Civil Rights Commission — Davenport, IA
Date: 2025-07-08
Time: 12:00

CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING

 CITY OF DAVENPORT, IOWA

 Tuesday, July 8, 2025; 12:00 PM

 Virtual Via Zoom:
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869608008?pwd=MUhuMUNSUnp4WlZndk9tbXZiMlY1UT09

 AMID CONCERNS ABOUT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) WITHIN OUR
 COMMUNITY, AS AN ONGOING MITIGATION MEASURE, IN COMPLIANCE WITH CDC
 RECOMMENDATIONS, THE COMMISSION WILL HOST ITS NEXT MONTHLY MEETING,
 SCHEDULED FOR JULY 8, 2025, AT NOON THROUGH A VIRTUAL FORMAT. THIS ACTION HAS
  BEEN TAKEN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19. THE HEALTH AND
 SAFETY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, VISITORS, CUSTOMERS AND OUR STAFF AT THE
  DAVENPORT CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION IS ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY. IT IS WITH THIS IN
 MIND THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THIS STEP TO MITIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF COMMUNITY
 TRANSMISSION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP TO ATTEND OUR NEXT MEETING, PLEASE
 REGISTER IN ADVANCE FOR THIS MEETING - YOU WILL FIND THE LINK IN THE AGENDA
 UNDER ROLL CALL. AFTER REGISTERING, YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL
 CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT JOINING THE MEETING.
I. Roll Call

 Virtual Via Zoom:
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869608008?pwd=MUhuMUNSUnp4WlZndk9tbXZiMlY1UT09

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes

 A. June 2025 Minutes

IV. Director's Report

 A. June 2025 Director's Report

 B. June 2025 Case Status Report

V. New Business

 A. Commission Position Salaries

 B. Commission Remodel/Relocation Updates

 C. Davenport Civil Rights Commission Council Resolution

VI. Old Business

VII. Public Comment and Presentation
VIII. Adjourn

IX. Next Meeting

CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING

 CITY OF DAVENPORT, IOWA

 Tuesday, July 8, 2025; 12:00 PM

 Virtual Via Zoom:
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869608008?pwd=MUhuMUNSUnp4WlZndk9tbXZiMlY1UT09

 AMID CONCERNS ABOUT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) WITHIN OUR
 COMMUNITY, AS AN ONGOING MITIGATION MEASURE, IN COMPLIANCE WITH CDC
 RECOMMENDATIONS, THE COMMISSION WILL HOST ITS NEXT MONTHLY MEETING,
 SCHEDULED FOR JULY 8, 2025, AT NOON THROUGH A VIRTUAL FORMAT. THIS ACTION HAS
  BEEN TAKEN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19. THE HEALTH AND
 SAFETY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, VISITORS, CUSTOMERS AND OUR STAFF AT THE
  DAVENPORT CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION IS ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY. IT IS WITH THIS IN
 MIND THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THIS STEP TO MITIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF COMMUNITY
 TRANSMISSION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP TO ATTEND OUR NEXT MEETING, PLEASE
 REGISTER IN ADVANCE FOR THIS MEETING - YOU WILL FIND THE LINK IN THE AGENDA
 UNDER ROLL CALL. AFTER REGISTERING, YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL
 CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT JOINING THE MEETING.
I. Roll Call

 Virtual Via Zoom:
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869608008?pwd=MUhuMUNSUnp4WlZndk9tbXZiMlY1UT09

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Approval of Minutes

 A. June 2025 Minutes

IV. Director's Report

 A. June 2025 Director's Report

 B. June 2025 Case Status Report

V. New Business

 A. Commission Position Salaries

 B. Commission Remodel/Relocation Updates

 C. Davenport Civil Rights Commission Council Resolution

VI. Old Business

VII. Public Comment and Presentation
VIII. Adjourn

IX. Next Meeting
 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
June 2025 Minutes

Attachments:
1. JUNE 2025 Meeting MInutes
 CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING
 CITY OF DAVENPORT, IA
 TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2025


The Davenport Civil Rights Commission met and Called to Order: 12:04 via Zoom.
Commissioner Co-Chair Frank Holley presided over the meeting.

ROLL CALL:

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:

Mike Guster
Frank Holley
Charlene Upchurch-Taylor
Jeff Transou
Glenn Peterson
Ethelene Boyd

COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:

None

OTHER ATTENDEES:

Director Latrice Lacey
The City of Davenport

AGENDA:
Commissioner Frank Holley called for the approval of the agenda. It was moved by
Commissioner Ethelene Boyd to accept the agenda: seconded by Commissioner Glenn Peterson;
motion carried.

APPROVAL of APRIL 2025 MINUTES:

It was moved by Commissioner Ethelene Boyd to accept the minutes with any necessary
corrections; Seconded by Commissioner Glenn Peterson; motion carried

APPROVAL of MAY 2025 MINUTES:
 It was moved by Commissioner Ethelene Boyd to accept the minutes with any necessary
corrections; Seconded by Commissioner Glenn Peterson; motion carried

DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
 • No right to sue letters issued in the month of May
 • No mediation or conciliation settlements in the month of May
 • Still working on reaching a resolution with City Council
 • Do not have a fourth follow-up meeting scheduled with City of Davenport and City
 Council
 • Director Lacey reviewed the meetings in the past to catch Commissioners up on these
 three past meetings.
 • Commissioner Guster wants to meet with one of the Council members, Director Lacey,
 and one or two Commissioners
 • The Commission needs to push back real hard against the directions laid out
 • Director Lacey believed that we could give counsel the opportunity to do a resolution,
 and if not, Director Lacey thinks we need to file a lawsuit seeking a declaratory
 judgment.
 • Commissioner Holley stated that the only difference is we've met with counsel,
 the City Council has agreed with our stance. Commissioner Holley doesn’t think they're
 going to issue a resolution until we fulfill their last request, and that was they agreed that
 we should sit down and meet with them across the table, face-to-face, and hash out
 these issues one by one, he thinks that was Council's last instruction.
 • Commissioner Upchurch-Taylor stated that she thought the meeting was for Director
 Lacey, the City Attorney and the City Administrator. Director Lacey stated she didn’t get
 that from the meeting.
 • Commissioner Guster stated we needed to have another scheduled meeting with him,
 Director Lacey and another Commissioner (if another Commissioner wishes to attend
 the meeting with the City Administrator.
 • Commissioner Upchurch-Taylor moved to send a memo to City Director, City Council,
 and City Administrator to schedule a meeting with Director Lacey, Commissioner Mike
 Guster, and any other Commissioner that would like to attend; Ethelene Boyd second,
 motion carried.
 • Director Lacey stated that we received notice from the council that the Commission is
 being represented by in the lawsuit that they have not been receiving payment from the
 legal department.

NEW BUSINESS: None

OLD BUSINESS: Stated in Director’s Report

PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS: None

NEXT MEETING:

Regular DCRC Meeting, July 8, 2025

ADJOURN:

Commissioner Mike Guster called to adjourn the meeting. It was moved by Commissioner Frank
Holley and Seconded by Commissioner Charlene Upchurch-Taylor to adjourn the meeting at
1:30pm; motion carried.


Submitted by,
Commissioner Charlene Upchurch-Taylor



Commissioner Charlene Upchurch-Taylor,
Secretary
 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
June 2025 Director's Report

Attachments:
1. June 2025 DR
 DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR THE DAVENPORT CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR
 June 2025

 I. CASE STATUS
 1. No “right to sue” letters were issued in the month of June.
 2. No cases settled in mediation in the month of June.
 II. OTHER ACTIVITY
 1. The Director completed case processing documentation.
 2. The Director worked on pre-hearing preparation.
 3. The Director continues to await a substantive response regarding salary assessment data
 for the agency’s investigation-related positions. Initial requests were submitted to Human
 Resources on October 11, October 21, and December 12, 2024. A formal request from
 the Commission, including a requested response date of January 31, 2025, was also
 submitted. To date, the only communication received has been acknowledgment of
 receipt—no data or analysis has been provided. The lack of salary information has
 prevented the Director from moving forward with critical operational decisions,
 including budget planning and recruitment for the Civil Rights Specialist position.
 Without veri ed salary data, it is not possible to make informed offers to potential
 candidates. Despite multiple follow-ups, an excessive amount of time has been spent
 awaiting a response, hindering the Commission’s ability to ful ll its statutory
 responsibilities. On June 12, 2025, the Director met with Corporation Counsel to discuss
 the salary assessment he conducted on the Civil Rights Specialist position. At that time,
 Corporation Counsel indicated he would be meeting with the union the following week
 to determine next steps, which could be presented to the Commission at its next meeting.
 On July 7, 2025, the Director received an email inquiring about the Commission’s
 proposed salary range for the positions. The message stated that the union would not
 consider the Commission’s salary range adjustment request until an updated range was
 provided, citing the need to “look out for all their membership, not just a couple of
 positions.” However, the email did not clarify how the Commission’s positions relate to
 the broader salary structure across City departments—particularly given that those other
 positions were presumably negotiated, while the Commission’s roles have not been,
 despite repeated requests to both Human Resources and the union. Based on the
 information provided by Corporation Counsel, the Director will need to conduct further
 analysis, as it remains unclear how the Commission—an independent body under state
 and municipal law with exclusive authority over its personnel, including compensation
 decisions, and not a signatory to any agreement purporting to restrict or delegate that
 authority—could be subject to adverse effects or limitations arising from actions taken by
 City staff.
 4. The Director attended the Joint City Council/Civil Rights Commission meeting.
 5. The Director submitted a request for followup meeting and request for action items to
 council.
 6. Council members introduced a proposed resolution addressing some of the concerns
 raised by the Commission during the joint meetings.
 7. The Director received an email from City Administrator Maxeiner regarding the updates
 on the remodel and a proposal to relocate the of ce, seeking information about the
 Commission’s needs for a new space.




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 8. The Director worked on post hearing brie ng in the housing public hearing.
 9. The Director worked on post hearing brie ng in the education public hearing.
 10. The Director continued to await responsive information from the City Administrator
 regarding the information from Finance relating to the HUD funding, where we were
 noti ed that Finance would no longer do the Finance-related certi cation for our HUD
 contract, despite controlling the funding and the lack of response from Human
 Resources, the delays in processing personnel actions by Finance and Human Resources,
 the unilateral removal of the Civil Rights Investigator job posting from Human
 Resources and the absence of resolution to the internal complaint regarding the
 interception of the Commission’s con dential mail, submitted on December 20, 2023.
 11. The Director continued to monitor COVID-191 rates and its impact on of ce functions.
 12. The Director worked on case resolution documents.
 13. The Director worked on litigation.
 14. The Director worked on pre-hearing motions and responses.
 15. The Director paused reviewing applications for the Civil Rights Specialist position as we
 have continued to await information on the next step for setting salaries.
 16. The Director continues to work on the development of training and professional
 development opportunities related to the staf ng realignment related to the forced
 departure of the Asst. Director/Housing Programs Manager.
 17. The Director and Housing Analyst worked on year end resolution information for HUD.
 18. Housing Analyst worked on housing investigations.
 19. Housing Analyst worked on housing inquiries.
 20. Housing Analyst worked on case resolutions.
 21. Investigations Manager worked on case le reviews and updates.
 22. Investigations Manager worked on case resolutions.
 23. Investigations Manager worked on complaint intakes.
 III. OLD BUSINESS
 1. Ongoing discrimination, harassment and bullying of Commission staff.
 1. Retaliatory actions against Commission staff and further examples of different
 treatment.
 2. Legal Department refusal to accept Commission referral.
 3. Use of racial slurs in City Hall. City’s failure to initiate complaint investigation.
 4. Investigation of hostile working environment, still no ndings over a year after the
 initiation of the investigation.
 5. Continued refusal to process vacation correction, despite receiving their legal opinion
 which clearly indicates that the Commission’s procedure for processing the correction
 was appropriate.
 6. Constructive discharge of Commission employees.
 7. Staf ng Concerns - Investigation position postings and salary.
 8. The Commission continues to face delays and obstructive actions by City Administration
 that have hindered resolution of matters previously presented to the City Council. These
 actions appear to undermine the Commission’s mission and re ect ongoing retaliation
 and retaliatory harassment in response to substantiated complaints of discrimination and
 harassment.

 1 Also, measles, influenza and RSV.




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 IV. NEW BUSINESS
 1. Salary Update Procedure.
 2. Of ce Relocation.
 3. Council Resolution.




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 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
June 2025 Case Status Report

Attachments:
None
 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
Commission Position Salaries

Attachments:
None
 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
Commission Remodel/Relocation Updates

Attachments:
None
 City of Davenport
 Civil Rights Commission
Department: Civil Rights Action / Date
Contact Info: | 7/8/2025
Subject:
Davenport Civil Rights Commission Council Resolution

Attachments:
None