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Home My WebLink AboutHRC May 13 2013 minutes - Draft HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION of the City of Palm Springs Minutes from the May 13, 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. Maddie Barton, Stu.Rep. X X X X X X X X X X 10 9 10 9 10 9 10 9 8 9 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 May 13, 2013 1. Chair Craig called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. 2. Student representative Ariss Durazo led the flag salute. 3. Student representative Maddie Barton recited the Mission Statement. 4. Commissioners Present: Brown, Chvany, Craig, Newby, Rankins, Trussell, Wilson Barton and Zendle Student representatives Maddie Barton from Raymond Cree Middle School and Ariss Durazo from Palm Springs High School were present. Delaney Leyden, an alternate from Raymond Cree Middle School, did not attend the meeting. 5. POSTING OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act on or before 4 p.m., on May 7, 2013. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT: Eyron Ike Rosenberg told the Commission that the apparent monitoring or watching of his personal life continues and he has demanded and pleaded that the watching be stopped and it never did. Charles Sachs, who has filed a complaint with the Commission against his HOA Board and manager, asked for a follow-up. He said he is being singled out and fined for using his garage for storage. 7. GUEST SPEAKER: Palm Springs Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Christine Anderson and Jane Mills, Director of Student Services spoke to the Commission about bullying, a topic the HRC has been focusing on. Dr. Anderson said the school board has focused on bullying the last couple of years. They discussed Assembly Bill 9 “Seth’s Law” which was named after a 13-year-old California student who committed suicide after being bullied at school. Ms. Mills said the last time she spoke to the Commission, the school district did not have a formal policy to address bullying, but it does now. She said starting next school year students will be able to anonymously report bullying electronically. One of the challenges is that bullying has become more subtle, Ms. Mills said. Another challenge, she said, is what takes place online in the world of social media. Regarding cyber bullying, Ms. Mills said public schools can intervene. She also said that they are finding that more and more students are using their electronic connections to their teachers to report things that are occurring. She went on to describe a recent situation. Ms. Mills said Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 2 of 3 Meeting of May 13, 2013 2 that more and more students understand that they have a responsibility to tell and not stand by. In addition to the district’s policy addressing bullying it also has a mandate to do training for its teachers on identifying bullying, the best ways to prevent it and to intervene. This training will start beginning next year, Ms. Mills said. 8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 8, 2013 MEETING: Following a motion by Commissioner Zendle and second by Commissioner Newby the minutes from the April 8, 2013 meeting were unanimously approved 7-0 (Vice Chair Wilson Barton was not present for the vote.) 9. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION / AND OR VOTE: 9.A. Cultural Humility training session, Tuesday, May 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.: Staff said Commissioners should come to the Convention Center at noon for lunch and then the session will begin at 1 p.m. The City’s department directors will attend a training session in the morning, then having lunch with the various members of the boards and commissions who will be attending the training session in the afternoon. 9.B Update from the subcommittee on anti-bullying: It was addressed with the presentations by the guest speakers earlier in the meeting. 9.C Authorize purchasing goods and materials to be distributed at the Commission’s booth during community events: Chair Craig said the Commission has given out the last of its items at the past community event. The Commission had distributed a pen/tape measure imprinted with the Commission’s name and City Web site address. Chair Craig brought samples of different products the Commission could purchase and prices. At last month’s meeting, Staff advised the Commission it had $1,029.99 remaining in this fiscal year’s budget. Commissioner Zendle asked if having the objects to pass out either increases the visibility of the Commission or contributes to the Commission’s mission statement. Commissioner Newby said a lot of times the items serve as an ice breaker to get conversations started. Following a discussion, Vice Chair Wilson Barton moved that the Commission purchase 1,000 pens with LED lights for $900. Following a second by Commissioner Brown, the motion was approved 7-1 (Commissioner Zendle voting no). 9.D Upcoming election of the Commission’s Chair and Vice Chair: Staff reviewed the Municipal Code which outlines that each board and commission shall annually at its first meeting held after June 30, choose one of its members as chairman and one as vice chairman. In previous years the Commission has tabled the election in July until its retreat in September (the Commission is dark in August) to allow newly appointed Commissioners to become better acquainted with the other Commissioners and vice versa, before the election of a chair and vice chair. Commissioner Zendle said he was going to suggest electing a chair and vice chair in June. Vice Chair Wilson Barton spoke in favor of having the election in June or July, according to the Municipal Code, allowing the Chair and Vice Chair to plan the retreat. 10. STUDENT COMMENTS: Maddie Barton gave a report from Raymond Cree Middle School Principal Dr. Tracy Piper. At the end of May students will be surveyed regarding their experiences with bullying at Raymond Cree, she said. Ariss Durazo said she does not think Palm Springs High School students know the alternatives they have when they encounter bullying and those need to be advocated more. When one person bullies another, instead of people joining in with the bully, she said they should join together and stick up for the person being bullied. Dr. Anderson encouraged Ariss to speak to the high school’s new Principal Ryan Woll. 11. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: Commissioner Trussell said he has notified staff regarding case number 72. Staff will follow up by notifying the complainant. Commissioner Brown said he is waiting for the next available mediation class to be offered at Cal State San Bernardino Palm Desert. Commissioner Trussell reminded the group that the peer mediation program available at some of the schools came out of a partnership the Commission had with the Community Action Partnership. Vice Chair Wilson Barton said she is proud that the Commission has elevated its profile this year within the educational community in Palm Springs. She said the Commission has done a very good job of elevating the consciousness around bullying, education and human rights. Chair Craig recommended inviting Palm Springs High School Principal Ryan Woll to be a guest speaker at one of the Commission’s meetings in the fall. 12. STAFF COMMENTS: Executive Administrative Assistant Terri Milton has taken over for Terri Hintz in assisting staff. For this meeting, Commissioners received their agenda packets via email and also in the Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3 Meeting of May 13, 2013 3 mail. Based on their comments, Ms. Milton will continue to distribute the agenda packets to them via email and also by U.S. mail. 13. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE JUNE 10, 2013 HRC MEETING: Planning for the Commission’s strategic planning session/retreat, which is usually held on a Saturday in September during which Commissioners outline the topics they wish to focus on during the fiscal year. Also at the June meeting Commissioners will discuss the Cultural Humility training session. 14. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4:23 pm. Respectfully submitted, Lee A. Bonno Staff Human Rights Commission Liaison Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations