Last year the City of Lathrop commissioned a consultant to go through the city’s buildings, parks and right-of-way to look for gaps in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And earlier this month the Lathrop City Council took steps to act on some of those recommendations – awarding a contract to Diede Construction for ADA Compliance work at Lathrop City Hall to include upgrades to the council chambers where’s the city’s business is conducted.

According to the report prepared by Moore Lacofano Goltsman Inc., the wheelchair access ramps inside of the council chambers are out conformance because of the slope and the width-directions of the ramp itself.

The city solicited bids for the work and received back only the bid from Diede Construction for a cost of $81,536 – which was budgeted for during the 2022/23 cycle.

In the staff report prepared for the council on the consent calendar earlier this month, the scope of work detailed the need to remove the railing and the existing concrete and wood ramp from inside of the council chambers and the installation of wooden steps in its place with a hidden, portable aluminum ramp.

The work will also include the fabrication and installation of a metal door with a metal hinge and latch posts as well as the relocation of a network cable along the side of the dais as well as concrete refinishing and carpet installation.

While it has been several years, the focus of ADA Compliance became a hot topic for local governments and businesses after Carmichael attorney Scott Johnson began peppering businesses with lawsuits claiming that he was discriminated against because the business was not in compliance with the ADA.

Johnson uses a wheelchair.

After filing more than 4,000 lawsuits across the State of California where he was named as the plaintiff, Johnson found himself in court late last year when he was charged with underreporting the proceeds from those lawsuits for tax purposes.

Last month Johnson was sentenced to 18 months of home confinement for the violations.

For additional information about the scope of the work being conducted at City Hall or other business conducted during the meeting earlier this month, visit the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.