Okaloosa County BOCC — March 4, 2014 — Title VI and Nondiscrimination Policy and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan — reading text

TITLE VI PLAN Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners August 2011 March 2014 Update  Title VI and Nondiscrimination Policy and Plan Including Limited English Proficiency (LEP) This Title VI Plan has been developed pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, FTA Circular 4702.1B, “Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients”. Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states the following: No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Prepared by Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Updated March 4, 2014 1 I. Title VI Policy Statement Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, “protects any person in the United States on the ground of race, color, or national origin from being excluded from participation, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Transportation” (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d). Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its transit services on the basis of race, color, or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d et. seq. This plan was developed to guide the BCC in its administration and management of Title VI related activities. Title VI Coordinator Contact Information: Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Transit Coordinator & Grants Manager 600 Transit Way Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners County Administrator Growth Management Director Transit Coordinator & Grants Manager 2 II. Compliance Plan – General Requirements: A. Title VI Notice to the Public, including a list of locations where the notice is posted: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and supplemental legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI provides that "no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance" (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d). The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, handicap/ disability or income status. No person may be treated unfavorably, excluded from participating in or denied the benefits of any County program or activity because of their race, color, national origin, age, sex, handicap/ disability or income status. If you feel you are being denied participation in or being denied benefits of the transit services provided by OCT, or otherwise being discriminated against because of your race, color, or national origin, you may contact our office at 850-833-9173 or complete below Title VI Complaint form and forward via fax (833-9168) or mail (Attn: Title VI Officer, 600 Transit Way, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547). Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider displays this Title VI Notice on our website, www.rideoct.org, and in the public areas of the Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider office(s) including the reception desk and meeting rooms. Our Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider brochure and user guide also has the Title VI notice in it. The Title VI Notice is also displayed on the transit vehicles and Ride Guide. Appendix A – Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider brochures, with schedule. Title VI statement is included. B. Title VI Complaint Procedures (i.e. instructions to the public regarding how to file a Title VI discrimination complaint) How to file a Title VI Complaint The complaint shall be submitted in writing and contain the identity of the complainant; basis for the allegations (i.e., race, color, or national origin); and a description of the alleged discrimination with the date of occurrence. If the complaint cannot be submitted in writing, the complainant will contact the Title VI Office for assistance. The complete complaint should include the following information: • Your name, mailing address, and how to contact you (i.e., telephone number, email address, etc.). 3  • How, when, where and why you believe you were discriminated against. • Include the location, names and contact information of any witnesses. • Other information that you deem significant The Title VI Complaint Form (see Appendix B) may be used to submit the complaint information. The complaint may be filed in writing at the following address: Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Okaloosa County Transit Building Attn: Title VI Officer 600 Transit Way Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 NOTE: It is encouraged that all complainants certify all mail that is sent through the U.S. Postal Service and/or ensure that all written correspondence can be tracked easily. For complaints originally submitted by facsimile, an original, signed copy of the complaint must be mailed to the Title VI Coordinator as soon as possible. A Spanish complaint form has also been developed. Follow up coordination for LEP individuals will be verbal correspondence with a volunteer interpreter. What happens to the complaint after it is submitted? The Title VI Officer will respond to the complaint within thirty (30) days and will take reasonable steps to resolve the matter. Should the BCC be unable to resolve the complaint, the Title VI Officer will forward the complaint, along with a record of its disposition to the Statewide Title VI Coordinator at the Equal Opportunity Office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT will assume jurisdiction over the complaint for continued processing. FDOT will inform the BCC of all results pertaining to the complaint. How will the complainant be notified of the outcome of the complaint? The Transit Coordinator & Grants Manager will send an acknowledgement letter (Appendix C). A final written response letter to the complainant will be provided notifying complainant that the complaint has been substantiated (Appendix D) or not substantiated (Appendix E). If the complaint is not substantiated the letter advises the complainant his or her right to 1) appeal within seven calendar days of receipt of the final written decision from OCT, and/or 2) file a complaint externally with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Every effort will be made to respond to Title VI complaints within 60 working days of receipt of such complaints, if not sooner. C. Title VI Complaint Form Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider has a Complaint Form developed in compliance with FTA Circular 4702.1B, “Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients”. This Form is included in Appendix B. The complaint form is available on our website and is also available at the Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider office at the Okaloosa County Transit Building, 600 Transit Way, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547. 4 D. List of Transit-related Title VI investigations, complaints, and lawsuits There have not been any investigations, complaints, or lawsuits that pertain to allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, color, and/or national origin in transit-related activities. If there is a Title VI complaint in the future, Okaloosa County BCC/Okaloosa County Transit Provider will follow the Complaint Procedure in Section B. In addition, this complaint will be properly reported. This report shall include the date that the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint was filed; a summary of the allegation(s); the status of the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint; and actions taken by the recipient in response, or final findings related to, the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint. E. Public Participation Plan As an agency receiving federal financial assistance, the BCC has engaged the public in its planning and decision-making processes, as well as its marketing and community outreach activities. The purpose of a Public Involvement Plan is to document these public outreach efforts. Outreach efforts are an essential part of gaining input into the functionality of the local transit system. The public involvement process is a multi-pronged process that includes stakeholder meetings, household telephone surveys, an on-board transit survey, and other efforts. A detailed description of these public involvement efforts is found below. As part of this plan major outreach efforts are either done annually (when possible) or once every 5 years. Major Public Involvement Efforts (Outreach) Public outreach and solicitation of input regarding public transit in Okaloosa County is crucial to crafting a plan that is relevant and accurately reflects the performance of Okaloosa County Transit (OCT). The objective of the public involvement efforts proposed is to utilize multiple forms of outreach in order to effectively reach the target audience, which includes OCT current and potential users and operators. To meet this objective, the following efforts will be undertaken: Ø Stakeholder Meetings: Conduct stakeholder meetings in a group setting with the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board, senior citizens who use OCT, and other groups such as key local officials and community leaders through the Transportation Planning Organization roster. (Every 5th year) Ø Household Telephone Survey: A random household telephone survey will be conducted of Okaloosa/Walton/Santa Rosa County residents to determine their existing awareness, opinions, and needs regarding public transportation services. At least 300 surveys will be completed. (Every 5th year) Ø