Commissioners want options to help people with disabilities access events

Nov. 16—Owensboro city commissioners said Monday that they want the city to explore ways to make public events more accessible to people with disabilities.

The issue was first raised in August, when Mayor Tom Watson said city staff needed to examine ways to help the elderly and people with disabilities access downtown events.

Watson told city commissioners he saw an elderly couple struggling to reach Veterans Boulevard during the "Great Race" visit to the city in June, and that people who are elderly or disabled "are not having the opportunity to enjoy the riverfront."

City Public Events Director Tim Ross gave a presentation to commissioners last week that showed the city has a large number of parking spaces along the downtown streets. After the presentation, Watson said the issue is not parking availability, but helping the elderly and people with disabilities reach an event after they park.

"It's about mobility once they have parked," Watson said.

Elected officials would like to hear options for helping people who are elderly or disabled reach events, Watson said.

"I think everybody I have talked to on the commission would like something brought forward that doesn't make it too hard a job" for city employees, Watson said. "I think somewhere along the line, we can figure out a way to move" people to events.

"I think we really need to look into what we can do to get people from parking to the actual event," Mayor Pro Tem Larry Maglinger said. "I don't know how we would do it, but it's something we really need to spend some time on and find a solution."

Maglinger said plans to make public events more accessible could vary, depending on the size and location of the event.

"There might not be a solution, but it's something we have to look into," Maglinger said.

Commissioner Mark Castlen said a possibility would be to designate the City Hall parking lot as disability parking during downtown events and to use a trolley or GRITS bus to ferry people to the event.

"We already own it, so it's not like we would have to get permission on those days," Castlen said.

Another option would be using the ground floor of the downtown parking garage entirely as parking for people with disabilities during events.

The ground floor of the city parking garage could be temporarily remarked, to create parking spaces large enough to use as spaces for people with disabilities, Castlen said.

"I'm for utilizing what we have in the city coffer already, rather than trying to drag the private sector into it," Castlen said.

Commissioner Jeff Sanford said it might be possible for people to park outside of the downtown area and take city transportation to downtown events.

Previous commissions considered "parking people at the (Owensboro) Sportscenter or old hospital" and having a trolley ferry people to events, Sanford said. "I would be willing to try to do something like that."

If people who are not disabled parked offsite and took a trolley to an event, "the more spaces we open up for people with disabilities" to park downtown, Sanford said. "There is a solution out there. We need to have the staff look into it."

Commissioner Bob Glenn said consideration should also be given to accessibility of facilities like the Owensboro Sportscenter, Owensboro Convention Center and RiverPark Center.

In facilities like the convention center, signs are needed to direct people with disabilities to elevators, Glenn said. Also, volunteers could help people with disabilities get to their seats, Glenn said.

The Sportscenter needs upgrades to make it more accessible, Glenn said.

"If we are committed to the Sportscenter as our future for the next decade or more, part of this conversation should be, 'what can we do to make it ... more accessible,' " Glenn said.

Glenn said an issue is improvements to the Sportscenter would all have to be undertaken together.

"I think we need to look at all of our buildings and say, 'let's develop a long-term plan" to make them more accessible, he said.

Glenn said the city isn't likely to replace the Sportscenter, so 'let's invest some money' to make it more accessible to the elderly and disabled.

"The city would have to get grants and assistance to make that a reality, but I think it's a reality worth investing in," he said.

Watson said he wants the city staff to look further into the issue.

"I'm going to see where they run with it, because I'm not going to give up on it," Watson said.

The elderly and people with disabilities "pay taxes down there, too" for downtown, Watson said. "I want them to enjoy it, if they want to."

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse

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