The objectives of the Human Relations Commission shall be to work cooperatively with other persons to eliminate discrimination and the results of the past discrimination, to recommend ways and means of initiating and improving city government programs designed to eliminate discrimination or to remove the effects of past discrimination, and to develop programs for coordination of community efforts to address problems involving tensions in the community.
In performing this function, the Commission shall strive to increase the effectiveness of these programs, to increase the fairness with which these programs are operated and to increase interdepartmental harmony in the operation of these programs. To achieve the objectives of this article, the Human Relations Commission shall:
(a) Develop mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious, nationality, cultural and ethnic groups in the City of Flint and work to prevent discriminatory practices against such groups.
(b) Aid in seeing that no person is deprived of equal services in this City by reason of discrimination on account of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, age, or handicap.
(c) Encourage, receive, investigate and evaluate complaints from any person of discrimination which allegedly violates local law, and any other complaints as it deems fall within the scope of its services, and make public the procedures which a person may use to complain of discrimination.
(d) Receive and investigate complaints and problems and initiate its own investigations of intergroup tensions and of practices of discrimination and acts of prejudice against any person or group due to considerations of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, age or handicap.
(e) Confer with the Chief Legal Officer on such complaints as appear to require legal process after initial investigation and/or failure to achieve conciliation.
(f) Initiate and conduct hearings not otherwise prohibited by law in situations in which the Commission has reason to believe that discrimination has occurred in violation of law.
(g) Engage in testing of discriminatory practices without entrapment where necessary to verify information relating to complaints of alleged discriminatory practices.
(h) Investigate upon request or initiate investigation of racial incidents, make recommendations for corrective action, and coordinate community efforts towards their resolution.
(i) Formulate, develop and disseminate programs of community information, educational materials, and reports which will assist in the elimination of prejudice, intolerance, intergroup tensions and discrimination, or which promote goodwill and result in better human relations.
(j) Maintain a program in cooperation with local employers, unions, employment agencies and other relevant persons seeking to improve employment opportunities for persons who have been the traditional targets of discrimination in employment.
(k) Assist community groups and various fraternal, service and benevolent organizations in the promotion of educational campaigns devoted to the elimination of group prejudices, racial or neighborhood tensions, intolerances and discrimination.
(l) Conduct research and obtain data to ascertain the status and treatment of racial, religious and ethnic groups of the City and the best means of progressively improving human relations in Flint.
(m) Cooperate with and render assistance to the Ombudsman, the Citizens Action Center, the equal opportunity officers and other branches of City government in the area of human rights.
(n) Cooperate with and render assistance to County, State, Federal and other governmental or private agencies in the area of human rights.
(o) Prepare and publish an annual report and such other factual reports and recommendations as it deems necessary concerning problems relating to discrimination, racial tensions, and other human relations concerns. Copies of all the reports and recommendations shall be filed with the City Council.
(Ord. 2602, passed 4-25-1977; Ord. 3131, passed 4-9-1990)