Iowa City’s Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission was denied an extension into the summer to allow the commission to draft its final report to the city council.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the commission asked for an extension to June 30, 2025, to allow for a consultant to draft their final report and for the commission to review the report. Before this request, the commission’s time was set to run out by the end of the year.

The commission, known as the TRC, was established by the city council in September 2020 to collect the community’s experiences with racial injustice and inequity in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.

After conducting this work, the commission is tasked to create recommendations to the city council on how to improve this issue in the community. Unlike other city commissions, the TRC is not permanent and has always had a set timeline for its operation.

According to meeting documents, the TRC voted 6-0 to ask for an extension at its Nov. 21 meeting. The city council voted 6-0 against the extension Tuesday night, with Councilor Megan Alter absent.

Commissioners Lauren Merritt, who is the vice chair, and Louis Tassinary were present at Tuesday’s meeting to explain why the extension was necessary. Tassinary did not address the council.

When speaking to the council prior to their discussion and vote, Merritt began her comments with a large sigh.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Merrit said with a chuckle.

Merritt said all the commission has left to do is contract with a consultant, which they have already identified, to help the volunteer-run commission finish its final task. The timeline for how long it may take to get a contract approved and for work to get started is not totally clear, so that is why the commission asked for a six-month extension, she said.

There was also some public support for an extension. Annie Tucker, director of Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa, spoke at the meeting in support of the TRC. Tucker has worked with the commission in the past to help facilitate the TRC’s public events.

Tucker said the work of the TRC is more important and at risk now than ever before, and it plays an important role in social and racial justice in the community.

“One of the [commission’s] duties is to identify and recommend to the city council institutional and policy reforms,” Tucker said. “That’s where racism lives — in the law, in policies and practice.”

While the city council voted down the request for an extension, all councilors said they favor allowing the TRC to contract with a consultant to create the final report and receive it when it’s done, even if that date is after the commission’s end.

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Mayor Bruce Teague was the first councilor to speak on the extension and suggested not extending the timeline but allowing for the consultant to do their work. Several councilors, including Teague, said they did not want to grant the extension because the commission does not have any other tasks or activities left to do but the final report.

Teague expressed gratitude for the work of all commissioners, past and present. Councilor Laura Bergus also praised the work of the commissioners, especially through the hardships the commission has faced in its tenure.

“[The commission’s] four years have been tumultuous and difficult, and, at times, so inspiring and so incredible,” Bergus said. “And at times, so hard and even harmful.”

The commission has been rife with its own controversies, including several commissioner resignations and conflict among current and former commissioners and other elected officials. However, city councilors all said the commission has had a great impact on the community in helping make it a better, more inclusive place.

The TRC’s timeline has been extended several times in the past, according to meeting documents. When the commission was first created, its end date was June 30, 2022, but this was extended by the city council to June 30, 2023 at the request of commissioners.

In May 2023, the city council extended the commission’s duration again to Dec. 31, 2024, meeting documents state. At this time, the city council voted 6-1 to allow for the December 2024 extension. The only councilor who voted against the extension was Pauline Taylor, who is no longer on the city council.