HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - December 12, 2023, AHRC MinutesMinutes
AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
Conference Room 235
City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue
Thursday, December 12, 2023
Call to Order: Chair Wayne Clinton, who joined telephonically, called the meeting to order at
5:31 p.m. Vice Chair Chunhui Chen, Commissioner Angie DeWaard, and Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator Casandra Eames were also present.
Public Forum: Chair Clinton opened and closed the Public Forum as no one came to speak.
Approval of Minutes: Moved by DeWaard, seconded by Chen, to approve the minutes of the
November 30, 2023, meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
Selection of Humanitarian Award Recipient: Chair Clinton observed that this award is one of
the highest honors the City confers Ames residents in recognition of a longstanding commitment
to the community. The Commissioners discussed the merits of the three nominees.
Moved by DeWaard, seconded by Chen, to name Cari McPartland as the recipient of the
Humanitarian Award. Motion carried unanimously.
The award will be presented at the Ames/Story County Community MLK Day Celebration Event
on January 15, 2023, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Chair Clinton planned to present the award and
requested that staff notify those who were not selected of their consideration for the award and
invite them to attend the event.
Ordering More of the Current Design of AHRC T-shirts in Green: Coordinator Eames noted
that there were only two shirts left. Discussion of the t-shirt design contest would be revisited in
the spring, but more shirts were needed in the meantime.
Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations: Coordinator Eames shared the feedback
from the event’s organizing committee, reporting positive reviews of the variety of topics in the
breakout sessions, improved logistics and flow, and the practical orientation of the presentations.
Coloring Book Pages Update: Commissioner DeWaard shared several of the coloring page
drafts as examples, and the Commissioners discussed adding and removing various individuals
to the roster.
Chair Clinton suggested an outreach idea of putting large coloring pages on an easel at events to
invite the public to participate and draw. Vice Chair Chen expressed concern that a public
display like an easel could invite bad faith participation.
Staff shared a cost estimate for printing the coloring books at the City’s internal print shop, and
the Commissioners supported using this option for printing 8.5x11 black and white booklets and
having the City’s graphics specialist design a cover.
Yearly Calendar with Celebrations: Chair Clinton hoped that the calendar would assist the
Commission in being more proactive regarding opportunities for collaboration.
Moved by DeWaard, seconded by Chen, to adopt the calendar as part of the Commission’s
official documentation. Motion carried unanimously.
Upcoming in February: The Commissioners brainstormed and began planning for Black
History Month, Chinese New Year, and the next Quarterly Meet & Greet.
Postings and Social Media Content: The MLK Celebration is already on City social media.
Commissioner Announcements: Everyone wished Chair Clinton a continued speedy recovery.
Next Meeting: January 25, 2024
Adjournment: Chair Clinton adjourned the meeting at 6:48 p.m.