Resident urges updated ADA inventory, requests Powell Bill access for counties; accessibility gaps raised for new sheriff's office building

A Farmville resident and disability-rights advocate told commissioners on Aug. 4 that Pitt County has made progress on accessibility but needs an updated Americans with Disabilities Act inventory and transition plan, and called for state action to allow counties to access Powell Bill funds for sidewalks and crosswalks.

"I would like to also encourage you to update your ADA inventory and plan," Steven Hardy Perez told the board. Perez said he had difficulty accessing county buildings after being disabled in a traffic incident but noted improvements, including new sidewalks at the government complex. He said the new sheriff's office building, by contrast, "was not made with sidewalks."

Perez suggested Pitt County pursue changes to Powell Bill eligibility. Powell Bill funds are a state program that provides monies based on municipal lane miles for local street maintenance; Perez said the current funding formula excludes counties, and he said that limits county access to state-funded pedestrian infrastructure projects. He offered to collaborate with the county to advocate for legislative or administrative changes so counties could access those funds for sidewalks on county property.

Perez urged the county to consider a new ADA inventory and a transition plan to ensure facilities meet current accessibility standards; he described statewide Powell Bill rules as a structural barrier to county sidewalk funding but did not cite a specific statutory citation during public comment.