Augusta council receives ADA transition plan; consultants outline phased work and cost estimates

Augusta City Council on June 16 received a final Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan from consultants at the WT Group and voted to place the report on record.

John McGovern, who leads the accessibility practice at the WT Group, told the council the federal requirement is that “every existing facility is audited,” and the audit results be converted into a transition plan identifying physical obstacles, responsible officials and a phased schedule for fixes. Tatum Storey, project manager for Augusta’s audit at WT Group, presented details of the firm’s site-level inspections and community engagement.

The consultants said WT Group audited 22 city facilities and the public right of way, producing site reports with photos and GIS coordinates. Consultants described a multi‑phase approach: “phase 1” focused on low‑cost or immediate fixes and corrections to recent construction, which WT Group presented at about $1,000,000; “phase 2” covered items new to the 2010 standards (playgrounds, sports fields) presented at about $900,000; and a larger “phase 3” for more complex or costly work that the presenters described in the meeting transcript as substantially larger. WT Group told the council their slide deck listed phases 1–3 collectively at roughly $3,000,000 and said the full set of recommendations including optional items runs to a figure the presenters described as a little over $6,000,000.

Storey said WT Group used the city’s sidewalk inventory collected in 2023–24 to prioritize right‑of‑way work and explained federal prioritization guidance: government facilities first, then public accommodations, then places of employment and then other areas. She also described WT Group’s community outreach: a survey with 59 responses plus two in‑person sessions (about 10 attendees in the morning session and four to five in the evening session).

City staff and the consultants discussed insurance, budgeting and annual work plans. WT Group recommended that the city budget for annual, incremental work on the plan to demonstrate “good faith” progress and avoid enforcement risk. The consultants said staff training for city employees was scheduled for the day after the council meeting.

Councilor motioned to receive the report; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The report and its supporting site audits and pivot tables will remain with city staff for phased implementation and for use when seeking funding. WT Group noted the transition plan includes recommended responsible officials for each item and suggested the city use its phasing and cost references (WT Group adjusted RSMeans estimates to local construction pricing) as placeholders for budgeting.

What’s next: the consultants asked the council to accept the report and direct staff to include annual budgeted work toward the plan; the council voted to receive the plan. Staff will retain the deliverables (22 site reports, the transition plan pivot table, the public right‑of‑way priority report, survey data and scheduled staff trainings) and will return to council with implementation steps and budgeting as part of routine capital and operating planning.