DALTON, Mass. — The Americans with Disabilities Act Committee has agreed to delay deciding on the Town Hall lift until more information is available about the future of the police station. 

 

The lift in the police station has been out of order since December because of safety concerns. 

 

The Town Hall has two chairlifts, one in the police station and one in the public library.

 

The library chairlift does not have access to the town planner, health agent, and building inspector offices. If assistance is needed, call Town Hall for accommodations, such as drive-up services. 

 

The drive-up services may be easier for those with mobility issues because they do not have to leave their vehicle, ADA coordinator Alyssa Maschino said in a follow-up. 

 

The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee, which is in charge of examining all the options for a new police station, determined that the current police facility, located in the basement of Town Hall, is inadequate. 

 

In June, Police Chief Deanna Strout highlighted several issues in the police station, including plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and cell damage. 

 

With uncertainty surrounding the proposed police station's relocation, it is unclear where a new elevator should be placed, if a lift will be needed to access the basement or how Town Hall will be reorganized if voters approve the move.

 

Since being deemed out of order, the committee has been looking for solutions to repair or replace the lift but has run into roadblocks, including high costs, new weight requirements, and struggles to find a location because of space limitations. 

 

The lift replacement had been initially delayed because Garaventa Lift informed the town that the new weight limit went from 400 pounds to 650 pounds. 

 

There have been discussions about installing a lift or elevator outside Town Hall near the entrance, but this would incur high costs for asbestos abatement, ADA Chair Patrick Pettit said. 

 

In the meantime, the committee will be exploring other ADA upgrades within town, Maschino said. 

 

The committee has applied for the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant to fund accessible counters for the assessors, clerks, and tax collectors' offices. It is still waiting to hear back on whether they have been approved. 

 

The assessor's office has a setup that could work because the current table flips out and is wheelchair accessible, but measurements would need to be made to see if the counters in the room have clearance, Pettit said during a previous meeting. 

  

In addition, the assessor's office doesn’t get as much traffic as the tax collector and clerk's offices.

 

The tables in the tax collector and clerk offices would need to be completely redesigned. If approved for the grant, the committee could use the funds to purchase the tables from Massachusetts Correctional Industries at no cost to the towns. 

 

Maschino is also in the process of getting quotes for push buttons for those offices.

 

It was previously noted that the doors for these offices are heavy, and it is a struggle for someone in a wheelchair to get in. 

 

Another ADA upgrade that can be considered in the meantime is new matting for the playgrounds would replace the wood chips, Maschino said in a follow-up.