FACT SHEET

Settlement Agreement between the United States of America
and The City of Fargo, North Dakota

The Department of Justice initiated a compliance review of Fargo in July, 2007, as part of Project Civic Access, a Departmental initiative to ensure greater access for persons with disabilities to local government programs, services, activities, and facilities.

An on-site survey of the City buildings and services was conducted on August 20-24, 2007. Facilities covered by the agreement include: Metro Transit Garage; Northport Library; Public Safety Building; Newman Outdoor Field; the Skyway; Fargo Municipal Court; City Hall; Civic Center Parking; Civic Auditorium; Fargo Police Station; and Fargo-Moorehead Convention and Visitor's Bureau Building. The Department also reviewed the City's emergency management procedures, employment policies, sidewalks, and its 9-1-1 emergency services.

In addition, the Department reviewed access for persons with disabilities to Fargo's programs, services, and activities operating in the following facilities: Fargo Health Department; Radisson Park Ramp; and the Law Enforcement Center.

City staff worked cooperatively with the Department throughout the compliance review in order to reach a settlement agreement that sets out a plan for making physical and policy modifications required for ADA compliance.

The text of the settlement agreement specifies the modifications that Fargo will be making to its programs, services, activities, and facilities. Among other things, the City has agreed to:

• Make physical modifications to its facilities, as specified in the Agreement, so that parking, routes into the buildings, entrances, public telephones, restrooms, service counters, and drinking fountains are accessible to persons with disabilities;
• Post, publish, and distribute a notice to inform members of the public of the provisions of title II and their applicability to the City's programs, services, and activities;
• Ensure that the City's official website is accessible to persons with disabilities;
• Ensure that all appropriate employees are trained and practiced in using the North Dakota Relay Service to make and receive calls;
• Develop a method for providing equal access to its emergency management programs for persons with disabilities, including preparation, notification, response, and clean up;
• Develop a method for providing information for interested persons with disabilities concerning the existence and location of the City's accessible services, activities, and programs; and
• Install signs at any inaccessible entrance to a facility directing users to an accessible entrance or to information about other accessible facilities.

The City of Fargo is located in Cass County, North Dakota, along the Red River of the North, which forms the border between Minnesota and North Dakota. The City's average high temperature is 16 degrees in January and 82 degrees in July. Fargo is also the childhood home and burial place of Roger Maris, the legendary Yankee baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's single season home run record in 1961 by hitting 61 home runs.

The settlement agreement will remain in effect for 3 years from November 16, 2009, or until all required actions have been completed, whichever is later.

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