Commission hears staff finding that HRC bylaws clash with city ordinance, considers ad hoc review or ordinance changes

Staff told the Human Relations Commission that several provisions proposed or present in the commission’s bylaws no longer align with the City ordinance and therefore cannot be enforced as drafted.

The chair explained the problem: parts of the bylaws that reference appointment authority for youth members and certain designated seats do not appear in the city’s charter or ordinance. That mismatch means those sections are effectively void unless the ordinance is changed.

Commissioners debated two paths: remove inconsistent language from the bylaws so the bylaws match the ordinance, or keep the language and formally request City Council amend the ordinance to restore those provisions. Vice Chair Galbraith clarified the staff’s redline approach and said red items represent staff recommendations based on ordinance inconsistency; blue text indicates ad hoc suggestions that previously were only advisory.

Several commissioners supported reconstituting a bylaws ad hoc committee to review the staff recommendations and the ad hoc’s earlier suggestions, determine what requires council action, and prepare a clearer package of changes. Commissioner Martis and others said youth representation is valuable and worth pursuing with council if the commission decides it wants that voice as a formally recognized seat.

No final vote was taken Dec. 17; commissioners were asked to provide written feedback to staff and to consider agendaing a formal recommendation after the ad hoc reconvenes.

The discussion also included procedural points about dissolving ad hocs that reach a one-year limit and whether to form a new ad hoc specifically to reconcile bylaw language with city law.