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ORDINANCE NO. 17,665
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND LITTLE ROCIS,
ARTS., ORDINANCE NO. 16,722 (AUGUST 29
1994) TO CHANGE THE SELECTION PROCESS
OF MEMBERS TO THE RACIAL AND CULTURAL
DIVERSITY COMMISSION; TO DEFINE THE
PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION; TO DECLARE
AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
(Short Title)
"An Emergency Ordinance to Reconstitute the Racial & Cultural
Diversity Commission"
14 WHEREAS, as a part of the Future- Little Rock process it was
15 determined that the City should create a Racial & Cultural Diversity
16 Commission to deal with various issues facing the City as a community
17 including, for example, the considereation of a Fair Housing Ordinance,
18 and
19 WHEREAS, a Commission was formed by Little Rock, Ark.,
20 Ordinance No. 16,722 (August 2, 1994) (" LRO 16,722 "), and accomplished
21 a number of projects such as the Healing Racism Institute, World Fest,
22 School Partnerships, the small grant program as well as the training and
23 technical assistance programs, and
24 WHEREAS, it has been determined that the Commission should be
25 reconstituted and its function should be reorganized to include, among
26 other things, a closer relationship with the Mayor, and
27 WHEREAS, as demonstrated in Exhibit A, there were several
28 comments about the function of the Commission, how the membership
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1 should be selected, what role the Commission sh• d play as a policy
2 making organization for the City, and
3 WHEREAS, after consideration of all of these issues amendments
4 to LRO 16,722 have been recommended to the Little Rock Board of
5 Directors, from the Restructuring Committee,
6 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF
7 DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCI{, ARKANSAS:
8 SECTION 1. Section 2 of LRO 16,722 is hereby amended to read
9 as follows:
10 Purpose. The Little Rock Racial & Cultural
11 Diversity Commission has the full -time mission of
12 promoting equal opportunity and the full exercise
13 of civil rights for all citizens of the City. It is
14 committed to dismantling racism and reducing
15 prejudice within the City through modeling,
16 education and policy development.
17 SECTION 2. Section 3 of LRO 16,722 is hereby amended to read
18 as follows:
19 Membership. The Commission shall consist of
20 seventeen (17) members. The membership of the
21 Commission shall reflect, to the extent possible,
22 the diversity of the community and shall be
23 selected as follows:
24 (a) One member shall be selected from the
25 sitting members of the City Board of
26 Directors;
27 (b) The following persons shall be selected through
28 a questionnaire and interview process
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I established by the City Boar of Directors.
2 Each Director, except the Director selected to
3 serve on the Commission, will have an
4 opportunity to nominate a member to the
5 Commission in the following way:
6 (1) One member from each ward nominated
7 by the Director who serves that ward.
8 Should a Ward Director be selected to
9 serve on the Commission, one of the at-
10 large Directors, selected by a draw, will
11 make that ward nomination;
12 (2) Two members selected at -large nominated
13 by the two remaining at -large Board
14 members;
15 (3) One member from each ward nominated
16 by the Mayor.
17 These sixteen (16) members shall be nominated as set forth above and shall
18 serve if approved by majority vote of the City Board of Directors.
19 SECTION 3. Section 4 of LRO 16,722 is hereby amended to read as
20 follows:
21 Term Of Members.
22 (a) All persons who served on the original
23 Commission and who are again appointed to this
24 Commission as a result of this ordinance shall draw
25 lots to determine if their tenure continues for one or
26 two years. All other persons appointed as a result of
27 this ordinance shall draw lots to determine if their
28 tenure shall be for one, two or three years. The initial
29 composition of the reconstituted Commission shall be
30 five (5) persons with one year terms; six (6) persons
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with o year terms; and six (6) persons with three
2 year terms.
3 (b) After these initial terms are completed, all
4 appointments to the Commission shall be for a term
5 of three years.
6 (c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), any person
7 selected to fill an unexpired term on the Commission
8 shall serve until the completion of that unexpired
9 term, provided the person may be reappointed to a full
10 term consistent with City policy.
11 SECTION 4. Section 6 of LRO 16,722 is hereby amended to read as
12 follows:
13 Selection of Officers. The officers of the Commission
14 shall consist of a Chair and a Vice -Chair and such
15 other officers as shall be determined by the
16 Commission to be required. These officers shall be
17 elected by the Commission.
18 SECTION 5. Section 7 of LRO 16,722 is hereby amended to read as
19 follows:
20 Duties and Powers. The Commission shall have the
21 following duties and powers:
22 (a) To carry out goals as directed by the City Board
23 of Directors;
24 (b) To advise and assist the City in dismantling
25 racism through education, mediation and
26 legislation;
27 (c) To promote equal opportunity and full exercise
28 of civil rights of all citizens of the City; and
29 (d) To engage in such other activities as may be
30 referred to the Commission by the Board of
31 Directors; and
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(e) ®To prepare an annual report of the activities of
the Commission; and
(f) To periodically review and revise its bylaws for
necessary changes.
SECTION 6. Severabilit.v. In the event any title, section, subsection,
subdivision, paragraph, subparagraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or word
of this ordinance is declared or adjudged t obe invalid or unconstitutional, such
declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of this
ordinance which shall remain in full force and effect as if the portion so
declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional was not originally a part of this
ordinance.
SECTIOIU 7. Emergency Clause. As a part of the Future- LITTLE ROCK
process it was determined that there was a need for a commission dedicated to
the issues entrusted to the Racial & Cultural Diversity Commission; the ability
to deal with the issues faced by the citizens of this City and to consider
carefully the essentially policy issues involved with assuring civil rights and
opportunities to all citizens is essential to the public health, safety, and welfare;
and emergency is therefore declared to exist and this ordinance shall be in full
force and effect from and after the date of its adoption.
PASSED: January 20, 1998
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Robbie Hancock, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM:
Thomas M. Carpenter, C Attorney
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Ji ailey, mayor
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