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Commission reviews ADA self-evaluation plan and low-cost council chamber seating changes
Summary
Gardner City’s Disability Commission heard an ADA coordinator update on plans to contract the Center for Living and Working to redo the city’s self-evaluation and reviewed seating renderings to create wheelchair spaces in the council chamber, including a low-cost bench rearrangement option.
The Gardner City Disability Commission on April 1 reviewed plans to update the city’s ADA self-evaluation and examined renderings to make the council chamber more accessible.
Amanda, the commission’s ADA coordinator, said she had contacted Mike Kelly at the Center for Living and Working for a quote to redo the self-evaluation and that the center asked for a list of areas to evaluate. Amanda said including schools would make the work ‘‘a lot more challenging’’ and that the commission could later decide whether to include them. She described the contractor’s approach as bringing lived-experience reviewers together with technical expertise and said the commission could seek a grant to pay for the work.
A presenter showed three renderings for the council chamber: the first shows existing benches with movable pews; the second removes part of the first row to create four 30-by-40 wheelchair spaces and reuses a half bench at the rear entrance; the third shows flexible individual seating that can be moved for people with sight, hearing or mobility needs. The presenter characterized figure 2 as a ‘‘no cost’’ option because it mainly reconfigures existing benches.
Commission members discussed ownership of the chamber and suggested presenting the proposal to the council president before making physical changes. The presenter and commissioners agreed to review the renderings further and bring questions to the next meeting.
The commission also reviewed an ordinance change that places the ADA coordinator role within the HR director position, meaning the mayor can designate who serves in that coordinator role. Commissioners said they will reach out to the mayor and council after the self-evaluation materials are compiled.
The commission plans to review the draft self-evaluation quote and the chamber renderings at its next meeting; no formal motions or votes were recorded.
