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City Council approves plaque to memorialize 2020 restorative-justice resolution
Summary
After public testimony from Lakeland residents and a commission presentation, the College Park City Council voted unanimously to install a plaque in City Hall memorializing resolution 20R-16 and the city’s commitment to restorative justice.
The College Park City Council voted to install a commemorative plaque in City Hall that will memorialize resolution 20R-16, the 2020 statement that renounced systemic racism and affirmed support for Black lives. The decision followed a presentation by the Restorative Justice Commission and extensive public comment from Lakeland residents and others.
Councilmember Simmons, who moved the measure, framed the plaque as part of a broader effort to remember and repair past harms. “If we do not remember, we cannot repair,” Simmons said during the discussion. Supporters told the council the plaque should be prominent and accompanied by archival links and interpretive material; several residents urged linking the physical display to an online repository of documents and oral histories.
Opponents and questioners pressed staff and commissioners on factual statements in the restorative-justice report. At least one speaker argued the report misinterpreted historical deed entries; supporters responded that the harms report and related archives document community impacts beyond raw sale prices. The council debated language and display details before approving staff direction to proceed with design and installation steps.
The motion to adopt the Restorative Justice Commission recommendation passed on a roll-call vote with the council in favor. Council members said the plaque will include a QR link to the city’s website with full resolution text and background materials, and staff will return with final text and placement details.
