A.    The authority and responsibility for administering this article shall be in the City Manager or his/her designee.

B.    The City Manager or his/her designee may delegate to employees of the City or to boards of such employees the right to investigate, conciliate, hear, determine, order, certify, report or otherwise implement the provisions of this article.

(Code 2015)

A.    Any person aggrieved shall file a verified complaint with the City Manager within one hundred eighty (180) days of the occurrence of the alleged discriminatory housing practice.  Complaints shall be in writing and shall state the facts upon which the allegation is based.  A complaint may be reasonably and fairly amended at any time.

B.    Upon receipt of such a complaint, the City Manager or designee shall furnish a copy of the complaint to the person who allegedly committed or is about to commit the alleged discriminatory housing practice, hereinafter referred to as the respondent.

C.    A respondent may file a verified answer to the complaint made against such respondent and may amend the answer at any time when it would be reasonable and fair as determined by the City Manager or designee.

D.    Within thirty (30) days of receiving a complaint, the City Manager or designee shall investigate the complaint to determine whether probable cause exists that discrimination has occurred or is about to occur.  Based on this finding, the City Manager or designee shall give notice in writing whether s/he intends to attempt resolution of the complaint to the person aggrieved and the respondent.  If the City Manager or designee attempts resolution, it shall be by informal methods of conference and conciliation.

E.    If, within thirty (30) days after a complaint is filed with the City Manager, the City Manager has either notified the person aggrieved that s/he does not intend to attempt resolution since probable cause does not exist or the City Manager or designee has been unable to obtain voluntary compliance with this article through informal means, the person aggrieved may, within thirty (30) days thereafter:

1.     File a complaint with the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

2.     File a complaint with the State Human Rights Commission.

3.     Commence a civil action in any appropriate court.

If the person aggrieved chooses to proceed as described in Subsection (1), (2) or (3) of this subsection, the City Manager shall immediately terminate all efforts to obtain voluntary compliance.

(Code 2015)

Any person who threatens, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to intimidate or interfere with a person who has engaged, is engaging or plans to engage in selling, purchasing, renting, financing, occupying or negotiating or contracting for the sale, purchase, rental, financing or occupation of any dwelling or applying for or participating in any service, organization or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwelling, because of race, religion, color, sex, disability, financial status, national origin or ancestry shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).

(Code 2015)