LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Lima city councilors are considering restarting the city's Human Relations Commission.
First established in the early 1970s, Lima's Human Relations Commission was formed to provide education and mediation on human rights and discrimination.
First established in the early 1970s, Lima's Human Relations Commission was formed to provide education and mediation on human rights and discrimination. The commission became dormant in the mid-1970s. In 2020, the council conducted a committee review and decided to revive the HRC following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On Monday night, Director Lamonte Hall Jr. and his team from the city of Dayton’s HRC traveled to Lima, where he provided the council’s Joint Neighborhood Concerns and Economic and Community Development Committee with insight into his commission’s work in Dayton.
“What we heard is that Dayton does some things through their HRC that we kind of do through community partners and some things that we don't do at all, so fair housing is something that falls under them but that is something that we support with our community partner WOCAP, for instance. We also heard about some things that have been talked about being done here, like a community appeals board where we offer feedback on when people are not happy with how police have handled a situation, and we heard about how their community appeals board actually handles that working with the police department, working with the community,” says Carla Thompson, Lima’s 3rd Ward Councilwoman.
There will also be another public meeting at 6 p.m. on April 28 in the council chambers.
Thompson added that a community needs assessment will be conducted, and anyone who wishes to participate should check the city’s website or contact their ward’s councilor. There will also be another public meeting at 6 p.m. on April 28 in the council chambers.
