Commissioners report progress on "curing" racially restrictive covenants; register of deeds reviewing draft reparative language

Commission members discussed recent discoveries of racially restrictive covenants in local property deeds and an emerging process for remedying those records.

Commissioner William Newman said he had been contacted by two property owners who found racially restrictive covenants in their deeds and that he has "had communication with the register of deeds, Mary Oberding, and had communications with Peter Irvine, who is the attorney..." Newman said Irvine has submitted a second draft of a reparative document to the register for review and that commissioners expect a shareable document shortly.

Commission members reiterated that covenants of this kind are historically significant even when legally unenforceable. At the meeting Commissioner Marsha Morris recalled published concerns from a recent public event and read from a news item: "Trendel Laughlin implied that the study is not productive. It's not shifting what it feels like to walk down the street," and said that some community members want deeper discussion before particular next steps.

Several commissioners noted coordination with neighboring towns and legal researchers. One speaker said covenants in Amherst presented similar issues and that those groups have identified the same legal and historical basis for repair. The meeting record does not report any formal vote on a specific legal instrument; commissioners said the register-of-deeds review is underway and that a recommended form should be circulated to property owners who want to pursue removing or "curing" covenant language.

Ending: Commissioners agreed to await the register of deeds' response to the attorney's draft and to circulate any final recommended language to interested property owners and to the commission for potential inclusion in the final report.