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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,March 11, 2024 <br /> Page 20 <br /> Councilmember Strahan said she wanted to make sure that the Council is going <br /> forward with the Human Right Commission, whether or not the name changes or <br /> how the functions change but that the Commission is not going to be replaced with <br /> a MAC-like entity at this point. She would like to operate under that assumption <br /> until the Council has made a bigger decision and she was not one hundred percent <br /> convinced, after this conversation tonight, that it is shared by everyone on the <br /> Council. <br /> Mayor Roe felt that was a fair assessment. He did not know if he had a strong <br /> opinion one way or another at this point, as he was still waiting to hear and <br /> understand more about the different approaches. He was not sure if he could make <br /> that commitment fully tonight but did not want to rule that out completely or rule <br /> something else in as much better. <br /> Councilmember Etten stated that the Human Rights Commission continues under <br /> the City's current Code 205, probably mostly in response to these discussions. At <br /> this time, if a more formal proposal is going to come forward, if the Council wants <br /> that, the Commission is prepared to put more things down to be discussed. If the <br /> Council gets to the point and wants to do that, then that is going to be continued <br /> help that the Commission provides. He also did not think it made sense to jump <br /> into a bunch of workplans that are not fitting some of this discussion. <br /> Councilmember Strahan indicated if she were in that group, she would not know if <br /> she wanted to continue if she had no idea. <br /> Mayor Roe thought it was pretty clear that the Council needs to finish this process. <br /> That is priority one. <br /> Councilmember Strahan argued that if the Commission does not know at the end <br /> of this process, and she guessed they never know,the Commissioners could get laid <br /> off and be done at the end of this process. She noted it is hard to go to the last day, <br /> whenever that is. She felt like the Council has disincentivized the Commissioners <br /> even more than they were before. <br /> Mayor Roe hoped everyone that is passionate about these topics and this discussion, <br /> whatever the outcome, has a way to continue to participate. He did not think what <br /> the Council was saying at the end of this discussion and decision making was that <br /> the Commissioners will be done. He indicated the Council needs to figure out how <br /> to keep everyone engaged,no matter what it is and hopefully, from his perspective, <br /> everybody gets to a point that is generally satisfactory to everyone. He thought that <br /> after a couple more meetings, the City can get the most out of the people that are <br /> involved in the Commission as a part of this process. <br />