HomeMy WebLinkAboutHUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION - MINUTES - 09/12/2024 (2)
Human Relations Commission
REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, September 12, 2024 – 5:30 PM
City Hall: CIC Conference Room, 300 Laporte Ave and Zoom
1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:30 PM
2. ROLL CALL
a. Commission Members Present –, Barb Kistler, Phil Walker, Rachel Bryan, Teresa
Cribelli, Miho Yoshioka (late arrival)
b. Commission Members Absent – Beth Jaeger, Coronda Ziegler, Masood Ahmad
c. Staff Members Present – Liz Messenger, Lead Equity & Inclusion Specialist
d. Guest – Robert Stanley, Sheila Hammons
3. AGENDA REVIEW
Vice Chair Kistler reviewed the agenda.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST 8, 2024
Commission member Walker stated the date for the small group meeting for the DEIJ
Networking event should be changed to August 19th.
Commission member Walker motioned to approve the August 8, 2024; minutes as amended.
Commission member Bryan seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0.
5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Robert Stanley and Sheila Hammons attended the meeting to learn more about the Human
Relations Commission.
6. BUDGET REVIEW
Vice Chair Kistler stated $100 had been spent since the last budget review which likely went
towards the posters for the Human Relations Awards. This leaves the remaining budget around
$4,900.
7. NEW BUSINESS
a. UPDATE RE: SEPTEMBER 22ND DEIJ NETWORKING EVENT
Vice Chair Kistler shared that the invitations for the event had gone out. She anticipated
there to be 50-75 attendees.
Kistler reiterated this event is co-sponsored by Larimer County, as such the planning
committee is made up of folks from Larimer County as well as HRC members. She
stated the next planning committee meeting on September 18th would be to finalize
event plans.
b. FOLLOW-UP RE: FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY SPECIAL
EXHIBITIONS: “SKIN: LIVING ARMOR, EVOLVING IDENTITY” AND “BIAS” AND
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Kistler stated there is a group that continually meets and are mostly putting together
packages of programmatic opportunities for the community. She explained that groups
will be able to sign up for a fee which would include a tour of the exhibits and a facilitated
debrief afterwards.
8. OLD BUSINESS
a. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
• EDUCATION OUTREACH – UPDATE RE: OCTOBER 9TH “CROSS
CULTURAL COMMUNICATION” AND AUGUST 4TH “HUMAN LIBRARY”
PROGRAMS
Commission member Yoshioka shared that the invitations and flyer for the
Cross Cultural Communication program went out on September 10th, as well
as being posted in City newsletters and social media posts.
Yoshioka stated that Snack Attack will be catering the event.
Kistler explained flyers were made for the event and passed them out to HRC
members to share with others and to hang in appropriate spaces. She
encouraged all members to attend.
Yoshioka stated they are expecting around 100 attendees.
Yoshioka stated that she saw the final response report for the Human Library
program showing those who participated as Books are interested in
participating in the international circle of Books to receive newsletters and
offers to be published more broadly with the option to participate
internationally.
Kistler reiterated Books are required to go through a training. She explained
the International Human Library Organization offers the option to have folks
go through a train the trainer program, which she and Chair Jaeger
participated in, and they conducted the training. Kistler will send an email out
to those who participated as Books to inform them of the opportunity.
Yoshioka shared overall the committee felt like the event was very
successful, given the response and positive reaction to the diversity of Books
this year.
• MEDIA/COMMUNITY RECOGNITION COMMITTEE – FOLLOW-UP:
PLANNING FOR 2024 HUMAN RELATIONS AWARDS – WORK PLAN
REVIEW, CALL FOR NOMINATIONS MEMO
Commission member Bryan reminded folks that the deadline for award
nomination submissions is October 25th. She stated there are planned dates
to send out three additional rounds of communications and reminders through
the month of September and October to community members and HRC
contacts.
Bryan asked for assistance from Commission members to distribute posters
and flyers.
• GOVERNMENT RELATIONS – GENERAL UPDATE
Vice Chair Kistler attended a Latinx Community Network meeting to discuss
what the Human Relations Commission does and the upcoming events. She
stated there is a lot of concern and tension from the Latinx community
regarding the homeless shelter being built in an area where there are several
large mobile home communities.
Kistler shared that Council is going through the two-year budget cycle called
Budgeting for Outcomes. One of the big issues related to the HRC is that two
very distinct programs that were funded through the American Recovery Plan
Act (ARPA) funds have been cut from the City’s budget going forward. This
also is causing a lot of concern and tension, because the ARPA funds were
very substantial in working with the immigrant population.
• EXECUTIVE – MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING FOR 2024
HRC EVENTS: CONFIRM DATES AND ASSIGNMENTS
Commission members discussed organizations where they could
disseminate flyers and invitations for upcoming events.
9. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Commission Member Bryan attended the Volunteer Summit hosted by the City. This was a
development opportunity offered to all volunteers. She attended a DEI session that talked
about diversifying personal networks. As well, she attended an Allyship session which talked
about how people show up and whether others know they are an ally.
Commission Member Cribelli shared that she has been working with the Jan Reece with the
City and Arc of Larimer County on a disability awareness training being offered to employees.
Cribelli stated there is some excitement about Autism Awareness and to keep the momentum
going.
Vice Chair Kistler shared that Thompson Valley is hosting a conference called Echoes of
Success on September 27th and are inviting HRC members to attend.
10. ADJOURNMENT – The meeting was adjourned at 6:48 pm.
Amended Minutes approved by the Chair and a vote of the Board/Commission on 10/10/24
9/12/24 – MINUTES Page 1