Assistant City Clerk Christine Pryor and Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton Gaines presented the Human Relations Commission with a draft 2026 council meeting calendar and a companion list of citywide “dates of significance” the city should avoid when scheduling council meetings.

Pryor said the council’s objective is to minimize conflicts that would prevent participation, for example religious or cultural observances that begin at sundown. The draft list is iterative; Pryor and Cotton Gaines asked commissioners and community members to identify omissions and to advise whether rescheduled meetings should be moved to a Wednesday or a Monday when a regular Monday meeting conflicts with a listed observance.

Commissioners recommended adjustments and additions. One commissioner suggested Option 1 (rescheduling conflicted meetings to a Wednesday) better avoids Sukkot when Yom Kippur and the Sukkot season create overlap for Jewish residents. Commissioners also asked staff to confirm whether Diwali and certain Hindu observances are included; Cotton Gaines noted Diwali is on the list of dates to consider and that the governor recently recognized Diwali as a state holiday starting in 2026, which staff will raise to council.

Commissioners asked staff to collect community contacts and faith‑leader organizations so staff can document whether observances begin at sundown, are multi‑day events, or are predominantly day‑time festivals. Cotton Gaines said staff will update the list and bring recommended edits to council in November. No formal action was taken; the item was a discussion and staff requested further input from commissioners and community groups.

Commissioners also discussed how the policy relates to other scheduling considerations: some council members had expressed interest in grouping meetings to create a break in the monthly calendar, and staff said the Wednesday option is being tested this year to see whether council prefers to remain on Wednesdays for rescheduled meetings.

Public comment on the item was not offered during the meeting. Staff asked commissioners to submit additional suggested dates and community contacts by email ahead of the item’s presentation to city council.