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Home My WebLink About2014-02-10 HRC Minutes FinalHUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION of the City of Palm Springs Minutes from the February 10, 2014 Meeting COMMISSIONERS Present at this Meeting Present FY Year-to-Date FY 2013-14 Excused Absences FY 2013-14 Unexcused Absences Dee Dee Wilson Barton David Brown Jilska Chandrasena Elena Chvany Janel Hunt Jack Newby Wes Rankins Deborah Sutton-Weiss Les Zendle Maddie Barton, Student rep. Sunny Rolfs, Student rep. 0 X X X 0 X X X X X X 6 7 7 7 6 7 6 7 7 6 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 The above roll call record is based on all meeting Minutes from July 8, 2013 thru Feb. 10, 2014 1. Vice Chair Newby called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. 2. Student representative Maddie Barton led the flag salute. 3. Commissioner Brown recited the Mission Statement. 4. Commissioners Present: Brown, Chandrasena, Chvany, Newby, Rankins, Sutton Weiss and Zendle. Student representative Maddie Barton also was present. Commissioners Absent: Wilson Barton and Hunt, both excused. Student representative Sunny Rolfs also was absent. 5. POSTING OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act on or before 6 p.m., on Feb. 6, 2014. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT: None 7. GUEST SPEAKER: None 8. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE DEC. 9, 2013 AND JAN. 13, 2014 MEETINGS: Following a motion by Commissioner Rankins and second by Commissioner Brown, both sets of minutes were unanimously approved (Wilson Barton and Hunt absent). 9. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION / AND OR VOTE 9.A Participation in the Black History Month Parade, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014, car(s) needed for the parade, possible expenditure of funds: Staff said there is no cost for the Commission to participate in the parade and the deadline to submit an application is Feb. 14. Chair Wilson Barton has a four-seater vehicle without doors that Commissioners could ride in. The parade starts at 11 a.m. with check-in at 10 a.m. Commissioners who will be participating in the parade include Newby, Brown, Chandrasena, Chvany, Sutton-Weiss and Wilson Barton. Vice Chair Newby will be the lead person on this and submit the application for the Commission. The Commission has a banner and Commissioners Sutton-Weiss and Chandrasena said they would get a pole to attach the banner to and carry it in the parade. Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 2 of 3 Meeting of Feb. 10, 2014 2 9.B Participation in the Palm Springs Neighborhood Involvement Committee’s Picnic & Community Expo, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 29, 2014, and review of handout materials: Staff said there is no cost for the Commission to have a table at the picnic, which will be at Ruth Hardy Park again this year. Set-up is at 9:30 or 10 a.m., with the event beginning at 11 a.m. Commissioner Zendle said somebody or a small group of Commissioners needs to look at the materials to be handed out and think of strategies as to what the Commission’s message is going to be at the event so those staffing the booth are not sitting passively waiting for people to stop by. Instead of handout materials on possibly 20 different topics, he suggested reducing that to the top six. Vice Chair Newby suggested focusing on the topics the Commission has chosen to focus on this year and possibly develop a flier with the Commission’s calendar for the next three to four months. He also volunteered to donate a couple bags of candy to be given out at the Commission’s booth. The idea of having a suggestion box was discussed for people to submit topics that they are interested in having the Commission address. Commissioners Brown and Sutton-Weiss will go through the handout materials and determine what to have out on the Commission’s table at this event. Commissioner Zendle said all the Commissioners who staff the booth should be prepared to answer the question, “What does the Human Rights Commission do?” 9.C Update on mediation training: Commissioner Sutton-Weiss said she and Commission Brown are scheduled to begin the training in March. 9.D Review of the Community Service Awards process and presentation – Commissioner Zendle: Chair Wilson Barton prepared a list of suggestions that Commissioner Zendle went over. They included: a. The letter to the recipients needs to go out right after they are chosen, informing them that they have been selected to receive the award and asking them for information. b. Obtain photos of the recipients and logos from the organizations. c. A clear statement to the recipients to limit their comments to one to two minutes. d. Make sure people stay to the end so a photo can be taken. e. Is 3 p.m. the best time for the presentations? Should it be later in the day? f. Possibly have a photographer there and perhaps take photos of the recipients before the program starts. g. Review the responsibilities of the Commissioners making the nominations, follow through getting the pertinent information, greet awardees when they arrive and to be able to present the awards. Commissioner Zendle said it was a wonderful event and there was a lot of publicity this year. He called it one of the highlight events of the year. He said he can see pros and cons with changing the time of the program and doesn’t think it is a big issue that gave the Commission problems. However, he said the Commission does need to tighten up what each person’s responsibilities are as well as what information needs to be given to the recipients and the presenters beforehand so maybe things run more smoothly. Commissioners reviewed the event and possible changes. Commissioner Rankins suggested having an outline for the day so Commissioners are all on the same page knowing what’s going to happen. Vice Chair Newby suggested working on the process so that the Commission knows that the persons and organizations nominated will accept the nominations. He also said the Commission should have complete nomination forms for everyone who will be receiving an award. Vice Chair Newby also said he did not know if changing the time would make that much of a difference. He also read a statement from Chair Wilson Barton: I am very proud of this year’s Human Rights Commission Community Service Award Ceremony. Our Commissioners were well prepared and polished! Every nominator did a great job of introducing their award winner, especially our two Student Reps who were poised and composed! It was a standing-room-only crowd, meaning we had more than 120 people in attendance. Several of the award winners were quite moving in their remarks. It was a refined, interesting, very smooth event. Thank you so much for really demonstrating what an amazing community we live in! I personally appreciated all the work that was put in to this event. And a special thanks to Lee Bonno and Councilmember Paul Lewin! Commissioner Zendle summarized the discussion saying the Commission needs to look at the application and nomination process again and tighten it up, including communication. There wasn’t consensus regarding changing the time of the presentations from the current 3 p.m., although Commissioner Zendle said most Commissioners are willing to consider doing it at 5 p.m. All Commissioners felt there should be a professional photographer, he said. The Commission needs to do more scripting, he said, possibly putting a program together for at least the Commissioners. Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3 Meeting of Feb. 10, 2014 3 9.E Ongoing calendar review, topics and discussion: The topic for March is immigration and Commissioner Chandrasena said they have a guest speaker who will address immigration and the Dream Act. The topic for April is women’s issues, with Chair Wilson Barton as the point person. Human trafficking will be addressed in May with Commissioner Sutton-Weiss as the point person. June’s topic is homelessness/poverty with Commissioner Brown as the point person and in July religious intolerance will be addressed with Commissioner Zendle as the point person. Vice Chair Newby is the point person putting together a program on senior issues/the stigma of ageism. This topic will be addressed at an offsite event and not during an HRC meeting. It is on the calendar to occur in April. 10. STUDENT COMMENTS: None 12. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: None 13. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE MARCH 10, 2014 HRC MEETING: Calendar review of topics and the Commissioners assigned as the lead persons. Participation in the Palm Springs Neighborhood Involvement Committee’s Picnic & Community Expo. Mediation training update. 14. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:38 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lee A. Bonno Staff Human Rights Commission Liaison Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations