By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The City of Decatur has stayed in compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) for years in regard to sidewalk ramps and some other measures, but a far wider range of compliance is going to be needed in the future.
In order to seek Community Crossing grants, the added compliance has become a necessity.
The city has received eight or nine CC grants in recent years, which have provided a great deal of street and sidewalk improvements. Now, however, a greater compliance with ADA is necessary to even apply.
Beth Johnson, business development representative for USI of Indianapolis, was on hand at the May 19 meeting of the city’s Board of Works and Public Safety to discuss the issue of greater compliance.
The city is hiring USI to provide a plan to demonstrate what is needed to reach the new level of conformity. It will be a two-year plan at a cost of $45,000 for the first year and $10,000 for the second.
The plan will be submitted by August. 1 and the city will have until Sept. 30 to get in compliance.
The work will be extensive, looking for ADA compliance at City Hall, Riverside Center, the Public Works site on Elm St., the city pool, water and sewage treatment plans and much more.
“Basically, everything we own must be in compliance,” Mayor Dan Rickord said.
The two-year plan will demonstrate “that this is where we are and where we must get to in order to be in compliance,” City Attorney Anne Razo added.
There is no question how crucial CC grants have been to Decatur over the year.
“The program has been great for us,” board member Craig Coshow said.
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