Box 3, Folder 14, Document 82

Box 3, Folder 14, Document 82

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION
MINUTES

DECEMBER 14, 1966.

Members of the Community Relations Commission met for their organizational
meeting on Wednesday, December 14, 1966, at 2:00 p.m. in City Hall. The
following members were present:

Mr. Irving K. Kaler, Chairman
Mr. T. M. Alexander, Sr.
Mrs. Sara Baker

Miss Helen Bullard

Dr. Cleveland Dennard

Mr. Robert Dobbs

Mr. C. G. Ezzard

Mr. A. L. Feldman

Rev. Joseph L. Griggs

Mr. Joseph Haas .
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
Mr. Al Kuettner

Mrs. Fred Patterson

Rabbi Jacob Rothschild
Mrs. Mary Stephens

Rev. Samuel Williams

Mayor ivan Allen, Jr. called the meeting to order and spoke briefly regarding
this newly created Commission, He expressed the City's appreciation to the
members of the Commission for their interest and willingness to serve and

to all those who have furnished leadership and have worked to see the Community
Relations Commission established. He reviewed the functions of the Commission
as designated in the charter and charged the group as to their duties and
responsibilities. He then introduced the Community Relations Commission
Chairman, Mr. Irving Kaler, and turned the meeting over to him,

Mr. Kaler thanked Mayor Allen for himself and for his fellow members for

the confidence shown in their appointments. He stated the members of the
Commission recognized the challenge and accepted it. He also stated he

felt the greatest resource of the city was its people and this Commission

seeks to reserve and develop this resource so that Atlanta can have a force

and economic climate to maintain its position of leadership, He then introduced
Vice Mayor Sam Massell, Jr., who has been so instrumental in the creation of
this Commission.
Community Relations Commission Minutes
December 14, 1966
Page Two

Mr. Massell expressed his pleasure in seeing this Commission become a
reality and told the group of the earlier meetings and committees preceding

this Commission. He made the following recommendations for the Commission's
consideration as their program is established:

l. Consideration of those individuals considered for membership on the
Commission and those who have expressed interest in assisting in this
work for utilization in advisory committees or similar capacities.

2. Amass meeting with representatives of the disadvantaged neighborhoods
in an attempt to catalog the grievances in the community.

3. A conference or consulting session with the professional representatives
of the local human relations groups to benefit from their experiences

and ideas,

4, Inquire into the possibility of an Office of Economic Opportunity grant
possibly in the amount of $130, 000 to establish a fair housing center in

Atlanta,

Mr. John Field, Director of the Community Relations Service of the U. S.
Conference of Mayors, spoke to the group regarding his experiences and
observations of the activities and undertakings of other commissions around
the country. He stated that these groups played various roles in each
community including such things as performing advisory functions for the
governing bodies, handling complaints and grievances, acting as mediators,
and reviewing and monitoring the functions of government to insure demo-
cratic participation. He then reviewed some of the methods and techniques
used by other groups. He told the members they must now decide what role
this Commission is going to play in the community. The Commission must
decide whether it is going to try to do the work itself or see that it is carried
out by another group and to what extent the Commission will participate when
other existing agencies can handle the problem. He stated the necessity is
not to displace other agencies but to work with them.

The Commission members then proceeded with their business session,
Upon motion duly made, seconded and unanimously passed the Commission

agreed to follow Roberts Rules of Order for the conduct of all meetings.

The group next considered the election of officers of the Commission, Upon
Community Relations Commission Minutes
December 14, 1966
Page Three

motions duly made, seconded and unanimously passed the ‘following
individuals were elected as officers:

Rev. Samuel Williams, First Vice Chairman
Miss Helen Bullard, Second Vice Chairman
Mrs. Fred Patterson, Secretary

In accordance with the ordinance, the above officers and the Chairman shall
constitute the Executive Committee. Upon motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously passed, it was agreed that the Executive Committee has and

is authorized to act for andon behalf of the full Commission, subject to
review of the Commission, between regularly scheduled meetings of the
Commission.

A regular meeting date was discussed at this time and it was agreed that the
Executive Committee be allowed to deliberate on the selection of the meeting
date and time and report back to the Commission at the next meeting.

On behalf of the Committee appointed to select the Executive Director,
Rev. Samuel Williams then reported that the position had been advertised
in the various news media and that seventeen applications were received.
Interviews have been scheduled to begin on Tuesday, December 20. It

was the suggestion of Rev. Williams (Chairman of the Committee) that the
Commission discuss the type qualifications, characteristics and experience
of the individual to fill this position, Various members gave their opinions
on this subject and Mr. Feild and Mr. Clifton Henry of the Conference of
Mayors also offered their suggestions based on their work with other
commissions. It was generally agreed it would be necessary for the
Commission to determine specifically what type program was to be
conducted before selecting the individual to fill the position as different
program emphases would require different qualifications and experience.
In an effort to expedite this Miss Helen Bullard distributed a questionnaire
regarding the function and program content of the Commission to each
member. This questionnaire is to be returned to her for analysis and
consolidation.

Mr. Kaler appointed the following temporary ad-hoc committees:

Program Committee (To make recommendations
to the Executive Committee meeting in January


Community Relations Commission Minutes
December 14, 1966

Page Four

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m.

and thereafter to the full Commission)

Miss Helen Bullard, Chairman
Mrs.Sara Baker

Dr. Cleveland Dennard

Mr. Robe rt Dobbs

Rev. Joseph L. Griggs

Mr. Lucien Oliver

Committee to Investigate Possibility of OFO Grant

(and grants from Foundations) (To make recommendations
to the Executive Committee meeting in January and

thereafter to the full Commission)

Mr. Al Kuettner, Chairman
Mr. T. M. Alexander, Sr.
Mr. Hamilton Douglas, Jr.
Mr. C. G. Ezzard

Mr. James O. Moore

Committee to make Recommendations on the

Establishment of Standing Committees (To make
recommendations to the Executive Committee
meeting in February and thereafter to the full
Commission)

Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, Chairman
Mr. A. L. Feldman

Mr. Joseph Haas

Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
‘Mrs, Mary Stephens

Respectfully submitted,

(Miss) Faye Yarbrough
Acting Secretary