Rockford — Part I Ch. 11 Human Rights § 11-43

(a) Purpose. The community relations commission is established to foster and promote understanding, mutual respect, cooperation, increased participation, positive relations, and a sense of shared community in a diverse, inclusive community. The commission is further established to promote the city's public policy as expressed in section 11-1 of this chapter.
(b) Commission to be advisory. The commission shall be an advisory body to the mayor, city council, and city administration.
(c) Functions of commission. The community relations commission may:
(1) Identify for the city council programs or projects which will enhance relationships between city government and its residents;
(2) Study the nature and causes of prejudices in the city, its ordinances and policies and to make recommendations for improvements;
(3) Study the nature and extent of discriminatory housing, employment and public accommodation practices in the city;
(4) Publish and disseminate reports, recommendations, and information derived from such studies;
(5) Conduct and promote such educational and other programs as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the commission;
(6) Assist city departments in establishing and maintaining good community relations and to serve all segments of the community in an equitable and professional manner;
(7) Advise and consult with the mayor and city council on all matters involving racial, religious, sex, ethnic, disability or sexual orientation prejudice or discrimination and recommend such legislative action as it may deem appropriate to effectuate the policy of this chapter;
(8) Periodically review, with the human resources director and the mayor or his designee, the city's diversity programs, as well as city contractors' compliance with all bid requirements (including the city's minority and women owned business enterprises program), and report the results of the review to the city council;
(9) Provide educational programs on community relations issues or practices of unlawful discrimination; conduct public meetings to aid in alleviating discrimination and bias, and as a means of fostering positive community relations within the city; and issuing such publications as may assist it in the performance of its functions;
(10) Review the hiring, promoting, and contracting processes of the city and all its departments in furtherance of the policies and goals of this chapter; and
(11) Request the legal director or his/her designee investigate possible discrimination which might come to the attention of the commission with or without an individual complaint. Resulting class based investigations, after the legal director's fact-finding, may be issued as reports and be distributed throughout the community. The commission may recommend informal mediation and recommendations to the council for formal action, to end any discrimination it may find as a result of these investigations.
(12) Nothing in this chapter shall permit the commission to direct the city or any staff to spend or appropriate funds. The commission and its members shall have no authority to incur any financial obligations of any kind in the name of the city without prior approval of the mayor and city council as to any specific item or expense.