Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Subcommittee topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Education subcommittee seeks outreach materials and ordinance review; city attorney and DEI budget limit private compensation offers
Summary
The education subcommittee reported limited public submissions and requested city-produced brochures and a city attorney educational review of the housing equity ordinance; a private offer to compensate impacted community members was rejected as unallowable by the city attorney and the DEI office lacks budget for compensation.
The Civil Rights Board’s education subcommittee reported progress and a set of needs at the Dec. 3 meeting. The subcommittee has held six meetings and includes partner organizations such as Housing Resources Incorporated, Disability Network of Southwest Michigan, Open Doors, Kalamazoo Defender, Jacobson Management Company and the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan.
The subcommittee asked the city to produce short educational materials to use at community events and with landlords and tenants. Subcommittee members proposed two separate pamphlets—one aimed at landlords and another for community members—covering topics in the city’s housing equity ordinance such as application fees and refunds, landlord records, income and eviction history, criminal convictions and references to domestic violence.
The subcommittee also asked the city attorney’s office for an educational review of the ordinance to clarify which parts to emphasize in outreach; the subcommittee hopes that review will be completed in 2026. Members reported two community submissions in response to a request for input (one from the subcommittee lead and one from Jacobson Management Company) and said several scheduled subcommittee meetings had been canceled recently due to a board resignation and school closings.
One subcommittee representative said a private donor—the Loopman Group—offered to compensate impacted community members for their participation, but the city attorney’s office advised that such private donations are not allowable and the DEI office does not currently have budget to provide compensation. The subcommittee recommended seeking city-produced materials and exploring ways to adjust meeting times to improve community participation.
Public comment following the update included a resident who said she had been told she was contacted about joining the subcommittee but found no record of outreach; board members asked the public to provide her contact information so staff can follow up.
Next steps: the subcommittee will continue collecting input, work with city communications on draft materials, and the board’s nominations committee will schedule interviews for at least one strong applicant for the open seat.
