PEKIN, Ill. – A settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit filed against the City of Pekin over allegedly not making city sidewalks handicapped-accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit — termed a “hybrid class action” suit — was filed in federal court in Peoria last year by a Chicago-based law firm against the city, City Manager Mark Rothert, and the Pekin City Council.
“The city agrees to spend a minimum of $250,000 a year on accessibility improvements for the duration of the consent decree,” said Rothert, who notes the length of the decree will be determined by the court. “The city also agrees to spend or procure an additional $1.5 million on accessibility improvements in the next three years.”
CLICK HERE to read the most recent court filing in the case (PDF document).
“In this consent decree, the city agrees to hire an engineering consultant to survey all sidewalks within the City of Pekin, and then to create a transition plan to prioritize, repair, and improve all inaccessible sidewalks,” said Rothert.
The Pekin City Council Monday both the consent decree, and the hiring of the engineering firm..
