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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.a. ADA Accessibility ReportsCITY OF ROSEMOUNT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 1997 AGENDA ITEM: ADA ACCESSIBILITY REPORTS AGENDA SECTION: NEW BUSINESS PREPARED BY: SUSAN WALSH AGENDA a ITEM#7 ASSISTANT TO CITY ADMINISTRATOR A ATTACHMENTS: SUMMARIES FROM REPORTS, PUBLIC APPROVED BY: ANNOUNCEMENT NOTICE, LETTER Since January of this year, Julee Quarve-Peterson and Dinah Maas of RSP Architects, have assisted city staff in evaluating city facilities, parks, programs and policies to determine accessibility issues with regards to the American Disabilities Act. Julee will discuss their evaluation of our buildings and services and accessibility issues that the city may need to address. The results of their on-site surveys and meetings with city staff are contained in two large notebooks entitled, "Facilities Accessibility Evaluation" and "Accessibility Self Evaluation". Attached are copies of the introduction and executive summary from each of these books. A public meeting announcement was published in the Rosemount Town Pages and Rosemount This Week Newspaper to advise the public that the city is conducting an ADA accessibility study and that the public is invited to participate or provide suggestions to make the city of Rosemount more accessible. The attached announcement was also sent to local disability organizations, to WCCO for airing and the city's public access channel. Also attached is a letter I have received from a resident who provided input to our ADA study. Recommended action is to receive the ADA reports provided by our consultants. RECOMMENDED ACTION: MOTION TO RECEIVE THE ADA ACCESSIBILITY REPORTS. 24,1-- �a—zc t 7 --ID INTRODUCTION The City of Rosemount in its continuing efforts to provide a productive and appropriate environment for visitors and employees has completed a thorough evaluation for compliance with applicable laws, codes, and design guidelines pertaining to accessibility. As a public entity, the City of Rosemount is required to comply with specific state and federal laws which mandate that all barriers to discrimination be removed to provide persons with disabilities equal opportunity. The following laws, codes and design guidelines specifically pertain to the City of Rosemount: ■ Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act states that any entity receiving Federal financial assistance (either directly or indirectly) must prohibit any discrimination against "qualified individuals with disabilities" in their programs, activities or services. As a result, an evaluation of all city buildings, facilities, sites, programs, and practices were to be completed as well as the implementation of a barrier removal program (Transition Plan). Enforcement for Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act is through various Departments of the Federal Government. If an entity is found not making efforts to comply with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, there is a risk of losing federal funding. ■ Minnesota State Building Code Chapter 1340 The Minnesota State Building Code regarding accessibility was implemented in November 1975 and updated in January 1996. Any building remodeled, constructed or having a change of occupancy after that date is to comply with the Minnesota State Building Code Chapter 1340 design guidelines. The Minnesota State Building Code Chapter 1340 is enforced by local or state building officials. ■ Americans With Disabilities Act Title II The Americans With Disabilities Act of July 1990 (ADA) is the most recent in a series of civil rights laws for persons with disabilities. The ADA has five titles: Title I: Employment Title II: Public Services and Public Transportation Title III: Public Accommodations Title IV: Telecommunications Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions. The focus of this self evaluation is Title II. Title lI of the Americans With Disabilities Act is intended to apply to all programs, activities, and services provided or operated by public entities. Where Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act protected individuals and employees, the Americans with Disabilities Act expands those covered to include any individual who participates in activities sponsored by the City or are located in facilities owned and operated by the City. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) Per the Americans With Disabilities Act, educational facilities are to review all buildings and facilities to determine what architectural barriers exist, the cost to remove those barriers, and then determine what the appropriate implementation plan should be to comply. Like Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act requires that architectural barriers be removed if they are necessary for program accessibility. Enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act is through lawsuits filed as a result of a complaint by a person with a disability or an organization representing persons with disabilities. As of July 26, 1992, an educational system entity is at risk of being exposed to a lawsuit if implementation plans have not been developed. Both Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act state that each public entity must conduct a Self -Evaluation of their programs, policies, services, benefits and facilities. It was the charge of RSP Architects to assist in the development of the self- evaluation process. In order to complete a Self -Evaluation, the City of Rosemount must undergo the following activities: Designate an ADA Coordinator The City of Rosemount is to designate an employee who is to assume the role of the Americans With Disabilities Act/504 Coordinator. The ADA/504 Coordinator will ensure that the purpose and impact of the laws are effectively communicated to the public and staff. It will also be that person's responsibility to follow-up on the implementation and responses for The City of Rosemount. The ADA Coordinator for the City of Rosemount is Susan Walsh. Conduct an Architectural Review of each Facility The City of Rosemount is to conduct a review of its structures and sites for compliance with the current Americans With Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines and other applicable laws, codes and design guidelines. Information provided as a result of the on-site audits is to be incorporated with the findings of this report to assist the City of Rosemount in development of the Transition Plan, noting that the City has options allowing them to relocate or modify programs to make programs accessible where architectural accessibility is not currently available. Review of Programs Both Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act indicate that it is not always necessary to make architectural upgrades to provide accessibility. The City of Rosemount's first obligation is to ensure thatrp ograms are accessible. The City of Rosemount must identify where architectural barriers exist at each facility. In lieu of making architectural modifications, it may be acceptable to relocate programs to an alternate location or site which may provide a greater level of accessibility. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) Policies, Procedures, Services and Benefits The City of Rosemount is to conduct a comprehensive review of the City's policies, procedures, services and benefits to ensure they do not discriminate against or limit the opportunities for individuals who may want to participate in their programs. Communication Plan The City of Rosemount is to ensure that any written communication produced, such as newsletters, meeting agendas, course offerings, event programs, registration forms, etc., be available upon request in alternate formats to accommodate individuals with visual impairments. Other auxiliary aids and services, such as assistive listening system kits and sign language interpreters, are to be available upon request for all meetings, programs and events to accommodate persons who may be hard of hearing or deaf. Finally, the City of Rosemount should review their telecommunication services to determine if specific equipment is necessary to communicate with persons who are hard of hearing, deaf or speech impaired. Public Notice The City of Rosemount is to inform the public of it's efforts to remove barriers within the City to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities. As part of this notice, the City is to identify the name of the ADA Coordinator for the City and how the public can reach the coordinator with any questions, comments or concerns regarding accessibility issues. This notification is to occur in several sources of media such as newspaper, radio and television. It is also recommended continuing notification occur at such time as modifications to policies, procedures or structures are implemented. Public Participation The City of Rosemount is required to seek out individuals with disabilities and organizations representing disability issues to allow them the opportunity to participate in the planning process for removing barriers. Grievance Procedure The City of Rosemount is to establish a grievance procedure. This grievance procedure is to ensure that a documented process is in place to allow individuals with grievances (regarding accessibility) due process in response to their concerns. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) Transition Plan Finally, the City of Rosemount needs to develop a Transition Plan. The Transition Plan is documentation of architectural changes recommended for providing accessibility to the City's programs. When the City of Rosemount determines that architectural changes are appropriate, a Transition Plan is to be completed documenting the following items: 1.) Identification of the location and issue. 2.) A description of the recommended modifications. 3.) The time frame for completion. 4.) The person responsible for implementation. Please contact Julee Quarve-Peterson or Dinah Maas at RSP Architects at (612) 339-0313 if there are any further questions regarding this report. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) �0-4-r— E14R4!%A-TyDAr EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Rosemount in its continuing efforts to provide an appropriate and productive environment for visitors and employees has just completed a thorough evaluation of its programs, policies, services, facilities and communication plans for compliance with applicable laws, codes and design guidelines pertaining to individuals with disabilities. It was the charge of RSP Architects to assist in the process and documentation of the self- evaluation process. It will be the responsibility of the City of Rosemount to review and implement recommendations in this report under the guidance of the ADA Coordinator. Since implementation of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the City of Rosemount has been accommodating the needs of persons with disabilities with disabilities on a case by case basis. Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act expands the number of individuals protected by the law to include any person who participates in programs offered through the City, attends activities sponsored by the City, or uses facilities through an outside organization. To better understand the accessibility needs of the City, it is recommended the City of Rosemount: • Identify the needs of existing employees; • Identify the needs of persons who participate in City programs and activities such as, park and recreation programs, City celebrations, etc. When implementing the recommendations of this report, it is recommended The City of Rosemount place priorities on: Priority 1: Accommodating the needs of existing employees with disabilities. Priority 2: Improving accessibility to programs which are used by the public as it may be difficult for the City to anticipate the public's accessibility needs. Priority 3: Improving accessibility to programs which are highly used by the public or spaces with unique equipment which can not be easily relocated. Priority 4: Improving accessibility to programs which are easily relocated. Priority 5: Upgrading areas which do not critically impact program accessibility yet are issues of architectural accessibility. Employee: Issues which directly affect employee spaces are recommended to be upgraded at such time repair, replacement or remodeling occurs or upon the need of a qualified employee. It is recommended the City immediately respond to a qualified employee's request for accessibility upgrades to provide an appropriate work environment. It is encouraged a procedure be established to communicate with employees to determine appropriate needs. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) _.-_ A The recommendations in this report are suggested to make The City of Rosemount aware of all individuals who participate in City programs. It is recommended The City of Rosemount use this report as a working document which can be continually updated documenting City action, documenting completed activities, and as a place to store ongoing information regarding accessibility issues associated with the City of Rosemount. A Self Evaluation flow chart is included as part of this executive summary. In addition, a summary of accessibility is provided that identifies the level of accessibility at architectural elements and programs. The Self Evaluation Report presented by RSP Architects incorporates the following information: •Introduction• *Executive Summary Self Evaluation Process: Flow Chart Summary of Accessibility *Public Participation• Process for providing Public Participation Sample Public Participation Announcement - Form Sample Public Meeting Announcement - Form Documentation where the Public Participation Announcements have been Advertised Public Comment and City Response Local Disability Organizations *Public Notice• Process for Informing the Public Sample Public Notice - Form Documentation where the Public Notice has been Advertised *ADA Coordinator+ City ADA Coordinator School ADA Coordinator Job Description ofan ADA Coordinator ADA Task Force Committee Members ADA Task Force Committee Meeting Information Process for Informing the Public Sample Public Notice - Form Documentation where the Public Notice has been Advertised *Grievance Procedure* Sample Grievance Procedures - Form Past / Current Complaints and City Response Request for Accommodation - Form *General Requirements* Equal Opportunity Integrated Programs Methods of Administration Choice of Contractors Contract Phrases Licensing and Certification Alternate Testing Options RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) — f- Reasonable Program Modifications Surcharges •Staff Training• Staff Training Information Documentation of Staff Training •Special Events* Potential Barriers & Possible Accommodations Special Event Checklist Accessibility Survey Tool *Emergency Procedures* Evacuation Procedures for students with disabilities Individual Student Evacuation Procedure Forms Examples of Evacuation Procedures Guidelines to Accommodate Different Types of Persons with Disabilities During Emergency Situations •Communication• Written - Aural / Oral Communication Converting Written Documents into Alternate Formats Who to Call to Accommodate a Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services Braille Print Large Print Assistive Listening Devices Sign Language Interpreters Basic Needs of People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Document Recommendations •Telephone Communications• Minnesota Relay Service How to Use a TDD Telephone Volume Control Devices Public Television •Facilities• Facilities Evaluations Accessible Design Guideline Drawings Leases Lease Agreement Phrases Transition Plan •Transportation• Transportation Policies Field Trip Request Forms *Attachments* Materials Reviewed Other Information The following are the summaries of examples of solutions of accessibility issues to move the City of Rosemount toward compliance with applicable accessibility laws: See full report for more detailed information regarding each section. P Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) SUMMARY OF PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY The following chart is a summary of the level of program accessibility on the day of survey. The Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act indicate all programs must be accessible, not necessarily all buildings. The City has the option to architecturally upgrade a facility to meet the new construction guidelines for accessibility or relocate the programs to another location or site which provides a greater level of accessibility. The success of relocating programs to gain accessibility depends on the availability of other facilities, the level of accessibility in other locations or facilities, and the location and numbers of current individuals with disabilities. The long-range goal should be to make all facilities accessible by creating special accessibility projects or as part of repair, replacement and remodeling. Example 1: If a swimming program is located at an inaccessible site, the City can choose to architecturally upgrade the inaccessible facility or relocate the program to another facility which provides a greater level of accessibility. Example 2: A community education classroom located on a second floor is not accessible by ramp, lift or elevator. Options to make the program accessible include installing an elevator or relocating the community education program to an accessible location. It is recommended the City review the summary and where programs are identified as inaccessible, it is recommended the City develop a plan of action to ensure each program is available to all program participants. The key for colors used to describe the level of accessibility at each site is as follows: Green: The program / element is fully accessible or useable. No additional modifications are necessary. Yellow: Minimal modifications are necessary to make the program / element fully accessible. Modifications can typically be completed by staff or are of minimal cost. Examples of typical issues may include: • Re -striping accessible parking stalls or installing signage • Providing accessible door hardware • Reducing the tension of a door closer • Beveling a threshold with a piece of wood, metal or concrete • Lowering fixtures within a toilet room, such as a towel dispenser or mirror, installing grab bars, repositioning a toilet paper dispenser, etc. Red: The program / element is inaccessible or requires several accessibility upgrades. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) SELF_ST.DOC _Z_ City of Rosemount - Buildings Level of Accessibility Buildings U J UI r [i C: i a Overall Level of Access O ® is 00 \® Parking O ® ® O Curb Cuts Exterior Accessible Route Crosswalk O O O Exterior Doors 0 0 0.3 O Exterior Vestibule Doors O 10 10 O Interior Circulation ® 19 is Interior Runs O ® 4 O Interior Stairs O Elevators Interior Doors O ® 0 O O Counters O 10 Toilet Rooms O ® is ® O Locker/Shower Rooms Meeting/Assembly Area Interior Signage ® ® ® ® 0 Drinking Fountains ® ® (9 O Telephones O Council Seating O Alarm Systems City of Rosemount - Parks - Level of Accessibility Community Parks Neighborhood Parks U L J J 3 c3 s C 73 CM I U I w` w` mI I U U Overall Level of Access 1 10 10 0 101310 0 O O O O 0 O O O }'sem. .. 'C`y K4< b,�P}s �SVH < .k l�iv.'d� '¢E. 'j` 'V.. i' y 'k.� LL>"�d 'l�'•'��' L i,:X�"Y"r.A4 Ri+i 'i -�-�, a�.'-4::�,�.'a�. Parking 1 10 10 10 [0-1 1 10 1 1 10 1 10 Curb Cuts Exterior Accessible Route 3 co _ Archery O 0® Barbe ue Grills O O O O O 1 10 O Balt Fields ® O O O 001 O O O 3 O Ball Fields - Spectator Seats O O O Basketball 10 1 1 is 10 O Bench 1 10 1 O O Drinking Fountains 9 Nature Areas O O Picnic Shelters ® ® 0 Picnic Tables © O 0 0® 0 0 0 0 0 Plavground Equipment ® ® O Tennis Courts Toilet Rooms (Indoor) O Toilet Rooms (Portable) Trails ® O O O O Volleyball Courts INTRODUCTION This report for the City of Rosemount was prepared by RSP Architects, Ltd. It is intended to serve City of Rosemount in several ways: To assist City of Rosemount in understanding its obligations under various state and federal regulations and guidelines to provide persons with disabilities access to its properties and programs. 2. To identify specific modifications to improve accessibility which may be required under state or federal laws, regulations or guidelines. Also, identified are modifications that are "encouraged" to improve accessibility but are not necessarily required. Finally modifications are listed that should be reviewed at such time repair, replacement, or remodeling occurs. 3. To assist City of Rosemount in determining which modifications should be implemented first and those which can become part of longer -range planning. As a title II entity, City of Rosemount is required to comply with federal laws and state codes which mandate that barriers to discrimination be removed to provide persons with disabilities equal opportunity. METHODOLOGY A survey of the City of Rosemount's buildings and parks was conducted in the spring and summer of 1997. These facilities were reviewed for usability by persons with disabilities and for compliance with various state and federal laws, regulations and guidelines for accessibility. Following the field survey, an evaluation of our findings occurred, and the information was entered into a Microsoft Access database. Recommendations are based on our knowledge of the current interpretations of multiple regulations, legislation and guidelines. ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT The Executive Summary describes how issues were prioritized and discusses general issues to be modified throughout the facilities. The Detailed Facility Reports lists the issues which are recommended to be modified. Included with each issue is a statement of the applicable requirement, a description of the specific problem, and possible solutions. Each solution includes an estimate of its probable cost to implement. The probable construction cost noted herein are preliminary only, giving an approximate idea of anticipated costs. Prior to implementing the recommendations of this report, a more detailed estimate should be performed, enabling relevant subcontractors and suppliers to review the specific project. Costs could vary depending on how many of the recommendations proceed RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) I— ,Of -4J f T/D (I simultaneously. Costs do not include required building permits, architectural or engineering services, or other incidental costs. In addition, each item is prioritized based on a four level system. The following describes the priority system used for this facility. Included in the Detailed Facility Reports are the Keynoted Floor Plans. The keynoted floor plans graphically identify the location of accessibility issues. The keynotes shown on the floor plans relate to the keynotes on the right hand margin of the Detailed Facility Report. Also included are Photographs that illustrate examples of accessibility issues at the facility and show where good examples of access are provided. Please contact Julee Quarve-Peterson or Dinah Maas at RSP Architects at (612) 339-0313 if there are any further questions regarding this report. d:\rspada\city_rose\es—intro—es.doc RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) NO 7Z�� A- or 7—/ Aa—S— /EC4 1—.V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Rosemount in its continuing efforts to provide an appropriate and productive environment for staff and the public has just completed a thorough evaluation of its facilities and parks for compliance with applicable laws, codes and design guidelines pertaining to individuals with disabilities. It was the charge of RSP Architects to assist in the facilities review process, development of the transition plan and Self Evaluation. See the binder titled "Accessibility Self -Evaluation" for Self Evaluation information. It will be the responsibility of the City of Rosemount to review and implement recommendations in this report under the guidance of the ADA Coordinator. The following describes how accessibility issues were prioritized. Priority 1: Priority 1 recommendations are accessibility issues which are strongly encouraged for upgrading as soon as possible. These recommendation represent the greatest impact for improving accessibility at the site or are considered of great value and consistent with the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Priority 1 accessibility upgrades are critical to providing accessibility features at path of travel leading to and into the building and improving accessibility areas which receive high public use. Examples of these areas include: parking, main entrance, a minimum of one set of toilet rooms, the main office, assembly areas, etc. It is recommended that the City respond to the requests of staff or members of the public. This may require re -assigning priorities or adding issues. Although not as critical as priority 1 issues, the city should plan to remove priority 2 and 3 barriers to provide full program access to its programs. Priority 4: Priority 4 issues are long range accessibility issues that do not critically impact accessibility, but are still necessary to improve architectural accessibility. These issues should be reviewed at such time repair, replacement, or remodeling occurs. The following summarizes the priority 1, 2 and 3 issues at the City of Rosemount's facilities. See the following reports for more detailed information and priority 4 issues. Note: The City's transition plan was developed from the priority 1, 2 and 3 issues. See the "Accessibility Self Evaluation" report for a copy of the transition plan. RSP Architects Ltd - Accessibility Services (Copyright 1997) i PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT The City of Rosemount is presently conducting an Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility study of its buildings, programs and services. To make the findings of this study meaningful and pertinent as possible, the City of Rosemount requests the participation of anyone who would wish to contribute to the study in any way. Participation may take the form of advice, suggestions, questions or an interest in involvement. Participation would be most relevant if contrib- uted by persons with disabilities. Disability is defined as any physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, i.e. seeing, walking, speaking, hearing, breathing, self care, learning and performing manual tasks. The term also includes people who have a past record of impairments, such as persons who have experienced heart attacks, persons recovering from cancer, or former patients of mental hospitals, etc. The City of Rosemount will be conducting a Public Meeting on: Date: September 2, 1997 Time: 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible Location: Rosemount City Hall - Council Chambers 2875 -145th Street West Rosemount, MN 55068 Individuals who need auxiliary aids for effective communication in programs and services of the City of Rosemount are invited to make their needs and preferences known to the ADA Coordinator. Examples of auxiliary aids or services may include: a sign language interperter, assistive listening kit, etc. If you are unable to attend the meeting but have questions regarding accessibility issues or wish to contribute to the study with advice or sugt stions, please contact the ADA Coordinator. Name: Susan Wash Address: Rosemount City Hall, 2875 - 145th Street West, Rosemount, MN Telephone: 612-423-4411 TDD Number: 612-423-6219 Hours Available: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This notice is available in large print, Braille or on audio tape upon request. Please contact the ADA Coordinator. law �"h , fibmcco^di�a t r ANq sfU�, �,Irr kas r42t'a,rrJ'1 (�1 �"I.G.�� �-�. UJwc,�,l ✓L�LOC�I"�102L� Q CCI,f'1 °C� --� . He"518,11 cns, io�rich�s POCA'\�CCL-hr^�� �YM�r�6n �i�to �sC (Yee -S Vlt'6 , oc&'16 ev'r rwnt�lg---, v� 15 all�w�, l�ati'Ehwsc/zQ��s at cOF�IG fnUld, Cut, 01 /Oa ao) 0,acf - 6oavnin Yhe) 4E4 1 (5 No iF�Y;�df hFctr-�ai��s -7�`06 1 Cl(c it`Ca-Q �.� Sh'o� viCY7�s� �osPr�Cz / 32z.- zZ4s