OCEANSIDE — The city is bringing back the Community Relations Commission after nearly 12 years.
First formed in 1991, the Community Relations Commission was initially intended as a citizen advisory body to “consider and make recommendations to the City Council on policies about programs and projects which address the community’s needs and promote the diversity of Oceanside’s communities.”
The mission was to promote “understanding and harmony” between all walks of life in the city regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability.
The commission was dissolved in 2011, along with a dozen other commissions, to conserve city costs. However, the City Council unanimously voted to return the commission on Feb. 15.
According to staff, reestablishing the Community Relations Commission will help identify intergroup relations, bring people together, safeguard equal opportunity for all, identify resources available, including training, information sharing, community education and cultural literacy, and improve opportunities for diverse groups of people to work together.
The commission will consist of nine voting members to be selected by the council through an application process. The members chosen will represent the city’s diverse demographics with a particular emphasis on underrepresented neighborhoods.
Commissioners will handle six main areas of service: identify education and awareness opportunities, assist in developing collaborative and healthy relationships, address accessibility and availability of services, facilitate transparent communication and discussion, serve as liaisons for community building, and help establish an equitable culture and framework.
The Housing and Neighborhood Services Department will sponsor the commission by supporting its activities and programs.
According to Housing Program Manager Maria Yanez, additional city staff time as part of the Community Relations Commission operations will be addressed during the city’s budgeting process.
Housing Commissioner Rachel White told the City Council that the Housing Commission, which approved plans to reestablish the Community Relations Commission in January, wants to remain in charge of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for now, at least until the Community Relations Commission has had time to solidify its operations. The Community Relations Commission was previously in charge of the scholarship before it was dissolved.
“It’s a very large project, and we don’t want it to overwhelm a new commission that doesn’t have a history of running it as well as those who have done so excellently on the Housing Commission,” White said.
Rob Howard, who serves on the Police and Fire Commission, expressed his excitement over the commission’s reestablishment but cautioned that the city needs to keep in mind the veteran community when selecting commissioners to serve.
“As a service-connected, disabled veteran, I really would hope that we do not forget that our veteran community is key,” Howard said. “A lot of our city community leaders are from the veteran community.”
Max Disposti, executive director of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center who previously served on the Community Relations Commission before it dissolved, was also excited to see the commission return.
“We’re excited to give voices back to this community that have been alienated and marginalized because this commission wasn’t there,” Disposti said.
Residents can apply to become a commissioner on the new commission until March 19.