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03/12/2024 Resolutions 2024-63RESOLUTION 2024-63 WHEREAS, the City of Grand Island receives federal funds both directly and by and through the Nebraska Department of Transportation; and WHEREAS, receipt of these funds requires the City to have and maintain a Title VI Nondiscrimination Plan and ADA Policy; and WHEREAS, the City of Grand Island adopted and implemented a Title VI Program via City Council Resolution 2010-77 and an ADA Policy via City Council Resolution 2010-78; and WHEREAS, these programs have been continuously maintained and reviewed by the City of Grand Island since their adoption; and WHEREAS, detailed plans specific to the City's Transit Programs, the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Community Development Housing and Urban Development programs have been reaffirmed by Council as recently as fall of 2023; and WHEREAS, the City of Grand Island desires to continue to participate in programs funded by Federal dollars and understands that the failure to meet a11 requirements for funding could lead to project(s) being declared ineligible for federal funds or in the requirement that the City repay some or all of federal funds expended for project(s). WHEREAS, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) has, made changes to their assurances and regulation language which has resulted in the Highway Civil Rights Office requesting each Local Public Agency receiving federal funds to update their plans to reflect NDOT's current language; and WHEREAS, the required language, along with other necessary updates, have been incorporated into the Title VI Plan, Language Assistance Plan, and ADA Policy attached to this Resolution and incorporated by reference herein; and WHERAS, the City has engaged in an updated analysis which determined that the number of citizens of limited English proficiency (LEP) and has determined that approximately 89% of our population has English Language Proficiency and that more than,1,000 citizens, or 5% of our total population, are of Limited English Proficiency; and WHEREAS, the City's analysis has determined that Spanish is the largest non-English language group in our community and represents the only LEP language group that exceeds 1,000 citizens; and WHEREAS, the City has adopted a Language Access Plan necessary to ensure equal access for LEP persons who may choose to access the City's programs and services; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Grand Island hereby authorizes the Mayor, Title VI Coordinator, and ADA Coordinator to adopt, implement, or update the City's comprehensive Title VI Plan, ADA Policy and Language Assistance Plan, and to reaffirm its commitments therein; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Grand Island expresses its commitment to the nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI and hereby authorizes the City Administrator, in her capacity as the Title VI Coordinator, to execute and distribute a Policy Statement as set forth below: In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, the City of Grand Island ensures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits or services of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in all programs, services, or activities administered by the City of Grand Island. -1 � BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Title VI Coordinator shall cause this policy statement to be circulated to all City Departments and to the general public both in English and Spanish. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City hereby authorizes the Title VI Coordinator to adopt the updated Title VI Plan as presented to Council on this date and a�thorizes the Title VI Coordinator to make regular updates to the plan as required by law without need of further Council action. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Title VI Coordinator, or their designee, shall be empowered to submit Certifications and Assurances as required to appropriate agencies certifying the City's ongoing commitment to the nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI and to undertake any necessary activities to fulfil the City's commitment to our Title VI plan. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Title VI Coordinator, or their designee, shall be empowered to oversee the City's Language Assistance Plan and shall coordinate the City's efforts to provide notice regarding the availability of non-English language assistance. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Grand Island expresses its commitment to the nondiscrimination provisions of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and hereby authorizes the City Administrator, in her capacity as the ADA/504 Coordinator, to execute and distribute a Public Notice as set forth below: In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the City of Grand Island will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities. � City of Grand Island does not discriminate on the basis of disability on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with the ADA Title I employment regulations. City of Grand Island will, upon request, provide auxiliary aids and services leading to effective communication for people with disabilities, including qualified sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, documents in Braille, and other ways of making communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments. City of Grand Island will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in City of Grand Island offices, even where pets are generally prohibited. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective corrimunication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of City of Grand Island should contact City of Grand Island `s ADA Coordinator as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information or accommodation regarding the ADA and Section 504 may be forwarded to the designated ADA and Section 504 compliance coordinator: Contact Information: Name and Title: Laura McAloon, City Administrator Phone Number (Voice/TDD): 308-385-5444 Office Address: 100 E 1 st Street, Grand Island, Nebraska 68801 Days/Hours Available: Monday through Friday / 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor is hereby empowered to execute any documents required to demonstrate the City's commitment to compliance with all applicable federal laws, including the rues and regulations of the Federal Highway Administration as required by the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Grand Island, Nebraska, March 12, 2024 -2.f,/ > Roge . Ste e, Mayor Attest: ` f,� �,�r t��C'_ f �� � Jill Granere, City Clerk _� POLICY STATEMENT The City of Grand Island will ensure that no qualified individual shall, solely on the basis of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any of its programs, services, or activities as provided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (AD�. City of Grand Island further ensures that every effort will be made to provide nondiscrimination in all of its programs or activities regardless of the funding source. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who� Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, Has a history or record of such an impairment, or Is perceived by others as having such an impairment AUTHORITIES Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, provides that "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 7(20), shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded for the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 49 CFR Part 27.13 - Designation of responsible employee and adoption of complaint procedures. (a) Designation ofresponsible employee. Each recipient shall designate at least one person to coordinate its efforts to comply with this part. (b) Adoption of complalnt procedures. A recipient shall adopt procedures that incorporate appropriate due process standards and provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by this part and 49 CFR parts 37, 38, and 39. The procedures shall meet the following requirements� (1) The process for filing a complaint, including the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the employee designated under paragraph (a) of this section, must be sufficiently advertised to the public, such as on the recipient's Web site; (2) The procedures must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; (3) The recipient must promptly communicate its response to the complaint allegations, including its reasons for the response, to the complainant by a means that will result in documentation of the response. 49 CFR Part 28.102 - Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of Transportation. __ . � 1 �. . d�m_ �e- - _ ., �: � v �� � � � � �. e� This part applies to all programs or activities conducted by the Department except for programs and activities conducted outside the United States that do not involve individuals with disabilities in the United States. 28 CFR Part 35 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services. The purpose of this part is to implement subtitle A of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA Amendments Act) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. 49 CFR Part 27 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance. The purpose of this part is to carry out the intent of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794) as amended, to the end that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from, the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 49 CFR Part 28-140 - Employment (a) No qualified individual with disabilities shall, on the basis of disability, be subjected to discrimination in employment under any program or activity conducted by the Department. (b) The definitions, requirements, and procedures of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 791), as established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 29 CFR part 1613, shall apply to employment in federally conducted programs or activities. 29 CFR Part 1614.101— Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity. It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in employment for all persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity through a continuing affirmative program in each agency. 42 USC Part 12101-12213 - The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. No covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual on the basis of disability in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees, employee compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. ADA Coordinator The Section 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator for the city of Grand Island shall be the City Administrator or their designee. Name and Title� Laura McAloon, City Administrator Phone Number (Voice/TDD)� 308-385-5444 Office Address� 100 E lst Street, Grand Island, Nebraska 68801 Days/Hours Available� Monday through Friday / 8�00 a.m. to 5�00 p.m. 5ECTION 504/ADA COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES The Section 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator is charged with the following responsibilities� � Coordinating all compliance efforts with the heads of departments, divisions, and other key employees responsible for insuring compliance. { ! _� • Serving as the point of contact and liaison to the public on ADA/504 compliance issues as well as ensuring the Human Resources Department provides coordination services to employees. • Ensuring that all internal and external stakeholders are aware of the policies, procedures, practices, and processes with respect to ADA/504 compliance and that contact information for all necessary stakeholders is maintained and communicated. • Oversee all stages of the complaint process including coordination with State and Federal Administrations as required by law. • Providing resources for neutral review of complaints when conflicts of interest arises. • Monitor and update the implementation of the City's Self-Evaluation processes and any required Transition Plans. • Providing, or coordinating the provision of, requested reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids to individuals with disabilities. • Performs, or causes to be performed, process and compliance reviews, inspections of facilities and services. • Makes recommendations regarding updates to plans, programs, and procedures to effectuate transition plans. • Conducts, or makes available, training programs for managers and employees. • Conducts an annual review of 504/ADA program areas. • Monitors the agency's 504/ADA Transition Plan to ensure that all department facilities remain in compliance with applicable accessibility standards. SECTION 504/ADA NOTICE TO PUBLIC In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the City of Grand Island will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities. City of Grand Island does not discriminate on the basis of disability on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with the ADA Title I employment regulations. City of Grand Island will, upon request, provide auxiliary aids and services leading to effective communication for people with disabilities, including qualified sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, documents in Braille, and other ways of making communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments. City of Grand Island will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in City of Grand Island offices, even where pets are generally prohibited. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of City of Grand Island should contact City of Grand Island `s ADA Coordinator as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information or accommodation regarding the ADA and Section 504 may be forwarded to the designated ADA and Section 504 compliance coordinator� Contact Information� Name and Title� Laura McAloon, City Administrator Phone Number (Voice/TDD) � 308-385-5444 Office Address� 100 E lst Street, Grand Island, Nebraska 68801 Days/Hours Available� Monday through Friday / 8�00 a.m. to 5�00 p.m. SECTION 504IADA SELF-EVALUATION An ADA Self-Evaluation has been completed and is regularly updated by the City of Grand Island. Various divisions of the City have undergone detailed ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans. The City completed its first ADA Self-Evaluation in 2009 and has committed to an annual update every year by July lst. The City conducted its initial 2009 Self-Evaluation by evaluating accessibility in the public Right- Of-Ways. The City conducted a more expansive Self-Evaluation in 2010 whic�i led to the adoption of a City-Wide ADA/504 Policy and related procedures. The City performed a comprehensive self- evaluation by examining access to all city facilities, public right-of-ways, and in the delivery of City services. In addition to its commitment to annual review, the City requires individual departments to regularly conduct self-evaluations of their policies and procedures and incqrporates these self- evaluations into all program and facility updates. The initial self-evaluation and updates assisted the City in identifying numerous areas necessary to bring the agency into compliance — some of which remain ongoing. Those ongoing compliance projects include infrastructure updates such as continuous work to improve accessibility in the public Right-Of-Ways, ongoing leveraging of new technologies to improve accessibility, and incorporating ADA compliance into all ongoing construction projects and modernization efforts. In addition to its annual update, the City is repeating a comprehensive ADA self-evaluation which will include a reevaluation of physical infrastructure and programing, excepting those done regarding city right-of-ways, during 2024 and will develop an updated transition and implementation plan. The Transit Division and Metropolitan Planning Organization also engage in a period of public comment and feedback solicitation each time they conduct their self-evaluations and update their transition plans. SECTION 504/ADA TIi,ANSITION PLAN The City has previously identified the need for a Transition Plan to address items in its ongoing ADA self-evaluation process. The City had, prior to the self-evaluation, recognized the need to develop a Curb Ramp Transition Program to increase accessibility in the public right-of-way. This Curb Ramp Transition Program was incorporated into the City's ADA Transition Plan and identified plans to ensure ongoing compliance as well as to remedy existing infrastructure. This project remains ongoing and is being completed according to a priority schedule which is expected to continue until approximately 2068.The City's Transition Plan also identified certain technological upgrades which are necessary to modernize our City website. The City has identified in its transition plan certain physical infrastructure barriers such as reception area counters or podiums that are too high for individuals using wheelchairs. The City has committed to ensuring that all renovation projects include ADA compliant structures and facilities and is engaging in those projects as budgetary funds allow. The. City has identified accommodation procedures available for rapid deployment until such time including relocation of services to accessible areas, the use of technology such as handheld microphones and video conferencing, or the providing of employee assistance. The City is repeating its comprehensive ADA self-evaluation plan during 2024 and will develop a comprehensive update to its Transition Plan which is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. COMPLAINT PROCEDUR,ES The City has a robust procedure for addressing complaints related to ADA/504 complaints. The City takes all efforts to resolve complaints immediately by providing reasonable accommodations as requested. In the event the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, the City has patterned its complaint procedures after those suggested by the Federal Highway Administration by and through their procedures manual. The City's procedures are generally as follows� Complaint Substance and Format A complaint is a written or electronic statement concerning an allegation of discrimination on disability that contains a request for the receiving office to take action. Complaints should be in writing and signed and may be filed by mail, fax, or in person. The City also accepts complaints via electronic means but takes additional steps to verify their authenticity and authorship. The City accepts complaints as follows� • By telephone at 308-385-5444. The ADA and Section 504 Compliance Coordinator will talk to the complainant and obtain detailed information relating to the complaint. Information obtained from the telephone interview will be memorialized in writing and read back to the complainant to verify its accuracy. • In writing to the ADA and Section 504 Compliance Coordinator, 100 East First Street, P.O. Box 1968, Grand Island, NE 68802-1968 • By fax at 308-385-5486 • In person at City Hall (100 East First Street, Grand Island, NE 68801) during normal office hours (typically 8am-5pm Monday through Friday). It is advisable to call 308-385-5444 to schedule an appointment in advance to ensure the coordinator is available to assist. A complaint must contain at least the following information� • The complainant's name and a way to contact the complainant; • A written explanation of what has happened; • The basis of the complaint as it relates to allegations of discrimination by disability. • The identi�ication of the respondent (e.g. the agency, organization, program, or employee alleged to have discriminated) • Sufficient information to understand the facts that led the complainant to believe that discrimination had occurred; and, • The date(s) of the alleged discriminatory act; or for ongoing discrimination, the date the discrimination was first discovered by the complainant. The city requests complaints be made in writing and signed, but will make reasonable accommodations to accept complaints in alternate formats from persons with disabilities upon request. Complaints in languages other than English will be translated at the City's time and expense and the City will respond in the language in which the complaint is received. The following are examples of items that are not considered complaints under this policy unless they are incorporated into a complaint or are accompanied with a cover letter documenting the request for action by the City in response to the allegations. • An anonymous complaint; • Inquiries seeking advice or information; • Courtesy copies of court pleadings; • Courtesy copies of complaints addressed to other local, State, or Federal agencies; • News articles; • Courtesy copies of internal grievances. Timeframe %r Filin� Complaints Except when governed by a more specific complaint procedure or timeline, all Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the last date of the alleged discrimination or, for ongoing allegations of discrimination, within 180 days of discovery by the complainant of the alleged discrimination. A complaint is considered to have been filed on the earlier of (1) the postmark of the complaint, or (2) the date the complaint is received by any office authorized to receive complaints. An extension of this timeline maybe granted under any of the following circumstances� • The complainant could not reasonably be expected to know the act was discriminatory within the 180-day period, and the complaint was filed within 60 days after the complainant became aware of the alleged discrimination; • The complainant was unable to file a complaint because of an incapacitating illness or other incapacitating circumstances during the 180-day period, and the complaint was filed within 60 days after the period of incapacitation ended; • The complainant filed a complaint alleging the same discriminatory conduct within the 180- day period with another Federal, State, or local civil rights enforcement agency, and filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Authority, or other regulatory agency within 60 days after the other agency had completed its investigation or notified the complainant that it would take no further action; • The complainant filed, within the 180-day period, an internal grievance alleging the same discriminatory conduct that is subject of a complaint filed with a federal regulatory agency, and the complaint is filed no later than 60 days after the internal grievance is concluded; • Unique circumstances generated by Federal agency action have adversely affected the complainant; or • The discriminatory act is of a continuing nature. Some complaints will be referred to the City by other agencies or divisions. In the event the referring agency has possessed the complaint for an inordinately long period of time and the complainant filed his or her complaint with that agency within the 180-day timeframe, the City will automatically grant an extension. Processin� and Investi a�ting� Comblaints Upon receiving the complaint, the complaint will be date stamped by the receiving office or will be otherwise documented. Within 10 days, the Section 504 ADA/Compliance Coordinator will acknowledge receipt of the allegation, inform the complainant of procedures to be followed, and advise the complainant of other avenues of redress available, such as NDOR, USDOT or other applicable federal agency. The Coordinator will review the complaint for completeness. If no additional information is needed, the complainant will be sent a letter of acceptance. If the complaint is incomplete, the complainant will be contacted to obtain the additional information. The complainant will be given 15 calendar days to respond to the request for additional information. The 15 day time period will commence upon mailing of the request for additional information and, if no response has been received at the close of business on day 15, the complaint will be closed. A request for information will be mailed to the respondent, along with a copy of the complaint, upon acceptance of the complaint. The City will advise NDOR, FTA, or any other applicable agency, within 10 days of the receipt of the allegations. The City will include all information in the notice that the respective agency requires. These notices will also be documented in the City's complaint logs. As the investigation unfolds the City will document all activity related to the complaint and will compile information into an investigative report. This report will include, at minimum� • Name, address, and phone number of the complainant. • Name(s) and address(es) of alleged discriminating official(s), department, agency or program. • Basis of complaint • Date of alleged discriminatory act(s). • Date of complaint received by the City. • A statement of the complaint. • Copies of all requests for information, along with responses to the requests. • A log of all important dates relevant to the complaint, including, but no't limited to, the date that the complaint was filed, the dates of all correspondence with the complainant or respondent, the dates of all interviews with complainant or respondent, and the date of the disposition (or the date the complaint was forwarded to NDOR, FWHA, FTA or other agency for further action) • Other agencies (state, local or Federal) where the complaint has been filed. • Any documentation received from any other agency regarding the complaint. • An explanation of the actions the City has taken or proposed to resolve the issue raised in the complaint. • Any other pertinent or relevant information. Within 60 days, the Coordinator will conduct an investigation of the allegation and based upon the information obtained, will make recommendations for actions. Those actions will be memorialized into the above referenced investigative report and will be communicated to the official in charge of the program charged with implementing the regulations as well as the City Administrator if that person is not serving as the Coordinator. The complaint should be resolved by informal means whenever possible. Such informal attempts and their results will be summarized in the report of findings. Although regulations do not specify a timeframe for the investigation of ADA complaints, the City strives to comply with the NDOR Civil Rights Office's request that complaints be investigated and finalized within 90 days of receipt of the complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved in less than 90 days, the investigative report will include a narrative of the reasons of the delays and suggestions for how to improve the timeliness of the complaint resolution process in the future. Upon completion of the investigation the City will notify the complainant in writing of the final decision reached, including the proposed disposition of the matter. The notification will advise the complainant of his/her appeal rights with any applicable state or federal agency, if they are dissatisfied with the final decision rendered by the City. The Section 504 ADA/Compliance Coordinator will also provide the applicable state or federal with a copy of this decision and summary of findings upon completion of the investigation. If the complaint has been received against the City itself or the Compliance Coordinator, it will be immediately forwarded to the applicable state or federal agency. The City or Compliance Coordinator will not investigate any complaint in which it has been named in the complaint. Dismissal of a Comblain t State or Federal agencies may retain the authority to dismiss ADA complaints against the City or its departments and divisions as subrecipients of funding. Those agencies, and the City, may dismiss a complaint for the following reasons� • The complaint is untimely filed; • The complainant fails to respond to repeated request for additional information needed to process the complaint within the timelines provided; • The complainant cannot be located after reasonable attempts; • There is no statutory or alleged basis for the complaint; the City or State or Federal agency lacks jurisdiction in the matter; or the complainant does not allege any harm with regards to current programs or statutes; • The complaint has been investigated by another agency and the resolution of the complaint meets that agencies regulatory standards (e.g. all allegations were investigated and a disposition has been entered in accordance with law) • The City or other agency obtains credible information at any time indicating that the allegations raised by the complainant have been resolved, or are moot and there are no class-wide allegations or implications. The City will attempt to ascertain the apparent resolution and to determine whether any current allegations appropria�e for further complaint resolution exist. • The complainant decides to withdraw the complaint; • The same complaint allegations have been filed with another Federal, State, or local agency, or through the City's internal grievance procedures. • The complaint has been referred to an agency which also has jurisdiction but may be better suited to conduct the investigation; • A complaint, because of its scope, may require extraordinary resources. In such cases, the City may engage in a compliance review so as to address multiple individual complaints regarding the same respondent or set of allegations. o In such case the City will discuss the decision with the complainant(s), close the complaint, and will initiate a compliance review as soon as possible. The City will provide the complainants copies of the resolution documents upon completion of the compliance review. Complaints and substantiating information regarding complaints handled by the City should be sent to� Attn� City Administrator 100 East First Street PO Box 1968 Grand Island, NE 68802 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION PROCEDURES Employee Accommodation Requests Employee accommodation requests that cannot be informally resolved by a supervisor should be made through the Human Resources Department unless otherwise governed by a procedure in a Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Human Resources Department will attempt to address any accommodation requests or will refer it to a neutral third party reviewer or the Compliance Coordinator. Accommodation Regarding Public Meetings It is the intent of the City of Grand Island to accommodate its citizens whenever possible to allow public participation in any public meeting conducted by the governing body and/or its boards and commissions. Notices about how to request accommodations are included on public meeting notices and are posted throughout city facilities. Notices typically include the following language� Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations including interpreter service, hearing impaired devices, large print, or recorded materials are asked to contact the City of Grand Island, 100 East First Street, Grand Island, NE (308) 385-5444, ext. 140, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting you wish to participate in so city staff can make the meetings accessible to any and all citizens of the community. Accommodation Regarding other Services and Programming Each program or service provided by the City is empowered to provide notice of accommodation request procedures specific to their program. Department directors, program administrators, and employees are empowered to attempt to address accommodation requests promptly and informally. In the event requests cannot be promptly and informally granted, formal request for accommodations are made to the ADA Coordinator or their designee. INFORMATION OF ACCESSIBLE FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS The City engages in extensive efforts to ensure that interested persons can obtain information as to the existence and location of accessible services, activities, and facilities. The City does so through some of the following means� • Posting in conspicuous places at all city facilities of public accommodation. • Incorporation of notices in all public meting notices which are available on the City's website and through news media outlets. • Posting on the City's website. • In written materials such as brochures or pamphlets produced for specific departments, programs, or services. • Through public feedback and comment procedures incorporated into programs and projects. • By regular media outreach and the solicitation of public participation and feedback. • By verbal relay via telephone or in person to individuals making inquiry. • Through proactive communications to patrons and consumers of services. • Through initiatives to improve accessible facilities. • Through the creation of facilities and programs specifically designed to increase accessible services, activities, and facilities. (e.g. the creation of an accessible playground) ASSURANCES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794), the City of Grand Island, desiring to avail itself of federal financial assistance from the US Department of Transportation, hereby gives assurance that no qualified person shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination, including discrimination in employment, under any program or activity that receives or benefits from this federal financial assistance. The City of Grand Island further assures that its programs will be conducted, and its facilities operated, in compliance with all requirements imposed by or pursuant to 49 CFR Part 27, 28 CFR Part 35 and 42 USC 12101-12213. .., ...` �___---�."" � gna ure ofResponsible Agency Official ��� k.t,-��i. U �� C-�i"��. ��-�'Y /��//'��C; �ii ��',rr{�.--._ Name and Title ofResponsible Agency Official (please print� ����/�� Date