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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 02/09/2017 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 7:00 P.M., Eden Prairie Center Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: PG Narayanan (Chair), Sana Elassar(Vice Chair), Greg Leeper, Leslie Philmon, Shahram Missaghi, Ann Martinka, Joan Howe-Pullis STUDENT MEMBERS: Nia Colebrooke, Asiya Gelle, Ashwin Senthilkumar, Adrienne Retzlaff, Angela Lin, Carter Rislove COMMISSION STAFF: Molly Koivumaki, Staff Lorene McWaters, Recording Secretary I. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. Commissioners Elassar and Howe-Pullis were absent. II. INTRODUCTIONS Housing and Community Services Manager Molly Koivumaki introduced herself to the group. Koivumaki will be the HRDC's temporary staff liaison while Patricia Fenrick's replacement is being hired and acclimated. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Martinka moved, seconded by Leeper to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JANUARY MEETING MOTION: Leeper moved, seconded by Philmon to approve the minutes as amended by Koivumaki. Motion carried 5-0. V. OLD AND NEW BUSINESS Humans of Eden Prairie —Mark Weber, executive director of the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, provided an update on the project Humans of Eden Prairie Project. He said Fenrick had introduced the idea for the project to him a couple of months ago. This project aims to highlight people from all walks of life who live and/or work in Eden Prairie. Human Rights & Diversity Commission Minutes February 9, 2017 Page 2 Weber said he feels the piece currently missing from the project at this time is structure— timelines, etc. He noted it can be difficult to get projects that are not time sensitive underway. Colebrooke said she feels the way the project is currently structured will result in something less authentic than the projects it is emulating, in particular the Humans of New York and Humans of Minneapolis. She said the profiles produced for those projects are more "in the words of rather formal articles. She said she wants to make sure authenticity is not lost in the process of producing the profiles. Martinka suggested forming a subcommittee that could work with Weber to shape the project and move forward. Colebrooke expressed frustration that it seems to be taking a long time for the project to take off. Eden Prairie Reads —Koivumaki gave an update on upcoming Eden Prairie Reads events. Student commissioners Lin, Colebrooke and Retzlaff volunteered to help at the author event on March 6. VI. REPORTS OF STAFF Koivumaki gave a staff report that included updates on affordable housing, housing preservation, service to tenants, the Tapestry project, Sanctuary City status, Listening Sessions /Police Community Relations Task Force, the Human Rights Awards, and an inquiry from Three Rivers Park District. AFFORDABLE HOUSING There are three specific areas of affordable housing that staff works on; acquisition of new units, preservation of existing units and service to tenants and landlords to prevent evictions and address quality of life issues. Acquisition of New Affordable Housing Units • Staff is working with a developer of a senior housing project that may include a percentage of affordable units. The project will go before City Council in March for final approval. • Staff is working with a developer on a multi-family housing complex near the southwest station area. This development may require financial assistance from the city, which would result in a percent of the units set aside as affordable. No formal application has yet been submitted. • Staff has received several inquiries from developers of multi-family housing who are looking at the old IHOP site. Staff will encourage developers to include affordable units. Housing Preservation • City Council authorization to issue bonds to fund a large scale renovation at Prairie Meadows Apartments. The owner of this development agreed to extend the affordability obligation with HUD for an additional 20 years. The obligation was due to expire in 2017 and could have resulted in the loss of 168 units of affordable family sized units. Human Rights & Diversity Commission Minutes February 9, 2017 Page 3 Service to Tenants/Landlords o Staff assisted a family at Briar Hill who had been displaced by a fire which destroyed the unit. Management did not want to allow the family to continue to live at the development. Staff negotiated with the property management company, the property owner and, with the assistance of Legal Aid, was able to get the owner to allow the family to continue to lease an apartment during the restoration period and to move back into the unit when repairs are complete. TAPESTRY PROJECT Staff met with PROP to work on the next Tapestry series: • Five-week series, April 18 —May 20, Thursday evenings, will end just prior to the start of Ramadan which is approximately May 26 —June 25 h • City staff will be responsible for speakers from Police/Fire, ECHO for tenant training. City staff will work on "door knocking" to get the best tenant participation. • PROP will be responsible for Financial Literacy training, nutrition classes • The name Tapestry needs to change, there is no easy translation for it in Somali and it caused confusion with some people believing it was a sewing class SANCTUARY CITY STATUS Staff followed up with the City Manager on Commissioner Howe-Pullis mention of an "opportunity for the HRDC to explore whether or not Eden Prairie could or should become a sanctuary city." The City Manager advised that this is not something we want to pursue. He offered to explain further when staff meets with him to debrief on the February HRDC meeting. LISTENING SESSIONS/POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS TASK FORCE The Listening Sessions to provide tenants at Prairie Meadows, Briar Hill, and perhaps other apartment complexes in Eden Prairie, and the Task Force on Police Community Relations will be developed and organized in coordination with the hiring of a new staff person to take over the Community Services Coordinator position. HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS To date, five nominations have been received. INQUIRY FROM THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT A supervisor from Three Rivers Park District, who is also an Eden Prairie resident, reached out to staff after reading the "One connection at a time" article in the EP News, Feb 2°edition. That organization has been trying to encourage members of the Somali community to use the many amenities that the Park District has to offer. They would like to meet with staff and set up a presentation to a group of Somali parents to show they what they have to offer. XIII. NEXT MEETING—March 9, 2017 IX. ADJOURNMENT Human Rights & Diversity Commission Minutes February 9, 2017 Page 4 MOTION: Missaghi moved, seconded by Martinka, to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Motion carried 5-0.