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Ordinance committee forwards updated Chapter 115 on Commission on Status of Women to Common Council
Summary
Norwalk’s Ordinance Committee voted unanimously to send an amended Chapter 115, renaming and revising duties of the Commission on the Status of Women, to the Common Council for final action. The committee changed wording to emphasize "equity" and broadened language to explicitly include "women, girls, and other marginalized gender identities."
The Norwalk Ordinance Committee voted unanimously Feb. 18 to send an amended Chapter 115 — the ordinance establishing the Commission on the Status of Women — to the Common Council for a hearing and likely placement on the Feb. 25 consent calendar.
The change includes a wording edit to Section 115-4(j) replacing "equality" with "equity" in language about appointments and hiring, and an expanded, consistent phrasing in Section 115-4(d) to refer to "women, girls, and other marginalized gender identities such as transgender people and gender diverse people."
The committee opened a public hearing on Chapter 115 and received no speakers during that portion of the meeting. Anne (first name given in the record), who led work on the draft, moved the amended language to the Common Council. Chair Lisa (identified in the record as chair of the Ordinance Committee) asked for discussion; Heather Dunn suggested the equity/equality wording change and the committee accepted it. Later Anne confirmed the extended phrasing about women, girls and other marginalized gender identities to keep language consistent across sections.
"It should be equity, not equality," Heather Dunn said during the discussion, prompting the committee to adopt the wording change.
After the amendments were read into the record, the committee voted unanimously to forward Chapter 115 to the Common Council. Committee members indicated they expected the item to be placed on the Feb. 25 Common Council agenda, likely on the consent calendar; Lisa said she would ask the mayor’s office to assist with scheduling because she will be on vacation.
No further substantive changes were recorded at the meeting; the committee noted the draft had been considered by staff and that the document had appeared before the committee previously. The matter will proceed to the Common Council for a public hearing and final action.
Votes at a glance: Motion to forward Chapter 115 (Commission on the Status of Women) to the Common Council — moved by Anne; vote recorded as unanimous in committee.
Background: The Commission on the Status of Women ordinance revision updates duties and phrasing to align with recent committee drafting and to explicitly broaden the groups named in commission work.
