Consultant outlines citywide ADA transition plan, cites 20-year implementation horizon

Matt P., the project manager from consulting firm Kimley Horn, told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at a May 28 workshop that the city's ADA transition plan inventories accessibility barriers across the community and maps a path to compliance.

The plan covers 12 public buildings (including fire and police stations, the senior center and city hall), six parks, two signalized intersections and roughly 55 miles of sidewalks with associated curb ramps and crossings. Matt P. said teams visited and measured each facility, documented deficiencies with photos and produced individual facility reports that include prioritization notes and photo-based evidence for staff to use during implementation.

The consultant told the board the plan is grounded in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires state and local governments to evaluate and improve access to public programs, services and facilities. The presentation said the plan also satisfied a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) requirement and included public participation via an online survey/map and an advisory committee meeting.

Matt P. said the plan includes conceptual cost estimates organized by high, medium and low priority and that estimated costs are conservative and intentionally escalated to support long-term budgeting. He described a staff-owned GIS tool that layers facility types and barriers to help isolate areas of concern and plan funding. He said the city's approach will be to show steady progress over time rather than to eliminate every barrier immediately, with a focus on higher-priority items over a 20-year implementation horizon and regular updates every three to five years.

Board members pressed staff on whether newly renovated buildings would still need work; staff confirmed some findings remain and that work already scheduled (for example, a public works renovation and a CMAC-funded sidewalk project) will address certain items. The consultant emphasized that some repairs may be done by city forces and that the plan is intended to be integrated into capital project planning.

The workshop presentation concluded with the consultant asking the board to seek formal approval of the plan so staff may transition from planning to implementation. The item will move to the formal agenda for action at an upcoming meeting.