Panico Sets Deadlines to Comply with Audit’s ADA Recommendations
By Hank Russell
After receiving an audit from the state comptroller’s office which listed 66incidences in which the town of Brookhaven failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Town Supervisor Dan Panico announced that he has set a series of deadlines to make the facilities more ADA-compliant and will set aside funding to make those improvements.
According to the recently released audit, between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, auditors examined 1,022 applicable “physical accessibility components” throughout Brookhaven. They reviewed components at Town Hall in Farmingville, Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley, the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai, two at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter and the Parks and Recreation Administration Building in Centereach.
Auditors found that 66 components — or 6% — were in need of improving handicap accessibility. Out of that number:
- 48 components at the Town Hall, such as at least one van-accessible parking space and an accessible route with openings in the pavement no larger than half an inch.
- eleven components at the airport, such as accessible parking spaces with marked access aisles and an accessible route to the main entrance with an even surface.
- four components at the senior center, such as ramps with a barrier to prevent wheelchair castors and crutch tips from falling off and restroom towel dispensers mounted at an accessible height.
- two components at the animal shelter, including at least one van-accessible parking space and mats with secured edges at the main entrance.
- one component at the parks administration building; interior doors that open with five pounds maximum force.
The auditors took photos as examples of those components that need to be rectified and put it in their report. As part of its recommendation, “Town officials should assess the feasibility of taking additional steps to increase physical accessibility for the 66 components identified in this report,” the audit said.
In a letter to the comptroller’s office, Panico said he agreed with the audit’s recommendations. In addition, he said he has appropriated $200,000 in funding to fix these accessibility issues, with $100,000 going “to address issues at the Airport, where a handicap accessible ramp needs to be rebuilt,” he said.
“The Town already has corrected for compliance 27 of the 48 improvements identified in the report for Town Hall, with the remaining targeted for no later than May 1, 2025,” Panico said. He also announced than one of the issues at the airport has been addressed with nine to be completed by May 1 and two more by September 1. The four findings at the senior center will be scheduled for completion by June 1.
The one finding at Parks Administration has been corrected for compliance, and one of the two items at the Animal Shelter has been corrected for compliance, according to Panico.
“The Town is committed to ensuring equal physical access to all residents and visitors to Town facilities and will continue to strive for full ADA compliance,” Panico said.