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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: December 4, 2017 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-a <br /> SUBJECT: Department of Human Rights and Relations <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Organizational Chart Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager, <br /> 919-245-2300 <br /> Annette Moore, Staff Attorney, 919-245- <br /> 2300 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider approving the County Manager's recommendation to separate the <br /> Division of Human Rights and Relations from the current Department of Housing, Human Rights <br /> and Community Development into a separate Department referred to as the Human Rights and <br /> Relations. <br /> BACKGROUND: After passage of the Civil Rights Ordinance in 1994, the Board of County <br /> Commissioners (the "Board") authorized the creation of the Department of Human Rights and <br /> Relations on December 20, 1994. <br /> The core functions of the Department of Human Rights and Relations included: <br /> • Enforcement of the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance; <br /> • Administration of the Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Assistance <br /> Program Agreement ("FHAP") ; <br /> • Education, Outreach and Training on rights under the Civil Rights Ordinance; <br /> • Staffing the Human Relations Commission and their education and outreach activities; <br /> and <br /> • Coordinating County efforts to eliminate or reduce limited English proficiency as a barrier <br /> to accessing or understanding Orange County government services, program or benefits <br /> The Board approved changing the Department to the Office of Human Rights and Relation <br /> within the County Manager's Office on March 6, 2008. To improve efficiency and service <br /> delivery to residents, the County Manager subsequently recommended merging the Office of <br /> Human Rights and Relations with the Department of Housing and Community Development. <br /> On February 16, 2010 the Board approved merging the Office of Human Rights and Relations <br /> into the Housing and Community Development Department (the Commission for Women was <br /> moved to a non-profit agency). <br />