Hunter
03/12/21
A City Councilor is proposing that the newly created Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission be suspended after a rocky start.
Laura Bergus spoke to the Daily Iowan this week and emailed the council with her proposal to be considered for the upcoming City Council meeting. She added that she reached out to three members of the commission, including current chair Mohammed Traore to inform them of her intentions.
When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission met last week, Johnson County Supervisor Royceann Porter resigned from her chair position. Some Commission members accused Porter of creating a “hostile work environment” within the group, and they accused Porter of being openly hostile to members of the public. During a February 16th City Council meeting, a resident called councilors “cowards” for not making councilor Mazahir Salih’s opinions on the review of the June 3rd teargassing of Black Lives Matter protestors on Dubuque Street public. Porter ripped the man who made the comment, as well as other Iowa Freedom Rider members, for criticizing black politicians at public meetings. She said they were the actual cowards for arguing with the people who are trying to stand up for them.
Commission members T’Shaylin Harrington and Anthony Currin resigned as well, and newly hired facilitator Jesse Case stepped down the day after the meeting.In his letter of resignation, Case said that he couldn’t facilitate a commission that was set up to fail.
Councilor Bergus believes the Commission should be suspended temporarily to open applications for vacant commission seats, and to direct staff to provide recommendations for training on meeting procedures with safe spaces for dialogue as they build trust. The City Council meets this Tuesday.