Revitalization committee urges ADA transition plan for Brick Town Hall; selectmen table decision

Gail Libby, a member of the town’s Revitalization Committee, asked the Selectmen on April 21 to approve outside accessibility consulting and a formal transition plan for the Brick Town Hall.

Libby told the board the town is operating under a Department of Justice agreement that makes a transition plan important to reduce liability. She said the committee received two proposals from Alpha One — “One is for $1,500 and the other is for 750” — and that architect Nancy Babbitt (Hullen Wood Architects) would add a $150 fee to her contract to coordinate the work. Libby said the plan would document barriers, provide alternative access methods, and “drop the liability risk” by showing the town’s compliance efforts.

Board members asked for time to review the proposals and clarify contractor roles; one member explained that, absent an ADA expert review, the architect would be asked to include a disclaimer noting the limit of her ADA expertise. After discussion the board moved and voted to table the Alpha One proposals until the next meeting so members could read the materials and return with questions.

The action preserves time to review contract language and confirm funding and accounting lines before any authorization. The committee told the board it would draft a transition plan in consultation with Alpha One and present a draft for board review.

Next steps: the board will revisit the Alpha One proposals at the next selectmen meeting and asked staff to circulate the submitted proposals and any related contract language in advance.