It is City of Bellingham policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin including limited English proficiency, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its programs and activities.
Notice of Title VI Rights
Alternative formats of this notice are available by contacting the ADA/Title VI Coordinator listed below. Language assistance services are available.
Your rights against discrimination under Title VI of the City Rights Act of 1964
The City of Bellingham hereby gives public notice that it is the City’s policy to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. Title VI requires that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any Federal Aid Highway program or other activity for which the City receives federal financial assistance.
Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint with the City of Bellingham. Any such complaint must be filed with the City of Bellingham’s ADA/Title VI Coordinator within 180 days following the date of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. Title VI discrimination Complaint Forms may be obtained from the City of Bellingham Public Works Department at no cost to the complainant.
To file a Title VI discrimination complaint, contact:
City of Bellingham Public Works Department
Holly Pederson, ADA/Title VI Coordinator
210 Lottie Street, Bellingham WA 98225
hdpederson@cob.org
Phone: (360) 778-7950 or 711 (WA Relay Services)
or
Washington Department of Transportation
Office of Equity and Civil Rights – Title VI
Box 47314
Olympia, WA 98504-7314
TitleVI@wsdot.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 705-7090
Title VI Policy Statement
It is the policy of the City of Bellingham, Washington that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, and national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any operation of the City of Bellingham as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes.
This policy applies to all operations of the City of Bellingham, including its contractors and anyone who acts on behalf of the City of Bellingham. This policy also applies to the operations of any department or agency to which the City of Bellingham extends federal financial assistance. Federal financial assistance includes grants, training, equipment usage, donations of surplus property, and other assistance.
Prohibited discrimination may be intentional or unintentional. Seemingly, neutral acts that have disparate impacts on individuals of a protected group and lack a substantial legitimate justification are a form of prohibited discrimination. Harassment and retaliation are also prohibited forms of discrimination.
Examples of prohibited types of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin include: Denial to an individual any service, financial aid, or other benefit; Distinctions in the quality, quantity, or manner in which a benefit is provided; Segregation or separate treatment; Restriction in the enjoyment of any advantages, privileges, or other benefits provided; Discrimination in any activities related to highway and infrastructure or facility built or repaired; and Discrimination in employment.
Title VI compliance is a condition of receipt of federal funds. The ADA/Title VI Coordinator is authorized to ensure compliance with this policy, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 USC § 2000d and related statutes, 42 USC 4601 to 4655; 23 USC 109(h); 23 USC 324; DOT Order 1050.2; EO 12250; EO 12898; 28 CFR 50.3 and 49 CFR part 21.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information
Alternative formats of this document are available by calling (360) 778-7950 or 711 (WA Relay Services) or by emailing ADA@cob.org.
Translation Services
To request a free interpreter and translated documents, call (360) 778-7950 or email ADA@cob.org.
Discrimination Complaint Procedure for City of Bellingham, Washington
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any City of Bellingham program, service, or activity. This prohibition applies to all departments of the City of Bellingham, its contractors, consultants, and anyone else who acts on behalf of the City of Bellingham.
Complaints related to the Federal-aid programs may be filed with the City of Bellingham and will be forwarded to Washington State Department of Transportation’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights. If you need assistance to file your complaint or need interpretation services, please contact:
City of Bellingham Public Works Department
Holly Pederson, ADA/Title VI Coordinator
210 Lottie Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
ada@cob.org
Phone: (360) 778-7950 or 711 (WA Relay Services)
Who is eligible to file a complaint?
Anyone who believes they have been excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any City of Bellingham program, service, or activity because of their race, color, or national origin may file a complaint.
Discrimination includes lack of access, harassment, retaliation and disparate impacts on individuals of a protected group (that lack substantial legitimate justification) from a program or activity. Harassment includes a wide range of abusive and humiliating verbal or physical behaviors. Retaliation includes intimidating, threatening, coercing, or engaging in other discriminatory conduct against anyone because they filed a complaint or otherwise participated a discrimination investigation.
How do you file a complaint?
Complaints must be filed no later than 180 days from the last date of the alleged discrimination. Contact the City of Bellingham ADA/Title VI Coordinator by calling (360) 778-7950 or by emailing ADA@cob.org if you believe your complaint may fall outside this deadline or you need assistance in filing a complaint. Reasonable efforts will be made to assist persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, and others unable to file a written complaint.
Complaints should be in writing, signed, and may be filed by mail, fax, in person, or e-mail. If a complainant phones the City of Bellingham with allegations, the allegations of the complaint will be transcribed as provided by phone and then the written complaint will be sent to the complainant for correction and signature.
A complaint should contain the following information:
- The complainant’s contact information, including, if available: full name, mailing address, phone number (and best time to call), and email address (if available);
- The basis of the complaint (e.g., race, color, national origin);
- The names of specific person(s) and/or agencies/organizations alleged to have discriminated;
- A description of the alleged discriminatory actions, meaning sufficient information to understand the facts that led the complainant to believe that discrimination occurred in a program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance; and
- The date(s) of the alleged discriminatory act(s) and whether the alleged discrimination is ongoing.
All Title VI complaints are logged. The complaint log must contain the following information for each complaint filed:
- The name and address of the person filing the complaint;
- The date of the complaint;
- The basis of the complaint;
- The disposition of the complaint; and
- The status of the complaint.
The complaint log and documentation are destroyed four years after the end of the fiscal year in which the case is closed.
The City of Bellingham then forwards complaints to WSDOT-Office of Equal Opportunity for processing by FHWA. [WSDOT investigates complaints only if delegated by FHWA after acceptance of a complaint.] FHWA is responsible for all determinations regarding whether to accept, dismiss, or transfer the complaint and finding no violation or failure to comply.
Complainants have the right to file a complaint directly with the federal funding agency. The following address is where Title VI complaints may be filed directly with FHWA:
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights
8th Floor E81-105
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
CivilRights.FHWA@dot.gov
What happens after a complaint is filed?
If your complaint is forwarded to another agency, you will be provided the name and contact information of the employee handling your complaint.
Federal law prohibits retaliation against individuals because they have filed a discrimination complaint or otherwise participated in a discrimination investigation. Any alleged retaliation should be reported in writing to the investigator.
FHWA will render final decisions in all cases including those investigated by WSDOT. There are no administrative appeal forums in Title VI complaints. Once FHWA issues its final agency decision, a complaint is closed.
There is no prohibition against a complainant filing a Title VI complaint simultaneously with an LPA, WSDOT, and FHWA.
