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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The City of Colorado Springs is one step closer to having a Human Relations Commission (HRC), as Monday city council voted in favor of going forward with an ordinance designed to bring back the HRC.

The city's original Human Relations Commission was established in 1968 to address racial tension in the city.

From 1971 to 1993 it functioned as Colorado Springs' education, advocacy and mediation agency. Then, in 1995 it was disbanded for a number of reasons.

Recently a coalition of citizens drafted an ordinance to re-establish the commission.

With the help and support of Councilwoman Jan Martin, citizens who helped draft the ordinance presented their ideas to the mayor and city council.

Martin said with all the changes the city has been through during the past 15 years, it is time to bring back the commission.

"A Human Relations Commission is designed to offer some mediation services, if a landlord and a tenant were having problems for example," Martin said.

Martin said the purpose of the Human Relations Commission would be to serve the undeserved in the community. She said the nine-person, volunteer group would act to provide advocacy, assistance and reconciliation for all residents.

"We will offer some training on mediation in particular because that is a specialized skill, but we are really looking for people to sit on the commission who are interested in the diverse nature or undeserved populations in our community," Martin said.

Along with mediation, Martin said the commission would promote acceptance and respect for diversity through educational programs.

Meanwhile some said the real challenge will be picking nine volunteers to make up the unique commission.

"I hope there are dozens and dozens of applications from people who are interested, and then it will be interesting to see it crawl before it walks, but it think its potential is just incredible," D-11 board member Tom Strand said.

Those who voted down the ordinance Monday said they are not against the Human Relations Commission all together, but felt more research needs to be done and more community meetings need to be held before it is established.