Palm Springs City Council reaffirms commitment to Human Rights Commission

City officials reiterated they are working to strengthen the city’s Human Rights Commission (HRC), not weaken it, as they update a decades-old ordinance to reflect current needs.

During a meeting Thursday evening, the Palm Springs City Council discussed plans to revitalize the commission while maintaining its core mission of promoting human rights. City Councilmember Christy Holstege, who had pushed for a pause in HRC activities, was not present at the meeting.

“The Human Rights Commission is one of the most important commissions of this city,” said Councilmember Lisa Middleton. “We need to restore our commitment to the Human Rights Commission, to its traditional responsibilities.”

The council is aiming to update the commission’s 30-year-old ordinance, removing outdated language while potentially expanding its focus to include connecting residents with human services.

Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein emphasized that the goal is to make the commission “more powerful and more effective in our community.”

“We’re not trying to get rid of the Human Rights Commission,” Bernstein said. “We’re trying to give it a clearer direction.”

Mayor Pro Tem Ron deHarte highlighted the commission’s historical importance, noting it was established in 1965 to address issues facing minority groups in Palm Springs.

“Human rights, civil rights, and the rights of all marginalized folks are even more important today than they were 60 years ago when Frank Bogert established our first Human Relations Committee,” deHarte said.

The commission has been on hiatus since May, when the council directed it to focus on “re-envisioning” its role. The pause, which followed issues that surfaced during its annual Community Service Awards deliberation, led to concerns in the community about its future.

Some community members, as well as two current HRC members, voiced their concerns Thursday evening.

“Given the recent election results, new concerns have arisen regarding the potential infringement of human rights in a way we’ve never seen before,” said Carlotta Rinke, a current HRC member.

Proposed changes include removing outdated language about domestic partnerships and adding a stronger emphasis on LGBT rights and same-sex marriage protections.

The council also discussed having commissioners work more closely with human rights organizations and nonprofits to leverage their expertise.

“Whether we call this the Human Rights Commission or whether we call it the Human Rights and Services Commission, is to set a path so that they are working with nonprofits or organizations that have the expertise and the resources,” Bernstein said.

Other proposed changes include:

• Removing language about mediating disputes, as other channels now exist for conflict resolution
  
  
• Eliminating the requirement to maintain a hate crimes database, as police now handle this
  
  
• Adding a focus on connecting residents with human services
  
  
• Having commissioners develop an annual roadmap of issues to address

The council plans to draft a new ordinance for review by the incoming council in early 2025. Councilmembers also hope to fill three vacancies on the commission and possibly allow it to resume normal business after new councilmembers are seated in December.

In addition, Middleton recommended the entire council interview candidates for the vacant commission seats “so that we get individuals that truly you’ve all had an opportunity to vet.”

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