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Home My WebLink About06/13/2024 - HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION - AGENDA - Regular Meeting HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING City Contact Person: Melanie Clark, Executive Administrative Assistant, Office of Equity & Inclusion – MCLARK@fcgov.com or hrc@fcgov.com June 13, 5:30 – 7:30 pm In-Person Location: CIC Room, City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue Remote Meeting Participation: To join the Zoom meeting online (through web browser or Zoom app): Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://fcgov.zoom.us/j/96972419805 Or One tap mobile : +17209289299,,96972419805# US (Denver) +13462487799,,96972419805# US (Houston) Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): +1 720 928 9299 US (Denver) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Webinar ID: 969 7241 9805 This information is available in Spanish or other language at no cost to a person who would like this information translated to or communicated in Spanish or other language. Please call 416- 4254 or titlesix@fcgov.com to make a request for information in other languages. Esta información está disponible en español u otro idioma, sin costo para la persona que le gustaría esta información traducida o comunicada en español u otro idioma. Favor llame al 416- 4254 o a titlesix@fcgov.com para solicitar información en otros idiomas. Auxiliary aids and services are available for persons with disabilities. TTY: please use 711 to call 970.416.4254.; other _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES – MAY 9, 2024 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 6. BUDGET REVIEW 7. NEW BUSINESS O FOLLOW-UP: DEIJ NETWORKING EVENT – REVIEW PARTICIPANT SURVEY O DISCUSSION RE: FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS: “SKIN: LIVING ARMOR, EVOLVING IDENTITY” AND “BIAS” AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION 8. OLD BUSINESS  COMMITTEE REPORTS: O EDUCATION OUTREACH – UPDATE RE: “CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION” AND “HUMAN LIBRARY” PROGRAMS O MEDIA/COMMUNITY RECOGNITION COMMITTEE – FOLLOW-UP: PLANNING FOR 2024 HUMAN RELATIONS AWARDS – NOMINATION FORM APPROVAL O GOVERNMENT RELATIONS – GENERAL UPDATE O EXECUTIVE – FOLLOW-UP RE: DISCUSSION RE: AREAS OF FOCUS FOR 3RD/4TH QUARTER 2024 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS 10. NEXT STEPS O MEETING ACTION ITEMS O NEXT MEETING – JULY 11TH – AGENDA ITEMS? O ADJOURNMENT Human Relations Commission REGULAR MEETING Thursday, May 9, 2024 – 5:30 PM City Hall; CIC Conference Room, 300 Laporte Ave and Zoom 1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:41 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Commission Members Present – Beth Jaeger, Barb Kistler, Masood Ahmad, Phil Walker, Teresa Cribelli, Miho Yoshioka b. Commission Members Absent – Coronda Ziegler, Kevin Goff, Rachel Bryan c. Staff Members Present – Claudia Menendez, Equity Officer, Liz Messenger, Lead Equity & Inclusion Specialist, Melanie Clark, Staff Liaison d. Guest – Kristy Volesky, FCPS Assistant Chief 3. AGENDA REVIEW Beth reviewed agenda for the evening. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 11, 2024 Commissioner Walker motioned to approve the minutes from April 11, 2024. Co-Chair Kistler second the motion. Motion passed 5-0. 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION No members of the public were present. 6. BUDGET REVIEW Chair Jaeger shared that as of May 5th about $5100 remains of the initial $6100 budget. She noted that the HRC spent $1000 in February for the DEIJ Networking Event. She indicated that $1000 will be allocated in October for educational programs, $1500-2000 for the September DEIJ Networking Event, and $1500 in December for the HRC Awards. The HRC is projected to spend an additional $4500 by the end of the year. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. FORT COLLINS POLICE SERVICES – UPDATE RE: DEIJ INITIATIVES Kristy Volesky, Assistant Chief, Fort Collins Police Services, provided an update regarding DEIJ initiatives within Police Services and stated they have an emphasis on safety and services for all with an emphasis on “all” in their mission statement. They want to reach all parts of the community including those that are marginalized. Volesky highlighted various initiatives and practices undertaken by Fort Collins Police Services, under the leadership of Chief Jeff Swoboda, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement: Training Initiatives:  Equity training focused on ethics, diversity, and anti-bias was initiated within the department in 2017-2018.  Ethics training for the core group was conducted in 2022, followed by bias training for the entire Police Services in 2023.  The department is accredited on training, with a requirement for reaccreditation every four years.  Regular skills training sessions are conducted, with each shift mandated to undergo eight hours of training every month, covering topics such as ethics, anti- bias and fair policing. Community Engagement:  The department actively engages with the community through various avenues, including regular events, a Community Police Academy program offering ride- alongs and mock crime scenes, and the establishment of an Asian business group.  Efforts are underway to enhance recruitment efforts to attract more diverse applicants, utilizing social media to showcase the agency's offerings and values. Diversity and Inclusivity:  Efforts are made to accommodate diversity within the department, including addressing historical shortcomings such as uniform accommodations for women.  The department adopts a policy of not inquiring about individuals' immigration status to foster trust and cooperation.  Training and awareness programs are conducted to promote inclusivity, including education on pronouns and cultural differences.  The department has a mental health response team comprised of officers and clinicians, as well as a homeless engagement team providing resources and support. Hiring and Training Practices:  Emphasis is placed on hiring for character and training for skills, with a thorough selection process including multiple interviews, background checks, and community assessments.  The department respects individuals' privacy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, creating a supportive environment for all officers. Chair Jaeger thanked Assistant Chief Volesky for her interest in and support of the HRC and its activities. b. FOLLOW-UP: DEIJ NETWORKNG Vice Chair Kistler stated HRC hosted a DEIJ Networking event, co-sponsored by the Larimer County DEIJ Advisory Board, on February 4th where 113 people attended. The commission decided to support another event likely to take place in September. They are looking at September 22nd as the next date. Kistler will work with Staff Liaison Clark to check the availability of the Senior Center and Northside Aztlan Center. It is possible they may look at other locations to hold the next event such as The Ranch. Kistler hoped the City will manage registrations again. She explained that she and Hillel Katzir are creating a survey to send out to the February participants to help shape the September event. Kistler explained that the original intent of the Networking event was to create a central repository of all the different groups doing DEIJ work in the county. They have discussed the City housing the directory/repository. More discussions to come on a possible directory. Commission members discussed that it may be worth pursuing a marketing plan to attract new attendees. They also thought it could be worthwhile to offer this database to the public as well as considering documenting how these organizations collaborate. 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS a. EDUCATION OUTREACH – UPDATE RE: “CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION” AND HUMAN LIBRARY PROGRAMS Vice Chair Kistler stated the Cross-Cultural Communication training will take place on Wednesday, October 9th. Melanie confirmed the Senior Center has been reserved. Vice Chair Kistler will work with Staff Liaison Clark to order food. Clark will also work with the City’s Community & Public Involvement office for advertising. Chair Jaeger shared 2024 Human Library program will be Sunday, August 4th, from 2:00-5:00pm at the Discovery Museum. They are planning for 200 - 250 registrants this year. Jaeger will reach out to Commission members and staff liaisons for assistance with sending invitation emails to personal and professional contacts. Jaeger stated they are still in the recruitment process for Books but are hoping to recruit 32 Books by mid-June. Jaeger shared that this program is being funded by a grant the Museum received from the Larimer County Behavioral Health Department. Deadline to resubmit for grant for a 2025 program is end of June. Commission members discussed whether the event should be held annually or some other cadence. Commission members liked the idea of having it at least every 18 months to maintain the visibility of the program and perhaps finding another organization that would be willing to lead/host the program. Jaeger will report back to the Human Library planning committee that the HRC is in favor of pursuing a February 2026 program. b. MEDIA/COMMUNITY RECOGNITION COMMITTEE – FOLLOW-UP: PLANNING FOR 2024 HUMAN RELATIONS AWARDS-NOMNATION FORM REVIEW Chair Jaeger confirmed with Commission members the 2024 HRC awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at City Hall, with the reception would take place from 3:45 – 4:30 pm and the ceremony taking place from 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Jaeger believed there is a box of 5 - 6 awards in Staff Liaison Clark’s office that can be utilized this year. HRC will partner with the Disability Advisory Board to issue one DAB award during the program. HRC and DAB still need to discuss the logistics around how to make this happen. Jaeger hoped that at next HRC meeting Commission members would be ready to approve any changes to the website or nomination form to be posted by July 15. Commission members reviewed the revised nomination form. They felt that it was clearer and liked the changes. They agreed that the sample nomination language should be DEIJ related. Commission member Yoshioka motioned to approve this direction for the nomination form. Commission member Cribelli second the motion. Motion passed 5-0. Chair Jaeger will meet with Commission member Bryan to request that a final draft of the website language and nomination form be created for review at the June 13th HRC meeting. Commission member Goff previously shared his thoughts about the selection process. He would like to know how to get the community more involved in the voting process and how we more accurately determine the organization’s participation in the community. c. GOVERNMENT RELATIONS – GENERAL UPDATE Vice Chair Kistler shared the State passed a new bill into law that increases the number of occupants allowed in housing. City Council has not yet decided how this will affect Fort Collins. Kistler stated that the State has approved new gun control laws and will bring more information in June. Chair Jaeger announced on Saturday, May 11th from 10 -11:30am, there will be a Town Hall at Foothills Mall in the PSD Training Center, where State Representatives Kipp and Boesenecker, and State Senators Ginal and Marchman will be giving an update of the 2024 state legislative session. d. EXECUTIVE FOLLOW-UP RE: APRIL 22ND BOARDS & COMMISSIONS DISCUSSION RE: AREAS OF FOCUS FOR 3RD/4TH QTR 2024 Chair Jaeger shared on April 22nd, she, Vice Chair Kistler and Commission members Yoshioka and Bryan, attended the Boards & Commissions Training. She forwarded the materials shared to all HRC members and encouraged everyone to review the manual. Jaeger highlighted at the training they learned if a member abstains from a vote, it is considered an affirmative vote. Therefore, members are encouraged to vote either yes or no. Kistler stated they are getting more familiar with the Colorado Sunshine law, meeting laws and open records laws. As they move forward with programming, they will need to make sure they are meeting all public meeting requirements. Commission member Yoshioka inquired if the conflict of interest form was also sent with the materials. She explained this form is required to be submitted if a conflict of interest comes up with a topic being discussed at the meeting and the Commission member would need to leave the online meeting room or physically leave the room during the discussion and vote. Chair Jaeger and Vice Chair Kistler wanted to discuss potential areas of focus for the Commission’s work going forward. This discussion will take place the June meeting. 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS Commission members shared the following upcoming events:  Our Neighbor's Faith - May 23rd, 5:30-7:30pm, Foothills Unitarian Church  Race Amity Day - June 9th, 1:00-4:00pm, Senior Center  Juneteenth Celebration - June 14th-16th, Foothills Mall - www.FoCoJuneteenth.com for more info. Volunteers needed!  Pride Month - Fort Collins event - Pride March, May 31st, 5:00pm, Old Town Square; New Belgium's Pride Kick-off, June 2nd, noon-6pm; Pride Month Proclamation, June 4th, City Hall. 10. ADJOURNMENT – The meeting was adjourned at 7:33pm. Minutes approved by the Chair and a vote of the Board/Commission on XX/XX/XX X/XX/XX– MINUTES Page 1 SURVEY ON THE DEIJ NETWORKING PROJECT The goal of this Project, which began at the Networking Event on February 4, 2024, is to continue to create tools for people and organizations in Northern Colorado engaged in DEIJ work, to more easily communicate among themselves, to increase collaboration, and to minimize duplication of effort. Your participation in this survey will help us all to further those goals. Name:_____________________________ Organization:____________________________________ Title:______________________ Email:___________________________ Phone:_________________ Website:____________________________________________________ A follow-up Networking Event is now being planned:  How often should we hold such community-wide networking events?______________________  What would you like to see as content/format of networking events?_______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________  Should we divide tables by interest groups (e.g. non-profit, business, etc.)? Yes____ No____  If so, what groups/themes would you recommend? _____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________  If not, how should we arrange the conversations? ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________  What ideas can you offer for funding future events (note: this next one is already funded)? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Many people at the February event suggested creating an on-line directory of DEIJ professionals and organizations in Northern Colorado, accessible to professionals only, to facilitate contacts and networking.  Do you support the creation of such a directory: Yes_____ No_____  How can we grow the list from its present make-up, which includes the February Networking Event attendees only?____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________  Should inclusion in the directory be: “opt in”_____ or “opt out” _____  Who should host and manage the directory?________________________________________  Any additional suggestions are very welcome: _______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED SURVEY BY June 28, 2024, TO: HRC@fcgov.com 2024 Human Relations Awards – Thursday, December 12th Reception 3:45‐4:30pm; Ceremony 4:30‐5:30pm City Hall Lobby/Council Chambers Work Plan (Update 6/13/24) TASK/ACTION DUE DATE LEAD COMPLETION DATE Invite Mayor, HRC Liaison and Councilmembers to 2024 program July 31 Finalize communication plan with CPIO May 15 Meet with Disability Advisory Board to determine DAB award process June 20 or July 18 Approve 2024 HR Awards website language and nomination form May 9 or June 13 (HRC meeting) Post revised HR Awards language and nomination form on HRC website (English and Spanish) July 15 Finalize Call for Nominations letter to be sent to community members and organizations (HRC members to receive copy for distribution) July 11 (HRC meeting) Nomination Period Opens July 15 Create draft program flow for December 12th event October 7 Review and revise work plan and draft program flow with HRC October 10 (HRC meeting) Nomination Period Ends October 25 Send nomination spreadsheet, nominations, and award criteria to HRC November 1 Finalize letters to Nominators and Nominees who are award recipients; finalize letters to Nominators and Nominees not selected as award recipients (aka finalists) November 7 Select award recipients, finalize program flow and HRC members’ responsibilities November 14 (HRC meeting) Send letters to Nominators and Award recipients congratulating them and providing Award reception and ceremony November 20 details; send letters to Nominators and Nominees not selected as recipients Order award artwork and origin of artwork document November 15 Secure language and sign interpreter (if needed) November 22 Finalize program recording and cost required November 22 Finalize Mayor and Mayor Pro‐Tem remarks and send to Sarah Kane December 2 Order refreshments November 22 Secure photographer November 22 Thanksgiving November 28 Create Award Program November 29 Hold Zoom practice session for HRC Date/time tbd Human Relations Award Ceremony! December 12, 3:45‐ 5:30pm Time tbd: run through and set up at City Hall