AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: August 6, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Joana Torres, Community Services Manager
Stephanie Harris, Director of Community Services
Subject: HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REVISED ELECTION CIVILITY
STATEMENT
Attachments: 1. City Council Staff Report - Human Relations Commission Election Civility Statement for the Community – March 2, 2010
2. Election Civility Statement (Current)
3. Election Civility Statement (Final Draft)
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council adopt the updated Election Civility Statement as recommended by the Human Relations Commission. The updated Election Civility Statement will incorporate the use of social media and technology that are more commonly used today in political elections.
INTRODUCTION
At the October 2023 Human Relations Commission meeting, then Chair Freeman requested to add to the November agenda, a discussion on updating the Election Civility Statement. The then Chair noted that social media was not a political tool when this statement was created and adopted in 2010 like it is today, and the statement should be updated to reflect that.
DISCUSSION
The Human Relations Commission’s current civility initiative started in December 2007 when the Human Relations Commission appointed an ad hoc committee to explore ways to foster civility in our community. By late 2009, the Human Relations Commission had begun the process of drafting an election civility statement, starting with the formation of an ad hoc committee. The Human Relations Commission Liaisons worked to draft the Election Civility Statement for the Beverly Hills community which was then approved and adopted by the full City Council on March 2, 2010. The City Council staff report for that meeting is attached to this report.
Meeting Date: August 6, 2024
At the November 2023 Commission meeting it was agreed for this item to be part of the Commission’s Civility Ad Hoc which included then Vice Chair Margo and Commissioner Kaiserman. At the December 2023 meeting, then-Chair Freeman proposed additional language to be added to the existing Election Civility Statement and created a temporary ad hoc consisting of herself and then Vice Chair Margo to work out the details of the additional language and return to the full Commission with a final draft to review and consider.
The current ad hoc made up of Chair Margo and Commissioner Freeman recommended the draft statement be presented to the full Commission for review at the January 18, 2024 meeting. The Commission approved the statement as presented and recommend review and consideration by City Council Liaisons. On March 27,2024 City Council Liaisons, then-Vice Mayor Lester Friedman and Councilmember Lili Bosse approved the adoption of the updated Election Civility Statement to be brought before the full City Council. It was encouraged to bring this item before City Council for approval prior to the national election.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
Stephanie Harris,
Director of Community Services
Approved By