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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 09/14/2017City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission (HRC) September 14, 2017, 5:30 p.m. Meeting Minutes Location: CIC Room, City Hall West, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Council Liaison: Council Member Bob Overbeck Staff Liaison: Director of Social Sustainability Beth Sowder Recorder: Jayne A. Smith Present: Kimberly Allison, Jimena Britón, Colleen Conway, Johanna Ulloa Girón, Victor Smith, Joseph Somodi and Nancy Tellez • Absent: Susan Mathre Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:32 p.m. Agenda Review: The meeting agenda was unanimously approved. Approval of Minutes: The meeting minutes were unanimously approved. Public Input: • Jana Knapp Sanchez – Ignite Fort Collins Jana Knapp Sanchez outlined that Ignite Fort Collins events present organized and polished speeches that emphasize making connections with others involved with similar interests. Guest Presentation: • Ty Smith, Director, CSU Native American Cultural Center, spoke about the CSU Student Diversity Programs and Services designed for student success, retention and community outreach. An update on the Dakota Access Pipeline was also presented. Budget Review: The year-to-date budget was reviewed. Committee Reports: • Government Relations: Numerous topics were reported upon by Jimena Britón. • Victor Smith discussed the recent memo to Council re: recommendations for response to hate flyers. A motion was unanimously approved to send a follow-up memo to Council for clarification about the importance of the distinction between declaring Fort Collins a welcoming community vs. acknowledging the process of working toward being a welcoming and inclusive community. • Educational Outreach: There was discussion about the value of partnering with other agencies. Kimberly Allison suggested the HRC host a presentation of and discussion about the film “Cracking the Codes”. A motion was made and unanimously approved to plan the event. • Media / Community Recognition: The first submissions for the Human Relations Commission Awards have been received. October 26 is the deadline for all submissions. • Executive: The 2018 / 2019 Work Plan was unanimously approved pending editing. • Colleen Conway will send out the Annual Report to the committee chairs for review. • Beth Sowder will be stepping down as HRC Staff Liaison effective January, 2018. Carol Thomas, Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer, will become the HRC Staff Liaison. Discussion Topics: • Joe Somodi thanked the commission for their support and energy in planning the Dec 6th FoCo Speaks Out! Five speakers are confirmed. A dedicated website for this event was unanimously approved. • A Coalition of Human Relations Commissions update was given by Colleen Conway. The HRC supports the concept for a collaborative work environment between other HRC commissions. • Joe Somodi has attended some meetings of the Socially Responsible Investing group and informed the commission that their key values have shifted since last year. • A review of protocol for appointing committee positions for 2018 was discussed. Victor Smith encouraged the commission members to consider HRC Committee Chair positions for 2018. • An evaluation of Work Sessions was discussed in depth by Colleen Conway and other commission members. A motion was unanimously approved to include work session notes as part of the monthly agenda. • The Community Trust Ordinance feedback was discussed. There was a consensus to support a Task Force that may be established to recommend changes to City policies. Closing: A motion to adjourn was unanimously approved at 7:30 p.m. The Next HRC meeting will be Thursday October 12, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. in the CIC Room, City Hall West.