Delaware County Council unanimously passed its Human Relations ordinance Wednesday night, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.
The ordinance prohibits acts of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and health care. It’s similar to anti-discrimination measures now in place in Montgomery, Chester, and Lehigh Counties.
Council Member Elaine Paul Schaeffer said at a Nov. 12 council meeting that the ordinance has been redrafted since it was first introduced in August.
She was concerned about how much it would have cost the county to implement the initial ordinance, straining resources and duplicating existing access to the courts.
“The way that it is drafted right now is with an eye towards us being able to control the costs, being able to control superfluous use of the ordinance, and I’m quite comfortable with that,” Schaefer said.
The county council already authorized the actual commission in September and is seeking volunteers to fill seven to 13 positions for three-year terms.
The commission would coordinate cases with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and could offer alternative community-based resolutions to address discrimination complaints, Schaeffer said.
The commission would not investigate any claims and would not need to use subpoena power, she said.
Read more about the updated human relations commission ordinance in Delaware County in the Daily Times.
