Title VI

The City of Lobelville does not discriminate against anyone with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), who participates in our programs and/or services. We have taken steps to ensure that all individuals can communicate, either through written or oral language services, with all staff members. These steps are as follows:

Employees will have access to “I Speak” cards.

Once language proficiency is determined, employees will have AVAZA 931-472-0446 available to assist the individual in determining his/her need. Access code 37973 and Client ID 901209 will be needed when calling AVAZA.

If the need is not urgent or life-threatening, employees will defer to their supervisors what steps must be taken. The steps are, but not limited to, the following:
1. If a document needs to be translated, the supervisor will have it translated as soon as possible without jeopardizing his/her duties as a supervisor.
2. If oral language interpretive services are needed, the supervisor will take appropriate action to provide the assistance as soon as possible through AVAZA 931-472-0446 without jeopardizing his/her duties as a supervisor.
3. The supervisor has an obligation to the safety of his/her employees and to the people of the City of Lobelville to assist the needs of all persons. This includes not leaving his/her workplace unless it is an emergency.

Any person who thinks he/she has been discriminated against because of LEP should contact Cristal Odom, Title VI Coordinator.

These procedures apply to all complaints filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, relating to any program or activity administered by the City of Lobelville or its sub-recipients, consultants, and/or contractors. Intimidation or retaliation of any kind is prohibited by law.

These procedures do not deny the complainant's right to file formal complaints with other State or Federal agencies or to seek private counsel for complaints alleging discrimination. They are part of an administrative process that does not provide for remedies that include punitive damages or compensatory remuneration for the complaint.

Every effort will be made to obtain early resolution of complaints at the lowest level possible. The option of informal mediation meeting(s) between the affected parties and the Title VI Coordinator may be utilized for resolution at any stage of the process. The Title VI Coordinator will make every effort to pursue a resolution of the complaint. Initial reviews with the complainant and the respondent will request information regarding the relief and settlement opportunities specifically requested.

PROCEDURES

Any individual, group of individuals, or entity that believes they have been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI nondiscrimination provisions may file a written complaint with the City of Lobelville Title VI Coordinator. A formal complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the alleged occurrence or when the alleged discrimination became known to the complainant. The complaint must meet the following requirements.

1. Complaint shall be in writing and signed by the complainant(s).

1. Include the date of the alleged act of discrimination (date when the complainant(s) became aware of the alleged discrimination; or the date on which the conduct was discontinued or the latest instance of the conduct).

1. Present a detailed description of the issues, including the names and job titles of those individuals perceived as parties in the complained-of incident.

1. Allegations received by fax or e-mail will be acknowledged and processed once the identity(ies) of the complainant(s) and the intent to proceed with the complaint have been established. The complainant is required to mail a signed, original copy of the fax or e-mail transmittal for the City of Lobelville to be able to process it.

1. Allegations received by telephone will be reduced to writing and provided to the complainant(s) for confirmation or revision before processing. Note: A complaint form will be forwarded to the complainant(s) for him/her to complete, sign, and return to the City of for processing.

Upon receipt of the complaint, the Title VI Coordinator will determine its jurisdiction, acceptability, and need for additional information, as well as investigate its merit if appropriate. Complaints against the City of Lobelville will be referred to the appropriate State or Federal agency for proper disposition pursuant to their procedures.

To be accepted, a complaint must meet the following criteria:

1. The complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the alleged occurrence or when the alleged discrimination became known to the complainant.

1. The allegation(s) must involve a covered basis such as race, color, or national origin.

1. The allegation(s) must involve a program or activity of a Federal-aid recipient, sub-recipient, or contractor.

A complaint may be dismissed for the following reasons:

1. The complainant requests the withdrawal of the complaint.

1. The complainant fails to respond to repeated questions for additional information needed to process the complaint.

1. The complainant cannot be located after reasonable attempts.

Once the City of Lobelville decides to accept the complaint for investigation, the complainant and the respondent will be notified in writing of such determination within 7 calendar days. The complaint will receive a case number and be logged into the City of Lobelville records, identifying its basis and alleged harm.

In cases where the City of Lobelville assumes the investigation of the complaint, the City of Lobelville will provide the respondent with the opportunity to respond to the allegations in writing. The respondent will have 10 calendar days from the date of the City of Lobelville's written notification of acceptance of the complaint to furnish his/her response to the allegation.

The City of Lobelville's final investigative report and a copy of the complaint will be forwarded to the appropriate State and Federal Agency and affected parties within 60 calendar days of the complaint's acceptance.

The City of Lobelville will notify the parties of its final decision.

Suppose the complainant is not satisfied with the investigation results of the alleged discrimination and practices. In that case, the complainant will be advised of the right to appeal to the appropriate State or Federal Agency.

Section I. Purpose of the Public Participation Plan

Section II. General Guidelines

A. Public Meetings
B. Title VI
C. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
D. Access to Information

Section III. Public Notification and Outreach Tools

A. Public Notification

Public Participation Plan

Section I – Purpose of the Public Participation Plan

The City of Lobelville actively distributes information about City government operations, decisions, and plans. The City of Lobelville Public Participation Plan aims to provide a process ensuring that the public is informed of City activities and opportunities for involvement in the governing process. This is accomplished through the following public participation goals and objectives.

Provide the public with information about the City of Lobelville's Government decisions, decision-making activities, and government performance.
Provide timely communication to the public about changes in city-provided services.
Communicate through traditional communication channels.
Ensure frequent public communications.
Encourage citizen comments at all public meetings.

The City of Lobelville's policy is to consider all public comments in developing and adopting plans and programs. The Public Participation Plan intends to provide citizens and other interested parties with reasonable opportunities to be involved in the governing process.

Section II. -- General Guidelines

A – Public Meetings

Regular and special-called meetings of the City of Lobelville Mayor and Aldermen are conducted in an open public forum with prior notification. All notices of meetings and public hearings are communicated through:

Local Newspapers, Buffalo River Review
Appropriate social media, such as Facebook
Bulletin Board located in the lobby of City Hall

The official notice will include the day, time, and location of the meeting, as well as the topic(s) of the known items. Items may be added as needed for regular meetings.

All official meetings of the City of Lobelville will allow public comment. Citizens who wish to comment will call City Hall (931) 593-2285, with their name, address, and topic, before noon on the Friday before the scheduled meeting on Tuesday to be added to the agenda.

Public meetings will be generally conducted at the City Hall, 55 South Main Lobelville, TN 37097.

B – Title VI

Under the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

The City of Lobelville's efforts to comply with Title VI include:

Title VI clauses are included in all Requests for Bid and /or proposal documents
Posters and brochures describing Title VI legislation and contact information are displayed.

C – Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

All events held for programs or projects are open and accessible to the public, including the disabled community. All meetings will be conducted with ADA accessible facilities.

D – Access to Information

Documents are available for public inspection:

At the City of Lobelville City Hall, 55 South Main Street, Lobelville, TN 37097

City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with the exception of recognized holidays and emergency weather conditions.

Section III – Public Notification and Outreach Tools

A – Public Notification

The City of Lobelville uses the following techniques to disseminate information to the public:

Meeting Notices & Agendas

Published in electronic form

Published on social media

Published in the newspaper and electronic media

Program Announcements

Published to social media