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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 01/11/1996HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES Regular Meeting - B@e mbw4-4; 4995 Human Resources Conference Room, 200 W. Mountain Ave. 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Council Liaison: Ann Azari I Staff Liaison: Gabe Chairperson: Linda Beardsley Phone: 229-2270 (w) 223-5447 (h) Presiding Chair: Letty Coykendall Phone: 223-0700 (w) 221-3900 (h) A regular meeting of the Human Relations Commission was held on January 11, 1996 in the Human Resources Conference Room, 200 W. Mountain Ave., Suite A. HRC Members present: Linda Beardsley, Daniel Cordova, Letty Coykendall, Bob Lank, Man Oberoi, Ramona Robertson and Betty Sutton. HRC Member absent: Rickie Calkins and Shari Olson. Guests present: Lu Fisk, Commission on the Status of Women and Wendy Meyer, Human Rights Office. Staff Members present: Gabe Serenyi, Human Resources Department Roberta Burnette, City Attorney's Office Alma Vigo -Morales, Human Rights Office Lt. Brad Hurst, Fort Collins Police Services 1. Meeting was called to order by Linda Beardsley, Chair, at 5:35 P.M. Chair Beardsley asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the November 9, 1995 meeting. Bob Lank made the motion to approve, and was seconded by Betty Sutton. The HRC approved the minutes with no changes. II. Chair Linda Beardsley asked that she be permitted to interject some new business at this point. She indicated that she would be resigning from the Human Relations Commission, and read her letter of resignation. Since Vice -Chair Rickie Calkins was absent, Linda requested that Letty Coykendall preside over the meeting. III. Subcommittee Reports Committee on Executive Delegation. Bob Lank reported that the subcommittee had not met in December, but had met the previous month. The primary discussion related to changes to the City's Anti -Discrimination ordinance. Bob asked for comments from HRC members about the suggested changes that the subcommittee had made. A lengthy discussion took place at this point regarding the merits of the various recommendations that were suggested. Assistant City Attorney Bobbie Burnette provided inputs and clarification on the points being discussed. Letty Coykendall suggested that the subcommittee further investigate how other municipalities have dealt with this type of ordinance. The subcommittee should then submit a draft document for Human Relations Commission January 11, 1996 Page 2 review by the HRC. Gabe Serenyi asked Bobbie Bumette what the procedure was for enacting changes to the Anti- discrimination Ordinance. She responded that Council could either approve the changes on its own, or the changes could be placed on the ballot. If the changes to the existing ordinance were controversial, Council would probably place the issue on the ballot. Bob Lank indicated that a study session should be arranged with Council and the CED to discuss any proposed changes. Human Resource Grants Committee. No report this month. Police Sub -committee. Lt. Brad Hurst introduced himself as the new liaison from Police Services. Lt. Deryle O'Dell, the previous liaison, had been appointed to the position of Division Commander, Information Services. Lt. Hurst announced that he wants to be responsive to the needs of the HRC, and invited HRC members to review and discuss any police -related issue with him. He also indicated that only nine complaints had been filed against police officers during all of 1995. None of them involved violations of civil rights, or other issues that would require HRC review. Letty Coykendall indicated that the first order of business of the subcommittee would be to contact City Manager John Fishbach to arrange for a meeting to discuss the Citizen Liaison Program. Letty said she would invite the other police subcommittee members to attend; she also invited Lt. Hurst. Diversity Sub -committee. Ramona Robertson reported that the subcommittee had met on December 18th with Doreen Kemp of the Committee on the Status of Women. They had discussed various approaches to encourage minorities to become involved with and apply for appointments to the Boards and Commissions. They discussed different ideas, including something the Community Action Committee in Boulder had done. That organization had a video produced which focused specifically on training Latinos/Latinas. The group discussed the possibility of producing a similar video for use in Fort Collins, but making it applicable to all minority groups. Something like that could be shown on Ch. 14 and other media outlets. Another idea under consideration was the possibility of board and commission members bringing potential minority applicants to actual Boards and Commissions meetings. Bob Lank suggested that Gabe Serenyi contact Rita Harris in the City Clerk's office to ask her to include language in their newspaper recruitment ads that would encourage minorities to apply for Boards and Commissions appointments. Human Relations Award. Lefty Coykendall asked that a subcommittee meeting be set-up for January 24 to discuss timetables for the awards breakfast. She also asked Gabe Serenyi to contact Linda Gula to obtain a list of service organizations in Fort Collins. III. Old Business. None Human Relations Commission January 11, 1996 Page 3 IV. New Business A discussion took place about the election for a new chairperson for the HRC. Letty Coykendall asked Gabe Serenyi to schedule the election for the new chair at the beginning of the regular February HRC meeting. Letty also asked Gabe to send Linda Beardsley flowers and a letter of appreciation on the HRC's behalf. V. Announcements Gabe Serenyi reminded HRC subcommittee chairpersons that Annual Reports were due on January 31 at. He volunteered to edit and consolidate inputs from the chairpersons, and forward them to the City Clerk's office. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 P.M.