HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - October 27, 2022, AHRC MinutesMinutes
AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
Conference Room 235
City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:33 p.m. by Vice Chair Wayne Clinton.
Members present were Chunhui Chen, Khushi Patel, and Lynette Plander. City of Ames Staff
Liaison Deb Schildroth was also present.
Welcome New AHRC Member Khushi Patel: Patel introduced herself, noting that she is a
sophomore at Iowa State University serving as the Fredrickson Court Senator, Seated Senator for
the Local Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Finance Committee. She discussed her
previous experience with City Government.
Each of the other Commission members shared a few notes about themselves and their
motivation for serving on the Ames Human Relations Commission.
Public Forum: Vice Chair Clinton opened the Public Forum. No one was present to speak, and
Vice Chair Clinton closed the Public Forum.
Agency Presentation – The Bridge Home: Vice Chair Clinton tabled this item as there was not
representative from The Bridge Home present and noted the Commission would return to this
agenda item upon their arrival.
Approval of Minutes: Moved by Chen, seconded by Plander, to approve the minutes of the
September 15, 2022, meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations: Assistant City Manager Schildroth noted the
fifth annual Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations will be hosted on Tuesday, November
1, 2022 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. She announced
that two tickets are available to the Commission for the monetary support provided for the event.
Vice Chair Clinton and Chen both confirmed their intent to attend.
Strategic Plan: Vice Chair Clinton reviewed the Strategic Plan, noting it speaks volumes about
the purpose and impact of the Commission. He welcomed all comments, questions, and
proposed changes.
The Commission members discussed revisions to the Plan, exploring ways in which to collaborate
while still respecting everyone’s time. It was decided Plander would work on revisions to Goal B
while Chen and Patel revised Goal C, and Vice Chair Clinton considered Goal D. Vice Chair Clinton
noted that the Commission members could join forces with Chair Fisher to understand her
preference on completing a wholistic review of the Plan.
Plander announced the College of Business at Iowa State University hosts a CyBiz Lab Project
where MBA students complete service learning projects as a volunteer learning experience to
support non-profit organizations. She noted their services may be of interest to the Commission
in evaluating the Strategic Plan. After discussion, it was agreed Plander would reach out to the
program organizer to see if any spots were still available for spring selection.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator: Assistant City Manager Schildroth announced the
interview schedule for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator candidates. The
Commission discussed their involvement and availability for participation. Following, the
Commission members reviewed questions for the candidates.
Speaker Invitations: The Commission members agreed to pursue speaker invitations and
discussed ways to extend invitation to local organizations. It was agreed Plander would reach
back out to The Bridge Home, Chen would connect with the Ames Chinese Language Academy,
and Patel would communicate with the India Cultural Association of Central Iowa to get an idea
of their availability to attend a meeting.
Social Media: Assistant City Manager Schildroth announced the results of the October Trivia
Question. In terms of interaction and engagement, the Trivia Question had 644 views on
Instagram and 742 views on Facebook. She pointed out there was competing interest as the City
of Ames posted multiple items that day but highlighted the results were not discouraging.
The Commission discussed ideas for future posts and ways to increase engagement. Patel noted
it would be beneficial to post a Trivia Question weekly or biweekly. Assistant City Manager replied
staff has the capacity to post more on social media, but the Commission members would need
to supply the questions. The Commission also reviewed ideas for creating a theme or honoring a
specific group of people in the Trivia Questions each month coinciding with what each month is
known for.
Commissioner Announcements: Assistant City Manager Schildroth announced the upcoming
Community Conversation on Mental Health. She noted the next Conversation would be hosted
on November 7, 2022 at the Ames Water Treatment Plant, 1800 East 13 th Street, from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. The Conversation is planned to focus on Mental Health Education and Resources. She
encouraged the Commission members to attend and the spread the word to their networks.
Vice Chair Clinton reminded everyone to vote in the upcoming election on November 8, 2022. He
noted satellite voting is available at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Avenue, both Saturdays
preceding election day.
Next Meetings: Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
Next Meetings: Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
Adjournment: Vice Chair Clinton adjourned the meeting at 7:11 p.m.