HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPPROVED HRC 03.13.2023 MINUTESHuman Rights Commission
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
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MINUTES
Regular Meeting
Monday, March '13, 2023
Palm Springs City Hall, Large Conference Room
1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Hugo Loyola at 5:30p.m.
2. ROLL CALL:
Present: Commissioners Vignolo, Cleary, Flood, Shephered, Loyola and Student Representative Hanner
Absent: None,
Staff Present: Jay Virata, Director, Community & Economic Development.
3. PRESENTATIONS. None
4. ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA:
MOTION BY: Commissioner Cleary, Second by Commissioner Vignolo to accept the Agenda as
presented. Motion carried. YES: 5 NO: 0.
5. MISSION STATEMENT & GOALS:
6. PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Tom Swan Hernandez
David Christianson
Doug Evans
Amado C. Salinas II
7. CHAIR COMMENTS: Chair Loyola spoke on the community events the Commission participated in the
month of February. It was stated that the City Attorney's Office is taking over the matter of the Palm Springs
Monument Report.
8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: January 17, 2023, February 13, 2023
MOTION BY: Commissioner Cleary, Second by Commissioner Vignolo to accept the minutes from
January 17, 2023 and February 13, 2023 as presented. MOTION CARRIED. YES: 5 NO: 0.
9. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSIONIACTION:
A. Committee and Liaison Reports
1. Executive Report Standing Committee (Chair Loyola, Vice Chair Shepherd) No report.
2. PSPD LGBT Outreach Liaison Report (Loyola) No report.
3. Master Calendar Liaison Report (Vignolo)
Commissioner Vignolo is working with Jarvis Crawford, Community Center Manager at James O. Jessie
Desert Highland Community to coordinate a reading event for youth tentatively in April pending
Commission interest/endorsement,
4. Main Street Liaison Report (Loyola) No report.
5. Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs Liaison Report (Vignolo)
Commissioner Vignolo announced the next ONE -PS meeting will be on March 14, 2023, at the Police
Training Center, 200 S. Civic Drive, 92262; The ONE -PS 2023 Neighborhood Picnic is on March 25,
2023. The Commission's participation was confirmed. The public is invited to attend.
Commissioner Flood commented on his participation at last year's ONE -PS Neighborhood Picnic. He
encouraged commissioners to participate this year.
Human Rights Commission
Regular Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2023
Page 2
6. Desert Highland Gateway Estates Community Association Liaison Report (Flood, Shepherd) No Report
7. Veterans Issues Liaison (Flood, Vignolo) No report.
8. Youth/Education Affairs Standing Committee (Hanner, Shepherd, Vignolo)
Commissioner Vignolo provided an update from the committee's meeting in January and shared he is
waiting to hear back from the Boys and Girls Club Youth Coordinator regarding a partnership for creating
a youth program.
9. Mediation Liaison (Vignolo)
Vice Chair Shepherd reported that she is in Mediation Training and will soon be authorized as a certified
mediator joining Commissioner Flood in the endeavor.
10. Equity and Social Justice Committee Liaison Update (Shepherd) No report.
Commissioner Vignolo further commented on the Commission possibly endorsing an educational youth
summer camp on Human Rights with James O. Jessie Desert Highland Community Center. He would
like to have the item for discussion at the next meeting.
B. Review Mature Adults Group Presentation (Vignolo)
Vice Chair Shepherd commented positively on Commissioner Vignolo's initiative on creating a forward
movement and highlighted the importance of the full Commission's awareness of upcoming events with
more than a week's notice to be able to have the opportunity to participate.
Commissioner Vignolo presented a PowerPoint presentation on Human Rights to be presented at the
Mature Adults Program on March 29, 2023 from 10am to 12:OOpm. Comments and questions ensued
regarding the presentation.
Commissioner Flood left the meeting at 6:07p.m.
C. Discuss potential partnerships with other organizations.
Chair Loyola gave an update on the Universal Basic Income Program being available for members of the
Transgender and Non -Binary community starting March 15; The Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast is on May
11, 2023, event participation details including admission fees were discussed.
D. Planning Topics and Activities for Next Year Update (Loyola)
Chair Loyola encouraged the Commission to look at certain groups and organizations they feel the
Commission should engage.
E. Commissioner, Staff, and Student Comments
Director Virata announced former Commissioner Ramoran's term has been completed and is no longer
serving on the Human Rights Commission.
Chair Loyola thanked former Commissioner Ramoran for his service on the Commission.
Comments were made among the Commission on how to spread awareness of the LGBTQ Veteran
Memorial presented during public comment.
Commissioner Vignolo suggested the Palm Springs Monument Report be added as an agenda item at the
next meeting for discussion or a vote and say the Commission as a whole is not prepared to review the
existing report issued and there will be no further discussion.
Chair Loyola specified the Palm Springs Monument Report is being handled by the City Attorney's Office
and stated the Commission should be very careful with comments on the matter now that the City Attorney
is involved.
Human Rights Commission
Regular Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2023
Page 3
Student Representative Hanner commented that it is necessary to keep on public record that the Palm
Springs Monument Report is out of the Human Rights Commission's hands, but a resolution is trying to be
made.
Commissioner Clearly concurred with Commissioner Vignolo and suggested the Palm Springs Monument
Report should be agendized.
Vice Chair Shepherd stated the matter should not be addressed until further instruction is given by the City
Attorney's Office to the Commission.
10. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT HRC MEETING:
The commission discussed the tentative upcoming agenda items:
• Palm Springs Monument Report
• Details of the Summer Youth Camp Proposal
• Universal Basic Income Program Update
• Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast. Update
11. ANNOUNCEMENTS: None.
12. ADJOURNMENT: It was moved by Commissioner Cleary, Seconded by Commissioner Vignolo to
adjourn the Commission meeting at 7:09 p.m. to an adjourned regular meeting on Monday, April 10, 2023,
at 5:30 p.m.
CY
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JayAra
Direct of Community & Economic Development
APPROVED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: 12023.
THE WHITES HOUSE
WASF INGTON
October 3, 2022
Congratulations to all those who made the California LGBZ'Q Veterans
Memorial possible and who brought recognition to the LGBTQI* heroes
%vho have served and sacrificed for the cause of freedom. Each generation
of Americans is called to help us live up to our highest ideals. and this
memorial is a testament to the power of persistence in the struggle against
injustice.
Despite discrimination, prejudice. and other barriers to their full
participation in the military and socict}. I.GBTQI, Americans have
aIway s served as a bedrock in our fight for a more just and equitable
Nation. Courageously defending our fundamental values and our lives,
the individuals you honor blared a path for I.GB'I'QI} patriots to serve
openly in our Nation's Armed Forces and helped make the possibilities of
our country real for every American.
Today. I am honored to be Commandcr-in-Chiefof the strongest and most
inclusive military this world has e,.er known. I am humbled by your
courageous service to our Nation and the tremendous sacrifices you have
made to advance the noble cause of equality.
When Americans answer the call to serve, they take an oath to defend our
Constitution. I am committed to honoring the sacrifice of our I_GB'I-Ql+
Service members by standing up for freedom and justice at home and
abroad. We can never fully repay our fallen heroes for all they gave, but
we will never stop trying.
Good afternoon, Chairman and members of the HRC-
Thank you for your hard work and the fact that you have started to question the
Monument Report that was used attack Mayor Frank Bogert's reputation a nd to
remove his statue from city hall.
You did your homework and your action in January set the stage for fixing
someone else's problem. The Report was largely plagiarized and there are 200's
of factually incorrect information, distorted summaries of facts and a clear lack of
integrity. Councilmember deHarte, former council members Foat and Kors and
political operatives concocted a plan to attack Frank Bogert and did so with a
falacious Monument Report.
The Kray report is not remarkable, and it too includes numerous falsehoods,
incorrect information, and selectively ignored significant historical documents
that were readily available.
Then this afternoon the city clerk posted a bunch of historical documents that
when fully evaluated will show that the city council acted in bad faith in its attacks
on Frank Bogert and removal of the statue.
The facts will show that the BIA, Indian landowners, conservators, and guardians
lawfully evicted tenants, that the city had a carefully crafted program to help
removed vacant structures from Section 14, that before demolition the city
inspected each structure to ensure it was vacant and personal possessions had
been removed.
These records have been in the possession of the city all this time and we would
like to know how long the city knew about the existence of this information.
The recent records undermine the Attorney General opinion regarding section 14.
The AG report says that the city kept no records of Section 14. Not so. In reality
the AG was invited back to PS to inspect the records. The records are still here at
city hall and now available for public review,
Please fix someone else's problem.
Doug Evans
SECTION 14 - CLEM UP - PROCEDURE
andle these abatements in the following manner:
Notify the bureau of Indian Affairs that the program will continue and
that vacant structures will be abated at the request of the Bureau and
Indian owner or conservator.
Upon receipt of a written permit to burn, the following steps should be
taken:
I. Investigate to dtermine that the structure is actually vacant.
2. Post the property for abatement under Chapter 56.
3. If no protests are received within the time allowed, proceed
with controlled burn.
4. If protests are received, review with City Attorney and
City Manager for decision on further action.
5. For all abatements keep separate records on each structure.
6. Take photos.
7. Maintain affidavits of notice.
8. Secure affidavits of at least three people that the structure
was vacant of occupants or personal belongings.
9. As part of our procedure, check the Assessor's records to
determine if anyone other than the Indian is paying taxes
on the property. If so, be sure to notice that person.
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