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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 09/08/1977• CITY OF FORT COLLINS MEMORANDUM DATE: October 25, 1977 TO: Fort Collins Human Relations Commission FROM: Mary Ann Kennaugh, Secretary RE: Minutes of the September 4, 1977 Regular Meeting 8 I. Call to Order. Called to Order by Vice Chairman Don% Shoemaker at 7:45 p.m., City Council chambers, 300 W. LaPorte Avenue, II. Roll Call, Members Present: Staff: • Gloria Hershberger Rosita Bachmann, Human Rights Officer Don Shoemaker Mary Ann Kennaugh, Secretary Don Lambert Steve Smith Guests: Bob ZimdahlPam um Lucia Lile , Asst. City Attorney Ben NaPsheY s Norman Wynn, Support Your Local Police Committei Members Absent: Ken Drieth, excused Kelsey Smith III. Approval of Minutes Commission Member Hershberger moved approval of the August 11, 1977 minutes as submitted. Commission Member Lambert seconded, and the minutes were approved with a vote of 7 - 0: Ayes: Commission Members Hershberger, Lambert, Shoemaker, Smith, Zimdahl, Sysum, and Napheys. Nays: None. IV. Notice of Committee Assignments Committee assignment list was distributed with agenda packets. 0 E Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Minutes of the September 1,4, 1977 Regular Meeting Page Two Police -Grievance Procedure Following were points of discussion regarding the proposed Police -Grievance Procedure: Zimdahl: Reasonable time for a complaint to be filed is 30 days; is there also a time limit for the investigation? The Complainant is likely to be a minority; will the meeting, as described on Page Four Item K of the Police Department Rules and Regulations Regarding Handling of Citizen Complaints Against Officers be held in a place where the Complainant would be comfortable? (Hershberger: Lt. Davis (the investigator for the Police Department) now meets anywhere the Complainant wants, all within a reasonable amount of time.) Why is the only conclusion of the investigation the possible discipline of the officer? Why is there no discipline if the Complainant is wrong? (Liley: Originally, the procedure contained a possible misdemeanor charge against complainants filing a false complaint. After review of the pro- cedure, all involved in approving the procedure (i.e., City Council, Police Department, Human Relations Commission, Police Grievance Committee) agreed to delete the possible misdemeanor charge.) (Bachmann: As Human Rights Officer, my experience has been that the person complaining • has the perspective that they are aggrieved, whether or not it is in fact true.) Why does the polygraph examiner have the right to call witnesses? (Page 7, Item IV.W.6) (Shoemaker: In cases such as one where there is a male polygraph examiner and a female complainant, it would be necessary.) - Sysum: Does the police officer, who has had a complaint filed against him/her, have a record kept on the case? (Liley: For any kind of disciplinary action (e.g., suspension, demotion, etc.), a record is kept in the Personnel file for one year. A record is kept in the Police Department file indefinitely.) - Zimdahl: Has a human rights case such as ones being discussed here ever come before the Human Relations Commission in the past? (Bachmann: Yes. I have had complaints of this nature come through my office and have sat with the Complainant through the Police Department explanation of what has happened.) - Shoemaker: I am willing to support the document. - Liley: The procedur�ill be reviewed six months after it is implemented, and any necessary changes will be made. Such changes will be reported to the Human Relations Commission. u LJ Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Minutes of the September 1fV, 1977 Regular Meeting Page Three S - Sysum: I feel we should incorporate a clause in the letter of support for the procedure calling for a six-month review. - Napheys: Is this really adding something to the present policy? (Liley: Yes, I have sat through two complaint cases so far, and they were not handled effectively. We do need a written policy.) Commission Member Shoemaker moved that the Human Relations Commission concur with the proposed letter of support for the procedure (including a clause calling for a six-month review) and that it be sent to City Council as a token of the Human Relations Commission's support for the Police Grievance Procedure. (See Exhibit "A" attached hereto) Commission Member Lambert seconded, and motion was approved 6 - 1. Ayes: Commission Members Shoemaker, Lambert, Hershberger, S. Smith, Zimdahl, Sysum. Nays: Commission Member Napheys. - Liley: The procedure will be heard by City Council at their first meeting in October. We would like to have a Human Relations Commission member present at that meeting. (John McGraw will notify either the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the date and time the procedure will be heard by Council.) • VI. Human Resource Board Revenue Sharing Recommendations Chairman Napheys gave a brief report on the Larimer Human Resource Board's funding recommendations, He indicated that $163,320 had been recommended toward the funding of 16 agencies. This amount represents a 10% increase over 1977 funding, He further noted the assignments to the Fund Expenditure Sub -Committee. - Zimdahl: I assume there is some history of the funding recommendations; do we have access to it? (Napheys: Yes. THere are summary statistics, requests, and funding recommendations from previous years available through John McGraw's office.) VII. 1977-78 Goals and Objectives - Napheys: In formulating the objectives, I tried to keep them at a manageable level, Some of the objectives are very generally worded and can be "filled'in" as necessary. - Lambert: I like the responsibilities being pinpointed for each sub- committee; the goals and objectives seem very workable and concise. Commission Member Zimdahl moved approval of the 1977-78 goals and objectives as distributed, Commission Member Hershberger seconded and motion passed 7 - 0. Ayes: Commission Members Hershberger, Lambert, Shoemaker, S, Smith, • Zimadahl, Sysum and Napheys. Nays: None. • • Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Minutes of the September, 1977 Regular Meeting Page Four - Napheys: In conjunction with the goals and objectives, I suggest that we have general meetings and specific meetings, (e.g. fund expenditure items to control the majority of the meeting in November). I anticipate that the sub -committees will need to function between the regular meetings and each sub -committee should get together to designate a sub -committee head. VIII. Boards and Commission Manual All members indicated they had received copies of the manual. IX. Future Agendas By consensus, it was decided that the Human Relations Commission will attend an "Equal Employment Opportunity" seminar, jointly sponsored by the Fort Collins Human Rights Office and the Chmaber of Commerce, on October 13, 1977, in lieu of their regularly scheduled meeting. The November 10, 1977 regular meeting will be a specific agenda devoted to the Education Sub -Committee, The December 8, 1977 regular meeting will be a general agenda. • Commission Member Lambert suggested that Objective A ("To:recommend to the Larimer Human Resource Board and the City Council further refinements in the process of determining priority community service needs and appropriate recommendations toward efficiently and effectively meeting those needs, i,e „ for example, the integration of Larimer Human Resource Board and United Way processes and systems.") be an early agenda item next year, with a follow-through on statistics. X. Other Business None. XI. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. • u Fora Ir W " Honorable Mayor Bloom and City Council: September 8, 1977 The Human Relations Commission has requested that I write to advise you of the Commission's full support of the proposed "Police Department Rules and Regulations Regarding Handling of Citizen Complaints Against Officers". The Commission has been involved with Police Department representatives, community minority, and other representatives for many months in the review of conflicts which have arisen in attempts to equitably remedy citizen complaints against the Police Department, and in the development of a generally accepted procedural means of accommodating such remedies. The Commission believes that the proposal has the support of all segments of the community, that it will accommodate fair and equitable resolution of complaints against the Police Department, and that it will thereby enhance the quality of human relations in Fort Collins. • Therefore, the Commission recommends your favorable conisderation of the proposal and your support and accommodation of its implementation by the City administration. The Commission further recommends that the "Police Department Rules and Regulations" be reviewed six (6) months after adoption to identify and adopt necessary amend- ments, if any. BN/mak • Sincerely, a Ben Napheys, Chairman Fort Collins Human Relations Comniss