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Providing City Services Equitably t first glance, cultural diversity and loss control in cities seem like unrelated issues; however, they are very intertwined. Cities are charged to provide services and information to all residents equally, and Minnesota cities — large, small and statewide —are becoming home to many different cultures. This article recommends steps to provide city services more equally to all citizens to avoid claims, lawsuits, and losses. Providing warning signs. Dangerous situations may happen on city property or m buildings. If a city decides to make citizens aware of the dangers through signs, these signs need to be understandable to be effective. If the city knows that there is a significant population of non - English or limited - English speakers using city facilities and buildings, the city should consider placing warning signs in the languages represented in the community. In some situations, pictographs may be an option since it may not be possible to translate signs in all languages if many different ethnic groups are represented in a city. Pictographs are picture signs that can be understood by all. A common example of a pictograph is a picture representing an action in a circle with a line across it to illustrate prohibition. Treating citizens equally. As people of ethnic backgrounds may be distin- guishable from the rest of the commu- nity—by the way they dress, by their physical appearance, or by other exter- nal characteristics —it is imperative that city officials treat all residents equally. One area where equal treatment is par- ticularly important is in the area of public safety. Public safety officials should be aware of the laws governing their actions and the international laws that apply to for- eign nationals. For example, a police officer who stops or arrests a person of OCTOBER 2002 By Ellen Longfellow an ethnic population based solely on external characteristics rather than prob- able cause is breaking the law. The police officer is using racial profiling to appre- hend someone, which is an illegal practice. Another public safety consid- eration to be aware of is the fact that arrested or detained foreign nationals have the right to contact their home country's consular offices. Cities also have regulations regarding the use of a person's property, such as housing codes, nuisance ordinances, and zoning ordinances. Cities should review these restrictions and regulations to determine if they have been drafted for public safety or health reasons, and are not solely based on the norms of the predominant culture. Another way to foster effective community relations is to hire city officials who speak the languages repre- sented in the city or to teach officials a few words in these languages. Interpret- ers and translators are also effective resources to bridge the language gap with the communities in your city. Providing information on policies, rules, and regulations. Besides public safety and housing regulations, cities provide sewer and water services that are also governed by specific rules established through ordinances and policies. City ordinances state rates to be charged, when and how bills must be paid, and what happens when bills are not paid. To enforce the rules established by city ordinances, cities need to make sure citizens understand these policies and rules. As mentioned earlier, cities should take steps to help residents who do not speak English or have limited English skills to understand the rules and regu- lations. Providing information in a way that can be understood is even more pressing when there is a significant ethnic population within the city. Cities can infonn and educate citizens by translat- ing existing materials into the languages represented in the community, and by holding meetings with interpreters to explain these rules and regulations. Providing equal access to opportunities. Cities are required to provide services and opportunities equally to everyone regardless of culture, ethnicity or religion. Cities cannot discriminate against any- one in the delivery of services and access to opportunities. For example, a person of a certain religion who is required to cover his or her head at all times cannot be denied participation in a city basket- ball league unless there is a safety concern or other legitimate reason for prohibit- ing head coverings. Cities should note that arbitrary rules can be used as a basis for discrimination claims. r Ellen Longfellow is loss control attorney with the League of Minnesota Cities. M I N N E S O T A C I T I E S 1 5