MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — Minot’s new Human Relations Committee met for the first time this week. But people serving on it can’t exactly agree on what they’re supposed to do.

Minot’s City Council says the job of the Human Relations Committee, or HRC, is to promote fairness and acceptance within the city. And if members find a problem with a city ordinance they feel doesn’t match that environment, they can recommend a change to the council.

But some HRC members said this week, they want to know if this is an Ad Hoc committee or not. They also question how likely the city council would be to approve changes they recommend.

Another concern stemmed from committee members operating under its lawful guidelines. Guidelines, that were written in the 70s when the committee was originally formed and haven’t been changed by City Council members for this reactivated committee.

“My contention is that we are not meeting on a lawful basis right now,” expressed Minot Human Relations Committee member, Mike Blessum. “So, it’s hard for me to take that and move forward with it in a direction that the council wants and I know the city probably wants because we would all love to have all this stuff behind us because it was contentious. At the same time, it’s important that we do that right. It’s important that we follow the law, it’s important that we actually go by the rules that were laid out, even if they were written 70s, and we’re just not.”

Blessem’s motion to stop the committee’s work completely until the City Council rewrites the ordinance failed four to five.

The Human Relations Committee will meet again on August 29, and they have their work cut out for them as they navigate how to deal with neighbors’ grievances and investigations.