HomeMy WebLinkAboutTRC Agenda 11 7 2024 Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Regular Meeting
7 PM – Emma Harvat Hall, City Hall
410 E. Washington Street
AGENDA:
1. CALL TO ORDER.
2. READING OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (COMMISSIONERS
SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING
SAID ITEMS.) 5 MINUTE MAXIMUM FOR EACH SPEAKER.
Only in-person comments will be allowed for Public Comment. Public comment
for specific agenda items, which must be directly related to that agenda item,
may be made in-person or remotely.
4. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 17, 2024.
5. ACTIONS FOR PHASES THREE AND FOUR:
A. FINAL REPORT.
B. RECOMMENDATIONS.
C. PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
D. OTHER.
6. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS.
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF STAFF.
8. ADJOURNMENT.
In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity
to participate in the meeting remotely. However, this meeting is in-person, and those
wishing to ensure their ability to participate should attend the meeting in-person.
If you instead wish to participate remotely, you may attempt to do so by joining the below
link.
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October 17, 2024 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma Harvat Hall Commissioners present: Amos Kiche, Wangui Gathua, Chastity Dillard, Lou Tassinary.
Commissioners on Zoom: Kayla Rossi.
Commissioners not present: Cliff Johnson, Lauren Merritt, Lubna Mohamed, Chad Simmons.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers.
Recommendation to City Council: No.
Meeting called to order: 7:09 PM.
Reading of Land Acknowledgment: Tassinary read the Land Acknowledgment.
Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: No. Approval of the Minutes from October 3, 2024: Dillard moved, and Gathua seconded. Motion
passed 5-0. Actions for Phases Three and Four:
Meet and Greets: Gathua and Kiche were present for the meet and greet that took place on
October 5, at the Iowa City Public Library. Kiche shared that the three attendees were non-
BIPOC and there were two women and one man. One attendee brought up concerns of
education and the lack of resources provided to certain schools. Gathua shared that this
individual also suggested to the commission to invite the office of the superintendent to present
on racial equity in the Iowa City School District. Gathua asked staff how the commission could
go about presenting on this with the time remaining. Staff responded with starting by reaching
out to see if the school district is available. Staff also offered to reach out if the commission
agrees this is something they would like to move forward with. They agreed staff can help.
Kiche reported he talked to employees of the school district who expressed interest in learning
about the commission. Dillard expressed interest in seeing where these efforts could go even
after the commission’s time is up at the end of the year.
Kiche also reported that he spoke to a woman who is familiar with the commission and their
work. She told Kiche she was awaiting a late response to something she had sent to the
commission in 2020. Staff informed the commission that it may not have been archived due to
the timeline, but staff will look to retrieve anything that may have been submitted.
Kiche shared the last person who visited with commissioners. It was a woman who works on
racial issues through a nonprofit organization. The attendee is currently working on educating
white people on issues of race. Kiche and Gathua encouraged the attendee to come and talk
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with the commission as a whole. They also informed attendees there will be an additional meet
and greet that they can speak at. Gathua reported that the final attendee discussed may be
awaiting an invite to come speak with the commission. The attendee works for an organization
called Show up for Racial Justice. The mission is to encourage white people to teach
themselves about racial injustice.
Dillard asked Gathua and Kiche if they felt that the Meet and Greet was worth it. Kiche shared
that he believes it was worth it because of the open nature of the setting and the ability to learn
from others who attend. Gathua shared that the Mobile Crisis staff was dismissed after some
time due to the lack of attendees. The crisis staff was reachable by phone in case of an
emergency. Gathua shared her satisfaction with the attendance of white people due to her
background and seeing white people who are trying to learn about racial issues. Gathua
believes the work of the commission has impacted those who attended the meeting and are
interested in learning more about racial inequity. Gathua also answered Dillard’s question
saying the Meet and Greets are useful in providing a safe space for discussions on race and
other community issues.
Dillard expressed concern about attendees being non- BIPOC people due to the fact that the
commission’s target demographic is people of color. Dillard asked how they could attract POC
to the next Meet and Greet the commission is holding. Gathua shared she thinks there is a
possibility that they had less attendees due to the farmers market taking place at the same time.
Dillard expressed interest in upkeeping the smaller meetings. Tassinary agreed that due to the
success of the meetings it may benefit the commission to gather more information through
meet and greet style outreach. Kiche agreed it is a good idea and commented on the possibility
of more accessible time frames in which people could meet with commissioners. Dillard
suggested going to a church before or after service in order to meet people who are already
gathered. Tassinary suggested the possibility of a mobile outreach that could allow the
commission to travel to different communities in Iowa City and invite community members to
speak with them. Kiche suggested focusing on talking to church leaders rather than entire
congregations to avoid the conflict of religious beliefs overlapping with the commission’s
work. The commission agreed to wait to hear back from staff on what is allowed when visiting
places of worship to decide their next steps for community outreach. For Sunday’s Meet and
Greet it was agreed Dillard, Kiche, and Rossi will be in attendance with the possibility of
Gathua joining.
Final Report: Gathua and Kiche had a suggestion for someone to help the commission write
their final report (see agenda packet for resume). The main next step is to understand the
expected compensation and to take a vote as a commission on the agreement. Tassinary
suggested a fixed price contract that would give clear expectations on what the commission
would like to see from the report. Dillard clarified the report doesn’t have to be an academic
level report but rather a general overview of the commission’s work and mission. It was
agreed Kiche and Gathua would set a meeting for some commissioners to meet and talk with
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the report writer.
Presentation to Council: Staff confirmed the presentation can be held after the commission’s
end date; however, it will be up to City Council when the exact date to present will be.
Documentary: No updates
Other: Dillard asked commissioners if they would like to cancel a meeting or two in order to use that time to focus on other priorities the commission would like to see through before the
end of their term. Tassinary suggested breaking the report up into smaller sections that could
then be assigned and would allow commissioners to meet in smaller groups to work on the final report with the hired writer. The November 21 meeting was suggested to be canceled and used for other commission priorities. A decision on the topic will be made at the next meeting. It was clarified by staff that the report should be done by December 31 and all that would be
left for the commission would be the presentation to City Council. Announcement of Commissioners: Gathua reported she attended the Indigenous People’s
Day rally held at the Iowa University’s Pentacrest.
Announcement of Staff: None
The meeting adjourned at 8:12 PM.
The full meeting video can be viewed at this link.
AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024 (Meeting Date)
NAME TERM EXP. 3/20 3/21 4/4 5/2 5/16 6/20 7/18 8/1 8/15 9/5 9/19 10/3 10/17
Dillard 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P A P P Z P
Gathua 12/31/24 P P P A A Z Z Z A Z P P P
Kiche 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P P P P P P
Johnson 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P P P A A A
Merritt 12/31/24 P P P P A P P P P Z A Z A
Muhamed 12/31/24 - - - - Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z A
Simmons 12/31/24 A P Z P P A P A A A Z Z A
Tassinary 12/31/24 P P A P P P A P P A P A P
Rossi 12/31/24 - - - - - A Z A A A A A Z
P = Present in person A = Absent
Z = Zoom
Late Handout
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) Between
FRANCIS MATANJI And
THE CITY OF IOWA CITY ADHOC TRUTH AND RECONCILLIATION COMMISSION (TRC)
This MOU is an agreement between Party A called Francis Matanji and Party B hereby called
The City of Iowa City Adhoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) .
I.Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this MOU is to clearly state the goals of the agreement and the obligations of
each party regarding the establishment of a working agreement between Party A and Party B.
In particular, this MOU is intended to enhance the drafting of the commission report to be
approved by the Commission and submitted to the City of Iowa City Council.
The draft report entails three parts. Part I is a concise executive summary derived from the
main report referred to here as Part II. It shall state the purpose and mission of the
Commission, summarize findings, and state the recommendations for policy changes and
proposals for engaging different stakeholders towards the path of ending systemic racism,
eliminating discrimination, safeguarding rights, and ensuring social justice to Blacks, Indigenous
persons, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the community.
The main report shall be supported by all the information gathered through training by
facilitators, commission meetings, truth-telling events, community engagement initiatives, and
the meet and greet events. The report shall deliver information in formats which can be
available to the public for future reference and research. Part III is the Appendix to be compiled
as evidentiary material for further analysis of methods, conclusions, and for evaluation of
recommendations reached.
II.Background.
a.Party A (Francis Matanji)
Frankline Matanji is currently an Associate Research Scientist in the Department
of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa. He holds a PhD in Mass Communication
from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in Media and Communication
from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and a bachelor’s degree in
Communication and Media from Kisii University, Kenya. As an associate research
scientist, Frankline works as the lead evaluator where he is involved in carrying
out research, data analysis, and writing reports to funding agencies about
projects’ progress as well as overseeing other evaluators. Furthermore, he is a
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global scholar who continuously strives to share and expand his theoretical
understanding of the global environment through service and practice.
As a graduate student at the University of Iowa, Frankline continuously
advocated for international students’ needs aimed at improving their
experiences by creating a more inclusive campus environment. He served as a
member and the communications director on the International Students
Advisory Board, a member of the Graduate and Professional Students
Government – International Affairs Committee, as well as serving on several DEI-
oriented committees on campus. His commitment to voicing international
students’ concerns and his efforts to globalize education was instrumental for his
2022 University of Iowa Global Student Award. The award recognizes one
graduate student who is a leader deeply involved in supporting international
education.
Frankline’s work focuses on international relations, health communication,
political communication, misinformation and media literacy, and the
empowering role of digital media and participatory communication for directed
social change. He has published six peer-reviewed manuscripts in academic
journals and four book chapters. Previously Frankline served as the managing
editor for the Journal of Communication Inquiry housed in the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa.
b. Party B (The City of Iowa City Adhoc TRC )
The City of Iowa City Council established the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission was established by the City Council Resolution Number 20 -228
and became effective in September 2020 to;
“Bear witness to the truth of racial injustice in Iowa City and to carry out
restorative justice, through the collection of testimony and public hearings,
with such work to include a recommendation to the Council of a plan for
dedicating and/or renaming public spaces and/or rights of way in honor of
the Black Lives Matter movement. “City Council;2020.
(https://www.icgov.org/government/boards-commissions-and-
committees/ad-hoc-truth-and-reconciliation-commission)
The Charges of the TRC are restated here as:
A. Fact-Finding - The TRC shall collect evidence, including first-hand testimony, of
discrimination and racial injustice in multiple settings and compile a complete
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record of racial injustices that will inform and support the fundamental institutional
and policy reforms necessary to address systemic racism.
B. Truth-Telling - The TRC shall: 1) Provide multiple fora and creative opportunities for
persons impacted and traumatized by racial injustice to share their stories of racial
injustice and experience to be heard by: (a) fellow communities of color; (b) a broad
cross section of the entire Iowa City community; and (c) key decision-makers in city
government, the business community and the University; 2) Explore ways to provide
such opportunities through art, music, theater, workshops, rallies and other forms
of congregation, multimedia and listening designed to reveal truths that cannot be
fully expressed in traditional fora; and, 3) Create a repository for community stories
expressed in multiple media (written, video, audio, art) that can be catalogued and
used to educate and inform members of the community.
C. Reconciliation - The TRC shall: 1) Provide opportunity for and facilitate direct
conversation among and between community members of color, white community
members and representatives of various sectors in which people of color experience
discrimination and injustice (e.g. police and protesters, landlords and tenants,
students and teachers, patients and health care providers, business owners and
staff); 2) Create a replicable model that provides a structure for enabling these
conversations throughout the city; 3) Make available opportunities for a broad cross
section of the community to learn about discrimination and racial injustice in our
community; and, 4) Identify and recommend to the City Council institutional and
policy reforms, new social practices, expectations, protocols, habits, rituals,
conversations and celebrations that will move Iowa City toward a shared experience
of race and difference, justice e and equity and community and harmony.
TRC Mission and Completed Work
The Iowa City Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been committed to
implementing and sustaining grassroots, community-centered truth-telling processes to
address past and present instances of both direct and indirect actions of violence,
discrimination, and racism in Iowa City.
The Commission has collected testimony from a variety of sources; individuals, public and
private organizations institutions, communities, and private organizations, law
enforcement (ICPD), Community Police Review Board, housing providers and agencies,
Iowa City School District board members, health care and institutions engaged in social
justice, combating systemic racism and violation of rights of Blacks, Indigenous, and People
of Color (BIPOC).
Testimonies, stories, and facts on the experiences and treatment of BIPOC in the
community have been collected using fact-finding methods by facilitators and
commissioners, truth-telling occasions, community gatherings, meet and greet events.
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Records: Proceedings of the TRC, Commissioners’ Training Materials and Facilitators
Report and Recommendations.
The works of the commission are housed at the City Website( https://www.iowa-
city.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=1962561&dbid=0&repo=CityofIowaCity )
The commission proceedings can be watched at https://citychannel4.com/boards-
commissions-and-committees.html by searching for commissions and selecting the Adhoc
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations.
It remains the responsibility of the Commission to derive conclusions using all available
information and reports like the TRC facilitators report and recommendations and other
public reports and studies on the status of the BIPOC regarding safety and law
enforcement, housing, education, economic development, environment, and social justice
as envisioned in the commission’s strategic planning and prioritization of areas of focus.
III. Obligations of Party A and Deliverables
Party A shall undertake the following tasks and deliver a draft report (Part I, Part II, and Part III)
as mentioned in section I of this MOU. The main part of the report (Part II) from which an
executive summary will be derived shall consist of an introductory chapter and other chapters
as specified below.
Chapter 1: Introduction
The introduction shall reflect
a) history of the TRC in relation to George Floyd’s murder by a white police officer
in Minneapolis in May 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other social
justice organizations involved in the creation of the commission.
b) The results of community negotiations towards the establishment of the TRC
c) The Charter
d) The Mission
e) Other TRCs worldwide and in the US in particular
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Chapter 2: Commission Resources, Utilization of Facilities and Funds
a) Facilitation (Consultants), Training and the City of Iowa City $1 M Fund
b) Support, institutional and Community Challenges regarding facilitation and
budgeting
c) Facilitators Report and Recommendations
d) Facilitation of the Commission beyond the Consultants Contract
Chapter 3: Methodology
a) Fact-finding, Truth-telling, and Reconciliation events
b) Challenges and limitations of our methodology
c) How our methodology compares with other TRC elsewhere.
Chapter 4: Findings, Conclusions, and Specific Recommendations
a) Safety and Law Enforcement
b) Workplace Discrimination and Violation of Rights
c) Housing Affordability and Choice
Chapter 5: Incomplete Works and Areas of Community Concerns
Chapter 6: Policy Proposals derived from the Recommendations
References shall be included at the end of the report
IV. Responsibilities of Party B (The City of Iowa City Adhoc TRC)
The TRC shall work with Party B in all phases of the report and in the following manner:
The Commission shall review the collected information from Fact-finding, Truth telling and
Reconciliation events to arrive at conclusions and recommendations. Such recommendations
shall be supported with evidence from both the works of the Commission and from public
reports available to the Commission.
Commissioners shall be available to support the writing process and answer questions from
Party A chapter by chapter
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V. Clauses: Deliverables, Timeline, and Payment of $4,000 (Four Thousand only) to Party
A by Party B.
1. Deliver Part I, The Executive Summary of the report by date 1 to the TRC
2. Deliver Part II, The Main Report by date 1 to the Commission and receive a
portion $2500 (Two Thousand Five Hundreds only) upon satisfactory evaluation
and approval by TRC.
3. Deliver part III, The Appendix by date 2 and receive the remaining amount of
$1500 (One thousand and Five Hundreds only) upon satisfactory evaluation and
approval by TRC. Given the large amount of work going into the Appendix, the
date of delivery can be renegotiated with the TRC.
4. This agreement may be terminated by either party upon mutual agreement over
the grounds necessitating invoking the clause if there are reasons to believe that
there are problems with deliverables in terms of quality of work and coverage as
prescribed in the Chapters requirements and other sections of the report.
VI. Mutual understanding and agreement by and between the parties A and B on
Effective Date and Signatories.
This MOU shall be effective upon the specified dates after the signing of this agreement by
Parties A and B authorized officials, and shall be effective from date ? to date?.
Francis Matanji has provided adequate information to help determine his suitability for the
task, the TRC to negotiate with the TRC on the scope of the job, the deliverables, amount and
terms of payment.
Francis Matanji has been availed adequate information in this MOU to help negotiate the terms
of payment and the delivery of specific products to the Commission.
Francis Matanji has considered the requirements (or clauses) of the job, the expectations, the
times and terms of delivery.
The City of Iowa City Adhoc TRC having considered the experiences and suitability of the
candidate, mutually agrees with the expectations of this MOU and is now confirmed by
signatures of Parties A and B.
Party A (Francis Matanji) __________________________ Date: ________________
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Party B (The City of Iowa City Adhoc TRC) _______________ Date _______________