Board of Aldermen 05-22-2018 Page 11
PERIOD FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
Christopher Griffin
Good evening. | am a member of your disabled community and | have a question for you all. Why has
the City of Nashua been discriminating against mobile disabled by not providing proper handicap
access on the north side of the bridge. This has been going on for over 42 months. The City was
notified of the problem 6 months ago and still the problems remain. The City is in a unique position
here because this field corporation who is relying on to give the access on the north side bridge did not
do that for 3 years. You are in a unique position because now they can renegotiate and have the ramp
put in which would give 24 hour access to the disabled community which would help make up for the
time that we’ve lost. Because 3 years is a long time to not have any access.
They started giving some access back in December when they started answering the phone which they
were supposed to have answered back in 2014. But when | tried to use it 2 weeks ago, | got their
answering machine. So still they are failing to comply with federal ordinances and the agreed upon
decision by you all to give them the responsibility of managing access for the disabled. I’m curious as
to why and I’ve mentioned this to other people in the City, that the City should be going after them for
the time lost. And the response I’ve gotten is “we have no interest in doing that”. So |’m curious as to
all of you, what do you think? Do you think that disabled people in the community deserve that
contract? And since we have an opportunity, since they broke the contract, renegotiate and possibly
put ina ramp? Is it equitable? Is it fair?
Because if you all don’t agree with me, my next option is to go have somebody from the state with an
attorney to file charges against you for violations to the Americans with Disabilities Act for 180 days.
That adds up to $660,000.00. Not only that from the Federal Highway Administration, Section 504, it
says you are not allowed to discriminate and since you did not provide access for 3 years at all, that’s a
form of discrimination and you can be held accountable for that also in federal and privately. | don’t
want any of that but the City has been sitting back for the 6 months | have been talking to them, doing
nothing. So | figured I’d meet with the people who really make these decisions and see what you all
think. So I’d love to hear from you right now if you all have any comments or responses to what I’ve
said.
President McCarthy
This is the public comment period, we accept comments we don’t respond to them during public
comment period.
Christopher Griffin
So can | ask for a letter from you all within the next week, from each one of you to be sent to my house
as to what your response is to my questions, because | think it deserves an answer and deserves an
answer quickly. Because the people | am working with are finishing up a case and once they start
investigating | won’t let them stop. Thank you all very much.
President McCarthy
You’re welcome.
Christopher Griffin
If need be, let me know and I'll leave my address so you can all mail me a letter if you choose to.
REMARKS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
