It shall be unlawful to exclude an otherwise
qualified handicapped individual, solely by reason of his or her handicap,
from the participation in or the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity within Greene Township, Franklin County,
Pennsylvania, receiving federal financial assistance.
An internal grievance procedure is hereby and
herein established to resolve in a prompt and equitable manner any
complaint alleging an action or activity prohibited by Section I of
this chapter and by the Office of Revenue Sharing's (O.R.S.) Regulations
[31 CFR 51.55(d)(2)] implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794).
Complaints should be addressed to the Chairman
of the Board of Supervisors, Greene Township Municipal Building, Scotland,
Pennsylvania 17254 [Telephone: (717) 263-4990], who has been designated
to coordinate Section 504 compliance efforts.
A complaint should be filed in writing, containing
the name and address of the person filing it, and briefly describe
the alleged violation of the regulations.
A complaint should be filed within 30 days after
the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation. (Processing
of allegations of discrimination occurring before this grievance procedure
was in place will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)
An investigation, as may be appropriate, shall
follow a filing of a complaint. The investigation will be conducted
by the Chairman of the Greene Township Board of Supervisors. These
rules contemplate informal but thorough investigations, affording
all interested persons and their representatives, if any, an opportunity
to submit evidence relevant to a complaint. Under 31 CFR 51.55(d)(2),
the Township of Greene need not process complaints from applicants
for employment or from applicants for admission to post-secondary
educational institutions.
A written determination as to the validity of
the complaint and description of resolution, if any, shall be issued
by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and a copy forwarded to
the complainant no later than 30 days after the filing of said complaint.
The Section 504 coordinator shall maintain the
files and records of Greene Township relating to the complaints filed.
The complainant may request a reconsideration
of the case in instances where he or she is dissatisfied with the
resolution. The request for reconsideration should be made, in writing,
within 30 days to the Secretary of the Board of Supervisors of Greene
Township, and all requests for reconsideration shall be considered
and decided by the full Board of Supervisors. A written copy of the
Board's decision shall be forwarded to the complainant no later 30
days after receiving said request for reconsideration.
The right of a person to a prompt and equitable
resolution of the complaint filed hereunder shall not be impaired
by the person's pursuit of other remedies such as the filing of a
Section 504 complaint with the Office of Revenue Sharing, United States
Department of the Treasury. Utilization of this grievance procedure
is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies.
These rules shall be construed to protect the
substantive rights of interested persons, to meet appropriate due
process standards and to assure that the Township of Greene complies
with Section 504 and the ORS regulations.