How Gurnee can diversify its staff

Various ways Gurnee might add diversity to its municipal work force were outlined at an informal village board committee session Monday night.

Trustee Greg Garner, whom Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik appointed to lead the village's advisory diversity committee, presented the topic to his board colleagues.

Garner said creating a more diverse municipal employee pool makes good business for the village.

He also said diversity values, appreciates and provides job opportunities to all and should be done for the right reasons.

"I'd hate to think the only reason we're doing diversity is to avoid a lawsuit," Garner said.

Garner said the advisory diversity committee agreed that the issue should be part of the village's "corporate spirit."

As part of the group's recommendations, diversity should become a continuing village board topic with monthly reports.

In addition, said Garner, the village should commit to fair and reasonable placement goals and timelines for a greater number of minorities to be hired for jobs ranging from public works to police officer.

At the rate of Gurnee's hiring, he said, it would take roughly 30 years for the percentage of minorities on the work force to mirror the number of village residents.

Data from a 2006 special census shows Gurnee's population was 6.3 percent black and 9.3 percent Hispanic.

Whites were listed at 76 percent of the population, but village figures show they are more than 90 percent of the municipal work force.

"We realize in this village, we have 200-plus jobs and our hiring doesn't match the diversity in our community," said Garner.

Diversity concerns first arose among some village board members at a meeting in September 2004. The lack of minorities as municipal employees resurfaced as an issue in May 2005.