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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRC April 27 PacketHuman Rights Commission April 27, 2021 Electronic Formal Meeting- 5:30 PM Zoom Meeting Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LVQJfkH7Ql6RDJCAEknLYQ via the internet to visit the Zoom meeting’s registration page and submit the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting ID or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. A meeting password may also be included in the email. Enter the password when prompted. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you may call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the meeting ID or webinar ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 958 9496 4309. Once connected, you may dial *9 to “raise your hand,” letting the meeting host know you would like to speak. Providing comments in person is not an option. Agenda: 1.Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call 2.Approval of the March 23, 2021 meeting minutes 3.Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items) 4.Introduction of Jane Wilch, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Iowa City 5.Introduction of Sarah Gardner, Climate Action Engagement Specialist for the City of Iowa City 6.Discussion on Including a Land Acknowledgement as a Part of HRC Meetings 7.Subcommittees: Housing, Anti-Racism, Health Equity 8.Commission Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter 9.Iowa Department of Human Rights Invitation May Meeting 10.Convention on the Rights of the Child 11.Social Justice Racial Equity Grant Reports & Request for FY 20 12.AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate (May 18, 2021) 13.Staff/Commission Announcements. (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another concerning said announcements). 14.Adjournment. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact the Equity Director, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION APRIL 27, 2021 MEETING PACKET CONTENTS AGENDA ITEM #8 •COMMISSION STATEMENT ON BLACK LIVES MATTER AGENDA ITEM #11 •SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY GRANT REPORTS & REQUEST AGENDA ITEM #12 •AAPI DAY AGAINST BULLYING AND HATE CORRESPONDENCE •STATUS OF COMPLAINTS APRIL 2021 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission March 23, 2021 VIA Zoom Platform Commissioners present: Mark Pries, Jessica Andino, Ashley Lindley, Jason Glass, Bijou Maliabo. Commissioner not present: Adil Adams, Noemi Ford, Roger Lusala. (Electronic Meeting Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. Meeting called to order: 5:34PM. Approval of the minutes from the February 23, 2021 meeting: Pries moved; the motion was seconded by Lindley. Motion passes 5-0. Public comment of items not on the agenda: Mohamed Traore, Chair of the Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), thanked commissioners for inviting him to participate in this meeting and thanked Lindley for her support of the TRC. Traore would like to see the HRC and the TRC work in tandem. He also would welcome any recommendations or help the HRC can provide to inform the work of the TRC. Introduction of Victoria Fernandez, Iowa City Public Library: Victoria is the Teen Services Coordinator and has reached out to other area organizations such as Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Parks and Recreation, Dream City, and United Action for Youth for avenues they can use to engage with youth. The library is hoping to return to in-person programming this summer. The library currently has a Teen Art Competition. The library also has a Youth Employment Sectors highlight series that looks at a variety of career paths including but not limited to AmeriCorps, hospitality, builders, dancers, and photographers. Introduction of Anne Spencer, League of Women Voters for Johnson County: Anne is the co-president of the DEI Committee for the League for 2021. This is the first time the League has formed such a committee. The League is trying to connect with organizations that have similar DEI initiatives. Anne has met with Lindley and looks forward to future collaborations. Discussion in including a Land Acknowledgement as a part of HRC meetings: Joe Coulter and Kevin Rivera presented on a Land Acknowledgment Statement that was taken from one created by the Native American Council at U of I. They would like for the HRC and the TRC to come up with a joint Land Acknowledgement that can be read at the start of both meetings. As a part of this initiative, the TRC and HRC would also work together to ask the City Council to also develop their own Land Acknowledgment that can be read at the start of their meetings. Coulter advised the HRC not to use the word Sioux but instead say Dakota, Lakota, or Nakota. The Sac and Fox tribe would be the Meskwaki Nation. Coulter also advised that the statement should include a comprehensive history of Indigenous Tribes in Iowa City. He reported that Mary Bennet of the State of Iowa Historical Society is a great resource in terms of Indigenous Tribes that were once in the Johnson County area. He also mentions a book by Lance M. Foster on the “The Indians of Iowa”. Coulter also notes a current bill on the Governor’s desk that relates to County or Cities having anti- discrimination laws that would prevent Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) as a protected characteristic in fair housing laws. He feels the HRC should make a recommendation to the Council to encourage the Governor not to sign it. HRC Subcommittees: The Anti-Racism Subcommittee received positive feedback on the White Privilege training held in December of 2020 and based upon that feedback they plan to hold another similar event. Health Equity spoke on an upcoming seminar being held by the U of Iowa College of Public Health entitled “Heal Event: Fifth Annual Science of Health Equity Summit” it is on Friday, April 23, 2021. The seminar will be held over Zoom. Housing Subcommittee no report. Commission Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter: Glass notes that at the February 23rd HRC meeting, Commissioners were to send to staff a list of things they have done to support this statement. To date, only two Commissioners have sent this list. Once everyone has sent their information to staff a compiled report will be completed and presented to the public in a professional report. Social Justice and Racial Equity Grants FY 21: The HRC re-approved the grant allocations from the February 23, meeting date with the update from the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition. Motion by Glass, seconded by Andino. Motion passed 4-0-1(Pries abstaining due to conflict of interest). Statement in Support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: A few edits to the statement include removing the names of the victims and Korean and Chinese should replace the removal of the names. Motion by Andino, seconded by Pries. Motion passes 5-0. Reports of Commissioners: General Commissioner thoughts are that having combined staff between the TRC and HRC is beneficial. Lindley attended the Night of 1000 dinners and thought it was a very well- organized event. Pries has recently joined an Ecumenical group for unity and cooperation. Andino, reported out on an upcoming Health Equity Summit being sponsored by the U of I College of Public Health and her work on the City’s Affordable Housing Committee. Adjourned: 8:10 PM Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2021 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/26 2/23 3/23 4/27 5/25 6/22 6/27 8/24 9/28 10/26 11/23 12/28 Adil Adams 2021 X X O Jessica Andino 2021 X X X Noemi Ford 2021 E X O Jason Glass 2022 X X X Ashley Lindley 2021 X X X Roger Lusala 2023 X X O Bijou Maliabo 2023 X X X Mark Pries 2022 X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting --- = Not a Member From:Carla Phelps To:Stefanie Bowers Subject:SJRE grant funds Date:Wednesday, March 31, 2021 10:48:58 AM Attachments:Outlook-1503518949.png Outlook-1503518949.png Stefanie Bowers: Report on SJRE Cultural Activity Award FY2021 funding of $18,000 Successful Living received this funding in calendar 2020 to take clients on excursions to events they would otherwise not be able to attend, due to illnesses, financial hardships and transportation issues. These events might include, but not be limited to: Hancher productions, Englert productions, Cedar Rapids baseball, Mississippi Riverboat events, the Figge art museum and other life-enhancing and therapeutic activities. At first, when Covid hit, our agency plans for this grant disintegrated. Then our staff began to make alternative arrangements for clients, to get them out of their isolation: outdoor art parties, with distanced tables, picnics in the local park, also safely distanced with masks and so forth. We acquired used gaming systems for our houses for residents and in our other offices for IPR clients who came in, again with safety and distance in mind. There were occasional small, carefully guided groups occasionally taken out to lunch at strategically low-volume restaurant rooms, done safely, when it was deemed crucial to client health to 'get out.' In this way, we have spent approximately $3,000 of this funding over the course of the year. All the while we have been looking to the future and hoping for the creation of vaccinations such that we might eventually be able to use this grant the way it was intended. And we are getting close to that type of environment, although not quite there yet. We want to begin planning these larger group events in concert with various venues around Iowa City and beyond, and we now appeal to the Human Rights Commission who awarded the SJRE grant to us, to extend our deadline for using these funds (the remaining $15,000) until the end of FY2022. Again, we still want to use this funding in the way it was originally intended, since our clients may never have this particular type of opportunity again.Kind regards,Carla J. PhelpsDirector, Grants & Development Successful LivingIowa City, Iowa 52240Cell: (319) 471-1809Email: cphelps@icsuccess.org Web: https://www.icsuccess.org/ “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma GandhiKind regards,Carla J. PhelpsDirector, Grants & DevelopmentSuccessful LivingIowa City, Iowa 52240Cell: (319) 471-1809Email: cphelps@icsuccess.org Web: https://www.icsuccess.org/ “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi Status of Complaints April 20, 2021 Housing Complainant alleges landlord failed to reasonably accommodate their disability. No probable cause decision. Complainant alleges landlord discriminated against them based on age and disability. Administrative closure after Complainant objection. Complainant alleges landlord has discriminated against them based on race, sex, and familial status. Right to sue letter requested and issued, file closed. Complainant alleges HOA is discriminating against her based on disability, marital status, familial status, and presence of dependents. Administrative Closure.