Implementation Strategy

IM PL E M E N T A T I O N ST R A T E G Y

The intent of evaluating Town facilities is to not only identify deficiencies but also to create an implementation strategy. There are items that can be addressed immediately; those are soft costs that will not require significant budgeting or investments. Most of the soft cost items are administrative and can be implemented within the next year or two. Setting up an allocation in the annual budget for example would be part of the implementation strategy.

The following information outlines examples of general prioritization categories for improving the identified deficiencies throughout the Town. Each priority section has its own merit to bring the community into compliance and should be addressed concurrently within the timeline described in this document, with the understanding that funding always plays a role in the implementation process. The Town’s best effort must be made to implement this plan as it is a living document where priorities may change within the coming years. Any priority changes should be addressed with future updates. The plan should be reviewed annually to identify items previously brought into compliance and to update facilities that still need to be brought into compliance.

• Short-Term Priorities are projects that can be completed within the next year with little cost to the Town. These are considered soft costs that would be handled with in-house staff and may fall under general maintenance. General Maintenance is often overlooked but may be considered a hazard and non-compliant with the ADA. Items included as soft costs include general landscape maintenance at sidewalks and entrances, obstacle encroachments and trip hazards that can be addressed by maintenance staff (Detailed in Appendix A4). • Mid-Term Priorities are intended to be completed within 1-3 years and can be completed with allocating funding within the yearly budget. Yearly budget allocation for ADA improvements or hiring staff to execute further investment towards implementation over the coming years is crucial for reaching compliance. Mid-term projects are those that would need to be accounted for within the annual budget but do not fall under the umbrella of a substantial investment on behalf of the Town. Within Clayton there are 109 handicap ramps that are considered noncompliant (some of which were identified in locations where new ramps need to be constructed). While there are levels of severity between noncompliant and what is a severe hazard it is important to recognize that they all would need to become compliant. • Long-Term Priorities include projects that will need to be incorporated into the Capital

Improvement Program (CIP) on a case by case basis as identified by The Town of Clayton staff and approved by Town Council. Pursuit of outside funding through the State or other agencies to implement this plan is highly encouraged. This particularly applies to the priorities outlined within the public rights-of-way that are maintained by the State.