HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-11-15_07_00_PM-HRRC_PacketAgenda
Human Rights and Relations Commission
City Of Edina, Minnesota
Edina City Hall Community Room
4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
7:00 PM
I.Call To Order
II.Roll Call
III.Approval Of Meeting Agenda
IV.Approval Of Meeting Minutes
A.October 25th, 2016 Human Rights and Relations Meeting
Minutes
V.Community Comment
During "Community Comment," the Board/Commission will invite residents to share relevant
issues or concerns. Individuals must limit their comments to three minutes. The Chair may limit
the number of speakers on the same issue in the interest of time and topic. Generally speaking,
items that are elsewhere on tonight's agenda may not be addressed during Community Comment.
Individuals should not expect the Chair or Board/Commission Members to respond to their
comments tonight. Instead, the Board/Commission might refer the matter to sta% for
consideration at a future meeting.
VI.Reports/Recommendations
A.2016 Work Plan Updates
B.Community Conversations Committee Report
C.2017 Proposed Work Plan Intitiaves
D.December Televised Meeting Agenda
VII.Correspondence And Petitions
A.Correspondence 11.7.2016
VIII.Chair And Member Comments
IX.Sta0 Comments
X.Adjournment
The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the
public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing ampli4cation, an
interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861
72 hours in advance of the meeting.
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: IV.A.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Minutes
From:Kelly Dumais, City Management Fellow
Item Activity:
Subject:October 25th, 2016 Human Rights and Relations
Meeting Minutes
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
Approve meeting minutes from the Human Rights and Relations Commission Meeting on October 25th, 2016.
INTRODUCTION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
HRRC October Meeting Minutes
Draft Minutes☒
Approved Minutes☐
Approved Date:
'
Minutes
City Of Edina, Minnesota
Human Rights and Relations Commission
Edina City Hall, Council Chambers
October 25, 2016 7:00pm
I. Call To Order
Chair Arseneault called the October 25th, 2016 Human Rights and Relations Commission meeting to
order at 7:08 PM.
II. Roll Call
Answering roll call were Chair Arseneault, Commissioners Edelson, Edwards, Kennedy, Meek,
Nelson, and Vecchio-Smith. Student Commissioner Sinha. Staff present: City Manager Scott Neal,
Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer, HRRC Staff Liaison MJ Lamon and City Management Fellow
Kelly Dumais.
Absent Members: Commissioner Beringer and Martin and Student Commissioner Chao.
III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda
Motion by Kennedy to approve the Human Rights and Relations October 25th, 2016 meeting
agenda. Motion seconded by Edelson. Motion carried.
IV. Approval Of Meeting Minutes
Motion by Nelson to approve the September 27th, 2016 meeting minutes. Motion seconded
by Edwards. Motion carried.
V. Community Comment
Colleen Feige, 6616 Field Way. Former member of the HRRC and Edina resident came to inform the
commission of a Citizens Committee for Human Rights. Their first meeting will be held on November 29th.
Thuy Ahn Fox, 3701 w. Fuller Street. She recognized the City for expressing a desire to work towards
equity and racial equality in Edina and wants to ensure this turns into action. She said that the Xerxes
Avenue incident video should not represent Edina. Ms. Fox volunteered to participate in any task force that
the City may assemble on this issue.
Kati Dodd, 4508 w 64th Street. Ms. Dodd stated her husband is Native American and African American.
She expressed concern over the Xerxes Avenue incident. She expressed sadness that Indigenous People’s
Day was not recognized in our City. Ms. Dodd is a public school teacher and noted Edina statistics that
non-white students in Edina have increased by 10% in the last decade. She expressed interest in having the
Commission work with the Edina Public Schools, and she is willing to help and be a volunteer.
VI. Reports/Recommendations
A. 2016 Work Plan Updates
Community Conversations
Draft Minutes☒
Approved Minutes☐
Approved Date:
o Commissioner Vecchio-Smith presented an update regarding the commission’s draft report on the
Community Conversation initiative. She gave a review of the committee’s process and how the
committee identified 3 common themes from the report. The goal of identifying themes was not to
minimize the complexity of the responses, but to start addressing some potential topics.
o The committee’s draft report will be ready for the commission to review at their regular scheduled
November meeting. If approved by the commission, the report will be sent to City Council for
consideration.
Sharing Values, Sharing Community
o The committee updated the commission regarding the upcoming event, “Leading a Meaningful Life”
including a review of the duties for commission members who were volunteering to assist during
the event.
Tom Oye Award
o Commissioner Martin is heading this initiative and an update will be provided at the November
meeting.
Indigenous People’s Day
o Chair Arseneault reported on the Indigenous People’s Day Resolution presentation to City Council.
The initiative failed with City Council voting two for, two against, and one abstention. Arseneault
reported that a concern articulated was the date selected for the designation, Columbus Day.
o Arseneault advised that one suggestion from City Council was that the commission could consider a
designation during one of the national or state months recognizing indigenous peoples. The
commission did not express an interest in pursuing the designation on a date other than Columbus
Day.
B. 2017 Workplan Updates
Workplan Process
o Chair Arseneault updated the commission on the 2017 workplan approval process. She presented
the workplan at a City Council Work session along with the other board and commission chairs.
The most feedback of the workplan was regarding the proposed AARP designation; Council was
unsure if we should pursue branding ourselves an AARP City. As compared to other Boards and
Commissions, the HRRC draft workplan is ambitious.
o Liaison Lamon reported that the City Council will be presenting staff with feedback on the proposed
work plans, and then staff makes amendments and returns it to Council for final approval.
Affordable Housing
o City Manager Neal presented a report about Affordable Housing in Edina. The City is looking at
options on how to improve on this issue, but it is valuable to also see the progress Edina has made.
o The City plans to use the funds collected through the affordable housing policy buyout option to
advance options of affordable housing in Edina.
o The commission should be prepared to provide feedback on housing in the 2018 Comprehensive
Plan update.
Essay Contest
o This initiative has been proposed on the 2017 work plan; several cities throughout the country hold
essay contests to raise awareness of the commission as well as issues of human rights in their
communities.
o A proposal for an essay contest was presented by Commissioners Kennedy and Edelson.
VII. Chair and Member Comments
Commissioner Kennedy reported on her participation with the State Diversity and Inclusion Council.
One of the things that impressed her about the state commission was the diversity represented on the
Draft Minutes☒
Approved Minutes☐
Approved Date:
council. She expressed concern about the racial makeup of the Edina HRRC and advocated that the
commission look into recruiting strategies to attract a more diverse commission in the future. Some
strategies that the State Diversity and Inclusion Council uses include providing materials in different
languages to their community and offering transportation to meetings for members who may have
transportation issues.
Commissioner Kennedy encouraged the commission to consider holding an event in future on the newly
designated Edina Human Rights Day on December 10th. Commissioner Kennedy also shared information
on an upcoming talk at 7pm on November 1 at Mitchell Hamline describing Germany’s Two Genocides,
and a November 14 event on Medical Ethics and Justice for Sexual Assault Victims at 12:30pm at the
University of Minnesota.
Commissioner Nelson extended thanks to community members who attended and who addressed the
commission, and commented that Minnesota Magazine’s current edition features an article on the
history of Minnesota’s Human Rights Act.
Commissioner Vecchio-Smith commented that Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) is hiring a
new political director. She noted they are very active in Black Lives Matter and have done some amazing
work.
Commissioner Meek commented that she attended a CHC meeting and learned about the Bloomington
division of Public Health which works with people throughout our community. Meek noted that their
report indicates that zip codes have a greater impact on our life expectancy than genetics, and that 70%
of renters in the Twin Cities are people of color. Meek stated also that the report points out that two
big issues concerning Edina are substance abuse and our aging population, specifically elderly living alone
and having health issues not attended to.
Commissioner Edelson thanked the community and commented that growing up in poverty in North
Minneapolis, she feels very personally about racial equity in Edina. The lack of racial diversity on the
HRRC is a concern. Our community is changing what it looks like and we need to be thinking about
where we want to be in the future now.
Student commissioner Sinha advised that he raised awareness with teachers of the commission’s desire
to hold an essay contest on human rights and received positive feedback.
Chair Arseneault thanked the community members who attended and presented to the commission and
noted we had community members interested in volunteering to work on these issues.
Along with City Manager Neal, Assistant City Manager Schaefer, Staff Liaison Lamon, City Management
Fellow Dumais, and Executive Assistant Muhammed, Chair Arseneault attended the Hopkins community
forum on Racial Equity the previous night. The forum asked the question “Does White Privilege Exist?”
and the panel discussed what that looks like and what we can do about it.
In addition, Chair Arseneault reminded the commission that the next meeting was scheduled for
November 15th in the Community Room.
Draft Minutes☒
Approved Minutes☐
Approved Date:
VIII. Staff Comments
None.
IX. Adjournment
Motion by Edelson to adjourn the October 27, 2016 HRRC meeting at 8:51PM. Motion seconded
by Nelson. Motion carried.
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: VI.A.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Report and Recommendation
From:Kelly Dumais, City Management Fellow
Item Activity:
Subject:2016 Work Plan Updates Information
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
Sharing Values, Sharing Communities Recap (Edelson/Meek)
Affordable Housing Report
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Leading a Meaningful Life Event Recap
Affordable Housing Report
Date: November 10th, 2016
From: Commissioner Heather Edelson
Re: Leading a Meaningful Life Event Recap
The event was well attended and had approximately 50-80 people attend.
The panel discussion deviated from the questions we had planned; however, the change
in direction was organic and simply tells me that there is a need for more panels like this.
I would like to have the question section longer next time.
The topic we picked didn't go over super well with our panel.
Feedback:
In speaking with several of the attendees after, they enjoyed the panel and would like to
see more discussions on different topics.
Several commented on the facts that the panel didn't stay on topic - so if we plan to have
more panels we need to be more clear that it is our expectation they will try to stay on the
parameters of the topic relevant.
A community member emailed me on FB about concerns she had about the man Tom and
how he was treated and left the panel discussion during the questions portion. I did reach
out to Rabbi Latz who confirmed that he and Tom (a member of his synagogue) had
spoken and resolved the matter. I let the women who email me know this as well.
Recommendations for the future:
I think we should continue to have community conversations / events like this. Many 2 a
year.
I would also like to propose we partner with the Edina Parent Communication Network
(PCN) on one event each year that is relevant to human rights. This seems to be a smart /
great way to form partnerships to reach a broader, age diverse audience.
Date: 8/29/2016
To: Scott Neal, City Manager
From: Kelly Dumais, City Management Fellow
Subject: Affordable Housing in Edina 2010-2016
I. Introduction
The high land values in the City of Edina can be prohibitive to different demographics hoping
to make Edina their home. People who grew up in Edina may not be able to afford to move
back to the city to raise their own families, people who work in Edina have to commute to the
City because they cannot afford housing prices, or people who have lived in Edina but are
looking to downsize or may be on a fixed income cannot find something affordable and so
they end up leaving the community.
The City of Edina has been involved in affordable housing initiatives since 1972. This report
outlines why affordable housing is an important issue in Edina, how affordable housing has
evolved in the city, and what programs and policies are currently in place that set the stage for
further development of affordable housing in Edina.
II. Affordable Housing and the Edina Community
Edina has long recognized the value of diversification in our housing stock. In 1974, the City
Council established the Edina Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) specifically with
the charge to address the lack of affordable housing in the City. Their charter resolution states
that “adequate housing accommodations are not available to veterans and servicemen and
their families” and that “there is a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary dwelling
accommodations available to persons of low income and their families at rentals that they can
afford.”1The struggle to provide affordable housing in the Edina housing market has
continued as land values in the City have continued to rise.
In 2006 Edina Housing Taskforce reported that affordable housing contributes the following
six things to the Edina community as a whole:
1. Preserves and enhances the strength of our schools;
2. Maintains community character;
3. Fosters diversity;
4. Supports Edina’s businesses’ ability to remain competitive in regional and global
markets and attract quality employees;
5. Provides lifecycle opportunities for community renewal;
6. Acknowledges and supports the community building principle that persons who both
live and work in the same community are more invested in that community, are more
involved in its schools, and community governance, and contribute to a greater sense of
stewardship, vitality, and long-term stability.2
2
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Figure 1 Edina Quality of Life Survey
These goals are valuable not only in identifying the problem, but helping to give direction to
the goals of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable housing in the city. In addition
to the qualitative evaluations provided in these documents, public concerns about affordable
housing have been quantified in multiple city reports.
A significant motive for increasing affordable housing in Edina is to provide housing for
people who work in the City but are unable to afford the rising housing prices. The City’s 2008
Comprehensive Plan reported that 85% of Edina’s 52,000 workers commute from outside
Edina.3
Since 2011, Edina residents have participated in the biennial Quality of Life Survey to help the
City identify goals of the community. Throughout each rendition of this survey, affordable
housing has stood out as an issue of particular concern for the community.
In the 2015Quality of Life Survey,
residents were given a list of 18
community characteristics and
asked to rate the quality of each.
The lowest rated item was
affordable housing with only 36%
of residents giving the availability
of quality, affordable housing in
the city a positive rating.4 When
compared to other Minnesota
communities, the availability of
quality, affordable housing was
rated lower in Edina than the
state benchmark.5 In addition,
residents were asked to free write
what they felt was the most
serious issue facing Edina. About
25% of respondents wrote in
comments related to affordable
housing and housing teardowns.6
Furthermore, during the Vision Edina workshops in 2014, housing availability and
affordability emerged as an important and uncertain factor that will play into Edina’s future.
This process aimed to build a community strategy to build towards what residents see as the
future of Edina. This exercise again highlighted the importance of affordable housing to Edina
residents.
3
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Figure 2: Vision Edina
Vision Edina: Drivers Shaping the Future of the City
The residents of Edina have repeatedly shared their concern about the availability of
affordable housing in the City. Affordable housing is important for people coming into the
community, people who work in the community, and people who have been a part of the
community, but are looking to move to a different kind of housing. The importance of
affordable housing has been affirmed in the creation of the HRA, it has been emphasized by
the Edina Housing Taskforce, and it has been quantified in our Comprehensive Land Use Plan,
our Quality of Life Survey, and our overall strategic plan, Vision Edina.
III. Affordable Housing: Past to Present
There are many different kinds of affordable housing programs. Different cities, different
states, and the federal government have different programs to help meet the needs of
residents who lack access to affordable housing. One of the most prominent programs for
affordable housing is the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Section 8 Housing is a
federal program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “The
housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very
low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing
in the private market.”7 People use their Section 8 housing voucher to subsidize a Section-8
approved housing unit.
The Section 8 housing program has been present in Edina for many years. Figure 3 below
outlines Section 8 housing developments that have been a part of the Edina community for
many years. While funded by the federal government, this program is administered locally by
the Metropolitan Council. In order to qualify for Section 8 housing, residents must have an
area median income of somewhere between 30%-50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
4
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Once a person or family qualifies for Section 8 housing, they are put on a waiting list for the
units that they would like to live in.
Figure 3:
Year Section 8 Housing Developments Quadrant # of Affordable
Units
1972 Yorktown Continental - 7151 York Avenue Southeast 264
1977 Yorkdale Townhomes - 3280 W 76th Street Southeast 90
1981 Oak Glen Townhomes - 5515 Oak Glen Road Southwest 26
1986 Summit Point Apartments - 5010 Summit Ave Northwest 29
1991 South Haven Apartments - 3400 Parklawn Ave: Northeast 100
Total Affordable Units 509
When a development requires a change in zoning regulations, the City Council has an
opportunity to negotiate with developers to incorporate affordable housing into these
projects. With each new residential development building in Edina, there is an opportunity to
introduce affordable housing units. Since 2010, 102 new affordable units have been added to
the Edina housing market either as a part of market rate developments, or as developments
exclusively designed for affordable housing. Below is a table of the new residential
developments in Edina since 2010. Six percent of all new housing units in Edina since 2010
have been affordable housing units.
Figure 4:
These units offer different resources for individuals and families looking for affordable
housing. Mixed income developments help to integrate people of different economic
Year Recent Developments Quadrant
Affordable
Units/Market
Units
2010 Waters Senior Living - 6300 Colonial Way Northwest 7/132
2012 Aurora on France - 6500 France Avenue Southeast 8/161
Southdale One - 6800 York Ave South Southeast 0/232
2013 Byerly’s Site - 71 France Avenue Southeast 0/234
2014
Yorkshire of Edina - 7141 York Avenue Southeast 10/90
66 West (Beacon Interfaith) - 3330 W. & 66th
Street Southeast 39/0
Onyx Edina Apartments - 6725 York Ave S Southeast 0/240
2015 Gateway Pointe - 3101 W. 66th Street Southeast 10/200
The Millennium - 3250 W. 66th Street Southeast 18/357
Total Affordable Units/Market Units 102/1,748
5
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
situations together, whereas developments focused towards a specific type of affordable
housing assistance, such as the Beacon Interfaith Project at 66 West, can provide concentrated
resources for specific populations in our community.
The City of Edina uses the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) income and rental
rates to determine rates for affordable housing. The MHFA updates both incomes (adjusted
for family size) and rental rates (adjusted for bedroom count and including utilities) annually.
2016 income and rental limits are as follows:
Figure 5:
Gross Income (AMI)
Housing Rates
Section 8 Section 8
City of Edina
Affordable
Housing
City of Edina
Affordable
Housing
% of average
income 30% 50% 60%
% of
market rate 30% 50% 60%
1 Person $18,030 $30,050 $36,060 Studio $515 $758 $1,030
2 Persons $20,610 $34,350 $41,220 1 Bedroom $551.50 $812 $1,105
3 Persons $23,190 $38,650 $46,380 2 Bedroom $664 $975 $1,328
4 Persons $25,740 $42,900 $51,480 3 Bedroom $762.50 $1,126 $1,525
5 Persons $27,810 $46,350 $55,620 4 Bedroom $840.50 $1,256 $1,681
6 Persons $29,880 $49,800 $59,760
There are some naturally occurring housing units available in Edina. Affordable units in the
market that are not associated with the City have no regulatory limitations for who may or
may not enter contract for these units. While these units exist, they alone do not meet the
community demand for affordable housing.
In 2015, the Edina City Council passed the Edina Affordable Housing Policy. The goal of the
Affordable Housing Policy is to encourage affordable housing in order to maintain a diverse
population and to provide housing options for those who live or work in the City of Edina.
The Edina Affordable Housing Policy mandates that a minimum of 10 percent of new housing
units be affordable for each new residential development of 20 or more dwelling units,
requiring a rezoning to PUD or Comprehensive Plan amendment. Developers can meet this
standard either by including the affordable units as a part of their new development, or they
can fund the construction of housing units for another site.
6
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
The City of Edina Affordable Housing Program, as established by the Edina Affordable
Housing Policy (2015), serves people earning 50-60% AMI. People that qualify for the
program are able to get housing units at 50%-60% of market rate. Rents through the Edina
Affordable Housing Program and Section 8 are represented in Figure 4. The Edina Affordable
Housing Program is distinct from Section 8 housing in that residents in these programs may
not qualify as low-income but their income may still not be substantial enough to afford
market rate housing in Edina.
Another significant development regarding affordable housing is the Southdale 2 TIF district.
In 2012, the City of Edina established the Southdale 2 TIF district. The City’s investment of
five million dollars resulted in forty plus million dollar investment into the Southdale Mall.
Following this initial investment, further development has resulted in the TIF district, helping
to realize the vision of multi-use land use. However, the high cost of land, labor and materials
is prohibitive to the development of affordable housing here. The City of Edina currently has
pending state legislation to allow the City of Edina to use Tax Increment Financing to support
affordably-price housing in the City. If passed, this would make between five and eight million
dollars available for affordable housing development in Edina.
IV. Partners in Affordable Housing
In addition to our own policies and programs, the City of Edina has partnered with non-profit
organizations throughout the region to support affordable housing programs in Edina. Since
2010, the following programs have added a total of 18 affordable units in Edina and provided
385 home loans to low income residents.
The West Hennepin Affordable Housing Land Trust (WHAHLT) is a non-profit organization
that creates and preserves affordable homeownership opportunities in suburban Hennepin
County through their Homes Within Reach community land trust program. The City has
awarded WHAHLT Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to assist with the
purchase and rehabilitation of 11 affordable dwelling units scattered throughout Edina.
Affordable Units: 11
The West Hennepin Affordable Housing
Land Trust (WHAHLT)
7
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
East Edina Housing Foundation
The East Edina Housing Foundation is a non-profit organization in Edina that is independent from
the City of Edina. The Foundation’s mission is: to provide homeownership opportunities to people of
low and moderate incomes.
Since 1986, the Edina Housing Foundations has offered a revolving loan program providing
deferred payment, second mortgage loans to qualifying borrowers purchasing owner occupied
homes in Edina. In total, this organization has provided 385 loans to residents in the Edina
community.
Their most recent loan program, Come Home 2 Edina was created to attract young families into
the Edina community, assist people who work in Edina but are not otherwise able to afford a
home in Edina; as well as to provide assistance to senior citizens interested in downsizing in
Edina. To date, this program has provided 51 single family home loans, 7 townhouse loans and 23
condominium loans, in total 81 loans to the Edina community.
Affordable Units: 0
Low-Income Loans: 385
The East Edina Housing Foundation
The City of Edina partnered with the Metropolitan Council’s Family Affordable Housing
Program(FAHP) with the goal to provide 20 units in the City. Due to the high land values in the
City, the initiative could only develop seven units. The City provided Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds to the Metropolitan Council for five single family homes, one duplex
and one condominium for Section 8, Family Affordable Housing Fund program in Edina. These
units continue to be owned and operated by the Metropolitan Council and operate as Section 8
housing units.
Affordable Units Added: 7
Metropolitan Council
8
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
1 Edina City Council Resolution 1974-03-04:
http://edinadocs.edinamn.gov/WebLink/ElectronicFile.aspx?docid=120905&dbid=0
2 2006 Housing Taskforce Affordable Housing Report:
http://edinamn.gov/edinafiles/files/Advisory_Boards/Human_Rights/HousingTFReport-19Sep06.pdf
32008 Comprehensive Land Use Plan:
http://edinamn.gov/edinafiles/files/City_Offices/Community_Development/Planning/Comprehensive_Plan/Co
mprehensivePlanCh5.pdf
4 2015 Edina Quality of Life Survey:
http://edinamn.gov/corecode/uploads/document/uploaded_pdfs/corecode_edina/Edina%202015%20Quality
%20of%20Life%20Survey%20Report%20of%20Results%20FINAL_72.pdf
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
7 “Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8.” Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8. N.p., N.d. Web. 15
Aug. 2016.
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: VI.B.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Report and Recommendation
From:MJ Lamon, Project Coordinator
Item Activity:
Subject:Community Conversations Committee Report Action
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
Approve the Community Conversations committee's advisory communication to be sent to Council for
consideration.
INTRODUCTION:
The Community Conversations committee has assembled an advisory communication to be reviewed by the
HRRC. This document is a result of the final Community Conversations Working Group report completed in
December of 2015 and provides recommendations to Council based on 3 common themes from the events. If
approved by the HRRC, the report will be sent to City Council along with the working group report.
The advisory communication is still not complete and will be released in the packet when completed.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Committee Report
1Community Conversations Working Group Report to EHHRC is attached.
Community Conversations:
Edina Human Rights and Relations Commission
Report and Recommendations to Edina City Council
Background
In 2014, the Edina Human Rights and Relations Commission (EHRRC) adopted a new
initiative called Community Conversations, a series of structured listening sessions
modeled after the work of The Advocates for Human Rights. The commission’s objective
was to discover how residents of Edina, especially those of diverse backgrounds,
experienced our community.
After receiving training from representatives of The Advocates for Human Rights, a
working group comprised of EHRRC commissioners and community members
facilitated six community conversations, called “listening sessions” in 2014 and 2015. In
total, seventy-five Edina residents participated in the listening sessions; participants
ranged in age and ethnic background, spoke multiple languages, were relatively
balanced by gender, and lived in a wide variety of neighborhoods in Edina.
The working group issued its report to the commission at the December 10, 2015
meeting of the EHHRC.1 The report reveals that of the fifty participants who provided
demographic information, there were 30 who identified as white, 2 as African American,
4 as African, 9 as Asian-Pacific Islander, 1 as Latino-Hispanic and 1 as American Indian-
Alaska Native. The demographic information collected also indicates that among the
participants, the following languages were spoken: English, German, French, Spanish,
Chinese, Somali and Swahili.
The working group report describes that the six listening sessions were held in easily
accessible locations in neighborhoods in which residents were familiar and comfortable.
Each session followed the same format, which consisted of three main parts: (1) asking
participants to identify the qualities of the perfect welcoming community; (2) small
group discussions around the central question, “What is your experience of being
welcomed in Edina?;” and (3) gathering feedback from the small group discussions,
which included capturing the comments of participants regarding shared experiences
and areas that could be improved.
In 2016, a committee of the EHRRC used the participants’ feedback as provided in the
working group report to identify trends and draft recommendations for next steps. At
November 15, 2016, meeting, the EHHRC adopted the following recommendations
based on three areas of feedback.
Feedback Areas & Recommendations for Follow-Up
Area 1
Non-Caucasian Edina residents and their guests report being stopped by Edina officers
without cause.
The working group report identifies the following participant feedback in Area 1:
• Four comments from participants who identified as black indicated that they, or
their children or guests who are black, have been stopped by Edina police officers
without cause.
o In three of those cases, residents or their guests who are black indicated
that they are subjected to repeated / frequent traffic stops by Edina police.
• One additional comment indicated frustration over what they believed to be a
lack of understanding by the Edina police who stop them regarding the validity of
international drivers’ licenses.
• One additional comment suggested that Edina police need more diversity
training.
Recommendation:
A.) Investigate formation of Task Force to review the city’s policing policies and
protocols as they compare to current literature / reports on best practices.
B.) Task Force membership to include HRRC member(s), representatives from the city
including police and city staff liaison(s), and community leaders of diverse backgrounds
and other members of the community.
C.) Use an external facilitator to lead/guide Task Force meetings.
D.) Task Force should determine and make a recommendation on whether to seek input
/ advisory services from external consultant(s).
Potential Resources:
• United States Department of Justice 21st Century Policing Report
• COPS office
• Justice in Policing Toolkit from the Center for Popular Democracy
Area 2
Housing in Edina continues to be expensive and segregated by income.
The working group report identifies the following participant feedback in Area 2:
• Two comments suggested that there is no easy access to affordable housing to
rent or own and that it seems like the city wants to get rid of affordable housing.
• Two comments indicated that in some areas where residents can afford to live,
there are not adequate community gathering spaces and spaces for children to
play.
• One additional comment indicated that in the area where they can afford to live,
they experience noise and vandalism.
Recommendation:
A.) EHRRC should review and work with city staff to ensure list of affordable housing
and affordable housing programs in Edina is readily accessible.
B.) EHRRC should review section(s) of the Edina Comprehensive Plan related to
Housing and offer recommendations for improvements based in part on observations
collected during Community Conversations.
C.) This work could include creating a list of research and evidence based best practices
for economically integrated housing in communities that are already built up.
Area 3
Edina residents cannot or do not always locate necessary resources and assistance.
The working group report identifies the following participant feedback in Area 3:
• Two comments indicated that participants were not able to locate social
services/resources in Edina.
• One comment suggested there is a stigma for seeking help / resources in Edina.
• One comment indicated that both public and private facilities are not accessible
for people with disabilities.
Recommendation:
A.) Ensure relative ease in being able to identify and access resources for Edina
residents. This goal appears to be largely fulfilled with Edina Resource Center’s
unveiling of its recently revamped webpage on which a (downloadable) list of commonly
used resources features prominently on its homepage. In addition, the “Edina Resource
Center” appears first in the list of results in a Google search for “Edina resources.”
B.) Providing a link to Edina Resource Center’s list of commonly used resources on the
EHHRC website could enhance the ability of residents to identify and locate resources.
C.) Providing a predominantly displayed link to the Edina Resource Center and /or the
list of commonly used resources on additional city webpages (i.e., on more than one
webpage) could enhance the ability of residents to identify and locate resources.
D.) Providing paper copies of the list of commonly used resources in key locations
throughout the city, e.g., in city hall, hospitals/ emergency rooms, in the Edina Public
Schools Welcome Center.
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: VI.C.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Report and Recommendation
From:MJ Lamon, Project Coordinator
Item Activity:
Subject:2017 Proposed Work Plan Intitiaves Information
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
Tom Oye (Martin/Arseneault)
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: VI.D.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Report and Recommendation
From:MJ Lamon, Project Coordinator
Item Activity:
Subject:December Televised Meeting Agenda Discussion
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
None.
INTRODUCTION:
The HRRC will have their annual televised meeting on December 8, 2016 at 7:00pm at City Hall.
Date: November 15, 2016 Agenda Item #: VII.A.
To:Human Rights and Relations Commission Item Type:
Correspondence
From:Kelly Dumais, City Management Fellow
Item Activity:
Subject:Correspondence 11.7.2016 Information
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street
Edina, MN 55424
www.edinamn.gov
ACTION REQUESTED:
INTRODUCTION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Correspondence 11.7.16
S. Berman
4400 Morningside Road
Ejinal t4N 65416
INNULPOUS. MN- 553.
TO--
Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission
City Hall
48ol w. 5oth st.
EDINA, MN 55424
NOT IN MY LIBRARY! 424 ati3 i
JEFF WHEELER •jeff.wheeler@startribune.com
From left, the panel included Janice Downing, Henry Crosby and Paul Spies. The moderator was
Jennifer Heimlich, at podium. The forum's topic: "Is White Privilege Real or Imagined?"
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE • B5
White privilege is real, panelists tell Hopkins seminar
Minority panelists shared
how skin color affects
their everyday life.
By MIGUEL OTAROLA
migueLotarola@startribune.com
Jennifer Heimlich had
some cautionary advice for
the mostly white crowd that
filled the auditorium at Hop-
kins Center for the Arts: Talk-
ing about race is not easy.
"One of the first rules of
having courageous conversa-
tions about race ... is that we
should expect and be willing
to feel uncomfortable," said
Heimlich, who has taught a
diversity seminar at Hopkins
High School for 10 years.
What followed on Mon-
day night was a discussion by
Heimlich and three local pan-
elists who shared how skin
color has affected their expe-
riences in Minnesota. The
community forum, "Is White
Privilege Real or Imagined?"
was organized by the city's
Race and Equity Initiative.
The panelists were clear on
one point: White privilege, and
the lack of awareness about it,
is absolutely real.
"There are things that I
don't necessarily have to think
about or worry about simply
because of what I look like,"
said Heimlich, who is white. "If
we can't acknowledge that this
historical thing called white
privilege exists, our friends of
color aren't going to see the
white folks as being truly part
of the conversation and truly
authentic."
About 200 people attended
the forum, including city lead-
ers from other western sub-
urbs. It was the latest in a hand-
ful of events about race orga-
nized this year by the initiative,
a partnership among Hopkins
Public Schools, the Hopkins
Police Department and Geth-
semane Lutheran Church.
Henry Crosby and Janice
Downing, black panelists who
live in Golden Valley, said that
some of their most important
experiences with white privi-
lege came from interactions
their children had in the school
system.
"The scenarios began to
unfold every time we went
somewhere," said Crosby, exec-
utive director of the YMCA at
Heritage Park in Minneapolis.
He recalled salesmen ignoring
him .and his wife, or tense inter-
actions with agents at airport
security checks.
Paul Spies, a white panelist
and professor at Metropoli-
tan State University, said the
effect that race has on per-
sonal behavior can be seen
in the strained relationships
between police officers and
blacks.
He referred to Philando
Castile, a school nutrition
services supervisor who was
fatally shot by a police officer
in Falcon Heights last summer.
An audience member asked
about the incident in Edina a
couple weeks ago when a
white police officer stopped
a black man walking on the
street. The confrontation,
which was videotaped by a
bystander, led some citizens
to raise questions about the
approach used by the officer.
"I felt that the police didn't
even begin to understand the
relationship with this man and
why he was there," Crosby said.
"There wasn't a chance to con-
nect; a judgment was made by
that guy." He was briefly inter-
rupted by a man in the audi-
ence who wanted to hear the
officer's perspective.
Downing asked for people
to be aware of the language
they use and to consciously
work against simple catego-
rization. She made a plea for
people to engage with cultures
and races different from their
own.
That might be difficult to do
in the suburbs, she acknowl-
edged. U.S. Census Bureau
data show that the Twin Cit-
ies metro area is more than 80
percent white.
She suggested that mem-
bers of the audience occa-
sionally take the bus, volun-
teer or eat at new restaurants.
"Most of all, talk to a millen-
nial, because they will tell you
where to go," she said.
Spies agreed, adding that
for white people it may require
reeducating themselves on the
history of race in the United
States.
"It's very important to be
in diverse environments as
white folks," Spies said. "We
need, with others, to ... use our
privilege for justice."
Miguel Otarola • 612-673-4753
10-26-1
aloging Policy & Support Office
brary of Congrese
n ehington, DC 20540-4305
Deer Colleagues,
More justification for establishing the WHITE PRIVILEGE
subject heading recommended 10-10-15.
With autumnal greetings,
Sanfor
44o0 Morning. Road_
Edina, MN 554
952 925-5738
;1
Dave St. Peter
President
TARGET® FIEL
1 Twins Way • Minneapolis, MN 55403
Executive Office: 612.6593400 • Ticket Office: 612.33.TWINS • .twinsbaseball.com
Minnesota Twins Baseball(
TARGET OF!
mailing a
1 Twins Way • Minneapolis, MN 55
street add
353 5th Street N • Minneapolis, MN 55
Dave St. Pe
Presii
Direct: 612.659.3
Cell: 612.366.0
Fax: 612.659,4
davestpeter@twinsbaseball
May 2, 2011
Mr. Sanford Berman
4400 Morningside Road
Edina, MN 55416
Dear Mr. Sanford:
On behalf of the entire Minnesota Twins organization, I'd like to take a
moment to say THANK YOU for your recent correspondence. It's always
wonderful to hear from great baseball fans like you.
Regarding your specific concerns, be advised that I have shared your letter
with both the Cleveland Indians and Major League Baseball. We appreciate
your comments and perspective and felt it was best for those organizations
to hear it directly.
Thanks again for your support of Twins baseball.
Win Twins!!!
65*
Virok, Vaibb- Oftu- Itatb- 0146-
World Champions American League Champions Division Champions
May 4 2011
Dave St. Peter, President
Minnesota Twins Baseball Club
Target Field
1 Twins Way
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Dear Dave,
Many thanks for your proipt response to my letter regard ng
Cleveland's racist log¢ being prominently displayed at arget
Field.
I'm delighted that you "have shared" my com int "with both
the Cleveland Indians and Major League B eball." However,
you f to answer the primary questio What will YOU do:
w - Cleveland plays again at Target Fie 2 In short, can
you muster the integrity and decency to. not-d •lay the repulsive
logo?
Hoping for a re
Berman
4400 Mornings). • Road
Edina, MN 5541
April 26, 2011
Dave St. Peter, President
Minnesota Twins, Inc.
1 Twins Way
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403
Dear Dave v
No major league baseball team uses these demeaning, defamatory logos:
But one uses this:
On Easter Sunday, I attended. the Minnesota-Cleveland game at Target Field.
(My granddaughter performed the national anthem with other fifth-graders
from Red Pine Elementary.). During the afternoon, Cleveland's "grinning
Indian" logo repeatedly appeared on giant screena, conveying a message of
bigotry and disrespect to, 39,000 fans:. I became increasingly embarrassed.
And enraged.
to be pttifully racist and irrespons
mimic them...You can do bette Ne
display their disgusting lo
thing to do.
ership should not
ays here?, just don't
the decent and . responsible
Twins' 1
ime Cleveland
re it. That,
your swift and positive attention
man
4400 Morningside R
Edina, MN 55416
952 925-573&.
W this
For many years, the Cleveland owners have defiantly and insensitively
resisted demands by Native Americans and othersto• droRboth tha"Indians'''
name andJvicious caricature.. Although those own en themselves
kil.e_thaze are other continuing deficiencies in LCSH, this matter of
lcurrency" r omission) seems paramount.
Hoping you can
Sa ford •-'mn
o unlock these missing topics, terve
4400 Morningside Road
Edina, MN 55416
952-925-5738
IO2 0-46
Carla Hayden
Librarian of Congress
Washington, DC 20540-4305
Dear Carla,
I realize you've only been on the job a short time, but Ii feel
an urgency about-the fact that these critical topics relating
to public policy and much-discussed issues have not been
recognized by Library of Congress subject headings, although
all have been formally recommended and could be immediately assigned
to catalogable material:
MASS. INCARCERATION SEX WORKERS
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
WAGE THEFT
SCIENCE DENIALISM
AIDS DENIALISM
CLIMATE CHANGE DENIALISM
ANTIVACCINE MOVEMENT
NATIVE AMERICAN HOLOCAUST
(1492-1900)
REVENGE PORN
ROBIN HOOD. TAX
"BROKEN WINDOWS" POLICING
WHITE PRIVILEGE,
HISTORICAL TRAUMA
INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION
MORAL INJURY
BENEFIT CORPORATIONS,
STEREOTYPE THREAT
IMPACT INVESTING
WAR PROFITEERING
STOP-AND-FRISK (POLICING))
ANTIVACCINE MOVEMENT
HATE ROCK. MUSIC.
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIALISM
MLLE, PRIVILEGE
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
To state the obvious, library users everywhere making subject searches
unddr these descriptors are likely to find nothing, since most
institutions will not employ subject rubrics unless LC has done so
first. And LC has not done so. The result: potentially useful
resources are rendered invisible and inaccessible, I trust this not an
outcome that any of us desires.,
Charles Samuelson
--Executive Director
ACLU-MN Staff
Charles Samuelson
Executive Director
Teresa Nelson
Legal Director
Carol Stoddart
Director of Development
Jana Kooren
Public Education &
Communications Director
Benjamin Feist
Legislative Director
Molly Miller
Development Associate
Sarah Heil
Office Administrator/Bookkeeper
Ian Bratlie
GMRJP Staff Attorney
Julio Zelaya
GMRJP Coordinator
RACE IN MINN
For the past three years it has been
impossible to ignore the issue
of police shootings of African
Americans. Much of the credit for
this awareness can be traced to the
prevalence of smart phones and to
the emergence of Black Lives Matter.
But the ACLU has been involved in
the struggle against racially biased
policing since the middle 1990's and
two years ago released the report,
"Picking up the Pieces:' which is
available on our web site. We found
that African Americans are 8 times
more likely to be arrested for minor
offenses than are whites.
Why these disparities exist is a
big question, not the least because
reasons for the disparities are
complex. First there exists the
undeniable legacy of slavery.
Since then laws have been written
and enforced in ways that ensure
people of color are more likely to
be arrested and convicted than
whites. Over-incarceration leads to
collateral damages including the loss
of the right to vote, to get a good job,
and find a safe place to live.
We target people of color by using
a system of policing called "Broken
Windows." This scheme calls for
the police to determine the highest
crime areas in the cities. Then
they assign many additional police
officers to those areas. So far, so
good. But these officers behave
Published quarterly in winter, spring,
summer and fall, and distributed 011
average to 6,750 households.
Publication Office:
2300 Myrtle Ave, Suite 18
St. Paul, MN 55114
Civil Liberties News
differently in the high-crime areas.
They arrest everyone for everything
including many things they don't
arrest people in the low-crime areas
for. Naturally, people who live in
the "high-crime" areas resent this
treatment and cooperation with
police fades away.
Because of our rigged system,
communities of color are much
more likely to be impoverished.
For people living in poverty, every
negative interaction with police puts
them one step closer to financial
ruin. While some people are able to
write off a $100 ticket without too
much concern for many that may
mean making a decision between
having enough to eat or paying
your fine. If you don't pay the fine,
a warrant could be issued and you
could be arrested. This will lead to
more fines and potentially a night
in jail. Insurance rates are usually
higher in poor neighborhoods,
which means you are also paying
more to have a car. People don't pay
more just for car insurance, the same
is true for many goods and services
that many of us take for granted.
The ACLU of MN has fought against
these injustices for decades and
while we have made progress there
is a long way to go. All of us need to
become involved if we want to fulfill
liberty's promise.
Subscription by Membership Only
PERIODICAL postage paid at St. Paul,
MN, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Civil Liberties News,
2300 Myrtle Ave, Suite 180
St. Paul, MN 55114
Civil Liberties Fail 2016
HE FINANCIAL PAGE
HE HIDDEN COST OF RACE
‘41-3 ACE STILL DETERMINES too much," Hillary Clinton
said, in last week's debate with Donald Trump. It "often
determines where people live, determines what kind of edu-
cation in their public schools they can get, and, yes, it deter-
mines how they're treated in the criminal-justice system." She
could have added that it has a profound effect on how much
money Americans have. Our racial wealth divide, as it's often
called, is enormous, and, fifty years after the civil-rights move-
ment, the gap is growing.
Everyone knows that wealth is unequally distributed. The
work of Thomas Piketty has made this a mainstream concern.
But the magnitude of the gap between
white and blackAmericans is on a differ-
ent scale. According to a recent report
from two progressive think tanks, CFED
and the Institute for Policy Studies, white
households own, on average, seven times
as much wealth as African-American
households (and six times as much as
Latino ones). The Forbes 100 billion-
aires are collectively as rich as all black
Americans combined. At current growth
rates, it would take black Americans
two hundred and twenty-eight years to
have as much wealth as white Ameri-
cans have today.
Some of the reasons are clear: the un-
employment rate among black Ameri-
c iris is roughly twice that of whites, and
black people earn, on average, between
twelve and twenty-two per cent less than white people with
similar education and experience. But the wealth gap between
black and white Americans is much bigger than the income
gap, thanks to a toxic combination of institutionalized dis-
crimination, persistent racism, and policies that amplify in-
equality As Thomas Shapiro, a sociologist at Brandeis and
the co-author of the seminal book "Black Wealth/White
Wealth," told me, "History and legacy created the racial gap.
Policies have maintained it."Together, they contribute to what
he's called "the hidden cost of being African-American."
Start with history. Beginning in the New Deal and on into
the postwar years, the federal government invested heavily to
help ordinary Americans buy homes and go to school, via pro-
grams like the Federal Housing Administration and the G.I.
Bill That fuelled an economic boom and fostered the growth
of a prosperous middle class. But black Americans received
little of this assistance. Redlining by banks and by govern-
ment agencies prevented black families from buying homes
in white neighborhoods; in a thirty-year period, just two per
cent of F.H.A. loans went to families of color. G.I. Bill benefits
went disproportionately to white veterans. Black agricultural
and domestic workers were excluded from Social Security
until the fifties. As Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, the co-
author of the CFED/I.P.S. report, told me, "Massive govern-
ment investment helped create an American middle class. But
it was a white American middle class."
The effects of this history are still with us, because wealth,
unlike income, accumulates and can be passed down from
generation to generation. If you have less wealth to start with,
you'll likely spend any added income on bills or paying down
debt rather than saving or investing it. A 2013 study co-
authored by Shapiro found that for white families every dol-
lar increase in income yields an increase of $5.19 in wealth;
for black households the figure is just sixty-nine cents.
More important, discrimination, though no longer legal, is
still pervasive. It holds down black incomes and has a huge im-
pact on homeownership—which Shapiro identifies as "the larg-
est driver of the racial wealth gap." Only forty-one per cent of
black Americans own their homes, com-
pared with seventy-one per cent ofwhites,
and black homeowners earn a much
smaller return on their property. Because
they are less likely to inherit money or
get family help buying a home, they make
smaller down payments and, on average,
buy houses eight years later in life, leav-
ing less time for the investment to ap-
preciate. House prices in majority-black
neighborhoods have also risen less than
those in comparable majority-white ones.
As Asante-Muhammad told me, "White
people still do not generally want to
live in a neighborhood that's more
11 ran twenty to twenty-five per cent
black." That means fewer buyers, which
holds house prices down. Shapiro has
found that housing segregation costs
black families tens of thousands of dollars in home equity.
Government policies also widen the gap. The most im-
portant of these are the mortgage-interest and other real-
estate tax deductions, which save you more the bigger your
mortgage and the higher your income-tax rate. They cost the
government north of a hundred and thirty billion dollars a.
year, more than seventy per cent of which goes to the richest
twenty per cent of Americans. Money that could fund afford-
able housing, income subsidies, and allowances for first-time
homeowners instead just helps rich people pay for their houses.
Closing the racial wealth gap would require radical mea-
sures, like reparations, which few politicians will discuss. But
what's really dismal is that even reforms that could keep the
gap from getting wider ending the mortgage-interest de-
duction, challenging residential segregation--are politically
toxic. The attention now being paid to the racial wealth di-
vide is a sign that some things have changed. The absence of
the topic from the political conversation shows that most
things haven't.
—James Surowiecki
THE NEW YORKER., OCTOBER 10, 2016 39
THE FINANCIAL PAGE
THE THICK BLUE LINE
O N AUGUST 26TH, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for
the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand for the na-
tional anthem, as a protest against police brutality. Since then,
he's been attacked by just about everyone—politicians, coaches,
players, talk-radio hosts, veterans' groups. But the harshest
criticism has come from Ba‘ Area police unions. The head
of the San Francisco police association lambasted his "naivete"
and "total lack of sensitivity," and called on the 49ers to "de-
nounce" the gesture. The Santa Clara police union said that
its members, many of whom provide security at 49ers games,
might refuse to go to work if no action
was taken against Kaepernick. A work
stoppage to punish a player for express-
ing his opinion may seem extreme. But
in the world of police unions it's busi-
ness as usual. Indeed, most of them were
formed as a reaction against public de-
mands in the nineteen-sixties and sev-
enties for more civilian oversight of the
police. Recently, even as the use of ex-
cessive force against minorities has
caused outcry and urgent calls for re-
form, police unions have resisted at-
tempts to change the status quo, attack-
ing their critics as enablers of crime.
Police unions emerged later than
many other public-service unions, but
they've made up for lost time. Thanks
to the bargains they've struck on wages
and benefits, police officers are among
the best-paid civil servants. More important, they've been
extraordinarily effective in establishing control over work-
ing conditions. All unions seek to insure that their mem-
bers have due-process rights and aren't subject to arbitrary
discipline, but police unions have defined working condi-
tions in the broadest possible terms. This position has made
it hard to investigate misconduct claims, and to get rid of
officers who break the rules. A study of collective bargain-
ing by big-city police unions, published this summer by the
reform group Campaign Zero, found that agreements rou-
tinely guarantee that officers aren't interrogated immedi-
ately after use-of-force incidents and often insure that dis-
ciplinary records are purged after three to five years.
Furthermore, thanks to union contracts, even officers
who are fired can frequently get their jobs back. Perhaps
the most egregious example was Hector Jimenez, an Oak-
land police officer who was dismissed in 2009, after killing
two unarmed men, but who then successfully appealed and,
two years later, was reinstated, with full back pay. The pro-
tection that unions have secured has helped create what
Samuel Walker, an emeritus professor of criminal justice at
the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and an expert on
police accountability, calls a "culture of impunity." Citing a
recent Justice Department investigation of Baltimore's po-
lice department, which found a systemic pattern of "seri-
ous violations of the U.S. Constitution and federal law," he
told me, "Knowing that it's hard to be punished for mis-
conduct fosters an attitude where you think you don't have
to answer for your behavior."
For the past fifty years, police unions have done their
best to block policing reforms of all kinds. In the seven-
ties, they opposed officers' having to wear name tags. More
recently, they've opposed the use of body cameras and have
protested proposals to document racial profiling and to
track excessive-force complaints.They have lobbied to keep
disciplinary histories sealed. If a doctor commits malprac-
tice, it's a matter of public record, but, in much of the coun-
try, a police officer's use of excessive
force is not. Across the nation, unions
have led the battle to limit the power
of civilian-review boards, generally by
arguing that civilians are in no posi-
tion to judge the split-second decisions
that police officers make. Earlier this
year, Newark created a civilian-review
board that was acclaimed as a model
of oversight. The city's police union
immediately announced that it would
sue to shut it down.
Cities don't have to concede so much
power to police unions. So why do they?
Big-city unions have large membership
bases and are generous when it comes
to campaign contributions. Neither lib-
erals nor conservatives have been keen
to challenge the unions' power. Liber-
als are generally supportive of public-
sector unions; some of the worst police departments in the
country are in cities, like Baltimore and Oakland, run by lib-
eral mayors. And though conservatives regularly castigate
public-sector unions as parasites, they typically exempt the
police. Perhaps most crucial, Walker says, "police unions can
make life very difficult for mayors, attacking them as soft on
crime and warning that, unless they get their way, it will go
up. The fear of crime—which is often a code word for race—
still has a powerful political impact." As a result, while most
unions in the U.S. have grown weaker since the seventies,
police unions have grown stronger.
All labor unions represent the interests of the workers
against the bosses. But police officers are not like other work-
ers: they have state-sanctioned power of life and death over
fellow-citizens. It's hardly unreasonable to demand real over-
sight in exchange. Union control over police working condi-
tions necessarily entails less control for the public, and that
means less transparency and less accountability in cases of
police violence. It's long past time we watched the watchmen.
—James Surowiecki
36 THE NEW YORKER, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016
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Battle Over a lame and a Logo Moves to the World Series
Indians' name and the Chief Wa-
hoo logo. Chief Wahoo has been
around in different forms since
1947, the year before Cleveland
won its last World Series. The
Cleveland team itself had numer-
ous names in its early history, in-
cluding the Blues, the Bronchos
and the Naps. But before the 1915
season, the club became the
Indians, according to Baseball-
Reference.com, and it has been
Indians ever since.
That puts the team into the mid-
dle of a sustained and often emo-
tional debate. Many people vig-
orous oppose the use of Native
North American names and im-
ages yds mascots and logos, saying
they are demeaning and worse.
The Chief Wahoo logo in particu-
lar stands out because it is a cari-
cature.
"It is racist — that is all there is
to it," Cardinal said in a telephone
interview from China, where he
was attending a conference. "I
had been thinking about the prob-
lems we have as a community
with the issue of suicide, and I
think there is a direct correlation
between these kinds of depictions
of our people as inferior and as
caricatures to be mocked. It is
wrong and it must stop."
Cardinal still has claims about
the Cleveland Indians' name
pending in two other arenas — the
Ontario Human Rights Commis-
sion and the Canadian Human
Rights Tribunal — and he said that
he hoped to achieve some sort of
success with his efforts before the
Indians return to Toronto for the
2017 regular season.
Canada itself is not immune to
this issue. Some of its sports
teams have used names, nick-
names and logos that refer to in-
digenous people in that country.
There are, for instance, the Ed-
monton Eskimos of the Canadian
Football League, whose name has
drawn protests. In 2013, Ian
Campeau, an Ojibwe man, turned
to the Ontario Human Rights Tri-
bunal to bring suit against the Ne-
pean Redskins, an amateur foot-
ball team near Ottawa. The team
subsequently changed its name to
the Eagles.
Another case was brought by
Brad Gallant in Mississauga, On-
tario, to prevent the use of public
funds for teams using indigenous
nicknames or mascots.
"I just want my kids to be able to
go play hockey without having to
feel like they are inferior," he said.
Monique Jilesen, one of the
lawyers for Cardinal, said the
main platform for . their case
against the Cleveland Indians As
most likely to be human rights or-
ganizations. The lawyers are
seeking to establish that the name
Indians is discriminatory.
"The reason we, brought an in-
junction was because here was
the unprecedented platform of
Cleveland playing Toronto in the
playoffs, which they had never
done before," she said.
In connection with the injunc-
tion attempt, Major League Base-
ball issued a statement saying it
was open to dialogue about the is-
sue outside the realm of the court-
house, and the condensed time-
table of a playoff series. Cardinal
said he was eager to engage in
that process immediately.
In Cleveland, the Chief Wahoo
logo has been the target of some
critical commentary in the news
media, and the Indians them-
MARK DUNCAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
selves have made efforts in recent
years to reduce the prominence of
the logo, giving more visibility to
an alternate "C" as a block-letter
insignia on Cleveland caps.
Mark Shapiro, who was a long-
time front office executive with
the Indians and the team presi-
dent before going to work for the
Blue Jays, has stated that the
Chief Wahoo logo personally bo-
thered him.
Yenyo said; "Them going to the
block 'C' as a major logo is a step
in the right direction. But we've
got to have the name changed, too.
If you change the logo, it doesn't
solve the problem. It only gets rid
of that imager
Numerous professional teams
in the United States, most notably
the Washington Redskins of the
N.F.L., have faced fluctuating
waves of opposition over the
years for names that have Native
American connotations. The At-
lanta Braves have drawn criticism
for their name and the "Toma-
hawk Chop," which fans engage in
during games.
The Chicago Blackhawks of the
N.H.L. have also been a target of
PATRICK SEMANSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Cleveland Indians' Chief
Wahoo logo, above, was the
subject of a 2015 protest, left,
led by Philip Yenyo, the execu-
tive director of the American
Indian Movement of Ohio.
Protests of the team's name
and logo are planned for the
World Series this week.
criticism, although less so than
teams like the Redskins and
Indians.
On the college level, a long bat-
tle with the N.C.AA. over Native
American nicknames, logos and
mascots has led numerous
schools in recent decades to make
changes.
St. John's University changed
its nickname from the Redmen to
the Red Storm, and Dartmouth,
once known as the Indians, be-
came the Big Green. Marquette
went from Warriors to Golden Ea-
gles, and the University of North
Dakota, after a long fight with the
N.C.AA., evolved from the Fight-
ing Sioux to the Fighting Hawks.
The Cleveland Indians said that
the organization was "sensitive to
both sides of the conversation"
about the logo and continued to
examine the issue. The team, like
M.L.B., declined to elaborate.
But the World Series will go on,
with the Indians seeking their
first championship since 1948 and
Chief Wahoo front and center on
their new World Series caps. And
on both sides of the United States-
Canada border, some people will
be feeling discomfort.
One of them is Jesse Wente, a
leader of Native Earth Perform-
ing Arts, which says it is Canada's
oldest indigenous performing arts
company. He supported Cardi-
nal's case against the Indians and
most likely will not watch the
World Series.
"I am a big Blue Jays fan, but I
can't watch when they play the
Cleveland team," he said. "I won't
let my kids watch, either?'