Agenda - 03-17-2015 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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I OPT to issue identification cards for ADA- certified individuals to provide greater accountability of use of the service and to work with the Department on Aging to coordinate with rural communities on the parameters of the ADA paratransit service provided. In addition to soliciting public comments and comments from the OUTBoard, Orange County transportation planning staff also solicited comments from specific agencies that might have an interest in the plan, including: 1) Orange County Department on Aging; 2) Orange County Department of Social Services; 3) Orange County Department of Housing, Human Rights and Community Development; 4) Alliance of Disability Advocates; and 5) Project Compassion A public hearing for the draft ADA plan is required by federal law, and federal law requires adoption of the plan by resolution by the governing body of the transit system. The North Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) has requested that OPT submit an adopted plan by the end of March 2015. In order to comply with this timeline and because of the cancellation of the originally scheduled public hearing, the public hearing and consideration /approval of the plan have been consolidated into a single meeting, and action on the item at the March 17th meeting is an expectation of NCDOT to comply with its deadline. Next Steps: Following the public hearing and the BOCC's consideration of approval of the draft ADA plan, the ADA plan will then be forwarded for review and approval to agencies that require the plan for grant eligibility, such as NCDOT and the Federal Transit Administration. Once approved by those agencies, the plan will be published as OPT's official ADA plan and implemented accordingly before expansion services begin this spring. FINANCIAL IMPACT: While the provision of complementary ADA service as detailed in the plan involves a total estimated cost of approximately $27,265 in FY 2016 dollars, the cost of ADA service provision associated with the expansion services will be absorbed by the public transportation expansion '/2 -cent sales tax /vehicle registration fee revenues, as well as any federal and state grants secured by Orange Public Transportation to operate those services. ADA service provision will involve no impact to the County's general operating budget. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board- 1 . Open the public hearing; 2. Receive any public comments; 3. Close the public hearing; 4. Consider approval of the attached resolution (Attachment 3) approving and authorizing the plan; and 5. Authorize the Orange County Transportation Planning staff to submit the plan to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.