LOS ALAMITOS : Funds Sought for Better Accessibility

Ten public facilities, including City Hall, have to undergo structural changes to be more accessible to the disabled, but the city does not have the money to finance the needed improvements.

Officials said this week that the improvements, which will cost an estimated $45,000, would likely be funded from a Housing and Community Development Block Grant, which the city receives annually from the federal government.

“In the event it’s not approved, we would look at funding from the city’s own general fund next fiscal year,” City Manager Robert C. Dunek said.

The improvements are necessary to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates that public facilities be easily accessible to disabled people.

Dunek said ADA-related improvements would be included in the city’s application for the grant. He said the improvements will be made mostly to restrooms.

The restrooms at City Hall, Youth Center, Community Center, Los Alamitos Museum, Police Department and Laurel Park will be retrofitted to accommodate individuals with disabilities.

In addition, public buildings and properties must show signs indicating uses for the disabled, Dunek said. The drinking fountain at the Police Department and the tennis court corridor at Laurel Park will undergo changes, and the fire alarm system at the Community Center will be upgraded, he said.