COMPLAINT COULD FORCE CHANGES By BRIAN O'CONNOR/Staff Reporter boconnor@capitalnewspapers.com FOX LAKE — Federal officials will investigate a complaint against facilities at the Fox Lake Public Library before the end of August, library officials said. Officials from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights will visit the facilities to evaluate eight alleged violations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The letter says officials were made aware of the conditions at the library via an unnamed complainant. Library Director Julie Flemming identified former 1st Ward alderman and library board member Dennis Wray as the source of the complaint. Library board members discussed the complaint at Monday's meeting. Wray — who uses a wheelchair — confirmed he had filed the complaint."I filed this complaint because the library is inaccessible," he said. "I have to call ahead so someone can open the door and help me inside." Wray's complaint names eight specific concerns with accessibility in the library: -A parking lot that does not allow for space for vehicles with wheelchairs to off-load; -The main entrance doors have improper handles, lack clearance space for wheelchair manuvering, too high of a entrance threshold; -The entrances to the library restrooms are too narrow, lack turnaround space, grab bars and reachable light switches; -An inaccessible basement meeting room; -A checkout desk that's too high; -A reference computer table that is too high; a computer table that is too low; -A drinking fountain that is inaccessible. Wray sat on the library board and the city council through often divisive debates about the future of the 48-year-old building in late 2006 and earlier this year. He says he abstained from all formal votes concerning the library because of his joint membership with the library board. "In my opinion, the city council has decided this issue is dead," he said. Wray filed a second complaint with the Architectural Barriers Agency, which ensures buildings have handicapped-accessible design. The only copy of that complaint is with city administrator Bill Petracek, who is on vacation and unavailable for comment until Tuesday. Wray also says city officials have requested Beaver Dam firm Kunkel Engineering to do an appraisal of what it would cost to fix the specific complaints in the letter. He's confident his complaints will be met with satisfaction. "What's going to happen is, the library will become accessible," he said. "The city council will have to spend the money. They're going to have to decide whether that money will be better spent on renovating a library they're going to replace in two or three years or getting a new library." He expects the costs of the estimate, as well as copies of the Office of Civil Rights letter will be distributed to city council members Friday. Library director Flemming says the investigation will propel debate over the library's future back on to the City Council's agenda. "I think it's going to have to," she said. City council members, many of whom said they were unaware of the complaint or the investigation, mainly declined to comment prior to press time. Aldermen Dan Bednarek and John Mund, as well as library board president Lorraine Mund and officials from the Office of Civil Right's regional office in Chicago, did not return phone calls as of Wednesday night. Officials expect information about the complaint to be distributed to council members Friday. Wray, library officials and aldermen expect the matter to be discussed at the councils Committee of the Whole meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.