HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.25.20 HRRC_Minutes_Approved_Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Date: September 22, 2020
Minutes
City of Edina, Minnesota
Human Rights & Relations Commission
Virtual Meeting, WebEx,
Aug. 25, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
I. Call To Order
Chair Beringer shared information for virtual meeting guidelines for Commissioners and those watching or
listening in to the meeting.
Chair Beringer called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
II. Roll Call
Answering Roll Call: Chair Beringer, Commissioners Edwards, Epstein, Felton, Meek and Stringer Moore
Staff Present: Heidi Lee, Race & Equity Coordinator; Ryan Browning, IT Director; Risi Karim, City
Management Fellow; and Jennifer Garske, Executive Assistant
Absent: Commissioner Nelson; Student Commissioners Iyer and Waldron
Late: Commissioners Ismail and Ross (had technical difficulties)
III. Approval of Meeting Agenda
Motion by Commissioner Stringer Moore to approve the Aug. 25, 2020 meeting agenda,
seconded by Commissioner Epstein. Roll call vote. Motion carried.
IV. Approval of Meeting Minutes
Commissioners indicated the following changes to the draft minutes:
• Correct absent roll call list to include Student Commissioner Iyer
Motion by Commissioner Epstein to approve the July 28, 2020 meeting minutes with change,
seconded by Commissioner Felton. Roll call vote. Motion carried.
V. Special Recognitions & Presentations
A. Farewell to HRRC Student Commissioners
• Chair Beringer thanked Student Commissioners Iyer and Waldron for their time spent
serving on the Human Rights & Relations Commission.
VI. Reports/Recommendations
A. Human Rights & Relations Commission 2020 Work Plan
• The Commission discussed the Work Plan with the following updates:
o Initiative #1 Day of Remembrance–Event has been postponed
o Initiative #2 Tom Oye Award—The subcommittee will be meeting in the following week to
discuss the planning of the event and will report back with updates at later time
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Date: September 22, 2020
o Initiative #3 Sharing Value Sharing Communities/Community Conversation—Commissioner
Stringer Moore suggested that another working committee should be assembled to work on
part two of the event.
Sept. 23 is the proposed date for the first event pending the availability of
speakers; part two of the event will tentatively be held in October.
Staff Liaison Lee relayed that a second subcommittee for the event would
be best considering time restraints opposed to assembling a working group.
Staff Liaison Lee shared that the Sept. 23 date for the event would put time
constraints on the marketing capability of the event for the city.
Motion by Commissioner Stringer Moore to approve adding a second sub-committee to the
Work Plan Initiative #3 for planning the Community Conversation Around Race, Justice and
Policing, seconded by Commissioner Felton. Roll call vote. Motion carried.
The second subcommittee will be composed of Commissioners Felton and Meek
o Initiative #4 Assessment Rubric for City Facility Artwork and Décor—The rubric was
approved at the Aug. 18 City Council meeting
o Initiative #5 Identifying Barriers to Participation in Programming—Staff Liaison Lee
announced that this initiative would feed into the 2021 work plan. Staff will take back the
initiative to formulate a proposal and submit to the commission for review and comment.
o Initiative #6 Bias offense review—Staff Liaison Lee spoke with Chief Nelson about quarterly
meetings with commissioners and the Chief has indicated he is on board to meet with the
subcommittee
o Initiative #7 50th Anniversary Proclamation—Completed
o Initiative #8 Review and Comment on Housing Strategy Task Force Comprehensive
Housing Policy—The initiative is still in progress because the commission has not yet
received the policy from the Housing Strategy Task Force.
o Initiative #9 Feedback on Parks & Recreation Commission’s Initiative—Staff Liaison Lee
shared that the policy has been received and forwarded to the subcommittee for review and
comment.
B. 2021 Work Plan Development
• The Commission discussed the 2021 Work Plan and what would be completed, continued or added
from this year’s Work Plan.
• Staff Liaison Lee asked the Commission to consider making the Tom Oye Award (Initiative #2) bi-
annually opposed to annually. Chair Beringer and Commissioner Stringer Moore recommend the
award stay as is and be awarded on an annual basis.
• Commissioner Felton expressed his concern over the lack of movement by Edina Police
Department on several of the incentives that the Race & Equity Task Force put out in 2018. In an
effort to keep Chief Nelson from being bombarded, Commissioner Felton asked if Chief Nelson has
anything to share about the progress of some of the incentives. Staff Liaison Lee shared that she is in
close contact with Chief Nelson and they have been working diligently on the initiatives, but it takes
time for these changes to be effectively implemented.
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Date: September 22, 2020
• Staff Liaison Lee asked for feedback on when the Commission would like to host a joint work
session. Chair Beringer indicated that earlier in the year would be preferable.
• Staff Liaison Lee will update the 2021 Work Plan and provide the final version to the Commission at
the next meeting for their approval.
• The Commission asked that quarterly meetings with the Police Chief be added to the 2021 Work
Plan for initiative #5.
• Commissioner Felton asked if the Commission should add an accountability piece to the workplan
to make sure the Race & Equity Task Force initiatives are being carried out. Commissioner Stringer
Moore commented that the accountability of the Race & Equity Task Force initiatives falls on the
City and is a job function of Staff Liaison Lee as the city’s Race & Equity Coordinator.
VII. Chair and Member Comments
• Commissioner Ismail expressed to the commission that she is available to spread the word about
the Sharing Value Sharing Communities/Community Conversation event amongst the East African
community
VIII. Staff Comments
• No staff comments
IX. Adjournment
Motion by Commissioner Felton to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Meek.
Roll call vote. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 8:09p.m.