Commissioners discuss accessibility of courthouse

0

EATON — On Monday, July 8, the Preble County Board of Elections met with the Preble County Board of Commissioners to discuss office and equipment space. Director Terri Hans discussed disposal of old and obsolete equipment. She also talked about the recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) assessment Board of Elections recently under went.

ADA assessments occurred at the Preble County Courthouse and the former Preble County Art Center. Hans presented the findings to the board of commissioners. They reviewed the compliance issues found at the Preble County Courthouse.

Compliance issues included: accessible parking spaces, size of elevator, signage, ramps, and hand rails.

“My question is, this all makes sense, understanding the lay of the land and none of us built this building. Are you saying this is something we need to fix? Board of Elections is a minor part, we have a lot of operations in here, when you look at the other offices and things we need to fix. It is not just Board of Elections, it is the whole county,” Commissioner Rodney Creech said.

Many of the offices in the courthouse are already accessible, because their services can be accessed online, but there has to be an accessible machine for early voting. Which means, the building that machine is housed in must be accessible. Every person must be able to access the early voting area, regardless of their disability.

If the Board of Elections is moved down to the basement, the elevator becomes an issue which must be addressed. Officials are still discussing how to get the Board of Elections more room, whether within the courthouse or in a building of its own. If the BOE remains within the courthouse, the commissioners must figure out how to make the building more accessible.

In other business:

•The board approved a resolution recognizing Sean Finnigan for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

•The board noted receipt of the Preble County Juvenile Court’s 2018 Annual Report.

•The board noted receipt of the Help Me Grow Early Intervention Part C Coordination Grant agreement with Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

The Preble County Board of Commissioners meets every Monday and Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Preble County Courthouse, unless noted otherwise.

By Kelsey Kimbler

[email protected]

Reach Kelsey Kimbler at 937-683-4061 or on Twitter @KKimbler_RH

No posts to display