By Lisa Carolin
Making sense of the differences between Chelsea’s City Non-Discrimination Ordinance and the 2024 Title VI Non-Discrimination Plan was a major part of the discussion at the Sept. 4 Chelsea Human Rights Commission meeting.
Following Assistant City Manager Susan Montenegro’s recent appointment as the Title VI Non-Discrimination Plan Coordinator by Chelsea City Council on Aug. 5, and HRC members being surprised by the announcement at their Aug. 7 meeting, Montenegro, along with City Manager Marty Colburn and City Attorney Mariah Fink were all invited to the HRC’s Sept. 4 meeting to further discuss the distinction between Title VI and HRC’s mission.
Colburn explained to HRC members that the Michigan Department of Transportation Title VI program has been in place since at least 1989, but that one significant change to the path of investigations is that they now go to the Federal Highway Administration.
He said it was important for city council to nominate someone to the post for training to stay in compliance. The purpose of the plan is to provide fairness and equity in all of its programs, services, and activities, which must abide by and enforce federal and state civil rights legislation.
HRC Chair Mary Keaton expressed concern about still being able to do what she signed up to do – protect the city and city residents at the same time.
HRC member Joanne Ladio said citizens need to know exactly where to start with a complaint and what the procedure is.
Fink has been working with the HRC on fine tuning the complaint forms and talked about the possibility of consolidating the two separate complaint forms, saying that there is some overlap between Title VI and the City Ordinance and that in some ways, it feels like parallel paths.
Montenegro suggested the possibility of asking the MDOT Title VI Coordinater for the State of Michigan about adding additional language, which refers to “race, color, and national origin,” rather than the broader list that is part of the City Ordinance. She also wants to get a page dedicated on the city website about non-discrimination and human rights, something the HRC may also be interested in.
