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Home My WebLink About2014-10-13 HRC Minutes FinalHUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION of the City of Palm Springs Minutes from the Oct. 13, 2014 Meeting COMMISSIONERS Present at this Meeting Present FY Year-to-Date FY 2014-15 Excused Absences FY 2014-15 Unexcused Absences Dee Dee Wilson Barton David Brown Jilska Chandrasena Janel Hunt Jack Newby Wes Rankins Suzanne Reynolds Deborah Sutton-Weiss Les Zendle Maddie Barton, Student rep. Maribel Wright, Student rep. X X 0 0 X X X X 0 X 0 3 3 1 2 3 3 3 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 The above roll call record is based on all meeting Minutes from July 14, 2014 thru Oct. 13, 2014 1. Chair Wilson Barton called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. 2. Student representative Maddie Barton led the flag salute. 3. Commissioner Sutton-Weiss recited the Mission Statement. 4. Commissioners Present: Brown, Newby, Rankins, Reynolds, Sutton-Weiss and Wilson Barton. Student representative Maddie Barton was also present. Commissioner Absent: Zendle, excused; Chandrasena and Hunt, both unexcused. Student representative Maribel Wright 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 Oct. 9, 2014. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT: None 7. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION / AND OR VOTE 7.A City’s recruiting, hiring and promoting of women and other minority groups – Director of Human Resources Perry Madison and Chief of Staff/City Clerk Jay Thompson: This is a follow up and updated report to the Commission. Mr. Madison distributed information to the Commission (see attached) and highlighted some of the numbers. For example, he said the total number of workers in Palm Springs is about 20,000, compared to the City’s population of 45,907. He outlined the number of women and men employed by the City as well as men and women employed in the Police and Fire Departments. He said the City’s biggest challenge has always been in the public safety departments as far as underutilization in some of the diverse groups. Mr. Madison explained the City’s recent diversity recruiting initiatives and the diversity job boards the City uses. (Also attached.) Not counting public safety employees, Mr. Madison said 43 percent of the City’s workforce is women which compares favorably to Riverside County’s 45 percent. Regarding the police and fire challenge, Mr. Madison said a majority of the job candidates are from San Diego and Los Angeles, but they are trying to recruit from the Coachella Valley – find local people and mentor them early on. Chair Wilson Barton asked what the Commission can do to support Human Resources. She suggested the City connect with the Ophelia Project, which strives to empower and encourage teenage girls to increase their self-esteem. She said by helping young girls think these job opportunities are viable and real for them, the percentage of women in public safety jobs will begin to shift. Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 2 of 3 Meeting of Oct. 13, 2014 2 Chair Wilson Barton said there was a skew in management and the number of women on the City’s Boards and Commissions. She said that was a leadership development issue, transcending language, transportation and child care to help women become more involved in Commissions. Commissioner Reynolds asked how the City retains employees and does it show opportunities through advancement. Chair Wilson Barton said City Council candidates maybe get their leadership training through Boards and Commissions. Chief of Staff/City Clerk Jay Thompson said the most successful candidates that run for City Council are those who have been sitting Commissioners and have gone through the appointed board processes. He spoke about the advertising and the mailings to recruit Commissioners and the required qualifications. He said he could look at the applicant base and compare it to the appointments. He noted that all applicants are interviewed by Councilmembers before the appointments are made. 7.B Update on the City’s diversity/cultural humility training – Director of Human Resources Perry Madison: Mr. Madison said the training led by Dr. Veronica Neal started in August 2012. In September 2012 an all- staff training was conducted with about 400 employees and there was a 92 percent participation rate and a lot of positive feedback was received, he said. He also outlined follow-up sessions, including a session attended by about 35 Commissioners. For new employees, new managers, new supervisors and transfers, there is online training. The Police Department continues to work with its staff on very specific areas, Mr. Madison said. He added that the City wants to do the training again, but doesn’t know yet what that will look like. Commissioner Reynolds asked if there was a way to measure the impact of the training. Mr. Madison said they don’t have any numbers to do that with, but as a result of the training, the City has updated its equal opportunity statement. They have tried to get away from the old terminology, embracing gender identity, gender expression, he said. Mr. Madison said the training has given people something to discuss; someone who may have not said something before now has come forward -- the willingness to “open that door.” Vice Chair Newby thanked Mr. Madison for spearheading the training and praised the City Manager and City Council for supporting it. 7.C City’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice – Community Development Administrator Dale Cook and Veronica Tam, Principal of Veronica Tam & Associates, Inc.: Mr. Cook said the report looks at the barriers, the impediments, to fair housing choices, noting that there are similarities between employment choices and housing choices. Since the last report in 2005, he said there have been dramatic changes in the marketplace, the economic conditions and the housing market along with a shift in the demographics. Ms. Tam explained that fair housing is individuals with similar income levels in the same housing market having a like range of housing choices regardless of their characteristics such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender identity, religion, disability, medical condition, age, marital status, source of income and any other arbitrary factor. She noted that for Palm Springs when the analysis was done in 2013, some of the demographics had changed – increased Hispanic population, increased in foreign born residents, people with a language barrier which may impact how they can access housing programs, housing services and housing opportunities. There also is a decrease in college aged persons and young adults, she said, so the housing stock in the community may not reflect the needs of the younger people. (Attached is the presentation made to the Commission.) She also said there is an income disparity among different racial and ethnic groups, which means sometimes those groups have limited housing options in the City, but it is not a housing discrimination issue. About 35 percent of Riverside County’s HIV/AIDS population lives in Palm Springs, she said. She also discussed access to financing and discrepancies in lending outcomes by race. Ms. Tam said the Commission can be the advocates for outreach and education, making sure people are aware of their fair housing rights and the resources available. Commissioner Rankins said he would be contacting Mr. Cook to follow-up on this topic. 7.D Participation in the Palm Springs Pride Parade, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014 and possible expenditure for a banner – Commissioner Reynolds: The Commission decided to march with the City in the parade, which starts at 10 a.m. and will last about two hours. Chair Wilson Barton volunteered to drive her small electric car without doors in the parade. Commissioner Reynolds said she would bring a cooler and water. Commissioner Reynolds had called about having a banner made which would also include the phrase, Educate, Advocate, Action. She said a 10-foot by 3-foot banner would cost $129.60. Commissioner Rankins made a motion to spend up to $250 for a banner. Following a second by Vice Chair Newby, the motion unanimously passed 6-0 (Commissioners Chandrasena, Hunt and Zendle absent). Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3 Meeting of Oct. 13, 2014 3 7.E Community Service Awards to be presented Jan. 12, 2015 – Staff reported that the deadline for nominations is Friday, Nov. 14. The nomination form will be posted on the Commission’s web page and a news release will be prepared. 7.F Commission’s Annual Report: This item was tabled. 7.G Review of the Sept. 27 Commission’s planning retreat meeting and calendar: Staff listed the six topics the Commission identified at the retreat along with the Commissioners assigned to them: • Cultural Proficiency – Commissioners Hunt and Chandrasena (disabled population) • Seniors/Ageism – Vice Chair Newby • Women’s Issues – Chair Wilson Barton, Commissioners Reynolds and Hunt • Homelessness – Commissioners Brown, Rankins and Sutton-Weiss (human trafficking) • AIDS/Sexually Transmitted Diseases – Vice Chair Newby, Commissioner Zendle and the student reps • Mediation Services – Commissioners Reynolds and Sutton-Weiss Commissioners also had outlined the following calendar: • October – Cultural Proficiency, Pride, Annual Report, Fair Housing, City’s Human Resources Director • November – Seniors/Ageism, Women’s Representation • December – Homelessness, Seniors/Ageism public forum; Community Service Awards recipients chosen • January – Community Service Awards presented • February – Homelessness, Black History Month Parade • March – Women’s events, PSNIC Picnic & Community Expo, mid-year review 7.H Cultural Proficiency: This item was tabled because Commissioner Hunt was absent. 7.I Proposal to start the monthly Commission meetings at 3:15 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.: This item was tabled because three Commissioners were absent. 7.J Approve the expenditure for mediation training – Vice Chair Newby made a motion to spend up to $350 for mediation training for Commissioner Sutton-Weiss. Following a second by Commissioner Brown the motion unanimously passed 6-0 (Commissioners Chandrasena, Hunt and Zendle absent). 8. STUDENT COMMENTS: None 9. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: Commissioner Reynolds said she met with staff regarding expanding the Commission’s mediation services to the community. She has met with former Commissioner Jerry Trussell who also is a trained mediator, and she wants to include Commissioner Sutton-Weiss. Commissioner Reynolds said former Commissioner Trussell has offered to help put together a project plan with some ideas to expand the program, specifically looking at neighborhood opportunities and how the Commission can add more benefit in that realm. She anticipates a draft of the plan will be presented in the next 30 to 45 days. Commissioner Reynolds also said she has seen events in the newspaper lately that have human rights in the title. She requested the Commission be informed of events that Commissioners might be able to participate in, in an effort to increase the Commission’s outreach. She said one is the Human Rights Campaign Federal Club event on Nov. 8.Commissioner Sutton-Weiss said she is on that group’s steering committee and will make sure the Commission will be kept up to date on those events prior to them being held. 10. STAFF COMMENTS: None 11. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NOV. 10, 2014 HRC MEETING: This item was not discussed 12. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lee A. Bonno Staff Human Rights Commission Liaison Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations