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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Human Relations Commission Minutes 6/25/2026MINUTES AMES HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Conference Room 235 City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue June 25, 2026 Call to Order Chair Annabella Marquez called the meeting of the Ames Human Relations Commission (AHRC) to order at 6:12 p.m. In attendance were Commissioners Shawn Kenny, Annabella Marquez, Sarah Nolin, Pablo Suarez Beltran, Communications Specialist Kati Frahm. Commissioners Paige Bailey and Katlyn Mock were in attendance virtually. Commissioner Zhengyuan Zhu was absent. Meeting began late due to technology issues for the virtual meeting. Public Forum Approval of Minutes Approved by Marquez, seconded by Nolin, to approve the April 23, 2026 minutes. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously. Budget Update Will wait until staff Liaison Casandra Eames is back to talk about budget for next fiscal year. Review/Feedback of: May Road Trip – Moore Memorial Park and Kate Mitchell Commissioner Sarah Nolin shared that Moore Memorial Park was heavily attended. She also shared it was a hot day, and she didn’t have the tent. Attendees came right on time , and she gave out a lot of coloring books. A lot of people put their names on the list for information about AHRC. Chair Marquez shared that due to a miscommunication, she and Commissioner Shawn Kenney arrived late to the Kate Mitchell Road Trip Event. Residents were interested in their booth. Juneteenth – Bandshell Commissioner Katlyn Mock shared that she did not attend the Juneteenth event. She also stated it would be helpful to have reminders for event sign-ups. Commissioner Kenny noted that it was a rainy day, so the turnout wasn’t as big as past years. AAPI Commissioner Nolin stated that she attended the AAPI event and the organizers appreciated AHRC being there. Upcoming Events: • August 19, Tahira Park-Location change! • September 23, Roosevelt Park-Location change! Sign-Up Genius Chair Marquez stated the benefits of Sign-Up Genius, including the ability to see all events at once and who has signed up for events. She also said she will set up two -day event reminders. Commission Announcements Chair Marquez stated that other human relations commissions are education based, so she created a brochure about civil rights and protected classes in Iowa, with links directing to the Iowa Office of Civil Rights. Commissioner Suarez Beltran stated that it would be beneficial to have this information listed on the AHRC website with the links directed there, instead. Chair Marquez stated she will make sure the brochure aligns with City branding and ADA standards. Chair Marquez stated that Iowa legislature is no longer mandating certain populations to have a human relations commission but moving forward she is hopeful that Ames will continue to have a commission. Chair Marquez talked about a newsletter draft she created. It will be finalized and sent to Casandra Eames and will be added to the July agenda. Next Meeting: July 23, 2026 Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m.