(A) Establishment. There is hereby created in the city a commission known as the Saginaw Human Rights Commission.
(B) Duties and purpose. The duties of the Saginaw Human Rights Commission shall be as follows:
(1) It shall foster mutual understanding and respect between all races, religions, genders/gender identities, sexual orientations, nationalities and other classes of people in the city protected by federal and state anti-discrimination laws. It shall strive towards discouraging and preventing discriminatory practices towards any such group.
(2) It may, for the purpose of developing policy recommendations, review complaints of particular instances, or complaints as to general conditions, relative to any tension, practices of discrimination, or acts of prejudice against any person or group.
(3) It shall carry on research projects and obtain factual data to ascertain the status and treatment of racial, religious, ethnic, and other protected groups within the City; and it shall make reports and recommendations to the City Manager as to its findings of fact relative to existing conditions and as to the policies, programs, and legislation for relief and alleviation of such discriminatory practices and conditions. The City Manager shall review the reports and findings and take steps to implement recommendations or, if a matter of policy or legislation, to submit the reports or findings to the City Council for its consideration. Recommendations produced by or for the Commission are not binding, factually or legally, on the City or any part thereof, including the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Council.
(4) It shall cooperate with other public, governmental, or private agencies in developing courses of instruction for presentation in public and/or private schools, in public libraries, in public museums, or other suitable places, showing and illustrating the contributions of various religious, ethnic, and other protected groups to the culture, tradition, and progress of our city, state, and nation, and further showing the deplorable effects and menace of prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination.
(5) It shall formulate and carry out programs of community education and information with the object of discouraging and eliminating any such tension, prejudice, and discrimination.
(6) It may issue such publications and reports of research as in its judgment will tend to minimize or eliminate prejudice, intolerance, tensions or discrimination, or which will promote or tend to promote goodwill.
(7) It shall cooperate with and seek cooperation of federal, state, and city agencies and departments in carrying out projects within their respective authorities to eliminate intergroup tensions and to promote intergroup harmony. It shall recommend to the City Council policy considerations aimed at improving relations within and among the population, as well as improving the variability of various city departments and agencies to insure protection of any and all persons and groups from discrimination.
(C) Formation of Commission.
(1) Membership. The Saginaw Human Rights Commission shall consist of five members to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of City Council. Members shall be residents of the city. Members, insofar as possible, shall represent the city’s diverse population and be committed to the protection of human rights. The members of the Commission, as nearly as possible, shall be representative of the community at large. All members shall serve without compensation. Members of City Council and city employees and contractors are not eligible to serve on the Commission.
(2) Terms. All appointments to the Saginaw Human Rights Commission shall be for a term of three years, except that the initial appointments shall be staggered to allow for appointments each year.
(3) Filling vacancies. If a seat on the Saginaw Human Rights Commission becomes vacant, it shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The individual filling such vacancy shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term. A member holding over after their term expires may continue to act until a successor is appointed.
(4) Member removal. Council may remove any member of the Saginaw Human Rights Commission for cause upon notice to that member and an opportunity for that member to respond to Council in writing. Members are expected to attend meetings on a regular basis. Three consecutive absences, or five absences within one calendar year, will constitute cause for the automatic removal of the member.
(5) Ethical considerations. Each member of the Saginaw Human Rights Commission, and every person who renders services to the Commission, shall maintain and protect the status of confidential information. Each member shall avoid conflicts of interest.
(D) Operations and support.
(1) Facilities and staff support. The city shall provide the Commission with suitable facilities for the conduct of its meetings and other business. The City Manager shall designate a member of staff to serve as clerk of the Commission meetings and preserve the record of such meetings. The Commission shall work within the constraints of any budget allocation adopted by City Council.
(2) Meetings. The Saginaw Human Rights Commission shall, at its first meeting and at the first regular meeting of any calendar year thereafter, select from its members a Chair, as well as a Vice Chair, who shall serve in the Chair’s absence. Regular Commission meetings shall be determined at the January meeting for the current year by a majority vote of the Commission. All meetings shall be open to the public and subject to the requirements of Michigan's Open Meetings Act, PA 267 of 1976. A majority vote of its members shall be necessary to approve any motion, resolution, or recommendation of the Commission. All records of the Commission shall be subject to the requirements of Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, PA 442 of 1976.
(Ord. O-240, passed 12-6-2021, effective 12-16-2021)