[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Newburgh 1-14-1991 by Ord. No. 3-91; amended in its entirety 12-10-2012 by Ord. No. 11-2012. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to the authority contained in Article 12-D of the General Municipal Law, a Commission on Human Rights is hereby established as follows:
A. 
The Commission shall consist of seven members appointed by the City Council; three of those shall be appointed to serve a term of one year, two for a term of two years, and two for a term of three years; and at the expiration of such terms, the terms of their successors shall be three years.
B. 
The members of the Commission shall elect, from their members, a Chairman, who shall serve as such for a period of no longer than three years; and the Commission shall have the power to employ staff in accordance with § 239-q of the General Municipal Law, subject to such appropriation for such purposes as may be made by the Council.
C. 
The members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, and no expenditures or disbursements shall be incurred except on prior approval of the City Council.
D. 
In making appointments to the Commission, the City Council shall take into consideration the various religious, racial, nationality and political groups in the City.
Pursuant to § 239-q, of the General Municipal Law, the City of Newburgh Human Rights Commission is hereby granted the following powers:
A. 
To foster mutual respect and understanding among all racial, religious and nationality groups in the community.
B. 
To make such studies in any field of human relationship in the community as in its judgment will aid in effectuating its general purposes.
C. 
To inquire into incidents of tension and conflict among or between various racial, religious and nationality groups and to take such action as may be designed to alleviate such tensions and conflict.
D. 
To conduct and recommend such educational programs as, in its judgment, will increase good will among inhabitants of the City and open any opportunities into all phases of City life for all inhabitants.
E. 
To report complaints to the Division of Human Rights alleging unlawful discriminatory practices under Article 15 of the Executive Law.
F. 
To receive, accept, use and expend public grants and private gifts, donations or bequests and other payments, goods and services, notwithstanding any other provision of law.
Pursuant to § 239-r of the General Municipal Law, the City of Newburgh Human Rights Commission shall discharge the following obligations comprised as follows:
A. 
To receive complaints of alleged discrimination because of age, sex, disability, marital status, race, creed, color or national origin: seek the active assistance of the State Division of Human Rights in the solution of complaints which fall within the jurisdiction of the Division, and prepare its own plans in the case of other complaints with a view to reducing and eliminating such alleged discrimination through the process of conference, conciliation and persuasion.
B. 
To hold conferences and other public meetings in the interest of the constructive resolution of racial, religious and nationality group tensions and the prejudice and discrimination occasioned thereby.
C. 
To issue such publications and reports of investigation as in its judgment will tend to effectuate the purposes of Article 12-D of the General Municipal Law.
D. 
To enlist the cooperation and participation of the various racial, religious and nationality groups, community organizations, industry and labor organizations, media or mass communication, fraternal or benevolent associations and other groups in an educational campaign devoted to fostering among the diverse groups of the community mutual esteem, justice and equity.
E. 
To encourage and stimulate agencies under the jurisdiction of the City Council to take such action as will fulfill the purposes of Article 12-D of the General Municipal Law.
F. 
To submit an annual report to the City Council.
In the event that the provisions of Article 12-D of the General Municipal Law are amended, such amendments shall be effective with respect to the Commission on Human Rights created hereby.