I have a complaint with the city of Boone that no official wants to address. My issue is with the city handling of disabled laws in the town specifically, parking issues and the removal of all barriers in publicly owned buildings.

Only twice in the history of Boone, I was told, has a disabled person in a wheelchair attended the public meetings. Maybe the reason is that Boone will not comply with the law and any disabled person not able to walk up the stairs has to use the back doors, which are locked, and confirmed by the Mayor George Maybee, they will stay that way. There is a very long auditorium the disabled must pass through with no lights, and the signal for the ramp is in constant disrepair (again contrary to the law). It either does not work or is ignored when on the top floor.

On Jan. 26, 1992, the U.S. government passed a law requiring cities with more than 50 employees to remove all obstacles and barriers to their properties for all of the disabled as well as be trained on how to deal with, react to and respond to all different disabled individuals. They were given one year to comply unless they met with spelled out obstacles in completing their task, none of which Boone had.

In 1992, an engineer looked at all the properties, and gave his recommendations to the City Council and the city attorney. Then, after three hearings, headed by our now-present mayor, George Maybee, the recommendations were approved. The parking accessibility to City Hall was to be placed where the police cars are now. Then-police chief, Don Hart, who now is still stonewalling the issue as the head of the Traffic and Safety committee, ignored this. The mayor has now also changed his mind although the passing of those laws is still on the books.

A public official was supposed to sign this document which none did. A public official was suppose to be appointed and his name, phone number and address were to be made public to see that the projects got accomplished and to take and correct any complaints or wrongdoing. This never occurred though it was mandated on Jan. 26, 1992 and passed on Jan. 26, 1993.

As of December 2002, not one citation had ever been issued for illegal parking or illegal signage in Boone, both carrying a fine of $100 per sign or event. The city is required to provide proper signs to anyone who asks for them at cost. In contrast, the city of Ames cited 106 violations of these laws in 2002 alone.

This is the first law that gave to police total domain to enforce the laws on private as well as public property without any permission or notification or dealing with any individual. This means this city could make a fortune in just upholding the law they swore to in taking office, by ticketing illegal disabled signs on private property. Any attempt to address parking on private property is under their jurisdiction and needs to be fined until corrected.

We disabled also have our responsibilities. The signs give us the privilege to park in designated areas, but we too must obey the law on placing placards on our rear-view mirrors, not on dashboards, which is illegal. Those driving with their placards in places they were told not to when they received them should be key people fined because of the blind spot it creates; which is also a $100 fine.

As to the insensitive clods that are not disabled and parking in our spaces anyway (which are enforceable 24 hours per day), they should be towed and fined.

Having no enforcement in 10 years is a crime in itself that should have been addressed by the chief of police, and those over the police: the mayor, the City Council and Brent Trout, city administrator. All these people share in these illegal activities by restricting the police to uphold their oaths of supporting the Iowa Constitution.

Robert Abbey

Boone