Michigan City Human Rights Commission explores drafting ordinance to clarify roles
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Summary
Commissioners discussed a suggested list of activities and a potential new city ordinance to define the commission’s responsibilities and avoid confusion about its authority, and agreed to consult City Attorney Amber LePage for guidance.
At the Feb. 3 meeting commissioners reviewed a draft list of the Michigan City Human Rights Commission’s functions and discussed whether the commission should pursue a new city ordinance to clarify its role. "I came up with just this list of things that we do do for consideration," an executive committee representative said when presenting the proposed activities list.
Commissioners discussed consulting Amber LePage, identified in the meeting as the city attorney, to guide the ordinance process and to ensure any changes align with existing bylaws and municipal procedure. The executive committee proposed items including education and outreach, scholarship administration, disability-awareness programming and coordination with local emergency and social services.
No ordinance was drafted or voted on at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to circulate the proposed list and requested legal guidance before taking any formal legislative steps. The executive committee representative said the effort may be a "long process" and emphasized the intent to solicit commissioner input before approaching the mayor or city legal staff.
The commission plans to review additions to the list and return with suggested language and legal guidance at a future meeting.
