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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 05/08/2025 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025 7:00 P.M., EDEN PRAIRIE CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms 3 & 4 COMMISSION MEMBERS: Greg Leeper (Chair), Asad Aliweyd, Shana Bates, Shalanda Berry, Danielle Burton-Haselrig, Zaheer Khan, Jody Knight, Jessica Oaxaca, Brenda Pfahnl, Savannah Riese, Wendi Russo, 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 7:03 p.m. Commission Members Aliweyd, Urbanski and Weaver and Student Commission Members Arora, Aneja, Shah, Li, Halbe, and Hassan were absent. Commission Members Bates, Berry and Oaxaca arrived during Old Business. II. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS There were no guests this evening. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Khan moved, seconded by Pfahnl, to approve the Agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 10, 2025 MEETING MINUTES MOTION: Russo moved, seconded by Riese, to approve the April 10, 2025 Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 7-0. V. COMMUNITY PRESENTATION There was no Community Presentation this evening. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD UPDATE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES May 8, 2025 Page 2 of 4 Xiong announced there were three winners that will be presented before the City Council on May 20th. The presentation will occur before the City Council meeting and will take approximately 30 minutes. Xiong said she would like Weaver and Riese to be present as they were on the sub-committee. Chair Leeper asked for three volunteers to assist the winners of the awards. They would need to be there at approximately 6:40 pm to greet them. Burton-Haselrig said she could volunteer. Xiong asked the students if they would be able to volunteer and they could not. She said she would follow up with the other students that were not present this evening. Khan said he could volunteer if no one else could. B. PEOPLEFEST! UPDATE Xiong said in Urbanski’s absence, she will give the Commission an update. She asked for the Commissioners to give their restaurant guide updates, which are as follows: Bates – India Palace said they will send a gift card in. She has reached out to India Spice House and Kuubs Modern Mediterranean and is awaiting their response. Knight – Pizza Karma will donate a gift card next week. The owner from Red Moon Asian Cuisine said he will submit a gift card. Smokin Hottdish cannot afford to send a gift card. Riese – HAVEN Asian Eatery, Hawaii Poke Bowl and House of Kai have been contacted and left a message and will need follow-up. Russo – Kyoto Sushi will be giving a gift card. Lotus Leaf will not be giving a gift card. Lucky Inn Chinese Cuisine is out of business. Burton-Haselrig – Pho Mai, Dosirak, Home Taste and Hot Pot City have been contacted and left a message and will need follow-up. Khan – Eden Prairie Halal Market & Deli does not have gift cards. Need to follow up with bb.q Chicken, Nola’s Southeast Street Foods, Qamaria Coffee and Eden Vietnamese Restaurant. Lambal – Asia Mall – she said the students have not reached out to any restaurants yet. Pfahnl - El Burrito Mexican Grill is moving. Reached out with no response to Godavari and Greek Grill & Fry Co. and will need to follow up. Berry – Wingman Matt closed in 2024. Icchido Ramen & Gyu-Mai Japanese BBQ will be sending in gift cards. Need to follow up with Teque Arepa. Oaxaca – Needs to follow up with Asian Express, Aurelia’s Authentic Mexican Food and Baker’s Ribs. Xiong said Urbanski has a $50 gift card from Detellos. HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES May 8, 2025 Page 3 of 4 Xiong stated if there are additional updates to let her know or if anyone needs her card and envelope she will supply that. All restaurants should be contacted before the next HRDC meeting. July 30th is the date for the HRDC to do an event. Historically, the Commission has hosted the Human Library but is moving away from that this year. Chair Leeper said the Commission will have a table at this event and will need volunteers for set-up and take down. PeopleFest kickoff is July 27th. Xiong said they will have an Inclusive Day of Play where there will be performers and food trucks. She will supply more information as it becomes available. Oaxaca asked what the HRDC event will look like. Xiong said as of now she knows that OutFront may be speaking at the event and said there will be more meetings on the planning of this event. Chair Leeper commented LGBTQ will be a major focus for this event. He said after the meeting this evening, the sub-committees can break out for discussion on this. Xiong said the sub-committees should come up with next steps. Khan asked if an individual was not part of this particular sub-committee, are they free to go after the meeting. Xiong agreed that they are free to go and offered an suggestion of joining a sub-committee that has openings available. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. PREPARATION FOR THE EDEN PRAIRIE POLICE PRESENTATION Chair Leeper announced at the June HRDC meeting they will have Chief Sackett as a guest speaker. He will share what has been happening with initiatives at the Police Department. Chair Leeper said he would like the Commission to come up with topics they would like Chief Sackett to address. Oaxaca responded she would like to know if they are doing anything around non-escalation. Also, have they seen things change since the Race Equity Report and specifically with BIPOC communities. Pfahnl said she would like to hear Chief Sackett address the separation agreement and what it looks like now and how people who are not citizens of Eden Prairie are being treated. Khan would like to know how they are getting a more diverse police force. What has been successful and what are they looking at for the future. Also, what is expected from ICE and is the Police Department open to that in Eden Prairie; what are the perspectives from the department. Pfahnl commented that goes with the separation agreement. She would also like to know how the social worker is going since he talked to the Commission last time. Berry asked if there is a deadline for questions to be submitted. Xiong said Chief Sackett should receive the questions before he attends the meeting so he has time to prepare his response to the Commission. Oaxaca said she would like to know the volume of hate crimes that are reported and how does that volume compare to the prior year. Berry asked how does bullying tie into the Police Department and what are they doing about it. Pfahnl would like to know what training the officers are getting in regards to the Trans community. Khan asked if the Police Department should have updated goals. Xiong said HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY MINUTES May 8, 2025 Page 4 of 4 the REAT team is working with all the City departments to update the dashboard with new goals and address what has been completed and what stays as a goal. Xiong stated she has been intentional in choosing the departments coming in to present to the Commission. Chief Sackett will be very informative. If there are any additional questions, Xiong asked that they be submitted to her within the next week. Russo asked if the Police Department keeps track of senior citizens that have been scammed and asked if there is anything presented at the Senior Center. Chair Leeper said he would like an update on the beat cop program that was discussed at the last presentation. IX. UPCOMING MEETINGS A. June 12, 2025 X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Pfahnl moved, seconded by Riese, to adjourn the Human Rights & Diversity Commission meeting. Motion carried 10-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.