Council OKs new policy for disabilities

NORTH WALES » A new policy spelling out ways to accommodate those with disabilities is now on the books in North Wales.

Borough council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the latest version of that policy, with an immediate change meant to make its actions more clear.

“The reason we have changed it up a little bit tonight, to ask for an approval with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote, is to make it clear for the interpreter what we are saying,” said council President Jim Sando.

“When we use the term ‘aye,’ it could be misinterpreted, so in-

stead we will be using ‘yes’ and ‘no’” he said, as an interpreter translated those words into sign language.

Starting in January, council and staff have discussed how to develop a specific policy spelling out clearly how staff will make accommodations for those with mobility or hearing troubles or other special needs, so the borough complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act during public meetings, events, and at local facilities.

A draft policy was discussed earlier this month,

and Borough Manager Christine Hart outlined on Tuesday night the changes made since then, based on feedback from council and the public. The first draft specified a five-day advance notice period for a resident to request a special accommodation before an event, and that period has been cut to 72 hours after a resident pointed out that public meeting agendas are often posted on the Friday before a Tuesday meeting.

“Of course, we will always try: regardless of the amount of time, we will always do our best to accommodate,” Hart said.

The updated draft also creates the position of an ADA coordinator responsible

for fielding any requests, complaints, or grievances from the public, and spells out that if a request is not accommodated, the council president will be notified, and then notify the rest of council.

“That’s something that, depending on the management style and/or council at the time, can be handled accordingly. And I don’t foresee that we’re going to have any grievances,” Hart said.

A standardized form has been developed for a resident to request an accommodation, via email, fax, or dropping a paper copy off at the borough building. Councilman Sal Amato asked if the policy

spells out any time limits for how quickly a grievance must be answered, and Hart said the policy did not specifically state a time period, but she and staff will try to address any issue before the subsequent council meeting, which are held every two weeks.

“We meet twice a month to run the borough, so I think it’s reasonable to assume that, in a two-week period, that grievance can and should be afforded action,” she said.

Solicitor Greg Gifford said the policy also includes provisions to notify other officials if certain ones are unavailable, such as the council vice president if the president is out of town.

“If the president is on vacation, the individual can come to the vice president. If the vice president and president are on vacation, then they can go to their council person from their ward,” Gifford said.

“We want to keep it open, so if there’s a grievance, we want it to be addressed as quickly as possible,” he said.

Council then voted unanimously — saying ‘yes’ instead of ‘aye’ for the first time — to approve the new policy and to pass a motion to formally ratify it.

While discussing the borough’s monthly bills, councilman Jim Cherry questioned two listed charges for $150 and $80 for interpreting services, and Hart said she is still working to

finalize an arrangement with a company to have an on-call interpreter when requested.

Amato then asked if staff had arranged yet for the sound system installed in council’s chambers in 2016 to be re-evaluated and recalibrated, and Hart and Gifford said they are reviewing the language in the original contract to determine what the warranty will cover.