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Philomath committee debates making inclusivity group permanent; agrees to check municipal code with city attorney
Summary
Committee reviewed draft municipal code language to formalize the Inclusivity Committee, debated renaming (Inclusivity vs Equity and Inclusion), whether to include duties in code or a handbook, chair term length, and appointment authority (mayor vs council); members asked staff to consult the city attorney before advancing to council.
The Philomath Inclusivity Committee spent a substantial portion of its Feb. 25 meeting reviewing draft municipal-code language intended to establish the group as a permanent committee rather than an ad hoc body. Members discussed the committee’s official name, whether to encode duties in municipal code or in a separate procedural handbook, term lengths for officers, and the appointment process for members.
Several members favored retaining the local branding 'Inclusivity Committee' rather than changing to 'Equity and Inclusion Committee,' arguing that a name change could confuse residents. Others said the code should be concise — containing the mission statement, membership and appointment mechanism — and that operational details such as duties should remain in a handbook to allow flexibility.
The group debated whether committee membership should be appointed by the mayor (as with some boards) or by majority council action; members noted existing variability among other city committees and agreed the city attorney should review language to ensure consistency and avoid unintended legal consequences. The facilitator recommended limiting municipal-code language to the 'bare minimum' necessary for long-term stability while placing further detail in procedural documents.
On governance specifics, members discussed chair term length (year vs shorter rotation), how to handle vacancies or officers stepping down, and whether community participants not appointed by council should be designated differently from appointed members. The committee concluded it will finalize a draft and submit it to the city attorney for review before bringing it to council.
