Village of Monticello

Local Law No. 8 of the year 1993

A local law to create and provide for the appointment of a Commission on Human Rights

Be it enacted by the Village Board of the Village of Monticello as follows:

Human Rights Commission

Legislative Purpose

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Village of Monticello, State of New York, that in order to help secure equal opportunity in the Village of Monticello to all, irrespective of race, creed, color, religion, handicap or national origin, it is in the best interest of the citizens of the Village of Monticello to create and provide for the appointment of a Commission on Human Rights.

Membership

The Commission shall be known as the "Village of Monticello Commission on Human Rights" and shall consist of a Chairperson to be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Monticello and no less than eight (8) and no more than fourteen (14) associate members, who shall be recommended by the Chairperson of the Village of Monticello Commission on Human Rights and appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Monticello. The term of the appointment shall be two (2) years, except however, ½ of the associate members who are appointed to the first commission shall be appointed for a term of one year and the remaining half for a term of two years, so that their terms will be staggered.

All commission members must be residents of the Village of Monticello at the time of there [sic] term of office for which they are appointed. No person holding an elective or appointed position with any State or municipal government shall qualify for appointment to this commission.

The Chairperson of the commission shall serve for no more than two consecutive or non-consecutive terms.

Compensation

The members of the Village of Monticello Commission on Human Rights shall serve without compensation. The Village Board, however, may appropriate in the annual budget of the Village a sum of money for the purpose of providing to the Commission on Human Rights funds to defray the costs and expenses incurred by it in the performance of its duties set forth hereafter, such appropriation to be a charge upon the taxable property of the Village of Monticello.

General Duties

It shall be the duty of the Commission to:

A. Foster mutual respect and understanding among all racial, religious, handicapped and nationality groups in the community.

B. Make such studies in any field of human relationship in the community as in the judgement of the Commission will aid in effectuating its general purposes and, where desirable, to make such studies public.

C. Inquire into incidents of tension and conflict among or between various racial, religious, handicapped and nationality groups and to take such action as may be designed to alleviate such tensions and conflict.

D. Conduct and recommend such educational programs as in the judgement of the Commission will increase goodwill among inhabitants of the community and open new opportunities into all phases of community life for all inhabitants.

General Obligations

The Commission on Human Rights shall discharge the following obligations:

A. Receive complaints of alleged discrimination because of race, creed[,] color, handicap or national origin, seek the active assistance of the State Division on Human Rights in the solution of complaints which fall within the jurisdiction of the State Division and prepare its own plans in the case of other complaints with a view to reducing and eliminating such alleged discrimination through the process of conference, conciliation and persuasion.

B. Hold conferences and other public meetings in the interest of the constructive resolution of racial, religious and nationality group tensions and the prejudice and discrimination occasioned thereby.

C. Issue such publications and reports of investigation as in its judgement will tend to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

D. Enlist the cooperation and participation of the various racial, religious, handicap and nationality groups, community organizations, 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 community mutual esteem, justice and equity and, further, devoted to informing all of the Village of Monticello's firm commitment to the principle of equal opportunity for all.

E. Encourage and stimulate all departments of Village government to take such action as will fulfill the purposes of this chapter.

F. Report complaints to the Division of Human Rights alleging unlawful discriminatory practices under Article 15 of the Executive Law.

G. Receive, accept, use and expend public grants and private gifts, donations, or bequests and other payments, goods and services.

Adopted: June 7, 1993

This text is archived on the web at http://riverreporter.com/news/library/93law8.htm

Also see http://www.catskill.net/rue/pub/monti/hrc/ regarding the Human Rights Commission.