ST. CLOUD (WJON News) — After a hiatus, a local board working to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all is back and looking to fill some vacancies.
The St. Cloud Area Regional Human Rights Commission is looking for three representatives, one from Sartell, one from Sauk Rapids, and one from Waite Park. The six-person board was recently restarted by the city under the St. Cloud Human Rights Ordinance to work as an advisory group.
The purpose of the group is to work towards equal education, employment, and housing opportunities, and public accommodations for everyone living in or visiting St. Cloud and the surrounding metropolitan area. The group is also responsible for ensuring that the Community Policing Agreement is upheld and preventing any discriminatory practices on the part of the city.
In 2010, the cities of St. Cloud and St. Joseph came together and signed a Regional Human Rights Joint Powers Agreement which funded a Minnesota Department of Human Rights regional office in St. Cloud. Over the years, Sartell and Sauk Rapids also joined the agreement.
Following the closure of the state’s regional office in 2021, St. Cloud’s ordinance was updated and the local commission was resurrected.
The group meets at St. Cloud City Hall on the fourth Wednesday of every month and each representative serves a three-year term. A major topic currently facing the board is homelessness in the St. Cloud area.
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Gallery Credit: Karen Johanson