City staff briefed the Boulder Human Relations Commission on how the city'specific Human Rights Ordinance works, recent complaint trends and the limits of local enforcement during the commission's Dec. 1 retreat.

The presentation outlined the HRC's role: commissioners and staff provide a forum for residents to raise discrimination concerns in housing, employment and public accommodation. Staff said intake can be completed via an online form, a physical form, or—in some cases—by email, and that mediation through a community mediation service is the first step where practicable.

The presenter provided year-by-year inquiry and complaint totals, combining initial outreach and formal filings: 63 in 2023, 75 in 2024 and 50 through Nov. 21, 2025. Staff emphasized these counts mix inquiries and formal complaints and that coding methods changed during a staff leave, so direct year-to-year comparisons require care.

Commissioners pressed staff on confidentiality and records. Staff said complaints are kept confidential to the extent possible but acknowledged that notifying employers or property managers can make a complainant identifiable. Another commissioner noted records are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and described that the city typically releases documents without personal identifying information.

Staff also described limits of the local ordinance. Adopted in 1972 to provide more expansive or rapid protections than state or federal law at that time, the HRC's resolution process is tailored to correct violations and does not itself award damages or state-level penalties. Staff explained that state or federal agencies may offer additional remedies and, in some circumstances, penalties; they also said the HRC cannot investigate a case if a complaint has already been filed with a different agency.

On enforcement and case resolution, staff said their first tasks are jurisdiction screening and efforts to negotiate settlements—most often through mediation. They also described practical limits: when employers or property managers do not respond to outreach (phone, email, certified mail), city options to compel participation are limited, which can delay or block resolution.

Commissioners and staff discussed how to interpret changing complaint totals: an increase in filings can indicate rising awareness and trust in the process rather than deteriorating conditions. Staff recommended measuring outcomes beyond raw counts and urged clearer community outreach so residents know the ordinance exists and what the HRC can realistically do.

The retreat discussion closed with commissioners asking for clearer public-facing materials about the complaint process and a suggestion to review the city'wide community survey as a baseline for measuring changes in residents' sense of belonging and trust in city processes. The HRC did not take a formal vote on enforcement changes during the session; staff offered to provide additional data and follow-up material at a future meeting.

Ending: Staff said they would provide clarifying materials and that commissioners could request special training on quasi-judicial hearings if needed; no formal policy change or vote was recorded in the supplied transcript.