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Fayetteville Mayor To Establish Advisory Group On Civil Rights Ordinance

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan agreed to a written request sent on Thursdsay (Aug. 28) from the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce ...
fayetteville council meeting civil rights

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan agreed to a written request sent on Thursdsay (Aug. 28) from the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce to establish a group that will receive input while the city works to establish its new civil rights ordinance, officials say.

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce President Steve Clark sent a letter to Jordan suggesting that he create a 10-person panel to deal with discrimination claims. This panel would help to protect the rights of local business owners.

The letter and suggested panel are both in reference to an anti-discrimination ordinance that was passed six votes to two by the Fayetteville City Council in the early hours of Aug. 20, following about nine hours of public input and discussion.

The ordinance will create a civil rights administrator, who will be able to use the city’s powers to ensure “all persons within the city have equal access to employment, housing and public accommodations,” the ordinance states. The ordinance states it will ban business establishments from discriminating against people based on real or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, familial status, marital status, socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation, disability and veteran status.

The 10-person panel suggested by Clark is to be made up of two members of the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community, two members of the retail business community, two members of the real estate business community, two members of the faith community and two lawyers who are engaged in civil rights practices.

Agreeing to the panel, Jordan has scheduled a meeting of this civil rights administration input and advisory group. The meeting will be held on Thursday (Sept. 4) in City Hall room 326 at 6 p.m., according to officials.

The meeting will be open to the public, officials said.

Jordan’s next task is to establish the members of this new advisory group. Jordan said he expects to have commitments from individuals he has asked to serve on the new advisory group by the start of next week (Sept. 2), according to officials.

 

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