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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 12/12/2024 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024 7:00 P.M., EDEN PRAIRIE CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms 3 & 4 COMMISSION MEMBERS: Greg Leeper (Chair), Asad Aliweyd, Shana Bates, Zaheer Khan, Jody Knight, Jessica Oaxaca, Brenda Pfahnl, Savannah Riese, Kuhu Singh, Philip Skeie, John Urbanski, Susan Weaver STUDENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Jude Lambal, Ayanna Arora, Kayna Aneja, Alisha Shah, Melody Li, Swara Halbe, Tamia Hassan, Zahara Umar COMMISSION STAFF: Paja Xiong, Community Services Manager & Staff Liaison Julie Krull, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Leeper called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Commission Members Bates, Oaxaca, Singh and Skeie and Student Commission Members Lambal, Arora, Aneja, Li, Hassan and Umar were absent. Commission Member Weaver arrived after Approval of the Agenda. II. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Chair Leeper introduced Christine Ruzek, City of Eden Prairie Human Resource Manager and Desiree Menken, City of Eden Prairie Human Resource Generalist. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Khan moved, seconded by Aliweyd, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 14, 2024 MEETING MINUTES MOTION: Urbanski moved, seconded by Riese, to approve the November 14, 2024 Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 8-0. V. COMMUNITY PRESENTATION Chair Leeper introduced the guests again and said Ms. Ruzek and Ms. Menken will be discussing DEI Foundations and the HR Race Equity update. Ms. Ruzek introduced herself and said she will be presenting the HR Race Equity update and Ms. Menken will present the DEI Foundations. HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES December 12, 2024 Page 2 of 5 A. HR Race Equity Update Ms. Ruzek started out by pointing out the HR Recruitment Strategies. They consist of: • Position Profiles (job descriptions) • Advertising • Job Fairs • Outreach to Schools • Internships • Cadet Program • Leadership Training • Accessibility She stated when the City does recruitment they want diverse networks. She illustrated an extensive list of the networks. One of the programs the Police Department offers is the Cadet Program for individuals interested in working in law enforcement to become a police officer. Candidates could then be hired with a wide variety of skills and experience. Ms. Ruzek said the City also recruits through outreach, which would include such things as Internships, Career Fairs, Focus on Technical Positions and Police Recruitment at Career Fairs across the state. The City also focuses on Accessibility for recruiting. One tool used is VidCruiter. This is a customized virtual interview in which the candidates can record their interviews at any time and then submit them to the HR Department. This allows the candidate flexibility and accessibility in regards to the interview process. Interview Process and Training is another recruitment tool that is required for all supervisors hiring for open positions and for peer panelists who complete an application which includes DEI questions. There is also City-Wide Training and Development. These trainings focus on DEI topics. Our Culture and Respectful Workplace is a required annual training for current employees and at the new hire orientations. Chair Leeper asked the Commission for questions. Khan asked how people from different countries are recruited. He used the example of the EP Police Department and that he sees a gap of diversity in there and asked if they do their own process. Ms. Ruzek responded they work with the EP Police Department during the recruitment process in order to get a diverse pool of candidates. She also stated the recruits go through psychological training. Khan asked why the police department is not getting a diverse pool of candidates. Ms. Ruzek commented she was unsure but pointed out they are all working together to get diverse communities for recruitment. Chair Leeper shared he appreciated all of the information in the presentation and found the information on VidCruiter to be very interesting. Chair Leeper asked Ms. Ruzek how the City could get more individuals to apply for the police department positions. Ms. Ruzek said the City does have videos for diverse communities explaining the police department and giving background information on it to make it more comfortable and informative to apply. HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES December 12, 2024 Page 3 of 5 Aliweyd asked, in regards to the establishment of the Race Equity Report, have there been any changes in regards to the hiring process. Ms. Ruzek said the City focuses on strategies and outcomes and they have seen better trends in regards to diversity. There have been more diverse candidates applying in regards to this process. B. HR Race Equity Update Ms. Menken said for this training relationships are highlighted; the goal is to create positive experiences and deliver high quality training. She shared a PowerPoint with the Commission. Part One of the training of DEI focuses on many words associated with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. They are as follows with their definitions: Diversity – this is the presence of different and multiple characteristics that make up an individual, such as race, gender, age, religion, etc. Race – a social construct that divides people into distinct groups based on characteristics such as physical appearance, ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation and history and ethnic classification. Ethnicity – A common identity based on ancestry, language, culture and nation or region of origin. Ethnic groups can share attributes such as religion, beliefs, customs and experiences. Nationality – belonging to a particular nation. Minority Group vs. BIPOC – a minority group is any group of people that because of their physical or cultural characteristics are singled out from others in society. BIPOC is an acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. This term is based on the recognition of systemic racism and is meant to emphasize the hardships faced by Black and Indigenous people in the US and Canada and is also meant to acknowledge that not all People of Color face the same levels of injustice. Privilege – An unearned, sustained advantage afforded to some over others based on group identities related to race, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic status, age or other identities. Discrimination vs. Racism – discrimination is the unequal and unfair treatment of individuals based on race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, national origin, age and intellectual or mental abilities. Racism is a belief that racial differences produce or are associated with inherent superiority or inferiority. Prejudice – An inclination or preference that can be rooted in stereotypes that deny the right of individuals of certain groups to be recognized and treated as individuals with unique characteristics. Bias – Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in an unfair or negative way. There are two major categories of bias. The first is explicit, which is HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES December 12, 2024 Page 4 of 5 directly expressed, aware of bias. The second is implicit, which is indirectly expressed, unaware of bias. Implicit Bias vs. Stereotype – Implicit Bias is the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect a person’s understanding, actions or decisions as they relate to people from different groups. Stereotype is a form of generalization rooted in blanket beliefs and false assumptions, a product of categorization processes that can result in a prejudiced attitude, uncritical judgement and intentional or unintentional discrimination. They are usually negative and based on little information that does not recognize individualism. Equality vs. Equity – Equality is treating everyone the same; everyone is given the same opportunities. Equity is removing barriers that create disparities. Culture – a social system of customs, behaviors and norms that a group of people develop to ensure survival and adaption. Multiculturalism vs. Cultural Competence – Multiculturalism is the practice to promote peaceful coexistence of all identities and people. Cultural Competence is the ability to understand how inequity can be perpetuated through socialized behaviors and using that knowledge to disrupt inequitable practices. Ally – a person who is not a member of a marginalized or disadvantaged group but who expresses or gives support to that group. Inclusion vs. Belonging – Inclusion is creating environments where an individual feels welcome. Belonging is a sense of feeling secure and welcomed. Belonging is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at its core. Ms. Menken said the most important piece of DEI is to have an open mind. Chair Leeper thanked Ms. Ruzek and Ms. Menken for their presentation this evening. VI. OLD BUSINESS There was no Old Business this evening. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. VOLUNTEERS FOR PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL Xiong presented the PowerPoint that will be submitted to the City Council on January 21st. Khan and Riese will do the presentation to the City Council. There will be three topics to discuss; Community Engagement Activities, 2024 HRDC Community Presentations, and looking ahead to 2025 Initiatives. This will include Community Conversations, BIPOC Youth, LGBTQ+, and standing HRDC events. Chair Leeper pointed out there will only be 15 minutes allotted for the presentation. Xiong said she HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES December 12, 2024 Page 5 of 5 will work with Khan and Riese on preparation before the presentation. Urbanski commented because of the time it is important to be specific when presenting. B. SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE Chair Leeper said he would like to discuss subcommittee guidelines. He pointed out it is important to foster consistency, enhance efficiency, encourage collaboration and avoid duplicating efforts. He also said to copy Xiong and himself on all emails sent out. He explained the subcommittees should decide what activities are important and plan details accordingly. Xiong asked the subcommittees to give a brief update to the Commission and asked Community Conversations to go first. Riese said they have met twice and are planning in March to have a holistic event with the focus on human rights. Weaver gave an update for the Human Rights Award subcommittee. She said they have had one meeting and talked about what has been frustrating in the past. They would like to change the nomination process to include more people and groups and have more social media outreach. She also pointed out they would like the definition of human rights and DEI at the top of the form. Khan presented the update for the Words in Action subcommittee. He said they have had one virtual meeting that was not very effective and they will be have another meeting tomorrow and focus on updating the flyer and discuss what can be improved upon based on past performances. Khan commented it may be more effective to communicate through phone calls versus email. Weaver asked when their application needs to be done. Xiong said she will check with the Communications Department. Pfahnl commented the presentation was great this evening but suggested having a presentation on Human Rights. VIII. STAFF REPORT – PAJA XIONG A. RACE EQUITY ACTION TEAM (REAT) UPDATE There was no update this evening. IX. UPCOMING MEETINGS A. January 9, 2025 X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Pfahnl moved, seconded by Riese, to adjourn the Human Rights & Diversity Commission meeting. Motion carried 8-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:59 p.m.