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SHANNON TANAfter the failure of a controversial human rights ordinance, some officials want to baby-step the community toward more acceptance.
LARGO - After a human rights ordinance failed last August, city officials agreed that Largo wasn't quite ready for such a far-reaching law.
Instead, they beefed up its internal discrimination policy and mandated diversity training. A new employee relations committee is meeting to develop a mission statement on diversity and a mentoring program. A city diversity week is in the works.
Now, city officials have to decide whether to extend those initiatives into the community - one step at a time.
They agreed Tuesday night to invite the Florida Commission on Human Rights to discuss measures city officials could consider for enhancing diversity within the community. Residents would be invited to the town hall meeting.
"Slow and steady," said Commissioner Gay Gentry. "That's what we need to do."
The ordinance would have banned discrimination against people based on race, religion, gender, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation. But religious and business leaders spoke vehemently against the proposal, which would have been the broadest human rights law in the Tampa Bay area.
In the end, two commissioners who had earlier expressed support for the ordinance, Charlie Harper and Jean Halvorsen, voted against it, defeating the proposal 4-3.
This year, Commissioner Pat Burke, who had supported the proposal, asked for a meeting to discuss diversity in the community.
Human resources director Susan Sinz suggested forming committees composed of residents and businesses to educate the community on diversity and discuss measures to attract more minorities.
"We need to talk about it," said Commissioner Pat Gerard. "It's not enough to just form a committee and send them out to come back with recommendations."
Commissioner Harriet Crozier said she wouldn't know who to appoint to such a committee.
"How can we set a committee up when we don't even understand it all?" she said. "I wouldn't know what direction to send them in."
The city has been grappling with racial issues for the past few years.
A 2002 Fair Housing study documented bias against minorities trying to rent apartments in Largo. Two fire lieutenants and a police officer resigned or were fired after allegations of inappropriate racial comments at work.
About 89 percent of the city's 1,000 employees are white; Largo is more than 92 percent white.
"We need to culturally become more diverse," Burke said. "How do we make people feel comfortable and welcome in our community? Is it the chicken or egg type of thing?"
Gentry suggested bringing together the groups that attacked each other the night the commissioners voted on the ordinance in August.
"We have to have faces on Latinos, faces on African-Americans," she said. "Maybe what we need to do is start hearing . . . what they have to say. And somewhere down the road, somehow start some dialogue in this community amongst ourselves about how we feel about other people, why we feel that way, why we feel threatened."
Mayor Bob Jackson wondered why government officials have to take the initiative when it comes to diversity. He asked, How about businesses?
Several officials agreed that the County Commission should take up the issue of a countywide human rights ordinance.
Largo makes up 8 percent of the county's population, said Harper. "It's like the little Dutch boy trying to put his finger in the dike."
Rodney Woods, who is African-American, was one of three residents who attended Tuesday's discussion on diversity.
"I think a dialogue has begun," albeit a reluctant one, Woods said.
When he moved to Largo four years ago, Woods said, a real estate agent showed him houses only in predominantly black neighborhoods, such as Ridgecrest. He ended up switching agents.
"If you don't feel welcome," said Woods, "You generally don't come where you don't feel welcome."
- Shannon Tan can be reached at shtan@sptimes.com or 445-4174.