City Council to appoint panel on racism

Council will consider plan to seat board to study city’s µracist policies’

W22NS2C.(7 ± Cit ing suggestions by “certain parties” that the city em ploys “racist policies,” the City Council appears poised to seat an advisory board to identify problem areas and recommend improvements.

$ resolution proposing the formation of the “5ac ist 3olicies 5eview $dviso ry %oard” will be up for a vote at the council’s -une meeting, according to Coun cil 3resident 'an *endron.

7he idea for the review board originated with Coun cilman -ames Cournoyer, who says he e[pects at least si[ of the council’s seven members to vote in favor of it.

$sked to identify the source of concerns about the city’s purportedly racist policies, Cournoyer said the council has received some very generali]ed complaints from a number of organi]a tions and individuals. %ut he declined to provide spe cifics because, he said, the initiative is not an attempt to single any of them out or respond directly to any one.

“2nce you start getting specific it sounds personal and it spins out of control,” he said. “We have a number of parties in the city who have suggested we have rac ist policies.”

7he resolution, he said, is a sincere attempt to provide an opportunity for anyone who believes the city em ploys racists practices, pol icies or programs to point them out and make sugges tions for change.

“7his is just an attempt to make sure they know we hear them and it gives every body an opportunity in a very transparent way to address these issues of concern,” he said.

Council 3resident 'an *endron said some of the suggestions for change have focused on employment and hiring practices, however.

$sked whether he is aware of any problems, *en dron said it doesn’t matter. 2thers may see something valid that he doesn’t, and the whole point of setting up the panel is to offer them an op portunity to state their case and be heard.

“7he fact that I’m not aware of any doesn’t mean it doesn’t e[ist,” *endron said. “I think it’s only fair that we

listen to what people are saying.”

The initiative comes at a time when a call for racial justice and systemic change has risen across the nation after the death of *eorge

Floyd, a black man, while he was in police custody in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. Four Minneapolis police officers have been charged with his murder, including one who knelt on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes before Floyd lost consciousness and later died from cardiac arrest.

The proposed resolution acknowledges the “demonstrations and protests... across the country” and “suggestions by certain parties” that the city employs “racists policies that need to be ended without having identified the alleged problematic policies.”

“The :oonsocket City Council does not support or condone in any way, shape or form laws, policies, procedures or practices that support and enable racism or any form of bias based on, but not limited to race, skin color, age, gender, se[ual preference or se[ual gender identity,” the proposed resolution says.

If approved, as appears likely, the resolution would direct City Clerk Christina Harmon to compile a list of individuals interested in serving as member of the proposed Racist Policies Advisory Review Board. The clerk would accept the names of interested parties through

July 7.

The panel will consist of five to 11 members “to review ordinances, policies, procedures and practices of the City of :oonsocket to identify, if any, those that are deemed to employ or support racism and or bias based on race, skin color, age, gender, se[ual preference or se[ual gender identity” and to provide a written report to the council with recommended changes no later than Sept. 30.

The resolution also directs the administration and all the various departments and agencies of the city to “cooperate fully with and make themselves available to the board, as well as provide the board with the information that they deem necessary to accomplish their mission.”

If all goes according to plan, the council will seat the panel by July 15.