Tim Clark, who has spent more than three decades as an owner’s representative, appeared on WILO’s Party Line to address public misconceptions about the new county annex building and the broader scope of ADA work underway in Frankfort and Clinton County.
Clark is an ADA specialist working to clear up confusion about handicapped parking at the new Clinton County annex building while pushing a broader message: the Americans with Disabilities Act affects far more residents than most people realize.
Tim Clark, an owner’s representative and certified ADA coordinator who holds contracts with both the City of Frankfort and Clinton County, appeared on WILO’s Party Line program recently to address public questions about accessibility at the annex and to explain the scope of ongoing ADA compliance efforts across the region.
Annex Parking Confusion Addressed
Clark said the ADA-compliant handicapped parking for the county annex building is located on the southwest corner of the property, not directly adjacent to the north side parking lot that many visitors have been using.
“The path from that southwest corner goes to the city sidewalk and then to the front door — that’s the designed public entrance,” Clark said. “The north side lot is employee parking only.”
Clark emphasized that the annex was designed and built in full compliance with ADA standards. Under federal law, ADA-compliant parking must meet a slope threshold of less than 2.08 percent — both running slope and cross slope — and must provide a connected path to the public entrance.
“ADA doesn’t require a handicapped spot in front of every door,” Clark said. “What it requires is access to a sidewalk network that leads to the public entrance.”
Courthouse Square: One Corner Still a Work in Progress
On the Clinton County courthouse square, Clark said three of the four sides — north, west, and south — currently meet ADA parking requirements. The east side, at the intersection of state highways 39 and 28, has been a persistent problem.
“INDOT came in and did renovations on that east side,” Clark said. “That intersection has had ongoing issues, and we continue to monitor it.”
A 36-Year-Old Law, Still Being Implemented
The ADA was signed into law in May 1990 — 36 years ago — and municipalities were given two years to comply. Clark said the reality is that many communities, including those in Clinton County, are still working through their obligations. The problem, in part, stemmed from an ‘unfunded mandate’ that many jurisdictions were simply unable to fulfill.
Clark started his business 30 years ago and became deeply involved in ADA compliance work in 2011 — the same year two of his children, who use wheelchairs, prompted him to pursue certification. His certification program is through the University of Missouri, and he operates within the Great Lakes territory. He also runs an ADA coalition in Tippecanoe County.
In addition to Frankfort and Clinton County, Clark holds contracts with Tipton County and Miami County, and is in discussions with Hendricks County.
Clark noted that approximately 18 percent of the U.S. population has a disability, and said the number of people affected effectively doubles when caregivers are included.
“When you add the people who are helping someone with a disability — a spouse, a parent, a child — you’re talking about more than a third of the population that has a direct stake in these issues,” Clark said.
Automatic Doors, Restrooms and Common Misconceptions
Clark said the most frequent public complaints involve parking proximity, the absence of automatic door openers and restroom accessibility. On automatic doors, he said the law is often misunderstood.
“Automatic door openers are not required by the ADA unless you’re talking about a federal building,” Clark said. “That surprises a lot of people.”
Restroom accessibility and parking lot slope compliance, he said, remain the most common areas where local facilities fall short.
For renovation projects, federal law requires that up to 20 percent of any renovation budget be directed toward ADA compliance improvements. Clark cited Mulberry Health in Clinton County as an example of a contractor proactively working with him to ensure new parking met compliance standards before construction began.
City Evaluating All Sidewalks and Curb Ramps
The City of Frankfort operates a 50/50 sidewalk program and is currently evaluating all city sidewalks and curb ramps for compliance. Clark said sidewalk gaps or vertical rises can be no more than one-quarter inch under ADA standards.
Snow removal also falls under compliance requirements. Plowing snow onto accessible paths or handicapped parking spaces, Clark said, constitutes a violation.
Local schools are not exempt. Clark noted that all school facilities must also meet ADA requirements, a point he said is sometimes overlooked by administrators and facilities staff.
Purdue University and Ball State University now include ADA compliance in their architecture and building construction programs, Clark said — a shift he views as a significant step toward long-term change.
How Residents Can File Complaints
Residents who believe a public facility is out of compliance can file a grievance through the city or county ADA page online. The Clinton County Coalition — a volunteer group, not a body of government officials — handles the ADA grievance procedure locally.
Clark encouraged facilities managers to maintain what he called a “living document”: a record of all non-compliant areas, updated yearly, with written rationale for decisions about remediation timelines.
“You need to document what you know, what you’re doing about it, and why you made the decisions you made,” Clark said. “That document protects you and it shows good faith.”
The ADA is a civil rights law that was originally governed by the Department of Justice, then transitioned to the Department of Transportation. Enforcement is increasingly being pushed down to the municipal level through contractor requirements, Clark said.
On historical buildings, Clark noted that only the exterior must remain historically preserved; interiors can be renovated to achieve ADA compliance without affecting historical designation. Handicapped parking placards, he added, are issued to individuals — they follow the person, not a specific vehicle.
For more information, visit the City of Frankfort or Clinton County ADA page.
