A new resident is challenging the city of Austin to improve its accessibility for the deaf.

Mark Valimont urged the city to provide better response times for interpreters and better disability access during the Austin City Council’s meeting Monday.

Valimont told the council about an incident involving police on May 2, where he said communication barriers, limited access to interpreters and poor deaf services at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin led to numerous misunderstandings in a domestic situation where he was the victim.

He had been told to email the officer he spoke with, but he hadn’t heard anything from the Austin Police Department since the incident occurred.

“You guys are responsible for providing [interpreters],” Valimont told the council through an interpreter Monday.

City Administrator Craig Clark said city officials normally hire interpreters or get outside help as residents need it. Such was the case Monday, as the city hired an interpreter for Valimont during the meeting.

“We try to do everything we can to accommodate residents,” Clark said.

Yet Valimont, who recently moved here from Iowa with his fiancee and son, said the city needed to do a better job under the Americans with Disabilities Act to allow equal access for residents with special needs. Valimont, for example, couldn’t contact 911 services here in Austin but could text 911 in other cities that provide those services.

“It’s the city’s responsibility,” he said.

Mayor Tom Stiehm asked if Valimont would meet with him and Police Chief Brian Krueger to discuss potential solutions, but Valimont said he was fed up with the city’s response time and would contact state and federal advocates for the deaf.