CR 94-11 Changing Number Of Human Rights Members
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. January 11,1994 ~ Council Report 94-11
CHANGING THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Proposed Action
Staff recommends that the Council approve the following motion: Move that the Hopkins City
Council adopt Ordinance No. 94-736 for first readinq.
Adoption of this motion will begin the process of amending Section 340 of the Hopkins City Code
regarding the membership of the Human Rights Commission.
Overview
The City Council established a Human Rights Commission when it passed Ordinance #93-729 in
September of 1993. This ordinance set the number of Commissioners at nine.
Currently there are eleven individuals who are interested in serving on the Commission. A
. meeting of seven of the individuals who wish to serve on the Commission was hetd on January 10.
At this meeting they discussed the need to include as many people as possible in the
Commission. They also expressed a concern that there were no minorities currently interested in
serving on the Commission.
They recommended that the Council amend Section 340 of the City Code to allow for a minimum
of nine members on the Commission and a maximum of 15 members. This would enable all
eleven individuals to be appointed plus would allow room for others who might wish to serve.
Primary Issues to Consider
. How many members should the Commission have?
SupportinQ Information
. Analysis of the Issues
. Alternatives
. Ordinance No. 94-736
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. Analvsis of Issues
. How many members should the Commission have?
The number of members on City boards and commission varies from as few as three, the
Civil Service Commission, to as many as nineteen, the Neighborhood Advisory Board. The
number should be large enough so that there would be enough volunteers to do the work,
while being small enough to have effective meetings.
While Ordinance #93-729 established the Commission with nine members, there is nothing
special about this number. A larger number would allow for the Commission to be more
inclusive. The Commission could establish subcommittees to work on different projects.
This would mix the inclusiveness of a large group with the effectiveness of small groups.
Alternatives
1. Adopt Ordinance No. 94-736, as written, for first reading. This would amend Section 340 of
the City Code and allow as many as fifteen members on the Human Rights Commission.
2. Adopt Ordinance No. 94-736, with amendments, for first reading. The Council could adopt
a different number of members for the Commission.
3. Do not adopt Ordinance No. 94-736. This would keep the membership of the Commission
at nine.
. Staff recommends Alternative #1.
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