By Selene Raj
Two weeks after their last meeting, the city commission is set to revisit several issues—several that focus on a topic at the focus of the entire country: racism.
Months before the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Commissioner Mike Gelin had proposed that Tamarac pass a resolution denouncing white supremacy.
For weeks, that resolution has been pushed to the next meeting, as the commission, while unanimously supporting the denouncement, disagreed on how to do so. In prior discussions, they disagreed on whether or not to include any mention of the president.
On June 10, however, they are set to finally address the issue and resolution.
Commissioner Julie Fishman has also proposed changing the definition of protected hairstyles in the City of Tamarac’s personnel manual to make it more inclusive to women of color. Nationwide, black people have been discriminated against for their natural hair, both in schools and professional spaces.
In addition to Gelin and Fishman’s proposals, the commission will also be addressing race on the request of Mayor Michelle Gomez: community-involved solidarity efforts against racial injustice.
This comes after almost two weeks of civil unrest, in which civilians have been protesting against white supremacy, systemic racism, and police brutality.
Also, they’ll cover other issues, such as revisiting their request to transfer $250,000 from the general fund to resident assistance programs for COVID-19 as well as authorizing a four-week hiatus for the commission between July and August.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m. Residents who wish to participate can send an email, register online, call via phone, or through Facebook Live. To view the full agenda, click here.
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