Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission report makes final policy, program recommendations

IOWA CITY — Iowa City’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is now memorialized in a final report that outlines a list of policy and program recommendations including stricter enforcement of antidiscrimination laws, ongoing funding to support racial equity efforts, research focused on housing discrimination and additional programs for community healing.

The commission was established as part of the Iowa City Council’s Black Lives Matter and Systemic Racism resolution, adopted in June 2020, that outlined 17 initial steps for the city to take action on racial injustice.

The 117-page report cost $9,900, according to the report itself, and was completed by Frankline Matanji, an associate research scientist at the University of Iowa.

The commission concluded its meetings at the end of 2024 after two extensions for fact finding and community outreach. A third extension was requested in December 2024 but unanimously denied by the City Council, which supported the completion of the final report, but an end to the commission.

The commission’s final report is including in an information packet set to be discussed by the City Council at its work session Tuesday.

Recommendations include new city office, renaming parks

The report recommends establishing a permanent Truth and Reconciliation office that would center community voices in city policy reforms and produce an annual report to the City Council.

The report also lists a number of recommendations on housing that include establishing a down payment assistance program, rent deposit assistance and a study focused on barriers to housing specifically affecting minorities.

Recommendations also include the consideration of renaming public parks and streets after individuals involved in the fight for racial justice and the creation of Black Lives Matter memorials dedicated to the actions of local activists.

The report also recommends exploring creation of a free or subsidized therapy program, collaborating with organizations focused on racial justice and additional antibias training.

Other recommendations include establishing an “independent civilian review board with subpoena power to investigate police misconduct and racial profiling cases.”

Under Iowa Code, signed into law this year, cities with civil service commissions are forbidden from establishing “a board or other entity for the purpose of citizen review of the conduct of police officers.”

Iowa City dissolved its citizen police review board earlier this year to comply with the new legislation. However, city staff, the City Council, board members and the police chief agree that there should continue to be some form of committee to replace the review board, though there is not yet consensus on what that could look like.

In addition to the policy recommendations, the report also contains community member testimonies collected by the commission, as well as a collection of data about the Iowa City Police Department’s interactions with the community.

The report also has a collection of reflections from those who served on the commission when it ended.

Commissioners cite broad mission, structural barriers

The report details barriers commissioners encountered while pursuing the commission’s work. The report notes consistent internal and external disputes over methodology, and community skepticism about racial justice efforts.

Numerous commissioners resigned for various reasons, including lack of financial compensation offered to commission members despite the intensity and importance of their work, and disagreements with other commission members or consultants.

As a city commission, all meetings were subject to Iowa open meetings laws, which some commissioners noted resulted in a lack of confidentiality, and at times prevented meaningful community input.

Commissioner testimonies detailed frustration with a perceived lack of direction, scope and financial support from the City Council.

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Commission Chair Chastity Dillard is quoted in the report commenting on the overwhelming expectations of the commission.

“I think that was an internal battle that we struggled with from the very beginning, because it wasn't very clear … they gave us an impossible task of life, ‘Here, go fix all racism,’ and that is a huge, wide scope … So we often said, and I've always said, that we're kind of set up for failure,“ Dillard is quoted as saying.

Certain funding requests and recommendations required approval from the City Council, which at times were denied. According to the report, a little less than $360,000 was spent throughout the life of the commission.

The report also detailed a desire among commissioners to move forward with long term actionable community-led efforts and a more structured governance system within future commissions.

Download: Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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