Dixon City Council to Talk ADA Compliancy During Tonight's Meeting

The Dixon City Council is scheduled to discuss and take action upon two agenda items that highlight the city’s need to be compliant with current revisions to the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The ADA was enacted to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities and is used by cities to provide accommodations and other services to them.

Tonight, the city will discuss and act upon a resolution to enter into a contract with a ADA consultant to prepare a citywide ADA Transition Plan; The council will also discuss and decide whether or not to repair the sidewalk along 7^th Street to make it safer and ADA complaint.

In 1999, the city adopted an ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plan that evaluated all of the city’s facilities for compliance with Title II of the ADA Act of 1990 according to a staff report.

“The Plan identified items that were non-compliant and established a time table for correcting them,” the report stated. “Most of the items identified in the plan have been corrected. Since the ADA Plan was adopted there have been changes to the Federal ADA law and Title 24 of the California Building Code.”

If the Council decides to enter into an agreement with consultant Bruce Monighan, of Accessibility Design Associates, Monighan will examine each of the city’s properties including City Hall, the Police Department, Hall Memorial Park, Ferguson Alley, as well as all of the city’s intersections – paying close attention to sidewalk ramp and curb cuts – to make sure they are compliant with revisions to the federal ADA law.

Under SB 1608, the city is required to have a Certified Access Specialist employee or consultant on staff or under contract according to the report. On June 8, 2010, the Council entered into a contract with Monighan, who has been working with the city since to make it complaint with the ADA.

The city has until May 15, 2011, to implement 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Council members can choose to go along with Monighan or solicit proposals from other consultant firms.

Tonight, the council will also decide whether or not to repair the sidewalks along 7^th Street to make them safer and ADA compliant. Under the 2010-11 Gas Tax Budget, the city has access to $96,000 to repair the sidewalks and install curb ramps. 

The project calls for the reconstruction of sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drives along 90 percent of the west side of South 7^th Street and several sections its east side, that have failed and are severely damaged a staff report read. It also calls for the reconstruction of two north curb ramps at the intersection of South 7^th Street and South 8^th Street – a route that was chosen because it provides access to Hall Park; its gutters, curbs and sidewalks are among the worst in the city; and the route was part of a previous ADA claim.

The Dixon City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at its chambers located on 600 East A Street.