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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Human Relations Commission - Meeting Date: 11/13/2019Glendale A R I Z O N A AMENDED MINUTES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION CONFERENCE ROOM B2 5850 W. GLENDALE AVE. GLENDALE, ARIZONA 85301 NOVEMBER 13, 2019 5:30 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER Meeting was called to order by Chair Sandi Truelove at approximately 5:40p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Salvador Obregon Jr., Commissioner Elizabeth Brooks, Commissioner Kelly Carbello, Commissioner Kirstin Flores, Commissioner April Greer, Commissioner Barbara Lentz, Commissioner Eva Ndavu, Commissioner Sandra Truelove, Commissioner Also Present: Brittany Leslie, Staff Liaison Joyce Clark, Vice Mayor 3. CITIZEN COMMENTS None. 4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES a. Human Relations Commission Minutes of October 9, 2019. A motion was made by chair Sandi Truelove, seconded by Commissioner Barbara Lentz. AYE: Commissioner Salvador Obregon, Jr. Commissioner Elizabeth Brooks Commissioner Kelly Carbello Commissioner April Greer Commissioner Sandi Truelove Commissioner Barbara Lentz Commissioner Eva Ndavu Commissioner Kristen Flores Passed 5. NEW BUSINESS 1. Vice Mayor Joyce Clark introduced herself and explained what the Government Services Committee (GSC) does and proposed three suggestions to the Commissioners from the Government Services Committee. Vice Mayor Clark explained the three missions that the council had in mind when creating the Human Relations Commission. The first mission is for the commission to make recommendations to council on ways to encourage mutual respect and understanding among all people. Mission two of the commission is to discourage prejudice and discrimination. The last mission is to support cultural awareness and unity within the community. Vice Mayor addressed the quorum issues and proposed the commission change the number of members to decrease the quorum requirement. Vice Mayor Clark also proposed the commission change their name. Vice Mayor Clark also mentioned three council members are willing to provide seed money for future events. Vice Mayor Clark was unable to provide a specific amount at the time. Lastly, Vice Mayor suggested that a liaison from the City Inclusion Network be added to the commission on a temporary basis to offer suggestions and assistance. Commissioners asked why vacancies haven't been filled to maintain a commission, let alone a quorum. Commissioner Elizabeth Brooks made a motion to reduce the commission to seven (7) members upon an attrition basis. Commissioner Lentz seconded. There was unanimous consent on this motion. Commissioner Truelove expressed issues with communication in the pastand asked how to properly communicate with council and was advised to communicate through the staff liaison to the GSC. Commissioners tabled the motion not to change the name of the commission at this time. Commissioner Obregon, Jr., mentions being open to a possible name change in the future but was confused by possible name change in the ordinance, changing the name of the Human Relations Commission to the Commission of Culture and Diversity and changing the website from 14 members to 7 members. The action item that resulted from this discussion was to have Staff Liaison Leslie check the ordinance and confirm the name of the commission has not been changed and remains as the Human Relations Commission. Commissioner Carbello confirmed with Vice Mayor Clark that the Commission should hold off on a formal survey at this time. 2. Commissioner Truelove confirmed the Inclusion Network Liaison is a city employee. Commissioner Ndavu asked if the liaison would be a voting member and Vice Mayor Clark confirmed that the liaison would not be a voting member. Commission Obregon, Jr. asked what the Inclusion Network Liaisons responsibility would be to the Human Relations Commission. Vice Mayor Clark explained the liaison would be advisory by showing strategies and methods the inclusion network does to make their events as inclusionary as possible. Commissioner Carbello mentioned the interest in having a presentation from a member of the City's Inclusion Network before requesting a staff liaison be assigned from the Inclusion Network. Commissioner Lentz brought up the survey and asked what the status was on the survey after spending two years on it. Commissioner Obregon, Jr. made a motion for a member of the City's Inclusion Network to give a presentation on who they are and to obtain additional information. Commissioner Brooks seconded. There was unanimous consent on this motion. The action item that resulted from this discussion was to have Staff Liaison Leslie invite a member of the Inclusion Network to give the commissioners a presentation. 3. Commissioner Carbello thanked Vice Mayor Clark for attending the meeting and for working through things with the Commission. Vice Mayor Clark expresses the concern from the GSC about the Commission's quorum issues and that the GSC wants the Commission to be successful and do well. Commissioner Obregon thanked Vice Mayor Clark for attending the meeting and providing more direction and clarification on what the commission should focus on moving forward. On behalf of the Commission, Commissioner Truelove thanked Vice Mayor Clark for clearing up information and for being open to discuss and answer questions, in addition to clarifying the purpose and intent of the commission, as well as strategies. Commissioner Truelove mentions the commission will communicate with the GSC moving forward to help maintain a relationship between the Commission and the GSC. 4. Commissioner Truelove revisits the strategic plan and why the Commission created the strategic plan. Commissioner Obregon, Jr. explained the process of creating the strategic plan. Commissioner Carbello mentions the strategic plan was formed around the survey and recommends the plan gets changed to fit the goals of the commission moving forward. Commissioner Truelove requests commissioners to start reviewing the SWOT analysis for the strategic plan. 5. Commissioner Truelove proposed that meeting dates get sent to everyone using Google or Microsoft Calendar invites to Commissioners to accept to show who will be attending meetings moving forward. The action item that resulted from this discussion was for Staff Liaison Leslie to send out Google Calendar invites to staff of all future meeting dates and times. Commissioner Truelove requested that an addendum to the minutes be added to include all meeting dates and times starting with January until December 2020. 6. STAFF REPORTS There were no additional items reported by staff. 7. COMMISSION COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS a. Commissioner Truelove wants to start putting the commission's action plan items and the strategic plan on a website that the commission can view, comparable to a SharePoint to allow all to see what's going to be worked on at the next meeting. Commissioner Carbello asked Staff Liaison Leslie to make sure it is Open Meeting Law compliant. b. Commissioner Greer mentions the commission is more detailed that what she initially thought it would be. c. Commissioner Ndavu states that she will no longer be on the commission next year as she was appointed only for a one-year term and will be moving to the Library Board, and she hopes her council member has founds a replacement for her. d. Commissioner Obregon, Jr. confirms term expiration dates based off the Human Relations Commission website. Commissioner Brooks expressed her need to resign at the expiration of her term due to other obligations. e. Commissioner Flores expressed her appreciation for the meeting and moving forward with the Commission. f. Commissioner Carbello mentioned an upcoming presentation that discusses families of those with special needs and interacting with the police and expressed her interest in wanting to have something like that brought to the commission. 8. NEXT MEETING The next regular meeting of the Human Relations Commission will be held on December 11, 2019 at 5:30 p.m., in Conference Room B3, 5850 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, Arizona, 85301. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:17 p.m. upon a unanimous affirmative vote on a motion made by Sandi Truelove and seconded by Commissioner Carbello. The Human Relations Commission meeting minutes of November 13, 2019 were submitted and approved this 25th day of February, 2020. Recording Secr ary