The Commission shall have the power and authority to employ
a secretary and such attorneys, experts and other employees as may
be necessary, provided the same does not involve the expenditure of
County funds.
The Commission shall discharge the following obligations:
A. To receive complaints of alleged discrimination because of race,
creed, color, national origin, and to seek the active assistance of
the Division of Human Rights of the State of New York in the solution
of complaints which fall within the jurisdiction of the Division and
to prepare its own plans in the case of other complaints, with a view
toward 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, nationality and
other 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 this Commission.
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 and
benevolent associations, and other groups in an educational campaign
devoted to fostering among the diverse groups of the County mutual
esteem, justice and equity and opening new opportunities into all
phases of community life for all individuals.
E. To encourage and stimulate agencies under the jurisdiction of the
County to take such action as will fulfill the purposes of this article.
F. To submit an annual report to the County Legislature and to furnish
a copy thereof to the Division of Human Rights of the State of New
York.
[Amended 4-11-2017 by Res. No. 2017056]
The Department of Human Resources may authorize funding to support
the mission of the Dutchess County Human Rights Commission as adopted
and approved by the Dutchess County Legislature.
[Added 10-11-2016 by L.L.
No. 3-2016]
A. Legislative
intent. It is hereby determined by the Dutchess County Legislature
that the Dutchess County Commission on Human Rights, in addition to
its general duties and powers as provided for in § 239-q
of the General Municipal Law, shall have the additional power to report
complaints alleging unlawful discriminatory practices under Article
15 of the Executive Law to the State Division of Human Rights.
B. The establishment
of a Commission on Human Rights pursuant to General Municipal Law
§§ 239-o through 239-t enables a Commission to receive
complaints of discrimination but does not grant it the ability to
report such complaints to the State Division of Human Rights. General
Municipal Law § 239-q(2) specifically grants to the County
the authority to adopt a local law to provide said Commission with
the power to report a complaint alleging unlawful discriminatory practices
under Article 15 of the Executive Law to the State Division of Human
Rights.
C. It is the
intent of the Dutchess County Legislature to provide the Commission
with this additional power to report practices of unlawful discrimination
to the State Division in an effort to further combat unlawful discrimination
in Dutchess County.
D. It is the
further intent of the Dutchess County Legislature that while the Dutchess
County Human Rights Commission is authorized to inquire into allegations
of unlawful discriminatory practices under both Article 15 of the
Executive Law and Article 12-D of the General Municipal Law, such
inquiry shall be limited to questions and information gathering in
an effort to determine the sufficiency of said allegations of unlawful
discrimination for purposes of reporting same to the State Division
of Human Rights pursuant to this section. Additional investigation,
if any, after the initial inquiry described herein shall be carried
out through the State Division of Human Rights.