Committee adopts ordinance requiring cultural‑competence training for city officials

The Judiciary and Legislation Committee on Oct. 6 adopted an ordinance requiring cultural‑competence training for all elected and appointed city officials, to be delivered alongside the existing ethics and anti‑harassment training cycle.

Alderman (sponsor) noted the city’s diversity and asked the Department of Employee Relations to work with the clerk’s office to design a curriculum that covers language access, working with residents who speak English as a second language, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and other elements of cultural competence. Committee members asked that DER provide an opportunity to review and confirm training materials before implementation.

Why it matters: The ordinance formalizes regular cultural‑competency instruction for public officials and seeks to improve interactions between City Hall and diverse communities. The training will be delivered on the same four‑year cadence as the existing ethics and anti‑harassment course the council adopted in the 2022 term.

What the committee decided Alderman Pratt moved the ordinance to adoption; committee members supported the policy and asked city staff to develop the content. The chair ordered the adoption with no objections. The committee asked DER to consult broadly and to allow council members a chance to review materials prior to final rollout.

Implementation and next steps The Department of Employee Relations will draft the cultural‑competence module and coordinate with the City Clerk’s office to add it to the existing training schedule. Committee members suggested DER include practical modules on language access, dealing with residents who use interpreters, interacting with communities of color and LGBTQ+ residents, and how cultural competence intersects with licensing processes that many council members oversee.

Source: Judiciary and Legislation Committee meeting, Oct. 6, 2025; ordinance sponsor remarks and staff direction to Department of Employee Relations.