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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Human Relations Commission Minutes 1/22/2026MINUTES AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Conference Room 235 City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue January 22, 2026 Call to Order Chair Annabella Marquez called the meeting of the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) to order at 5:32 p.m. In attendance were Commissioner Pablo Suarez Beltran and Principal Clerk Jeramy Neefus. Commissioners Zhengyuan Zhu and Shawn Kenny joined the meeting electronically. Commissioners Chunhui Chen and Sarah Nolin were absent. Public Forum None. ISU Student Government – Multicultural Festival 2026 Marquez explained that a representative would attend the February meeting. Approval of Minutes Moved by Marquez, seconded by Suarez Beltran, to approve the December 11, 2025, minutes. Vote on Motion: 4-0. Motion carried unanimously. Budget Update Neefus reviewed the budget report. Ames/Story County MLK Celebration Review Marquez and Suarez Beltran reported strong attendance at the event, which went very well. Kudos were given to Humanitarian Award winner Gale Gehling’s speech. City of Ames Resident Satisfaction Survey Overview Marquez reviewed some statistics from the 2025 version of the annual survey, noting that students are less likely to know their neighbors than nonstudents, nonwhite residents were overrepresented among those serving on boards, and language barriers prevent some residents from participating in community events. Kenny felt that the survey provided input but may not have any associated action items. Engagement Coordinator Casandra Eames joined the meeting electronically at 5:44 p.m. Marquez noted a mix of perspectives on DEI, and Suarez Beltran suggested that the wording of the question could be altered to prompt more constructive input. Zhu criticized the sampling strategy, noting that the respondent demographics did not match the Ames population. While oversampling minority populations would be a more effective method to achieve accurate representation in the sample, Zhu acknowledged that random sampling was an effective method for the survey’s primary goal of tracking overall resident satisfaction. He also proposed adding a specific question asking if residents had experienced unfair treatment based on protected characteristics, emphasizing that the reporting rate for discrimination claims is very low and gathering data in a lower-stakes context could be fruitful. Marquez acknowledged the City survey could have different objectives than AHRC in collecting data and asked about the practicality of conducting an AHRC survey. Zhu noted that mail surveys are very expensive and recommended adding a question to the existin g survey instead. Moved by Zhu, seconded by Marquez, to propose to the City Council to add the following question to the Resident Satisfaction Survey: In the past 12 months, have you felt treated unfairly in Ames because of race, national origin, color, marital status, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity ? Yes/No. If yes, please select all that apply. Vote on Motion: 4-0. Motion carried unanimously. Strategic Plan 2026-2031 Discussion Neefus presented the draft for review and invited feedback. Zhu expressed approval of the draft. Kenny noted his support for the proposed plan duration. Moved by Marquez, seconded by Kenny, to approve and adopt the 2026 -2031 Strategic Plan. Vote on Motion: 4-0. Motion carried unanimously. Elevator Pitch Discussion Zhu and Kenny questioned the purpose of this item given that AHRC already ha d a mission statement. Marquez and Eames reviewed that the purpose of sharing each commissioner’s personal articulation of that mission statement was to practice sharing a consistent, unified message and to learn from each other. Marquez, Zhu, and Kenny shared their versions of the elevator pitch, and Suarez Beltran referred back to the version he shared at the Strategic Planning Retreat. Neefus planned to compile each member’s elevator pitch into a document on Teams for future reference. Chen’s and Nolin’s contributions would be added later. Upcoming Events The Kate Mitchell Multicultural Night is scheduled for February 19 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Kenny volunteered to be the point person and Eames emailed the volunteer signup. Marquez volunteered to be the point person for the next Quarterly Meet & Greet, which would be held in February or March. The Commissioners discussed possible venues, including Mayhem Games, Labyrinth Coffee, Campustown Cuts, Pammel Grocery, Walmart, and 1+1. Marquez planned to email a scheduling poll to select a date. Commissioner Announcements Zhu highlighted the upcoming New Year Celebration organized by the ISU Chinese Faculty and Staff Association, which is expected to be held on campus in the engineering building. More details will be shared when they become available. Neefus noted that Marquez would be appearing on KHOI FM to discuss her experience serving on AHRC and encourage listeners to appl for City boards. The commissioners were encouraged to share news of upcoming vacancies with their networks. Next Meeting: February 26, 2026 Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 6:38pm.