NOTICE OF TITLE VI NONDISCRIMINATION

Okeechobee Utility Authority, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, marital status, source of income, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or
retaliation in the administration of its programs or activities, as is required by applicable laws, regulations and executive orders.

The Authority -Discrimination Coordinator is responsible for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning non-discrimination requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal non-discrimination laws, including but not limited to, Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 40 C.F.R. Part 7, 23 C.F.R. Part 200, 49 C.F.R. Part 21.

Contact Information
If you have questions about this notice or any of the Authority non-discrimination programs, policies or procedures; or if you believe that you have been discriminated against /with respect to an Authority program or
activity, you may contact the Non-Discrimination Coordinator:

Human Resource Manager
Okeechobee Utility Authority
100 SW 5th Avenue
Okeechobee, FL 34974
Telephone : (863)763-9460

Email: hrmanager@ouafl.com

Non-Employee Discrimination Complaint Procedure

If you believe you have been excluded from participation in, been denied the benefits of, or been  subjected  to  discrimination,  on  the  basis  of race, creed,  color,  national  origin, age,  sex, disability, marital status, source of income, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or retaliation under any Okeechobee Utility Authority service, program or activity, you may file a discrimination  complaint  with  the  Authority’s  Non-Discrimination  Coordinator  (hereinafter Coordinator).1

This document outlines the complaint procedures relating to the Authority’s provisions of programs and services.   The Coordinator shall be responsible for the coordination and oversight of these  procedures.  The   Coordinator   will   receive   and   review   complaints,   communicate   with complainants and respondents, investigate complaints or arrange for the investigation of complaints, issue letters and notices, and perform other actions necessary to fulfill the Authority’s obligations under nondiscrimination statutes.

If a discrimination complaint about an Okeechobee Utility Authority’s   program or service cannot be resolved informally, the complainant may file a complaint with the Coordinator using the below procedures.

1. The complaint must be submitted to the Coordinator no later than 180 days after the date of the alleged discrimination.

2.  A  Non-Employee  Discrimination  Complaint  Form  can  be  obtained  by  calling  (863)763-9460 or by downloading the form from the link below. The following information is required on the complaint form, or you may submit a signed written statement that contains all of the following written information:

a.    Your name, address and how to contact you (phone number, email address etc.)

b.   The basis of the alleged discrimination (race, color, sex, national origin, age or disability).

c.   The date or dates on which the alleged discriminatory event or events occurred.

d.   A statement that describes how, why, when and where you believe you were excluded from participation in, were denied the benefits of, or were subjected to discrimination.

e.   Include the location, names and contact information of any witnesses.

f.    If a complaint has been filed with another agency or court, include the agency or court where it was filed with a contact name.

g.   You or your designee must sign your letter of complaint.

3.  If  the  complainant  is  unable  to  write  a  complaint,  the  Coordinator  should  be  contacted  for assistance. Okeechobee Utility Authority is committed to providing open access to its services to persons with limited ability to speak or understand English; if requested by the complainant, the Coordinator will arrange language translation services.

4. The signed and dated complaint should be sent to the following address:

Human Resource Manager
Okeechobee Utility Authority
100 SW 5th Avenue
Okeechobee, FL 34974
Telephone : (863)763-9460

Email: hrmanager@ouafl.com

5.   A letter acknowledging receipt of the complaint will be issued to the complainant within five (5) business days of its receipt by the Coordinator.

6.   If the complaint is outside of the State of Florida, within ten (10) business days after receipt of the complaint, the Coordinator will notify the complainant of the Authority’s receipt of complaint.

7.   All complaints will be investigated promptly and impartially; a preponderance of the evidence standard will be applied to the complaint investigation. Reasonable measures will be taken to preserve any information that is confidential. At a minimum, the investigation will:

a.   Identify and review all relevant documents, practices, and procedures.

b.   Identify and interview persons with knowledge of the alleged discrimination—for example, the person making the complaint, witnesses, or anyone identified by the complainant, anyone who may have been subjected to similar activity, or anyone with relevant information.

8.    The  Coordinator  will  review  the  complaint  and  may  solicit  additional  information  from  the complainant.  If the additional information is requested and not received within thirty (30) days, the case may be closed.  The case may also be closed if the complainant no longer wishes to pursue the case.

9.   The Coordinator will also provide the respondent(s), such as a sub recipient of federal funds, an opportunity to respond in writing to the allegations in the complainant, along with providing any relevant documents, and names of persons with relevant knowledge.

10. Upon completion of the investigation, the Coordinator will prepare a final report for the Board.

The investigation process and final report should be completed within 90 days of receipt of the complaint.  When a Title VI violation is found to exist, corrective action will be taken immediately. The complainant and respondent will receive a copy of the final report with all required corrective actions.

11. Any person who files a complaint or testifies, assists, or participates in a discrimination complaint investigation,  proceeding  or  hearing  may  not  be  intimidated  or  retaliated  against  by  the Authority for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege guaranteed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504, or other civil rights statutes.

12. These procedures do not deny the right of the complainant to file formal complaints with other state or federal agencies, or to seek private counsel for complaints alleging discrimination.

1 Applicable federal laws prohibit discrimination on the bases of the protected classes of race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), sex, age, and disability.

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