The city of Bellevue will have to jump through a few hoops to get the rest of a $500,000 grant to pay for a portion of its new wastewater treatment facility. Meeting the requirements will bring the city into compliance with federal civil rights laws.
In keeping with federal law, the city adopted a fair-housing resolution in November, establishing non-discriminatory housing practices. A more costly requirement will bring Bellevue into compliance with handicapped-accessibility standards in the city's public buildings.
The Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to people with disabilities. It guarantees equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
For Bellevue, that will mean building ramps and other amenities in public buildings, including City Hall, the Marshal's Office and the Bellevue Museum.
City officials say they hope to survey public buildings and establish upgrade costs by Jan. 15 to get the final disbursement of a $500,000 Idaho Community Development Block Grant.
The final costs and completion dates for the upgrades are yet to be determined.
"Block grants are very valuable in small communities," said Bellevue Clerk Dee Barton. "These are the things we have to complete in order to get this one."
The grant is administered by the Region lV Development Association and has been used to build Bellevue's new $6.5 million wastewater treatment facility.
About $6 million of the cost of the new facility was bonded for and will be repaid with sewer user fees.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
