Hunter
10/04/22
Iowa City’s City Council appointed two new members to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at their meeting Monday.
The Daily Iowan reports that Marie Krebs and Lauren Merritt were given unanimous approval by the Council. They replace Daphney Daniel, who resigned in August, and Amel Ali, who resigned in an email September 28th.
Daniel cited personal and health reasons for her leaving the Commission; Ali’s resignation stemmed from her initial suspension from the Commission after she used a racial slur on a podcast and directly insulted Johnson County Board of Supervisors chair Royceann Porter. A motion by the City Council to remove Ali from the Commission altogether was tabled and became a moot point when Ali submitted her resignation.
Councilor Pauline Taylor said that the short window of time between Ali’s resignation and the appointment of her replacement didn’t stop the Council from finding a replacement for her on the TRC quickly, adding that with the Commission’s history of facing roadblocks and obstacles, it was necessary to fully staff them to get them in “full swing.”
The appointments are effective immediately and end on June 30th next year.