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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015.03.24 HRRC Minutes MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS & RELATIONS COMMISSION March 24, 2015 7:00 PM City Hall – Community Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Arseneault called the meeting to order at 7:01pm. II. ROLL CALL Answering roll call were Chair Arseneault, Commissioners Burza, Davis, Gates, Kennedy, Sanders, Seidman, Tian, Vecchio-Smith, and Weinert. Staff present: HRRC Staff Liaison MJ Lamon and City Management Fellow Lindy Crawford. III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Motion was made by Commissioner Seidman to approve the Regular Meeting Agenda of March 24, 2015. The motion was seconded by Kennedy. Motion carried. IV. APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 24, 2015 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Commissioner Kennedy moved to approve the minutes as presented to the HRRC. Commissioner Seidman seconded. Motion carried. V. COMMUNITY COMMENT None. VI. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The HRRC existing members and new members introduced themselves. VII. GUEST SPEAKER: Karen Kurt, Assistant City Manager Assistant City Manager Kurt shared a presentation about Vision Edina. Vision Edina is a broad- based community visioning process. It will serve as the foundation for the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Plan. Kurt shared that reports are available for review on the City of Edina website. The HRRC was encouraged to share feedback about the Draft Strategic Vision and Framework report. The HRRC discussed writing an advisory communication for City Council. This will be discussed further at the HRRC April Regular Meeting. Arseneault asked the HRRC if any members would like to volunteer to form a committee in order to draft an advisory communication for HRRC review in April. Commissioners Vecchio-Smith and Tian volunteered. VIII. REPORTS/ RECOMMENDATIONS A. Work Plan Initiative Updates a) Community Outreach Commissioner Davis updated the HRRC about the Community Conversations working group. The March 18 and 24 scheduled sessions were postponed and turned into working group meetings. The working group is in process of determining if it is feasible to hold the postponed sessions in late April. b) Human Rights City Designation Commissioner Kennedy shared that a working group meeting was held last week. They hope to select critical issues identified by the City of Edina to work on, which may include affordable housing, income disparity and domestic violence. The working group is preparing a short presentation on their work to address local organizations that represent the community such as the League of Women Voters, Edina Senior Center, Edina Rotary, Southdale YMCA, and Edina Chamber of Commerce. The working group hopes to have a rough draft by April and is planning the first presentation for June 3rd at the Minneapolis Rotary. In response to inquiries about the project goals, Kennedy will provide the UN’s guidelines to become a Human Rights City to HRRC members at the April meeting. c) Days of Remembrance/Genocide Awareness Commissioner Seidman noted that this year’s event will be held on April 19th from 1:00 - 3:30pm at City Hall. Posters have been hung around the city and a press release will go out this week. HRRC members were encouraged to invite others to the event. d) Affordable Housing Chair Arseneault and Staff Liaison Lamon updated the HRRC about the Greater Southdale area planning process. Lamon explained the process and encouraged any HRRC member to attend the meeting if he or she is available. e) Body Image and Sexuality Awareness Student Commissioner Gates shared she has been establishing questions and contacts to interview supportive parents and grandparents of teens to discuss how they feel about their children/grandchildren identifying with sexuality. Gates is still working on where the information will be posted. f) Human Trafficking Student Commissioner Weinert shared she is working with the moderator to establish questions for the panel discussion for the human trafficking event to be held on April 9th from 6:30-8:30pm at City Hall. The focus of the event will be prevention and vulnerability awareness. HRRC members were encouraged to invite others to the event. Posters and press releases are being finalized with the City’s Communications department. B. Establishing 2015 Committee and Working Group Chairs and Members HRRC looked through the roster and decided to officially sign up for committees and working groups at the April Regular Meeting after members had more time to consider their interest. A motion was made by Sanders to dissolve the HRRC nominating committee. Seidman seconded. Kennedy and Davis abstained. Motion carried. Commissioner Tian volunteered to chair the blog subcommittee. Tian also volunteered to chair the website administration subcommittee. Seidman volunteered to work on the bias offense subcommittee as a member. Vecchio-Smith volunteered to be a member on the affordable housing subcommittee. Arseneault volunteered to be a member on the community conversations working group. C. League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions Staff Liaison Lamon submitted the HRRC dues and is waiting to receive a meeting schedule from the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions. D. 2015 MN Legislative Session on Human Rights Commissioner Kennedy shared that the Minnesota legislature introduced a bill (SF 1703) to designate the second Monday in October as the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples Day. The bill passed unanimously in its first Senate committee hearing. Kennedy reported that the legislature will not take up a conflict minerals resolution this legislative session. IX. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITION Staff Liaison Lamon passed out a thank you letter from Beacon Interfaith thanking the HRRC for considering their nomination for the Tom Oye Award. X. CHAIR, COMMISSION MEMBER, AND STUDENT COMMENTS None. XI. STAFF COMMENTS Lamon asked that those who have not signed up for the Boards and Commission Annual Meeting on April 20th to please do so. If members would like to attend the Volunteer Recognition event on April 29th they should sign up through Lamon. Lamon will resend the website link to the HRRC. XII. ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Commissioner Kennedy to adjourn the March 24th meeting, Seidman seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:23pm. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________________ MJ Lamon, HRRC Staff Liaison Minutes approved by HRRC April 28, 2015 ____________________________________ Pat Arseneault, HRRC Chair