Humboldt County Municipal Code Ch. 8 Humboldt County

Sections: Establishment of Commission. Authority for Establishment. Purpose of Commission. Appointment of Members of Commission. Officers and Their Duties. Responsibility of Commission. Obligations of Commission. Meetings. Removal of Members for Failure to Attend Meetings. 228-1. Establishment of Commission. The Humboldt County Commission on Human Rights is hereby established. (Ord. 1023, § 1, 4/22/1975) 228-2. Authority for Establishment. The Commission is established pursuant to Title 5, Division 1, Part 1, Chapter 1, Article 10 of the Government Code (§§ 50260-50265 ) and § 31000.1 of the Government Code. (Ord. 1023, §2, 4/22/1975) 228-3. Purpose of Commission. The purpose of the Commission on Human Rights is to promote tolerance and mutual respect between all persons, and to promote positive human relationships for the purpose of insuring public peace, health, safety and the general welfare. Committees may be established by the Commission. (Ord. 1023, § 5, 4/22/1975; Ord. 2294, § 1, 2/25/2003)

228-4. Appointment of Members of Commission. The Commission shall consist of fifteen (15) ten (10) members who shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors of each district shall appoint three (3) two (2) members. All appointments shall be for a term of four (4) years and shall expire on June 30 of the fourth year after the appointment. Members of the Commission shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 1023, § 3, 4/22/1975; Ord. 1444, §4, 1/13/1981; Ord. 2177, § 1, 10/6/1998) 228-5. Officers and Their Duties. The members of the Commission shall select a Chairman, a Vice Chairman and a Secretary. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings and shall provide the agenda for such meetings. The Chair shall be a non-voting member of the Commission unless his/her vote is necessary to resolve tie vote. The Vice Chairman shall preside in the absence of the Chairman and shall assist the Chairman in the conduct of his office. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings, prepare correspondence under the direction of the Chairman or Vice Chairman, send notices of meetings, maintain membership lists, and maintain the files of the Commission. (Ord. 1023, § 4, 4/22/ 1975) 228-6. Responsibility of Commission. (a) To foster mutual respect and understanding among all people, including people subject to prejudice and discrimination due to race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, civic interest, or any other factors. (b) To make any studies in any field of human relationships in the County as, in the judgment of the Commission, will aid in effectuating its general purposes. (c) To inquire into incidents of tension and conflict among or between people, including people subject to prejudice and discrimination due to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, civic interest, or any other factors, and to take action by means of conciliation, conference and persuasion to alleviate those tensions and conflict. (d) To conduct and recommend any educational programs as, in the judgment of the Commission, will increase good will among inhabitants of the County and open new opportunities into all phases of community life for all inhabitants. (Ord. 1023, § 6, 4/22/1975; Ord. 2294, § 1, 2/25/2003) 228-7. Obligations of Commission. The Commission shall discharge the following obligations:

(a) To hold conferences and other public meetings in the interest of the constructive resolution of tensions, prejudice, and discrimination among or between groups of people, including people subject to prejudice and discrimination due to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, civic interest, or any other factors. (b) To issue any publications and reports of investigation as in its judgment will tend to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. (c) To enlist the cooperation and participation of a variety of people, including people subject to prejudice and discrimination due to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, civic interest, or any other factors, industry and labor organizations, media or mass communication, fraternal and benevolent associations, and other groups in an educational campaign devoted to fostering among the diverse groups of the County mutual esteem, justice and equity. (d) To encourage and stimulate agencies under the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors to take any action as will fulfill the purposes of this chapter. (e) To submit an annual report to the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 1023, § 7, 4/22/1975; Ord. 2294, § 1, 2/25/2003) 228-8. Meetings. The Commission shall hold regular monthly meetings at such time and place as shall be agreed upon by the Commission and such other special meetings as shall be required from time to time. Special meetings shall be called by the Chairman of the Commission or, in his/her absence from the County, by the Vice Chairman. Special meetings shall be effective for the transaction of business only if notice has been given to each member at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the special meeting, and the notice shall contain the subject of the special meeting. No action taken at either regular or special meetings shall be valid unless approved by a majority of the members of the Commission present and voting, and unless a quorum is present. A quorum shall consist of five (5) members of the Commission. (Ord. 1023, § 8, 4/22/1975) 228-9. Removal of Members for Failure to Attend Meetings. In the event that any member of the Commission shall absent himself/herself from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Commission without showing good cause therefor to the Chairman, at the fourth such consecutive regular meeting from which he/she is absent his/her place shall automatically become vacant. Such vacancy shall be reported to the Board of Supervisors, and the Board of Supervisors shall appoint another member for the unexpired term of the member whose absence gave rise to the vacancy. (Ord. 1023, § 9, 4/22/ 1975)