One Hamlin Township resident has taken issue with the fact the
newly constructed municipal building is not yet handicapped
accessible, although it’s been open for township business since
February.

Dennis Champion of Hazel Hurst contacted The Era to say he
cannot enter the Hamlin Township municipal building because he is
confined to a wheelchair.

Champion was working construction at the University of
Pittsburgh at Bradford campus about 14 months ago, he said, when he
fell from a roof, ultimately leaving him paralyzed from the arms
down.

“And there’s probably 50 other handicapped people (in Hamlin
Township) who would also like to be able to go to the meetings,”
Champion said.

The new building was constructed over this past summer, he went
on, saying he has “no idea how it even passed state building
codes,” without being handicapped accessible.

There is no ramp into the building, Champion said, no
handicapped parking spaces or related signage in the parking lot.
“It (the building) shouldn’t have been opened. It’s illegal as
heck,” he said Sunday night.

Champion said he notified the township supervisors of his
problem, and one of the officials, Richard Keesler, told him he
would personally see that Champion could enter the building and
attend today’s regular meeting.

Champion said, however, that he is uncomfortable with being
lifted into the air to be carried into the building.

Being a construction worker for 20 years before his accident,
Champion said, he is quite aware of building codes, saying the
Hamlin Township municipal building is “definitely in violation” of
construction codes.

He went on to say the building should not have passed inspection
without handicapped access. Since the accident that left him
paralyzed, Champion said, he has had to make alterations to his
home to make it more easily accessible for him, and even those
modifications had to be inspected and approved.

Champion admitted he did not frequently attend the regular
township meetings before his accident, but added there are others
who are handicapped who need to be considered also.

Supervisor Richard Keesler agreed with Champion that the
building is not handicapped accessible, but said officials have not
had sufficient time to meet those standards.

“You have to understand, we just moved in there,” Keesler said.
He went on to say the township has every intention of making the
facility handicapped accessible, but needs more time and money to
do it.

Keesler said he felt Champion’s expectations were
unreasonable.

He said the township applied for Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funding for a parking lot and ramp, but was denied at
the county level.

Keesler said the building had been inspected by a building code
official, and that the township has held two regular monthly
meetings there this year. Today will mark the third.

He said the weather had also been a factor regarding
construction.

Hamlin Township Supervisor William Kilmer agreed with Champion,
however, saying he has been pushing to have the parking lot and
ramp taken care of.

“I said something at the last meeting and I will bring it up
again. They need to quit fooling around,” Kilmer said, adding
although he is not confined to a wheelchair, he is legally
handicapped and would also benefit from the access.

“Weather is not an excuse,” Kilmer said, adding he had the topic
on his agenda for discussion at today’s meeting.

“They should have had this done when they built it,” he said.
Kilmer took office again in January, he said, after taking a hiatus
from serving as a supervisor for numerous years.

He went on to say he did not feel Champion was at all being
unreasonable.

“It’s a public building,” Kilmer said. “It (handicapped access)
should have been part of the original plan. We need to get on it
sooner rather than later.”

Kilmer also said he was under the impression the building had
somehow passed inspection.

Kilmer went on to say there are no surplus funds set aside for
the township to use for this type of construction, but that
officials can’t really afford to wait for grant money either.

Supervisor Thomas Kreiner reiterated the township submitted a
CDBG application that was denied. He also said the parking lot and
drive was recently widened and is now ready for paving.

Kreiner said Keesler was supposed to be gathering price
estimates for the construction work that needs to be done at the
building, and is expected to present his findings at today’s
meeting.

He was unsure if the building had been inspected before it was
opened.

Kreiner said Mount Jewett man Greg Garthwaite of the Middle
Department Inspection Agency would have performed the building code
inspection at the municipal building, however.

Garthwaite was not immediately available for comment Sunday
night.

Foster Township building code enforcement officer Ralph Skaggs
said Sunday night that handicapped access is state mandated.

“Any public building has to be handicapped accessible,” Skaggs
said, under the Uniform Construction Code, which was enacted by
Congress July 1, 2004.

When told about the situation in Hamlin Township, Skaggs said
that to the “best of (his) knowledge” the building would have to be
in violation of the UCC.

He was unsure of the possible consequences for violating the
UCC, however.