Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Accessibility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and advocates push town and village to fix municipal building accessibility; boards send issue to building committee
Summary
Residents and disability‑rights advocates urged the joint town and village boards to address long‑standing accessibility problems at the municipal building. The boards agreed to refer detailed assessment and recommendations to the building committee and received an offer of a free ADA barrier assessment.
Residents, advocates and board members spent the meeting’s public‑comment period pressing the town and village to fix long‑standing accessibility problems at the municipal building.
Jeff Reitman Snyder, executive director of the Independent Living Center serving St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex and Lewis counties, told the boards the building was “a mess” and urged them to undertake an Americans with Disabilities Act self‑assessment. “If you don’t have a plan, I’m here to offer you free of charge to do this architectural barrier assessment,” Reitman Snyder said, offering to identify what must be changed.
Other speakers detailed everyday barriers. One resident noted wheelchair weights and equipment limits, saying some wheelchairs now weigh about 400 pounds and urging the boards to consider maximum weight capacity in planning for lifts and other equipment. Kate Geigerland of Canton described locked back doors and the need to call someone to get in for an accessibility meeting, and urged interim fixes such as holding meetings in accessible locations, adjusting parking stall markings and adding a ramp or platform lift.
Board members acknowledged the concerns, agreed the building has limitations and moved the matter to the established building committee for a focused review. The moderator said the committee will develop a plan that could include short‑term fixes and longer‑term options such as an elevator; members emphasized they will seek input from advocates and technical experts.
The board’s commitment includes a near‑term meeting of the building committee to begin the assessment and budgeting process. The advocates who spoke also signaled they will stay involved: Reitman Snyder said he would work with local disability advocates to help prioritize fixes and offered technical assistance.
The board did not authorize immediate spending during the meeting; rather, it directed the building committee to gather cost estimates and recommend prioritized actions for both quick fixes (parking, door operation, temporary lifts) and larger capital work (possible elevator or major renovation).
