The Community Relations Commission is created and established to recommend ways and means of initiating and improving city government programs designed to eliminate discrimination or to remove the effects of past discrimination.
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 inter-departmental harmony in the operations of these programs. To achieve these objectives, the
Community Relations Commission shall:
(a) Promote the development of mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious, nationality, cultural, and ethnic groups in the City of Sandusky by making recommendations to City Officials on means to prevent discriminatory practices against such groups.
(b) Aid in seeing that no person is deprived of equal services by city government by reason of discrimination on account of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, political orientation, sexual orientation.
(c) Initiate and conduct mediation hearings at the request of the City Commission or City Manager.
(d) Confer with the Law Director on such complaints pertaining to Sandusky or criminal conduct as appear to require a legal process after initial mediation attempts and/or failure to achieve conciliation.
(e) Investigate, upon request of the City Commission and/or City Manager, allegations of discriminatory incidents and make recommendations for corrective action and coordinate efforts toward their resolution.
(f) Verify information relating to complaints of alleged discrimination practices.
(g) Formulate, develop and disseminate programs of community information, educational materials, and reports which will assist in the elimination of prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination or which promote good will and result in better human relations.
(h) Provide recommendations upon request of the City's Human Resources Department and/or City Manager to help improve employment opportunities in city government for persons who have been the traditional targets of discrimination in employment.
(i) Assist community groups and various fraternal, service and benevolent organizations upon request in the promotion of educational campaigns devoted to the elimination of group prejudices, racial or neighborhood tensions, and tolerance, and discrimination.
(j) Conduct research upon request of the City Commission and/or City Manager to ascertain the status and treatment of racial, religious, and ethnic groups in the City and the best means of progressively improving human relations in Sandusky.
(k) Cooperate with and render assistance upon request to the City Commission, City Manager, and other branches of City government in the area of human rights.
(l) Prepare and publish an annual report and such other factual reports and recommendations as it deems necessary concerning problems relating to the discrimination, racial tensions and other human relations concern. copies of all such reports and recommendations shall be filed with the City Manager's office, the City Commissioner, and the Law Department.
(Ord. 17-057. Passed 3-13-17.)