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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 06/13/20131 City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Regular Meeting Minutes June 13, 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: Suzanne Jarboe-Simpson Recorder: Michele Dunlop Commissioners Present: Colleen Conway, Myles Crane, Christine Hays, James Owiny, Preety Sathe, Faith Sternlieb Unexcused Absent: James Lesco Others Present: Linda Maher, Member, Board of Directors, Alliance for Suicide Prevention Meeting Summary: 1. Linda Maher, Member of Board of Directors, Alliance for Suicide Prevention (ASP) of Larimer County provided a helpful community overview on how ASP’s educational programs raise awareness to help save the lives of those who are suicidal and those suffering from depression or bipolar disorder as well as reach out to support families whose lives have been devastated by suicide. 2. HRC elected Colleen Conway to serve as HRC’s Acting Vice Chair. 3. HRC completed a review of the status of its 2013 Work Plan. 4. HRC members completed preparation for Council’s Periodic Review on July 9th. 5. HRC discussed providing Council Liaison with a helpful summary of requisite skills and qualifications for future HRC candidates. HRC suggests that interviewed candidates be asked if they would be willing to serve 12-15 hours/month - a realistic minimum time commitment. Call to Order Chair Myles Crane called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Meeting Highlights Commissioner Preety Sathe graciously volunteered to compile highlights for the June 13, 2013 meeting of the Human Relations Commission. Public Input No public input. 2 Agenda Review Chair Myles Crane requested to move discussion of Vice Chair communications from Item 1 under New Business to Item 1 under Old Business. Commissioner Faith Sternlieb motioned to approve Chair Myles Crane’s proposed alteration of the agenda. Commissioner Preety Sathe seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Minute Review No changes were made to the Minutes for the May 9, 2013 meeting of the Human Relations Commission. Commissioner Christine Hays motioned to approve the Minutes. Commissioner Colleen Conway seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Budget Report Chair Myles Crane noted a budget report provided by Staff Liaison Melissa Herzog, indicating a balance of $2,483, with additional expenses for refreshments, HRC award trophies and HRC awards breakfast catering. The Human Relations Commission is anticipating a reimbursement from the Women’s Commission. The exact amount is to be determined. Commissioner Christine Hays motioned to approve the budget. Commissioner Colleen Conway seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Guest Speaker Chair Myles Crane introduced HRC’s guest speaker, Linda Maher, Member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County. During her presentation, the speaker reported that Larimer County has the 7th highest suicide rate in the nation. Over the past 10 years, Larimer County lost over 490 individuals to suicide. In 2013, Larimer County already lost 28. Ms. Maher emphasized the importance of education, prevention and awareness in reducing Larimer County’s suicide rate, especially among young people. The Alliance for Suicide Prevention has over 45 volunteers in the community giving presentations, talking to schools, communities, service clubs, and churches. In 2013, Alliance volunteers spoke to over 4,000 students in the Poudre School District and directed 235 referrals to school counselors. In the community at large, Alliance has reached out to over 7,000 individuals. Alliance volunteers aim to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide, to give members of the community permission to talk without judgment, in a helpful and supportive environment. Commissioner Faith Sternlieb inquired if there are any communities the Alliance for Suicide Prevention struggles to reach. Ms. Maher answered that males over the age of 45 are particularly vulnerable. Since 2005, the suicide rate of youth in Larimer County has decreased by 55%. The Alliance for Suicide Prevention hopes to see a similar improvement for the male population of Larimer County. Chair Myles Crane asked Ms. Maher if the Alliance for Suicide Prevention had any opportunities available for youth involvement. Ms. Maher emphatically agreed that youth contributions and perspectives are always welcomed. Commissioner Christine Hays expressed her concern over Colorado’s lack of funding for mental health support and asked where Alliance for Suicide Prevention gets its funding. Ms. Maher explained that Alliance’s funding comes from individual contributions and grants. Alliance has a dedicated and passionate volunteer staff that does the best with what it is given, knowing that resources are divided between many agencies. Chair Myles Crane thanked Ms. Maher for her excellent presentation. 3 Standing Committee and Liaison Reports: Executive Committee Chair Myles Crane reported that the Larimer County Office on Aging lost approximately $147,000 in funding due to the sequester, but gained about $200,000 from the State. He described the concept of green housing for seniors, a nursing home type of facility with private living spaces, separate bathrooms, and individual meal schedules. Non-institutionalized green housing may move into Loveland as early as November 2014, with 60% of the rooms reserved for Medicaid recipients. Chair Myles Crane mentioned that at a meeting he attended with the Council Liaison, Boards and Commissions (B&C) Coordinator and Staff Liaison earlier in the week, he asked if there was anything the Human Relations Commission could do to help City Council fill HRC board vacancies. Council Liaison informed him that if HRC provided a list of desirable new member skills and qualifications, this might be helpful to Council. Chair Myles Crane then provided an overview of the City’s Zero Waste initiative that was presented at the Future Committee meeting that he attended. The strategies address to reduce, recycle and reuse waste, with the eventual goal of having zero net waste. Commissioner James Owiny mentioned the money- saving aspect of a zero waste plan, which is in addition to a positive. Council is well aware of these considerations. Chair Myles Crane concluded with a confirmation of upcoming HRC guest speakers: July: Joshua Awtry, Executive Editor, Coloradoan August: Diane Knight, President-Elect, Project Self-Sufficiency September: Ray Caraway, President, Community Foundation of Northern Colorado October: No speaker planned, due to 2014 Work Plan Facilitation Government Relations Committee Committee Chair Preety Sathe announced that there were no proclamations at the June 4, 2013 meeting of the City Council. Four members joined in for public input to comment on: apartment complex fire standards, locating the finances in the City, parks and recreation, and fracking. Committee Chair Preety Sathe confirmed that Commissioner Colleen Conway will be in attendance at the next meeting of City Council. Committee Chair Preety Sathe shared that the Citizen Review Board will host a presentation on defense tactics and training at its next meeting on July 10, 2013. All members of the Human Relations Commission are invited to attend. Committee Chair Preety Sathe had an opportunity to invite Sergeant Kent Robinson and other members of the Fort Collins Police Department to make a presentation to the Human Relations Commission. Sgt. Robinson concurred and recommended Sergeant Dean Cunningham as an appropriate contact for the HRC. Committee Chair Preety Sathe provided the Human Relations Commission with new information on ticketing homeless persons. She received helpful clarification from Captain Jim Szakmeister, who explained that Fort Collins police only arrest a homeless person if they have received a complaint or that homeless person is causing a nuisance. Committee Chair Preety Sathe also has reached out to representatives at Homeward 2020 to hear their perspectives on this issue so that the Human Relations Commission can develop a clear, fair and full understanding of the issues. Staff Liaison Suzanne Jarboe- Simpson recommended contacting the Fort Collins Rescue Mission and the Murphy Center for additional 4 insights into the issue of ticketing homeless persons. The Human Relations Commission agreed that further study of this matter could lead to a broader appreciation of the various needs of homeless persons within our community. Educational Outreach Committee Committee Chair Christine Hays distributed materials collected at the Human Relations Commission’s PrideFest booth. At Committee Chair Christine Hays’ request, Commissioner Preety Sathe motioned to approve the Minutes of the June 4, 2013 meeting of the Educational Outreach Committee. Commissioner James Owiny seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Committee Chair Christine Hays provided an update on the anticipated July 2, 2013 meeting of the Educational Outreach Committee. Emily Petersen, of Touchstone Health Partners, will attend the EOC meeting for a discussion of mental health issues. Members of the Educational Outreach Committee are invited to send Committee Chair Christine Hays a list of topics for Ms. Petersen to address on July 2, no later than a week prior to the meeting. Committee Chair Christine Hays added that the Human Relations Commission had been invited to participate in a voluntary Mental Health First Aid training, and confirmed that HRC members were interested and eager to participate. At Committee Chair Christine Hays’ prompting, Suzanne Jarboe-Simpson reported on the recent and upcoming activities of the Women’s Commission. Joe Frank, Director of the City of Fort Collins’ Social Sustainability Department, will join the Women’s Commission for their June 19, 2013 meeting. Following a report of harassment in a parking garage, the Women’s Commission has been researching after- hours safety, policies and procedures. The Women’s Commission has been preparing for periodic review and just recently sent four members to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado Summit, on the topic of the cliff effect (a drop in the standard of living caused by the loss of government assistance resulting from a minor income change). Committee Chair Christine Hays noted that The Center has begun preparation for Denver’s PrideFest, scheduled for Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17, 2013. Media and Community Recognition Committee Committee Chair James Owiny reported that the Media and Community Recognition Committee will schedule future committee meetings on an as-needed basis. After reviewing the Human Relations Commission’s mission, he observed that the HRC may need some assistance in monitoring current developments regarding legal rights issues, policies and other laws as cited in the HRC’s Bylaws. He emphasized the importance of identifying community resources that might provide helpful guidance to enhance HRC’s awareness and issues relating to community concerns about diversity and housing - discrimination. In instances where HRC members and staff liaison are not successful in searches regarding city resources, Susan Jarboe-Simpson agreed to be of assistance owing to her extensive background and experience. ACLU Commissioner Colleen Conway was unable to attend the two most recent meetings of the ACLU, but reported that progress has been made to line up guest speakers for the ACLU’s Forum on Criminalizing the Mentally Ill. The ACLU has had some difficulty identifying a law enforcement officer to speak at the Forum, but is following up on a few specific leads. Commissioner Colleen Conway suggested that Captain Jerry Schiager might be an invaluable asset to the Forum. 5 Senior Advisory Board Chair Myles Crane reported on behalf of Commissioner Mary Lyons who had an excused absence. The Senior Advisory Board has made significant strides in working with and developing a transportation group to advocate for senior transportation needs. At the Board’s June 12th meeting, Wade Turner was elected Chair and Linda Gabel Vice Chair. NRAB Commissioner Faith Sternlieb distributed a liaison report for the May 15, 2013 meeting of the NRAB. She requested that members of the Human Relations Commission read the report when they have the opportunity, and briefly touched on Woodward’s recent contributions to environmental sustainability. Old Business Chair Myles Crane announced that on account of the continuing absence of Vice Chair James Lesco, Commissioner Colleen Conway had volunteered to fill the position of Acting Vice Chair. Commissioner Christine Hays motioned to approve Commissioner Colleen Conway as Acting Vice Chair. Commissioner Preety Sathe seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. The Human Relations Commission discussed plans for its June 26, 2013 teambuilding session. It was agreed that the teambuilding session would be an appropriate venue for an independent facilitator to lead a brainstorming session regarding the HRC’s collaborative techniques for evaluating and establishing activity priorities. Chair Myles Crane and Acting Vice Chair Colleen Conway will represent the Human Relations Commission at the City Council’s Periodic Review work session on July 9, 2013. Chair Myles Crane requested a work plan progress update from each standing committee chair. Committee Chair Christine Hays noted that she had submitted a written status update for the Educational Outreach Committee. Committee Chair Preety Sathe confirmed that the Government Relations Committee was actively performing the following duties: serving as a primary point of contact for the Citizen Liaison Program, keeping a calendar of City Council meetings, discussing citizen input, attending Citizen Review Board meetings, communicating with the Fort Collins police services, and maintaining regular communication with the Human Relations Commission City Council liaison. Committee Chair Preety Sathe resolved to work on researching and providing HRC information and Council as appropriate on equal employment opportunities and review of relevant proposed legislation. Committee Chair James Owiny reported that the Media and Community Recognition Committee’s primary duty is to keep Council and the community aware of HRC activities. He noted that the Committee will work on developing a media resource plan and kit. Committee Chair James Owiny expressed his intention to meet with the City of Fort Collins PR team to develop a press kit. New Business The Human Relations Commission discussed and documented a summary of suggested preferred skills and qualifications for potential HRC candidates, which include, but are not limited to the following requirements: a team player who works well with people from various backgrounds and holding diverse viewpoints across our community a good character with compassion for diversity and inclusivity someone who thinks objectively 6 excellent interpersonal communications and active listening skills enthusiastic about HRC’s work for our community willing to make a minimum 12-15 hours/month. Commissioner Preety Sathe motioned to approve a memo outlining this list of potential HRC candidate skills and qualifications, pending any additional email input from commissioners. Acting Vice Chair Colleen Conway seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Meeting Highlights The HRC discussed the meeting highlights summarized on Page 1, Meeting Summary of these Minutes. Commissioner Christine Hays motioned to approve these highlights and the Chair of the Human Relations Commission compile future meeting highlights. Commissioner Faith Sternlieb seconded the motion, which was approved 6:0. Motion to Adjourn Commissioner Faith Sternlieb made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Preety Sathe seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6:0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:38 p.m. The next HRC regular meeting is scheduled on July 11, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the CIC room.