Corpusfishing.com

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12864

Via BobBobber

At the 3 PM meeting today in City Hall, City employees Jamie Pyle and Natasha Fudge thanked Bob Gramer for reporting the ADA noncompliance problems ADA for the three boat ramps on Packery Channel. Others attended the meeting, including Judy Telge, Interim Executive Director of the Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living.

This morning before the meeting, City employees went onsite to check the boat launch ramps on Packery Channel for ADA compliance. According to Major Project Engineer Natasha Fudge they found problems with the railings, which were spaced too closely and made too tall for ADA compliance.

However, they did not measure the angle slope of the walkway from the parking lot to the pier, because they did not have the necessary equipment with them. Reportedly, they will return to do that at another time.

They also visited the other boat launching ramps located near Clem's Bait and Billing's Bait and observed more noncompliance to ADA, according to Fudge.

Fudge said that funding is available now to make repairs and adjustments to the Luby Ramp, after an investigation to determine how the errors happened.

But the bids for the two parking lots at Clem's and Billing's will not be awarded until mid-July, 2013, followed by a 120-day period allowed for finishing the construction.

Other than problem observed today, the parking lots at Billing's and Clem's are not accessible, even though the ramps were constructed a long time ago. This means that, until late Fall 2013, those ramps will only accommodate able-bodied persons.

Gramer also indicated that many other public recreational sites along the shorelines in Corpus Christi are not ADA compliant. For example, there is no ramp at the Packery Jetties to allow access. Since construction, those jetties remain only available for the able-bodied. Private pay-for-fishing piers also cater to the able-bodied. Some have steps and no ramp. They do not have accessible restrooms, including the publicly owned and operated Bob Hall Pier.

The net result, Gramer said, is that fishing and saltwater recreational opportunities in Corpus Christi primarily are available exclusively to able-bodied persons.

Gramer came to the meeting with the anticipation that the City would commit to a schedule to remedy the problems addressed at the meeting. That did not happen.

However, Gramer credited those City employees in attendance for their positive attitudes and willingness to openly discuss the problems found and for explaining all the complications that impact schedules for finalization. Meanwhile the disabled cannot enjoy the same opportunities as the able-bodied, Gramer commented.

Unfortunately, there was an official televised attempt to falsely deny any problems existed with ADA access. Corpus Christi City Engineer Dan Biles, in an interview broadcast on TV Channel 3 on March 14, 2013, stated that he "believes it is just a case of misunderstanding."

City employees in the meeting did not comment on why Biles called it a misunderstanding. (It seems Biles is their supervisor, the head of the department where they are employed.)

What Biles said was in direct contrast to the actual reported observations by City Engineers, along with several emails sent by City employees during a period of two months. The facts should show that Biles made a false statement.

FYI, Biles did not attend the meeting; however, he was observed in the hallway just outside the meeting room.
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speckled.trout · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 1190

Both City Council Person Christ Adler and City engineering were told the
Clem's boat ramp did not comply with any type of special needs access
after it was complete. I sent them the email, their response was to put four ladders in. Two on each side of the boat ramps, would have never worked anyway. There are only two ladders left the others have been ripped down by people that think they can back up a trailer.
As far as the parking lots meeting ADA requirements, that should have been in place when the drawings were complete and the city council
approved them for construction.
If it hasn't been done then I'm sure more money will be required and if that is the case someone better get busy finding some.

Bob, just to let you know Mr. Biles is someone you should never belive.

The boat ramps at the Packery have NO specials need access either.

ST

ironmanstan · Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 4:00 pm Post subject:

The outcome so far on the disabled anglers thread....good job Bob. I can see a never ending battle on this issue. All we need is an engineer, money, I have the tools and the skills. Like that will ever happen.
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Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12864

Packery was going to get them when they put in the parking lot but that had to change because of rules limiting what you can build out there, permits etc. I think Trash Heap knows the story on that.
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speckled.trout · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 1190

Bob.....the ramp downtown at the "L" head were built without any type of assistance for special need individuals either, The ramps at this location were rebuilt within the past 10 years.

BTW if you didn't know the biggest part of the boat ramp funding comes from the state (TP&W).
The land that the Clems and Billings boat ramps are on belongs to the State of Texas and are under supervision of the Texas General Land Office
(GLO) and TP&W.

If I can help let me know.

ST

cdhknives · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 03 Aug 2012 Posts: 297

Basic ADA compliance is not complicated. There is no excuse for not meeting it on new construction.
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ironmanstan · Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:57 pm Post subject:

funmeters1 · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 319

Who signed off on the original enginnering drawings? Not surprised as Corpus Christi City Engineering Department couldn't engineer an
out house.

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:41 am Post subject:

I tried to make it through this story, but kept getting sidetracked by my own giggling. Laughing

Natasha Fudge??? That's funny to me.

Jellyfish · Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:12 am Post subject:

Corpus Christi has always bucked the ADA requirements. Didn't the feds sue the city over the sidewalks several years ago to bring them into compliance?
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speckled.trout · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 1190

ironmanstan · Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:00 pm Post subject:

BlueWaveEd · Horse Mullet Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 132

Probably the only way it gets fixed is a Class Action lawsuit naming the individual management, council persons responsible letting it get half way done. Oh yeah that would apply to most projects in CC.

4theReels · Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:17 pm Post subject:

Great job, Bob....!!!!
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