The Jamestown Human Rights Commission discussed ways of increasing community involvement during last Friday’s Human Rights Commission meeting. The committee is seeking ways to engage with the community and better represent the city’s residents. Screenshot by Timothy Frudd

The Jamestown Human Rights Commission agreed to increase community involvement during a recent meeting.

Following the reports of a bullying incident at Jamestown Public Schools that was presented to the Jamestown Public Schools Board last week, the Human Rights Commission determined it would be advantageous to have members of the committee present at various meetings and events throughout the city.

Kimberly Knight, who is both a member of the Human Rights Commission and a teacher at Jamestown Public Schools, asked the other committee members to consider joining her at the next school board meeting Oct. 25, following reports of parents presenting their concerns to the Jamestown Public Schools Board.

Knight said the parents felt they were “unwelcome” at the meeting and were displeased with how the school board members handled their concerns pertaining to bullying issues in the school district.

As a result, Knight explained she is planning to attend the next board meeting to provide support from the Human Rights Commission on behalf of the concerned parents in the community.

The other members of the Human Rights Commission also expressed interest in attending the next school board meeting, prompting a lengthy discussion on how the Human Rights Commission could find ways to develop increased involvement in the community through attending various meetings and city events.

The committee concluded it would be beneficial both for the community and the Human Rights Commission if some of the committee members attended the Jamestown Public School Board meetings and some of the City Council meetings. By attending the meetings, the committee hopes to send a message to the community that the Human Rights Commission is ready to take a more active role in helping the people of Jamestown and representing the rights of each resident.

In addition to increasing community involvement, the Human Rights Commission also discussed ways to make its meetings more productive and more fruitful for city residents.

Due to multiple vacancies, the committee determined it would be helpful for the Human Rights Commission to be lowered to eight members, with a meeting quorum of five members. Human Rights Commission chairman, the Rev. Uvie Stewart Jr., said he would approach Mayor Eddie Sundquist with the committee’s request.

Additionally, the Human Rights Commission proposed the idea of changing the day or time of the meetings to better reflect the scheduling availability of its members, with possible changes to be addressed at a future meeting.