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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - April 28, 2022, AHRC MinutesMinutes AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Conference Room 235 City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue Thursday, April 28, 2022 Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:34 p.m. by Chair Jahmai Fisher. Members present were Wayne Clinton, Chunhui Chen, Lynette Plander, and Madesh Samanu. City of Ames Staff Liaison Deb Schildroth was also present. Public Forum: Chair Fisher opened the Public Forum. No one was present to speak, and Chair Fisher closed the Public Forum. Approval of Minutes: Moved by Clinton, seconded by Chen, to approve the minutes of the April 7, 2022, meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Selection of a Chair and Vice Chair: Clinton nominated Jahmai Fisher as Chair. Chair Fisher accepted the nomination and noted that she would need support in her role as Chair in the fall. Moved by Clinton, seconded by Plander, to elect Jahmai Fisher as Chair of the Ames Human Relations Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Chair Fisher nominated Wayne Clinton as Vice Chair. Clinton accepted the nomination. Moved by Chair Fisher, seconded by Plander to elect Wayne Clinton as Vice Chair of the Ames Human Relations Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Annual Report Discussion: Chair Fisher explained that the report was still being drafted as the data from the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) was received later th an usual. She noted that she has coordinated with Samanu to hold a work session for the report on Monday, May 2, 2022. Chair Fisher inquired about rescheduling the joint meeting with the City Council that was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Assistant City Manager Schildroth noted that the joint meeting with the City Council could be rescheduled to either Tuesday, June 14, 2022 or Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Chair Fisher discussed the timeline for drafting the report and Clinton noted the typical questions the City Council asks the Commission to be aware of for the joint meeting. The Commission members discussed possible time to reschedule the Thursday, May 26, 2022 Ames Human Relations Commission meeting. It was agreed upon that the Commission would hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. and the joint meeting with the City Council on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Chair Fisher noted that the regular Ames Human Relations Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. will remain on the schedule and the necessity of holding that meeting will be reevaluated at the Thursday, June 9, 2022, meeting. Postings and Social Media Content: Clinton inquired about the publicity that followed the presentation of the ‘A Home for Everyone’ award. It was noted that pictures of the award presentation had been posted to the City of Ames Facebook page and a Press Release had gone out after the presentation to announce the award recipient. Chen discussed the details of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Celebration. The Celebration is planned for Saturday, May 7, 2022, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Sun Room at the Memorial Union. Chen noted that the event is open to the public and admission is free; however, attendees are asked to register so event organizers have an idea of how many people to expect. Chen stated that there will be a program in which sponsors can provide an insert. He asked if the bookmarks would be available and if the Commission would like to include it with the program. Clinton stated that it would be his preference would be to have the bookmark and banner at the Celebration. He explained that no action had been taken on the bookmarks. Chair Fisher reviewed the bookmarks with high remarks from all Commission members. Moved by Clinton, seconded by Chair Fisher, to approve the cover stock print of the Ames Human Relations Commission bookmark and have it printed for the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration. Motion carried unanimously. Chair Fisher noted that the Ames Human Relations Commission would also formally promote the Celebration via social media through posting the electronic event flyer and recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. Chair Fisher tabled the fact sheet until after the completion of the Annual Report. Commissioner Announcements: Chair Fisher notified the Commission that a Juneteenth Celebration is planned for Saturday, June 18, 2022, from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Bandshell Park. She stated that there would be fun activities for all ages and a movie would be screened after sunset. Chair Fisher noted that she would provide more information to the Commission as the celebration planning progresses. Clinton informed the Commission that on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. the Story Country Board of Supervisors would be recognizing him and his wife Edna as the 2022 Citizens of the Year. He noted that public access would be provided via zoom if any members of the Commission are interested in attending. Clinton stated that he was surprised and honored when he was informed of the award and thanked the Commission members for their words of support. Clinton expressed that he would like to see the Commission members present at the upcoming celebration events, including the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration and the Juneteenth Celebration. He encouraged the Commission members to be in attendance as he believes it is important to be there in support of the event. Next Meeting: Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. Adjournment: Moved by Chair Fisher to adjourn the meeting at 6:16 p.m.