ADA Advisory Commission

Purpose

The ADA Advisory Commission is established to examine new and existing local, state and federal laws and applicable regulations to assure that disabled individuals are integrated, absorbed and “mainstreamed” wherever and whenever possible into every facet of city employment, programs and activities and advise and assist the ADA Coordinator accordingly.

Definitions

• ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act.
• DISABLED PERSON: Any person:
  • Who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment; and
  • Whose impairment, in reference to employment, is a disability within the meaning of the ADA.
• MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES: Functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.
• QUALIFIED DISABLED PERSON: Any disabled person who otherwise meets the minimum qualifications of the job for which application is made.

Membership and Term Lengths

• The Commission shall be composed of seven members, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council, who shall serve without compensation. 
• All members shall be residents of the City. 
• The members shall include three disabled persons, two representatives of small and/or large business, and two members of the general public. 

The members shall be appointed for terms of six years commencing on January 1 and the terms of office of members of the Commission are staggered so that three members are appointed every two years. In the event of a vacancy in the office of a Commission member, the new appointee shall serve for the balance of his or her predecessor’s term. The Commission shall establish its own rules and elect officers as it deems necessary.

Staff support for the ADA Advisory Commission shall be provided as directed by the City’s ADA Coordinator.

Current Members

Commission Powers and Duties:

• To familiarize and sensitize City staff and the general public to the access problems of the disabled.
• To develop a collection of accessibility planning information to be located in the City’s ADA Coordinator’s office and made available to City staff and the general public.
• To survey city buildings, programs and services for potential accessibility problems and recommend to the Council proposed resolutions of these problems in accordance with the City’s Section 504 Compliance Program.
• To review all proposed new architectural designs for city facilities and to recommend appropriate revisions to such designs as needed to address the accessibility requirements of the 504 Program.
• To review all city codes and recommend amendments where necessary to assure accessibility problems are adequately dealt with and that the requirements of the 504 Program are met.
• To assist in resolution of any reasonable accommodation issues which arise in the recruitment, selection and placement of qualified disabled persons in the city workforce.
• To develop recommendations on the future role of the accessibility program in the city.
• To serve as an advisor to other public or private entities on accessibility issues where it appears the Commission can make a positive contribution to resolution of such problems.

Meeting Dates and Time

The Commission meets in City Hall's first floor conference room at 1:00 P.M. the 2nd Thursday on the even months.