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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 10/10/2000 APROVED MINUTES Eden Prairie Human Rights & Diversity Citizen Advisory Commission October 10, 2000 7:00 p.m. —Prairie Rooms A & B, City Center 8080 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie MN 55344 Citizen Advisory Commission Members: Dorothy Fifield, Harry Moran (Chair), Darryl Stanton, and Philip Young (Vice-Chair) Youth Representatives: Youth Reps begin in November 2000 Commission Staff: Michael Barone, Supervisor of Personnel & Payroll, Lorene McWaters, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL ® Dorothy Fifield ® Harry Moran ® Philip Young ❑Angie Garcia ® Darryl Stanton Meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Chair Harry Moran. Commission members absent were Angie Garcia. Darryl Stanton joined the meeting at 7:20 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Young moved, seconded by Fifield to approve agenda as published. Motion carried 3-0. III. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 12, 2000 MINUTES MOTION: Young moved, seconded by Fifield to approve minutes as published. Motion carried 3-0. IV. REPORTS OF STAFF A. South Hennepin Immigrant Services Group (SHISG) 1. October 2, 2000, agenda and September 11, 2000, minutes 2. Somalian Resource Fair—Barone reported that the HRDCAC will team up with Parks & Recreation Services staff to represent the City at the Somali Community Resource Fair. The Fair is sponsored by Hennepin County and some local social service organizations, and is scheduled for Saturday, November 18 from 9:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. at Eden Lake Elementary School. Barone will contact Molly Koivumaki to see if a representative from the Community Oriented Policing program(COPS) can also attend. Barone said he would need volunteers from the Commission to work at a booth at the fair. The purpose of the fair is to give Somali attendees an idea of what sorts of services are available through both Hennepin County and in the City of Eden Prairie. HRDCAC members would be there primarily to "meet and greet" as representatives of the City. Moran and Fifield felt the HRDCAC booth at the DiverseCity event had not been as effective as it could have been and that the HRDCAC was not connecting with people. Young said he Eden Prairie Human Rights &Diversity Citizen Advisory Commission Approved minutes of October 10,2000 Page 2 also finds himself struggling to succinctly explain the purpose of the HRDCAC to people. He said he wasn't sure that the Commission was really supposed to do more than that, except to possibly let people know what types of issues they address. Moran said that 1) residents need to be made more aware of the existence of the HRDCAC and 2) HRDCAC members need to be able to better describe the Commission's purpose. He would also like booths at future events to be more than "static displays,"but he wasn't sure how to go about this. Barone said statistics from Hennepin County and the Eden Prairie school district show that up to 300 Somali families live in Eden Prairie and hopes are that a number of families would attend the Fair. Fifield said she does not know much about Somali culture and feels members need to know more. Barone said that both Somali Family Services and the Somali Women's Network would be represented at the Fair. He suggested inviting them to a future HRDCAC meeting. Moran said he was very open to having these organizations as well as Somali individuals attend HRDCAC meetings and to participate as future members. Fifield suggested that members could use the Fair to learn more about the Somali community in Eden Prairie. Moran, Fifield, and Stanton indicated they would cover 2- hour time slots at the Fair. Young is unable to attend because he will be out of town. Stanton said he would also bring voters registration cards to the Fair. Barone noted that Hennepin County would be bringing laptops computer to the Fair to allow attendees to sign up for services on the spot. B. Bias Crime Activity Status Barone said Molly Koivumaki had contacted him about a recent incident that involved a white 23-year-old Eden Prairie resident who is dating an African American man. The woman's aunt and uncle also live in Eden Prairie, and the couple has visited them at their home. On October 4, 2000, the aunt and uncle found two racially biased pieces of mail in their mailbox. Koivumaki reported that the family is doing fine and they have indicated they do not think Bias Crime Response Network involvement is required at this time. Barone reported that he and Natalie Swaggert, Director of Management Services, would like to draft a letter to the family letting them know that both the Human Rights and Diversity Citizens Advisory Commission and Bias Crime Response Network are available to help. The letter would also reiterate that Eden Prairie is a community that does not tolerate this type of activity. Barone said he did not know if the incident would be reported in the local newspapers. The police department holds a media briefing every Monday morning and it is up to them whether or not to pass on particular information. It is also up to the individual newspaper to report particular incidents. Stanton stated that he thinks the community should be informed when things like this happen and that they are not tolerated. Stanton offered a motion suggesting that bias crime incidents be published in the local newspapers. Eden Prairie Human Rights &Diversity Citizen Advisory Commission Approved minutes of October 10,2000 Page 3 Barone said the HRDCAC could only ask the police to pass certain information on to the media. Young said there may be benefit to having bias crime incidents reported in the paper, but that it is important to take the victims' right to privacy into consideration. How to best handle publication is the question. Moran noted that the reasons such incidents may not be published include specific requests of victims or ongoing investigations. Barone reminded the members that as an Advisory Commission, the HRDCAC is not empowered to make motions to the Council. Rather the Commission is directed to make recommendations to staff, who then pass them on to the Program Board. Stanton said he is willing to attend Council Meetings if that is what it takes to publicize bias crimes in Eden Prairie. Young suggested the Commission pass a motion recommending that staff ensure that bias crimes are publicized. Moran said this may be a better way of approaching the subject, since it not clear what say the Commission actually has in such matters. Stanton said that bias crimes need to be noted in some manner so perpetrators need to know that bias crimes will be addressed and are not tolerated. Moran asked if anyone had amendments or modifications to Stanton's motion. Moran suggested making the motion less specific to this particular crime. Discussion was closed. Stanton moved: To suggest that the current bias crime (which was promptly addressed by City officials) and any future bias crimes, be reported in the Eden Prairie News, while protecting the victims' right to privacy and with sensitivity to any ongoing investigations. Fiefield seconded. Motion carried 2-1, with Fifield and Stanton voting aye, Young voting nay, and Moran abstaining. Moran asked Young if he would like to offer a motion of his own. Young said he did not know if it would be appropriate to offer his motion because it was partially redundant. Young said his main concern was that without knowing exactly what the Advisory Commission is empowered to do, he would like to say something affirmative regarding staff being asked to help publicize bias crimes and the City's response to such incidents. Stanton moved to close the discussion. Young moved to: State that the HRDCAC acknowledges the benefits that may arise from publication of the City of Eden Prairie's intolerance of and prompt response to bias crimes. The HRDCAC also recognizes the complexities of issues involved in publication of such crimes, including the privacy rights of the victims. Therefore the HRDCAC requests that staff explore the manners by which publication of such crimes may be appropriately made. Fifield seconded. The motion passed 4-0. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Update on Student Commission Representatives Barone reported that nine students were appointed to Commissions at the October 3, 2000, Council Meeting. Three students representatives will begin attending the HRDCAC meetings in November. A new Student Representatives At-Large program is also being piloted this year. Six students, in two teams of three, will attend six different Board and Commission meetings Eden Prairie Human Rights &Diversity Citizen Advisory Commission Approved minutes of October 10,2000 Page 4 and audit a City Council meeting. Representatives at-large will attend one HRDCAC meeting each, Group A in January 2001, and Group B in March 2001. Stanton asked what responsibilities the student reps will have. Barone said they can participate in discussions and act as liaisons with the High Schools,but are non-voting members. VI. NEW BUSINESS Stanton noted that it is important to start marketing the Scholarship early enough at the high school to get qualified applicants. Barone said the Scholarship will be discussed in detail at the November meeting. Moran said he is unable to attend the November meeting and will be asking Young to chair the meeting. Moran also said it would be appropriate to make sure there will be a quorum of members for the November meeting since it will be the first meeting for the new student representatives. Stanton asked whether or not members are allowed to vote by proxy if they aren't able to attend a meeting in person. Moran said he did not think this would be appropriate. Stanton reiterated he wanted to know if it could be done if requested. Barone said it his understanding is that a meeting cannot be held without a quorum present. Stanton said his point in bringing up the issue was to try to make the Commission more productive. Moran said the dynamics of a quorum allows for productive discussion and for introduction of on-the-fly amendments. VII. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS • The next meeting is November 14. VIII. ADJOURN MOTION: Young moved, seconded by Fifield to adjourn meeting. Motion carried 4-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.