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Commission hears that $5,000 Commercial Street mural allocation is held at committee over ordinance language
Summary
Commissioners said $5,000 earmarked for a Commercial Street mural has been allocated but was diverted from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to committee after proposed ordinance language referencing DEI prompted delays.
Commission members reported that $5,000 has been allocated for a Commercial Street mural but that the grant or expenditure has been delayed after the Board of Mayor and Aldermen returned the item to committee because of ordinance language that referenced diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker 1 said, "Everybody said the $5,000 has already been allocated," and described the procedural path: the item went to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and was pushed back to committee. Speaker 2 added that language addressing DEI had been removed from the ordinance and that the mayor encouraged removing that language to speed approval: "The mayor, called me and just said, hey. I think it's this is gonna get held up because of this language... I just will yank every Yeah. Every reference."
Speaker 2 said the commission's intent is to be inclusive of all artists and that removing the phrasing would allow the committee to move the item forward. "We are going to be inclusive of all artists and, everybody we wanna have as many opportunities for artists as possible in Manchester," Speaker 2 said.
Commissioners did not record any final committee decision in the transcript. They said they expect the committee review to occur before the item returns to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
