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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 07/11/20131 City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Highlights July 11, 2013 5:30 p.m. CIC Room, 300 Laporte Avenue, City Hall West, Fort Collins, Colorado The Human Relations Commission promotes acceptance and respect for diversity through educational programs and activities to discourage all forms of discrimination based on age, disability, gender, race, religion etc. Council Liaison: Mayor Karen Weitkunat Staff Liaison: Melissa Herzog Recorder: Kellen Wittkop Commissioners Present: Colleen Conway, Myles Crane, Christine Hays, James Owiny, Preety Sathe and Mary Lyons (by teleconference from Boston) Excused Absent: Faith Sternlieb Unexcused Absent: James Lesco Others Present: FCPD Captain Jerry Schiager, Sgt. Dean Cunningham and Patrolman Josh Golden Meeting Summary: 1. Sgt. Dean Cunningham, past recipient of the Human Relations Award and Captain Jerry Schiager, FCPD, discussed a range of issues concerning homeless persons currently estimated at approximately 250 people in Fort Collins. At HRC’s request these police professionals described how they apply the law proficiently. Tickets given to homeless persons camping were reported at 12 incidents over a recent six month period. The speakers expressed empathy for the needs of homeless people and described how FCPD enforces the law in an equitable manner in which homeless persons are not targeted. The FCPD responds to all calls received from businesses and private residents where concerns are expressed. The speakers proactively offered to reply to any future concerns raised before Council or the HRC and also offered to revisit the issue with the HRC if so requested. 2. HRC unanimously elected Colleen Conway as Vice Chair by a vote of 6:0. 3. The Commission discussed HRC’s recent periodic review before Council and agreed to act on three Council requests: 1) aligning HRC initiatives with the City’s seven outcomes; 2) continuing to advise Council on matters that Council should be considering; and 3) reporting on the use of marijuana by youth as a potential precursor to schizophrenia. Call to Order Chair Myles Crane called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. Meeting Highlights Chair Myles Crane began discussion about how the HRC and other boards work within the seven city outcomes. While the HRC’s work encompasses performance aspects of all seven city outcomes, the strongest connections at this time relate to Community and Neighborhood Livability, High Performing Government and Safe Community performances. Commissioner Colleen Conway also mentioned that Environmental Health also figures prominently in HRC’s work as that outcome largely affects low- 2 income populations. Mayor Karen Weitkunat requested that all boards evaluate how their respective initiatives align with these community outcomes. Chair Myles Crane then outlined the other two requests made by Council regarding advisory capacity of Boards and Commissions to Councilmembers and Councilmember Troxell’s request that the HRC comment on marijuana’s potential effect on schizophrenia in view of Council’s discussion on Amendment 64. He commended Commissioner Colleen Conway on her perceptive preliminary research on the latter issue. Commissioner Colleen Conway stated that this request requires significant research. She plans to contact the Director of Mental Health at the correctional facility for resource purpose. She noted that the age group mentioned in the original article forwarded to Council by Councilmember Troxell pertains to an early stage when symptoms of schizophrenia begin arising. Since schizophrenia is a neurological as well as a degenerative disease, it may well be difficult to draw conclusions. Public Input No public input. Agenda Review Commissioner Christine Hays motioned to approve the agenda. Commissioner James Owiny seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Minutes Review No changes were made to the Minutes for the June 13, 2013 meeting of the Human Relations Commission. Commissioner Preety Sathe motioned to approve the Minutes. Commissioner James Owiny seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Budget Report Commissioner Preety Sathe motioned to approve the budget. Commissioner Christine Hays seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Guest Speaker Chair Myles Crane introduced HRC’s guest speaker, Sergeant Dean Cunningham of the Fort Collins Police Department. During his presentation, the speaker discussed how the Police Department handles the homeless population. Sergeant Dean Cunningham introduced his fellow FCPD members, Captain Schiager and Officer Golden. The speaker and Captain Schiager met with the Homeward 2020 Director recently. Overall, the Police Department has four categories for interacting with the homeless population which include: Chronically homeless: these are individuals who have been homeless for an extended period of time, most likely who have been through the system. There are little resources left to offer them and generally they are not acceptable participants in programs. Professional Homeless: people who travel from town to town, where moving is a lifestyle to wherever they can receive services. Travelers: these individuals have meeting places where they can connect with other homeless individuals and stay in any one area for a very short time period. Nearly Homeless: these people are in desperate need of resources, including couch surfers who are on the verge of needing resources. 3 Sergeant Cunningham detailed how it is a challenge for the Police Department to marry all of the available services to take care of the different groups. A major issue is that the individuals in the “Nearly Homeless” group, which need the resources, are not the ones capturing them. The first route is enforcement of some kind that is compassionate and well-thought out. A second option which would be ideal would be a detoxification resource in this County. Currently, the Police Department must refer to the detox program in Weld County and take individuals to the hospital there, where they will be transferred. A third option would be more money for mental health resources. Next, the speaker discussed the proposed Redvine facility around Harmony and Fossil Creek. This facility would have 60 beds, 20 for low-income housing and 40 for the homeless population. One pressing concern is how individuals would be screened to receive a bed in the facility. In December, Homeward 2020 counted the homeless population in Fort Collins at around 250 individuals, which taken as a sample, estimates a total homeless population of about 500. The speaker estimates that about 30 individuals in this group would classify as chronically homeless. In the last 6 months, FCPD stated that that they had issued 12 camping tickets, an area of concern for Homeward 2020. When contacting an individual, the FCPD considers if they have talked to the person previously trying to correct behavior and pointing that person in the right direction. FCPD always responds to business/service calls. Overall, 68% of calls are generated in the downtown area. Captain Schiager then joined in the presentation. He noted the polarity of perspectives on this issue: the business community regularly complains versus individuals who feel the Police Department is too harsh on homeless persons. When FCPD members do respond to a call, there is a large amount of discretion left to the officer about the course of action. The current manta of the FCPD in these situations is: “apply the existing laws professionally and compassionately to solve a problem.” Also, the FCPD references other best practices as outlined in the “Homeless Encampments” report by the Department of Justice which can be found at www.cops.usdoj.gov. Some options outlined in this report are not practical for Fort Collins. Sweeping removals, for example, are ineffective and designating a specific area of town for camping could lead to major problems. On the topic of designated camping areas, Commissioner James Owiny noted that a proactive approach could be a park that is patrolled with a limited number of spots and fees. Captain Schiager pointed out that such a facility would need managing and staffing. Sergeant Cunningham also stated that another aspect of this issue to consider is that such facilities cannot take homeless individuals a far distance from resources (such as those available in the downtown area, the main reason 68% of calls are generated from there). Commissioner Christine Hays commented on the risk associated with designated restroom areas, and the speaker detailed recent incidents that support this type of problem. Both the Sergeant and the Captain mentioned that from their experiences speaking with homeless persons, Fort Collins is perceived as an ideal location to be homeless due to the generosity of our community and its resources. Chair Myles Crane thanked the speaker and other FCPD members for their enlightening presentation, and also commended the Citizens Review Board for their important work. Standing Committee and Liaison Reports: Executive Committee Chair Myles Crane introduced the new recorder, Kellen Wittkop. The HRC received two letters of appreciation. One letter included a special thank you to the HRC from Michele Dunlop, the former recorder, who attributed much of her success in finding a full-time position to her work with the HRC. 4 June’s guest speaker, Linda Maher, Board member from the Larimer County Alliance for Suicide Prevention also wrote a letter of appreciation to the HRC for its support. Chair Myles Crane mentioned that the Larimer County Office on Aging, now referred to as LCOA, is anticipating a $90,000 net loss for social programs on account of the sequester. However, State programs are expected to more than compensate for that loss. LCOA recently hired a new employee for live telephone responses after completing a study which showed that elderly people are not happy dealing with digital phone trees. ACLU Commissioner Colleen Conway attended the ACLU Meet and Greet in June. The event was not as well attended as they had hoped, but it was a good opportunity to meet other members. They are looking in to putting on a program, possibly on mental health, to parallel the current movement around the community. The ACLU is also seeking volunteers to staff their booth at New West Fest. Government Relations Committee Commissioner Preety Sathe referenced a forwarded email from Commissioner Christine Hays with information. She is also planning to contact Homeward 2020 to come in and speak to the HRC. Additionally, Commissioner Preety Sathe would like to contact the Murphy Center to have meeting representation from homeless persons to discuss their experiences. Sergeant Schiager mentioned the opportunity for HRC members to do a walk-along downtown. Commissioner Preety Sathe requested that Staff Liaison Melissa Herzog forward information on any other resources in town that she could contact. Chair Myles Crane mentioned the Homeless Prevention Initiative. Commissioner James Owiny suggested requesting the different groups to write a short piece which could be read at meetings of the Commission for time management purposes. Commissioner James Owiny signed up for the July 16 City Council Meeting, and Commissioner Preety Sathe will be attending the meeting on August 6. Commissioner Preety Sathe attended the Citizens Review Board with Chair Myles Crane which included an informative presentation on police defense tactics. On September 11 at 5:30 PM, the Citizens Review Board will host a presentation on critical incidents and related mental health considerations which could impact FCPD members. The Board’s November meeting will include training on SWAT. Senior Advisory Board While Commissioner Mary Lyons was not able to attend the recent board meeting she forwarded relevant information about transportation and communications. Educational Outreach Committee Committee Chair Christine Hays had no new information regarding the Women’s Commission or the Center. Commissioner Preety Sathe motioned to approve the July 2, 2013 Education Outreach Committee Minutes. The motion was seconded by Commission Colleen Conway and was approved 5:0:1. Commissioner James Owiny abstained because he had not attended that meeting. Next, Commissioner Christine Hays led a discussion about HRC’s budget. HRC members reviewed current and other expenditures. Some questions arose regarding how the budget might be expended and Chair Myles Crane volunteered to contact City personnel for clarification. 5 Commissioner Christine Hays then focused on the direction of the EOC. She stated that Commissioner James Owiny will be connecting with the League of Women Voters about advertising. In terms of the mental health training offered by Touchstone Health Partners, she recommended completing the training and then discussing it at the August EOC meeting. Media and Community Recognition Committee Committee Chair James Owiny reported that the Media and Community Recognition Committee will be meeting Thursday, July 18 at 5:30 pm at Whole Foods. The focus of the meeting will be marketing HRC activities. A draft brochure will be brought to the HRC for comment. Old Business Chair Myles Crane asked if Commissioner Colleen Conway was willing to serve as Vice Chair, to which she assented. Commissioner Christine Hayes motioned for Commissioner Colleen Conway to be elected as Vice Chair and Commissioner Preety Sathe seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Chair Myles Crane congratulated Commissioner Colleen Conway and applauded her leadership on the HRC. Chair Myles Crane also mentioned that he and Commissioner James Owiny are planning to attend the Commission on Disability meeting on July 25, 2013 to discuss the Human Relations Breakfast and support of the Commission on Disability’s work by the HRC. New Business Chair Myles Crane suggested planning a brief After Action Review of the HRC’s teambuilding retreat at the August HRC meeting. This After Action Review will include HRC’s areas of strength, areas needing some improvement and a general overview how HRC can welcome and train new members. Meeting Highlights The HRC discussed the meeting highlights summarized on Page 1, Meeting Summary of these Minutes. Commissioner James Owiny motioned to approve these highlights. Commissioner Colleen Conway seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Motion to Adjourn Commissioner Christine Hays made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Colleen Conway seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6:0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:28 p.m. The next HRC regular meeting is scheduled on August 8, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the CIC room.