MORGANTOWN — “When a business opens to the public, that means they’re open to all.”
Morgantown Human Rights Commission Chairperson Jan Derry explained as much while describing the commission’s Open For All campaign — one of many planned initiatives coming on the heels of a three-year process to create the City of Morgantown Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Derry explained that the Open For All drive will see representatives of the commission visit all city businesses, organizations and non-profits and ask for a signature on an anti-discrimination pledge, which would earn a sticker for their front door.
The business-focused effort is one of three recently brought forward by the human rights commission and vetted by Morgantown City Council.
Another will create a Minority Liaison Coordinating Council with a stated goal of providing “groups with minority representation better communication with the city manager and city administration.”
Derry explained that the group could be the city’s “cultural diversity sensitivity consultants.”
A third area of focus is bullying. Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that will charge youth-focused city services — like BOPARC and the library system — with implementing anti-bullying provisions in their bylaws.
City Planner and Director of Development Services Chris Fletcher said these are just the first of many measures to come from the HRC’s comprehensive plan.
“When you review the strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion, there are lots of implementation measures in there, including how boards and commission members are recruited and how employment recruiting is done,” Fletcher said, noting that some of this potential legislation is slated for discussion during the August committee of the whole meeting.
In the meantime, the HRC’s hope is that passage of these initial measures will boost Morgantown’s progressive bona fides in the eyes of the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index this summer.
“This year, our rating with the Municipal Equity Index jumped significantly because of steps the city took, primarily the welcoming statement and campaign for inclusivity that started last year,” Derry said. “We believe that if we pass and adopt the next three proposed initiatives, we’ll boost our scores dramatically.”
It was explained that because of the July deadline to submit its information, the three aforementioned measures — two passed by resolution and one ordinance passed on first reading — appeared on council’s June 18 regular meeting agenda without first appearing on a committee of the whole agenda, as is council’s standard procedure.
