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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 05/12/2011 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 7:00 P.M., 125 EDEN PRAIRIE CENTER Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: Pam Spera(Chair), Peter Huck (Vice Chair), Linda Crawford, Gayle Sanders, Robert Rozanski, PG Narayanan, and Zina Nourkadi 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 Vice Chair Huck called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Commissioners Crawford and Rozanski and Student Representative He Li were absent. Spera arrived at 7:30 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Sanders moved, seconded by Narayanan, to approve the agenda. Motion approved by informal consent. III. MINUTES MOTION: Sanders moved, seconded by Nourkadi, to approve the April 14, 2011 minutes. Motion carried 4-0. IV. NEW BUSINESS A. PRESENTATION ON DIVERSITY TEXTBOOK Postponed due to Crawford's absence. V. REPORTS FROM STAFF - Koivumaki A. HUMAN SERVICES REVIEW COMMITTEE (HSRC) The General Fund funding cycle for 2012-2013 will begin in June. Approximately $160,000 in local tax dollars will be allocated to human services. Unlike federal funds, these funds are not tied to income eligibility. Currently- funded groups include: Teens Alone, PROP, Meals on Wheels, Storefront, Family Center Plus, YMCA, Senior Community Services. Federal and State budgets for social services have been cut, so the demand for local funds may increase. Groups receiving funding seek matching dollars, and it helps policymakers to understand HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES May 12, 2011 Page 2 the return on their investment and how these groups work together. One of the services these funds support is a social worker who works closely with fire and police personnel on hoarding cases involving the elderly. Hoarding can create health and fire hazards as well as housing issues if left unchecked. B. BIAS CRIME ACTIVITY STATUS No update. C. OTHER REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. Best Buy Grant Balance is $5.10. VI. OLD BUSINESS Huck inquired about following up on the high school behavior issue discussed at last month's meeting. Koivumaki apologized for forgetting to include it on the agenda and added it under Old Business. A. DOMESTIC PARTNER REGISTRY/MANIFESTO WORDING CHANGE Koivumaki reported HRDC will present the Domestic Partner Registry and Manifesto Wording Change proposals to City Council in a workshop at 5:30 p.m. on August 16. This is a study session for council members to learn more about these topics and ask questions. Audience members cannot ask questions during the workshop. Commissioners are expected to attend and should plan to assemble at 5:00 p.m. that day. Koivumaki will send copies of the informational packets Rozanski prepared on these topics to Narayanan and Nourkadi as well as email meeting specifics. Spera arrived at 7:30 p.m. B. RESPONSE TO INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BY EPHS STUDENTS Huck explained he and Koivumaki had difficulties finding a time to meet to draft a letter as discussed at the last HRDC meeting;however, Koivumaki has since learned, according to Sergeant Brent Dupont, that Athletic Director Mike Grant reported the behaviors were dealt with at several levels including the coaches, the principals, and the superintendent. In addition, the Lake Conference is doing a video campaign called "Super Fan" to discourage and to continue to address such behaviors. Narayanan stated a letter should still be sent; the only piece missing in the loop is the parents. Koivumaki said she will ask Sergeant Dupont about parent involvement and let him know she would like to be kept updated. Although not reported in the newspaper article, Grant spent a significant amount of time dealing HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES May 12, 2011 Page 3 with this issue. She anticipates the video campaign will roll-out at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. VII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS The Commissioners enjoyed the banquet last evening. Huck couldn't be there but he did attend the Eden Prairie Reads event and gave a summary of the event's activities. Koivumaki announced three more events in the series are yet to be scheduled, one this fall and two in 2012. One of them will address the turmoil and uprising in North African countries and how this has affected people in the Eden Prairie community. Nourkadi agreed the community is impacted since there are residents with family connections there. She explained the situation facing Tunisians and asked what HRDC can do to help. Koivumaki replied the point of the series is to educate and to bring awareness rather than to request action. It is possible there could be some resulting impact since members of City Council attend these forums and they have connections at the national level. Narayanan said individuals can seek assistance at the federal level from their senators. Narayanan inquired if the HRDC has a strategic plan or if things are dealt with on an ad hoc basis and, if ad hoc, should a vision be created. Koivumaki explained there are some activities that are cyclical, and there are workplans for other Commission-driven items. She will pull out the workplan template for Narayanan to review. An overview of HRDC can be found on the City's website under Boards and Commissions. Spera added that the Commission does not have a formal process for setting goals for a 12-month period,but rather as ideas come up plans are created to carry out those goals such as what was done for training the commissioners in conflict resolution. Unfortunately time is a limiting factor since HRDC only meets once per month,but brainstorming ideas could be assigned as homework. Huck reported he, Spera, and Koivumaki attended the Human Rights Awards presentation. Spera commented the recipients were pleased. Nourkadi asked if ideas or work performed by a commissioner to benefit the community needed preapproval. Koivumaki replied any work done by a commissioner in the name of their respective commission needs to go through the commission first and receive Council approval, if necessary. Spera explained, for example, a commissioner cannot write a letter to the newspaper editor and use their title without commission approval because it would infer the letter is the opinion of the commission when, in fact, it may not be. Huck explained another thing commissioners need to be careful about is the open meeting law. Business cannot be conducted outside publicly announced meetings. Koivumaki further explained two people can talk to each other and up to three commissioners can serve on a subcommittee not conducting business. Nourkadi explained her idea of providing alterations to income-eligible students for prom. Some ideas include using the consumer sciences room(already outfitted with sewing machines) at the high school, providing student volunteers with community service hours, and training volunteers to do fittings. Borsch definitely sees a need in this area. He heard an account of one girl who didn't have money to buy a prom dress. She HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES May 12, 2011 Page 4 found one at his school's recent dress drive but it was too big, and she was faced with the problem of finding the means to get it fitted properly. Narayanan stated the Commission's role would be to define the parameters such as the application process and the capacity. HRDC would also need to recruit and organize skilled volunteers. Commissioners supported Nourkadi's idea. Sanders suggested this would be a good workplan item. Spera recommended procuring dresses so it could be a one-stop shop for selecting and altering prom apparel. Narayanan inquired if HRDC can fundraise. Koivumaki said they cannot solicit funds but they can apply for grants. VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next HRDC meeting will be Thursday, June 9, 2011, 7 p.m. at Eden Prairie Center, Room 125. IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Huck, to adjourn. Motion carried 4-0. Chair Spera adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m.