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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Relations Commission - Minutes - 06/11/20151 City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes June 11, 2015, 5:30 p.m. Location: CIC Room, City Hall West, 300 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Council Liaison: Councilmember Bob Overbeck Staff Liaison: Beth Sowder Recorder: Michele Scalva Present: Myles Crane, Colleen Conway, Christine Hays, Joseph D. Leske, Jimena Sagas, Preety Sathe, Victor Smith and Mary Vivo Guest Presenters/Citizens: Sue Beck-Ferkiss, City Dept. of Social Sustainability and Sara Fraizer CALL TO ORDER The meeting commenced at 5:30 p.m. PUBLIC INPUT Sara Fraizer presented her program Mental Wellness Moments for the Mental Wholeness Movement - MWM2 and requested feedback. Brochures were provided. GUEST SPEAKER PRESENTATION – Affordable Housing Strategic Plan Sue Beck-Ferkiss presented on Fort Collins housing issues. The housing plan is at http://www.fcgov.com/sustainability/pdf/WorkSession1AHSP.pdf. Highlights: • There are over 3,000 units of publicly-invested housing units distributed around the City. • Current home building is not enough to meet the demand. • There are limited numbers of townhomes and condominiums available for interested buyers. • Housing for the lowest income levels is sometimes the most costly to build due to subsidies. • Fort Collins common household size is 2.3 people. • The City may partner with builders to develop some of the currently available banked land. Meeting Highlights Summary 1. Guest speaker Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Department of Social Sustainability, updated the HRC on the City’s affordable housing plans and related initiatives. 2. HRC discussed the Women’s Commission breakfast and expressed appreciation. 3. HRC reviewed its advisory capacity role to City Council as well as its role in the community and drafted a revised mission statement. 4. HRC participated with the City Manager’s Office, as well as several community organizations, at a CSU symposium with delegates from 12 visiting universities interested in establishing a Center for Public Deliberation similar to that in Fort Collins. 5. Dr. Clayton Hurd will present an update of his Fort Collins gentrification study at HRC's July meeting. 6. HRC discussed plans for the July 14th educational outreach forum at the Harmony Library community room at 7 PM, on "How to Destigmatize Mental Health Issues” presented by Dr. Toni Zimmerman, Professor with the CSU Department of Human Development and Family studies. 2 Q&A: • Low-income development is often supported, although frequently not desired by residents in their own neighborhoods. It has not been proven that low-income housing drives down property values. • There are currently no plans to change the “you plus two” rule for the number of unrelated residents allowed in a single home. • An ordinance on minimum house size in Fort Collins was removed making micro-units possible. AGENDA REVIEW There were three additions to the agenda recorded by Chair Smith. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The May meeting minutes were approved unanimously. BUDGET REPORT Budget report from Liaison Sowder: current balance is $3014.09. It was approved unanimously. OLD BUSINESS Women’s Commission Collaboration Breakfast comments: Report was sent via email by Liaison Sowder. Commissioners who attended gave positive reviews. Partnering with third parties update: The discussion was tabled until the July meeting. Mission Statement clarification: Commissioners unanimously approved a revised mission statement crafted by Commissioner Sagas. July guests: Zach Penland, Redtail Ponds and Julie Brewen, Fort Collins Housing Authority August guest: Downtown Development Plan, City of Fort Collins Staff Other per commissioners: Commissioner Leske met with Dale Adamy regarding the affordability of Comcast services in area. Liaison Sowder announced a multicultural retreat planned for September 18th and 19th at the CSU Mountain Campus. The cost is $55; scholarships are available. Registration is limited to 60 attendees. Commissioner Sagas suggested an HRC commissioner attend. NEW BUSINESS Handicap parking questions: Vice Chair Conway will email the Commission on Disability about the citizen email. Gentrification study: Dr. Clayton Hurd will present at the July HRC meeting. Issues exploration: Discrimination: Social Sustainability Department can help citizens address discrimination issues. Minimum wage: Colorado State Law prohibits municipalities from setting local minimum wages. Other per commissioners: 3 Commissioner Hays shared ideas for summarizing data collected from the Mental Health Forums. City of Fort Collins is reviewing options to address the issue of homeless people sleeping outdoors. Commissioner Vivo summarized how the Murphy Center partners with the Special Agency Session Municipal Court. STANDING COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS Executive Committee (EC) Periodic Review preparations: Vice Chair Conway and Commissioner Hays will be attending on July 14th. They will complete the questionnaire and email it for review. Government Relations Committee (GR) Council Updates: None. Educational Outreach Committee (EOC) EOC meeting is scheduled for June 15th, 6:30-8 p.m., Old Town Library, Study Room B, Second Floor. Liaison reports for the Women’s Commission, Commission on Disability and the Youth Advisory Board were sent via email by Commissioner Hays. Media & Community Recognition Committee (M&CR) Planning Annual HRC Awards event: Liaison Sowder will email the award promotion circular to M&CR Chair Vivo and Commissioner Crane. Liaison reports for the Center for Public Deliberation at CSU, Larimer County Office on Aging, and Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities was sent via email by Commissioner Crane. Commissioner Crane circulated a brochure for the House of Neighborly Services in Loveland. UPCOMING Events/Announcements Department of Social Sustainability announcements: The City is working on revising camping ordinances. Affordable housing is addressed in multiple City plans. Per Commissioners: The July HRC meeting will be 5:30-8 p.m. due to multiple guests. There will be an ACLU meeting at Old Town Library, Saturday, June 13th at 12 p.m. “World Elder Abuse Day” event will be at The Ranch, Friday, June 12th Meeting Highlights/Discussion Recap and Approval Chair Smith will email highlights for review and approval. CLOSING/Call for Adjournment Commissioners unanimously approved to adjourn at 7:48 p.m. Next HRC meeting is Thursday, July 9, 2015, at 5:30 p.m. in the CIC room.