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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights July PacketHuman Rights Commission July 27, 2021 Formal Meeting- 5:30 PM Helling Conference Room Agenda: 1. Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call 2. Approval of the June 22, 2021 meeting minutes 3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items) 4. Conversation with Temple Hiatt with BE SMART 5. Discussion on using a Land Acknowledgement at the start of Human Rights Commission meetings 6. Report/Update on the Diversity Markets from the South District Neighborhood Association 7. Discuss American Rescue Plan Act Funds 8. Subcommittees: Housing, Anti-Racism, Health Equity 9. Commission Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter 10. Social Justice Racial Equity Grant Reports 11. National Hispanic American Heritage Month Proclamation 12. Staff/Commission Announcements. (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another concerning said announcements). 13. Adjournment. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact the Equity Director, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION JULY 27, 2021 MEETING PACKET CONTENTS AGENDA ITEM #2 • DRAFT MINUTES FROM JUNE 22, 2021 AG ENDA ITEM #5 • AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AGENDA ITEM #6 • SOUTH DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION UPDATE ON DIVERSITY MARKETS AGENDA ITEM #7 • LETTER AND HANDOUT ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS AGENDA ITEM #9 • HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION STATEMENT ON BLACK LIVES MATTER AG ENDA ITEM #10 • SOCIAL JUSTICE RACIAL EQUITY GRANT REPORTS CORRESPONDENCE • FIXING THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE • JULY COMPLAINT UPDATE Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission June 22, 2021 VIA Zoom Platform Commissioners present: Adil Adams, Jessica Andino, Ashley Lindley, Roger Lusala , Bijou Maliabo, Tony Sivanthaphanith. Commissioners not present: Jason Glass, Mark Pries. (Electronic Meeting Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. Meeting called to order: 5:34 p.m Approval of the minutes from the May 25, 2021 meeting: Motion to approve by Lindley; seconded by Adams. Passed 5-0. (Maliabo not yet present; Glass and Pries absent). Public comment of items not on the agenda: None. (Commissioner Maliabo arrived at 5:38 p.m.) Conversation with Police Department Liaison to the Human Rights Commission, Daisy Torres: Ms. Torres is a civilian Community Liaison Officer assigned to the Commission. She can coordinate between the Commission and ICPD if issues arise or collaboration is needed. Her many other duties include assisting sworn officers, especially with Spanish translation, and providing community outreach for the ICPD. Ms. Torres reported on the status of various outreach programs such as “Coffee with a Cop.” COVID has limited these activities, but officers have participated in bike rides and other socially-distanced activities. As operations return to normal, she is working on re-activating programs such as the First Responders Forum. This is a program that helps educate community members on safety devices such as smoke detectors, as well as the role firefighters play in responding to emergency situations. She is also working on the BULBS program, which provides vouchers for burnt out vehicle lights in lieu of ticketing individuals who cannot afford to replace them. BULBS operates when a person is stopped for a traffic violation, but ICPD is planning an event in late July (the 20th or 23rd) at Riverfront Crossings Park where people will be able to obtain a vehicle equipment check and vouchers to fix a variety of issues. Funding Request: Diversity Market: This is a request from the South District Neighborhood Association for $2000 to support their Diversity Markets. These Markets showcase BIPOC-owned and women-owned businesses. The Markets are held on June 12, 19, and 26, and July 3 and 10. Given that the June 12 and 19 markets have already passed, the Commission could not fund these. The June 26 market falls within the Commission’s fiscal year ’21 budget, while the July markets fall within the fiscal year ’22 budget. The funding request itemized the $2000 overall request as a cost of $400 per market date. Motion by Lusala to fund the June 26 market at $400 from FY ’21 funds, and to allocate $400 from FY ’22 funds to a July market. Maliabo seconded. Passed 6-0. Coralville Pride: Does Commission want to be a Vendor at Event (Sunday, September 5, Noon – 8PM): Commissioners discussed being a vendor at the Coralville Pride event on September 5th at a cost of $50. To be a vendor, the Commission would need commitments from Commissioners to staff a table and distribute information. Support for the event itself was unanimous. However, Commissioners were not able to commit to a date so far in advance and had questions regarding logistics (would a table be provided or not, must it be staffed for the entire event or not, etc.). Commissioner Lindley raised the question of whether the Commission could commit to the $50 cost and, in the event Commissioners were not available to staff, perhaps donate the table to an appropriate non-profit organization, or share a table with another organization in order to achieve necessary staffing levels. Motion by Lindley to reserve a vendor table. Lusala seconded. Passed 6-0. Request for Transit Facility Letter of Support: Commissioner Lindley noted clean, sustainable transportation is a human rights issue and spoke in favor of the letter requesting federal funds to support a new transit facility. Commissioners Lusala and Maliabo agreed. Motion by Maliabo to approve the letter as written on behalf of the Commission. Seconded by Lindley. Passed 6-0. Discussion of including a Land Acknowledgement as a part of HRC meetings: Commissioner Lindley reported there is not yet a draft acknowledgment, but progress is being made and it is hoped a draft can be presented soon. Local Indigenous Nations have been consulted and are actively assisting in crafting the acknowledgment. HRC Subcommittees: Housing did not have a commissioner present at this meeting and therefore did not report. Lusala reported on Anti-racism. The summer series is going well. The first event on White Privilege was well-attended and well-received. The second event, scheduled for Monday, June 28, is a screening of the movie, “Stonewall Forever,” followed by a panel discussion. Another event is the Iowa City Bias Challenge. The committee has been publicizing the Bias Challenge and approaching local leaders to participate. This is an activity where people take the Harvard Implicit Bias test(s) of their choice, then discuss results on social media and take a survey regarding the results. More events are planned for later in the summer. Lindley added her hope that all Commissioners will participate in the Bias Challenge. The committee will be personally contacting their networks to encourage people to participate in the Challenge and to in turn publicize it to their networks. Maliabo commented that the Johnson County United Nations Association greatly appreciated the White Privilege program. Health Equity was not able to meet this past month. Commission Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter: Commissioners discussed the updated statement in support of Black Lives Matter. This will be publicized and used as a guide for the Commission in its work. Motion by Andino to accept the draft statement as written. Second by Sivanthaphanith. Passed 6-0. Convention on the Rights of the Child: Discussion on this item was tabled for the July meeting, as a meeting will be held later this week with Johnson County United Nations Association and The Center regarding developing a program. Social Justice and Racial Equity Grants: The Center for Worker Justice provided an interim report on its program for young entrepreneurs. Commissioners appreciated the level of detail included in the report. Reports of Commissioners: Lindley reported the UI Center for Human Rights held a Truth and Reconciliation event, which she attended. It was an informative, well-done, and well-attended event. A recording is available on the UICHR website, and she encourages Commissioners to view it. Lusala attended several Juneteenth events, including the Block Party sponsored by the City, which was well-done and well-attended. He also attended the first Diversity Market, with which he was impressed. Finally, he encourages everyone to attend the Stonewall Forever screening on Monday, June 28, which is part of the Bias Challenge. Maliabo thanked the Commissioners, especially Andino, for their involvement and efforts in the community. She attended the Women’s Refugee event, which is held monthly. It is a gathering meant to empower and encourage women within their community. There will be another event either the last Saturday in July or the first Saturday in August addressing women’s experience during the pandemic. She will send Commissioners an invitation and encourages everyone to attend, as both men and women are welcome. She also mentioned that, regardless of how busy Commissioners are, all should make the effort to volunteer in the community and reach out to leaders, as this allows real connections to form and real communication to happen. It also builds stronger relationships with the community. Sivanthaphanith attended Juneteenth events as well. He is also co-hosting an LGBTQ-inclusive training with OneIowa on Friday, June 25, and will send commissioners the link. The trainer will be OneIowa’s Max Mowitz, whose trainings he highly recommends. Andino attended the first Diversity Market as well; she was impressed and hopes everyone can attend a future Market. She also has been volunteering with the Center for Worker Justice, where she learned through a meeting with Iowa Legal Aid and the Affordable Housing Coalition that help is available to avoid eviction for unpaid rent now that the eviction moratorium is ending. Iowa Legal Aid will have representatives at the courthouse, or they can be contacted directly, to assist people in filling out Iowa Finance Authority paperwork to access assistance funds. She has also accepted an additional graduate research assistantship where she will assist legislators in enhancing protections for individuals who reside in mobile home parks in Iowa. She will provide more information to anyone interested in getting involved. Staff reported the City released a memo on eviction, which generated considerable publicity. Anyone facing eviction may call the office if they feel the motive may be discriminatory, and Commissioners are encouraged to refer individuals to the office for assistance if needed. Adjourned: 6:59 p.m. Motion by Lusala; seconded by Adams. Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2021 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/26 2/23 3/23 4/27 5/25 6/22 7/27 8/24 9/28 10/26 11/23 12/28 Adil Adams 2021 X X E X X X Jessica Andino 2021 X X X X X X Noemi Ford 2021 E X E E E -- Jason Glass 2022 X X X X X O/E Ashley Lindley 2021 X X X X X X Roger Lusala 2023 X X E X X X Bijou Maliabo 2023 X X X X X X Mark Pries 2022 X X X X X O/E Tony Sivanthaphanith 2023 - - - X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting --- = Not a Member The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery. The American Rescue Plan will deliver $350 billion for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring back jobs. Eligible Jurisdictions & Allocations Direct Recipients •States and District of Columbia ($195.3 billion) •Counties ($65.1 billion) •Metropolitan cities ($45.6 billion) •Tribal governments ($20.0 billion) •Territories ($4.5 billion) Indirect Recipients •Non-entitlement units ($19.5 billion) Funding Objectives •Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control •Replace lost public sector revenue to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs •Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses •Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic Address Negative Economic Impacts Respond to economic harms to workers, families, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector Premium Pay for Essential Workers Offer additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss Use funds to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic Support Public Health Response Fund COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff Broadband Infrastructure Make necessary investments to provide unserved or underserved locations with new or expanded broadband access Water and Sewer Infrastructure Make necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water and invest in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure Example Uses of Funds 7/19/2021 Human Rights Commission's statement on continued support of Black Lives Matter | City of Iowa City https://www.icgov.org/news/human-rights-commission%27s-statement-continued-support-black-lives-matter 1/4 The Iowa City Human Rights Commission stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We are part of a society where the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color continue to be affected by structural racism, lack of opportunity, health disparities, and direct violence by the police and others. American cities, including Iowa City, have for too long been complacent or complicit. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission hereby reaffirms its longstanding commitment, and pledges to more fully act in solidarity with all who are targets of this violence and inequity. The Commission recognizes the ongoing oppression occurring not just in police departments, but also eviction courts, legislatures, banks, academia, and hospitals. Additionally, this includes any space where Iowa City has been complacent about and complicit in the eradication of intellectual and cultural contributions by Black, Indigenous and People of Color, as well as women, and ignores the racism present in the contributions of white people and the sexism present in the works of males. We pledge the following actions to embody our affirmation that Black Lives Matter. We will continue to uplift the contributions of nonwhite, non-male, and non-Eurocentric people in our recommendations to the Iowa City City Council and support events dedicated to their recognition. We will actively confront racism, sexism, or other forms of bias within the work of the Commission or City of Iowa City by pursuing training to increase our awareness of our racism, IOWA CITY A U N E S C O C I T Y O F L I T E R A T U R E Home /News Human Rights Commission's statement on continued support of Black Lives Matter City of Search this site Search COVID-19 & VACCINATIONS CITY GOVERNMENT SERVICES PAYMENT NEWS & MEDIA CALENDAR REPORT A CONCERN CLIMATE ACTION Select Language ▼ 7/19/2021 Human Rights Commission's statement on continued support of Black Lives Matter | City of Iowa City https://www.icgov.org/news/human-rights-commission%27s-statement-continued-support-black-lives-matter 2/4 sexism and bias. We will support City departments’ efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will plan and promote additional programming opportunities focused on understanding oppression and recognizing the contributions of people from underrepresented groups, as well as promoting widespread discussion of related issues and concerns. The differential valuing of life, achievement, opportunity, and intellectual and cultural contributions based on which racialized group one is thought to be a member of is manifestly unjust. It compels us to repeat, internalize, and act on the affirmation that Black lives matter. Black lives do matter, and our collective practices, discourses, policies, and laws must reflect this. Black lives matter for the same reason that everyone’s life matters; yet we are compelled to affirm that Black lives matter precisely because institutions, practices, and behaviors have so long denied it. We are committed to continuously engaging the people of our community in dialogue and action to realize a world in which “Black lives matter” is a simple description of how we all live. Until that world is achieved, we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Date of publication Thursday, July 01, 2021 Department Equity and Human Rights Quick links City Code City Council Commodities, services, consulting bids Construction project bids Fire    Select Language ▼ Final Report Iowa City Social Justice Grant Name of Organization: Little Creations Academy Program: PATHS to Success, Parent Engagement Nights The evening of June 7, 2021 was the fourth and final parent engagement event at Little Creations Academy. This event, held at the daycare center from 4:30-6:30, focused on the playful theme of Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out!, and like the previous three events, included a literacy component. Attendance at this event was approximately the same as at our other events. There were estimated to be close to 40 people, including 25 children.Numerous outdoor activities were set up in areas designed for babies and toddlers, younger children, and school aged kids. Each activity was overseen by volunteers from First Presbyterian Church allowing the teachers to interact with parents and their children. Pastor Tony Smith of New Creations International Church, where LCA is housed, grilled delicious hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone to enjoy as part of their supper. Totes containing books and outdoor activity items were provided to every child that attended. Overall, the PATHS Program has been an extremely successful endeavor at LCA to support more active engagement from families and the teachers.By the fourth event, parents were comfortable interacting with staff, asking questions,and learning about the lessons and activities taking place at the daycare center. Children of all ages knew that each event brought with it books for them to take home as their very own, and were excited to receive their totes. Children that attended all four events obtained 6-12 books for their home libraries. Teachers also benefited from hosting each gathering. They became more confident in planning and organizing the activities as well as stepping in during the events themselves when something required attention. This grant also further strengthened the friendship/partnership between LCA and First Presbyterian Church. Volunteers often asked when the next event was coming up so they could mark it on their calendars. So what’s next? Staff and parents agree that these parent engagement events should continue. Many items purchased by the grant can certainly be used for future events. It is also hoped that additional grants will become available to enable other creative ways for engaging parents in their child’s early education experiences. The employees, volunteers, and families at Little Creations Academy are grateful indeed for the funding received to host these popular and meaningful events to promote literacy and parent engagement. (See photos below from the last family event!) Father and son get ready “Stepping out” a tune to eat This little guy is excited to see Enjoying the ball pit the books he received. Pastor Smith kept everyone A volunteer assists in assembling well fed!one of the prizes from a game. Status of Complaints July 19, 2021 Housing Complainant alleges discrimination on the bases of age, color, disability, race and sex. Retaliation is also alleged. Complaint was served 7-20-21. Complainant alleges discrimination on the basis of color and disability. Retaliation is also alleged. Complaint was served 7/20/21.