[Adopted 3-6-1964 by Ord. No. 10-1964 (Art. 135 of the 1979 Codified Ordinances)]
A. 
In the City of Chester, with its large cosmopolitan population, consisting of all the races, nationalities, religious and ethnic groups which constitute America, no greater menace threatens the peace, good order, security and welfare of the City and its inhabitants than the existence within it of groups antagonistic to one another and prejudiced against each other because of differences of race, creed, color, national origin or ancestry.
B. 
The Mayor and Council hereby find and declare that the practice of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination and the disorder occasioned thereby, tends to create breaches of the peace and threatens not only the rights and proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and foundation of a free democratic state. To the end that such prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination shall be stamped out, this article is enacted to provide an instrumentality through which the City may officially encourage and bring about mutual understanding and respect by all groups in the City, eliminate prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, discrimination and disorder and help give effect to the guarantee of equal rights for all as assured by the Constitution and laws of Pennsylvania.
C. 
The enactment hereof shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the City for the protection and preservation of the public health, safety and welfare of this City and its inhabitants and in fulfillment of the provisions of the Constitution and laws of this State guaranteeing civil rights.
A. 
There is hereby created in the office of the Mayor a Commission to be known as the "Chester Human Relations Commission," herein referred to as "the Commission." The Commission shall consist of not less than 15 nor more than 25 persons, broadly representative of the racial, religious and ethnic groups in the City. Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Mayor and Council for terms of one year. The Chairman shall be designated by the Mayor.
B. 
All members shall serve without compensation.
There are hereby created in the office of the Mayor the positions of Secretary and Field Worker to the Commission, which positions shall be filled by the Mayor at such compensation as the Mayor and Council may designate by ordinance. Appointments to such positions shall be for a one-year period.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Commission to study problems of group relationship within the City, and to advise and cooperate with the Mayor, Council and all other City agencies, boards and officials with relation to any such problems. The Commission shall further make recommendations to the Mayor, Council, agencies and officials for the betterment of intergroup relationships within the City.
B. 
The Commission is further authorized to:
(1) 
Devise and recommend to the Mayor and Council ways and means of discouraging and combating prejudice, intolerance and bigotry in all groups and in their relations with one another.
(2) 
Discover all practices and policies calculated to create conflicts and tensions and recommend ways and means for their elimination.
(3) 
Report and recommend means of eliminating any unfair or unjust discrimination against any person or group which would be deemed detrimental to the best interests of the City.
(4) 
Assemble, analyze and disseminate authentic and factual data relating to interracial and other group relationships.
(5) 
Receive, hear and investigate complaints of discrimination by or against any person or group and to make a report to the Mayor of any violations of this article and of any discrimination found to exist.
The Commission, through its committees, shall maintain contacts with groups in the City which are concerned with interracial and intercultural understanding to report to the Commission regarding the activities of these groups; to serve as a source of accurate and reliable data on the problems in the above-mentioned fields; to implement the decisions of the Commission; to work in cooperation with the directors of all City departments and other governmental divisions in the improvements of services; to eliminate whatever sources of interracial friction may exist; to work to remove inequalities which pertain to minority groups status on such problems as housing, recreation, education, employment, law enforcement, vocational guidance and related matters, and to do and perform such other and further acts and things as may be directed by the Commission.
A. 
The Commission shall invite and enlist the cooperation of all racial, religious and ethnic groups and all other City organizations in carrying on its work, and shall act as a coordinating agency among such other groups in the establishment and maintenance of educational programs in the City with a view to bringing about better intergroup and racial relationships. The Commission shall also cooperate with State and Federal agencies wherever such cooperation is appropriate in effectuating the policy of this article.
B. 
The Commission may name such subcommittees as in its judgment will aid in effectuating the purpose of this article and may empower them to study the problems of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination in all or any fields of human relationship within the purview of this article.
C. 
The service of all City departments and agencies shall be made available by their respective heads to the Commission at its request, and information in the hands of any department or agency shall be furnished to the Commission when requested. Upon receipt of recommendations in writing from the Commission, each department or agency shall submit a reply in writing indicating the disposition of and action taken with regard to such recommendations.