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Home My WebLink About1997-02-11 Bd Comm minutes Minutes of the Animal Control Advisory Board January 18, 1996---Cdralville City Hall ,elembers Present: Diana Lundell, Marty Shafer, Dennis Cowles, Janet Ashman Members Absent: Julie Seal Staff Fresen~ Lisa Goodman, Iowa City Police Captain Don Strand Sta/f Absent/Excused: Barbara Russo Guests: none 1. Minutes of the September 21, 1995 meeting were approved noting COtTection to #x (changing x to not in ears.). 2. Statistics. · The year-end stats are skewed because there were many more "owned" animals. 3. Election of Officers. · Chairperson: DianaLundell · ViceChair: Marty Sharer · Secretary: Janet Ashman [~ 4. Repairs to Building. __~---ca"'(C~- · Constant repai~.ter the older portion of the facility were brought up at the budget meeting with Arkins. The big door was replace, d-(S1,400) and a quote was received for correcting the dim lighting in the newer part ($1,400). Jim Schoenfel~r is scheduled to evaluate the older portion of tl~e facility to see if it should be retrofitted or demolished. Coralville nmy ask for an additional evaluation by another consultant. 5. Pemdt ordinance work session. · We will meet 2/15/96 at 6:30pm in Coralville City Hall. Coralville liceming and related codes (28E agreement). o Lundell suggested side-by-siding Coralville with Iowa City ordinances and will work with Russo. 7. County & outlying communities, billing. and contracts. · The county is still paying their bills, although they have not yet supplied Goodman with tt~e promised map. · UI Security has new cars and will probably be less likely to want animals in them. Perhaps they'd consider purchasing the facility's old vehicle? 8. Supervisor's Report (Sweet letter). 9. Advisory Board member reports and comments. · We decided to elect ACAB officers at the next meeting. 9. Citizen comment. · Jim Walters 03I Animal Coalition) gave a brief history of local animal protectionism. · Grace Trifaro (UI Animal Coalition) presented a position paper regarding a ban on the breeding, trade, sale, and ownership of exotic/wild animals (as opposed to a licensing requirement). Minutes of the Ani. mal Control Advisory Board March 14, 1996--Cor~alville City Hall Members Present: Diana Lundell, Julie Seal, Dennis Cowles, Janet Ashman Members Absent: Marty Shafer Staff Present: Lisa Goodman, Iowa City Police Captain Don Strand Guests: Linda Tomblin .............1909 Glendale Rd ............IC ...........................338-0021 Kelly Taylor .................210 Douglass Ct ...............IC ...........................351-5218 Lynelle Mellecker ........904 Webster St .................IC ...........................338-8691 Carol Clemens .............697 Linder Rd NE ............IC ...........................351-6006 Grace Trifaro ................902 N. Dodge St #All .... Steve Kouzounas .........902 N. Dodge St #All .... Ron Schoenwatd ..........1149 Oakes Dr .................. Don Seydel ...................1345 E. Davenport St ....... Kathy Lindhorst ..........91 S. Boise St ..................... IC ...........................337-8403 IC ...........................3378403 IC ...........................338-5677 IC ...........................351-4089 Riverside ..............648-3283 1. Approval of Minutes from January 18,1996--Since copies were not available, approval was tabled until the next meeting. 2. Discussion of Permit ordinance--The board poured over the materials Goodman presented until 10 pm.z 3. Announcement of Open Positions--The ACAB Position is not open any more because Julie Seal is back. Barbara Russo resigned, so Coralville's animal control officer Position is open. Strand/Goodman will prepare an estimate to cover Coralville's interest with a half-time appointment froln the IC facility instead of the Coralville police station. 4. Supervisor's Report--The estimate to redo (reroof, put in new ceiling, AC, laundry, boiler zone control, etc.) the old part of the facility is $122,000. Sara's position has become full-time. 5. Board Members' Concerns · Lundell: does Coralville share in the money collected from the County? Goodman: yes, up until a month ago. · Goodman: let's have the ACAB go over the 28E Agreement again, soon. · Ashalan: where are we regarding animal control and the Department of Public Safety at the University? 6. Citizens' Comments · Linda Tomblin: does the ACAB has a "purpose" for instituting a permit system? Goodman: the number of daily complaints received at the facility, the need for the city to have control over which animals are here, breeder responsibility, and nuisance complaints regarding the number of animals living in a location. She al~ mentioned the number of complaints forwarded to John Schiltz, the State's lack of response, and the number of recent exotic animal concems. · Ron Schoenwald: could some sort of certification by his Chicago-area arian vet do instead of being inspected by the city? Ron raises golden conures at home in a closed aviary (3040 birds). He has a Fish & Wildlife permit, is visited by avian vet twice yearly, and sells only to other F & WL permit holders. The State does not currently inspect his premises. Grace Trifaro: people should not be able to exempt ti~emselves from a Potential ordinance simply because they are licensed by some other agency. Steve Kouzounas: perhaps an animal control officer could accompany the avian expert to allay Grace's concern. Ron Schoenwald: how many birds are/have been a problem? Is this something that really needs regulating? Goodman/Lundell: not many, but yes, we need a way to protect the interests of the animal. · Don Seydel: are pigeons are considered exotics? Goodman: no, but they are in the ordinance regarding the limit to their number at any one location. He asked about the grandlathering concept. Goodman: these clauses exist only in zoning, so this rnay be a problem for Don, since he claims he needs a maximum of 50 birds to do what he does. Twenty of the 50 would be juveniles. · Ashman: how would the ordinance affect cats and dogs? Goodman/Strand: inspection would be based on complaints, not going door-to-door. Kelly Taylor: can we assume anin~al control officers have a clue about what to look for? Goodman/Stand: they usually research the problem before they go out. seal: how do penalties and escalations work? Goodman: city ordinance infractions are misdemeanors and fines can be set to escalate. Steve Kouzounas: the breeder fee of $50 is too low and should be increased to $100-$200. Linda Tomblin: let's not destroy reputable breeders. Perhaps the license fee for unaltered animals should go way up? Carole Clemens: animal sellers should have the responsibility to educate buyers beforehand. Concerned also about paying a fee for every animal event (e.g., dog obedience trial)--suggests a yearly fee for some groups who do regularly scheduled educational programming. Minutes of the Animal Control Advisory Board May 16, 1996--Cora, lville City Hall Members Present: Diana Lundell, Marty Sharer, lulie Seal, Dennis Cowles, Janet Aslunan Members Absent: Staff Present: Lisa Goodman, Don Strand Guests: Robert Cohen ...............208 Rocky Shore Dr .........IC ...........................358-9012 Fiora Cassiliano ...........1176 Hotz Ave .................IC ...........................338-1874 Jean Rasmussen ...........3151 Balfour .....................IC ...........................354-7660 Dave Schmidt ..............918 2nd Ave .....................IC ...........................354-6918 Ron Schoenwatd ..........1149 Oakes Dr ..................IC ...........................338-5677 Stephen Vlastos ...........1346 E. Bloomington St... IC ...........................338-8337 1. Approval of Minutes from January 18,1996 and March 14,1996. 2. 28E Agreement and Shared Revenues--Lundell will send the missing page 4 (we have two page 3s). A "28E" is the legal document necessary for two states or cities to cooperate with one another. The cities of Iowa City and Coralville want the ACAB to review the document and respond (especially to the role the county plays). Currently the percentage of revenue is based on property values in Coralville. The animal ordinances are different but similar in both cities. Issues discussed included: should this agreement include other entities (e.g., North Liberty, University Heights, etc.); should the ordinances be the same?; should the licensing process in Coralville match that in Iowa City (i.e., paper vs computer)? 3. Discussion of Permit ordinance · Vlastos (quite annoyed that the ACAB changed the maximum number of pigeons from 30 to 40 and ilfterred this to be a compromise for Mr. Seydel): my statistics show the maximran number should be 5-6. · Goodman: the problem is the number of hours spent in contact with pathogens rather than the number of animals producing pathogens. · Cassiliano: the smell outside is very unpleasant. · Vlastos: 40 birds poop two pounds per day. How many of you want 40 pigeons living five feet from your property line? Our case will be settled by the city attorney's office. What about the rest of you? · Rasmussen: since when do pigeons have primacy over humans? This sparked quite a discussion ranging from the role of the ACAB and the opinions of individual. members to the purpose of animal control/protection. Lundell asked for a consensus about whether to proceed. Ashman moved and Cowles seconded to ban the construction of ~ coops of any kind within city l~mits. Not Passed (Seal=yes; balance--no). Goodman asked for a maximum number of animals to be specified and suggested a limit of four. No action was taken. A non-identified male guest suggested that since the overwhelming odor of ammonia seemed to be an issue, why don't we quantify the level of ammonia before we become worn down by this frustrating process. Shafer moved and Seal seconded to.ban coops of any kind within city limits. Passed (Ashman=no; balance=yes). Seal moved and Aslm~an seconded to adjourn and table the remaining agenda items until the next meeting on July 18. Passed. 4. Supervisor's Reportstabled. 5. Board Members' Concerns--tabled. 6. Citizens' Comments--tabled. 7. Summer leash law enforcement/Public education programs--tabled. Minutes of the Animal Control Advisory Board July 18, 1996--Coralville City Hall Members Present:. Diana Lundell, Marty Shafer, Julie Seal, Janet Ashman Members Absent: 'Dennis Cowles Staff Present: Lisa Goodman, Don Strand Guests: Sara Hansen 1. Approval of Minutes from May 16,1996--Goodman will bring them to next meeting. 2. 28E Agreement and Shared Revenues--Discussion of Coralville's concemes regarding animal control. 3. Status of Permit ordinance and Eublic Hearing before Council---date set for 8/27. 4. Supervisor's Report--There is an open position for a full-time kennel assistant @ $20,000/yr. Fumes are still a problem in the facility and part of the AC froze, but is still working. A portion of the ceiling collapsed. Summer pat~-ol hours were discussed. 5. Board Members' Concerns--none.. 6. Citizens' Comments--none. 7. Next meeting: 8/29 at 6:30pro. Min'utes of the Animal Control Advisory Board December 16, 1996--Coralville City Hall Members Present:. Diana L~mdell, Marty Shafer, Julie Seal, Dennis Cowles, Janet Ashman Members Absent: Staff Present: Lisa Goodman, Sara Hansen, Don Strand Guests: Marie Nasta ..................PO Box 1863 .....................IC ...........................335-3972 Dann Morrison ............4248 Anderson Ave .........IC ...........................354-9408 Shawn Lockhart ..........706 Diana Ct ..................... Jesse Bromton ..............1394 Orange Ave ............. Robin Paetzold ............168 Ravencrest Dr ........... Linda Tomblin .............1909 Glendale Rd ............ Stephen Vlastos ...........1346 E. Bloomington St ... Jotm Kenyon ................the Gazette IC ...........................339-7239 Kalona ..................656-5295 IC ...........................338-0021 IC ...........................338-8337 Daniel Grimm ..............2203 14th St ......................CV .........................351-1270 Melissa Krob ................2203 14th St ......................CV .........................351-1270 Grace Trifaro ................902 N. Dodge St ...............IC ...........................337-8403 Gretchen Hersman ...... PO Box 704 .......................WB ........................643-7408 Mark Wendling ...........1461 Bllair Cemetary Rd. SWR ......................8574287 Trilby Hujho ................324 N. Lucas St ................IC ...........................337-8477 Rina Kelly .....................1024 Gilbert St ..................IC ....: ......................337-6137 Cynthia Larson ............1024 Gilbert St ..................IC ...........................337-6137 Jeff Daniels ...................3365 480th St. SW ............IC ...........................679-2866 Tim Portillo ..................3365 480th St. SW ............IC ............................679-2866 MI I-Iart-Weintraub .....1204 Teg Dr ......................IC ...........................358-7499 Gretchen LaMoine ...... PO Box 5197 .....................CV .........................354-2087 Lucas VanOrden .........3077 Newport Rd. NE ..... IC ...........................551-8038 Nadia VanderGaast .... 3077 Newport Rd. NE ..... IC ...........................351-8038 Gregg Leerden .............3 Oak Park Ct ...................IC ...........................354-2375 Mary Murphy ..............3 Oak Park Ct: .................IC ...........................354-2375 Josepha Henderson 928 Iowa Ave//2 ...................IC ...........................354-2375 Jim Walters 1. Proposed budget---only briefly discussed. 2. Proposed shelter renovations of old section--only briefly discussed. 3. Trust donation and suggestions for uses---only briefly discussed. 4. Wild animal reflector warning system for Dodge Streetwthey have been ordered and should arrive soon. 5. Discussion of Permit orclinance--the bulk of the meeting was spent on trying to explain the ordinance to the guests (a few of whom were at the Council meeting). There was much resistance from the pet shop entourage present. A few of the reasonable people volunteered to attend work sessions to refine the ordinance. MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD JANUARY 23, 1997-CORALVILLE CITY HALL Members Present: Diana Lundell, Janet Ashman Members Absent: Marty Shafer, Julie Seal, Dennis Cowles Staff Present: Misha Goodman-Herbst Staff Absent: Sara Hanson Guests: None No quorum for this meeting therefor meeting was adj ourned by president, Diana Lundell. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING November 27, 1995 MINUTES PRESENT: ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Chairperson Alison . Ames Galstad, Commissioner Mel Dautremont, Commissioner Osha Davidson, Commissioner Pat Harvey, Commissioner Joan Jehle, Commissioner Diane Martin, Commissioner Ann Shires, Commissioner Ken Gatlin, Commissioner Dorothy Paul Anne Burnside and Heather Shank Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Minutes from the October 23, 1995 meeting were approved with the following correction: Anne Burnside indicated the last sentence in the 'Case Update' should read, "research has NOT explained the increase." 'NOT' was omitted due to transcribing error. There were no recommendations to Council made. COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS: Chairperson Galstad announced Tom Dickerson is the newly appointed Human Rights Commissioner. His term will begin in'January, 1996. Commissioners Shires and Harvey have been reappointed. CONSIDERATIONS OF BY-LAW REVISIONS: The by-laws were approved by the Commission with the following corrections: §2-4-6 of the Ordinance is identical to the "public hearing" section of the by-laws. Commis, sioner Shires indicated the by-laws should refer to that section of the ordinance. The Commission agreed to make this change. Commissioner Dautremont indicated she prefers to capitalize references to the "Commission". As an example, she noted page four, second line ("shall prevent the,~ commission..."). Also on page eight, at the bottom of the page, the Commission is written with lower case letters. The Commission agreed to make this change, Commissioner Dautremont pointed out on page four, under the "Powers" subsection, the word "article" is used where "chapter" would be more appropriate. The Commission approved changing the word to "chapter". On page six, in the sentence, "each file shall be assigned a human rights number" Commissioner Dautremont indicated "case number" is a more appropriate word choice. than "human rights number"'. The Commission unanimously agreed to change the wording to "ca.se number". Chairperson Galstad tabled the discussion until Anne Burnside has researched the matter. Commissioner Davidson indicated he is not aware of discussions held by other Commissions about this topic in adopting or rejecting such wording. Ms. Burnside also discussed the appropriate placement of such language, if adopted. She indicated to have the force of law, binding on an administrative law judge, it should be part of the Ordinance as opposed to the by-laws. Commissioner Martin mentioned her concern that the difference between by-laws and Ordinances may not be clearly delineated. CONSIDERATION OF CHANGE IN PROCEDURE FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS BREAKFAST: Commissioner Jehle indicated she would like to postpone discussion of this topic until the next Commission meeting. All agreed to do so. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Commissioners who attended training on November 16 and 17 sponsored by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission talked about what they learned. Commissioner Davidson indicated the Commissioners who attended the training, Commissioners Shires, Jehle, Davidson and Martin plan on meeting to put together an informal report for the Commission about the training. Commissioner Davidson mentioned specifically the benefit of networking with other commissions. He suggested meeting with other commissions in the region on a regular basis. Wednesday, November 29, there is a meeting in Cedar Rapids for Diversity training. Commissioner Davidson mentioned working with Don Grove, director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Commissioner Davidson suggested Heather Shank include Don Grove's weekly faxes in the materials sent to commissioners before each me_eting. Commissioner Davidson indicated Commissioners should reciprocate, providing information to Heather Shank to send to Don Grove to distribute to all local agencies in his faxes. Commissioner Shires indicated other cities were surprised by Iowa City's staff size. She explained Waterloo has a population of 67,000 and four staff persons (coordinator, two investigators, .support staff person). Commissioner Martin added that Waterloo also investigates ho'using complaints. Commissioner Shires indicated Dubuque,' which she believes to be the same size as Iowa City, has a staff of three. Commissioner Shires explained other cities also have "friends of the Commission" which.,~ provide outside funding. Des Moines uses the organization to fund special programs, not investigation. They also write grants, serve as a speakers bureau, and pay $15 dues annually. They also use volunteers to serve on subcommittees who are not members of the Commission. Commissioner Martin suggested the Commission research the workload and staff sizes of similar human rights offices and draft a letter to the Council detailing the results. Chairperson Galstad indicated the subcommittee on finance (Chairperson Galstad, Commissioners Davidson and Martin) should work with the other Commissioners who attended the training. (Commissioners Jehle and Shires) to obtain information from other commissions as quickly as possible so that it can be presented to the Council before next year's budget is finalized. Commissioner Martin ~xpressed concern with priorities within the office, fearing education Commissioners agreed. Black History Month will be February. Chairperson Galstad indicated the Commission has sponsored an essay contest, soliciting participation of fifth and sixth graders, in the past. Commissioner Harvey suggested the winners read their essays on the government channel. The essay contest subcommittee members are: Commissioners Davidson, Dautremont'and . Chairperson Galstad. Heather Shank will write a letter to the school district.. Commissioner Harvey expressed interest in opening the essay theme beyond black history to a broader topic. Commissioner Dautremont suggested a more specific topic which will require research by the writers. Heather Shank will review past minutes to find out what the topic was last year. Commissioner Davidson agreed with Commissioner Dautremont's idea of limiting the topic. Chairperson Galstad suggested the topic be about women of color, to honor Black History month in February and Women's History Month in March. The next meeting will be Wednesday, December 13th, 1995. Meeting adjourned. Human Rights Commission Minutes of December 3, 1995 PRESENT: ABSENT: Staff · Present: Public Present: Alison Ames-Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Osha Davidson, Ken Gatl'in, Joan Jehle, Ann Shires, Dorothy Paul Patricia Harvey, Diane Martin Heather Shank, Anne Burnside, Cynthia Riley Tom Dickerson Call to Order: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Minutes from the last meeting were approved. Chairperson galstad introduced Mr. Dickerson, who has been appointed to the Human Rights Commission and will begin in January, 1996. Recommendations to Council: The Commission recommended the amended by-laws to the City Council at the last meeting. Ms. Shank announced that the Council's Rules Committee approved the by-laws with the deletion of one sentence. The sentence stated that the Commission would meet on the fourth Monday of every month. That sentence has been deleted. Reports of Commissioners: Commissioner Jehle passed out a summary of changes she proposes for the Human Rights Awards Breakfast. She suggested the Commissioners read it and discuss the proposals at the next meeting... Commissioner Shires discussed her involvement with the Counsel on Disability Rights and Education (CDRE). She attends CDRE meetings. She announced four city buses have been converted for full accessibility. Commissioner Shires and Human Rights Coordinator Heather Shank attended a diversity Conference in Cedar Rapids sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission. Four members of the Quad Cities Diversity Team gave a presentation on the Mayor's Diversity and Racial Equality Round Table and Targeted Response to Acts of Hatred Roundtablel She pointed out the mayor of Davenport was instrumental in forming the group as a response to junior high students' request to racial problems in the country. A student wrote to the mayor about her personal experiences with racism which also prompted him to form the diversity group. The Diversity Team began in 1992 and included police officers, a federal district judge,. several business persons, students from every school in the district, religious leaders, and others. The roundtables include: media, cultural climate, education, health, conflict resolution, economic development, and political action. The Bi-State Hate Response team is also part of the same diversity movement. Commissioner Shires passed around a brochure or the Quad Cities Diversity Team. Heather Shank also spoke with Brenda Drew Peoples of the Davenport Civil Rights Commission about the Diversity Team. Ms. Shank indicated that she had a productive discussion with Ms. Peoples about recruiting individuals to volunteer their time for the team. Commissioner Shires talked about the overwhelming response of the religious community of the Quad Cities after a cross burning in the area several years ago. Commissioner Shires also passed around a brochure from the Cedar Rapids Commission with information about housing, employment, etc. for complainants and others. She also handed out the 'Diversity and Racial Equality Conflict Resolution Resources' created by the Quad Cities Team. Heather Shank reported that she talked to the Chamber of Commerce Human .Resource Committee about gender identity. She believes it went well and one person in the audience provided information about the experiences her business had with gender identity issues. This helped to allay the fears of some people with limited experience with transsexual issues. She also indicated some people have expressed concern about public rest rooms use by transsexuals (whether someone in a male to female transition should use the men's or women's rest room). Commissioner Davidson is collecting information for employers about transsexuals. Ms. Shank ordered a documentary called "What Sex Am I?" which details the lives of people in gender transition. The Commission then discussed showing the film on the government channel. Ms. Burnside expressed concerns about copyright infringement, Ms. Shank indicated she would check to learn if rebroadcast of the documentary is possible. Ms. Shank will show the documentary at the next meeting (in January). The film will also be made available to the Chamber of Commerce for those that expressed an interest in seeing it during Ms. Shank's presentation. Commissioner Dautremont announced that Julian Bond will be at the Iowa Memorial Union on January 15th at 7:30. Commissioners Davidson and Paul believe there will not be a charge for the event. Status of Cases: There was a successful mediation and another scheduled. Two cases are almost ready for team review. There is a case that is being handled in an expedited manner. It will reach the legal department and then be reviewed by the Commissioners shortly. Team C will receive the next case. Old Business: Anne Burnside discussed the matter of by-law language which would prevent the Commission from accepting evidence of a victim's prior sexual activity in making a determination of a complaint. Commissioner Davidson had indicated an interest in this language, which is used by Dubuque. Ms. Burnside explained the usual evidentiary test which is a matter's relevance versus it's potential to prejudice the decision maker. As an example, she explained that criminal cases do not usually allow evidence of prior convictions because the decision makers may then presume guilt. She researched the issue and learned that there are two subsections of the Iowa Code. The first section precludes evidence of a victim's prior sexual history will not be admitted without weighing it for relevance greater than its prejudicial value. The second section says there will be no evidence admitted in a sexual assault or harassment matter in determining damages. Ms. Burnside indicated that Iowa Courts will follow the code language although the commission, such as Dubuque did can adopt their own evidentiary rule. She explained, however, that the case may then have varying standards of admitting evidence and create problems in the evidentiary record on appeal. Ms. Shank explained she makes a record with broad information, not all of which is used in determining a finding of discrimination. She also said respondents in sexual harassment cases are entitled to a defense that calls attention to the victim's sexual history at times. Commissioner Davidson questioned why the Iowa Code would explicitly require weighing prejudice and relevance if it is a generally accepted rule of evidence. Ms. Burnside said safety nets are built into the system to require this weighing of evidence. She does not believe there is a problem with reiterating the language in the by-laws. The by-laws committee will take up the question and address it at the next meeting. Chairperson Galstad said the financial subcommittee met earlier in the week and is creating a proposal for the Council. Commissioners Davidson and Shires created a chart comparing funding to local human rights departments across the state. Commissioner Shires gathered information and Commissioner Davidson put the information into chart form. Commissioner Galstad said the proposal will include a request for a full-time support person and a full-time support staff. person. The financial committee will summarize the work load of the office and compare it to the 'work load and budget of like departments in other cities in Iowa. The Commission voted and unanimously approved the proposal mentioned above. Commissioner Davidson asked about source of funding as a protected classification in housing cases. Commissioner Shires indicated the category is not enforced. Heather Shank indicated a complainant who alleges such discrimination would be able to file. Anne Burnside indicated the same. Anne Burnside indicated in the past, discussions have indicated an ADC recipient, discriminated against because of their status as an ADC recipient would be protected by the Ordinance. The category of public source of income, however, does not apply to Section 8 certificates or vouchers. The federal and state anti-discrimination agencies have held that a landlord may refuse to rent to a Section 8 recipient because it is considered a bona fide business decision, given the onerous procedures required. It is more than a matter of who pays the bill, it is a separate administrative process. HUD does not require landlords to take Section Eight. Commissioner Davidson asked if it is a greater burden than making apartments accessib, le. Anne Burnside indicated it is in that it effects every aspect of the landlord tenant relationship. Discussion on the matter will be deferred until a later time. New Business: Discussion of the City's Affirmative Action policy will be postponed until the January 22rid meeting. It will be held in the City Manager's Conference Room. Commissioner Gatlin submitted his resignation. He indicated his 'schedule did not permit him dedicate as much time to the Commission as he had previously. The Commission gave their thanks to Commissioners Gatlin and Paul for their years of service. The Commission and staff will miss their service and presence. Meeting adjourned 8:07 p.m. Human Rights Commission Minutes of January 22, 1996 PRESENT: Alison Ames-Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Osha Davidson, Tom Dickerson, Pat Harvey, Diane Martin, Ann Shires ABSENT: Joan Jehle Staff Present: Heather Shank, Anne Burnside Public Present: None .) Call to Order: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Minutes from the last meeting were approved with the following correction: "Commissioner Gatlin submitted his resignation." Election of Officers for 1996 is as follows: Alison Ames-Galstad as Chair, Pat Harvey as Vice- Chair and Heather Shank as Secretary Recommendations to Council: None. Reports of Commissioners: An amendment to the Commission by-laws is to be put on the agenda for February's meeting. The Commission will vote on adding Section Xl, I. Admissible Evidence in a Sexual Harassment Case. Discussion of ideas for the Human Rights Breakfast will be postponed until the February meeting when Commissioner Jehle is present. Tentative dates mentioned for the breakfast are Thursday, October loth or October 17th. Saturday, February 17th is Community Service Day at Old Capitol Mall. Due to the current staffing/budget issues, Commissioner Shires suggested the event be represented. solely by Commission members. Pat Harvey is to contact Joan Jehle to possibly split the day into two shifts. Harvey is to inform Ms. Shank whether the Commission will be participating or will have to cancel. Budget Subcommittee - Commissioners Galstad, Davidson, and Martin will be present at the Council meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd to discuss the staffing needs of the Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Coordinator. Chair Galstad reported on the speech by Julian Bond. He spoke frankly on the issues of affirmative action and the need to get involved, to work with the system that we have. Commissioner Shires spoke of Mary Sue Coleman's first address as Uofl President and her strong support of affirmative action. Commissioner Davidson wrote President Coleman a follow-up letter in which he indicated the Commission was looking forward to working with her and the University on future projects. Chair Galstad is to contact Coleman's office as a possible speaker for this year's Human Rights Breakfast. A possible date for the joint meeting/public forum with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission is Thursday, March 14th. Ms. Shank is to call Don Groves to find out more about the proposed activities for that evening. Training on Discrimination for the Commission is set for Saturday, March 9th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the home of Chair Galstad (947 Iowa Ave.). Ms. Shank will be conducting gender identity training sessions in May for the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Goodwill offices. The video "What Sex Am I?" is to be reviewed by all Commissioners for discussion at February's meeting. Ms. Shank is requesting an alternative film to be reviewed as well. Old Business: Commissioner Shires mentioned the need to organize a breakfast for retired Commissioners Gatlin and Paul. Osha Davidson will schedule a get-together tentative mid-February. Chair Galstad would like a discussion on the City's Affirmative Action Policy put on the agenda for the February meeting. One area in question is the ability of a City employee to file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. Anne Burnside said this issue has been brought up periodically in the past. While the complaint can be handled at the state level, Burnside indicated concern in such areas as gender identity and sexual orientation where the state does not provide the same degree of protection. Ms. Galstad would like to discuss creating a subcommittee to formulate a proposal to Council. Ms. Galstad also suggested a presentation at one of the future Commission meetings to learn how the City enacts their affirmative action policy. New Business: Commissioner Shires will provide a new list of member names, addresses and phone numbers once the new Commissioner has been appointed. Due to the lack of support staff, the CDBG grant proposal will not be submitted. Housing discrimination based on race was last tested in 1985. Commissioner Davidson has been busy working on setting the ground work for the "Bridges" program by sending letters to the Neighborhood Associations, talking to the Chamber of Commerce as well as its Human Resource Subcommittee, meeting with the IC Press Citizen, meeting with Susan Mask, etc. A subcommittee made up of Commissioners Davidson, Dickerson and Shires was created to work on the program. Commissioner Davidson noted the current job description includes the determination of goals and objectives for the Commission. Currently, the Commission does not formally review its goals and objectives on an annual basis. Ms. Shank is to include a copy of the job description in the February packet for further discussion at that time. U of I just ended its Human Rights Week and Amnesty International declared its Human Rights Week. Mr. Davidson expressed the need for the Commission to coordinate activities and join' forces with such events in order to be more effective. The National Organization for Women is organizing a forum on Gender Equity in sports. Mel Dautremont asked if the Human Rights Commission wanted to be involved in the project? The Commission agreed and it was determined that April would be the month for the forum. On Tuesday, February 13, 1996, Jamaica Kincaid will be reading from her book at Shaumbaugh Auditorium. Chair Galstad met with Charlie Eastham and asked him to address the Commission at the February meeting. Mr. Eastham is the Chairman of the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship. Mr. Eastham will share with the Commission his view on housing discrimination in Iowa City. The Greater Iowa City Interfaith Communities had its first service. The service was in commemoration of Martin Luther King and Commissioner Shires reported it was a huge success. Meeting Adjourned at 9:09 p.m. Human Rights Commission Minutes of March 20, 1996 meeting PRESENT: Alison Ames-Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Tom Dickerson, 'Joan Jehle, Diane Martin ABSENT: Pat Harvey, Osha Davidson, Ann Shires Staff Present: Heather Shank, Anne Burnside, Dale Helling ,/ Public Present: Joy Zeiler Recommendations to Council: CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the~eeting to order at 7:00 pro. Minutes from the last meeting were approved. SYLVIA MEJIA: Alison Galstad indicated that Ms. Mejia could not come to the meeting to discuss Iowa City's Affirmative Action plan due to a prior committment. Mr. Helling indicated it would be helpful if the Commission outlined it's specific concerns. Ms. Galstad said the Commission didn't really know how the Affirmative Action Policy was implemented. Under the Human Rights Ordinance, the Human Rights Commission is to make recommendations to Council regarding the Affirmative Action Policy. Ms. Galstad indicated it was hard to make recommendations regarding the policy when the Commission was unaware of the implementation policy. Mr. Helling .stated the Affirmative Action Policy may need to be updated. EDUCATIONAL FORUM: Shank outlined her plan for an educational forum for employers to be held sometime in June. The idea of the forum has been well accepted. The speakers are Tom Hobart, John Allen, Lon Moeller and Marie Prince-Martin. The Chamber of Commerce is in support of the forum. Kathy Sigsbee from the Chamber's Human Resource Committee indicated the Chamber would send out invitations. The Chamber is also going to put the forum in their newsletter. JSEC has been notified as well. The Commission determined it would be better to have two evenings set aside for the number of topics to be addressed. The dates chosen were June 6 and June 13, 1996. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Ms. Dautremont reported that Monday evening NOW had its 2nd annual talent show. The audience was enthusiastic. Commissioner Peery and his wife participated. Ms. Dautremont said the forum on Women in Sports has been put on hold for the moment. Ms. Galstad indicated the student intern from Cornell, Joy Zeiler, would be able to assist Ms. Dautremont. Mr. Dickerson passed around an article on the ADA. The article suggests the ADA is not being used in the way it was intended to be used. Mr. Dickerson asked for clarification on which is the best forum to bring a complaint of discrimination based on disability? Shank reported the State Supreme Court ruled against the complainant in the last 16 disability discrimination cases. If a person is going to take their complaint to district court, Shank indicated it would be better to go to Federal Court. Federal Court will apply the ADA. Iowa did not incorporate the ADA into its law so some of the protection set forth in the ADA is not enforced in Iowa. Mr. Dickerson said he would pass this information on. Mr. Dickerson said there have been concerns raised by members of the community regarding the Iowa City Police Department. Accor_ding to Mr, Dickerson he has heard reports of Iowa City Police Officers stopping African Americans if they are driving nice cars. Mr. Dickerson wondered if this topic had been addressed at all given what happened to Mr. Glasper. Ms. Galstad reported that a couple of years ago, Chief Winkelhake asked the Commission to look over the Police Department's training manual. There was no follow through by the Commission at that time. Ms. Shank indicated Lon Moeller was going to do a training session with the Police on discrimination. Ms. Burnside reported that the training had already taken place. She has asked for the tape of the session. Ms. Galstad asked Ms. Burnside to report on the training after she views the tape. Ms. Dautremont has heard from the public that when an APB goes out on the radio, the person reports that a suspect is an African American male of an approximate age. The report of the suspect, however, does not include any distinguishing characteristic, ie., light skinned, etc. This leads to every African American male being a suspect. · Ms. Diane Martin called the first of the Neighborhood Associations. She ~vas informed that the Association does not meet unless there is a crisis. Ms. Martin is going to check with other Neighborhood Associations to determine whether they meet on a more regular basis. Mr. Andre' Peery provided the Commission with the e-mail address fo~ the Commission's Webb page. The address is http:/www.avalon.net/-apeerystar. OLD BUSINESS: Legal Opinion: Ms. Galstad mentioned an incident arose in a Council meeting last month in which a question was raised as to whether it was discrimination to announce the gender makeup of the commissions when a vacancy was being announced. Ms. Galstad indicated the Commission unanimously voted to recommend to Council that they continue the practice of announcing the gender makeup of commissions. 'Ms. Galstad asked Ms. Burnside if she could provide the Human Rights Commission with a legal opinion regarding whether or not announcing the gender makeup of commissions was discriminatory. Fair Housin.q Month: Shank indicated the Commission did not have a public forum pertaining to Fair Housing Month last year. She mentioned that Joy Zeiler, a student from Cornell College, will be reporting to the Commission in April, the changes that need to be made in the Human Rights Ordinance to make the Ordinance substantially equivalent to the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1989.~ If the Ordinance is approved by HUD, Iowa City will be permitted to investigate allegations of housing discrimination in the Iowa City area. If HUD approves the Ordinance, it will provide 9100,000 a year for two years to effectuate the program. Cedar Rapids recently achieved substantial equivalency. Shank indicated the Commission could put on a public forum educating the public on the various forms of housing discrimination. She also said the Commission could tape a program for public access television. Mr. Peery said he would put the video on PATV. Mel Dautremont indicated the Commission could invite many people from the community to discuss housing issues and not necessarily make the forum one sided. Mr. Peery said the forum should focus on how to prevent discrimination. Ms. Galstad said she believed Jan Alderton gave a housing forum about 4 - 5 years ago that was similar to the one that was being suggested. Shank said she would call Jan Alderton from the State Civil Rights Commission. Joint Commission Meetin.q: There will be a joint Commission Meeting on May 9, 1996 with the State Civil Rights Commission. STATUS OF CASES: On Monday, April 11, 1996, Ms. Galstad, Ann Shires and Osha Davidson were involved in a conciliation in a complaint in which there was probable cause to believe discrimination had occurred. The individual believed he was discriminated against because his wife was African American. The investigation revealed the individual had experienced a racially hostile environment. The employee was repeatedly stared at in a hostile fashion by a supervisor. He was disciplined for things other employees did without subsequest reprimand. He filed a retaliation complaint following his initial complaint. In this complaint the Commission found no probable cause. At the conciliation, the complainant's attorney offered a demand letter. The respondent's attorney indicated he and his clients had to have time to think about the demand. Later in the week, t~e respondent's attorneys came up with a counteroffer which was refused by the complainant's attorneys. Complainant's attorney informed Ms. Shank that the complainant intended to request a right {o sue letter. Ms. Galstad indicated it was the recommendation of the Conciliation Team that the Commission administratively close the complaint pending the request for the right to sue letter. The Commission unanimously voted to administratively close the complaint. NEW BUSINESS: Ms. Shank drafted an Impediments To Housing Update for JCCOG. Shank reported Marianne Milkman wanted to come to the next meeting to talk with the Commission regarding an update on the impediments report. Ms. Shank asked the Commission to think about what the Commission could do to remove housing impediments. Meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. Human Rights Comm:l. ss~on Minutes of June 27, 1996 Meeting PRESENT: Alison Ames-Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Tom Dickerson, Pat Harvey, Joan Jehle, Diane Martin, Andre Peery, Ann Shires ABSENT: Osha Davidson Staff Present: Kaci Carolan, Eleanor Dilkes, Heather Shank Public Present: None CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. The minutes from the last meeting were approved as amended. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None DIVERSITY TEAM: Ms. Galstad has talked to Prank Tribble of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. He will be asked to meet with the Iowa City Human Rights Commission in July to discuss the development of a diversity team. TRANSGENDER ISSUES: Ms. Shank met with Ashley Super who is involved with a Cedar Rapids group supporting transsexual issues. An educational video is being developed which will be aired in the Iowa City area. IC AS A HR· COMMUNITY: Ms. Galstad attended one of the last two meetings. Ms. Galstad has been charged with comparing the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance to the UN Charter. HOUSING FORUM: The forum is set for Monday, August 26th 7:00 pm at the public library. The monthly commission meeting will be held Thursday, August 15th. REPORTS OF CO~SSION~RS~ Ms. Dautremont announced several activities: Sunday, June 30th is the Gay Pride Talent Show at Clapp Hall. Wednesday, July 3rd Heartland Candle Project will be having an open house from 11:30 - 2=30 pm. Thursday, July 18th 'Clarence Thomas will be speaking at the Cedar Rapids Bar Assoc. Ms. Shires is a participant on the Housing Committee for the Council for Disability Rights and Education. The Housing Committee has received grant funding to perform accessibility audits in rental property. Some responses have been favorable, others not. Mr. Dickerson and Ms. Shank represented the Commission at the Gay Lesbian Bisexual People's Parade. OLD BUSINESS: Housing task force: Ms. Martin has requested a list of landlords from the Housing Dept. A cover letter along with the most recent copy of the Fair Housing Guide will be mailed .to each landlord. Ms. Harvey will pass along advertising information from The Advertiser and ICON to Ms. Shank. Mr. Dickerson has contacted Linda Severson who conducts monthly meetings for the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. This board represents some 30 agencies. Mr. Dickerson will attend the next meeting. He has already contacted many groups directly. Outstanding - Mr. Davidson is to compile a list of contacts for information distribution to renters. Thanks to Heather Shank for the success of both employment forums. Ms. Galstad is working on finding a speaker for this year's Human Rights Breakfast. NEWBUSINESS: The Commission still hopes to pursue working jointly this year with the U of I during their week long activities celebrating the life of Martin Luther King. Ms. Dautremont is to talk to Tom Walsh to find out more information surrounding his concerns with the radio station KCJJ and the quality of their morning commentaries. STATUS OF CASES: process. One appeal next week, two mediations are in- Meeting was adjorned at 8:06 pm. Human Rights Commission Minutes of July 22, 1996 Meeting PRESENT: ABSENT: Alison Ames Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Osha Davidson, Pat Harvey, Joan Jehle, Andre Peery, Ann Shires Tom Dickerson, Diane Martin Staff Present: Kaci Carolan, Eleanor Dilkes, Heather Shank Public Present: Steve Nasby CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. The minutes from the last meeting were approved as amended. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None IMPEDIMENTS TO HOUSING: Steve Nasby from the Dept. of Planning and Community Development gave each commissioner the July 1996 revised Analysis of Fair Housing Practices and Impediments document. Mr. Nasby addressed the commission's goals and action plans to overcome the impediments to fair housing. He noted the commission has already started implementing actions such as expanded advertising and community awareness via the August Housing Forum. Maurice Head, the new director of the Community Development Dept., will be present at the commission's September meeting along with Steve to discuss formalizing the commission's plans and merging them with plans formulated by Community Development. DIVERSITY TEAM: Frank Tribble of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission spoke this month on the make-up of the established diversity teams that currently exist in other cities in Iowa. Alison Ames Gatstad, Ann Shires, Osha Davidson, Heather Shank, and Susan Mask met two weeks ago with Mr. Tribble and then again last week. At the second meeting Pat Cain from the University of Iowa College of Law joined the original group. The members mentioned above identified the areas of representation needed to create a steering committee: IC HR Commission, IC Mayor, IC Police, IC schools, U ofI - Affirmative Action, Diversity Committee, Human Rights Committee, IC disability awareness, Juvenile Court, Johnson County, Chamber of Commerce, Labor, Media, Religious Community, Coralville Mayor and law enforcement. There will be another meeting at the end of August. HOUSING FORUM: completed by Ms. efforts. Mailings for the forum August 26th have been Shank and Ms. Zeiler. Thank you for all your REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Mr. Davidson and Ms. Shires attended a "day of music" benefit Sunday at the City Park for churches who have experienced burnings. OLD BUSINESS: this year. Pat Cain will be the speaker for the HRC breakfast Housing task force: The mailing of the IC Fair Housing Guide to landlords has been completed. An advertisement alerting the public to call the Human Rights Commission if they believe they have been discriminated against will now be in The Advertiser. The same ad is Currently in the Daily Iowan. Mr. Dickerson has submitted his list of housing-related groups. He plans to continue to attend meetings with the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. Mr. Davidson is to contact tenant-related groups. NEW BUSINESS:. Mr. Davidson noted a few additions to the commission's annual report. STATUS OF CASES: One case is close to a personal resolution. One mediation is close to being settled. No outstanding cases assigned to the teams. Meeting was adjourned at 8:09 pm. MINUTES OF JOINT HUMAN RIGHTS AND STATE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 16, 1996, CITY MANAGER'S CONFERENCE ROOM IOWA CITY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Alison Ames Galstad, Mel Dautremont, Pat Harvey, Diane Martin, Ann Shires, Andre Peery, Tom Dickerson ABSENT: Osha Davidson, Joan Jehle IOWA CITY STAFF PRESENT: Heather Shank, Eleanor Dilkes STATE COMMISSIONER'S PRESENT: Dale Repass, Carolyn Rants, Liz Nichols, Bernard Bidne STATE STAFF PRESENT: Don Grove, Bhanji, David Meeks, PUBLIC PRESENT: Joy Zeiler, Brian Sharp, Patricia Harris CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.. Galstad welcomed the State Commissioners and staff to the joint meeting. Everyone introduced themselves. It was determined the Iowa City Human Rights Commission should conduct their meeting first. The minutes from the last meeting were approved.. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: None DIVERSITY TEAM UPDATE: Chairperson Galstad explained to the State Commissioners that there is a small group of people who have been meeting to discuss the formation of a diversity committee in Iowa City. The team will be meeting again the week after next. Frank Tribble from the State came and met with the core group to discuss ideas. The group came up with a tentative list of individuals and groups who had expressed an interest in being involved. Each person in the core group was given a number of individuals to call regarding the diversity team concept. At the next meeting of the core group, members will talk about the response they received from the contacts, the interest in the community, etc. Heather Shank reported the Chamber of Commerce has started their own Diversity Committee. The goal of this group is to make the Chamber membership more diverse. Tom Gelman indicated he believed the Chamber would be interested in having representatives on the Community Diversity Team. Ms. Galstad mentioned the core group wants to avoid duplication of efforts. She thought perhaps the groups could join together on projects. There is a Diversity Committee and the Human Rights Committee at the University. Diane Martin indicated she spoke with the Mayor in Coralville 'and he was interested in being a part of the Diversity Team. The Mayor, Jim Fausett, is going to bring the matter up with the Police Chief and Personnel Director. HOUSING FORUM: Mailing went out to landlords and agents. Other mailings went to business in the hope they would post the notices. Posters were placed in conspicuous places, including buses. It was decided that coffee would be served at the forum. Shank mentioned the Housing Forum had been advertised by several radio stations and newspapers. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Ms. Galstad said that someone came up to her in John's Grocery and praised the work of the Commission on the previous public forums for employers held at the Public Library. This individual especially liked the speech on religious discrimination. OLD BUSINESS: In February the Commission started looking at the City's Affirmative Action Plan. Ms. Galstad explained that Joy Zeiler had the responsibility as an intern for the Assistant City Manager to work on the Affirmative Action plan. Ms. Zeiler indicate~ that she began by doing research on affirmative action. She started on the self analysis of the work force to determine whether underutilization was occurring. Affirmative action must be remedial unless it is court ordered. Ms. Zeiler provided the Commission with statistics that compared information on the City work force. Some comparisons were made based on the 1990 Census Data. She broke the work force down by gender and minority. Ms. Zeiler emphasized that the graphs had' not yet been seen by the Personnel Director for her approval. She wanted the Commission to be informed as to what steps she had taken to update the affirmative action plan. Ms. Zeiler indicated that the Personnel Director was going to meet with Mr. Helling to determine where to go from here. Ms. Galstad stated she wanted to take Ms. Zeiler's information into consideration and have input into the planning. She said the Commission has the responsibility of making recommendations to the City Council regarding the Affirmative Action plan. Therefore, 'she believes the Commission should get involved in the early stages of the development of the plan so as to provide input. Don Grove mentioned that UNI has a diversity meeting the second week in September. One of their panels addresses affirmative action. The group is currently looking for people with expertise. The meeting will take place September 12, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 at UNI. Mr. Tom Dickerson and Ms. Galstad will attend. HUMAN RIGHTS BREAKFAST: Ms. Martin inquired as to whether a subcommittee should be formed for the breakfast, specifically to arrange displays in the Iowa City Public Library. Mel Dautremont indicated she would work on the display with Ms. Jehle. Ms. Galstad reminded Commissioners that no one had to sit at the door to sell tickets because tickets are to be sold in advance of the Breakfast. The nomination committee consists of Ms. Galstad and Ms. Shires. The mailing list has been put together. NEW BUSINESS: Shank indicated she thought a forum on Public Accommodation discrimination should be organized by the Commission. Early November is the target for the forum. The next Commission meeting has been scheduled for September 16, 1996, in the Lobby Conference Room. STATUS OF CASES: negotiation. A complaint was resolved through mediation and ADJOURNED: The Iowa City Human Rights Commission adjourned its meeting at 10:55 a.m.. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Minutes of September 16, 1996 Meeting COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Alison Ames Galstad, Chair; Mel Dautremont,Tom Dickerson, Osha Davidson, Joan Jehle, Diane Martin, Andre Peery, Ann Shires Pat Harvey STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Kaci Carolan, Eleanor Dilkes, Heather Shank, Sylvia Mejia, Personnel /Human Resources CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the August 16th meeting were approved as written. Shires/Dickerson. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN: At the joint August meeting with the State Commission, we received some introductory information from Joy Zeiler regarding preliminary statistics she had gathered but agreed that we should invite Sylvia Mejia to a Commission meeting to update us on what the next step should be. Sylvia and Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager are meeting to decide where to go next with the intent of revising the City's Affirmative Action Plan. It is in the Human Rights Commission's By-Laws that we will make recommendations to the City Council regarding revisions to the Affirmative Action Plan. Sylvia shared a history of the current Plan which has not been revised recently to reflect recent.changes in court interpretation. Joy Zeiler worked independently with little direction from Sylvia as she did research on a state-of-the-art affirmative action plan - what changes could and could not be made. There are some problems with the research in that the Statistics which the Commission received don't perfectly match the EEO (equal employment opportunities) categories. The City's goal is equal employment opportunity and professional positions are advertised quite widely but for entry level positions, the applicant pool becomes more localized since the pay range is not high enough to entice someone to relocate to Iowa City. There is also some degree of difficulty in reaching protected classes through published lists. In this regard, the Human Rights Commission might be able to assist Sylvia and the Personnel department. The Personnel staff always sift applications for each position as to whether the applicant meets or does not meet the minimum qualifications. Only those who meet the qualifications are forwarded to the supervisor. Another protection is the use of standard interview formats for each job opening. Sylvia stated that the current Affirmative Action Policy was written in 1981 and structural changes have been made. There is no longer a Human Relations Director which was a part of the original plan. Less than adequate staffing in the Personnel/Human Resources department do not allow speedy response or completion of the project which Joy began for us. The time frame for completion is unknown. The Commission and/or the City Council will need to give direction on the importance of this project. Commissioner Davidson expressed concern that this project not get lost in the shuffle. Commissioner Peery asked if the original Affirmative Action Plan was being used and if not, is the original document repairable. Sylvia responded that she feels it would be better to write a new plan perhaps combining Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative .Action than to attempt to re-write the old plan. The Commission needs to discuss the importance of this issue with Sylvia and Dale. The City is required by law to issue a report each year, based upon the information at hand. Sylvia expressed some concern that the reports may not be as accurate as they could be. Commissioner Peery asked to see some of the previous reports. Sylvia is researching Human Rights software which would make the record-keeping easier and much more accurate. Commissioner Davidson asked Commissioner Peery if he might be able to help the Personnel Department in their recruitment of minorities by providing names of publications where the City could advertise openings. Peery asked how much effort is put forth in minority recruitment. Sylvia responded that they have tried several different t~cs but that staff is limited. They do send out information to a minority mailing list. The Commission can assist by compiling a mailing list with a contact person. Peery will review recent reports. DIVERSITY TEAM UPDATE: Shank reported that she had spoken to Judy Morrison, the Chair of the Human Rights Committee at the University of Iowa. She does a lot of Indian rights work and is very interested in the diversity team idea. She would like to be kept informed and would be willing to participate as her time permits. The most recent meeting was held on August 29th when members shared information on whom they had contacted. The next meeting will be later this week at which time members will continue work on a Mission Statement. They do not wish to do any more recruitment until a general mission statement is created. A more specific statement will be~ created by the complete Diversity Team when it is in place Commissioner Galstad stated. Sub-groups will be created within this team to respond to specific situations or needs. Galstad listed the following groups from which Diversity Team members will be recruited: Iowa City government, Iowa City School District, University of Iowa, Iowa City community disability awareness groups, juvenile court system, Johnson County government, business community, labor, media, religious community, City of Coralville. HUMAN RIGHTS BREAKFAST: Shank reported that she had tickets to distribute to each Commission member for the Human Rights Breakfast on October 10th. Cost of the tickets is $10 and members are encouraged to sell as many as possible. She did a public service announcement today, Commissioner Jehle will do an interview with Brian Thomas at KRNA and if possible, Dottie Ray and distribute posters around town. Galstad will try to arrange an interview with Dennis Reese at WSUI. Commissioner Dickerson will talk with Icon and Commissioner Peery will do a public-access spot assisted by Shank. The Committee to review nominations and select winners consists of the following Commissioners: Ann Shires, Alison Galstad and Mel Dautremont. The Human Rights display at the Iowa City Public Library will be set up by Commissioners Mel Dautremeont and Joan Jehle. The display which will be in front of the AV Desk for the entire month of October will consist of posters, giveaways and anything else that Commissioners and staff wish to have on display. Next year we can request that a librarian select items from the Library's collection which are pertinent to the topic of human rights. Jehle requested input from the Cormmission on content of the display and none was forthcoming. Commissioner Jehle reminded the Commission of her suggestion that a new Human Rights Award be created to honor the memory of Rick Graf and asked for a consenses of opinion. The Commission members agreed to the following guidelines: This award will not automatically be an annual award but will be given at the discretion of the Commission's Nomination Committee; i't will be awarded to an individual, a business or an individual in a service organization when a candidate possesses the following: Be an outstanding, long-term commitment on the part of an individual for a specific cause or for the benefit of a specific group of persons. This award will differ from the Isabel Turner Award in that it will be initiated by the Commission as it is deemed appropriate from the pool of nominations. This award is to honor the memory of Rick Graf, a member of the Human Rights Commission, whose life was cut short by complications of AIDS in July, 1995. Peery moved and Jehle seconded a motion to empower the Commission's Nomination Committee to award the first Rick Graf Human Rights Award if a suitable candidate,meeting the guidelines listed by the Commission, is found within the pool of nominations. Shank will invite Don Engstrom as a special guest of the Commission. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Shires announced that September 28 is Old Capitol Community Day and asked if the Human Rights Commission wanted to have a table set up and if we had enough Commissioners available to staff it from 10-4 that day. The mailing announcing this event went out very late and apparently was sent to the wrong contact person for the Commission. Commissioner Jehle was the only member who had time available on that day but was not able to cover that whole time slot. It was decided after much discussion that with such short lead time, we would not staff a table at the mall on September 28th. Shank will try again to change the contact person for the Commission to herself or her office. Commissioner Dautremont announced the following upcoming events: On Wednesday, the 18th, Rebecca Walker, Alice Walker's daughter, will be speaking at 7:00 at Buchanan Auditorium in the Papajohn Building; On Saturday, the 21st will be the third annual Womens' Music Festival from 10 to 6 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds; on Sunday, the 22nd WRAC will be holding a brunch from 10-1 to celebrate their 25th anniversary of~WRAC; on Wednesday, October 9th, at 7 PM will be Iowa City Women's Priorities - a review of'the "Back to Beijing" teleconference held in late September. This review will be held in meeting room A at the Iowa City Public Library. Commissioner Davidson reported that a City Council person asked about the idea of having a member of the Human Rights Commission on the Civilian Review Board. Commissioner Dautremont asked if that would be appropriate since the Council has already appointed each of us to the Commission. If we were representing the Commission wouldn't that be a violation of current City policy which states that you cannot serve on more than one Board or Commission, asked Commissioner Davidson. If one of us was appointed as a private citizen rather than a Commission member, would that be appropriate or a conflict of interest? Commissioner Davidson was merely informing the Commission members that we may hear more of this idea. Commissioner Jehle recommended that each Commissioner log any volunteer time which they spend on clerical types of duties for the Human Rights Office'. Jehle pointed out the need to document the time in order to help support our request in the future for a clerical support position for the HR Office. Examples of time to document would include time spent on the huge mailing for the annual breakfast, transcribing of the monthly Commission meeting minutes, preparation of posters, press releases, tickets as well as the processing of requests for tickets and the mailing of same. Shank and Carolan were hired as investigators/lawyers and their time should be spent on case work not clerical duties. A log sheet will be kept in Shank's office for the recording of clerical time. Jehle has volunteered to transcribe the Minutes each month since she is officially retired from the public library and now has the time. Dilkes suggested that Shank also keep a log of the time she spends on clerical tasks that for whatever reason, only she or Carolan ~n do. Shank announced that President Coleman's office called the Human Rights office today to express her regret that she could not come to the Human Rights breakfast and said she will plan to attend next year. Commissioner Shires stated that when she had spoken to President Coleman in July, she hadn't known that we had invited her to be our keynote speaker at this year's breakfast and asked that we please invite her again. OLD BUSINESS: REVISED HOUSING ORDINANCE: Galstad stated this is what we went over during the summer with Joy Zeiler, just before her internship ended. Shank stated that there have been further changes including the Statute of Limitations which has been changed to 180 days. It had been 1 year but has been changed in order to make it the same as the state commission's Statute of Limitations. Shank and Dilkes reviewed a few word changes also. Motion to approve the reused ordinance, Davidson/Galstad. (?) NEW BUSINESS: None STATUS OF CASES: Shank reported that one case is in Legal right now and she is completing the investigation of another case. There has also been a successful mediation and Shank is waiting for the paperwork and an additional case after review by Team C was found to have no probable cause. There will soon be cases for Team A and Team B. NEXT MEETING: The next regular Commission meeting will be on Monday, October 27th at 7PM in the Civic Center Conference Room/lobby area. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM by Chairperson Galstad. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Minutes of October 28, 1996 Meeting COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Staff Present: Alison Ames Galstad, Chair; Mei Dautremont, Pat Harvey, Diane Martin, Tom Dickerson, Joan Jehle Andre Peery, Anne Shires One position remains unfilled due to the resignation of Osha Davidson Eleanor Dilkes, Heather Shank, Kaci Carolan CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the September 16, 1996 meeting were approved following the correction of the date for the October meeting. Dautremont/Harvey. RECOMMONDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION: Galstad stated that the Commission is now down to a total of eight members with the recent resignation of Osha Davidson. She also reminded the Commission members that three terms were due to expire in late December: Davidson, Galstad and Andre Peery. All three of these openings are being advertisied now and the Council will make appointments at the December 3rd Council meeting. Applications must be received in the City Cierk's office by November 22nd. Galstad announced that she is not reapplying and was not sure what Peery's plans were. DIVISERSITY TEAM: Galstad announced that she is interested in continuing with the Diversity Team after her term on the Commission has ended. She would like to see this concept through its formation stage. Glastad was not sure of Davidson's plans regarding the the Diversity Team. She stated that she feels it is very important for one or more member of the Commission members to participate in the Diversity Team concept. Shank has informed Susan Mask of the importance of continuing this process. In addition to Galstad, Davidson, Shank, Diane Finerty and Shires have attanded recent meetings. The committee reworked the Mission Statement but did not set the next meeting. Perhaps an evening meeting would be good for those interested. Shank stated that we needed to convene the core group very soon and if a leader appears from that group that would work well but this is a team based in the community and the Commission should seek. to involve others rather than itself. The Police Depa.rtment wants Shank to go ahead with a public forum on hate crimes. The Police D~partment very much wants to be involved in this forum. This forum would be sponsored and assisted by the Diversity Team. Pat Harvey has offered to become involved with the Team. GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT: Shank asked how many of the Commission members had seen the movie Gentlemen's Agreement and stated that is about anit-semetism and displays every type of discrimination you can imagine. Though none of the characters admit to being racist they all continue to do all they can to pertetuate racism. Shank suggested that provide a forum for the public to view the movie and share in a discussion following the movie. This could be held in late January or early February - perhaps at the Public Library. What would the Commsssion like to do to celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday in January? Do we want to be part of the University~s celebration, do we want to have our own event? Should we co-sponsor a particular event with the University? Shank will talk further with Susan Mask. COMMISSION VACANCIES: Shank announced that she has had posters printed with the three vacancies listed and will make sure that outreach is done with local churches and synogogue as well as groups and associations at the University or in the local community. P~ge 2 REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Galstad announced that she had attended the Lieutenant Governor's conference in Des Moines on October 8th. The conference focused on the diversity. Carolan had recentlMb~en~to the State Civil Rights.Commission training session in Des Moines. "Some pe~ple. were surprised to learn that the Iowa City Human Rights Office had paid staff. She was pleased to see that the Iowa City office appeared streamlined and organized as ~pposed to some particiants who seemed confused and less organized. Marshalltown, Keokuk and several other cities have no paid staff. Several women in Keokuk had just received letters in the mail indicating that they had been oppointed to the Keokuk Human Rights Commission. This is brand new and they are starting with no ordinance and no mission statement -.they are starting. from scratch. Man~ Iowa cities conduct their own investigations and then send everything to the State Office for review and final determination. Commission member Andre Peery also attended this conference. Dautroment announced that the local NOW chapter has purchased a film in memory of their Vice President who died early last summmer. The film is called Saxual Harassment and is aimed at high school age people.. The complete title is Sexual Harrassment and How to Stop It. It will be show November 13th at 7:00 PM in meeting.room C at the Public Library. The film will be presented to Marian Coleman to be used within the Iowa City Community School District. The film shows many different people - male, female, black~ white and disabled in various forms of harrassment. Shank discussed Cultural Diversity Day and reminded everyone that the Commission had participated last year at the fieldhouse. The event will be on Saturday, February 8th from noon to 5 PM. Diane Martin agreed to organize the Commission's participation. OLD BUSINESS: For the November meeting, please come prepared to discuss the Equal Opportunity Employment guidelines and the City's Affirmative Action Plan. Shouid' they be combined? The Commission will need to review and then make recommendations on what members feel should be done and where to start. The Commission should lead the way in this important area of our concern. Peery picked up the last EEO report from the Personnel office. Jehle asked for an evaluation of the Human Rights Breakfast held in early October. Shank will put this item on the November agenda. Jehle also asked for an evaluation of the display in the Public Library for Human Rights month and the breakfast. Input is needed to make it even better for October, 1997. Jehle has reserved the AV display unit. NEW BUSINESS: None STATUS OF CASES: One mediation. All three teams have had a case to decide. Shank is working on another case right now and should have it ready very soon. This case will go to Team A. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting of the Commission will be Monday, November 25. The December meeting will be held on December 16. ADJOURNMENT: Galsted adjourned the meeting at 7:58. 11/13 - Transcribed by Commission volunteer. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Minutes of November 25, 1996 Meeting COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Diane Martin, Alison Ames Gaistad, Chair; Pat Harvey, Mei Dautremont, Ann Shires, Joan Jehle COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Tom Dickerson, Andre Peery One position remains unfilled due to the resignation of Osha Davidson STAFF PRESENT: Heather Shank, Coordinator, Eleanor Dilkes CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Galstad called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the October 28, 1996 meeting were approved as written. Harvey/Jehle. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: None DIVERSITY~TEAM: Galstad asked if December 9 (Monday) at 4:00 would be a convenient time for the next meeting of the Diversity Team. Galstad, Martin, Shires, Shank and Diane Finerty will be able to attend at that time. Exact location of this meeting wiii be announced soon. All members of the Human Rights Commission are invited to attend. ~ GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT - PUBLIC FORUM ON DISCRIMINATION: Shank announced that the forum is being re-scheduled and will not be held during Martin Luther King week. This film which focuses on anti-semetism may be rescheduled for February or March, 1997. It is an important film for the community to view and then have adequate time following the showing for questions, comments and discussion. The Commission did not want to detract from the already scheduled events during Martin Luther King week on the university campus. MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEK: Shank announced that she ha~ contacted Joe Knight to speak on racial issues on January 23rd during Martin Luther King week. Shank will locate a meeting room for this public event. Knight, a professor of law presented a speech at a recent State human rights training sessionsfor new commissioners. The topic is Civil Rights: Past and Present. COMMISSION VACANCIES: Shank reminded that the three vacancies will be filled by the City Council on Tuesday, December 3. She said that quite a few applications had been received. EEO GUIDELINES AND IOWA CITY'S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN: Galstad reminded the Commission that we first began discussing this topic last February and made some suggestions for bringing the City's plan into line with the revised ordinance. At the August meeting we received Joy Zeiler's preliminary figures in comparison to the City's workforce. Sylvia Mejia spoke to the CommissiOn at the September 16 meeting and listed as her priority correcting of the catagorizations that were used in Joy's report. The number system that was used in that report inacurately reflected the actual workforce. Shank stated that she believed this step has not been done since Commissioner Peery took the EEO most recent report from Mejia to study further. Peery still has the report in his possession. Galstad stated that the Commission's position is to make recommendations to the City Council and it doesn't need to go into great detail as to how the goal should be achieved. The Comm%ssion needs to formulate recommendations tonight and have a rough draft in the December packet. Following discussion at the December meeting, recommendations will be made to the City Council. Page 2 The Commission reviewed the City's Affirmative Action Policy dated January 12, 1981 and offered the following comments: -A statement needs to be included stating: "This policy coincides with the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance revised ~ ~ ~qo~ ." - If the EEO and Affirmative Action plan are combined into one document,we must make a real effort to also have an Affirmative Action document in addition. This is very important from a legal standpoint. An Equal Opportunity statement is not adequate and may not hold up in court. - Gender identity needs to be included. - Implementation of an accurate reporting method in the near future. The Human Rights Commission has studied and discussed this topic thoroughly and is ~ prepared to offer further comentary in more detail at the request of the City Council. EVALUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS BREAKFAST: The Rick Graf award was a nice addition to the breakfast. The award presentations and recipients acceptance speechs were all very moving. Nearly 130 people attended the breakfast this year. The highest number ever. The general consensus was that the event was extremely successful. There was a very good turnout of City employees. The recommendation was made that next year turkey be offered in another format rather than bacon which didn, t go over too well. EVALUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DISPLAY: The display which was in the Public Library for the month of October though not splashy did remind people of the date and time for the breakfast as well as making available handouts for the public. Harvey suggested that more attention be given to the COmmission's logo. Dautremont thought the poster "No Hate Crimes in Iowa" could be reproduced in smaller form as a handout. Jehle reminded Commissioners that we have the opportunity to improve this display in October, 1997 ~ince the same space is reserved for the Commission next year. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS: Dautremont reported that the Salvation Army has begun their Holiday Bazaar for food and toys. World Aids Day is December 1. At 7:45 everyone is asked to turn off their lights for 16 minutes to observe the 16 years of the pandemic. On Monday, December 2 from 12 noon to 1:00 names of AIDS victims will be read on the Pentacrest. An event will also be held at the Art Museum on Sunday afternoon which will include some of the quilt panels. OLD BUSINESS: Martin reported on Cultural Diversity Day, Saturday, February 8. Martin and Dickerson had volunteered to organize the Commission's participation but volunteers will be needed to staff our table from !2 - 5 that day. Shires volunteered to help. Galstad reported that on December 13 she and Shank will attend meeting in Des Moines to discuss including $~X~ ~g, io~ as a protected class. Any addition or changes must be approved by the state legislature and the meeting is informational in nature. Shank discussed the plans for the public forum on hate crimes. She suggested that we have a series of forums. January 23rd willbe the speech by Joe Knight. A forum in February could be the showing of Gentlemen's Agreement and discussion following. Shank has contacted Matt Johnson of the Police Department to give the police perspective and has called the Johnson County Attorney's office for someone to present their perspective on hate crimes in Iowa City. This third session could be in March or April. Commission members would need to become personally involved if a series of forums is decided upon. Shank will bring a defination of hate crimes to the December meeting. Page 3. Shank reported that even though there are very few hate crimes in Iowa City, it would be good to have a discussion of the issue from various perspectives. NEW BUSINESS: None STATUS OF CASES: Shank reported that there has been one successful mediation. Two predetermination settlements are being negotiated. There is one potential mediation, one case in Legal and one Right to Sue letter has been issued. The case in Legal will be assigned to Team A. The case load is continuing at one a week at the present time. Generally, 3 or 4 are received each month. Shank reported that she called the HUD office last week to ask when they would be approving the Iowa City Ordinance. Shank was told that it's still in the works. They can't guarantee any time frame but they are trying to hurry it along. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting of the Commission will be one week earlier than usual due to the holidays, Monday, December 16, 1996. 12/3/96 - Transcribed by Commission volunteer. MINUTES IOWA CITY AIRPORT COMMISSION THURSDAY DECEMBER 12, 1996 - 5:45 P.M. IOWA CITY TRANSIT FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Howard Horan, John Penick, Richard Blum Rick Mascari, Pat Foster STAFF PRESENT= Eleanor Dilkes, Ron O'Neil CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Horan called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. quorum was present. A APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the November 14, 1996, meeting were approved as submitted. AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES: Penick made a motion to approve the bills. Foster seconded the motion. Blum asked about an $ 1800 bill for hangar # 35. O'Neil said it was to repair wind damage to the 60' bifold door. The motion was approved 5 - 0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION - ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA: No comments were received. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: a. Iowa City Flying Service - lease - A counter-proposal to the Commission's proposal was received. Mascari indicated this was ICFS's final offer. Because the next step may be arbitration, Dilkes suggested the final offer be discussed in executive session. Blum made a motion to table the discussion and schedule an executive session. Penick seconded the motion and it passed 5 - 0. A meeting was scheduled for December 16, 1996 at 12:00 p.m. b. Gordon Aircraft - lease - O'Neil said the original agreement was for one year with a one year extension. Gordon exercised the option and the second year of the agreement will end on February 28, 1997. Blum and Horan will meet with Gordon on December 17 to discuss the agreement. Gordon indicated he would like to negotiate a new agreement. c. Land acquisition and easements - consultant selection - O'Neil had sent the Commission a list of criteria to use to evaluate the three firms that were interviewed. O'Neil reminded the Commission that if they were not satisfied or unsure that one of the firms they interviewed could provide the services they needed, additional firms should be interviewed. Mascari questioned why price could not be one of the criteria. O'Neil said that the FAA wants a sponsor to choose a consultant based on qualifications and does not want price to influence the decision. Because the Commission expects to be reimbursed for 90% of the project, they need to follow the FAA regulations closely. O'Neil said the Commission will have to be very careful in developing the consultant contract and the scope of services included in the contract. He suggested the contract be sent to the FAA for review before it is finalized. The Commission was in agreement that all the firms could provide the services for the land acquisition and avigation easement project. The question to be answered was, "What firm would do the best job ?" After considerable discussion, the Commission limited the choice to either ACSG or Snyder. The pros and cons of each of their presentations were discussed. After additional discussion, Blum moved to vote on hiring either ACSG or Snyder. Mascari seconded the motion and it passed 5 - 0. At roll call vote, ACSG received 3 votes, Snyder & Associates received 2 votes. O'Neil will work with Dilkes to develop a contract with ACSG and it will be on the agenda for the January meeting. Blum commented, and the rest of the Commission agreed, that it was a difficult choice and the firms were extremely close in what they could do for the Airport. d. Corporate hangar building - O'Neil said a proposal has been made from a tenant to lease an 80' by 80' hangar. The tenant would like to locate the hangar just south of the Airport Terminal. The Commission had been reserving that area for future development of a 100' by 100' hangar. Because ramp space is limited, the Commission wanted to maximize the aviation use of the ramp. Blum said that because the potential tenant is an aviation business and not looking just for aircraft storage, he thought the ramp area was an appropriate location. O'Neil said that whatever the decision was, the Commission should have a signed lease before approaching Council for funding for the hangar. O'Neil said the main reason the avionics repair company was not willing to sign a lease at this time was because they had not received the FAA certification needed for an official avionics repair station. They are still working on the licensing process and may come back to the Commission at a later date. Dennis Gordon, from Gordon Aircraft, said he would be interested in leasing an 80' by 80' hangar east of hangar # 35. Blum and Horan will meet with Gordon on December 17 to discuss the lease. They will also meet with the other potential tenant to discuss location, building size, and lease terms. e. North commercial area - O'Neil said this is the area accessed by Ruppert Road, north and west of Runway 17. He said he discussed this area with Karin Franklin. She did not think the Planning Department would have the time to help the Commission develop and market the area. O'Neil said there has been some interest in developing this area for commercial and/or light industrial use. He suggested discussing with the City Council the possibility of hiring a firm to plan and market the area. The Commission directed O'Neil to meet with Council at a work session and explain how the Commission would like to develop the area to increase income for the Airport. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT: Horan said he visited the Washington Airport and had an interesting discussion on how that airport is operated. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: Blum reported that all the zoning lawsuits against the Airport have been dismissed. He said the success the City had in the Fitzgerrald and Hagen cases, as well as the negotiations in the West Side suit, prompted the dismissals. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: O'Neil reminded Blum, who is chairperson of the Airport Zoning Commission, that the Commission needed to meet to revise the zoning ordinance to reflect the changes in the 1996 Airport Master Plan. Blum said he has been working on revisions to the zoning ordinance. He would like to simplify it to say local airport zoning will mirror FAA airspace regulations. O'Neil said a notice will go out in the next hangar billing notices to remind the tenants to follow fire and safety regulations concerning extension cords, storage of petroleum products and use of portable heaters. O'Neil will ask ICFS to include a notice in their hangar bills. A copy of the governor's latest tax proposal was included in the Commission's information packet. O'Neil suggested the Commission read the information. The proposal would not be favorable to municipalities, which in turn could adversely affect airports. 360 Communications would like to increase the height of their tower located 2 miles west of the Airport. It would be an obstruction by 65'. O'Neil suggested as many people as possible comment and object to the tower as an obstruction to the Airport. SET NEXT MEETING: The next regular meeting is scheduled for January 16, 1997, at 5:45 p.m. ADJOURNMENT: Blum moved to adjourn the meeting. Foster seconded the motion and the meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m. MINUTES IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION CIVIC CENTER, ENGINEERING CONFERENCE ROOM JANUARY 7, 1997 MEMBERS PRESENT: Lyra Dickerson, Sue Dulek, Michael Kennedy STAFF PRESENT: Dale Helling, Sylvia Mejia, Andy Rocca, Machele Wiebel, R.J. Winkelhake GUESTS PRESENT: None RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY MANAGER AND STAFF: Commissioners instructed staff to conduct the promotional testing process for the .positions of Police Captain and Police Lieutenant. Commissioners instructed staff to conduct the recruitment and testing process for the position of Firefighter. SUMMARY OF RELEVANT DISCUSSION: Chairperson Kennedy called the meeting to order at 8:35AM. First item for discussion was the promotional process to fill the positions of Police Captain and Police Lieutenant. Mejia referred to the memo outlining the process and explained that the process differs very little between the levels of Captain and Lieutenant. She stated that it has been many years since promotional testing for these positions has been done and she was unable to find any written record of it. Kennedy asked which City Department Directors would be on the interview panel and staff indicated that Public Works, Parking & Transit, Planning, and Finance are currently under consideration because there is a lot of interaction with these departments. Kennedy questioned how candidates' abilities in these areas would be tested and Mejia answered that structured questions would be developed to assess these factors. Kennedy indicated that he was concerned that this did not become a personality contest and would be more satisfied with a panel of Chiefs in the police field, as experienced command staff. He felt it was important that their panel get more weight than a panel of department heads. Mejia agreed that a popularity contest was not the intent, but the candidates do need to be able to communicate and interact with other City staff, as well as technically. Dickerson requested that the commission review the questions prior to the interviews and Mejia agreed. Dulek remarked that she thought Police Chiefs would be able to evaluate interpersonal skills, as well as technical. Kennedy reiterated that he is more impressed with what they could bring to the table and that as people who have been there and done that, they would be better judges than department heads. Dickerson said that internal candidates should know already how areas within the organization work and would wonder what they have been doing if they don't. She stated that she would like to see 2 different panels with the subject experts being given the heavier weight. She suggested, and all agreed, that the process would be acceptable with a 60/40 weight. Dulek questioned why only internal candidates were being considered and Mejia explained that under Civil Service the process can only go to the public if no internal candidates pass two successive promotional exams. Kennedy moved and Dickerson seconded to approve the Police Captain promotional process with a weight of 60% being given to the panel of Police Chiefs. Kennedy referred to the promotional process for Police Lieutenant as outlined in the memo and asked if there was anything to add. Mejia explained that the position of Police Lieutenant doesn't require as much interaction with City staff, but rather focuses on technical, which is why the recommended process is an interview panel of police professionals. Dickerson moved and Kennedy seconded to approve the promotional process for Police Lieutenant as recommended (Kennedy, Dulek, Dickerson - aye). Commissioners then moved to the issue of testing for the Fire department. Kennedy remarked that the entry level test for firefighter looked the same as what has been used in the past. Mejia noted that the process worked well the last time and is again being recommended, and that staff intends to conduct both the written and physical agility tests in one weekend. She said that specific dates for the test will be set in the near future, dependent upon the weather and the availability of facilities and staff. Kennedy moved and Dulek seconded to approve the entry level testing process for Firefighter. (Kennedy, Dulek, Dickerson - aye) OLD BUSINESS - Dickerson complimented the Fire Department on the removal of the Senor Pablo's building. She felt it was a great opportunity to educate the public. The firefighters were polite and informative and the public appreciated it being available. Dickerson also complimented a parking enforcement attendant for the way a situation was handled. She felt that the way the Police and Parking departments responded in this instance is a positive example of City staff concerned with public service. Kennedy moved and Dickerson seconded the motion to adjourn. Motion passed unanimously (Kennedy, Dulek, Dickerson - aye). Meeting adjourned at 8:§5AM.