Helena updates ADA transition documentation; commission agrees to use contingency funds for ADA golf cart

City staff updated the Helena City Commission on the city's 2017 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan and presented a plan to document completion with photographs and file records. The commission then gave consensus to use approximately $20,000 from contingency reserves to purchase an ADA-accessible golf cart for Bill Roberts Golf Course to address a filed grievance.

Planner Kyle Holland told commissioners the 2017 transition plan provides the framework for achieving equal access to the city's programs and facilities and that departments submit annual spreadsheet updates after each fiscal year. Holland said a recent review found items marked as complete that either lacked documentation or were not finished; staff propose housing verification documents and photos in the city's M-Files system so the public and departments can see "establishing" and measurement photos and checklists tied to Northwest ADA Center guidance.

The documentation change is intended to improve public transparency, support budget planning and identify which items remain to be completed. Holland said the full plan and earlier consultant reports are already available on the City of Helena website under Community Development ' ADA, and staff will continue to keep the public spreadsheet accessible while adding file-based visual verification.

Separately, Director Danielson asked the commission for consensus to use contingency funds to buy an ADA golf cart for Bill Roberts Golf Course after a grievance was filed seeking such accommodation. Danielson said the golf course does not have funds budgeted to buy the cart, the purchase is on the ADA transition plan, and the requested amount is approximately $20,000. Director of Parks Doug Smith (participating remotely) confirmed the city would charge the cart at the same single-use cart fee listed in the current Bill Roberts fee schedule.

Commissioners indicated support. Director Danielson and the city manager noted this is the first request to draw on the contingency reserve for an ADA compliance expense and told the commission that the transition-plan review is intended to surface items that should be budgeted going forward.

The presentation did not include a formal roll-call vote; staff received commission consensus to proceed with using contingency funds for the cart and to continue work on the documentation process.

Next steps: staff said they will provide the commission with a count of how many of the plan's roughly 2,000 line items are marked complete and will place documentation in M-Files as the system is implemented.