westminster has not achieved any of these goals because there is still health disparities in the community, drug

addiction, problems, lack of reliable public transportation to facilitate access to health care services.

City of WestminsterIdentify the Community as a social system

Adequacy of Facilities Educational - The Carroll County Public School System consistently ranks as one of the top-performing school systems in the

state of Maryland. Numerous awards, at both the state and national level, have been bestowed upon Carroll's instructional staff and students. The educational programs developed in the Carroll County Public School system are also recognized statewide and nationally for their high standards and innovative approaches. A comparison between 1990 and 2000 reveals that the actual number of persons age 25 and over without a high school diploma dropped significantly during the 1990s. Sources: http://www.westgov.com/233/Schools. Research has shown that people with higher occupational level generally have higher income and education and exert greater political influence (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012).

Recreational – The Park and Recreation of the City of Westminster views recreational activities, that includes physical activities as an important ingredient for the health of a community. That’s the reason they provide activities for the entire community year-round, at the city’s 14 parks. During the summer people can watch movies at the park, listen to concerts and participate in other events. During the summer there is a children’s camps for ages 3-12. This types of interaction between the community and the county government create partnerships that forms relationships among the people in the community and most importantly cultural exchanges takes place. The City of Westminster can use these events to find out more about the needs in the community, and to promote health awareness, and to inform the public about programs and services that are available in the community. Clients' cultural background, experience in collaboration and partnership building, perspective, and expression of need provide important information for the planning and delivery of services (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012).

Daycare – Studies have demonstrated that children in quality child care environments had better cognitive and language development and school readiness at 4.5 years than those child that do not go to a daycare center ( Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012 pg. 684). The city knows that the children of its community are important so they want to invest in their future. There are approximately 31 registered daycares in Westminster’s data base.

City of Westminster Adequacy of Provision

Transportation- Public transportation is available in Carroll County but is not a very reliable transportation system because the

shuttle buses do not run frequently, have a very limited route and stop running about 5:00pm. Public transportation in Carroll

County is provided by two local companies, Trail Blazer and Carroll Area Transit System (CATS) which are private non-profit

organizations that provide public transportation services to certain parts of the county. I see a need for a more efficient transit

system in this county because not everyone owns a vehicle and during my clinical practicum at Access Carroll in Westminster, I

talked to many patients about access to health services and how they come to the clinic or the hospital and many said that they

depend on friends, or family members to take them to their appointments. The CARROLL COUNTY TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT

STUDY 2012 and proposed action plan found several of these concerns: No access to jobs that start early in the morning or end

in the evening (2nd and 3rd shifts), Growing demand on the demand-response service is unsustainable, Underserved areas in

Hampstead and Mount Airy, Patients discharged from Carroll Hospital have no way of getting home – particularly in the evening,

Other than Medicaid transportation, there aren’t any transportation connections to regional medical facilities, Limited Saturday service ,

limited alternative transportation options, large number of denials during the peak times of the day.

My healthy people 2020 goal for the City of Westminster is the following: To eliminate transportation disparity in the community.

Objectives: Through a town hall meeting, community members will learn about the benefits and importance of having a more effective

mass transit system. A Panel will be available to answer questions. By the close of the meeting attendees will have filled out a

transit system need survey. Interested people will be given petition forms to obtain signatures from the community to be turned in

within a week of the meeting.

City of Westminster Major health concern for the community is the inability of its aggregate to get to the hospital, doctor appointments and

human services organizations . The health care impacts of access to health care: Better overall physical, social, and mental

health status, Prevention of disease and disability, Detection and treatment of health conditions, Quality of Preventable death, Life

expectancy.

Source: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=1

Disparities in access to health services affect individuals and society. Limited access to health care impacts people's ability to

reach their full potential, negatively affecting their quality of life. Barriers to services include:1)Lack of availability 2)High cost

3)Lack of insurance coverage.

These barriers to accessing health services lead to:

1)Unmet health needs, 2) Delays in receiving appropriate care, 3)Inability to get preventive services and hospitalizations that could have been prevented

Sources: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=1 My diagnosis for this community is eliminate the transportation disparity related to the current unreliable mass transit system

for the county because the current system is not accessible to the whole community, especially in the neighborhood of

Westminster. My recommendation for the county commissioner is the creation of a plan with the help of the Maryland

Transportation System (MTA) and come up with new routes, bigger buses, longer operation hours that include weekend and

holiday schedules.

City of Westminster Safety - The city also has a paid fulltime police department that provides all types of law

enforcement services to the community, in this manner they provide protection to the city aggregates.

The fire department is a volunteer force that relies on donations from its members, local government

organizations and the community. Safety can involve many things, such as pedestrian and driving

issues, crime and fear of crime (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2012). Adequacy of Services and Providers

Health care services – In the city of Westminster there is adequate health services but access to

these health care services is an issue. The CARROLL COUNTY TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT STUDY 2012 and proposed

action plan found the following problem: Patients discharged from Carroll Hospital have no way of getting

home, particularly in the evening, other than Medicaid transportation, there are no transportation connections

to regional medical facilities.

Health care Facilities- There are many health care facilities and satellite clinics affiliated with Carroll County Hospital, people in

the community have many choices of where to get their health care. Carroll county offers excellent medical health care facilities,

both locally and regionally, are very accessible for the residents of Westminster. with the Carroll Hospital Center serving as the

cornerstone, there are numerous medical practitioners, offices and facilities in the Westminster area to keep you in good health.

Healthcare Providers – The Carroll county Hospital is staffed by more than 400 physicians representing 38medical

specialties, this expanding medical institution is a 218-bed. In 2003, the hospital center completed construction of a new 5-

story, inpatient "bed tower" that aids in the hospital's mission of bringing nurses closer to the bedside than

ever before and resulting in more time for them to care for patients.

Sources: (http://www.westgov.com/228/Health-Care).

City of Westminster Annual Report and /or Strategic Plan, see below link

http://www.westgov.com/documentcenter/view/20

City of WestminsterReference:

Allender,J.A., Rector, C., & Warner, K.D. (2012). Community health nursing: Promoting and

protecting the public’s health (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins.

Retrieved from: 

http://www.healthycarroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Appendix-09.Carroll-County-Transit-

development-Study__proposed-action-plan_2012.pdf

http://www.city-data.com/city/Westminster-Maryland.html#ixzz30Wd8zDbL

http://www.westgov.com

http://www.westgov.com/documentcenter/view/49

http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicId=1