HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 05 ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plan AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 6/12/2017
Meeting Type: Work Session
Staff Contact/Dept.: Tom Mugleston Staff Phone No: 541-726-3724
Estimated Time: 30 Minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Foster an Environment that Values Diversity
and Inclusion ITEM TITLE:
ADA SELF EVALUATION AND TRANSITION PLAN
ACTION REQUESTED:
Review and provide input regarding the City’s Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
In accordance with state and federal law, the City is required to conduct an ADA self-evaluation to review the accessibility of their programs, services and activities.
The law also requires that public entities with more than 50 employees develop a
Transition Plan that sets forth the necessary steps for structural changes to facilities that are needed to make programs accessible.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Council Briefing Memo Attachment 2: City of Springfield Draft Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan
DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
By enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Congress
intended to “provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.” The City of
Springfield recognizes the importance of that mandate, and continually strives to
achieve equal access for all its programs, services, activities, and facilities for persons with disabilities. The City’s draft Americans with Disabilities Act Self-
Evaluation and Transition Plan establishes the City’s ongoing commitment to that effort and provides a framework for maintaining and improving access.
The attached draft ADA Self- Evaluation and Transition Plan includes:
The designation of an ADA Coordinator;
The process for requesting an ADA accommodation and filing a complaint;
Recommendations for improving access to public meetings, electronic
communication, printed materials, purchasing, training, and public facilities;
An evaluation of the accessibility of City facilities including City priorities for
accessibility upgrades;
A Transition Plan for structural changes to City streets and sidewalks;
A public involvement process for public comment on this draft of the plan; and
The process for subsequent self-evaluation and updates to the Transition Plan.
There is no financial impact to the City to adopt the ADA Self-Evaluation and
Transition Plan document; funding mechanisms for necessary ADA improvements
are further discussed within the Transition Plan document.
M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield
Date: June 8, 2017
To: Gino Grimaldi COUNCIL
From: Tom Mugleston, Risk Manager Kristina Kraaz, Assistant City Attorney BRIEFING
Subject: ADA Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan MEMORANDUM
ISSUE: In accordance with state and federal law, the City is required to conduct an ADA self-evaluation to review the accessibility of their programs, services and activities. The ADA also
requires public entities with more than 50 employees to develop a Transition Plan that sets forth the necessary structural changes to facilities needed to make programs, services, and facilities
accessible. The purpose of this memorandum is to update the Council on the updated draft of
the City’s ADA Self -Evaluation and Transition Plan and to provide information regarding finalizing the plan.
BACKGROUND:
In July 1992, the City of Springfield published its first self-evaluations and Transition Plan, and
published a Final Report in 1995 detailing the progress made up to that point. Since 1995, the original plan and self-evaluations have become outdated as technologies, ADA law, and City
programs and facilities have evolved. This Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan updates, revises, and replaces the previously published Transition Plan documents.
In 2014-2015, the City conducted a self-evaluation across all City departments to assess ADA compliance in access to City services, programs, and facilities. The results showed that all departments have made independent efforts to comply with the ADA, but that work had not been
incorporated into a cohesive, city-wide policy. City staff subsequently incorporated the self-evaluation results into a draft ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. This draft was
presented to Council for feedback at Work Session on March 23, 2015.
Following Council feedback in March 2015, City staff completed a self-evaluation of City-owned buildings and incorporated those results into the draft Transition Plan. The draft
Transition Plan also sets City priorities for making needed structural changes to City-owned
buildings and facilities, including sidewalks. The ADA requires the City to inventory all non-compliant City sidewalks and curb ramps and develop a plan to bring them into compliance
throught the Transition Plan. This draft Transition Plan includes the City Engineeer’s
recommendation for conducting an inventory of the City’s sidewalks and curb ramps and identifies a preliminary plan to bring existing non-compliant curb ramps up to ADA standards.
The ADA requires the City to make the ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan available for
public comment. The draft plan provides for the following public involvment process: a 30-day public comment period on the draft plan, two open houses hosted by the City, notice of the draft
plan in local newspapers and posting on the City’s website, and inviting input from interested stakeholders. City staff will make any necessary revisions to the draft ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan in response to public comment, and will present the final draft for Council
adoption in Fall 2017. Following adoption of this plan, the City will conduct self-evaluation surveys approximately every 2-3 years with updates to the Transition Plan accordingly.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Provide recommendations and input regarding the City’s ADA Self-Evaluation Survey and Transition Plan, including the public involvment provisions of the plan.
Attachment 1
City of Springfield
Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan
*DRAFT* May 22, 2017
Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2
1.1. ADA Background .................................................................................................. 2
1.2. ADA Coordinator ................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Requesting an Accommodation ............................................................................ 3
1.4. Filing an ADA Complaint ....................................................................................... 3
1.5. Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan Process ........................................................ 4
1.6. Public Outreach .................................................................................................... 5
2. Self-Evaluation of City Services, Programs, and Activities ........................................... 6
2.1. Customer Service (walk-in, telephone & letters/emails) ........................................ 6
2.2. Public Meetings/Hearings & Events ...................................................................... 7
2.3. Printed Materials ................................................................................................... 7
2.4. Website (www.springfield-or.gov) .......................................................................... 8
2.5. Contracting/Purchasing ......................................................................................... 8
2.6. Staff Training ........................................................................................................ 8
3. City Facilities ADA Transition Plan ..............................................................................10
3.1. Public Buildings and Facilities ..............................................................................10
3.2. City Streets, Sidewalks, and Curbs ......................................................................11
Attachment 2, Page 1 of 13
1. Introduction
1.1. ADA Background
In enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Congress intended to
"provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.” The City of Springfield recognizes the importance of that
mandate, and continually strives to achieve equal access for all its programs, services,
activities, and facilities for persons with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan establishes the City’s ongoing commitment to that effort.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act makes it illegal for the federal government, federal contractors, and any entity receiving federal financial assistance to discriminate on the basis of
disability. Local governments that receive federal funds must ensure that persons with
disabilities have equal access to any programs, services, or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Covered entities also are required to ensure that their employment practices do not
discriminate on the basis of disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Signed into law by Congress in 1990, the ADA builds upon the foundation laid by
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It uses as its model Section 504's definition of disability
and then goes further, covering all state and local governments. The ADA has five separate titles; Title II is the section specifically applicable to “public entities” (state and local
governments) and the programs, services, and activities they deliver. Title II prohibits state and
local governments from denying persons with disabilities the equal opportunity to participate in its services, programs, or activities, either directly or indirectly through contractual
arrangements.
1.2. ADA Coordinator
Title II of the ADA requires all state or local government entities with 50 or more
employees to appoint a responsible person to coordinate the administrative requirements of
ADA compliance and to respond to complaints filed by the public.
The City of Springfield’s ADA Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the efforts of
the government entity to comply with Title II and investigating any complaints that the entity has violated Title II.
ADA complaints, requests for accommodation, and other ADA-related correspondence can be directed to the City ADA Coordinator:
Tom Mugleston City of Springfield
225 Fifth St Springfield, OR 97477 Phone: 541 726 3724
Email: tmugleston@springfield-or.gov
Attachment 2, Page 2 of 13
1.3. Requesting an Accommodation
Under Title II of the ADA, all state and local governments are required to take steps to ensure that their communications with people with disabilities are as effective as
communications with others. The City is required to make accommodations for persons with disabilities, except when providing an accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of
the service or program in question or would result in an undue financial and administrative
burden.
To request an accommodation, a person with a disability or their representative must
submit a request for an accommodation. Other than a request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired at a public meeting, a request for an accommodation should be submitted at least 5
days prior to the date of the scheduled program, activity, or meeting for which the accommodation is requested to allow enough to time to fulfill the request. To arrange for services, contact the City Manager’s Office at 541-726-3700 or cmo@springfield-or.gov or the
city ADA Coordinator Tom Mugleston at 541 726-3724 or tmugleston@springfield-or.gov. The following are some of the accommodations that may be made available upon request.
Hearing Assistance/Sign Language Interpreters
If you need a sign language interpreter to attend a meeting or public meeting, please
contact the City Manager’s Office or the City ADA Coordinator (contact information provided above). For public meetings, an interpreter will be provided for the hearing impaired with 48
hours’ notice prior to the meeting. Assistive listening systems are available for the hearing
impaired in the Municipal Courtrooms and City Council Chambers
Alternate Formats
Requests for city materials such as brochures, forms, newsletters, reports and plans to be put in alternate formats such as Braille, large print or in electronic form can be made through
the ADA Coordinator or the applicable department. The City will respond to the request for an
alternate format within 15 calendar days at no cost to the requestor. All requests for accommodations will be kept on file for at least three years.
If another type of accommodation is requested or if further assistance is needed, please contact the ADA Coordinator (contact information can be found in section 1.2.).
1.4. Filing an ADA Complaint
To better serve the public, the City of Springfield has instituted a formal ADA complaint procedure. The complaint procedure provides citizens with a means to file complaints alleging
discrimination on the basis of disability in the City’s provision of services, activities, programs,
and benefits, or in the City’s employment practices and policies. A copy of the City’s ADA Complaint Procedure is available at http://www.springfield-or.gov/accessibility.html.
Complaints should be in writing and should contain specific information about the alleged discrimination including the name, address, and phone number of the complainant, as
well as the location, date, and description of the alleged discrimination. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.
Attachment 2, Page 3 of 13
The complaint should be submitted to the City by the complainant or their designee as soon as possible but not later than 60 calendar days after the alleged discrimination occurred.
The City has provided a complaint form, available at http://www.springfield-
or.gov/accessibility.html, to assist persons with filing complaints. All complaints should be submitted to the City ADA Coordinator.
The ADA Coordinator or another City representative will contact the complainant within 15 calendar days of receiving the complaint to schedule a meeting to discuss the complaint and
possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing, and where appropriate and requested, in a format accessible to the complainant. The written response will explain the position of the City and offer suggestions for
substantive and feasible resolution of the complaint. If the complainant is not satisfied with the City ADA Coordinator’s decision, the person may appeal the decision to the City Manager within
15 calendar days of the date of the decision.
The City’s formal complaint process is not exclusive. A person filing a complaint with the
City may also file a complaint with other state or federal agencies or in court. Other agencies
may have different time limits for filing complaints. All ADA complaints received by the City, responses by the City, and other records of resolution of the complaint shall be retained by the
City of Springfield for a minimum period of 3 years from the date of the complaint.
1.5. Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan Process
Title II of the ADA requires public entities with more than 50 employees to conduct self-
evaluations to review the accessibility of their programs, services, and activities. The ADA also
requires public entities with more than 50 employees to develop a Transition Plan that sets forth the necessary steps for and program changes or structural changes to facilities that are needed
to make programs accessible.
In July 1992, the City of Springfield published its first self-evaluations and Transition
Plan, and published a Final Report in 1995 detailing the progress made up to that point. Since
1995, the original plan and self-evaluations have become outdated as technologies, ADA law, and City programs and facilities have evolved. This Americans with Disabilities Act Self-
Evaluation and Transition Plan updates, revises, and replaces all other previously published Transition Plan documents.
Every City department that provides a service, program, or activity to the public has completed a self-evaluation survey to identify any policies or practices that are inconsistent with the requirements of the ADA. The findings of the departmental self-evaluations and the
recommendations for making all City services, programs, and activities accessible can be found in Section 2 of this plan. A copy of the City’s self-evaluation survey form can be found in the
appendix to this plan.
The City is also systematically reviewed the accessibility of buildings and other public
facilities owned or operated by the city. The Transition Plan detailing the City’s plan to remove
barriers to accessibility in its buildings and public facilities can be found in Section 3 of this plan. In addition, the City has undertaken a major effort to evaluate the accessibility of city streets,
sidewalks, and curbs. The steps that the City has taken or will take to evaluate accessibility and
remove barriers on city streets, sidewalks, and curbs is also found in Section 3.
Attachment 2, Page 4 of 13
Going forward, the City will continue to periodically review the accessibility of its programs, activities, and services, by conducting departmental self-evaluations. Initially, The
Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan will be reviewed 18 months
after being posted on the City’s website and revised as needed. It will then be reviewed every 3 to 5 years thereafter and updated to track City’s progress in making the needed changes to the
accessibility of City services, programs, and activities and any structural changes to City facilities.
1.6. Public Outreach
As required by the ADA, The Americans with Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and
Transition Plan will remain posted on the City’s website for public comment for three years. Other ADA documents, including the City of Springfield’s American with Disabilities Notice and
Nondiscrimination Notice, are available on the City’s website at http://www.springfield-
or.gov/accessibility.html. Alternate forms of these documents will be made available for persons with disabilities as requested.
An opportunity for public review and comment on the transition plan will be made available to interested persons, including those with disabilities or organizations representing
individuals with disabilities. The City’s self-evaluation and input received during the public comment period will be retained as required by law.
Primary goals for the public outreach a. Meet the requirement for public comment opportunity
b. Inform the public about the City’s plan and processes regarding removal of
barriers to accessibility within the City of Springfield. c. Obtain public comment to identify gaps in the proposed accessibility transition
plan, including but not limited to prioritization and grievance processes.
a. A 30-day plan review comment period will be provided prior to the final plan
preparation for adoption.
b. The City of Springfield will inform the public about the availability of the draft
Transition Plan by the use of: a. Two local newspapers of Record (Register Guard and Springfield Times),
b. City of Springfield sponsored Facebook/social media accounts c. Copies of the Plan will be made available upon request. d. A draft of the plan will be available online at
http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/accessibility.html
c. The City of Springfield will host two Open House events during the public comment
period with the goal of best engaging the public, gathering public comment and address questions.
d. Public comment will be received by the City of Springfield in writing during an open house event or at City Hall during regular business hours. Comments may be
submitted via email; also a written log of comments addressed over the phone will be
kept. Phone comments may be made by contacting the ADA Coordinator Tom Mugleston at 541-726-3724 .
Attachment 2, Page 5 of 13
e. After consideration of public comments received, City staff will review and revise the
draft Transition Plan as appropriate to address any unresolved comments. City
Council will formally adopt the final Transition Plan in Fall 2017.
2. Self-Evaluation of City Services, Programs, and Activities
2.1. Customer Service (walk-in, telephone & letters/emails)
The City has done an excellent job addressing physical accessibility problems at its facilities
identified in previous transition plans through renovation of existing facilities and relocation of key departments and services to compliant buildings. In addition, the City has fully embraced and encouraged use of electronic communications tools, like the Internet and email, to interact
with and provide information to its customers. The following recommendations will be implemented within the next calendar year:
Provide at least one TTY text telephone.
Publicize the City TTY number in all email signature blocks, letterhead, phone books or
Web pages that include the City’s main information telephone number (541-________).
For departments that use automated phone menu systems on their main, public line (i.e.
press 1 for…), ensure there is an easy one-step way to bypass the message and reach a live person during regular business hours. If lack of staffing makes this impossible,
ensure there are other ways for people to reach your staff (e.g. email addresses posted
on your Department’s Web page, allow in-person drop-in visits, etc.).
Publicize the state Relay service number used by the City (711) in all email signature
blocks, letterhead, phone books or Web pages that include an individual employee or department’s regular voice telephone numbers.
Ensure that pathways are clear of temporary or permanent barriers such as tables, chairs, coat racks, easels, signs, equipment or boxes.
Ensure that all permanent directional and room identification signage use large fonts, high contrast colors, non-reflective materials, raised lettering and Braille translations
where appropriate, and are clear of visual or physical obstructions.
Install signage at any non-accessible entrance to a public facility with directions to the
nearest accessible entrance.
Include the following information beneath the signature line of every letter or email sent
to a customer:
To request other formats, please contact [your department or division name here].
Voice: 541-____________ / TTY: _____________ / Relay: 711
Email: ______________@springfield-or.gov
Or, you can include the above contact information in your signature line and
simply add this (or similar) sentence to your email or letter:
Please contact me to request this document or its attachments in another format,
such as Braille, audio recordings or text-only documents.
Whenever possible, ensure that documents sent to a customer as an attachment to an
email are in an accessible format (i.e. a PDF that was created using Adobe Acrobat, NOT a document that was scanned electronically and converted to PDF or TIF).
Attachment 2, Page 6 of 13
Post a notice of program and service accessibility flyer in the lobby or public reception
area of each department or facility clearly stating the City’s intent to provide equal
access to all services, programs and activities. A copy of the Notice is already posted to the City’s website and available at http://www.springfield-or.gov/accessibility.html.
2.2. Public Meetings/Hearings & Events
The City works hard to ensure its public meetings, hearings and events are open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of disability. In addition, the City works directly with
community event organizers to help ensure events using City streets, parks or other resources
are compliant with the ADA. The following recommendations will be implemented within the next calendar year:
Provide accommodations to people with disabilities as requested at all public meetings,
hearings or other public events. This includes providing American Sign Language
interpreters, providing additional wheelchair seating and providing additional disabled parking spaces close to the entrance(s). Instructions about how to accommodate these
requests should be provided to all employees, with reminders sent out once a year.
Clear doorways and primary paths of travel at a meeting or event location of obstructions
or barriers, such as signs, boxes, chairs and electrical cords.
Locate and inventory all assistive listening devices/FM transmitters and create a system
for making them available to all departments (e.g. Outlook calendar checkout system),
and include step-by-step operating instructions for use with each device. Verify that devices are operational once per year or in advance of any requested use, and
replace/repair devices promptly.
Include the following statement (or similar statement) at the end of any email, news
release, advertisement or mailed invitation sent out about a City-sponsored meeting or
event: To request a reasonable accommodation at this (meeting/event), please contact
[name of event contract, phone #, TTY # - if any, Relay: 711,
Email: ____@springfield-or.gov] by [insert date that is 5 business days before the event].
2.3. Printed Materials
The City produces a variety of informational and promotional materials for public use, including maps, brochures, forms, newsletters, fact sheets, reports, plans and the Senior
Messenger newspaper. The following recommendations will be made as new publications are
printed, beginning within the next calendar year:
Provide documents and other printed materials in alternate formats, as requested, in all departments. This includes Braille, audio recordings, enlarged print and digital
formats at no charge to the individual making the request. Instructions about how to
provide these alternate formats should be provided to all employees, with reminders sent out once a year.
Include the following information (or similar) on all printed materials provided to the public, including brochures, fact sheets, handouts, flyers, maps, plans, forms, reports
and newsletters:
Attachment 2, Page 7 of 13
To request other formats, please contact [your department or division name here].
Voice: ___________ / TTY: ________ (if any) / Relay: 711
Email: ___________@springfield-or.gov
If a document will be used for longer than one year without updates, select a generic customer service telephone number and email address for your department.
2.4. Website (www.springfield-or.gov)
The City of Springfield is on track to complete a comprehensive redesign of its website in
2017. The new website will include a variety of accessibility-related improvements, including text size and color, providing alternate text on photos and other graphics consistently, and
providing accessible PDF documents. The following recommendations will be implemented in
the new website within the next calendar year:
Ensure that all fillable electronic forms are accessible by computer screen reading software for those with sight limitations. The Webmaster may want to purchase
screen reading software like that used by people with such disabilities, to test the accessibility of certain key Web pages, forms and documents.
Post links to PDF documents only if they were created using Adobe Acrobat from the original, editable document. o TIF or JPG formats for documents with text will not be used unless another
link to an accessible PDF or text-only document is provided along with it. o A document scanner to create a PDF or TIF will be not be used any web page unless a text version of the document is also provided.
2.5. Contracting/Purchasing
The City currently uses criteria that do not discriminate based on disability when selecting contractors, consultants or vendors for City projects or services. However, federal regulations
also require that any outside contractors receiving City funding, or receiving federal funding
through the City, comply with the requirements and regulations of Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The following recommendations will be implemented within the
next calendar year:
Include a statement in all Request for Proposals, contracts or other bid solicitation documents or Web pages explaining that businesses, organizations or individuals contracting with the City of Springfield must comply with Title II of the ADA and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and provide links to Web sites or other resources about the ADA and Section 504.
2.6. Staff Training
A key deficiency revealed by the self-evaluation survey conducted in early 2014 was the
need for regular and recurring employee training about a variety of subjects related to the requirements and regulations of the ADA. This information can be provided to employees
through written procedures and other self-directed training tools (e.g. PowerPoint presentations, videos, etc.), through online training courses or through formal classroom training. The
Attachment 2, Page 8 of 13
Northwest ADA Center is a great resource for ADA training (www.dbtacnorthwest.org). The following training will be provided within the next calendar year:
Location and use of TTY text telephones (placing and receiving calls)
Use of State of Oregon third-party Relay telephone system (placing and receiving calls)
Responding to requests for materials in alternate formats, including accessing Braille printers, getting audio recordings, providing enlarged text, etc.
Responding to requests for accommodations at public meetings and events, including getting a sign language interpreter, securing additional disabled parking
spots, etc.
Providing accessible Web content (alternate text, fonts, PDFs)
General information about working with disabled customers (culture and etiquette)
General information about the ADA and its legal requirements as it pertains to the
City
General information about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its legal
requirements
How both the ADA and Section 504 are different from Section VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964
In addition to providing this information to all existing employees and new hires, the City will
provide all employees with annual reminders about the ADA requirements with links to
instructional information. Any changes to the law affecting the City should also be monitored and shared with employees as appropriate. This continuing education effort should occur in
coordination with the annual updates that will be made to The Americans with Disabilities Act
Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan.
Attachment 2, Page 9 of 13
3. City Facilities ADA Transition Plan
3.1. Public Buildings and Facilities
The City of Springfield owns and either operates or leases several buildings, facilities, and
parking lots. Some of these properties are not open for public use or do not house public services, programs, or activities that are covered under Title II of the ADA, but many do. The
City of Springfield does not own or operate any parks, community centers, or other recreational
properties because the community is served by Willamalane Parks and Recreation District.
Since the ADA became law in 1992, the City has conducted numerous site visits, surveys and inventories of its facilities. The City’s public facilities are extensively ADA compliant and Staff now focuses its efforts on repairing, renovating and eliminating many of the identified
barriers and deficiencies with each project we are budgeted to undertake. The City prioritizes its ADA facility improvements based on how much public use the facility receives and the types of services it houses. The City is committed to bringing all its facilities in full compliance with the
ADA as soon as possible, subject to available funding and other resources.
City Public Facilities
City facilities that offer programs, services, or activities that are covered under Title II of the
ADA as of 2016 are as follows:
City Hall
Springfield Justice Center
Springfield Operations and Maintenance Building
Fire Stations 3, 4, 5, 14 and 16
Carter Building The following list is of facilities that the City owns and leases to other entities, in which the
City does not presently provide any services, programs, or activities:
Springfield Museum
Booth Kelly
Springfield Depot
138 Main Street, Springfield
Priorities for Accessibility Upgrades
The City’s highest priority is to make its facilities accessibility where specific requests or complaints identify the need to make accessibility changes. When structural changes must be
made, absent specific requests or complaints, the City prioritizes upgrades to City-owned
facilities per the following list, starting with the highest priority:
City Hall, including the Springfield Public Library
Springfield Justice Center
Springfield Operations and Maintenance Building
Fire Stations 3, 4, 5, 14 and 16
Carter Building (areas that have employee access for Health Clinic)
The following is a list of example changes made to City buildings or other public facilities
in our continued effort to upgrade accessibility:
Attachment 2, Page 10 of 13
The City installed or updated accessible parking spaces and/or accessible routes
at City Hall, Justice Center and Carter Building.
At entrances accessible to City Hall elevators the City installed automatic door
operators.
The City is working on a way-finding and signage project for City Hall that will provide directional signage and identification signage. We have installed
hanging directional signage to date
The City replaced door knobs on publicly accessible spaces in City Hall to meet
current ADA standards. Temporary accessibility devises will be used upon request or until as identified until it is feasible to fully replace non-compliant door
knob.
The City Library, which is located within City Hall, recently installed ADA Compliant self-checkout stations at the Library. This update also included adding
an automatic door operator at the main Library entrance.
The City recently made renovations to the fountain plaza and stairs. The plaza
remains ADA compliant and is now free from large cracks and heaved areas that previously reduced accessibility.
A new employee health clinic is being constructed in City Hall to provide better
services and greater accessibility to employee health benefits. It is being constructed to current ADA standards.
The following is a list of identified changes that should be accomplished to make City buildings or other public facilities fully accessible under the ADA:
Installing compliant directional and identification signs for all publicly accessible spaces.
The City will incrementally replace all door knobs in City facilities to meet current ADA standards. Replacement will be prioritized based on frequency of public
use and based upon the receipt of requests for accommodation.
The City of Springfield will evaluate how to provide emergency power to City Hall
elevators to provide access should the building operate during a power outage.
Older non-compliant meeting room furniture should be modified or replaced to
allow better accessibility.
City Hall restrooms need the following upgrades for full accessibility;
o Sinks and/or counters adjusted to proper mounting heights. o Urinals adjusted to proper mounting heights.
Two of the three elevators cars at City Hall have car dimensions that do not meet
current standards.
3.2. City Streets, Sidewalks, and Curbs
The City of Springfield has over 300 miles of public streets and more than 2100
intersections to maintain. In 2002, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, whose jurisdiction includes Oregon, held that are subject to the ADA's program accessibility
regulations. Barden v. City of Sacramento, 292 F.3d 1073 (9th Cir. 2002). It has been a priority
for the City to improve accessibility for pedestrians and persons with disabilities through the expansion of an accessible sidewalk network.
The ADA requires that persons with disabilities have equal access to City services, including sidewalks. Curb ramps allow access to sidewalks and street crossings available to all
Attachment 2, Page 11 of 13
persons and are required for all streets with sidewalks. Ramps are not required for streets which do not have sidewalks. Other sidewalk repairs and maintenance are generally
considered to be the responsibility of the property owner. The city collects complaints about
sidewalk uplifts and other barriers and notifies property owners of their responsibility to make the needed repairs. Staff often follows up personally with affected property owners to secure
the needed repairs.
Projects needed to bring City sidewalks, curbs, and curb ramps up to present ADA
standards are identified in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan when known. The City presently lacks sufficient funds to complete all identified accessibility projects within the next year, as
explained below. The City is committed to continuing to seek additional sources of funding to
accomplish the structural changes required under this plan.
The City has already implemented the following programs, policies, and funding mechanisms to address accessibility needs, including the following:
All new transportation capital projects include pedestrian access and meet current ADA standards and guidelines.
Funding is provided in all pavement management overlay projects for building missing or repairing existing ADA sidewalk ramps and sidewalks.
All new developments and site expansions are required to include ADA facilities.
Identify funding sources for completing projects identified in the system inventory and
to address specific citizen requests.
Priority Service Areas
Title II of the ADA requires Transition Plans must “[give] priority to walkways serving entities covered by the Act, including State and local government offices and facilities,
transportation, places of public accommodation, and employers, followed by walkways serving other areas.” To maximize the public benefit of the City’s available funding for ADA upgrades,
the City has identified Priority Service Areas for ADA improvements. Priority Service Areas are identified based upon the following characteristics:
Intersections within 1 4 mile of schools;
Intersections within 1 4 mile of public buildings;
Intersections within 1 4 mile of hospitals;
Intersections within 1 4 mile of parks; and
Intersections within 1 8 mile of transit stops.
System Inventory
In 2013, City staff conducted a preliminary scoping study to provide a preliminary
analysis of the City’s need for ADA improvements by providing the City with an estimate of the number of intersections lacking curb ramps. The scoping study used existing data from the
City’s GIS program and a public works database system, the Hansen System. Neither the GIS program nor the Hansen System were designed to capture the specific information needed to
fully assess ADA compliance, such as existing noncompliant curb ramps and mid-sidewalk accessibility barriers. The GIS program identified streets in the city limits that have sidewalks.
For those streets with sidewalks, the Hansen system identified street segments that are lacking curb ramps. The results of the 2013 are provided in Table 1.
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Table 1: Results of 2013 Scoping Study
Total Maintained Street Segments 2155
Intersections with ADA Ramps 1360
Intersections without ADA Ramps 795
Percent of Intersections Served 63%? 55%
Intersections in Priority Service Areas without ADA Ramps 355
Percent in Priority Service Areas without ADA Ramps 16%
The City will conduct an assessment survey of sidewalks and curb ramps for all streets
within the City limits and develop an ADA inventory. The inventory will include a database and
mapping tool to develop a project needs list and project prioritization. Priority Service Areas are tentatively scheduled for assessment in FY 2018 with the remainder of the locations planned for
FY 19-20.
The City lacks funding to make all needed ADA upgrades to City sidewalks and curbs within the next year. Funding programmed toward Transportation and Street preservation and
rehabilitation continue to be at a level well below the documented $5 million annual need and reflects a continued increase in the City’s backlog of necessary transportation system repairs. While the FY17 budget indicates an increase in programmed funding for Transportation and
Street related projects, the increase is driven by phase 1 of the Franklin Boulevard Project.
As part of the transition plan, all budgeted preservation and reconstruction projects will update ADA facilities within the project area. The proposed FY17 Capital Budget plans funding
for two preservation projects (Virginia/Daisy and S. 42nd Street/Jasper Roundabout) utilizing Surface Transportation Program-Urban Funding (STP-U) and dedicated reserves. In addition, as part of the FY 2015 CIP update, ADA Transition Plan projects were identified as a priority
with a funding request of $55,000 annually. Funding was identified and programmed in FY 2015 and FY 2016; however, this program is currently unfunded in FY 2017 and beyond.
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