HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-12 HRC minutes FinalHUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
of the
City of Palm Springs
Minutes from Jan. 12, 2015 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
0
X
X
X
X
X
0
X
X
0
6
5
3
5
6
6
6
4
5
5
3
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
2
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 Jan. 12, 2015
1. Chair Wilson Barton called the meeting to order at 3 p.m.
2. Palm Springs High School AFJROTC Cadets presented the colors and led the flag salute.
3. Student Representative Maribel Wright recited the Mission Statement.
4. Commissioners Present: Chandrasena, Hunt, Newby, Rankins, Reynolds, Sutton-Weiss, Wilson Barton
and Zendle. Student representative Maddie Barton was also present.
Commissioners Absent: Brown, excused.
5. POSTING OF THE AGENDA: The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act on or before 6
p.m., on Jan. 8, 2015.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT: None
7. PRESENTATION: Assisted by Palm Springs Mayor pro tem Paul Lewin, the Commission presented its
Community Service Awards to:
• Carolyn Caldwell, CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center, was honored for her championing of Get
Tested Coachella Valley, getting $1.5 million donated by the Tenant Hospital System to the program; her
involvement in the establishment of the University of California Riverside School of Medicine’s training
program at Desert Regional Hospital and her advocacy for affordable health care and her work with the
Clinton Initiative and the Desert Highland Neighborhood and Unity Center.
• Tere Romero Britton, the volunteer director of Coachella Valley BookPALS (Performing Artists for
Literacy in Schools), which has given away nearly 15,000 books to children from low-income families in
the Coachella Valley.
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Desert, a one-on-one mentoring program that matches an adult
volunteer with a child who is missing a role model or parental figure in their lives.
• Thomas Smith, president of the Palm Springs Rotary Club, who this year received the President’s Call
to Service Award recognizing over 4,000 hours of documented volunteer services. His projects range from
giving books to elementary schools to helping sponsor a prom for youth with disabilities and senior citizen
assistance.
Human Rights Commission Minutes Page 2 of 2
Meeting of Jan. 12, 2015
2
• Daniel Reynolds, a volunteer at the Braille Institute for the past four years, provides education and
technology assistance to students and individuals who are blind, often traveling between Hemet and El
Centro to work with them.
• Martha’s Village and Kitchen, one of the largest providers of homeless services in the Coachella Valley
and Riverside County.
• NestEggg Food Bank, which is the food bank at the LGBT Center. It operates every Thursday and
serves up to 14,300 households a year.
• Dio Ramirez, MD and Liz Ramirez, RN, who have donated more than 1,400 hours of professional
clinical services at the Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine free clinic in Indio over the past two years.
They have cared for hundreds of patients who do not have health insurance.
• Get Tested Coachella Valley, a program out of the Desert AIDS Project, is a region-wide public health
campaign dedicated to dramatically reducing HIV by making voluntary HIV testing standard and routine
medical practice and ensuring linkage to care.
• Mika Moulton, founder of Christopher’s Clubhouse in La Quinta after her 10-year-old son was
kidnapped and murdered in 1995. Christopher’s Clubhouse is dedicated to teaching children safety and
self-defense.
• Michael Weems, a local Palm Springs artist who collects needed items for the homeless, and with the
help of many volunteers, distributes Care Bags to those living on the streets around Palm Springs.
• Timothy Bradley, WBO welterweight champion who donates his time and resources to numerous
charities throughout the Coachella Valley.
8. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE FEB. 9, 2015 HRC MEETING: This item was not discussed
9. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee A. Bonno
Staff Human Rights Commission Liaison
Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations