Committee recommends adding relocation reserve and continuing accessibility upgrades for City Hall chamber

Susan Misner, director of the Mayor’s Office on Disability, and Ed Ryskin, director of Public Works, presented a design and cost estimate for a permanent ramp to the president’s podium and related accessibility work in the Board chamber. The design had clearance from preservation and disability review bodies and would use a ramp (not a lift) to preserve historic fabric while meeting code.

DPW presented a $477,732 estimate for the work using Certificates of Participation (COPs) and said it was a bare-bones budget with work staged to minimize disruption. DPW said the main construction phase would take roughly 48 working days, with the final ramp work deferred to a holiday break to reduce meeting displacement. The budget analyst noted additional estimated temporary relocation costs of $34,028–$51,042 and recommended appropriating $528,774 (COPs) to cover project and relocation contingency.

Public speakers and some supervisors raised concerns about the timing and prioritization of accessibility work amid broader budget shortfalls and asked for a list of unfunded ADA projects across city facilities. Misner emphasized the legal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and state access codes and noted the chamber configuration was not code compliant. The committee accepted the budget analyst’s recommendation to add $51,042 to the appropriation, place it in reserve for relocation, and continued the item for one week to receive additional project prioritization and cost detail.