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Home My WebLink AboutHRC April 8 2013 minutes HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION of the City of Palm Springs Minutes from the April 8, 2013 Meeting COMMISSIONERS Present at this Meeting Present FY Year-to-Date FY 2012-13 Excused Absences FY 2012-13 Unexcused Absences David Brown Elena Chvany Sidney Craig, Chair Jack Newby Wes Rankins Jerry Trussell Les Zendle Dee Dee Wilson Barton Ariss Durazo, Stu.Rep. J Maddie Barton, Stu.Rep. X X X X X X X X 0 X 9 8 9 8 9 8 9 8 7 8 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 - - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - The above roll call record is based on all meeting Minutes from July 9, 2012 thru April 8, 2013 1. Chair Craig called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. 2. Student representative Maddie Barton led the flag salute. 3. Commissioner Zendle recited the Mission Statement. 4. Commissioners Present: Brown, Chvany, Craig, Newby, Rankins, Trussell, Wilson Barton and Zendle Student representative Maddie Barton from Raymond Cree Middle School was present. Ariss Durazo from Palm Springs High School was absent. Delaney Leyden, an alternate from Raymond Cree Middle School, was present. 5. POSTING OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act on or before 4 p.m., on March 28, 2013. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT: Charles Sachs said he has filed a complaint against his HOA Board and manager. He described what he is dealing with and said he is being retaliated and discriminated against. 7. GUEST SPEAKER: None 8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 11, 2013 MEETING: Following a motion by Vice Chair Wilson Barton and second by Commissioner Newby the minutes from the March 11, 2013 meeting were unanimously approved 8-0. 9. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION / AND OR VOTE: 9.A. Cultural Humility training session, Tuesday, May 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.: Commissioner Newby provided background, stating the City currently is undergoing Cultural Humility training for all City employees and management and an abbreviated version of the training is being made available to members of the City’s boards and commissions. Six of the eight Human Rights Commissioners will be able to attend. (Commissioners Trussell and Rankins will not be able to attend.) 9.B Update from the subcommittee on anti-bullying: Vice Chair Wilson Barton said Palm Springs Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Christine Anderson will be the guest speaker at the May 13 HRC Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 2 of 3 Meeting of April 8, 2013 2 meeting and she is bringing Jane Mills, the District’s Director of Student Services. Dr. Anderson also will bring a school board member to the meeting. 9.C Update from the subcommittee on developing possible criteria for Community Service Awards: Commissioner Zendle distributed a possible draft of an application, with the criteria, if they are accepted, on the back. (See attached). Commissioners continued their discussion from last month on the criteria and process. After the start of next fiscal year when new Commissioners are appointed, Commissioner Zendle said a Community Services Awards Subcommittee should be appointed with a chairperson or lead. A possible timeframe would be to make an announcement around Labor Day with a deadline of Nov. 1 for applications to be submitted and the subcommittee to make its presentation to the Commission in December (with the awards given out in January.) Commissioner Zendle made a motion to accept the general criteria presented and move forward with it, and give it to the subcommittee to manager when it comes time to do that. Following a second by Commissioner Newby, the motion was unanimously approved 8-0. 9.D Reimburse Christopher’s House up to $100 for printing brochures distributed by the Human Rights Commission: The organization did provide the fliers for the HRC, but declined to be reimbursed, Vice Chair Wilson Barton said. 10. STUDENT COMMENTS: Maddie Barton gave a report from Raymond Cree Middle School from information provided by Dr. Tracy Piper – Principal. Here is her report: Our Riverside County Mental Health Grant team has been hard at work. We are implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports-called PBIS, for short. Our trainer and coach is Dr. Jeff Sprague from the University of Oregon, he is internationally recognized as the founder of the PBIS movement. In PBIS, we teach, model, and recognize the behavior we expect to see. When students make a behavioral "error", we use restorative practices-consequences that are meaningful and help the student to rejoin the school or classroom community when they return. One example is our promotion probation. We tell 8th graders if they might not participate in promotion activities and the reason: tardiness, discipline, or grades. We counsel them on how to correct these issues. If they have a problem with too many tardiness for example, they may complete community service to regain eligibility for promotion activities. Dr. Sprague visited Cree last week to discuss our progress and any problems we might be having. We will meet with parents this Thursday night at 5pm in the library to explain the program and hear their feedback. Dr. Piper will be trained in the OLWEUS (ohl-vay-us) anti bullying program this week. This is a nationally recognized anti bullying framework from Clemson University. The county grant is paying for Dr. Piper to be trained. She will be a certified trained for the district, as well. Part of this program includes a bullying survey that will be given to all students after California state testing. We should have the results of the survey in June. Thank you for your continued support for Raymond Cree Middle School. Delaney Leyden said the GSA has taken over the garden at Raymond Cree Middle School. 11. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: Commissioner Trussell said he received a completed discrimination complaint form – case number 72 and will, as a mediator for the HRC, be contacting the people involved and attempt to resolve it. Commissioner Brown said he is in the process of enrolling in the next mediation training class. Commissioners also commented on the Palm Springs Neighborhood Involvement Committee’s Picnic & Expo. Vice Chair Wilson Barton said there is going to be a human trafficking workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 13 at the Methodist Church on Alejo. She also said she wanted to reaffirm that looking at issues about women was one of goals this year that came out of the Commission’s retreat. She said she would be interested in looking at the statistics of women on the City’s staff, in the Police Department and in leadership roles in the City of Palm Springs. 12. STAFF COMMENTS: Staff said the Mayor has received a letter that Palm Springs has been selected for inclusion in the Human Rights Campaign 2013 Municipal Equality Index. The organization will be evaluating 137 cities rated last year and 154 new cities. Also, staff reported there is $1,030 remaining in the Commission’s budget this fiscal year. The Commission outlined past expenditures. Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3 Meeting of April 8, 2013 3 13. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE APRIL 8, 2013 HRC MEETING: Authorize purchasing goods and materials to be distributed at the Commission’s booth during community events. Chair Craig said he would bring items and a price range for the Commission to consider. Upcoming HRC elections of a Chair and Vice Chair. 14. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 pm. Respectfully submitted, Lee A. Bonno Staff Human Rights Commission Liaison Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations