July 23, 2015

On Thursday, July 23, PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards joined Labor & Industry executive director for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation David DeNotaris, and the Statewide Independent Living Council to celebrate Pennsylvania’s progress in transportation accessibility in the 25 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted.

Richards and the event participants highlighted how the state has implemented the law’s standards to allow persons with disabilities to lead more independent, productive lives, a PennDOT press release said.

“Pennsylvania has come a long way in ensuring our transportation systems and facilities work for our citizens no matter who they are or how they travel,” Richards said in the release. “Transportation is a critical link among people, the economy and their lives, and PennDOT is committed to continuing to improving connections among all modes and transportation users.”

To commemorate the anniversary, PennDOT developed a booklet, viewable here  under “Multimodal Transportation,” noting the state’s efforts in accessibility after the law passed. The booklet features examples of improvements in pedestrian facilities, transit vehicles and centers, passenger rail, driver and vehicle service facilities and Welcome Centers, such as:

• All fixed route bus fleets in Pennsylvania are 100 percent ADA-accessible, and as bus stations and transit centers are upgraded they are designed to ADA standards.
• Seniors age 65 and older and persons with disabilities ages 18-64 use shared-ride, curb- to-curb paratransit service and receive an 85 percent discount on fares.
• The approximately 100,000 curb ramps on state routes should all be ADA-compliant within the next 15 years.
• PennDOT driver-license staffs are trained on testing drivers with disabilities, who may use hand controls or other adaptive equipment to safely operate a motor vehicle.
• PennDOT launched the Keystone Corridor Improvement Program in 2009, through which train stations from Harrisburg to Philadelphia are being upgraded to accessible facilities.

DeNotaris noted that accessible transportation is imperative for persons with disabilities.

“PennDOT and the ADA are helping to make the world more accessible for people with disabilities,” DeNotaris said. “One of the biggest barriers to employment for people with disabilities is transportation and when people – all people – have access to public transportation, paratransit, curb ramps, we provide a safe, vital component for employment and independence.”

A representative from the Statewide Independent Living Council also took part in the event.

 

A Kennett Township resident has filed a Sunshine Act lawsuit against the township and its supervisors, alleging that they negotiated a secret retirement agreement with the township’s former police chief.

The suit, filed by attorney Mark A. Sereni on behalf of Michael Hammon. accuses the supervisors of violating the Sunshine Act by entering into an agreement on May 7 with ex-township police chief Albert McCarthy, a pact that will cost township taxpayers “well in excess of $45,000.” The complaint asserts that at no time during any public meeting did the Kennett Township’s Board of Supervisors invite or receive public comment on the agreement.

Contacted for comment, Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder G. Stevens said he and the board had been advised by counsel not to comment on the litigation.

The suit further alleged that the agreement contained a secrecy provision that generally prohibited the township from disclosing even the existence of the agreement unless compelled to do so by a Right-to-Know request. “It was only after Mr. Hammon’s representative had made a Right-to-Know request about any retirement agreement that the township was forced to disclose it,” the suit said.

In a press release, Sereni said the Sunshine Act was enacted by lawmakers because “they explicitly found that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of governmental agencies and to witness the deliberation and decision-making of governmental agencies is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process, and that secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.”

McCarthy, who joined Kennett Township in 2007, is credited with creating the first Kennett Township Police Department, which Stevens called “a one man show” until Officer Lydell Nolt, now the police chief, joined the force in 2012. McCarthy previously worked for more than 30 years as an officer in Kennett Square Borough, including 19 years as its chief. McCarthy’s tenure in the borough ended with litigation over back pay.

The suit said that under the retirement agreement, McCarthy would continue to be paid his normal salary through Oct. 1. In addition, McCarthy would receive payment for any unused sick or vacation leave as of May 1 and continue to receive healthcare coverage through March 31, 2016, as long as he remains “responsible for any existing employee premium co-share or co-payment/deductible obligations.”

Under the terms of the agreement, which also includes a non-disparagement clause for both sides, McCarthy agreed to “make himself available, as requested by the township, to facilitate any transition in the police department, as well as to assist in the completion of any additional pending investigations while he remains employed” without additional compensation, the suit said.