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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 02/10/2011 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 7:00 P.M., 125 EDEN PRAIRIE CENTER Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: Pam Spera(Chair), Marcy Harris (Vice Chair), Peter Huck, Linda Crawford, Lauren Juergensen, Gayle Sanders and Robert Rozanski STAFF: Molly Koivumaki, Manager- Housing and Community Services; Heidi Wojahn, Recorder STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Alex Borsch, Clayton Carlson, He Li I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Spera called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Commissioners Linda Crawford, Marcy Harris, and Lauren Juergensen and Student Representatives Clayton Carlson and He Li were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Approved by informal consent. III. MINUTES MOTION: Huck moved, seconded by Rozanski, to approve the January 13, 2011 minutes. Motion carried 4-0. IV. NEW BUSINESS None V. REPORTS FROM STAFF - Koivumaki A. HUMAN SERVICES REVIEW COMMITTEE (HSRC) The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding cycle has begun. HSRC met and made the following funding recommendations. City Council will consider recommendations at its March 1 meeting. It is anticipated the City will have about$53,000 in federal funds to allocate to agencies, and about$200,000 for housing rehabilitation and affordable housing projects. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES February 10, 2011 Page 2 Public Service BUDGET PROP Emergency Housing Assistance $ 25,000.00 YMCA Child Care Program (Subsidy) $ 10,500.00 Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly (HOME) $ 8,000.00 Homeline Tenant's Advocacy Service $ 5,000.00 CAPSH Vehicle Repair Program $ 4,500.00 Housing Housing Rehabilitation $ 150,000 Affordable Housing $ 50,000 FYI--Cuts to the CDBG Program A budget-balancing proposal recently put forward by the House Republican Study Committee called for total elimination of the CDBG program. President Obama's fiscal year 2012 budget proposal (to be released February 14) includes a 7.5 percent, or$300 million, cut to the CDBG program. Senator Amy Klobuchar is co-sponsoring a bill about airport safety. Those receiving federal funds were notified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development they may be losing a portion of their unspent funds to finance this new initiative. B. BIAS CRIME ACTIVITY STATUS No report. C. OTHER REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. City Manager Search Update Hopkins City Manager, Rick Getschow, has been offered the position and is expected to begin work in March pending acceptance. 2. Human Rights Awards No nominations have been received to date. The deadline may be extended if necessary. 3. Best Buy Grant Balance is $5.10. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. DOMESTIC PARTNER REGISTRATION Koivumaki reported seven municipalities in Minnesota have a Domestic Partner Registry. They are Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Maplewood, St. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES February 10, 2011 Page 3 Louis Park, and Edina. The Registry helps people receive benefits such as bereavement leave, insurance benefits, club memberships (such as a health club or community center), family leave, and homestead designation to name a few. Elements and processes are similar for each of the municipalities with filing fees ranging from$20 to $50. People living or working in one of these communities can register with the City Clerk by completing a simple one-page application and paying the filing fee. The City Clerk then issues both parties in the domestic partnership a certificate of registration. The proof of registration may be used as evidence of the existence of a domestic partnership relationship. None of the communities appear to require annual registration, and it is up to the individual to make modifications if they no longer live or work in the community in which they are registered. Discussion ensued about the logistics of such a registry. Rozanski suggested if a implementation of a registry was recommended to Council, to also recommend recognition of domestic partners among the City's employees in terms of benefits (in the event this is not already happening). Koivumaki will get clarification on the City's current policy. Spera commented Eden Prairie should not be left behind this trend. While it is largely symbolic, it means a lot to the people who benefit from it. Rozanski volunteered to help Koivumaki put together a proposal to bring back to HRDC for review. B. MANIFESTO Koivumaki reported the City Attorney advised against making changes or additions to the "religious affiliation" wording in the Eden Prairie Manifesto. The language used in the Manifesto is the language the State of Minnesota uses for protected classes. Implementing additional language detracts from the State language and could pose problems. There is no definitive "secular affiliation" description available so it could be applied to Boy Scouts, as well as Ku Klux Klan groups or Posse Comitatus groups. Rozanski stated he didn't see a problem with the proposed language addition since it is more inclusive than what the State uses. Also, undesirable groups can be found in just about every arena so the reasoning doesn't hold merit. Spera recalled Rozanski's initial concern was to cover the absence of religion versus those affiliated with secular organizations. Absence of religion is encompassed within "regardless of religious affiliation". The word "regardless" is key because if religion is protected, it can be inferred the absence of religion is also protected. One could argue they lack sexual orientation and the Manifesto doesn't protect asexuals,but adding the opposite to each class would result in a cumbersome document. Huck said he could see Rozanski's point,but believes the intent was to be inclusive of all yet keep the document short and simple. Rozanski will write and send his position to Koivumaki to forward. In return, Koivumaki will request a written reply from the City Attorney. There was further discussion about the intolerant-of-intolerance tagline on the Manifesto. Commissioners were in agreement the word "tolerate"has a negative connotation and didn't see the sense HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES February 10, 2011 Page 4 in having the statement remain as is on the Manifesto. Koivumaki will bring this up with the City Attorney as well. C. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Koivumaki reported based on committee feedback, a decision has been made to continue the spirit of the International Festival on an on-going basis by integrating it with the Staring Lake summer concert series rather than having it as an annual stand-alone event. Spera didn't recall receiving the email about this; Koivumaki will forward it to her. D. ARTICLE ON SOMALI GIRLS Spera clarified a Star Tribune article she had previously mentioned about Somali girls was more about them being unhappy and having a hard time adjusting here than about them suffering from depression. They come here and move in with extended family where they are forced into a servant role rather than living with their own mothers. They don't get to participate in the activities their friends do and they're looking to escape. The culture shock is difficult for them and some eventually end up running away and getting into prostitution. Addressing these problems may not necessarily require an expert. Just providing an outlet where the girls can hang out and talk might suffice (similar to the after-school program for Somali youth once offered at the senior center). The downfall is the girls may not have the freedom to participate. Koivumaki mentioned she has not been made aware of a need for help in this area but she did talk with Kerry, the resource coordinator in her office, and she said Cornerstone is an advocacy service with a presence in the high school which might be able to offer assistance. Spera agreed it wouldn't be a stretch for Cornerstone to provide a forum with trained facilitators for teenage girls since they already run support groups. Huck suggested Teens Alone would also be able to offer a safe haven. Existing resources should be looked at before starting something new. Sanders recommended gathering information from the high school and Cornerstone to see if there is a need. Rozanski suggested creating an outlet if one does not already exist and publicizing resources to those who could benefit. Spera will forward the article to Koivumaki to distribute to the other commissioners. Borsch relayed a story about a Somali girl at his school who expressed she had more difficulty and problems with other Somali kids than peers who were here before she arrived. Apparently there is a lot of conflict surrounding this and he has observed the division this has created first-hand. The peer counseling program at the high school is a popular program,but the resources for Somali girls is unknown. VII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS Spera expressed being upset by reports of families featured on the news about the school boundary changes and wondered if there was a need for HRDC to get involved. The HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES February 10, 2011 Page 5 issue had previously been residents wanting neighborhood schools, but rather than having their kids attend school an extra five or ten minutes away, they have now decided to send them even farther away to Minnetonka. It would seem it isn't so much about wanting neighborhood schools as it is about not wanting diversity in the schools. One family justified the move by stating they didn't like the way the District handled the issue; another said they had lost trust in the District. Segregation at the high school begins by having unbalanced elementary schools. VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next HRDC meeting will be Thursday, March 10, 2011, 7 p.m. at Eden Prairie Center, Room 125. IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Rozanski moved, seconded by Huck, to adjourn. Motion carried 4-0. Chair Spera adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m.