A Hamilton County commissioner wants to create a 12-member outside board to consult the county on diversity and equity policies, as race conversations and tension continue to grow locally and across the country.
Commissioner Katherlyn Geter, chairwoman of the commission's subcommittee on diversity and equity, asked her colleagues to consider forming a larger committee made up of a more diverse group to ensure more inclusive advising to the commission.
"This is a way for us to intentionally look at and work at systemic inequalities and barriers that exist within our county, around various systems and around opportunities," she said. "Many of us say that we want or that we have welcoming, safe and thriving neighborhoods in Hamilton County, and I think, for the most part, we do. But I also have to be realistic and I also live in the real world. That's not the case for every person in Hamilton County."
After weeks of debates around racial disparities in criminal justice, which prompted Wednesday's committee meeting, Geter and members of the community are calling for the commission to take actionable steps toward addressing systemic racism.
"How do we look at that in a broad and holistic manner to address those systemic inequalities that do exist?" Geter asked, referencing public comment during the regular commission meeting in which a caller asked to see the commission be more engaged on these issues.
"For me it's to establish a process that, as the last caller stated, that we are missing, number one, and that we work to break down those income inequalities, to equip everyone here for how to enhance the county for success."
Though Wednesday's discussion was just a rough draft of Geter's plan, the board would tentatively plan to address criminal justice, housing and other issues, providing a more diverse and inclusive perspective to the commission's deliberations.
Some commissioners questioned the cost and the member selection process of housing this board under a third party - which would likely be a yet undetermined local nonprofit agency - but largely, the members present seemed to support the general idea.
Going forward, the committee will draft a mission statement of sorts for the board before drafting any resolution to introduce it to the commission as a whole.
Residents who called into the meeting supported the formation of the board and urged the commission to take public feedback on the mission statement and construction of the advisory group.
"It is reassuring to see such deliberation and discussion among the commissioners about how this committee should be set up and what its function should be," Chelsea DeWaters, who called into the earlier meeting, said before voicing her support for the new board.
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.