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} <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 9, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~ ~' b <br />SUBJECT: Report on the Functions and Responsibilities of the Orange County <br />Department of Human Rights and Relations <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Cover Memo and Formal Report <br />(Under Separate Cover) <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Gwen Harvey, Assistant Co. Mgr., Ext. <br />2307 <br />Milan Pham, Acting Director, HRRD, <br />960-3875 <br />Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director, <br />Ext. 2552 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To present for comment and direction from the BOCC the results of a staff review <br />of the functions and responsibilities of the Department of Human Rights and Relations. <br />BACKGROUND: What is known today as the Department of Human Rights and Relations had <br />its genesis in 1978 as the Commission for Women. The BOCC created the Commission for <br />Women (CFW) following a series of actions and recommendations by the N.C. Council on <br />Women drawing attention to the status of women throughout the state. <br />In 1987, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) was established by the BOCC to study and <br />make recommendations concerning problems in the field of human relationships, including the <br />promotion of goodwill and harmony among groups in the County and the monitoring of <br />complaints involving discrimination. The HRC held a series of public hearings during 1990 and <br />over the next four years engaged the BOCC, County management, and citizens at large in a <br />discussion of a draft Civil Rights Ordinance and the potential for a Human Rights Office within <br />County government. <br />On December 20, 1994, the BOCC authorized the creation of the Commission of <br />Women/Human Rights Commission Department to become known as the Department of <br />Human Rights and Relations, and charged the new Department with conducting pro-active <br />tasks for the promotion of community relations. Later in 1994, the BOCC enacted the Orange <br />County Civil Rights Ordinance that provided: <br />