Canton Boards Refer ADA Building Fixes to Joint Building Committee, Meeting Set for August 6

Town Board · Meeting of July 29, 2026

Canton's joint town and village boards referred longstanding ADA accessibility failures at their shared municipal building to the joint building committee after more than 30 minutes of pointed public comment at the July 29 meeting. Jeff Rybensnyder, Executive Director of the Independent Living Center serving St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, and Lewis counties, told the boards that he identified significant problems within five minutes of entering the building, offered a free architectural barrier assessment, and warned of legal exposure if a wheelchair user were injured: "Can you imagine what the cost would be if someone... came and got hurt in a building that was supposed to be but isn't ADA compliant." Canton resident Kate Giverland described finding the back entrance locked when she arrived with her wheelchair-using daughter for a meeting specifically about accessibility, and recounted a school field trip that had to be restructured around inaccessible areas of the building.

Town Supervisor Jim and Village Mayor Mike acknowledged years of inaction and said the building committee, which includes two members from each board, will meet August 6 to develop a remediation plan covering near-term fixes such as parking restriping and entry-ramp button relocation as well as longer-term options including elevator installation. The boards also unanimously accepted recreation employee Ryan Hughes's resignation and approved an unnamed replacement hire expected to begin work July 30.

In the full story:

• Comprehensive Plan Update
• Municipal Building Drainage
• Flagpole Policy
• 19 Minor Street Demolition Update
• Recreation Upgrades and Taylor Park Status
• Ryan Hughes Resignation and New Recreation Hire
• The complete report — 2,801 words

Source: the Town Board meeting of July 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.