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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 01/10/2006 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION TUESDAY,JANUARY 10, 2006 7:00 PM— 125 Eden Prairie Center Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Piumbroeck(Chair), Jeff Strate (Vice Chair), Gerry Beckmann, Linda Chung, Melissa Barra, Cari Maguire and Pam Spera STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Jill Bartel, Rori Costello and Sandra Moran COMMISSION STAFF: Molly Koivumaki, Staff Liaison Allison Burr, Recording Secretary I. ROLL CALL Commission Chair Larry Piumbroeck called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. Student Representative Jill Bartel was absent. Eden Prairie Police Sgt. Randy Thompson, three participants in the Restorative Justice Program, and Lynn Jerde of the Eden Prairie Sun Current were also present. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Vice Chair Jeff Strate moved, and Linda Chung seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Restorative Justice Presentation Molly Koivumaki asked Sgt. Randy Thompson to explain the Restorative Justice program. Thompson explained it is a new diversion program that began in January 2006 in Eden Prairie as a way to handle things in-house rather than handing them to the Hennepin County Juvenile Department. Restorative justice is a model that came out of Australia and New Zealand where the offenders and the victims get together, and the meeting is away to "fix the harm" that has been done by the offender. Since its inception, five meetings have been held in Eden Prairie. Thompson stated three high school students are present this evening to talk about an incident that happened a few months ago. A contract came out of the conference, which has some requirements that will fix the things that have been done. Each young man has completed a 7- to 10-page paper to discuss what happened. The conference went very well, and this is the last requirement for these boys to complete. The three boys signed a contract indicating they would do several items, including completing the paper and coming to this meeting tonight. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 2 Thompson continued that the diversion program will carry on indefinitely within the police department. He stated it is his job to get the program off its feet, and from then on any police officer can run with it. More often than not it will be a minor situation like the one being presented tonight. He stated this situation is a classic example of the actual incident being minor, but the perception of it was far greater. Strate asked if other communities in the Metro area doing something similar. Thompson responded some do it on an informal basis. Woodbury does family conferencing and restorative justice, as one example. Chung asked who moderates the conferences. Thompson stated right now he does, but in the future any police officer will be able to. He added that in other cities, other city employees, civilians, and volunteers handle the conferences. Chung stated perhaps this is something HRDC can get involved in, as the process sounds like a good idea. Thompson stated there will be time at the end for questions for the three boys. The first presenter provided an overview of the history of the swastika symbol. He reported it is now a symbol of hate and racism,but previously it was a symbol of peace. In fact, it used to be found on pottery in the ages of Troy,representing life, sun, and power. In subsequent years it was used by lots of other countries and civilizations and was called by many different names. Native Americans have also used the symbol. He reported in the early 20h'century it was a symbol of positive connotation, and it was a common decoration on postcards,buildings, and cigarettes. The presenter provided an overview of the history of 191h century German nationalism and European imperialism. It was during this time that the swastika began to be used by some Germans. By 1920 it was the official symbol of the Nazi party, chosen by Hitler himself. The second presenter began his report on the Aryan Nation by describing it as a group of young men against Jews, gays, and blacks. He stated they use the swastika as a symbol and believe that Hitler took the right course of action during World War IL Today the skinheads are somewhat under control in the United States,but stories of skinheads around the world make news headlines regularly. Their actions bring back horrific memories for generations of families. The presenter discussed some of the hate crimes skinheads have committed in recent memory, including a break-in at a Russian Jewish community center in 2004. In 1997 skinheads were convicted of murder for shooting a West African immigrant at the bus stop as well as a bystander who came to the victim's aid. He discussed another group of skinheads who attacked three Latinos in a bar parking lot as well as other skinhead atrocities. Many skinheads join because they believe in one race and that the white race is superior to other races. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 3 The presenter stated he understands why the victims were so afraid of what he and his friends did. They probably thought they had been targeted by skinheads. He stated he has no hatred of Jewish people and is sorry for the pain and fear he caused the family to have. He discussed his feelings about the swastika. Before writing and learning about the symbol,he never knew the background and hurt associated with the swastika. He expressed he feels horrible for families who had relatives who went through the concentration camps. He stated he knows the hurt he caused to all victims involved. In any future situation where he is pressured to do something, he will look at the consequences before acting and how it may affect those involved so there will be on regrets later. The third presenter began his report by stating he had no idea how complex the idea of anti-Semitism was before writing this paper. He discussed the historical evolution of anti-Semitism, namely the swastika and its effects on Jews. He stated there are all kinds of racial oppression going on even today, including the genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, actions by the Afghanistan Taliban, and French persecution of Muslims. He discussed the historical meaning of swastika, including how Hitler came to adopt the swastika as the symbol of the Nazi Party. He stated the history of the Final Solution to the Jewish problem, which included relocating Jews to concentration camps with the goal of destroying their body and spirit. He stated 3 million Jews were exterminated in concentrated camps, and 2 million Russian Jews were liquidated in camps in Eastern Europe. He continued that the SS wore the swastika on their uniforms, and the symbol became identified with Hitler. He stated it is impossible to understand the significance of the swastika without understanding the Holocaust. Nearly 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. He reported that while displaced Jews hoped anti-Semitism would die with the Holocaust, it was displaced to the Middle East with the formation of Israel. He discussed post-Holocaust anti-Semitism and the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. He reported that Arab anti- Semitism parallels Nazi anti-Semitism without the swastika. This post-Holocaust anti-Semitism has found some acceptance in Europe, through their unwillingness to support Israel and the United Stated in the protection of Israel. He concluded that the swastika no longer holds any positive meanings of the past, for it is solely identified with the Nazi Party. Strate asked the three boys to describe the event which prompted these reports. Thompson stated a swastika symbol was placed at a home in Eden Prairie. At that time the meaning was not fully understood. Maguire asked what the boys were thinking when they put the symbol at the home. The third presenter stated it was he who put the symbol there;however,he was not aware they were Jewish at the time. He stated Andy is a friend of his, and he always denied he was Jewish. He thought it was a joke;he put it there as a prank. Strate asked the boys' opinion about the program they are involved in. The first presenter stated it is a helpful program. The second presenter stated the program has helped him understand what he did to the family. The third presenter stated he learned more from the program than they would have doing community service. Now they will think twice about making jokes and things of that nature. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 4 Strate asked if they talked with their friends about what happened. The boys said they are embarrassed by what they did and do not talk about it. Pam Spera asked if they think the victims are helped. The third presenter stated he sits next to Andy in one of his classes, so it helps to cope with the awkwardness. Thompson stated the foundation of the program is they did the wrong; they admit the wrong; they fix the wrong. By the end of the conference the victims believe in most case the contract is good enough. In most cases the contract states the offender owes something to the victim and to the community as well. Thompson indicated he has learned more about the symbol and the history of the swastika as well. He stated this will help these three boys be aware of Jewish history and what other people have been through. Strate stated it is obvious the boys have learned some things. Last week a church in St. Cloud decided to remove a swastika from its building because it has such a strong emotional appeal, though the symbol was there for 80 years. Strate stated when he is at the Flying Cloud airfield air show every summer, there are Nazi airmen re- enactments and he is too uncomfortable to even go near them. Thompson stated symbols may have meaning for some people and a different meaning for others. Sandra Moran asked what some of the other consequences are for other offenders. Thompson stated another offender has to talk to a confirmation class of 140 kids in a church. The victim was a youth minister and something was stolen from her by the offender. Another community service project is cleaning fire hydrants around town. A lot of times restitution is required, so they have a certain amount of time to pay the victim back. Chung asked if all five cases have been successful. Thompson said yes. This is the first group to finish their contract. Chung asked the consequences if someone cannot complete the provisions of their contract. Thompson stated the case will then go before Juvenile Court. Thompson stated studies have been done on restorative justice, and the recidivism rate is very low. Piumbroeck thanked Thompson for his work and thanked the boys for coming in. He advised the boys not to let the shame last,but to move on and share what they have learned. He advised the two high school HRDC members to keep this private. Cari Maguire stated the last boy may have gone a little overboard regarding his discussion of the Arab-Israeli conflict and suggested Thompson speak with him about it. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM DECEMBER MEETING Maguire noted a correction under Roll Call: Muna Mohamed is a University of Minnesota student, not a high school student. Strate noted an addendum on page 4 in the last paragraph regarding the Truth in Taxation meeting. He respectfully disagreed with Gerry Beckmann's interpretation and felt he was appropriate in the way he addressed the City Council. Piumbroeck also noted the second to last sentence should read: "As the chair Piumbroeck says he believes he has the latitude to represent himself as a commissioner and he does feel proud to speak as a commissioner." HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 5 Spera stated she would like statement#3 on page 5 of the minutes to be clarified. She asked that Mary Zilka be asked to check her notes for the wording of that statement, as it does not make sense in its current form. MOTION: Maguire moved, seconded by Strate, to table the approval of the December 131h minutes until the next meeting. Motion carried 7-0. MOTION: Maguire moved, seconded by Strate, to put the December 13d'minutes back on the table for discussion. Motion carried 7-0. The Commission decided to amend statement#3 on page 5 of the minutes to read: "Question of emergency meetings for reaching resolutions." Further discussion was held regarding HRDC's charter and whether emergency meetings are allowed. Koivumaki stated that issue will be looked into. The paragraph below statement#3 was amended to read: "Spera also commented that there is a possibility that someone could stand up and say something that is misinterpreted or that the Commission does not support." Piumbroeck called the question. MOTION: Maguire moved, seconded by Strate, to approve the minutes as amended. Motion carried 6-0-1 with Chung abstaining. V. REPORTS OF STAFF A. Human Services Review Committee (HSRC) Molly stated the HSRC will meet on January 23, which is a departure from the normal meeting date. Requests for proposals have been sent out for community block grant funding. The Committee will review them on the 23rd and will take it to the City Council in February. B. Bias Crime Activity Status Koivumaki stated she has none to report, as none has been passed along to her since the last meeting. Koivumaki reported Jeanie Zetah, with Community Education, called to check if any members of this Commission are interested in participating in the upcoming partnership breakfast, which is an annual event. It is a two-hour breakfast held in April. A couple of proposed themes of the breakfast are "courageous conversations on race in Eden Prairie" or"closing the opportunity gap." The breakfast is a forum to have an honest and open conversation about the challenges people face because of their race. Koivumaki stated Zetah would like to have Commission members help set up and staff tables for small group discussion. She will verify the date of the planning meeting as well as the breakfast. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 6 Beckmann, Maguire, and Chung stated they would like to attend the planning meeting with Koivumaki. Strate asked Koivumaki to describe the nature and level of involvement HRDC can expect to have in the planning. Koivumaki stated they would like HRDC to work in sync with the district. Beckmann asked if part of the role would be coming up with topics to discuss at small table discussions, and Koivumaki stated that is likely. Strate asked how many table hosts there will be, if they will just be limited to Commission members, and Koivumaki responded district people will be participating as well. Strate suggested Harry Moran be invited, as he is a former chair of this Commission. Sandra Moran stated the partnership breakfast may be held the same date as the Diversity Fair at the Eden Prairie High School. Piumbroeck asked Moran to talk more about the diversity fair later on in the meeting. VI. OLD BUSINESS Piumbroeck noted HRDC needs to discuss the status of the Dr. Jean L. Harris Youth Scholarship Award and Human Rights Award at tonight's meeting. A. Teens Alone Beckmann stated two months ago she reported on a Teens Alone meeting she had attended. This morning she, Sgt. Thompson, and 20 other people attended a meeting about homeless youth, and she asked Thompson to share his thoughts on the meeting. Thompson stated Teens Alone is a wonderful organization. Teens Alone have called for a summit regarding homeless youth in western suburbs, and its purpose would be to figure out how to serve the homeless in the suburbs. Although the group knows the numbers are increasing, it is difficult determining who the homeless are and how many exist. Thompson reported Teens Alone wants to make transitional housing and permanent housing available in the western suburbs. Barra asked how Teens Alone can know the numbers have increased if a total number of homeless youth is not known. Thompson responded Teens Alone and other agencies are finding more and more homeless youth, but there are not any services in the suburbs to address the problem. Chung asked if the youth tend to be runaways. Thompson replied sometimes they are kicked out of their homes, sometimes they want to leave, and sometimes it is mutual. The youth may go to a friends' house and then leave in a couple of months and hop around. Beckmann stated because there is no human services commission in Eden Prairie, she asked if someone from Teens Alone can get on the agenda and make a presentation to this Commission. Somewhere in the community there might be people who may be willing to facilitate and get a focus group together and understand what the situation is in Eden Prairie. Thompson stated once the kids are classified as homeless, there is a long history of bouncing in and out of relatives' and friends' homes. Larry asked of the age of the homeless youth. Thompson responded they are minors, under the age of 18. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 7 Maguire asked how other cities handle the problem of homeless youth. Thompson stated Minneapolis has a program with a transitional housing program where they teach the youth living skills. Piumbroeck stated he has had a homeless youth in his home for a period of time, and he knows it is a serious problem. In his case it was temporary and counseling was obtained with the parents and things were put back together,but it went on for a year. Thompson stated there are three or four huge churches in the community who could partner with on this problem. Beckmann asked if Teens Alone can be put on the agenda next month. Koivumaki stated in March the Commission does the scholarship selection. Barra stated she would like a discussion of the process of the scholarship selection. Piumbroeck indicated he would like a subcommittee to come up with a process rather than having the whole Commission go through it. MOTION: Beckmann moved, seconded by Strate, that HRDC invite a representative from Teens Alone to the February meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Beckmann indicated she will contact Dr. Ward to set up the meeting. B. Dr. Jean L. Harris Scholarship and Human Rights Award Piumbroeck brought up the Dr. Jean L. Harris Youth Scholarship. He stated all Commission members have seen the brochure and letter that went out, and he invited each Commission member to talk about the fundraising from their own view as they have worked on it. Piumbroeck related he has raised pledges of$150 so far and is continuing to call and leave messages for people on the list, though he noted the list is terribly outdated. Strate stated he has raised $400 in pledges. He secured $150 from former Human Rights Commissioner Phil Young and Anchor Bank is committing to $250. Strate indicated he has not been able to make many calls due to a heavy workload right now. He hopes to have more time to call during the last week of January. He stated Mr. Young emailed him today regarding the Eden Prairie Foundation and indicated it is just a matter of paperwork before they will officially be the fiscal agent for this scholarship. Barra stated the Best Buy Children's Foundation contributes in the name of employees who work 40 hours for a particular event and will match that up to $1,000. The requirement is the organization they contribute to is a 501(c)(3) foundation. HRDC is not,but the Eden Prairie Foundation is, so Best Buy can contribute up to $1,000 to the Foundation. Barra stated the funds are awarded once a month. Maguire asked if the awarding of funds is automatic. Barra responded affirmatively, noting one has to be a Best Buy employee for a certain period of time and must meet certain requirements. Chung asked if there is a restriction about the money only going to one employee on behalf of the same group. Barra stated no, another Best Buy employee can contribute their time to a particular organization, and the funds would go to that group. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 8 Strate asked for a copy of the Eden Prairie Foundation document showing they are a 501 (c)(3) so it can be in hand when some companies ask for it. There was some discussion regarding the nature of 501(c)(3) and tax identification documents. Piumbroeck stated HRDC needs to discuss whether to authorize one or two scholarships this year. Moran asked if Best Buy can be counted on for$1,000 each year. Barra responded she has to commit to working 40 hours per year towards the Human Rights and Diversity Commission, and they will give the $1,000 each time. Chung stated she received part of Piumbroeck's list and some of the information was outdated. However, she left messages for some, and there were a number of companies interested in looking at the brochure and seemed interested. She stated she may start making some calls to people she knows personally to raise funds. Piumbroeck suggested emailing the PDF file of the brochure while talking on the phone with the prospective donor since it may be difficult to explain over the phone. Chung asked if the fundraising is restricted only to companies in Eden Prairie. Piumbroeck stated they can be from anywhere. He continued that he feels comfortable we will raise some dollars, and he believes HRDC owes it to the scholarship to build an endowment or find somebody who can. Piumbroeck indicated HRDC will move forward with the scholarships and will advertise it as up to two scholarships may be awarded. Piumbroeck passed out the 2006 timeline for Human Rights Award and Youth Scholarship Award and provided an overview of the timeline for both. Koivumaki stated that while Commission needs to decide on both scholarship awards, it may be difficult to discuss them both at the same meeting. Chung stated HRDC can go over both since there will be a process in place by then. Barra suggested the group come to an understanding beforehand of what will be discussed and how it will be discussed. Last time both the merits and the process were discussed. Strate asked Koivumaki if the City communications department can produce a 60- or 90-second promotional on the scholarship on channel 16 or the Eden Prairie High School channel. Koivumaki said she would look into it. Piumbroeck stated if a subcommittee is formed to look at the process, that process can be approved in February and then the process can be applied in March for both scholarships. Maguire suggested the timeline be kept as it is printed, without changes. The group agreed. Koivumaki noted she has not seen any money come in for the scholarships because the Eden Prairie Foundation has its own mailbox at City Hall. However, she is asking for a process so that she can track or monitor the money is coming in. Piumbroeck stated he will pass along the names and amounts he is looking for contributions so the Foundation knows what to look for. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 9 Piumbroeck asked about the status of the Human Rights Award. Koivumaki stated she has not heard anything,but she can do some calling about it since there is no solicitation of money. Maguire stated she put up the Martin Luther King display at the library and left a space for the service award. Strate asked if anyone wants to discuss how to personally go out and solicit nominations for the Human Rights Award. Maguire stated the best thing to do is call places where people volunteer and ask about those volunteers. Strate asked if there is a list of private agencies that have these types of people working for them. Maguire asked if Beckmann knows how to get in touch with those types of people. Koivumaki stated the City has a list of all nonprofits. Beckmann stated she would be happy to call the directors of the agencies to discuss nominees for the awards. Strate stated he will draft a column publicizing the award but wants someone else to polish it and put his or her name on it. He also asked Koivumaki to have the City's communications staff work on a press release. Spera suggested an interview with a former recipient would be a good way to publicize it. Chung noted she knows a reporter at the Sun Current and will call that person tomorrow. Strate stated all three newspapers should be contacted and he will also write a column. Beckmann suggested Piumbroeck talk to Scott Neal about making mention of the Martin Luther King display at the library in his weblog. Beckmann stated she does not know of any events scheduled for Martin Luther King (MLK) day, even though schools are closed for the day. Spera asked if Beckmann had any ideas of an event for MLK day. Beckmann stated years ago there were three major events on that day. She stated City offices and schools are closed, but today there is no remembrance. Maguire noted some other cities have performed re-enactments of the "I Have a Dream" speech and have held breakfasts. Piumbroeck indicated he is going to the MLK breakfast at the Convention Center at that day. Maguire stated she and Moran have been working on another display that will be put up at the City Hall. VII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS A. ANY COMMISSION MEMBER MAY REPORT Strate stated former councilmember David Luce died unexpectedly on Sunday. He was appointed to the City Council after the death of Mayor Jean Harris. Strate noted he was a real character and had a good heart. Luce was former president of the Chamber of Commerce, an entrepreneur and investor, and loved debate but listened to others as well. Beckmann provided an update on the Gift of Sight Program with Sears. Four people recently received examinations and glasses. She spoke with all four families and they were very happy. Beckmann also talked with Kerry Holtmeier, the Familink coordinator, and she reported Lens Crafters has also come forward with a year-round program for free exams and glasses. Participants must be referred through Ms. Holtmeier. Beckmann suggested HRDC acknowledge Sears and Lens Crafters with a certificate for the work they are doing on behalf of the community. Koivumaki stated she will look into the certificates. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 10 Moran discussed the Diversity Fair to be held at the high school on April 20"'. A number of different countries will be represented along with clubs and exchange students, and there will be posters, music, and performances for different countries. Students walk around and ask questions to find out more information about a country or group. Moran stated there is also a student panel who will talk about their countries in front of two or three classrooms and students ask questions about the culture. She stated she would like to switch the date because it may possibly conflict with the date of the partnership breakfast. Beckmann stated she set up a table at the fair one year and had some pencils and candy to attract the students as well as brochures about HRDC. Beckmann stated a big posteribackdrop is needed to draw the kids in. Piumbroeck asked if it is mandatory for students to attend the fair. Moran stated some teaches have forms they hand out to the students so they can ask questions at the booths and fill them out,but some teachers do not have time to take out of classroom time to attend. Piumbroeck asked if any Commission members are interested in participating IN the fair. Beckmann stated the year she was there she was able to hand out scholarship applications. Strate stated he would love to be there at the fair. Additionally,he indicated the Friends of Birch Island Woods can lend HRDC a nice display board with backlight for use at the fair. Moran suggested students could be encouraged to become involved in HRDC, if that is an appropriate time to solicit. Koivumaki stated she would find out the timing of solicitation for student representatives of HRDC. She stated Scott Neal is considering having students serving only half terms so more students can be involved throughout the school year. Maguire stated she has an upcoming conflict of schedule issue. The class she teaches starts again on Tuesday in February and asked if HRDC would be willing to change the date of the meetings for February, March, and April. The group discussed possibly the second Thursday of the month, and Koivumaki stated she has to take it before the City Clerk to find out what dates might work. Piumbroeck stated he received some more information about the Pastor Summit at Grace Church that was discussed at the previous HRDC meeting. The group that headed that event was the Minnesota Family Council which is based in St. Paul, and they organized the ministers. Additionally,he stated there is follow-up postcard campaign going on as a result of the event. Ministers and the Archbishop of the Catholic Church of the Twin Cities are encouraging parishioners to write postcards in March to encourage state senators to approve a constitutional amendment forbidding gay marriage. Piumbroeck stated he will be attending a MLK breakfast at the Convention Center on January 161h and would be happy to carpool with anyone who wants to attend. He stated Julian Bond will be in town Thursday to present a speech entitled "The Ku Klux Klan to Katrina." Chung stated she missed the last meeting but noticed HRDC discussed Katie Pham and the neighborhood incident. She asked if a resolution was agreed to regarding HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 11 how to handle that concern. She added if there has not been resolution, it should be added to an upcoming meeting because she gathered some additional information. Chung stated when a citizen comes to HRDC with a complaint, it is easy to focus on that side of the story,but it is important to be more careful and find out additional sides of the story. Beckmann stated Commission members had discussed that, and it was acknowledged only one side of the story was heard. Beckmann added no resolution was agreed to. Chung responded it, therefore, can be put on the agenda at a future meeting. Piumbroeck stated if he decides to seek another three years on the HRDC, he would like to have a strategic meeting and go before the Council to ask for a revision of the charter and also request some funding. HRDC currently has no money and no authority, and that makes it difficult. He noted there are some Human Rights Commissions with budgets and more authority. Strate agreed with Piumbroeck's idea and suggested it be discussed further during the summer months when there is more time. He stated the Council has retreats to discuss strategy, and so it would be nice to have an all-day retreat at City Hall if necessary. Perhaps a speaker could be invited, someone from the League of Commissions or the Mayor. B. South Hennepin Immigrant Services Group (SHISG) Beckmann stated Deb Johnson with the Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin discussed the Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota(FAIM) program. It is a savings program for income-eligible clients to save money to buy a home,pay for higher education, or start a business. If the client agrees to pay $40 into the savings program, it is matched by federal and state funds three times. That $40 becomes $120 in one month. Once the money is withdrawn, the client exits the program. Beckmann reported there are currently three Eden Prairie families enrolled, and there are 30 openings. The office is in Hopkins, and they have a variety of programs that the Community Action Partnership is involved in, including energy assistance and foreclosure prevention programs. Beckmann reported Abdirazak Botan is a Hennepin County Multicultural Services Outreach Liaison who will begin working in Eden Prairie on Mondays to assist immigrants. He will help them with green cards and paperwork, and also to understand why their cases may have been closed. Beckmann also reported the Familink Advisory Council is looking for volunteers. Additionally, a gentleman from Hennepin County Workforce was present and talked about encouraging clients to online to look at workforce jobs. He also spoke about an English workplace program that was developed in Olmsted County geared for immigrants getting jobs at IBM or the Mayo Clinic. The program teaches relevant workplace phrases with the hopes of the immigrants ultimately being able to obtain a job. VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next meeting date is not yet determined. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2006 Page 12 IX. ADJOURN MOTION: Maguire moved, seconded by Barra, to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:37 p.m.