HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 30 TRC Meeting AgendaAd Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Agenda
Thursday, September 30, 7PM
Emma J. Harvat Hall
Iowa City City Hall
410 E. Washington Street
In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity to
participate in the meeting remotely. HOWEVER, THIS MEETING IS IN-PERSON, AND THOSE WISHING
TO ENSURE THEIR ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE SHOULD ATTEND THE MEETING IN-PERSON. If you instead
wish to participate remotely, you may attempt to do so by joining the meeting via Zoom by going to:
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and entering the meeting ID when prompted.
Meeting Agenda:
1.CALL TO ORDER
2.ROLL CALL
3.READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & DISCUSSION
4.APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
5.CONSIDER A MOTION TO HOLD MEETINGS THE 1ST AND 3RD THURSDAYS OF EACH MONTH
6.DISCUSSION ON CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON FACILITATOR AGREEMENT AND NEXT STEPS
7.COMMUNITY COMMENT ON THE TRC’S CHARGES INCLUDING FACT-FINDING AND TRUTH-
TELLING
8.REPORTS OF COMMISSIONERS/STAFF
9.ADJOURNMENT
If you will need a disability-related accommodation 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 accessibility needs.
AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 MEETING PACKET CONTENTS
AGENDA ITEM #3
•LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
AGENDA ITEM #4
•DRAFT MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
AGENDA ITEM #7
•RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE AD HOC TRUTH AND
RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
This meeting can be viewed at https://citychannel4.com/cgi-bin/vdb/ytp.pl?id=F21718
September 2, 2021
Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes
Emma J. Harvat Hall
City Hall
Commissioners present: Amel Ali, Daphney Daniel (via Zoom), Chastity Dillard, Wangui Gathua, Clifton
Johnson (via Zoom), Sikowiss (Christine Nobiss via Zoom), Kevin Rivera, Mohamed Traore.
Commissioners not present: Eric Harris.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Theresa Vanatter.
Recommendations to City Council: Yes, for City Council to vote on only the line item for the facilitator
in the amount of $197.907.00 for the budget.
Meeting called to order: 7:09.
Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Ali read the Land Acknowledgement.
Presentation and Q&A with Kerns and West for TRC Facilitator:
Panelists: Dr. Larry Schooler, Eduardo Gonzalez, Kyle Vint, and Sara Omar.
Kerns and West is a woman owned firm that has 11 offices across the US.
The firm has subject matter expertise in policing and a deep understanding of diversity and inclusion with
experience in working with Truth and Reconciliation Commissions and are committed to the values of such
commissions.
Kyle Vint has lived and worked in the Iowa City and eastern Iowa area. Kearns and West can assist the TRC
in their process by:
• Providing process and subject matter expertise in approach and design.
• Helping the TRC define and carry out the core values.
• Serving as neutral facilitators with conflict resolution and consensus building expertise.
• Empowering the TRC to identify and elevate community voices.
If selected Kerns and West would be able to start as soon as this month. Most TRC’s take 2 years at
minimum to complete their work. The panelist have all worked together before and have enormous
experience in this area. Dr. Schooler would serve as the project manager. Kerns and West notes four
important things, the need to listen, consensus, establishing ground rules, and creating a safe space.
(No one from the public commented).
The TRC decided to defer item 7 on the agenda—vote on whether to recommend to the City Council that
Kerns and West be selected as the independent contractor/facilitator for the TRC.
The TRC agreed to only recommend to the City Council the budgetary amount needed to hire Kerns and
West, $197.907. Motion passed 7-1 (Nobiss in the negative).
Adjourn: 9:44 PM
AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2021
(Meeting Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
4/15 4/29 5/13 5/27 6/10 6/24 7/8 7/22 8/5 8/19 9/2 9/16 9/30 10/7
Ali 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X
Daniel 6/22 X X X X X X O X O X X
Dillard 6/22 X X X X O X X X X X X
Gathua 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X
Johnson 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X
Harris 6/22 O X X X X X X X X X O
Nobiss 6/22 X O X X X X X O X X X
Rivera 6/22 X X X X X X X X X O X
Traore 6/22 X X X X X X X X X X X
KEY: X = Present
O = Absent
Prepared by: Council members Janice Weiner and Laura Bergus I
Resolution No. 20-228
Resolution establishing Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Whereas, in Resolution No. 20-159 (Initial Commitments addressing the Black Lives Matter
Movement and Systemic Racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis
Police and calls for action from protesters and residents), the Iowa City City Council resolved asfollows:
By October 1, 2020, create an ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission to bear
witness to the truth of racial injustice in Iowa City and to carry out restorative justice,
through the collection of testimony and public hearings, with such work to include a
recommendation to the Council of a plan for dedicating and/or renaming public spaces
and/or rights of way in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement; and,
Whereas, the City Council committed to allocate City funds of $1,000,000 during the present
Fiscal Year to support Resolution 20-159, which includes a variety of initiatives, among them theTruthandReconciliationCommission; and,
Whereas, truth and reconciliation underscores the imperative that confronting and reckoningwiththepastisnecessaryforsuccessfultransitionsfromconflict, injustice, resentment and
tension to peace, equality and connectedness; and,
Whereas, while we acknowledge that other forms of injustice and challenges have occurred
over the course of the history of the city of Iowa City, the focus of this Commission is on race;
and,
Whereas, the City Council acknowledges the existence of painful, systemic, persistent, and
varied forms of racial injustice in Iowa City, and acknowledges that such injustice persists
despite past efforts to address it, consistent with observations that systemic racism and white
privilege are deeply resistant to change; and,
Whereas, the Iowa City community must look comprehensively into its past and bear witness to
the truth of racial injustice in order to provide the best possible foundation for moving into afutureofequitybasedonhealingandhope; and,
Whereas, the City Council recognizes that, for a Truth and Reconciliation process to be
meaningful, it must include bold action to confront privilege, stimulate difficult conversations,
and reach and engage a full cross-section of the community, including those in the communitynotinclinedtoengageorresistanttoengagement; and,
Whereas, a comprehensive process will require that City of Iowa City departments and the CityCouncilitselfparticipate, including individual councilors, in good faith, in the process and to
actively encourage broad participation throughout the community, and the City Council hereby
commits to such participation and encouragement; and,
Whereas, creation of an Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission is in the best interests of
the City and its residents.
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, that:
1. The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is hereby established
Resolution No. 20-228
Page 2
2. The TRC shall have nine members who are representative of the City's BIPOC
communities and organizations, including those who have direct lived experience with
systemic racism, as well as experts who support those communities. To the extent
possible, as determined by the City Council, the TRC shall include representation from
groups such as the Iowa Freedom Riders, the Black Voices Project, the South District
Neighborhood Association, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission, and the
Community Police Review Board. Johnson County residency is required. Iowa City
residency is preferred but not required if an applicant offers expertise or representation
not available from applicants who reside in Iowa City. Members of other City boards and
commissions are eligible to serve on the TRC.
3. Applications for membership on the TRC shall be announced, advertised, and available in
the same manner as those for all City boards and commissions.
4. The TRC shall select the Chair, who when present will preside over all meetings, and the
Vice -Chair, who will serve as chair in the absence of the Chair.
5. Within the charges of the TRC set forth herein, the TRC is not required to seek approval
from the City Council, mayor, or city manager to set its own agenda and prioritize its
activities.
6. The TRC shall be facilitated by an independent consultant, funded by the City, with
expertise in group facilitation and human rights, and to the extent possible, experience
with diversity, implicit bias, mediation and conflict resolution, until such time as the TRC
concludes by the favorable vote of at least three-fourths of all the members of the TRC
7/9) that facilitation is no longer needed.
7. To conform with the requirements of laws pertaining to open meetings and public records
and to facilitate transparency and public education and participation, administrative/clerical
assistance and media/event assistance shall be provided by City staff as determined by
the City Manager and City Clerk. Media assistance may be supplemented by outside
expertise on a case-by-case basis if the Commission believes it will substantially expand
outreach.
8. The TRC shall determine the frequency and conduct of its meetings. The meetings will
be open to the public and conducted in accordance with Chapter 21 of the Iowa Code.
Records, documentation, and communications of the TRC will be public records under
Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code.
9. The TRC shall serve from the date of appointment of all members to June 30, 2022. The
TRC shall have an organizational meeting no later than 30 days after the appointment of
all members.
10. Within 90 days of its organizational meeting, the TRC shall recommend to City Council a
preliminary budget for funds needed to carry out the charges of the TRC beyond what
existing City staff, programs, and services can provide.
11. The charges of the TRC are as follows:
A. Fact -Finding The TRC shall collect evidence, including first-hand testimony, of
discrimination and racial injustice in multiple settings and compile a complete
record of racial injustices that will inform and support the fundamental institutional
and policy reforms necessary to address systemic racism.
Resolution No. 20-228
Page 3
B. Truth -Telling The TRC shall: 1) Provide multiple fora and creative opportunities
for persons impacted and traumatized by racial injustice to share their stories of
racial injustice and experience to be heard by: (a) fellow communities of color; (b) a
broad cross section of the entire Iowa City community; and (c) key decision -
makers in city government, the business community and the University; 2) Explore
ways to provide such opportunities through art, music, theater, workshops, rallies
and other forms of congregation, multimedia and listening designed to reveal truths
that cannot be fully expressed in traditional fora; and, 3) Create a repository for
community stories expressed in multiple media (written, video, audio, art) that can
be catalogued and used to educate and inform members of the community.
C. Reconciliation The TRC shall: 1) Provide opportunity for and facilitate direct
conversation among and between community members of color, white community
members and representatives of various sectors in which people of color
experience discrimination and injustice (e.g. police and protesters, landlords and
tenants, students and teachers, patients and health care providers, business
owners and staff); 2) Create a replicable model that provides a structure for
enabling these conversations throughout the city; 3) Make available opportunities
for a broad cross section of the community to learn about discrimination and racial
injustice in our community; and, 4) Identify and recommend to the City Council
institutional and policy reforms, new social practices, expectations, protocols,
habits, rituals, conversations and celebrations that will move Iowa City toward a
shared experience of race and difference, justice and equity and community and
harmony.
12. The TRC shall strive to provide a safe and supportive space for its work, premised on
mutual respect, and shall conduct its work so as to promote healing and justice. The TRC
shall consider the possibility of adverse actions against those who participate in its work.
The TRC shall carefully consider mechanisms to protect participants, and shall work to
support those who allege harm due to their participation in the TRC process.
13. The TRC shall submit periodic updates to City Council to include, but not be limited to: its
plans for community education; recommendations for Council action; requests for
resources the TRC needs to carry out its work; and recommendations to dedicate and/or
rename public spaces and/or rights of way in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement.
14. By May 1, 2022 the TRC shall submit to City Council:
A. A report summarizing the work of the TRC.
B. A repository of community stories expressed in multiple media (written, video,
audio, art).
C. Recommendations to the City Council for: 1) Institutional and policy reforms to end
systemic racism; 2) Opportunities to create new social practices, expectations,
protocols, habits, rituals and celebrations that will move Iowa City toward a shared
experience of race and difference, justice and equity and community and
harmony; 3) Measures to enhance the autonomy/security/sovereignty of
communities of color and mitigate disparities in social and economic power; and 4)
A recommendation on whether and in what form the work of the Commission
should continue.
15. At any time in its work, and no later than June 30, 2022, the TRC shall strive to submit to
City Council a replicable model and structure for conversations between people of color
Resolution No. 20-228
Page 4
and white community members and representatives of various sectors in which people of
color experience discrimination and injustice.
16. Absent further action by the City Council, the TRC will dissolve on June 30, 2022.
Passed and approved this 15 day of September, 2020.
ted by
City Attorney's Office - 09/10/2020