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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - March 24, 2022, AHRC MinutesMinutes AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Conference Room 235 City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue Thursday, March 24, 2022 Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m. by Vice Chair Wayne Clinton. Members present were Wayne Clinton, Chunhui Chen, Lynette Plander, and Madesh Samanu. City of Ames Staff Liaison Deb Schildroth was also present. Members absent were Chair Jahmai Fisher. Approval of Minutes: Moved by Samanu, seconded by Chen, to approve the minutes of the February 16, 2022, meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Public Forum: Vice Chair Clinton opened the Public Forum. No one was present to speak, and Vice Chair Clinton closed the Public Forum. Home for Everyone Award Publicity: Assistant City Manager Schildroth noted that the Home for Everyone Award aligns with Fair Housing Month which is the month of April. She stated that a press release has been sent out notifying the community that nominations are being accepted until April 1, 2022. She reminded the Commission members that they cannot nominate someone and asked that they alternatively find ways to publicize and encourage nominations. Vice Chair Clinton asked for any comments or questions from the Commission before turning the discussion to the presentation of the award. Assistant City Manager Schildroth noted that logistically, it would be best to present the award at the April 26, 2022, City Council Meeting. She asked the Commission if there would be a time that all would be available to hold a special meeting to review the nominations and select an award recipient. After discussion, it was decided that the Commission would meeting electronically on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. via Zoom for a special meeting. Annual Report Review: Vice Chair Clinton reviewed the materials and incorporated items for the Annual Report. Assistant City Manager Schildroth noted that the Commission will have to approve the report at its meeting prior to presenting it to City Council. Samanu stated that he had received the data from the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) and will connect with Chair Fisher to tailor graphs for the report. Vice Chair Clinton noted that the report will need to be fully drafted prior to the next Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) meeting for approval and discussed the presentation for City Council. Postings and Social Media Content – Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Vice Chair Clinton thanked Chen for putting together a detailed proposal requesting support from the Commission to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May. Chen noted that this would be the first time holding a large community event to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The event would be a two-part event that included an essay contest and an in-person celebration. Chen stated that at the in-person celebration the essay contest winners would be recognized along with a keynote speaker and music. Chen requested that the Commission sponsor the event and support the event organizers by authorizing the use of the City’s Media Production Services. Chen stated that the event organizers would require assistance from Media Production Services to compile a video to show at the in-person celebration. Chen noted the event organizers have all the materials for the video but require technical support. Additionally, Chen requested that the Commission authorize the posting of event information on the City of Ames social media pages and the City of Ames Calendar. Chen noted that looking forward to next year, he would like to request financial support from the Commission for this event and would bring a proposal back to the Commission during the budgeting process later this year. Vice Chair Clinton noted that the event fits well with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts of both the City of Ames and Iowa State University. He stated that it’s a great idea for the Commission to be involved in the event. Vice Chair Clinton asked if there would be a place at the in-person celebration where the Commission could set the banner and literature as a way to be visible and supportive. Chen replied that there would be a spot available. Vice Chair Clinton called for a motion. Moved by Plander, seconded by Samanu to sponsor the event, help with promotion, and involve City Media Production Services staff. Motion carried unanimously. Postings and Social Media Content – Juneteenth Collaboration: Vice Chair Clinton noted that Chair Fisher has been coordinating the Juneteenth Collaboration and tabled this agenda item until the next meeting. AHRC Bookmark Revisions: Assistant City Manager Schildroth presented the revised bookmarks to the Commission. The Commission members came to a consensus that ask City staff to draft a final version of the bookmark that includes a graphic on both sides and no boarder on either side. Vice Chair Clinton noted that the final version of the bookmark will be presented at the next meeting for final approval by the Commission. Chen asked if the paper the bookmark was printed on for the meeting would be the paper used. Assistant City Manager Schildroth responded that the approved bookmark will be printed on a heavier cardstock than the one presented. AHRC Fact Sheet: Vice Chair Clinton called for comments on the fact sheet. Chen commented that after seeing some of the available data, he would prefer to have the fact sheet as information for the Commission members to know rather than to dissect or publish. Vice Chair Clinton asked what kind of data Chen would like to know. Chen replied that he would like to know numerically how diverse Ames if someone were to ask him. Samanu presented data estimates available from the U.S. Census Bureau as of July 1, 2021. The Commission members discussed the available data and agreed that it encompasses most of the information they are interested in knowing. Assistant City Manager Schildroth stated that she will connect with Susan Gwiasda, City of Ames Public Relations Officer, to get an estimate of when the official U.S. Census data will be released. Commissioner Announcements: Plander noted that she spoke with Jodi Stumbo of the Bridge Home. Stumbo expressed interest in attending a Commission meeting to discuss housing in Ames. Plander stated that she can reach out to Stumbo to coordinate a date. Samanu reported that he had accepted a scholarship at Clemson University in South Carolina, and he will be moving in July. He noted that June will likely be his last meeting with the Commission. Assistant City Manager informed the Commission that every year the City of Ames does a resident satisfaction survey. She noted that the draft survey had been presented to City Council for comments and Council would like the survey to be made available in additional languages. There are four languages outlined in the Ames Human Relations Commission strategic plan : Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, and Korean. Assistant City Manager Schildroth asked the Commission members if they were comfortable with the four languages or if they would like to revise to include more. After discussion, the Commission members agreed that the four languages are representative of the community and no revisions are needed at this time. Next Meeting: Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. Adjournment: Moved by Samanu, seconded by Chen, to adjourn at 6:34 p.m.