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Whiteland Town council approves ADA assurance form ahead of park plan submission
Summary
The Whiteland Town council voted to approve an ADA assurance form required by the state Department of Natural Resources as part of the town’s park and recreation master plan submission; staff said the form applies to future compliance and that some existing amenities will need retrofits.
Whiteland Town staff told the town council that the park and recreation master plan is ready to be submitted to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after the council approved an ADA assurance form required for the submission.
A staff member, giving the plan update, said the final community meeting had drawn just six attendees and four comment cards, and that comments were largely appreciative. “Gosh, I wish I would have known about it,” the staff member said, describing low turnout despite social media promotion.
The staff member said an outside group described as “festival country” has expressed interest in donating toward a park amenity but warned against committing to any single donated feature without considering ongoing maintenance costs. Council members discussed preferring year‑round, revenue‑generating amenities over features that would be useful only in winter.
Under new business, staff introduced the ADA assurance form the DNR requires with the plan. The staff member said the form references the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and asked the council to authorize a designated town official to sign it.
Council members asked whether signing the form would certify that all existing facilities already meet ADA standards. The staff member replied that the assurance is forward‑looking — it affirms the town’s intention to comply in future actions and to pursue retrofits as projects are undertaken, rather than retroactively declaring every existing facility already compliant. The staff member noted specific examples: “our dog park is not ADA compliant” and the Saddlebrook playground lacks an accessible path to the equipment, comments the staff member said were noted by the plan evaluator.
A motion to approve the ADA assurance form was made and passed by voice vote; the transcript does not record who moved or seconded. Council members said the form should be signed by the town designee (Megan Kane) before submission. Staff said the DNR review is expected to take a couple of months and the target for local adoption is around September, after the DNR review and any required revisions.
The council then moved to adjourn and the meeting concluded.
