Policy Order O-7

WHEREAS: Over the course of the past several months, the Civic Unity Committee has been holding regular meetings, at the rate of about once every six weeks, to discuss the lessons that can be learned not only from the Malvina Monteiro lawsuit and other related matters, but also the ways in which the City can improve upon its internal handling of race and class issues, and the ways in which the City can strive to meet the ideals that we expect of all employers throughout our community; and

WHEREAS: There had long been great demand for these discussions, and the Civic Unity Committee Chair has been receiving a tremendous degree of positive feedback, and encouragement from those who wish to see these discussions continue and for true progress to be achieved; and

WHEREAS: The Chair of the Civic Unity Committee is appointed at the pleasure of the Mayor, as is the case with all committee chairs, and there is no guarantee that the Chair of the Civic Unity Committee for the 2014-2015 City Council term will be the same as the Chair of the 2012-2013 term. It is hoped that the next Civic Unity Committee Chair, whomever it may be, will continue to hold these most important discussions at regular intervals, but in the interest of ensuring that this matter does not rest at the conclusion of this calendar year, it would be wise for the City to place this specific conversation into a more stable forum; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to appoint a special committee, to be comprised of City Councillors, City employees, and of Cambridge residents, to take up the work of continuing to hold monthly conversations about the lessons learned from the Malvina Montiero lawsuit and lessons learned from other, related race and class concerns, and about how the City can improve upon its internal handling of race and class matters as an employer, beginning as of the start of the next calendar year.