Don DeKock

The strategic plan for the Iowa Office of Civil Rights focuses on providing impartial and efficient investigative analyses of discrimination complaints, promoting civil rights outreach and education, and eliminating illegal discrimination within Iowa. Key initiatives include improving program efficiencies, ensuring accessibility and readability of civil rights laws, increasing stakeholder engagement, and supporting agency staff.

The meeting included an AG Update on Iowa Civil Rights Commission v McKillip, a housing case involving sexual harassment, where the ICRC's position was affirmed. The Director provided a hiring update for an Education/Outreach coordinator and discussed office efficiencies. There was a review of the impacts of President Trump's EO's on the agency and an update on tracked legislation. Policy recommendations included discussion of the timeframe for appeals and potential changes to the ICRA for HUD cases. Strategic planning involved updates on legislator meetings and discussion of the mission statement and goals, with support from the Governor's office. Commissioner reports covered legislative activities and participation in the 250th USA Anniversary.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission's Agency Performance Plan for FY 2022 focuses on timely and quality resolutions for civil rights complaints and efficient resource management. Key areas include adjudication, dispute resolution, investigation, and mediation of discrimination complaints. Performance targets aim to reduce processing times for cases, increase the number of cases accepted for federal reimbursement, and maintain high compliance with financial regulations. The plan outlines strategies and actions to achieve these goals, including improved screening processes, enhanced mediation coordination, and efficient investigation procedures.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission's performance plan for FY 2023 focuses on timely and quality resolutions for civil rights complaints. Key areas include adjudication, dispute resolution, enforcement, and investigation. Performance measures track the average number of days to complete cases, the percentage of cases accepted for reimbursements by federal agencies, and the timeliness of case screening, mediation, and investigation for both housing and non-housing complaints. The desired outcome is to provide timely and high-quality resolutions to individuals involved in civil rights complaints and to eliminate investigative backlogs.

The meeting agenda includes approval of minutes from previous meetings, public comment, nomination and voting on a Commission officer (potentially including a lobbyist), strategic planning (budget appropriation for FY25-26 and discussion on mission and goals), requirements for commissioners' annual reports and reporting of appeals, and commissioners' reports. Public decorum rules, including a four-minute limit on comments, are referenced.