Davenport Civil Rights Commission votes to send legal memo to city council after months of disputes with staff

The Davenport Civil Rights Commission voted 4–1 on June 10 to send a written memo to the city council and city legal staff clarifying the relationship among city policy, municipal ordinance and state law and to request a meeting to resolve a string of personnel- and process-related disputes.

The vote followed a lengthy director’s report and discussion in which Director Lacey described ongoing problems with city staff “usurping the commission and the director’s authority,” missed responses to commission requests, unresolved internal complaints and a paused hiring process. “We are still working on reaching some resolution with the city council regarding the city staff members' actions in usurping the commission and the director's authority,” Director Lacey said during her report.

The memo’s mover, identified in the meeting as Commissioner Church Taylor, proposed that the memo explain legal precedence and request a sit-down meeting; the motion was seconded and carried with four ayes and one no (Commissioner Holly). The commission authorized Director Lacey, Commission…