The Jamestown Human Rights Commission discussed its protocols for complaints and issues during its monthly meeting last week. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

How the Jamestown Human Rights Commission will handle complaints and issues has been determined.

During the monthly meeting of the commission last week, the group discussed the protocols that will be used to handle complaints and issues in the community.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said the commission will have to determine how it will decide what issues will be discussed and what action the group might take. He said the commission will have authority over human rights complaints the city receives. For example, if a contractor thinks there is a bias against their company, they can file a complaint with the commission. Or if an individual thinks they didn’t acquire a new job because of a human rights issue, they can file a complaint with the commission.

“You can hear (the complaint) and make a determination on it,” he said.

Sundquist also introduced Scott Forster, Jamestown Police Department captain, who will be taking complaints the commission will discuss. Also, the Rev. Uvie Stewart Jr., commission chairman, will also decide what complaints the commission will discuss.

“If (a member) wants to bring up a topic of discussion and then the group can talk about it,” Forster said.

Stewart said that will be the process for what the commission discusses.

“(Commission members can) bring it up, we can put it on the agenda, then we can have a discussion and then decide what steps we need to take,” he said.

Sundquist said he wants commission members to feel comfortable bringing up discussion topics for the group to decide what action needs to be taken.

“We want our Human Rights Commission to be active,” he said.

The group then discussed what the voting process should be like. Commission member Justin Hubbard suggested that when the group votes it should be more than a simple majority, but possibly a supermajority, or two-thirds, for approval. Sundquist said it’s up to the commission to decide if a simple majority is necessary or if they want a greater number like a supermajority.

In other business, the commission members continued working with Kate Ebersole, a consultant, on a mission statement. Group members suggested words and ideas that should be included in the statement. Some examples included foster, education, empowerment, safe space, celebrate and justice. Ebersol said she is going to use the information provided by the commission members to create a mission statement, which the group will discuss at its next meeting.