City Council forms Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion

posted on: 11/4/2020; updated: 11/10/2020

Following its unanimous ratification of the June 2020 resolution "Condemning Racism and Affirming City of Dover's Commitment to Eliminating Racial Inequities," the City Council voted unanimously to form the Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion at its Oct. 28 meeting.

The 11-member, ad-hoc committee was created "to identify and make recommendations to eliminate any potential relics of past systemic racism in municipal operations in the City of Dover."

The Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion is to meet regularly to "review data, holding listening sessions, and recommend to the City Council an action plan outlining existing and new steps to be taken to work to eliminate any potential relics of past systemic racism in municipal operations, including board and commissions," according to the resolution.

The City Council appointed nine community members "with knowledge, interest, and/or experience in addressing systemic racism and bias." The City Council also appointed two alternate community members and a City Council Representative, Ward 5 Councilor Dennis Shanahan. At its Nov. 9 meeting, the School Board appointed its Ward 5 member, Jessica Rozzo, as the School Board representative. If committee work extends beyond two years, the City Council may appoint new members.

"The best time to have worked on this would have been about 401 years ago," Shanahan said at the meeting. "The second-best time is today, and it's good that we are doing it. What this group can do for the city is probably most of the important work that really can be done."

The nine members recommended by the City Council's Appointments Committee and ratified by the Council include Luz Bay, Mark Brave, Lauren Conley, Maggie Fogarty, Timothy Mainella, Daniel Pontoh, Cora Quisumbing-King, Oscany Rodriguez DeJesus and Lina Shayo. The two alternates are Tess Beem and Jill Braceland.