HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-23-2022 Human Rights CommissionHuman Rights Commission
August 23, 2022
Formal Meeting —5:30 PM
Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall
Agenda:
1. Call the meeting to order and roll call
2. Reading of Land Acknowledgement
3. Approval of July 26, 2022, meeting minutes
4. 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)
5. Introduction of Ayman Sharif, City's Outreach & Engagement Specialist
6. Update on the Johnson County Direct Assistance Program
7. Strategic Planning
a. Committee assignments
b. Draft communication to council outlining work
8. Coralville Pride (September 4, 11 AM-8 PM)
9. Climate Fest (September 23 at Wetherby Park, 5 PM — 8 PM)
10. IDI Assessment Feedback
11. Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Updates
a. Review & Update application and rubric
b. Dates for RESJ Grant Informational Sessions (November 9 at 6 PM & November 16 at
Noon)
12. One Community One Book 2022 (October 7 at 7 PM)
13. Human Rights Awards (October 26 at 7 AM)
a. Subcommittee to review nominations
14. Staff/Commission Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one
another concerning said announcements)
15. Adjournment
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact Human
Rights Coordinator, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowersCa)iowa-city.org. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Native American land Acknowledgement
Prepared for the City of Iowa City's Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human
Rights Commission
PURPOSE
Iowa City owes its existence to the many Indigenous Peoples who were the original stewards of this land
and who were subjected to manipulation and violence by non-native settlers, invaders, and governments
in order to make this moment possible. Acknowledgement of this truth is central to our work toward
reconciliation across all barriers of difference and injustice. Starting with a Native American Land
Acknowledgement, this Commission will bear witness to the legacies of violent displacement, migration,
and settlement that have marginalized those who were the first inhabitants of this land. We must also
address the mistreatment and exclusion that Native Americans continue to face today. The Ad Hoc Truth
and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission encourage the community and City of
Iowa City to join us in these efforts through the use of a Native American Land Acknowledgement.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To be read at all public meetings and events:
"We meet today in the community of Iowa City, which now occupies the homelands of
Native American Nations to whom we owe our commitment and dedication. The area of
Iowa City was within the homelands of the Iowa, Meskwaki, and Sauk, and because
history is complex and time goes far back beyond memory, we also acknowledge the
ancient connections of many other Indigenous Peoples here. The history of broken
treaties and forced removal that dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their homelands
was and is an act of colonization and genocide that we can not erase. We implore the
Iowa City community to commit to understanding and addressing these injustices as we
work toward equity, restoration, and reparations."
LEARN MORE
Native Governance Center Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
US Department of Arts and Culture: Honor Native Land Virtual Resources and Guide
Meskwaki Nation - History
Special thanks to the University of Iowa Native American Council for their work and guidance, as well as
members of the public, for their input.
Draft Minutes
Human Rights Commission
July 26, 2022
Emma J. Harvat Hall
Commissioners present: Mark Pries, Jason Glass, Roger Lusala, Ashley Lindley (via Zoom), Bijou
Maliabo, Siri Felker, Sylvia Jons, Kelsey Paul Shantz.
Commissioners not present: None.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Daisy Torres.
Others present who spoke: Emily Sinnwell, Ninoska Campos, Brisney Garcia, Sophie Banegas, Gisela Bosas,
Daniella Bosas.
Recommendation to City Council: Yes. In August 2021, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission
unanimously passed a recommendation urging the Iowa City Council to provide American Rescue Plan
funds to provide direct payments to those who did not receive federal stimulus payments during the
pandemic.
Much of that goal has been accomplished. Through funds provided primarily by Johnson County and Iowa
City, over 1,900 payments of $1,400 have been approved for distribution this month. While that should
certainly be celebrated, the work is not done. Due to expanding the eligibility for payments to those who
had received previous stimulus payments who were still in need (a laudable goal) and guidelines limiting
certain funds be spent in specific ways, 319 applicants deemed eligible were notified they would not be
receiving a payment. This includes people who did not receive previous federal payments as well, making
this news particularly difficult.
We urge all entities, the county and city councils within Johnson County, to come together to rectify this
gap. We know that each entity can articulate reasons that they have done enough or that others have not,
but that line of thinking does not solve the problem. The people who were not selected should be the
priority. They are people that contribute to our communities in total, not just the city limits they reside in
or out of. Where they work, where their children go to school, and where they spend their money all cross
city boundaries. They make Johnson County and all its municipalities a more vibrant place to live. They are
our neighbors.
We trust that the Iowa City Council and all entities in Johnson County can find a funding solution as quickly
as possible. Time is valuable and waiting is costly.
Meeting called to order: 5:32 PM.
Native American Land Acknowledgement: Jons read the Land Acknowledgement.
Public comment of items not on the agenda: None.
Introduction of new member: Kelsey Paul Shantz was recently appointed to the Human Rights
Commission. She is filling an unexpired term.
Approval of meeting minutes of May 24, 2022: Lusala moved, Maliabo seconded. Motion passed 8-0.
Approval of meeting minutes of July 11, 2022: Lusala moved, Felker seconded. Motion passed 8-0.
Johnson County Direct Assistance Program: Campos spoke as an Excluded Worker who a year ago won 3.5
million dollars Excluded Workers but to date 319 have been left out. It is discrimination against them. Iowa
City has the resources to bless Excluded Worker.
Garcia who did not receive any direct assistance because she lives on South Scott Boulevard. Persons who
reside in this mobile home park need the help that the direct assistance would provide for them.
Sinnwell noted that having the support of the Human Rights Commission would go along way. Banegas
reported that no other City in Johnson County can assist the Excluded Workers. Bosas applied for the
lottery but did not receive a check and she is a single mom who needs the assistance to support her family.
Her daughter Daniella spoke in support of her mother,
Pries moved to recommend the Commission send the recommendation to the City Council, ions seconded.
The motion passed 7-0. (Maliabo not present).
Funding Request: University of Iowa's Center for Human Rights: The Center is hosting the 2022 One
Community, One Book program in the fall. "An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago" by Alex
Kotlowitz is the selected book for this year. The Center is requesting funding to offset the cost of bringing
the author to Iowa City. Pries moved to sponsor the event in the amount of $500, the motion was
seconded by Jons. The motion passed 7-0 (Maliabo not present).
Update on Race -Based Calls Campaign: The video has been released by the City and includes
Commissioners Glass, Maliabo, and Jons.
Social Justice & Racial Equity Grant Updates: The request for extensions from the Iowa City Area Chinese
Association FY22 was approved through 2024. Lusala moved, Jons seconded. The motion passed 7-0.
(Maliabo not present). The request to extend the Labor Center's project through 2023 was moved by
Felker and seconded by Lusala. Motion passed 7-0. (Maliabo not present).
The Commission will spend their August meeting date to go over and make any needed revisions to the
grant application and the rubric in preparation for the next grant cycle for fiscal year 2022.
Strategic Planning: The Commission voted on the creation of 3 committees: Building Bridges, Breaking
Bread, and Reciprocal Relationship Building. Staff will send out a poll to Commissioners that will allow
them to rank in order the committee they wish to serve on. Motion by Lusala, seconded by Felker. Motion
passed 7-0. (Maliabo not present).
The Commission decided the theme for this year is "nimble". Lusala moved, Felker seconded. Motion
passed 7-0. (Maliabo not present).
Upcoming events: Commissioners will sponsor booths at Coralville Pride (September 4) and the Climate
Festival (September 23).
Announcements of staff and commissioners: Torres invited Commissioner to attend one or more of the
upcoming National Night Outs. Pries participated in the "High on the Hog' discussions as part of
Juneteenth and found the conversations very enlightening. Paul Shantz spoke on a committee she serves
on that is a new initiative to look at community violence. Glass will be a panelist at the upcoming Corridor
Business Journal's Diversity Summit.
Adjourned: 7:36 PM.
N
N
N
N
�i
ti
N
N
O
ti
r
N
M
N
W
m
0.
Gw
Q
Q
N
�C
R
a
a
a
a
m
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
C
C
N
O
O
O
V's7
V
W
eOtl
O
�
U
Agenda Item 47
Subcommittees - Human Rights Commission 2022
Breaking Bread —Jason, Ashley
Reciprocal Relationships — Roger, Siri, Sylvia
Building Bridges — Bijou, Kelsey, Mark
RESJ Grant —Ashley,, Sylvia, Siri, Roger
Agenda Item #I I
FY22 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Application
Applications must be submitted by January 7, 2022.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at
stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org (mailto:stefanie-bowers@iowa-cityorg) or319-356-5022.
Organizational Information
Name of Organization*
Address*
Street Address
Address Line 2
City
Postal / Zip Code
Phone Number*
Email*
Website Address
Contact Person
State / Province / Region
Country
Name*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email*
Add
Organization's Mission Statement*
How many years has the organization been in operation? *
Provide an example of a project initiated by the organization in the last three years that had a wide community
reach and impact. If a newly established organization, provide an experience with a prior project that inspired
this proposal.*
Proposal
Provide a narrative on how the program, service or activity came to be. The narrative can be descriptive or
based on city or statewide statistics. *
What is the program, service, or activity?*
How does the program, service or activity advance social justice and racial equity? Be specific. *
How does the program, service or activity address one or more of the six priority areas? *
What community need does this program, service or activity fulfill? Response should include information or
data that demonstrates the need. *
Does the program, service or activity include partnerships or collaborations with othe organ ization(s)? If so,
what organization(s)? P ovide a detailed description of the partnership/collaboration. *
Provide the projected demo a hics of community mb s that will b s v d by th program, service or
activity (response should include age, race, gender and income). *
How many community members are estimated to be served by this program, service or activity and over what
period of time?*
Is there a charge to participate in the program, service or activity? If so, what is the cost per person? Why is
the charge needed?*
What are the outcomes and performance measures for the program, service or activity?*
What indicators or metrics have been identified to measure outcomes and performance? **
What processes or tools will be created as a part of the program, service or activity that can be shared with
others in the community to eliminate racial and social inequities?*
How will the good or service produced as a result of a project be shared and/or communicated with the
targeted community and the larger community?
Will the program, service or activity be continued or expanded after the SJRE Grant funding ends? If so, how?
The sustainability plan should be specific on future funding and not simply state the agency will continue to
look for support. *
If the proposal includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service
or activity and its goals.*
Funding Amount Request
Amount of Funding Requested*
How will the funding be utilized*
What is the organizations annual budget?*
Add
Expenses
Type* 1-Nov-22 1-Apr-23 31Jul-23
Provide a timeline for the program,service, or activity. *
Provide a timeline for how grant money would be spent over the next year.*
Within the last five years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City? If so, for what
purpose and how much?*
Within the last five years, has the organization received funding for this program, service or activity from a
non -City of Iowa City source? If so, how much was received and what is the duration of the funding? *
Does the organization plan to apply for additional funding for this program, service or activity?*
If so, how much is needed? Is the program, service, or activity dependent on receiving both the SJRE and
additional funding?*
Can the project be completed with less funding? *
0Yes 0No
Authorization *
❑ I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just
the same as traditional pen -and -paper signature.
Signature*
Sign
Date
Date will be captured on form submission
Submit Save as Draft
Grant Application Edits:
Agenda Item #11a
Organizational Information:
New Question 1: Please confirm that you are comfortable with a HRC member reaching out to all RESJ grant
recipients to offer continued support for your project and assist in sharing project results.
Name of Organization — Website -- KEEP
*Cut the last question (provide an example... )
Proposal:
Q1. The title of my project is ...
Q2. Provide a narrative describing your proposed project.
Q3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?
[dropdown: new / continuous]
*CUT "what is the program, service, or activity'
Q4. This program will advance racial equity / social justice by ... [complete the sentence format]
*CUT "six priority areas" question & "community need" question (redundant with Q4 above)
Q5. Please list the community organizations that you have collaborated with in the last 5 years (please include
a brief description of the project and the time span of collaboration).
Q6. This project will serve community members of which projected demographic groups? (responses should
include age, race, gender and income).
*CUT "how many members ..." question
Q7. Is there a charge to participate in the proposed project? If yes, why?
Q8. What does success for this project look like? (how many people will it impact and how?)
*CUT "what indicators or metrics" & "what processes or tools" & "how shared" questions
Q9. Will the project continue after the SJRE Grant funding ends? What measures will you take to ensure that it
does?
*CUT "if proposal includes fees ..." question
Funding Amount Request:
"CUT "how will funding be utilized?"
Q2. What is the organization's annual budget?
Q3. Please list other funding sources for this project (please not applied for v. received, and amount)
Budget:
*CUT revenue section
'New format for entries (see below)
Item Brief Description Unit Cost ($) Quantity Total ($)
Q2. Provide a timeline for how grant money would be spent over the next year.
Q3. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.
*CUT 4 Questions: "funding from IC", "funding from non -IC", "additional funding", "how much needed", skipping
to ...
Q4. Can this project be completed with less funding?
Racial Equity & Social Justice Rubric FY22 (DRAFT) Agenda Item #11a
RESJ Application #
1. The mission statement of the organization aligns with racial equity or social justice
O Strongly agree (10)
O Agree (8)
OSomewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
Somewhat disagree (2)
Disagree (1)
O Strongly disagree (0)
2. The proposal advances racial equity or social justice
O Strongly agree (10)
O Agree (8)
OSomewhat agree (6)
(D Neither agree nor disagree (4)
C) Somewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
O Strongly disagree (0)
3. The proposal will have a significant impact on community members
O Strongly agree(lo)
O Agree (8)
C) Somewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
OSomewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
O Strongly disagree (0)
4. The proposal has a clear vision of what success will look like
O Strongly agree a0)
O Agree (8)
C) Somewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
Somewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
0 Strongly disagree (0)
5. The proposal shows potential for sustainability beyond the RESJ funding: period
O Strongly agree a0)
O Agree (8)
OSomewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
OSomewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
O Strongly disagree (0)
6. The timeline for the proposal is feasible
O Strongly agree (10)
Agree (8)
OSomewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
Somewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
Strongly disagree (0)
7. The proposed budget demonstrates reasonable costs to achieve projected goals:
O Strongly agree (10)
O Agree (8)
C) Somewhat agree (6)
ONeither agree nor disagree (4)
OSomewhat disagree (2)
O Disagree (1)
O Strongly disagree (0)
S. Comments regarding the overall proposal:
9. Total points 0-25:
ONE COMMUNITY, ONE BOOK
2022 BOOK SELECTION
The 2022 One Community, One Book selection is
An American Summer: Love & Death in Chicago
by best selling author, journalist, and documentary
filmmaker Alex Kotlowitz
Author Keynote & Book Signing
Friday, October 7 ,
7:OOPM (CST)
W10 PBB & &P'i,
More information about One Community, One Book at www.uichr.uiowa.edu
rm W MIwes,orrsatl euenv. If p ere a person wM
a dla Vv Grepines are Wk aagnmp Wnn
w4er Ip W . . . a In lhu paprun, peuecmYcl VICXN in
eMerrn el uoM®uiweeW