Williamsport accused of violating settlement to make Metropolis Corridor ADA compliant | Information, Sports activities, Jobs

WILLIAMSPORT – The city of Williamsport has been accused of violating the terms of a consent decree to make changes to City Hall to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Center for Independent Living of North Central Pennsylvania, the local chapter of ADAPT and four people filed a motion in the US Middle District Court Tuesday to sentence the city in disregard and fined.

The four sole plaintiffs are Jay Harner and Tina Cummings of Williamsport, Thomas Grieco of Lock Haven and Marie Prince of Jersey Shore.

The center, which serves people with disabilities, and ADAPT, a self-advocacy activist group, along with the four people, resolved their US $ 55,000 lawsuit and consent form against the city on March 10.

They had accused the city of having made a conscious decision to uphold violations of federal accessibility laws from top to bottom in the town hall.

The Consent Ordinance violations alleged in the Consent Waiver Request include failure to hire a qualified consultant to ensure ADA compliance and provide a prescribed work schedule.

Plaintiffs allege John K. Brezan, whom the city hired as a consultant, was neither trained nor experienced in ADA accessibility standards.

The city has neither submitted the requested professional résumé nor a sample of an ADA report written by him, it is said.

What was presented, it is said, was a certificate of qualifications claiming that Brezan was an inspector / code officer with over 25 years of experience, the “Certified” and the State Department of Labor and Industry, which is approved in certain building construction areas.

Plaintiffs argue that, instead of drawing up a work plan as required, Mayor Derek Slaughter submitted a report stating that the contract for an ADA-compliant outdoor ramp had been awarded and bids to convert the elevator were being considered.

The city expects both projects, which deal with key elements of the plaintiffs’ complaint, will be completed by November 10, the document says.

The report also states that after a May 17 tour of City Hall by Slaughter, Brezan and others, the goal is March 19, 2020 to address the remaining ADA issues.

These include fire extinguishers at the wrong height, insufficient door clearance, no emergency lighting in toilets, doors without accessible fittings, missing signage and a fire alarm system do not serve the needs of the deaf.

The town hall, which closed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been fully reopened.

When resuming personal meetings, the city council met in the city’s own Trade and Transit Center II, which is handicapped accessible.

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