PCPA Grievance Procedure under the Americans with Disabilities Act

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the Polk County Florida Property Appraiser (PCPA). The PCPA's Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted by the grievant and/or his/her designee as soon as possible, but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

By Mail to:
Polk County Property Appraiser's Office
Attn: ADA Coordinator
255 N. Wilson Avenue
Bartow, Florida 33830

By E-Mail to:
PAADACoordinator@polk-county.net

By Fax to:
(863) 534-4753

The ADA Coordinator or designee shall conduct an investigation of the complaint. This investigation may be informal, but it must be thorough, affording all interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint. The ADA Coordinator will maintain the files and records relating to such grievances.

The ADA Coordinator or designee will respond to the grievance in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, or audio tape, no later than 30 days after its filing. The response will explain the position of the PCPA and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the ADA Coordinator or designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Assistant Property Appraiser or designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Assistant Property Appraiser or designee will contact the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after contacting the complainant, the Assistant Property Appraiser or designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by the ADA Coordinator or designee, appeals to the Assistant Property Appraiser or designee, and responses from the PCPA will be retained by the PCPA for five years after the grievance is resolved.