City to Comply with Unfunded Mandate for People with Disabilities
The Oakdale city council is required by an unfunded mandate to identify and eventually make all city sidewalks, trails and signal systems more accessible to people with disabilities.
The Oakdale city council approved a measure Tuesday night that requires the city to make public Rights of Way more accessible for people with disabilities. These public rights of way include sidewalks, trails and signal systems. The city won't be making changes to these public rights of way quite yet. First the city needs to develop a transition plan and identify all areas in the city that do not comply with federal and state requirements. This is an unfunded mandate. It stems from the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was enacted in congress in the 1990's, said Brian Bachmeier, the city engineer. The city recommended a four-part process for the city while it initiates a transition plan to get the city up to code. The process…
