Despite being behind schedule due to the late start, EMA Director and ADA Compliance Coordinator Ted Bombagetti said he’s confident they’ll still make the ADA compliance deadline. Bombagetti was appointed as ADA compliance coordinator on Dec. 3, and with the end-of-the-year deadline for drafting a plan quickly approaching, time is running out.
Bombagetti said he’s currently working on the county’s self-assessment as well as the inventory of buildings, crosswalks, and other items that need to be upgraded for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said he has also been studying what other municipalities and counties in surrounding areas have done in complying with ADA requirements, and said he will bring information to the commissioners at their next meeting to see which avenue they would like to take.
Commissioner Jennifer Davis told WKVI earlier this month that the highway garage had received a letter from the Indiana Department of Transportation detailing several deadlines for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall forwarded the letter to the commissioners by email in October.
Norem explained that the act requires counties to designate an employee as ADA coordinator, develop and adopt a grievance or complaint procedure, develop and adopt accessibility standards, design details, and several other steps to ensure compliance. Bombagetti will be required to complete an evaluation of the county’s compliance, develop an inventory of all buildings, crosswalks, and other items that need to be upgraded for compliance, and develop a plan for removing access barriers.
The county is running against the clock to become ADA compliant, as if they fall too far behind the deadline, the county’s eligibility for federal funding may be compromised.
