HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-13 TranscriptionJanuary 13, 2015 Iowa City City Council Special Work Session — Racial Equity & Diversity Issues
Council Present: Botchway, Dickens, Dobyns, Hayek, Mims, Payne, Throgmorton
Staff Present: Markus, Fruin, Karr, Steffen, O'Brien, Bowers, Dilkes, Hargadine, Hart,
Bramel, Andrew
Others Present: McCarthy (UISG)
Staff Presentation:
Hayek/ Well why don't we, uh, go ahead and get started. I know there are individuals who are
still trying to get seated in the back, but in the interest of time I think we should go ahead
and get started. I want to welcome everyone to the Council's work session on equity and
diversity issues, um, and uh... express our gratitude that you're here! We're here in a
spirit of openness, uh, and to listen, uh, and to have some conversation and I hope you'll
excuse the, uh, physical arrangement. This is the best we could come up with with ... in
this room to make it a little more informal, while yet accommodating a crowd in a room
like this. Um, I ... I think it'll work! Uh, so ... uh, the ... the very basic pro ... approach
we're taking to this evening, uh, is we're scheduled for a couple of hours. We're going to
start with a very brief, uh, presentation from our staff to give us some context and to
bring us up to date on some, uh, goings-on. Uh, and then we're going to open it up for an
hour, uh, for community input. We want to hear from you. Um, and then we will at the
end of the meeting, uh... uh, turn it back down so that the Council can discuss, uh, what's
before us and ... and absorb and talk about what we hear from you this evening. So, with
that I'll turn it over to staff!
Markus/ So we're going to attempt to, uh, meet your time constraint of 15 minutes; uh,
Stefanie's going to start. She's going to talk, uh, about the Equity Report, and then I'm
going to frame some of the issues that we recommend the Council consider so that you
have somewhat of a stepping off point to discuss, uh, some ... ideas. Uh, the objective of
this meeting as I understand it is to give the public a chance to get up here and... give you
some ideas that they'd like to see this community move forward with, but ... uh, staff got
together and we took a lot of ideas and made some recommendations, as well. So we
hope you'll consider those, urn ... as well as what the, um, citizens here in the community
suggest to you as ideas to go forward. So with that I'll turn it over to Stefanie.
Stefanie's... very concerned that (mumbled) to complete this in 15 minutes (laughter) so
we're going to be pacing each other and trying to time each other, so I ... I hope there is a
degree of lenience before it's all said and done.
Hayek/ And you know I neglected to introduce to the audience our staff members, and their
backs are turned to you because they're talking to us right now, but this is Tom Markus
our City Manager, and Stefanie Bowers, who's the Equity Director for the City of Iowa
City. So ... with that, Stefanie!
Bowers/ Okay, thank you. And ... this is a very brief overview of a presentation that I, uh, did,
uh, for the City Council in November, um, and as, uh, Tom mentioned, we are, um,
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working kind of under time constraints and so I will, uh, be going through this, uh, as
thoroughly but also as quickly as I can. So to provide some, um, background on, uh,
racial equity and diversity here in Iowa City, in June of 2012, uh, the City Council, um,
by way of a recommendation from the Iowa City Human Rights Commission, created the
Ad Hoc Diversity Committee. And the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee had, um, the ... they
had a very defined purpose — to look at minority populations as it related to City
operations and services, with focus on the Citizens Police Review Board, uh, the Police
Department, and Transportation Services, and the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee met for
approximately nine months, and during that time they held community forums, they also
met with City staff and reviewed, um, reports and data. And based upon all of that
information that, uh, they received, they devised a set of recommendations that they
presented to the City Council in the spring of 2013. And those, uh, recommendations
were then given to staff for comment and implemented by resolution, um, in June of 2013
by the City Council. So when we think about the purpose of the Ad Hoc Diversity
Committee and also the recommendations that, uh, they subsequently produced, um, the
purposes of those recommendations was obviously to improve outcomes for minority
populations here in Iowa City, and also provide better access to, uh, City services and
programs, while creating a ... accountability and transparency on the part of City staff in
making sure that we follow through with those, uh, recommendations. So the
recommendations, which are over 30, um, are updated quarterly in what we call the
`diversity implementation form' or the DIF, and that is available on the City's web site
under the `diversity initiative' link. As a response to the, uh, recommendations, uh, the
City Manager created a Diversity Task Force, which is an internal staff, uh, committee
that meets regularly to go over the, uh, recommendations. He also created my position as
the Equity Director, and then the actual recommendations from the Ad Hoc Diversity
Committee, um, made the requirement of an annual Equity Report. So when we talk
about equity, um, what we're looking at is, uh, or what we're looking for are just
opportunities and outcomes for individuals. And this next slide is just the race and
ethnicity breakdown in Iowa City, uh, based upon the Census from a few years back, and
as you can see, the majority of, um, Iowa City residents are, uh, white, uh, blacks
represent 5.8%, uh, Hispanic 5.3, Asian or Pacific Islander 6.9, and then American Indian
or Alaskan Native .2%. So keeping these statistics in mind in, um, moving forward on
the first annual Equity Report, uh, which was, uh, produced in, um ... August, or I should
say published in August of, uh, this ... of 2014, um, it showed that we had, uh, under-
representation of people of color that are serving on City boards and commissions, and
City boards and commissions play a very important role in local government. They all...
they usually are advisory to the City Council and have the power to make
recommendations to the Council, so it's very important for a community to have diverse
representation on City, uh, boards and commissions. We did a voluntary survey of
current, um, board and commission members. Uh, we only received 80 responses out of
131, um, individuals who serve, but ... it gives us, uh, kind of a snapshot of the
representation of boards and commissions. Um, but of the 80 responses, it showed that,
uh, 67 of those, uh, who responded identified as, uh, white, uh... 51 were over the age of
65, and 38 reported having annual household incomes of over 100K. When we also look
at City employment, it also shows, um, underrepresentation, um, in regards to persons of
color. In 2013 the City employed approximately 1,100 employees, and of that number,
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only 7%, um, are persons of color. So as a result of the recommendations from the Ad
Hoc Diversity Committee, as well as some of the data contained in this first annual
Equity Report, what are things that the, uh, City is trying to ... to do to increase the
diversity of our staff, as well as our boards and commissions? And one of the things
we're trying to do is improve, um, our advertising, looking at how we advertise, where
we advertise, uh, trying to get feedback from, um, individuals on what is the best way to
let, uh, diverse populations know of these opportunities with either City employment or
on City boards and commissions. We also last year started training staff on cultural
competency. This year we hope to expand that to include implicit bias training, and um,
when we did the cultural competency training last year, we did, uh, try to evaluate, um,
and get, uh, some sort of understanding on whether or not the terms and concepts are
being understood by City employees by way of evaluations that we handed out
afterwards. Um, the Human Resources Department is also planning on having several
job fairs throughout the community that will advertise, uh, City jobs, and then we're also,
um ... tracking peop... the applications that we receive for City employment, and also for
City boards and commissions, and we're tracking those to see ultimately who is
appointed, or who is hired, um, to determine whether or not, uh, there may be things in
our process that are serving as barriers for persons of color, either in the appointment
process for boards and commissions, or um, in the hiring process here at the City. So
when we look at the, uh, Police Department for 2013, it shows that the police made
approximately 6,400 arrests, and of that number, uh, the majority of those arrested
were ... would be identified as white, um, individuals at 69%. However, when you look at
the, uh, percentage of, uh, blacks and Hispanics in comparison to their, uh, population in
the Iowa City community, um, with blacks representing 29% of those arrested, and um,
Hispanic individuals representing 9%, it obviously, you know, demonstrates and shows a
disproportionality or overrepresentation, as far as arrests, um, here in Iowa City. So in
response to those numbers, and also the Ad Hoc Diversity, um, recommendations, the,
uh, Police Department, um, has started doing several things. Um, one is that they
participate in diversion programs. They're currently participating in a diversion program
that is for first-time youth offenders who are charged with disorderly conduct. They also
have, uh, begun to do more community policing. They have a full-time, uh, community
response officer. They also, uh, have been participating for several years in a study, um,
being done by Dr. Barnum at St. Ambrose University that is looking at, uh, traffic stops,
searches, and arrests by race and ethnicity. Uh, the Police Department, as well as Dr.
Barnum, reported out on the study in June of last year, and there are plans of always
reporting out to not only the Council but to the community on the status of those studies.
Um, the Police, uh, Department is also trying to increase the diversity, um, within their
ranks, as well as they require all, uh, police officers to receive cultural competency
training. Uh, the Department is currently... currently undergoing cultural competency
training, um, over the next six weeks to accommodate all the different schedules in, uh,
shifts of the Department, and then the command staff of the Police Department also, um,
monitor for indicators of racial profiling, uh, by reviewing audio and video. One of the
things the Police Department, along with the City Clerk's office and the Human Rights
Office have tried to really do in the last year is to get attention out on the various options
a person would have if they want to file a complaint, um, if they feel that they've been
mistreated, um, discriminated against, um, trying to let them know about the Citizens
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Police Review Board and also their options with filing a complaint with the Iowa City
Human Rights Commission, as well. The Police Department has also tried to expand,
um, their, uh, outreach and also build relationships with youth, particularly youth of
color. These are all examples of ongoing programs that the Department has initiated
within the past few years. Uh, Badges for Baseball is a ... a collaboration between
Children of Promise and the Police Department. Uh, the Youth Police Academy was first
held last year, and will be held again this year and they're working with, um, Fredrick
Newell who is the Executive Director of the Dream Center, in, um, making sure that they
have diverse participation in the Youth Police Academy, and then they also have a 3 -on -3
spring basketball league at Southeast Junior High, and they have, um, increased their
visits to local schools for ... for outreach. So as far as the Council, what are some of the
things the City Council could do to improve outcomes and to help with some of these
numbers, these overrepresentations and underrepresentations that we see here in the, uh,
Equity Report? Uh, one of the things the City Council can do is allocate funding. You
can also collaborate with others in the community, whether that's other institutions, other
local governments, at trying to address matters of racial, um, inequity. Um, and one of
the other things that is mentioned in the Equity Report is the Council considering using
some type of review tool, um, to evaluate policies and programs, or even budget
initiatives, prior to implementation to, uh, see whether or not, uh, these new initiatives
would have a disparate impact on persons of color and if they do, are there ways that we
can mitigate those, um, harms, or what can be done to prevent them. So looking forward,
um... opportunities like this evening for, uh, City staff, for the Council to hear from the
community, um, only helps us in trying to eradicate, uh, these disparities that we see.
Um, the input, the feedback, um, helps us in trying to create a welcoming, inclusive
community here in Iowa City. Um, and we do realize that these are initial steps,
urn ... that, um, we're looking at long-term solutions and we are, you know, not going to
have all the answers at first, but that City staff is working and we're working hard at
trying to make a change in the numbers, and we will continue to monitor, evaluate, and
report out to the Council and to the community on our status, um, in the annual Equity
Report. (mumbled)
Markus/ Thanks, Stefanie! So in addition to the items that Stefanie's brought forward, we're
going ... we're going to talk about, um, some things that staff got together and suggested
that the City Council consider in addition to what, uh, the Equity Report suggest we do,
as well. And, urn ... there's five areas that we wanted to focus on — conversation,
accountability, outreach, training, and justice. And I don't know how many people
remember, but at a previous public, um ... meeting we had a number of, uh, individuals in
the community approach, uh, the City, and one of the people in the audience had a
placard and these very sa... uh, five items were on there. We thought they were so well
thought out that we co-opted them as areas of, um ... interest and focus for us to consider.
So we'll start with conversation. Uh, we recommend that the City Council establish
some listening, uh, posts, uh, at various times throughout the year. Uh, and that two
Council Members and key staff attend these listening posts. This was actually a
suggestion, uh, that was previously talked about by Jim, Kingsley, and... and Susan of the
City Council. And there'd be focus areas that we would be focusing on in these listening
posts. Uh, we'd focus on police issues, housing issues, employment, uh, transportation
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issues, and also on education issues, which we'll probably have to bring the School Board
into to have those kinds of discussions. Uh, another part of the conversation is to
establish, uh, staff roundtables. And we would schedule, uh, small regular scheduled
informal discussions; uh, we would involve, um ... uh, the leaders, the chairpersons or the
staff members that are assigned to the Black Voices project, the Center for Worker
Justice, uh, Coalition for Racial Justice, and the Human, uh, Rights Commission. Just
have conversations about the ... the status of equity of social justice, of diversity issues
that face our community. Uh, the City staff would consist of myself, the Assistant
Manager, uh, the Police Chief, the Equity Director, and in any particular subject area, the
department, um, that's related to that particular subject. Uh, we'd expand, uh, `coffee
with a cop' programs, uh, increase the number of times that we get out in the community,
and try to get out into different parts of the community, urn ... to make it more
comfortable for our, um, minority populations to approach our police officers, and finally
something that we've offered all along but we don't seem to get a whole lot of
participation in is the police ride-alongs with our police officers on patrol. And quite
frankly, I think those of us that have taken those opportunities, you get to see kind of
what the police officer does up close and personal, and I think you start to develop a
relationship and ... uh, quite frankly like most relationships, it's a two-way street. It's
good for the police officer; it's good for the member of the community to develop a
relationship in that regard. Uh, next area is in accountability. We've had a lot of
discussion about the ... the use of body cameras. Uh, we're still investigating the
emerging technology in terms of, uh, the use of body cameras, but uh, we fully expect
that, uh, we'll be able to, uh, refine a particular product and actually define a request for
proposals and get out on that. Uh, the disproportionate minority contact reporting and
analysis that's being done by St. Ambrose University, uh, we want to get out into the
community, explain what that's about. Um, ultimately the goal of that whole reporting
mechanism is use ... is to use facts, and to reduce the level of, uh, disproportionate
minority comm .... or minority contact in our community. And it seems to me the way
you do that is you have to have factual data to show that there is this disport...
disproportionate minority contact, urn ... and then use those metrics to actually measure
your progress in the reduction of that kind of situation. So, I think it starts with facts and
it probably... those facts are ... are going to help us make a real difference in our
community. Uh, 2013 the Equity Report metrics ... um, our proposal here is to review the
metrics reported, and identify new measures for which, uh, the City will be accountable.
Um, again that's been reported out I think pretty sufficiently by Stefanie at this point.
And the other thing I wanted to talk about was the Police Review Board. This city is the
only city in the state of Iowa that has a Citizens Police, uh, Review Board, previously
called the Polit... uh, Police Citizens, uh... uh, Review Board. And it seems to me that
after 17 years, this is a ... a, urn ... opportunity for us to expand this program into other
jurisdictions. Um, I think what you may not understand is that this creates a lot of, um,
attention to the issue of diversity and equity amongst our police officers that puts the
command staff and your City Manager in a direct conversation about what we consider
appropriate and inappropriate behavior in those kinds of contacts. We have a number of
police jurisdictions here in Johnson County, and it seems to me that the City Council
needs to engage other elected officials ... in the discussion and the promotion of Citizen
Police Reboar ... Review Boards in our other political jurisdictions here in Johnson
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County. Quite frankly it's ... it's something that I think that should probably spread to
cities across the state. Okay, next issues, um, are focused under, uh, outreach, and the
first is, uh, Police Department resources and the, uh, recommendation here is to make
sure that the City Council supports the financial and labor resources in the Police
Department's budget, uh, to ... to carry out the various outreach activities that we
undertake. Council participation, uh, we'd ... we'd strongly encourage the City Council to
get out and engage with our public, uh, and we've had some examples of that just this last
year. We had a number of Council Members and City staff, uh, that had ... that visited the
Iowa City Mosque and the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood ... and there's another, uh, a
number of other events that our Council does participate, along with staff, and I think we
need to do more of that kind of engagement here in the community. In terms of training,
uh, diversity training, the recommendation here is pretty specific. What we're suggesting
is that the Council be involved and participate in the training that's provided internally to
the staff. So as we have different training sessions come up, we will be inviting the City
Council Members, uh, to join us as their schedules permit. Uh, so that they can see the
kind of interactions we're having in our training and uh, also benefit by that training
themselves. Uh, in terms of resources, uh, we're encouraging the Council to ensure that
there's adequate resources to be made available for the training opportunities. In terms of
administration involvement, uh, Council communication of perceived needs for training.
Um, we did have a number of... of individuals in the community make some
recommendations, uh, that a specific, you know, dollar amount was required for ... for
budgeting. It seems to me that more importantly if the community sees a lack of...of, uh,
of sensitivity or, uh, understanding of pert... of particular issues, they need to identify
those to us so that we can make sure that our officers and employees in general are
trained in those areas. Uh, and review of current literature, you know I have a habit of
submitting a number of current articles on, uh, social justice and diversity issues. Uh, we
encourage you to keep reading those. Um, some of the more recent ones, the New York
Times here recently this past week had a couple of excellent articles. One was `Race, the
Police, and the ... and the Propaganda.' Uh, the other one was `When Will the North Face
Its Racism,' which was an outstanding article, and then there's a PBS Town Hall, um,
meeting that was, uh, conducted with Gwen Ifill and that's really worth your time
watching. The articles'll be in your Information Packet, and you can pull up the, uh,
Town Hall meeting on the web sites, uh and ... and review that and it's ... and it's really
worth watching. Uh, in terms of justice, uh, we support the community identification
program. Uh, we recommend, uh, the provision of support and resources for re ... a
regional community I.D. program. Um ... I know the County is ... is kind of taken on the
lead in that regard, uh, but I think it's time for that to move forward. Uh, again the big
issue I think for the idea is how much information is extracted from the persons that will
be issued an I.D. and that's directly relation ... um, the relationship there is directly
proportionate to how beneficial the I.D. will be. So I think that's still being studied to
determine, you know, what level of information we'll extract. Uh, and it's intended to
really to open up access to municipal services, uh, without, um, barring individuals,
um ... uh, to the services that we provide. Uh, finally the Criminal Justice Coordinating
Committee involvement, uh, we recommend more frequent updates from Council
representatives on that committee back to the full City Council. Urn ... we rec... uh,
recommend that the Council, uh, spend the time reviewing the minutes of those meetings.
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There's a lot of information, uh, that goes on in those meetings and I think that
information, uh, will help timely inform the Council of different issues that are going on
in the community. And it's, uh, intended to help the entire Council stay engaged with the
committee and its various subcommittees. Uh, in summary we ... we suggest that there
has to be an honest dialogue, uh, that has to take place in settings with many different
stakeholders, with a focus on building relationships rather than a `silver bullet' solution.
It's pretty clear to us that this is going to be an ongoing, continuing discussion. This isn't
going to be resolved in one, two, three, four meetings. This is going to be a constant
communication and collaboration that's going to have to evolve with our community, to
make sure that we make real progress in that regard. The issues are systemic and
individual. Uh, they're national and local. They're long-term and they're immediate.
The single meeting or committee will not solve all equity -related issues, nor can a single
agency. The community engagement that began with the Equity Report, Ad Hoc
Committee, and the St. Ambrose study and other public reports needs to be expanded.
And with that, we'd recommend that you turn the meeting over to the public so that they
can come up and make comments and you engage the public as those conversations are
(mumbled)
Hayek/ Thank you, Tom, and thank you, Stefanie. So, we'll follow the ... the standard approach,
which is to invite people to come forward. Uh, instead of a podium we've got a place
to ... to be seated. It's a little less formal. Um, we do take minutes and so we need people
to ... to sign in and also to verbally give us, uh, your name. Um ... uh, and I think since
there are so many people here and I assume, uh, many voices who want to be heard, we
encourage you to limit your comments to five minutes or less so that as many people as
possible, uh, can speak. So, you can either sign in here. There are also stickers in the
back if people prefer to get those from... from the doorway.
Olmstead/ Good afternoon, my name's Harry Olmstead. I'm the Chairperson of the Human
Rights Commission. Um, I want to let you know that the Human Rights Commission is
available for the Council in any way ... and respect that we can help in these issues. I also
suggest we are looking at doing listening posts ourselves, but possibly we can do it in
collaboration with the City Council. I think that would be a wonderful, uh, setting for us
to get to know Council Members and to get to know us, but also for us to talk with the
community. Um, I would also suggest the training that Tom was referring to at the end,
uh, for diversity include community leaders, besides, uh, staff and Council Members, but
I would think that, uh, community leaders may want to be included in that. Thank you
very much!
Hayek/ Thank you.
DeLoach/ Good evening. My name is Latasha DeLoach. I am an Iowa City resident. Um, I am
here, um, as a citizen, a mom (laughs), um, and an employee of a government agency, as
well. Um, I'm also here representing Coalition for Racial Justice for those that want
to ... wave their hands and let people know that we're here cause we know that we all
can't get to the mic! So if they want to stand they can or they can wave their hand ... it's
whichever their preference. Um, first off I wanted to applaud the work that already has
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been done by the ... the Council. I mean, with the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee, I was
able to sit on that, as well as the work that's been done with having an Equity Director,
um, and just the different changes with changing even the name to Citizens, uh, Police
Review Board are ... are all small things, but steps that are moving us forward. Um, and
it's encouraging to know that we have folks that actually care and are trying to listen to
what we're trying to say. So I appreciate, um, even the beginning, the lead of saying that
you all are here to be active listeners. If anything I know as a ... a cultural diversity trainer
is that we always recommend people suspend this belief and make sure that they're active
listeners. So, I'm hoping that you all will do that the same tonight as folks come up and
have different things to share. Um, what I would like to do, um, the Coalition for Racial
Justice strongly supports the six actions, um, that's recommended by the Council, uh,
Council Member Botchway, December 1St. Um, and what I do know also as, um, a
member of our local Georgetown Team that's representing our County and ... and work
they're doing to reduce, uh, disproportionate minority contact is that systems need
systems change. So it ... it's going to require you all to do system work. Uh, we can
come from the outside. We can have suggestions and things, but there are things that you
all and the City staff are going to have to do to change policies, practices, procedures that
are happening. I personally recommend that as well as going to, uh, attending some
diversity trainings, that you also become skilled at using a racial equity lens when
looking at policies, practices, as well as budgets. Many times, uh, those are places where
you see disparities come through really quickly when we try to use race neutral, um, kind
of lenses when we're looking at different policies that come. That's how a lot of times
minorities get left out of a system and we become disparities in systems because our
voices, or our presence, was not thought of in that process. Um ... I hope that this is
funded. Um, any work that needs to be done to erase ... years and years and years of
racial injustices will need funding, and ... and I think it's due and we asking you all to
lead, and I'm going to hold you personally accountable because I will come back! I will
come back, um, and to make sure that these things are done because now it is not just me,
it's my children as well. And so I urge you, um, to take the different things that are
suggested tonight and include them in your discussion later. It's going to take a
courageous conversation. It's not a comfortable conversation. It's not, but I hope that
you are willing to be up to that challenge and at that point I'm finished! Thanks!
Hayek/ Thank you!
Malone/ Good evening!
Hayek/ Hello!
Malone/ Uh, my name is Kendra Malone and I am a Iowa City citizen. I was actually born in
this great city. Um, did my bachelor's here and ... and uh, am an employee of the
University of Iowa. Um, so I just want to thank you all for taking the time, uh, out of
your busy schedules to have this really important conversation. Um, I am also
representing the Coalition for Racial Justice, as well as myself as a citizen, and I am
wanting to share with you that I support the six points, um, plan that Council Member
Botchway, um, has submitted to you all. I specifically want to talk about Action Item #1,
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um, which is to publicly acknowledge that we have racial inequalities and disparities in
our city, and that it is urgent that we create a strategic planning session to develop actions
that the City Council can take in order to minimalize and reduce these particular issues.
(clears throat) Excuse me! Specifically I urge us to uplift and centralize the voices and
experiences of people of color in our communities as we move forward with collective
action. It is imperative that community members and leaders alike not get bogged down
by the overwhelming pain that racial inequality causes all of us. Striving towards racial
justice and equity begins with healing the wounds that racism has left in each of us. We
cannot begin to move away from a rhetoric of racial disparity and inequality until we can
publicly name it, and discuss it with open minds and open hearts, knowing that
discomfort will be a part of the experience and being willing to sit in that discomfort as
we move forward. I commend the Council Members for their bravery and for their
commitment as we endeavor to have these hard and conflictual and emotional
conversations about racism in our community. Now is not the time for anger,
defensiveness, or division, but for chance forming our communal pain into opportunities
for each community member to thrive and contribute productively to our Iowa City
community. So with these things in mind, I recommend that it is absolutely vital that the
City report on racial disparities regularly, at least quarterly, and second that we convene a
strategic planning session which will be critical for making sure that we just aren't
talking about these issues, but that there are specific strategies put into place that we can
take collective action on. Um, racial equity must be incorporated into every element of
the overall City strategic plan. Thank you for your time.
Hayek/ Thank you for your comments!
Throgmorton/ Thanks!
Eastham/ Uh, my name is Charlie Eastham with the Coalition for Racial Justice. I'm also the
President of the Consultation of Religious Communities. Just wanted to compliment the
Council on arranging this room today. It's much better to talk here in front of a table
than it is in front of the podium, so thank you. Uh, I'm here to support the six points that
Council Member, uh, Botchway laid out to the Council in his recent, uh,
communications, specifically I'd like to talk about point #3 and 5. Number 3 is to, uh,
Councilman Botchway recommends that, uh, the City adopt some version of a racial
equity too ... tool kit in order to, um, systematically ex ... um, analyze City policies and
actions, uh, and to see if there's any racial inequity invail ... involved in those actions.
Um ... we, uh... we're going to ... there'll be a lot of conversation about policing practices
in this cont ... in this context. I also want to say right, uh, now that, uh, housing is an
important issue. Um, the City ... I have some experience in housing over the last, uh,
couple of decades in Iowa City, and my, uh, personal, uh, view is that City policies and
practices in regards to a number of housing issues have disproportionately affected, uh...
uh, disadvantaged, uh, black residents and Hispanic residents, as opposed to white
residents, and a racial equity analysis can quickly reveal and relatively inexpensively
reveal, uh, difficulties in those areas and they can be corrected relatively quickly
(mumbled) inexpensively, if those analysis are done quickly (clears throat) pursued, uh...
um, persistently, um, and done quite often. Second, uh, Councilman Botchway
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recommended that the Council begin working with other governmental bodies on racial
equity. Uh, specifically the, uh, County Board of Supervisors and the, uh, School
District. The Coalition certainly agrees with, uh, with that recommendation, and uh, I
noticed you've taken some steps already. We'd like to see many more and, uh, them
doing... done effectively, sp... specifically in... in the context of doing racial equity
analysis in interactions with those other two government agencies. Urn ... uh, and we can
also improve, I want to say that the Coalition supports improving the diversity, uh, in the
community, supporting the community I.D. program, and working with the Johnson
County Board of Supervisors to make sure that that program's implemented, uh, speedily
and effectively. Thanks very much.
Hayek/ Thank you for the comments. (several responding in background)
Rummey/ Excuse my cookies! I haven't had my supper yet. I thought this was very important
to be here. Even my old broken car trying to get over here. I am Jan Rummey. I have
lived in Iowa City for 30 years. I am a journalist and I am a writer. Iowa City is a city of
writers! I belong to a number of writers' — no corporation owns us. We are freelance
journalists. We speak truth. I have three ... three or four basic issues to implore and, uh,
to, uh, let people know that we feel as those is extremely important to know and uh,
somehow ... the newspapers and media just don't get it! It's time to get it! Number one,
the lost generation has lost six more years since the failure of the self-governing Wall
Street. They cannot get living wage jobs. They cannot afford to go to college. They
cannot afford ... to buy a home, to have a stake in the economy, and in the community.
They cannot afford to get married. They have no future. They're angry. They have a
right to be angry. This is Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United States of America. The 17 -
and 19 -year-olds. Their home was blown up over there. They have no job. They can't
get married. Same problem here. On the President's desk there's a sign. `It's the
economy, stupid!' That's on the United States' President desk, that was on his desk. Let
us be life -affirming and afford life. Let's stop dealing with the symptoms of the problem.
That's wasting our time. Let's deal with the exact cause of the problem. Uh, this is
difficult for me to sit there and say this. We have done editorials for 30 years on social
systemic problems. We know! Our writers and journalists know! But somehow it
doesn't get out hereto where nobody really gets it. Ferguson. Psych... psychiatric study
was done ... of labelings. They took a group of people and they put one group in guards,
and the other group in prisoners. And turned `em loose to see what would happen. Now
you have to understand, labelings have different values. What happened unfortunately
the study became so violent they had to stop the study. In Ferguson, for example, every
deal down there was labeled. Nobody talked about this, nobody mentioned this, nobody
even got close. It's unbelievable that this could happen. It's in every city, not just
Ferguson. It is a social systemic problem. What is the exact cause of the problem? So
much time has passed, people have forgotten what has caused the social systemic
problem. Civil war, industrial revolution created class structure. The owners of
factories, the hanger-on managers, and the dirt -poor labor producing (can't hear) for the
civil war. It started with the Civil War and class structuring, and has been that ever since.
And has become even more so since. Nobody will say it. I'm going to say it here
tonight. It is class warfare. The haves and the have-nots. It's the economy, stupid! The
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other issue I want to address is blaming the victim. Psychologist William Ryan after the
murder of Martin Luther King wrote his book `Blaming the Victim.' Our editorials have
substance. Eric Fromm, noted psychoanalyst Eri... Eric Fromm, `Running From
Freedom,' 1930s. `Revolution of Hope,' Christopher Lash, 92. `The Betrayal of the
Elites,' `The Betrayal of Democracy,' Joseph Campbell. `Myth and Religion.' `Future
Shock,' Alvin Toffler. We have been warned! It is in those books. Read! If you're
going to be a writer, read.
Hayek/ We will need you to ... wrap up your comments (both talking)
Rummey/ Okay we're going to wrap this up. Then I'm going to tell you exactly what the
problem is. Now whether you accept it or not, it's still out there. It's bigger than
Ferguson. It's bigger than anything else that people are talking about. It has now
become a culture of nihilistic, societal religion that is life denying and affords nothing.
We have to be life -affirming and afford life, and get off of this buckets of blood in the
streets, planes crashing, boats burning, killings in the streets, and... and get to, uh... a
culture that is life -affirming. Uh...
Hayek/ (both talking) We really need to end it. There are people who want to speak. (both
talking) We appreciate your comments, and...
Rummey/ Thank you for your time!
Hayek/ Thank you for your time.
Brooks/ Hello, uh, I am Alicia Brooks, a member of the Coalition for Racial Justice, as well as,
uh, Black Voices Project. (clears throat) Um, I fully support the City Council's
decisions to hold a work session around equity tonight. Um, as I listened to Stefanie
Bowers present the Equit ... Equity Report a few months ago, I thought about areas of
opportunity. Kingsley Botchway and Jim Throgmorton thought the same. Kingsley
suggested the group enter into a discussion about how the City Council can progress
equity and disparities named in the report. I commended Kingsley for this proposal, but I
quickly became frustrated because the City Council, um, didn't seem to share the same
enthusiasm, most of it. Um, in fact, um, you entered into a discussion on whether you
should discuss the equit ... Equity Report further, and then you ended by saying, um, well
you can email ideas around to each other. Um ... equity is an important and highly
relevant conversation. Issues communicated in the report and within the community
around policing, housing, education, school discipline, criminal justice, and community
leadership are concerning as well. Um, too many disparities in this area exist and it's
time to move beyond simply emailing ideas around, um, and researching an already
deeply studied topic and onto conversations about action. Um, recently black community
members from the UI and wider community attended an event labeled `Black Lives
Matter Town Hall.' In just one hour participants strategized around issues found in our
community. We committed to using ourselves as resources. Uh, we all agreed though
that systems in entities in the Iowa City area also must be a part of the solution. We
decided the City Council must explore solutions to common problems, as well. Included
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are public transit issues, um, lack of funding for programs that positive... positively
develop youth, and you must find ways to ease K through 12 issues. This is, um,
something that the School Board discusses, but we all agreed that the City Council can
also, uh, work at a systems' level to try to progress issues. Um, as an example, just last
year, um, the ICCSD School Board sent a memo to mini ... to municipalities stating issues
with, uh, districts... the District's concentrated poverty in schools, connected to
affordable housing. Of course that's an issue that you all talk about. Um, they believe
that munici ... municipalities cannot keep letting builders construct housing in the areas
that fail to establish affordable living options. Um... so that's just one example of how
you can work at a systems' level. So I would en ... encourage you to move along that
path. Um, in addition to that, I also support the six points in Council Member
Botchway's memo. This evening I speak directly to action #6, and especially want to
note the importance of racial diversity of staff, a meaningful and ongoing cultural
competency training. With regard to cultural competency training, it must be
meaningful. It cannot be a one-shot work... workshop. Research tells us that only 5% of
people change their behavior after a one -day workshop. Um, I think in addition to the
research this is just common sense. It has to be ongoing. Um, if you (mumbled) over
time though 95% of people change their behavior. Investing in cultural competency
training is important, but it has to be the right kind of investment over time. I applaud the
Council for considering how to progress equity. Um, again, please remember that this is
systems' level work. Um, as Latasha said earlier, it also has to be funded. Um, the work
also involves acknowledging and confronting the reality that institutional racism and
implicit bias exists, as well. Urn ... so to improve the way that systems function in terms
of equity requires addressing any actors and factors that create, and allow for inequitable
conditions. Um, so in addition to, uh, point #6, on Kingsley's action plan, I also want to
express spec ... uh, specific support for ... I believe it's point #4. Um ... or I'm sorry, of
action #2 rather, in which he says `develop a thriving Diversity Committee. Um, diverse
representation by community on a Diversity Committee is important. If the Diversity
Committee is no longer active, it must be activated or a new task force should be
convened for ongoing regular monitoring of racial equity in the Iowa City area. We
specifically request representative of the Black Voices Project and the Center for Worker
Justice be invited. These two organizations, uh, have a record of productive work with
the School Board and stand committed to working with the City Council on racial justice.
Um, and then specifically we ... we believe that you should shri... excuse me, should strive
to hear from people of color. Um, this can happen by specifically reaching out to people
of color, um, and ... like was stated earlier, maybe you can hold listening posts in different
areas of the community. Um, it just involves getting together and strategizing around
how you can hear, uh, various voices. Um, various people with Black Voices Project can
tell you this is something that the School Board has done. Last year, um, they had
listening posts at coffee shops, the Spot, and other areas in the community, and it seemed
to be pretty effective as far as hearing from various community members. So we
encourage you to do that. Thank you!
Hayek/ Thank you!
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Bakhit/ Good evening. My name is Bakhit. Uh... I'm a citizen of Iowa City since 2008. Uh...
I'm speaking for myself but in a way I'm a part of the Sudanese community here, which
are refugees, now citizen or will be citizens. Uh... in 2012...I have been a member in the
Ad Hoc Diversity Committee. Unfortunately I didn't, uh, attend the last three meeting,
but I was still ask where are the recommendations of that committee because what I see
here is just general... general recommendations. There is no specific thing to be done or,
uh, the City will do. Uh, the only thing I see, I think, from that, there is the community
governing (mumbled) that we see, uh, the City Manager, Markus. We see the Chief of
the Police, and we see one of the Council Member, uh, in that governing. It's very big
governing, but ... it is all ... public relation. There is nothing, uh, more than that. Well it...
it's good. People to be there but it's ... it's not more than that. And I think the City, uh,
must know that they are on the basic level. The Sudanese community here came to Iowa,
uh, attracted by many things. Uh, but ... if they are comfortable now or not that is a
question I can't answer. The main thing I think is ... if I ... ask a question, are (mumbled)
welcome (mumbled) I can't answer yes or no because this is not, uh, a question that will
be answer like this, but ... the answer is ... what the City (mumbled) give to their city, and I
think, uh, we are in, as I said, it's the basic thing. Communication ... uh, reaching out,
knowing the people, what they are problem, what ... they need. What are their needs?
Because these are people who have very vulnerable. They are ... have language barrier.
They have culture barrier, and I think they know very little. So I think they need ... uh,
the City to reach for them and to see what are their problem, and then we can go from
there. Thank you.
Hayek/ Thank you very much! Hello!
Porter/ Hello, everyone! (several talking) My name is Carolyn Porter and um, I am the
Coordinator for the Dream Center's Help Program. It's a reentry program for people
returning to our community after incarceration. I know it's important not only to work on
the back end when people get out of jail and prison, but also to turn around the
disproportionate rate that people of color are arrested and prosecuted in the criminal
justice system. Remedying the disproportionate minority contact that people have with
our Police Department is essential to this. So with that being said ... gotta get my papers
(laughs) I support the six points in Council Member Botchway's memo. I want to talk
specifically about the second part of action. Let me see, the follow through with the
action plan for ... it is the follow through with the action plan for Police Department to
reduce racial, ethnic disparity. Um ... I guess what I want to say is that ... you know,
when ... when the cards are stacked against you, I can speak personally as an African-
American woman, and a minority. So when the cards are stacked against you, it's
difficult to be optimistic about your future. Personally, I... get afraid of profiling. You
know, when I'm driving down the street and I see a, uh, an officer parked to the side, you
know, I literally begin to pray, please don't (laugh) please don't let me get profiled
(laughs) you know, not today! I'm really in a hurry today; not today! But, you know,
this is realistic in my life. You know, another thing that's really realistic for us as
African-Americans is that we don't even want to ride in our cars with three people when
we're all African-Americans. For afraid ... for we're afraid of being stopped! You know,
so ... you know, I want to really be able to feel ... feel free, you know, and not be held in
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some type of bondage of fear, you know, and so you know, one definition that comes to
mind is `isms.' You know, and as it relates to this, it's, uh, thinking that African-
Americans are inherently inferior, therefore unequal treatment is justified. And it's never
justified! So, I guess I want to see that, uh, well I guess `we' because I serve on the
Coalition for Racial Justice, um, Committee, and I guess we want to see the institutional
racism stopped, you know, that's built into our systems of power and social institutions.
And one being the Police Department, you know. (laughs) I was just looking at the
police officers now, like hope I don't get stopped when I leave! (laughs) So ... (laughter)
so thank you very much for letting me share! (laughs)
Hayek/ Thank you for your comments!
Throgmorton/ Matt, I'd like to ... I don't want to ask a question, just to make an observation. I'd
like it at some point to hear more about the difficulty that, uh, African-Americans face
when they're coming out of prison. I ... I understand that that's a huge issue and maybe it
deserves a lot more attention.
Porter/ Hello, my name is Royceann Porter. Um, I totally support the six points in Council
Member Botchway's memo. Um, I want to talk specifically about actions #2 and actions
#4 in the memo. Action #2 is to add public oversight or inclusion in the Diversity Task
Force. And #4 is to develop different ways to engage and incorporate the minority
community. Um, it matters a lot to me that the City Council listens to people of color
here. We don't often get consulted when things come, but we have a lot of ideas for how
to make this city great. It makes me more likely to help out when I feel like I'm being
taken seriously. And, um, I've come before y'all many times, um, just to see this session
go on is ... this is an honor for me. I really do commend you for sitting here listening to,
um, the concerns in our community. I ... I am very honored, I really am, cause y'all know
how many times I have come before you. Um, I've had my own issues here in Iowa City.
Um, whether it be with policing, um, people are calling me on policing issues. I am a
part of the CPRB, um, and I just try to get more and more people to fill out the complaint
for ... um, the complaint forms, and to do things legally. Let's ... you know, trying to
inform people to do the right thing here in this town because what others are used to in
the city that they ... cities that they've come from is not tolerated here. So, there are
many, many times we are out in the community trying to do empowerment and
education, um, on policing, on housing, on education. Um, we have steering committees
for this type of stuff. So, um, as far as, urn ... Carolyn, you being scared to drive your car,
I don't think you'll be stopped. (laughs) Um, we've been working on policing, um, in
this town, um, we've been working on different committees, as far as, um, including one
of the things when I say `oversight or inclusion in the Diversity Task Force,' um, what is
it and could members of the Coalition for Racial Justice, the Black Voices Project, or the
Center for Workers Justice be involved with that, as well, because we are the ones that's
out in the community, already doing the work. So we would like to just add .... we would
like to help out where we could. Um ... as far as listening posts out in the community, I
think that would be awesome, because there are times, um, we've been doing it with the
School Board. We've, uh, the Black Voices Project has been assigned by the schools, uh,
we have a school liaison that meet with us monthly that listens... comes and listens to our
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concerns. And then they take it back to the School Board and they report back to us. So
I think that would be very important, um, to have those listening posts, because not only,
um, there's a lot of people here speaking out, but people in the community, um, parents
can come out. We ... could have bombarded this place today of many people, but it would
have been a lot of issues on policing. And, that's....an issue ... I'm ... I'm happy that
we're able to sit down and talk about this, the collaboration of policing. One of the
things someone asked me to mention was, uh, when an African-American person is
stopped, you know, they might be told that they're stopped for a light, or your light is out,
or you didn't have your signal on, yet the next thing it turns into is the people that's in the
car, and now the officers are on the other side questioning and wanting I.D. from the
other people in the car, in the vehicles. That's a big issue here in ... in our city. And then
it goes from not only that, but the next issue is ... on policing is, when you see an African-
American car stopped, there's not one car or two cars or three cars. There's probably
four police cars and then the next thing is the dogs. So that's one of the issues that I was
asked to speak on. I told `em that I would speak on that piece, but it is something that
happens, and I don't want to say, um ... to me some of the police officers that I deal with
personally I've seen power struck, but I don't think all the Iowa City police officers are
bad because they are not. But it's just something that we need to talk about and you
know need to let them know what's going on out there in the community. We have had
people get in fights and we've had, uh, different people talk about, um„ come and ask
what's going on and yet the next thing you know that person is being arrested for, uh...
inter... interference with police acts. So if you check the records or whatever, there's a
lot of interference with police acts going on, people being arrested for that, or charged,
not arrested. Charged with the interference. So that's one of the things that ... I wanted to
talk about and thanks for listening. Thank you.
Hayek/ Thank you. Thank you very much.
Rebik/ Good evening. My name's Misty Rebik and I'm the Executive Director with the Center
for Worker Justice. Um, I've lived in Iowa City for about 10 years. Um, so I'm here
more than anything, uh, supporting the Coalition for Racial Justice and also expressing
my personal opinion. First though I wanted to thank, um, our sister Carolyn Porter who
just shared, I think, a very important testimony for people to hear about living in Iowa
City, um, and those are the kind of things that I hear every single day at the Center for
Worker Justice. Um, but I also wanted to say first that I support the six points, um, that
Council Member Botchway, uh... uh, supported in his memo, and I'd like to just highlight
three things. Um, so, uh... the City ... the City staff already highlighted (mumbled) Police
Citizen Review Board tonight and how it's the only one here in the state, and I'm really
proud of that; um, however, I think there's a lot of work to do to really improve the
enforcement of the recommendations that the Commission gives the City Council. I
think it needs to be taken more seriously. I think if we're going to ask, um, people in t he
community to sit on that board and that commission, um, to review the complaints that
are being put in it about our local law enforcement, that we have to figure out a way to
give them the power to actually have the recommendations, um, taken more seriously,
more teeth to that commission. Um, secondly I of course I'm here to encourage you, uh,
to continue to work with the ... the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to make sure
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that we're implementing a community I.D., um, here in Iowa City and in Johnson
County, um, this year. Um, there's no doubt that this will definitely address racial equity
issues in our community. Um ... and then finally the current proposals, um, that we've
heard tonight are very important. Certainly will have a huge effect on racial equity if
they're implemented, um, but I just wanted to acknowledge, uh, that the current proposals
are limited on the discussion of the quality of jobs and fair pay in this community. We
know that people of color and people who are working low-wage jobs are vulnerable to
wage theft. Um, and ... and often live in indecent housing. So I would just encourage the
Council as we move forward on this discussion of racial equity, to really think about our
quality of jobs and livable wages, and how that if ... if not, is one of the main things that
affect racial equity in our community. Um, thank you!
Hayek/ Thank you very much. (person speaking away from mic) Thank you!
Rummey/ ...more editorials went in today, and I gave you two editorials to read. Thank you for
letting me sign this.
Curtain/ Hi, guys, I'm Shawn Curtain. Um ... I wanted to, uh... discuss (mumbled) one thing that,
um ... didn't get a lot of coverage until Mrs. Carolyn Porter brought it up, but um ... you
know the ... the purpose of this whole meeting is to talk about, uh, equity in our
community, and so ... you know, there are some things that we know when it comes to,
um, African-Americans and their situation. We know that the average African-American
family has less wealth than the average white family. We know the average African-
American family has worth ... worse healthcare outcomes than the average white family.
We know the average African-American individual has a lower average life span, uh,
than a white individual. And so ... you know, we ... these are very, very serious issues and
we have to understand why are these negative outcomes occurring. Uh, one thing that
I'm interested in is, uh, the racial disparity in arrests and prosecution here in Iowa. So...
you know, when we look at a study from the ACLU National, we know that, uh, African-
Americans are arrested for marijuana 8.3 times more often than white Americans are
arrested for marijuana, despite a usage ... a similar usage rate across all races of about
10%. And so what you have is you have African-Americans who, whether it's ... by
intent or coincidence, or in fact being targeted by our police in this community for
arrests, for drug arrests. And so ... when you have one out of ten people who, uh, use
marijuana, but an African-American is over eight times more likely to be arrested for it,
what you have quite literally is a violation of the principle of civil rights. That the
citizens of this country must be treated equally by the government, uh, and must not
receive unequal or overly harsh, uh, policing actions targeted against them. But that is
what's happening in Iowa City. That's what the police that you're responsible for are
doing. That's what the police you're responsible for are shown to have done through the
City's... through the studies that this government has commissioned. We know it to be a
fact. And so when we have racial disparity in arrests, uh, prosecution, sentencing, and
incar... in incarceration (clears throat) and we go back to the statistics, talking about
where African-Americans are at with ... life span, with family wealth, with, uh, healthcare
outcomes, what we can see is that when you are arrested for engaging in behaviors
which, uh, may or may not be positive, but are in fact human nature, and you are targeted
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and arrested for those behaviors, you go to prison, where you can have violence done
against you. You get a felony record. It's harder to get a job. If you have a felony
record, it's harder to get education and housing. Uh, once you, uh, have these things
happen to you, what we have is something called "the new Jim Crow," and that's the War
on Drugs. It was referred to by a African-American female author named Michelle
Alexander, and so what we have is a permanent underclass of citizens in this country, um,
and it's unacceptable, and so ... basically what you need to realize is, um ... this
government that you're responsible for is hurting people. And it's not right. And, um...
you know, in closing (clears throat) when you take someone out of their community and
you put `em in prison, and they come out and they have a felony record, and they can't
get a job and they can't get housing and they can't get college, that creates a .... a
predisposition, uh, for all sorts of negative things, not only for that individual, but that...
for that community, and you have to understand that, um ... you have to understand that
it's unjust. And more than anything we've been talking a lot of platitudes and
generalities, and I ... I really do appreciate, uh, how much energy and focus has been put
into this report, but very specifically with these undeniable facts. I think a very good step
that you guys could do is you can speak to your Police Chief and your Police
Department, that work for you, and you can tell them to make arrests for non-violent
misdemeanors of drugs their lowest policing priority. You can instruct them to issue
citations in lieu of arrests, and you can lobby on behalf of us citizens to the County
Attorney to not prosecute non-violent personal drug use, uh... whenever possible, and
so... you know many people came here tonight thinking that they should have to lobby
you guys. But I appreciate the step that you've taken, and I hope that you'll lobby on
behalf of the citizens, uh, to your employees the police, and to the County Attorney.
Thank you very much.
Hayek/ Thank you for your comments.
Whiston/ My name's Dorothy Whiston and I was born in Iowa City in the first half of the last
century and have been here a good time since. Uh, I'm also Pastor of First Baptist
Church, and our church is partners with the Dream Center and the Help Reentry Program
that Carolyn Porter talked about. Uh, and I've been a member of the Criminal Justice
Coordinating Committee for ... on, for Johnson County since it began. Um ... we're I think
beginning to make some progress in looking at racial equity in the criminal justice system
in Johnson County, and I really want to invite and encourage, uh, the City to partner with
us, and I hope, uh, make it a priority of something you want to have, uh, happen in the
Metropolitan Planning Organization. I think it's imperative that all the jurisdictions — the
County and all the metropolitan governments, uh, come together to look at issues of
criminal justice. Uh, somebody mentioned that we're talking about civil rights, but we're
also talking about basic human rights. When one class of people, in this case based on
color, but it's also true of low-income people, uh, have their liberty taken away from
them at a disproportionate rate from other people. So, I hope that you will, um, get
involved and make it a priority, not only for the City but for... at the Metropolitan
Planning level, as well. Um, I don't know if you're aware of, but there's a new
organization called `the Government Alliance on Race and Equity.' Uh, it came out of
some of the, uh, county and city initiatives around the country but it's a ... it's an alliance
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of various jurisdictions. Cities join, counties join, states even join. Dubuque is the only
city in Iowa City ... only city in Iowa that has joined this alliance. Urn ... but they do good
work on helping government entities look at race across all of the areas that they ... that
they, well, across all of the areas that they work in, uh, and come up with strategies. I
want to say that 1 am incredibly impressed, both with Stefanie's report and with the
recommendations that Tom and Stefanie put together, uh, from the ... from the report.
Um, I, you know, have been ... begging you all to look at this stuff for three years or for
years now. Um, and I ... it feels to me like we've come a long way and that the ... the tone
of the discussion has changed, and I'm very, very grateful that that's the case, and now I
hope that you will work hard on your own, certainly with the Police Chief, um, and with
other government entities to make concrete steps to, uh, change the disproportionate...
the inequity that we have in many areas in our community. Thank you.
Mims/ Dorothy, what was the name of the alliance again?
Whiston/ It's called the, um ... Government Alliance on Race and Equity...
Mims/ Thank you.
Whiston/ ... and they have a web site.
Mims/ Thank you.
Whiston/ Um, and it came ... the woman who directs it was, uh, the coordinator of the work in the
Seattle, King County, uh, race/equity initiative.
Mims/ Okay.
Whiston/ And now she's at Stanford University.
Mims/ Thank you.
Throgmorton/ Dorothy, is she the woman who's going to be speaking up in Dubuque sometime
within the next week or two?
Whiston/ (away from mic) Yes, yes, she is. Uh huh.
Hayek/ (unable to hear person away from mic) It ... it, we'd be better cause it gets recorded and
this is being televised, so if you can come up. Not ... not live, but it's being taped and it'll
be played later for the community to see (laughter) So, yeah (several talking and
laughing) please do! (laughter and several talking)
Venson Curington/ So, hi, my name is Venson. Um, question about your Council discussion.
Um, how is that going to happen? What is the format of that?
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Hayek/ Well we're going to hear from the audience for a few more minutes and then we're going
to talk amongst the Council and you're welcome to listen and, uh, that's how our meeting
will go, at least this evening.
Curington/ Okay. So we're going to be listeners to a conversation that you're having.
Hayek/ Well, yeah (both talking) but it's ... it's looser than that, and we can ... we can, the ... I
think the audience wants to hear the Council discuss, that's one of the things we've
heard. Um, but there can be a bit of back and forth, and what I'm going to suggest at the
end of all of this is that, uh, anyone who wishes to stick around both Council and
audience, uh, and staff do so, uh, to ... to continue the dialogue.
Throgmorton/ Could I...
Mims/ I think what's important to understand is ... is ... this is kind of the first really public
gathering step of this, and ... and while we haven't formally agreed to it, I think there's
kind of been an informal agreement from Council that we're probably going to set up
some sort of listening posts and ... and outreach in the community more, which will... be
more amenable to actually sitting down and having back and forth conversations than is
necessarily possible in quite as big a group as we've got tonight. But it ... this is kind of a
first step for us to really hear some of the directly some of the communication that people
wanted to bring to us and for them to hear some of our response and then ... I look
forward to the opportunity to breaking that down more one on one or groups of five or 10
or whatever, where we can really have some back and forth.
Throgmorton/ I'd like to add one other point, uh... as Stefanie said in her introduction. Back in
November she gave us a very informative and lengthy report, uh, summarizing the Equity
Report and another document that she, uh, presented to us. We only had about five
minutes to process her presentation to us, so we wanted to schedule a time when we
could actually discuss among ourselves how we wanted to respond to that. And then of
course there was also the events in Ferguson and ... New York City and so on, and the
demonstration here, which I think you participated in, uh, and ... and so we haven't had a
chance to actually process any of that collectively, as ... as a council, in terms of how we
think the ... we should be responding, uh, on behalf of the city. So the ... that's why we're
here and we wanted to get in... uh, advice from members of the community as well.
Curington/ So, thank you, that's helpful. So at 6:15 your goal ... what's your goal by the end of
7:00 then? I get so ... I'm confused about the goal. And I ... I'm trying to seek some
clarity on your goal for this ... at the end of this particular meeting.
Hayek/ Yeah.
Curington/ Your goal!
Hayek/ Sure....
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Curington/ Not ... not the goal of listening to the folks. I want to know your goal!
Hayek/ Well... so, as to the time, our... our initial staff presentation ran over. We didn't get
started with community comment until around 5:30.
Curington/ Sure!
Hayek/ So, as ... we indicated in the agenda, we'll ... we'll be flexible. I think our goal is to, uh,
what was to hear, get an update from staff, which we've received.
Curington/ Sure.
Hayek/ Uh, hear from the community...
Curington/ Uh huh.
Hayek/ ... in... in one more setting, but certainly not the last, and we're talking about doing more
such events like this and the outreach that we discussed, whether it's listening posts and
otherwise. I think this is the be ... this is certainly not the first and absolutely not be the
last point of engagement between us and the community. Um, and... and then to have, at
least this evening, a discussion among Council which, uh, will take up as much as we can
possibly take up of what's on the table, the recommendations, the input from the
audience, etc. It's ... it's a step in a ... series of steps we hope to take as a city.
Curington/ Okay. Thank you! Do I need to sign a book cause I was up here?
Mims/ Yes, please!
Hayek/ Yeah, that'd be great! (laughter)
Curington/ I'm just teasin'! Somebody can come up here! (unable to hear person speaking from
audience)
Hayek/ You know, actually we've got a lot ... we still have people and ... and uh...
Mims/ We've got more!
Hayek/ You can always follow up after the meeting or... or through other means.
Hall/ Good evening, my name is Joseph Hall and I was asked by Henry Harper to, uh, make a
recommendation that he found, um, would be an important recommendation that wasn't,
uh, very explicit in the other recommendations that have been discussed this evening.
Um ... and so it ... I'm going to do my best, uh... the point is, um ... how will the City
create, uh, an... create equity in actual official representation of people of color in
municipal positions. Uh, in government positions. So ... uh, you can see in the Equity
Report that there's disparity in really all positions and uh, especially, um, black people
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are underrepresented in all forms of positions. So, um ... how are you going to ensure that
those positions are filled in an equitable manner? Um, and then beyond that, and an
immediate step, and this is the heart of the recommendation, um, is there needs to be
people of color who have official positions in City government that, um, and that... and
that these people, uh, are preferably paid but if monies the barrier, make them volunteer
positions, because there's people who do this anyway, um, but have the official, uh,
capability of bringing concerns from community members of color to government
offices, the appropriate government offices, including City Council, um, so the listening
posts and things like that are ... are good ideas and they should happen, but there should
also be, um, position or positions, um, of...filled by people of color who are able to, uh,
have the trust and engage in, uh, frank conversations, go out to, uh... community centers,
churches, people's homes — talk to people on their terms and bring those concerns, those
experiences to the City. Um, and I've ... he asked me to ask you this, and maybe you'll
answer me, maybe you won't. I hope that you'll give me something that I can bring back
to him. Uh, he wasn't able to be here. What is your resistance, if any, to a proposal like
that, creating these positions? Um, hopefully you'll discuss it...
Hayek/ Yeah.
Hall/ ...thank you.
Hayek/ Thank you!
Bokassa/ My name is Jerry Bokassa. I was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Grew up in Des Moines.
In the 1960s I did the same thing that we're doing right now. That's how old this game
is. I don't know what you guys were doing back in Martin Luther's, uh, speech of `I
have a dream,' but I was a ... dishwasher, busboy, many a laborer working for $2 or $3,
and when the doors of opportunity opened up with the civil rights movement, I walked
through. I became a construction worker, and became a foreman in Iowa City as a
laborer. I went to California, joined the carpenters union, became a carpenter laborer,
because I went to trade school. Of the arrests by blacks here in Iowa City, the 29% that
are being arrested, how many of `em have criminal records from the past that they're
bringing to Iowa City and continuing their activities. I have a long list of criminals that I
met here in Iowa City that have spent 20 and 30 years in prison, when it only takes four
years to go to a trade school, which is what I went to. The biggest problem in the black
community as of today is poor leadership. Our... our black leaders, such as Jessie
Jackson, Jr., is in prison for stealing money. The Philadelphia guy who was the mayor is
in prison for stealing money. Another guy by the name of Jefferson got busted with
$100,000 in D.C. for stealing money. That's our leadership, and that's why we're in the
condition that we're in right now. Any of these blacks that think that coming to Iowa
City was going to change their lives, uh, to the good is wrong. The whole purpose of
their coming into Iowa City was to collect welfare and get free room and board. The
many that I have talked to have no intention of going to work. And I'm not talking about
getting a job packing toothpaste at the P&G. I'm talking about getting out in cold
weather like today and building houses. None of these black people in this room can
teach any ... teach any of you how to frame a house, how to put in a sewer, how to build a
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sidewalk, or any of that stuff. I can! I learned that when I was in California. In Iowa
City, I was allowed to learn how to drive a dump truck. I also was allowed to learn how
to drive a tractor -trailer. I was also allowed to learn how to run an end -loader. That, one
of those big suckers with the big wheels on it. All those opportunities I got in Iowa City,
so they can't say that there's no opportunity here. If these people don't like the way the
Police Department is being... they're being treated by the Iowa City Police Department,
my recommendation is to give `em a bus pass on the Trailways Busway and send `em
right back where they came from! I am a 1960s Black Panther and I'm on the no-fly list.
Hayek/ Thank you for your comments. It's 6:30 now. We could take one more comment, I
think, and then ... we need to switch over.
Landry/ Good evening, Doyle, D -o -y -1-e, Landry, L -a -n -d as in David -r -y. I originally was not
going to say anything until the journalist to my left said some ... my right, excuse me, said
something about the media. So I had to go get something. (clears throat) For the first
time in its 45 -year history, Essence Magazine changed it up. They have never had a
magazine that did not feature a prominent African-American woman on its cover because
of the subject matter. Um ... for those of us who regardless of race were trained as
journalists we know how to tell the story, and we have to tell it in a way to ensure that
people get the message. And right now in America we're not getting the message about
race. So depending on how the package looks and we can disagree with some of the
things that have come out of packages. We're being very disrespectful to, um, children
of God, regardless of the package. Regardless of how it looks, because what might be
acceptable coming out of my mouth as a articulate African-American man I could leave
this room and come back, dressed differently, say nothing, and you might not like the
package. Um, that is not represented here in the room. We are speaking to the choir, so
to speak, and it takes hard conversation from those who have been marginalized because
of the package of how it appears that is the heart of the conversation, because again for
some of us in the room who are ... packaged nicely and speak articulately, we are no threat
to those who, urn ... currently control things. So, I wanted to go and get representation of
African-American media that's award-winning. Again this can be ... this is sold in CVS.
In Old Capitol. As well as ... I'm still within my five minutes, correct? Okay, cool. With
regard to the Chicago Defender, a, um, 110 -year publication that assisted individuals who
wanted a better life, regardless if it was a ... uh, bus or, um, walking, but the Chicago
Defender's 110 years this year, and again as African-American owned media, we control
our message, we control our media, and we tell a real story. And finally, again, Chicago
Crusader, a different publication in Chicago that's also African-American that is
packaged differently. As I close, again as shared previously, I am a United States Marine
Corps veteran (clears throat) who never forgets the primary reason for joining the
military. So as I walk around Iowa City and I see individuals who as misguided as it
appears, they too are children of God who deserve to be listened to. That is our harder
conversation, both within our race and outside of it, and it's my sincerest hope if we're
going to be honest about race in Iowa City that we do the hard work of looking beyond
the package and seeing the soul. Thank you.
Hayek/ Thank you!
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Throgmorton/ Matt, I ... I'm going to have to step out for just a second. I'll be right back.
Hayek/ Okay. So, Harry, what are you doing here?
Olmstead/ (away from mic) ... say one thing.
Hayek/ Okay, well, why don't we do this. This ... this woman would like to say something, and
then... and then we do at some point need to turn back to the conversation (both talking)
expected of us. (unable to hear people away from mic) Sure!
Wheeler/ So, hi, my name is Kayla Wheeler and I'm from the Black (difficult to hear)
Roberts/ And my name's Nailah Roberts. I'm also from the Black Hawkeyes.
Wheeler/ Um, and I just wanted to, um, suggest that no matter what happens...
Karr/ Excuse me, we ... thank you!
Wheeler/ Sorry! Um, I just want to suggest no matter how you call proceed from here that, um,
you keep in mind intersectionality, and make sure any discussions you have include all
black people. We're a very diverse community here and everywhere, and as you have
seen with people coming up, we don't always share the same ideas. So I hope that
whatever conversations continue on with black people and other people of color, you
include queer people, you include disabled people, you include trans -women especially,
and you reach out to the Muslim population.
Roberts/ Right, because I mean ... black people also occupy all of those identities as well, and it's
very unfair to make this conversation about racial equity surround God when all of us
don't believe in God or surround ... you know, other more... respected identities and
ignoring all the different marginalized groups that black people occupy even in our own
marginalized blackness. Um, I'd also like to know, uh, as I was watching the, uh,
PowerPoint and I was listening to the Council speak on that, that urn ... we were being
referred to as minorities and I understand where that comes from, but I don't see the point
of it, um, in a discussion of our humanity and our proper treatment. Um, we have an
identity that is outside of whiteness, and so I think in future reports you should refer to us
as people of color, because that's what we are. We're not minorities. We're not, um,
non -whites or anything like that. We have our own... independent identity and it's
important that if you're going to ... properly, urn ... work in our interests and ensure that
we're not constantly facing danger from ... urn ... I guess in this case the city, that you
respect our entire identity.
Hayek/ Thank you very much.
Mims/ I'm sorry, what was your name? I got Kayla's name, but what was your name?
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Roberts/ My name's Nailah.
Mims/ How do you spell it, Nailah?
Robert/ N -a -i -l -a -h. (person speaking from audience)
Hayek/ If you wouldn't mind, yeah, and that's just for recordkeeping. They have to keep records
of all of our public meetings. Okay! At this point, you know, I ... I really think we need
to have the Council have some discourse here. So ... okay, well thank you, uh, for these
comments. We invite you to, uh, stick around and listen to us, and again, if you have to
leave, I want to assure you that this is certainly not the last time we will discuss these
issues as a Council, um, as I said before I think this is one of many ... many steps. It's not
the first one we've taken, and I think that was shown by ... by the recap of what's been,
uh, accomplished over the last few years, but it is by no means the last and ... and there is
more work to do. So with that, why don't we talk as a Council. Um...
Council Discussion:
Payne/ Do you want to start by going through the recommendations and decide which ones we
want to ... move forward on, or do you want to start by talking about the input that we had
from the audience or ... both or...
Dickens/ Pretty wide open! (laughter)
Hayek/ I think it's ... I think it's wide open, I mean (several talking) lot of focus on ... on
Kingsley's points. Jim had made some points that didn't get as much attention, and then
there's also the, uh, report we got from staff. So ... I'm okay with whatever approach.
Botchway/ I guess from my, um ... understanding or, um ... kind of analysis on this issue is ... I
think I would support, obviously, all the recommendations that, you know, Tom and
Stefanie put forth. I mean I think it, um, speaks to a lot of different things that, uh, Jim
and I brought up, and it also speaks to some of the things that we heard tonight. One of
the things that was talked about, um, as far as Council action and um... and was brought
up in... on memo was making sure, and I kind of put it as number one, was making sure
that, um, obviously we should recommend all these other things, but having that equity
review tool. Um, it's just important, um, at least for me from a systemic standpoint, um,
and again, any type of new policies, procedures, um, any type of initiatives when you're
talking about it from a budget implication, to have that ... tool to go through and make
sure that any decision or any ... um, policy that you might be ... or we might be putting
forth has gone through some type of analysis in ... in regards to racial equity.
Payne/ Could you explain how it works, because in my mind I can't really understand how a
...um, a taxi regulation, I'm just giving an example, a taxi regulation where we make all
the taxis in one ... company be the same color. I ... I can't in my mind fathom how that
affects different racial groups.
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Botchway/ Well I'm not necessarily going to use that example.
Payne/ Well you said any! (laughter)
Botchway/ Well because I wasn't prepared for that (laughter) but um, one example in particular
and uh, I have to, you know, this is from memory and so, Tom, or whoever else can
remember, cause I don't think I was on Council at that time, is when we discussed or
there was a discussion from the Recreation Department about having I.D.s associated
with being a part of the Recreation Department and there would be a fee, um, associated
with having that I.D, in the event that it got ... re ... or in the event that you lost it or
whatever the case may be, they need to be replaced. That in that sense would ... you
would put, or you would have that equity review tool to come in and look at whether or
not any type of, uh, racially biased, or not racially biased, but...
Throgmorton/ Disproportionality.
Botchway/ Disproportionality in enacting that particular, urn ... ordinance (both talking)
Mims/ That, I mean ... to me, for example, that one is not necessarily racially biased. It's
socioeconomically biased. I mean so...
Payne/ Which may affect... different racial groups differently (both talking) but it's still
socioeconomic.
Mims/ ... socioeconomic.
Botchway/ Right but I still think that comes up in the discussion when you're ... when you're
going through that tool kit, and again I ... I think (both talking)
Mims/ Depends on...
Botchway/ I think I referred to it as the equity reviewl ... review tool kit. I don't think I referred
to it as a racial equity tool kit.
Throgmorton/ You're referring to the Seattle tool kit?
Botchway/ Well I referred to it as ... let me go back.
Dickens/ (mumbled) racial equity tool (several talking)
Throgmorton/ ... Seattle racial equity tool kit.
Botchway/ That was one, but it was also in the recommendations as just a plain equity review
tool kit, because I agree. I think from a socioeconomic standpoint as well, we need to
consider those things as well. So I ... I totally agree with your point!
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Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'd say we ... I ... I personally don't know enough about that particular, uh
tool kit from Seattle, uh, nor any other tool kit in particular, as it applies to racial, uh,
disproportionality with regard to certain actions. Uh, but I think it... it deserves serious
consideration, uh, on our part. Uh... and in particular, I mean, my own twist on it is this:
uh, my sense is that the Equity... Equity Report that we received from Stefanie is very
good with regard to City operations. What it is silent on is, um ... larger sta... larger scale
concerns in the city of Iowa City, maybe even the Iowa City area, having to do with big
differences in income, uh... uh, among black households versus white households. Big
differences in access to housing. Big differences in so on and so forth, I mean, a whole
array of things. So ... I ... I think we need in our next iteration of the Equity Report, we
need to pay attention to those larger more systemic issues as they play out in Iowa City,
not just to City government operations.
Payne/ And I would agree with that to a certain point, but there are some ... I mean, we're ... we're
a city government, a local government. There are some things that we don't have control
over.
Throgmorton/ And I think control's a big problem. I totally agree with that.
Payne/ So I mean I ... I understood that that's why that was in the report, is because that's what
we assigned the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee to look at.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so to follow up on that just a little bit. Just imagine a report in which year
by year we show that our City staff and City government operations have just become
better and better, and everybody can recognize it with regard to racial equity and so on,
and yet the, uh... the difference in income ... by race ... remains the same or gets worse.
You know, imagine that kind of scenario. We couldn't possibly conclude things are
good. You know? We ... we'd have to deal with the ... the bigger issue and not limit
ourselves... we'd have to work with other people to deal with the issue instead of leaving
it just, uh, leaving our focus only on City government operations.
Botchway/ And ... and again, going back to the tool kit, I mean, that's where I would rely on, you
know, our wonderful staff to also flesh out what could be used in this particular, um,
happenstance, and obviously use the wide array of resources we have, you know, at the
University, um... in different places to put an equity review tool kit together that could
speak to a lot of the pol... new policies, practices, and procedures that we have. That's
first point. One sec ... the second point I have is, um ... one of the things that I think
consistently has been said, and has been said obviously I think since I've gotten here is
that there's always been data. There's always been data. There's always been, um,
recommendations, um, and they've gotten nowhere, and I do think that we've taken steps,
um, that have been different than in times past, um, to do some things about that, but I
just wrote kind of a quick note down while people were talking, and you know I was just
saying while we look at disproportionality, we haven't dealt ... I don't ... any of the
recommendations that have been put forth hasn't necessarily dealt with ... driving down
disproportionality. I mean we look ... we look ... we have looked at it from a general
standpoint, but I don't know whether or not we've changed... specific practices, um, that
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could have dealt with systemic disproportionality, and I'll use it from a School District
standpoint. And so, um, right now we're looking at how things are coded from a School
District standpoint when you're talking about disproportionality. I mean, that's... that's
looking at the root cause of, and that's data, but that's looking at the root cause of why
we have disproportionality. Or looking deeper at, you know, why we have or why we
have office referrals, or what do those office referrals entail and what are the different
subcategories of those office referrals and how we can change those, or how we can help
or support people to make better decisions in those areas. I don't know if we have talked
about that, or maybe we have and I've forgotten. I don't know if we have talked about
that from a recommendation standpoint to make big change.
Markus/ If I could jump in, I would say that the whole purpose of the Ambrose study is to really
establish the factual data base, showing the disproportionality. The end goal of that is to
reduce disproportionality, uh, contact. Uh, arrests, um, that whole issue, and that's what
that study is all designed to do. We take that data. We sit down with our officers in
groups and individually and have those conversations. And as you recall the professor
who's working on that study, he indicated that that approach showed reductions in
disproportionate minority contact in the Davenport area. That is the essential direction of
what we're doing with that data, and ... while it has the ... the study is not complete, we
expect I think what this ... where's the Chief? This spring? We're supposed to be getting
some of this data back? To start those conversations. That's the goal of that program.
Mims/ And I think what's important for people to understand about that, and correct me if I'm
wrong, Tom, is that the Police Chief initiated that.
Throgmorton/ That's right!
Mims/ Without any of us (laughs) knowing about it, maybe even you, and ... and without his
officers knowing about it, because he wanted baseline set of data to be collected without
it impacting the officers' behavior. So he could really kind of have a baseline, and now
in continuing with that, seeing what that first set of data was, um, and when we first
found out about it, it was like ... you know, some of this data doesn't reflect as well as we
would necessarily like on our Police force, and what do we do with it, and the decision
was very candidly of we go public with this, and we explained to people what we've
collected, and our concerns about it, and how we're going to continue to collect the data.
The Chief and the City Manager asked us to fund continuing of that, and continue
analysis, so we can make improvements, and I think that's, you know, speaks very well
to the Police Chief and to the City Manager, and to this Council, of something that a lot
of people maybe don't realize the background of, you know, where all that has come
from, um ... and hopefully we'll see a lot of improvement as people, you know, are made
aware of the data and also with the additional training. All this stuff — the implicit bias,
everything that we know that's out there.
Markus/ I think ... you know, I think what you have to understand is that DMC is an issue across
this country and when you start to look for best practices and how people have dealt with
that issue, there aren't a whole lot of `em out there. And so ... I guess ... my belief in ... in
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how you address problems is try to get everybody to agree to a common set of facts. And
so the facts we're trying to derive from the study is just exactly what that
disproportionality minority contact is, and in what specific areas, and then take that data
through the Administration of the Police Department, actually sit down with our police
officers, have those conversations and performance reviews, and start to change that
bottom line. We have a lot of confidence in the professor that's doing this study, and his
indication is that it has ... those numbers have come, gone down in Davenport, where
they ... where they've done these studies and had those discussions with their police
officers. So...
Botchway/ And I don't ... to ... to your point, Tom, and even to your point, Susan, I don't know if
I ... if we fleshed that out ... to the community, that we were going to do that. I think we
said that we were going to continue the study and look at it from a data standpoint, but I
don't remember us specifically saying that we were going to sit down in groups, look at
the data, I mean, those are just steps that I think...
Markus/ Yeah, and ... and that's what I said. What I ... I summarized but ... and you go back and
you look at the report that we gave you, the report does talk about us using that data, with
the goal in mind of reducing disproportionate minority contact. That message has been
very loud and clear from the public, and as far as we're concerned, that's a very key
priority for our Police Administration to work on. And ... and in fact they've had that
conversation. The... Susan was right! Uh, the Chief undertook this issue on his own. He
wanted to see what those numbers were. He had familiarity with that program in other
places and so to his credit he did that to see what it looked like without officers knowing
it, because that ... that gives you the real sign and the ... and the signal of what's going on
in the Department, and so when he brought it to me, I kinda went, `Wow, that's kind of a
hot potato to be throwing to me! We need to go public with this information!' Okay?
You can't just ... you just can't collect that data and not do anything with it! So we did
come back to this Council, and we did go public with this. And so the ultimate goal of
that is to drive down disproportionate minority contact. That's the whole purpose of it!
Hayek/ Kingsley, I wanted to ... you know, the your item #3 is the ... to use the Seattle racial
equity tool kit, or a modified racial equi ... equity tool kit. I'm always ... I am open to
considering any, uh, methods that would help us, uh... make progress as ... as a city. Um,
and I ... and I looked at the Seattle example and I ... and I pulled the Executive Order that
put it all in motion, and it breaks down into two sections. One is on accountability and...
and outcomes, and under that section, uh, it talks about, um, establishing goals and
tracking progress, and ... and ensuring community accountability. It talks about
affordable housing, which we've spent a lot of time on lately. Um... it... it talks about
inclu ... inclusion and participation, uh, through outreach and public engagement, uh, talks
about reporting out from staff to ... to Council on ... on items, which we're doing quarterly
and ... and ... and at other, uh, junctures as well. Um, and it talks about, uh, sensitivity
training and cultural competency and all of those things. And ... and on that issue, when I
look at what staff talked about and what we're familiar with are, uh, the ... the strategic
goals the Council established, uh, a couple of years ago. No, one year ago (both talking)
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Mims/ ... (mumbled)
Hayek/ Yeah, one year ago, um ... which talk about, uh, in ... inclusiveness and sustainability and
some of these other values that go to these issues. I look at our Equity report. I look at
our Diversity Implementation Form which is the way we report out every quarter what's
going on. The resolutions. I look at the two action plans, one is general for the City
operation, and one is specific to the Police Department. I see a lot of commonality
between what we have accomplished and what's in the first half of that Seattle tool kit,
which brings me to the second half of the Seattle tool kit, which talks about a campaign
for racial equality, and that gets into partnerships. It talks about how, urn ... uh, so many
of these challenges need the involvement, not only of local government, but of the school
system and of employers, and of non -profits, and ... and of the so-called stakeholders.
Um, and uh... that's where I see, uh... um ... that's where I'd like to place a lot of our
focus, quite ... quite frankly. I mean, we're having an important discussion tonight. As
we sit here, our School Board is discussing the rescission of a policy that was intended to
promote socioeconomic balance within and between our schools. And it's incredibly
distressing to me to sit here knowing that that's going on. In fact the City Council
conditioned its support of the bond referendum on the school capital issues, uh, in no
small part on them pursuing socioeconomic balance and equity throughout the school
district, and so we're ... we're losing that, uh, battle right now. That's an important
partnership for us! Um, there are community colleges and four-year colleges in our midst
— everyone knows of them, uh, who should ... who need to be part of the conversation.
Employers need to be part of the conversation. I know ICAD, our area... our public
partnership... public/private partnership, urn. ... uh, Iowa City Area Development Group,
uh, cares about this. I think our Chamber cares about this. There are partnerships that we
need to, um, create, and ... and that's before you get to the .... to the governmental section,
or the... our... our partners in the area! I'm glad the County's here. Rod Sullivan's out in
the crowd. Um ... uh, these issues go beyond Iowa City. They're occurring in Coralville
and North Liberty. They're occurring in the county. Uh, and we need help. Uh, I
appreciated Tom's comments on our ... on our Citizen Police Review Board. Um, it may
not be perfect, but it's the only one in the state of Iowa, and ... and it's ... it's important,
and it's getting better and I think it needs to be expanded, uh, to other jurisdictions, but
those... con... conversations that we can have with the stakeholders, whether they're in
the government sector or the private sector are critical, and that's the piece that struck me
the most when I looked at that example you placed on your list.
Throgmorton/ This makes me think of the, uh, National League of Cities' report that Stefanie
also summarized for us, back in November, which talked about city leadership to achieve,
um (both talking)
Mims/ ... achieve (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...black male achievement, uh, and I ... my sense was that, um, we haven't paid
enough attention to that report and to Stefanie's summary of that report, because it drew
attention to, uh, these, urn ... deeper inequities that I alluded to a few minutes ago, uh, it
paid more attention to those deeper inequities than the Equity Report itself did, and yet
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Stefanie's summary drew our attention to ... to, uh, the NLC report, and said basically we
have a ... we should take advantage of our opportunity to display some leadership here
with regard to these deeper inequities, that require action on the part of all sorts of other
organizations. One other point, and then I'm sure other people want to say things too.
Uh, I ... I think there's a strong connection between... reports like, uh, the St. Ambrose
study that are very factually based and the listening posts that the staff has recommended.
And what I mean by that is ... uh, facts are not inherently trustworthy. What ... what's
required is trust between the people who are presenting information and facts and so on,
and the people who are receiving those facts. So we ... that's why I ... I believed from the
get -go that we needed to ... build, uh, create, um, activities that enabled us to get out into
the community where people feel comfortable and talk, sit down and just talk with them
about what's going on, hear from them and build these bonds of mutual trust so that then
when we produce factual information like the St. Ambrose study, people will go, `Right,
okay! I get it! I trust it.' But if we don't have that bond of trust, from the get -go, they're
just numbers.
Mims/ I guess where I'd like to go is maybe to, um, the staff recommendations cause I think
there's an awful lot of crossover between what's in the staff recommendations and some
of the things that Jim and Kingsley had recommended to the Council, and I think
there's ... like I say a lot of duplication here. Um... staff started out with conversations,
um, and as I said earlier, I think we've ... we have not had any kind of formal agreement,
and we've got limited time tonight and I think that's one thing we've got to discuss
(laughs) is when we're gonna start, you know, further this discussion. Um, but I certainly
am in favor of looking at setting up, uh, City Council listening posts. I think Tom made
the comment of, you know, rotating Council Members and having a staff member. I...
you know, I hate to burden staff even more, but I do think there's some benefit probably
at some of these to have Council Members just (mumbled) staff, simply for the ... the data
and the factual information of what the City is doing on a detailed level that sometimes as
Council Members, um, we mot ... we, you know, might not know. Um, I really like the
idea of, uh, staff doing key roundtables with local community groups. Um, I like that
better than specifically bringing some kind of oversight into the Diversity Task Force
that's internal. Um, I think it's more about building those relationships, um, with people,
and I think doing it that way serves everybody just as well, um, but I think again it's, as
you're saying, Jim, it's developing those relationships and building that trust, and getting
that input from, um, you know, whether it's Black Voices Project or Coalition for Worker
Justice or Coalition for Racial Justice, you know, whatever some... some staff
roundtables with, uh, key members of those groups.
Payne/ So...can I ask a question...
Mims/ Sure!
Payne/ ...about that? So if there's ... the people that are on this Diversity Task Force that's a City
staff (both talking)
Mims/ Staff...
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Payne/ ... Committee, members of that committee could do some of these staff roundtables with
the community and bring that information back...
Mims/ Sure!
Payne/ ...to that staff committee.
Mims/ And I would assume Tom.
Markus/ This ... this idea kind of came out of the developer's roundtable. You know one of the
things that happened when I started here was there was this whole discourse about how
difficult it was to do business in Iowa City. So we brought a lot of the developers in to
tell us what their issues were, and I think initially the way we would suggest that this get
developed is we would ask for the chair of each of these respective groups or in some
cases, um, like the Center for Worker Justice, they have a, uh, staff, uh, person that, uh,
heads up. That we ... we'd do the same type of approach, where everybody would be
involved to begin with, and we'd be sharing kind of information, developing relationships
and building trust on what they're doing and what their suggestions are for what we need
to be doing differently than what they perceive we're doing. So ... I think initially that's
how we'd want to approach it, and then if we had to do breakouts, you know, for
individuals, but the people that serve on our task force, the task force is really a ... more of
an administrative function within the ... the City management operation. This is more to
engage, um, you know, policy discussions, um, what's going on in the community from
these different agency type perspectives, and get that kind of feedback and see how we
interact with, uh, those individuals, um, to make everybody's life better, and what's going
on, and ... and ensure that communication, and so they know who to contact when they
have issues with the City or ... and we've had some of those things happen, but they
happen more coincidental, or incidental to a particular situation rather than on an
organized regular basis. So we'd set up some sort of regular roundtable discussion with
these folks.
Mims/ I think that would be real helpful from the standpoint, again, you know, the building
relationship thing, it's ... it's that much easier than for people to see issues or policy things
that they think we could improve upon and make those recommendations, you know, and
get some feedback from staff about why something could work or ... maybe it couldn't
work and why. Somebody made a comment, just quickly, a comment tonight about the,
um, Citizens Police Review Board and giving it more teeth. Well, I was at the forum a
year ago when the former attorney for that group presented, and I was absolutely shocked
at how limited the powers of that are by state law, and so everybody says, `Oh, it's, you
know, you need to improve it. You need to make it better. You don't let `em have
enough power. You don't let `em do this.' Well, go talk to the lawyers who understand
state law and it's very limited. We ... we're doing what we can. So just kind of as an
aside. Um, under the conversation, I love the idea of expanding the Coffee with a Cop. I
think more officers, different locations — I think that's great. And for all of you in the
audience, I would say take advantage of the offer for a police ride -along. I haven't done
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it. Chief, I need to get ahold of you! Um, but I would... anybody who has gone, I have
only heard positive things about one getting to know an officer, one-on-one, and two,
really seeing some of the stuff that they experience when they're out there.
Dickens/ Well if you go late ... late enough, you can sometimes you can pick up two shifts, which
I did. I started at 8:00 and finished about 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. It got...
Throgmorton/ Were you still ... were you still awake?
Dickens/ Barely, but it got pretty quiet. But I think it's an extremely valuable tool that we offer
to everyone, and I think it's a, uh... you get to see what they have to report on, uh... it
was ... we started in downtown, uh, I started with just a regular officer. Then I ended up
with one of the sergeants, and so we got to go all over the city on different calls, so ... I
think it's a very important thing to, uh... to do. You do have to sign a waiver, but it's
very easy to do that, but it's, uh, it's ... it's pretty eye-opening on what you can see and
what you can learn.
Throgmorton/ With ... with regard to the listening posts, I'd like to make some specific
suggestions, so that we can, you know, kind of pin it down a little bit more. Uh, so here
they are: uh, I would ... I would suggest that three Council Members meet once a quarter.
So four per year. Uh, with members of the public, at places, uh, in which members of the
public feel most comfortable. Places like The Spot, like the, uh, the office of the Center
for Worker Justice, uh, like, uh, Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center, like Uptown
Bill's. Places like that. They all have to be, you know, really defined, especially if we
continue this from year to year. Uh, and that they be conducted... here we need advice
from the community, I think, but uh, I'm guessing conducted either in the early evening
or at night. Uh, to ... to be...at a time when they could actually be present. Uh, and lastly
that uh... I think we would benefit from having a, uh, in some instances at least, having a
sort of a community liaison, uh... um, available to help us. I'm thinking there of the
statement somebody read on Henry Harper's behalf, uh, where ... let's be blunt. Within
the African-American community there are considerable differences, and I think we
heard many of those differences tonight in the presentations, but one of the differences
has to do with ... um, with income and class, basically. Socioeconomic class. And I... I'll
speak for myself here. I'm a professional, taught at the University for a long time. I've
got a certain kind of background. I'm very conscious of that. Uh, and I ... am not at all
adept at speaking with lower-income, uh, black people from... Minneapolis or St. Louis.
I mean, it's difficult for me, all right? So one of the reasons I benefitted from talking
with Henry Harper over the years is that he comes from that background, and I've learned
how to talk with Henry, uh, in ... in a way that really helps me a lot. So, you know, when
it comes to communicating with ... with that sector of our population, I ... I think we need
help! You know? And I need help, I know that!
Hayek/ There ... I think there's a question here. We ... I ... I invite you to come forward,
but ... you'll have to be where the microphone is. (people speaking from audience)
That's fine! But ... but we do ... we do need to be (people speaking from audience)
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Wheeler/ I'll be quick! (both talking) Um, just ... the, in regards to doing the ride -along with
police officers, um, the comment was made about that. Personally I'm afraid to be alone
with police officers. Um, I've had some good interactions here, but I've had some bad
interactions, but I'm not really sure it should be on the responsibility of black and brown
people to get those connections started. So I don't ... maybe we can think of other ways
instead of just ride-alongs.
Hayek/ Well I think that was intended as...
Wheeler/ Yeah.
Hayek/ ... one of... many recommendations for it... in one way to promote interaction.
Wheeler/ Yeah!
Hayek/ But it's just one.
Wheeler/ Yeah. I would like to hear some other ones.
Throgmorton/ (several talking)
Payne/ I think that Coffee with a Cop maybe would be one where you have more than one person
with you so you're not alone, you know, you meet at a coffee shop or ... or wherever,
and... so that might be a way, another way, that you could have some one-on-one
conversation but have other people with you.
Throgmorton/ Maybe our Police Chief could have a short conversation after this event is over,
uh, with you and just chat a little bit about your concern and... and how it can be dealt
with.
Venson/ Um ... I'm still Venson, and I know y'all about to go. Um, what's your name?
Mims/ Susan.
Venson/ Hey, Susan (both talking) Um, yeah, so ... I don't know, the ride -along comment was
triggering for me, because I feel as though an hour and a half, folks you know particularly
of color kind of talked about a variety of things, but one of the things that they shared, uh,
as feeling uncomfortable right in front of pol... with police, and police interactions and,
and I don't know, uh, coffee and like riding around or playing tennis or all the rest of that
stuff is like really cute, um ... but it doesn't get to the root of the issues, and so like ... and
I'm not attacking what you are saying specifically...
Mims/ Uh huh!
Venson/ ...or you, Susan, but that's why I kinda asked my ... I was trying to understand what this
little process was...
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Mims/ Uh huh.
Venson/ ...and so in some ways I appreciate that we're able to like ... and this is the first dialogue
that we've kinda had, and unfortunately happened when we were triggered, right, you all
have been discussing some ideas and the point at which we're not dialoguing with you at
this particular time is when we were triggered in the space, which is not helpful but so I
appreciate that we are ... I guess somewhat observing your listening session, which I
don't... or... or your work session, which I don't know has happened before, and so I'm
grateful for that, but I think I asked my question earlier about the goal. Um ... of this
whole meeting for this purpose. If when people got in front of you and you did not hear
them, not listen cause I think you all listen very well, but did not hear them, we have
failed! Period, point blank! And what just happened for me was a failure Period, point
blank!
Mims/ But see I would (both talking)
Venson/ Wait, I'm ... I'm...
Mims/ Okay!
Venson/ I'm very clear when I'm done. I'm ... I'm usually quite clear. Uh, and we could
dialogue but ... that was a clear interruption. Uh, and so for me ... uh, what I would like to
see, and somebody mentioned some type of second Equity Report. You don't need a
second Equity Report. You need a Equity Plan, for 2015 and 2016. Where ... I heard, I
saw some strategic plan or something. I would love to see it, and I'm new. I've only
been here for a year, but that's what you need. Don't have anybody do a Equity Report
again. It was great! It's hundreds of pages! It's beautiful! Then, uh, use those
recommendations to move to what you're going to be doing! For the rest of 2015 and
2016. Uh, so what ... what were you going to say? I'm sorry, cause I ... I'm ... I'm just
confused about what ... what you're doing to be doing. When is the next meeting after
this, so that you all have clear recommendations to ... to really get ... so this little, uh,
disproportionate minority, uh, contact piece as, uh, the Ambrose study being a goal, and
the end goal being to, uh... decrease disproportionate minority contact. That's not a goal
though! You said it was like ... that that's not's clear. Like I'm ... I'm not clear on what
the action steps you're going to do in order to minimize that. But ... this is not the ... this
was not the talking session. I'm done. I really only got there because we were literally...
like I literally turned because I couldn't believe that was said, because there was a
disconnect there between our experience and what you said. So I'm going to yield, and
um, you'll see me often, so I have plenty more time to chat with you (mumbled) better
understand I think where you were coming from, and uh, for... so you can better
understand where I'm coming from, um, but I'm done. I think you were trying to ask
something or say something.
Mims/ I'm going to pass on that for right now. I think we need another discussion later...
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Venson/ Absolutely!
Mims/ ...with the time we've got, I think... because we do want to make some progress on where
we're going to move forward. Urn ... the second one was the accountability, um, we've
talked about the body camera. I think I'm very supportive of that, have been from the
very beginning. I think that helps the community. I think it helps our police officers.
Holds everybody accountable. Um ... the ... the DMC and reporting and analysis, again, I
think t hat is part of the goal that we're...
Hayek/ We've budgeted for it!
Mims/ ...we've budgeted for it, we ... you know, with the meetings with the officers individually
to reduce that DMC, uh, make them more aware of their behaviors, um ... the ... we're
getting the quarterly reports, which, you know, this is something that, Kingsley, you had
asked for was ... was frequent reporting, uh, Stefanie had mentioned we ... quar... quarterly
reporting on that. Um ... and again, I think with the C ... CPRB, if there's anything we can
do to help expand that to our other ... local jurisdictions and across the state, uh, we're
trying to do some stuff there. So, from accountability, I'm supportive and I think it does
meet some of the things that Kingsley...
Hayek/ Yep.
Mims/ Tom, did you have something...
Markus/ Well I just wanted to mention in the CPRB, one of the things that came out of the Ad
Hoc Committee... and... and there's, and I know, uh, certain members on the CPRB, um,
understand that there are some statutory limitations as to how far that can go, but in the
case of when we interview, uh, police officers, only the Police Chief and the City
Manager can compel testimony, but I can tell you that, uh, one of the recommendations
that came out of that Ad Hoc Committee was for me to sit in on those, um, interviews of
the police officers. Urn ... and ... and as I told the Ad Hoc Committee, I have a son who's
a police officer, who was a police officer in Chicago and now is in the suburbs of
Milwaukee, um, but I can tell you the police officers don't necessarily look at me as a
police officer or one of the police, uh, department. So when the police officers walk into
that room, the City Manager is sitting there, the Police Chief is sitting there, the
Command Staff is sitting there, and the person that conducts the interview is sitting in
those situations. It's taken very seriously, and so we go over every complaint that gets
filed with the CPRB and I think what the ... what I want to share with the public is that
there is a direct point of contact when we have a public criticism of an officer that gets
filed against that officer, and that officer is facing that situation. It's taken very seriously.
So, there is a direct connection that occurs there. Um ... in ... in my way of thinking, that
needs to spread to other places. Disproportionate minority contact, um ... uh,
mistreatment of, um, African-American or Hispanic populations, um, that is either real or
perceived by police departments — this is a tool to redress that kind of issue, and for it not
to have spread, after 17 years in Iowa City, to me ... is a lost opportunity for, uh, creating
a more equitable environment, uh, for all of our populations, and so ... I would like to see
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our neighboring jurisdictions, um, take this same thing up and create a CPRB in their
own jurisdictions. And on occasion, quite frankly, with mutual aid, we have neighboring
jurisdictions' officers in our community enforcing rules and regulations. So, and a lot of
times we ... our police officers get mistaken for other departments. Again, I think it's a
tool that does have an impact. It's not perfect! Nothing is! But I think it creates an
opportunity for somebody to feel like somebody's taking a hard look at that issue, and it's
a citizens' group that ultimately determines the sustainability of the complaint itself. So I
encourage other departments to use that tool, and I think we need to encourage that.
Botchway/ So quickly, if that's the case, can we just add it to the joint work, uh, the joint agenda,
joint meeting agenda? As something to discuss with the other communities?
Throgmorton/ That makes sense!
Hayek/ Uh, I think we should discuss it with the other communities. You know, that School
District housing issue is complex enough. I'm worried about adding a lot to that agenda
(several talking, noises on mic) Let ... let's talk about it, I guess, next Tuesday. That...
we'll have time next Tuesday to discuss the agenda for the joint meeting on the 26tH
Yeah (several responding)
Dobyns/ Well I guess I'm comfortable with all 13 recommendations from City staff that's been
enumerated. Um, the last one, Kingsley, unfortunately I think points at you, cause
you've gotta give a report about the, uh, Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee. I
think you're ... are you our representative on that? Um ... I'd like to go back in this ... I'm
sorry, Kingsley, it was the Seattle instrument that, uh, I think it was the beginning of
September in one of our Information Packets, the tool kit.
Botchway/ And just to be clear, one I agree with Matt's point, but that's just for Seattle. So ... I
mean, again (several talking) I don't want us to use that as like the impetus for any
further discussion. I mean we should be able to, you know, either maybe use that or
create our own for what we see (several talking)
Dobyns/ Well I was wondering if...cause I remember reading that back then and I was ... I guess
I was doing what Michelle was doing — I was trying to apply it to various policies, um,
that we've done over the years. Um, and I guess it came to a point where if I have to
work more than five minutes, I'm thinking maybe City staff should start to look at this
and do what Michelle was doing, and I'm sorry — that's the way I think (laughter) I have
a job already (laughs) um, but maybe apply that to certain specifics, cause I'd like to get
my head around the, uh, the tool kit, and have it applied, um, to certain things and have
City staff see if it has any merit, and see if it would be value-added for some of the things
that were already done. I'd be willing to have (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...on this point, uh, Dorothy Whiston mentioned that, uh... uh, a person who was
instrumental in adopting that Seattle tool kit, not to fixate on it, is going to be speaking in
Dubuque, uh, in another... within the next week or two. I don't know the exact date. Uh,
and I plan to go up there, along with some other elected representatives, from the area.
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Dobyns/ Are you asking me on a date, Jim, or...
Throgmorton/ No, no! I, no, it's already being arranged! So I'm going to go up there and I
know one person from North Liberty's going. I think, um ... well, other ... other people are
going to go, as well.
Markus/ One of the things (both talking)
Throgmorton/ So I ... so I would want to return and ... and, you know, provide feedback to you
about what ... what I learned while up there and I'll be having conversations along the
way, in a van (laughs) I hope! In a van with these other, uh, electeds.
Dobyns/ You just want to wait until that and see what the report back is before you move
forward on that?
Hayek/ Well why don't ... why don't we have staff look at it (several talking)
Botchway/ That's my whole point for presenting it, I mean, if that was the case, everything we
present I...if I needed to have a laundry list of research compared, um, to each point, then
I would spend way too much time, and I didn't know that was what I was supposed to do.
It was simply a... a tool that was suggested and I wanted us to have, not necessarily
discussion from this level, but City staff to ... or us to agree, that City staff could look at it,
and possibly, you know, come back to us with a recommendation, which has already
happened, um, from Stefanie's report, about how that could be effectively used in Iowa
City in a bunch of different ways.
Markus/ We'll be glad to take a look at it.
Hayek/ Go ahead!
Botchway/ So, the other thing I was going to mention, so I guess my ... in the interest of time,
cause there's a couple of other things I wanted to mention as well, I mean are we ... or can
we say that we're all in agreement of the recommendations that staff has put forth?
Hayek/ I'm not hearing anybody say we should remove any of them..
Mims/ No, I am!
Botchway/ Okay. And so ... just one question in ... in regards to two of those points. One to the
training, and I ... this is a question, uh, for Stefanie and for, uh, the Police Chief, as well,
and then for you, Tom. So ... if we're having ... this training on cultural competency,
cultural conscious, cultural awareness — whatever you want to call it training, is it just
going to be the one training? Cause ... and the reason why I'm asking that is from a
professional standpoint, as well, because if the School District were looking at it being a
professional development training where we literally have somebody come in here and
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look at it from an entire year standpoint, and I think if we just have one or two trainings,
are we honestly addressing, um, some of the issues that we're having regards to cultural
competency, cultural awareness, or cultural consciousness?
Markus/ I would say to you that ... we have people rolling in and out of here on ... on diversity,
cultural training aspects constantly, but what our point was to you was, if you see
things ... in your new role at the school that you think would advantage us, share those
with us. In fact, if you can invite a staffer over to sit in on those, so that we can evaluate
that, we'll come back and ... and ... and consider that, plugging that into our budget. So
that ... we're glad to accept that kind of feedback, not just from the Council but from the
public, when they see a course that they think would really be of value to our officers.
But we ... you know, we spread out the ... the different, um, types of training throughout
the course of the year that ... that our personnel take. And then there's, I don't know if
you realize, but there's kind of a joint training aspect where all of the diff ...the different
law enforcement officers, um, across this metro area participate in a lot of the training, as
well. So...
Payne/ And it's not just officer training, but we have ... you know, people that work at the
window that take water payments and...
Markus/ The City Manager's staff is in these trainings (several talking and laughing) A lot of
people are ... are involved in these training processes, yes.
Botchway/ The other point that I would, um, ask, and it's regard to what, um ... what we were
talking about as far as being a representative, uh, the CJCC, is one of ..and this is what I
was getting confused, because most of the conversations that we were having we're
having on a subcommittee level from the adult DMC committee that we had created to
discuss some of the systemic, you know, disproportionate minority contact issues
throughout Johnson County. But my ... what was proposed and ... I don't know if, I guess
Rod's already left so I can't ask him, but what was proposed was that the County was
going to put $30,000 towards having the woman that we're going to see I think January
29th to come in and look at, uh, look at our data and possibly... possibly help us create and
build policies that speak to reducing, um, disproportionality in our systems. And so,
the... the question from ... the board was, was were other cities going to get on board, not
just from obviously looking at it from a, uh, policy standpoint, but also looking at it from
a financial standpoint. Were ... are we going to assist or help in, um, you know, this
particular project. Now...
Hayek/ I've not seen a proposal from the board. Is one anticipated?
Botchway/ Yes.
Hayek/ Okay.
Botchway/ Yes, and then ... that's where from a reporting standpoint I was getting confused
because that was something that we had just ... I mean I think Dorothy, she's not here
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either! Great! Um, Dorothy's the vice president of that committee (laughs)
but ... Dorothy had mentioned it or talked about it at the recent CJCC meeting and then
they were going to deliberate and come back with something. From ... from my
understanding and talking with some of the members of the board, they were, you know,
thumbs up, and so I guess from an official standpoint, that would have to wait, but I
guess ... that was the confusion from reporting, what I was actually going to report, since
it hadn't come out officially that the board was going to support it.
Markus/ Well what ... one of the things that I'd like to know is ... is how does that data research
compare to what we're researching?
Botchway/ Well and that's ... and that's another...
Markus/ Cause ours is pretty ... pretty detailed and in-depth.
Botchway/ Well and that's another point that... maybe... maybe it doesn't need to be $30,000.
Maybe ... maybe because we already have that data, or because we've already, you know,
taken these steps, it could be something different, and so that's, again, a conversation
that... from what you're saying needs to wait from an official, you know, document from,
you know (several talking)
Hayek/ Yeah, I mean, I think we would welcome... of... offers of collaboration with the County
or anybody else, um...
Botchway/ But that was my point (both talking) in putting it in my memo, but also talking about
it, I think, last time, confusion on how to report that out, because I didn't want to, you
know, put the cart before the horse, say that we should support it and then all of a sudden
the County does, you know, doesn't support it in that type of way. That was all. So I just
wanted to clarify that (both talking)
Hayek/ Okay!
Throgmorton/ Can... can we hear what Royceann has in mind?
Porter/ Oh I just wanted to run up here really fast. Mr. Markus, when you was talking, um, as far
as people knowing and you saying the 17 years of, um, the work and it's not gettin' out
there. Um, I'm trying to put it out there. I personally have talked to the Chief, um, in
regards to, um, re ... um, things that police officers are being accused of, and he let me
know sittin' one-on-one he did let me know how, um, he has to reprimand officers but
it's not for, you know, general public. So, um, one of the things we are ... or have been
talking about that is ... that they are reprimanded, even though, you know, through people
not wanting to go through the CPR, um, B, um, because they don't feel like nothing gets
done. So I try to put that out there and explain that they have their own, whereas, you
know, they are union or whatever, but this does get hap ... this does happen, and as far as
you, Susan, when you were saying about the body cameras, I did want to say that the
Coala... Coalition for Racial Justice received, there was an incident with the body camera
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at Tate High School and kids fighting. A fight broke out, girls got to fighting and the
officer was in distress; with that body camera, that button got pushed so ... now we got an
issue where the whole community wanted to know why was the State troopers there?
Why was the University of Iowa Police officers there? Why was Coralville Police there?
Why was all the, uh, Iowa City Police there? Well it was because when that button got
pushed, that officer was not responding back to ... the dispatch. So he couldn't tell them
what had happened. All they know that in the process, there was something going on. So
they sent out everybody that was available to go out. So that's with the body cameras,
um ... that's what happened. I was able to go to, um, the Chief set it up where we were
able to go and see the film or whatever, the video, of what happened at the school, but
that did happen with the body cameras.
Markus/ Royceann, one ... one of the recommendations the staff made was that the ... the concept
of the Citizens Police Review Board should be expanded in other ... other jurisdictions. I,
you know, and I know we've had conversations about its limitations, but do you see the
value in that?
Porter/ Yeah I do. I do. It should be other than... just because a lot... sometimes people can't
even, um ... because they don't live in Iowa City, they're not able to even file a complaint,
because they're not part of what, you know, our city. So, yes, it...it would be great for
other entities... entities to...
Markus/ And ... and most people don't know where the city limits start and ... and ends, I mean
(several responding) you don't know who's ... I mean we ... we constantly have situations
where, um, we're getting things reported to us by our police officers and it turns out to be
another agency.
Porter/ Right! Right! That's true.
Dilkes/ I ... I just want to clarify one thing. Um, you don't have to live in Iowa City to file a
complaint with the PCRB. It does have to be an Iowa City police officer.
Porter/ Right, that's what I'm saying, police officer!
Dobyns/ Can I ask a clarification of one conversation, the recommendation from City staff — the
listening posts? We've all done listening posts of varying styles. The one I really
appreciated one was one that Jim and I did about a year and a half ago, with um, a very...
and people were invited. Sometimes a listening post is sort of random, and I assume,
Tom, when you wrote this is that ... you know, you got a listening post where two or three
of us will be there, come one, come all, but I guess I would like to see some, you know,
invitation to specific stakeholders. Uh, the one we went to, Jim, there were a lot of
people there. I thought it worked out very well, rather than some randomness.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, about 25, yeah.
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Dobyns/ Um, and I would ask the stakeholders be broadly defined in terms of people of color,
including, you know, disabled, LGBT, you know, Q2, um, the whole range of diversity,
as well as (mumbled) you know, people of color.
Markus/ I'm sure as we go along we'll get ... better and more sophisticated about getting those
messages.
Dobyns/ I know when you invite certain stakeholders, you're always going to forget one and
someone will be upset, and I understand that! But....
Hayek/ I ... I'm seeing broad support for ... for the staff recommendations. I do, before we forget,
I ... I think the question about, um, diversity and employment within City Hall, uh, is a...
is a fair one, and um ... uh, I think if we could get some staff commentary on that, that
would be good.
Markus/ Now?
Hayek/ Now! (laughter)
Markus/ All right. You know (laughs) and we've had these conversations. One of the
challenges, quite frankly, is, um, we operate under a civil service commission process.
We operate under, uh, union contracts and so ... and ... and while those things are all good,
they provide some bars, and so what we're trying to do is educate, um, em ... you know,
potential employees how to enter the system, and a lot of times, for example, in certain of
our jobs, they start with employees working part-time and then they ... um, graduate into a
full-time position. So, um, we ... we actually talked about, um, getting out and doing
some education about how we bring people into the system. Um, there's a lot of testing
involved. Um, I can tell you, um, that was one of the ... the reasons that we started to talk
to, uh, the Police Department and the Fire Department about doing some academies with
young people, so that we could get some of our young, um, Iowa Citians interested in
careers in law enforcement and firefighting, because my experience in other jurisdictions
around the country is, that's a great point of entry for employment. And so ... and
that ... and that starts to get around some of those, um, not around but ... but starts to
educate people about how to get into the system, knowing what, you know, the criteria is
and the, um ... uh, job requirements are to get into our employment. Um,
it ... unfortunately I don't think management has the amount of discretion on hiring deci...
decisions, um, because of some of those statutory, um, situations. And the other thing I
would say is just a practical matter. You have employees sticking around longer and
longer, and opportunities are not, you know, not just happening, and with what our
financial situation is right now, we're kinda going the other direction. We're not filling a
lot of positions. It's called attrition, when employees retire out, in anticipation of some
serious declines in property tax revenues. So...
Throgmorton/ How ... how many full-time employees do we have right now?
Markus/ It's just under 600.
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Throgmorton/ Yeah, and ... and how many full-time, uh, police officers? 82, right?
Markus/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Yeah. So, it's pretty hard to kind of transform that very quickly.
Markus/ Yeah. (both talking) It's like inclusionary zoning discussion we had. It ... It takes pace,
and I can tell you, our Chief has ... been under a lot of pressure from the Administration to
see how we can recruit, urn ... urn ... in particular African-American candidates into our
department, and that's been a real challenge. He's gotten real close. (unable to hear
person away from mic)
Hayek/ Go ahead, Tom.
Markus/ I'm done.
Hayek/ Okay. Well it's... that... that in particular is something I want to ... I want to watch. I
recognize the ... the challenge of it. Uh, at ... at, and at the same time, I suspect local
governments all over the place, not all of them certainly, but many are ... are attempting to
recruit and change those numbers. Fortunately we've got a ... a good community and
we're a stronger draw (mumbled) just naturally I think to ... to perspective employees.
Mims/ One of the things I would just throw out on that. I think Stefanie mentioned about maybe
Human Resources doing more job fair kinds of things, and I know Tom and I have talked
about the barriers to City employment and civil service being one of those, and I know I
think in the fall when ... when Human Resources did one at Eastdale, they did some stuff
on civil service, and one of the things I'm very interested in having staff look at, and I'm
happy to get involved too, is ... doing more outreach in the community to educate people
about the civil service process and what jobs require that and what the testing looks like,
and even working with people to set up some training programs, some educational
classes, to help them prepare to take the civil service exams. So that they can score well
and be high on the list when there are job openings. So, if there's people in the
community that are interested in that and would like to talk to me later, please let me
know cause I'm really interested in that.
Botchway/ So, a quick point of clarification. We've accepted the recommendations, or are okay
moving forward with the recommendations that staff presented, but I want to make sure
which recommendations we're talking about because we're talking about the ones that
Tom started talking about, but then there was other ones that I don't know were
mentioned that Stefanie had talked about from the equi... the Iowa City Equity Report
standpoint, as well.
Markus/ (both talking) What I'd suggest we do is we, um, reduce them to a resolution.
Botchway/ Okay.
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Markus/ Bring them back at a subsequent meeting so that you can adopt them, and then refine
them as you see fit.
Botchway/ Okay. Cause there were...
Mims/ They'll be clear.
Botchway/ Yeah, there's a lot more.
Dilkes/ I want to ... just (both talking)
Hayek/ (mumbled)
Dilkes/ ...remind you of one thing on the employment issue, and that is that we recently
amended our employment application to remove the question about convictions, and we
only ... if someone is a finalist for a particular... for a position that has been identified as a
sensitive position, then we took ... take a particular look at whether any criminal history
they have relates to those job duties.
Mims/ Thank you.
Hayek/ Thanks, Eleanor.
Dilkes/ Cause that has been found to have a dis ... automatic criminal conviction disqualifier has
been found to have a disproportionate impact on African-Americans.
Throgmorton/ So, we're no longer doing that, right, yeah.
Dilkes/ We're not doing that.
Mims/ And I was actually quite interested to find out in conversations not too long ago with the
Chief how many of their applicants ... do have some sort of arrest or conviction, that does
not disqualify them from being on the police force. So ... pleasantly surprised!
Hayek/ Well I think ... I ... you know we have more than one list, and I think we need to turn to
staff to ... coalesce around... something that will come back to us that we can adopt the
way we always act as a Council, which is based on votes. Um, so ... so let's do that, and I
think ... I think this is a good point to ... to end the meeting. We're about 35 minutes over
which isn't too bad. Um, I want to express our appreciation to the audience, those here
and those who didn't make ... quite make it to 7:37 P.M., um, for your input. This is an
ongoing conversation. Um, there is more to be done, and uh, we will stay engaged. So,
thank you very much, and we're going to stick around a little bit if anyone wants to talk, I
invite you to do so!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special
work session of January 13, 2015.