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Home My WebLink About5 28 2024 HRCHuman Rights Commission May 28, 2024 Regular Meeting – 5:30 PM Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall Agenda: 1.Call the meeting to order and roll call 2.Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgement 3.Approval of the April 23, 2024, meeting minutes 4.Public comment on items not on the agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public or one another concerning said items) 5.Correspondence 6.Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department 7.Support for a Community Transportation Commission 8.Human Rights Awards – Wednesday, October 23. 2024 – Save the Date 9.Commission Committees •Building Bridges (Paul Shantz, Kollasch, Pandya) •Reciprocal Relationships (Lusala, Pries) •Breaking Bread (Dr. Liz, Qaduora) 10.Vendor Opportunities •Pride •Juneteenth 11.Staff Announcements 12.Commissioner Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another concerning said announcements) 13.Adjournment Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all City of Iowa City- sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in these events, please contact the Office of Equity and Human Rights at 319-356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. 1 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission April 23, 2024 Emma Harvat Hall Commissioners present: Roger Lusala, Jahnavi Pandya, Doug Kollasch, Idriss Abdullahi, Mark Pries, Vianna Qaduora. Commissioners present via Zoom: Elizabeth Mendez- Shannon, Kelsey Paul Shantz. Commissioners absent: Sylvia Jons. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 5:31 PM. Native American Land Acknowledgement: Pries read the Land Acknowledgement. Public comment of items not on the agenda: None. Approval of meeting minutes of March 4 and 26: Lusala moved; and Pries seconded. Motion passed 7-0. Pries moved; Pandya seconded. Motion passed 7-0. Updates on Outreach and Engagement by the Police Department: Tre Hall Community Outreach for the department provided updates on the group meeting with Georgian citizens on the topic of LGBTQ+ communities. Hall also gave an update on the peanut butter drive. The upcoming EMS Day camp was discussed and will take place on July 8-9 and July 11-12. Hall attended Community Intervention Training, which all police officers are required to attend and reported it was beneficial information/ training. There was an update on working with the elderly population with a focus on scam prevention. There was a Community Violence Intervention (CVI) activity making door hangers with efforts to reduce gun violence. The final update was to do with the Disability Health and Safety event at the Rec Center that raised awareness of the loss program and project lifesaver that is offered by the department. Support for a Community Transportation Committee: Commission is waiting to hear from the committee. The committee is not present at this meeting. Funding request: Coralville Asian Festival: There was a discussion considering the fact that the event is based in Coralville, which may raise some concern that the commission is using money for Iowa City based events and groups for something taking place outside of Iowa City. The commissioners then considered the fact that Iowa City residents are likely to participate, and the commission has funded previous events that took place in Coralville. Commissioner Pries moved, Lusala seconded. Motion passed 7-0 to fund the event at $250.00. 2 Youth Awards: The event will take place on Wednesday, May 15. Commissioners should be there no later than 6:00pm as the dinner will start promptly at 6:30pm with the awards portion of the event starting at 7:00pm. Mayor Teague will deliver brief remarks at the event. Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant Updates: The Commission discussed the letter from DVIP that provided an explanation for the reduction in their request for funds. Staff informed the commission that DVIP received their funds due to a quick turn around from when their request was accepted to the event they were looking to fund using the grant money received. Houses into homes also had a letter that discussed the formatting of their youth volunteer academy which the Commission has funded in the FY23 grant cycle. Community Crisis Services and Food Bank provided a report to the commission regarding the grant they received in the FY23 grant cycle. The Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County also provided a report that staff will include in the May packet. Not all organization have submitted their required second quarter reports regarding the FY23 grants. The Council recently decided the FY24 grant allocations. At the meeting, there were concerns with organizations not funded. Also, at this Council meeting, Council members took issue with the process, disagreeing with the organization picked for funding. The Council will hold a work session in the future that will review the processes used by the commission, HCDC, and Climate Action. Commissioner Pries suggested keeping in contact with organizations who did not receive funding in FY24 so the commission can support them in other ways, such as marketing, attending events, etc. The commissioners discussed Pries suggestion, considering the intention behind reaching out and being sure not to make offers the commission could not fulfill. It was agreed to revisit the proposal at a later meeting in order to give time for more information/ suggestions that will allow the commissioners to come to a final decision. Committee Updates: Building Bridges (Paul Shantz, Kollasch, Pandya) The committee will work with City Council moving forward with future grants. Reciprocal Relationships (Lusala, Pries) They will be finalizing how to reach out to organizations who did not receive a grant and what the commission’s role is with those organizations. Breaking Bread (Dr. Liz, Qaduora) Commissioner Mendez-Shannon reported it is the goal to figure out how to reach out to people/ organizations who did not receive a grant. 3 Announcements of Commissioners: Paul Shantz reminded the commission of upcoming activities throughout the summer regarding sustainability and violence reduction goals that the community and city may benefit from. Pries spoke on his involvement in a training called “Why Are They So Loud” that had to do with conflicts in cultural context. Pries also spoke about his concern with Christian Nationalism in America. Qaduora updated the commission on the events held by the Mosque including “Breaking of the Fast” that occurred throughout the community and resulted in positive impact and feedback from those who participated. She also reported that the Mosque received AED kit and CPR training. Qaduora finished her comments by speaking about the April 12th holiday event at Mercer Park with a turnout of 600+ people and the Coralville Food Pantry meal event with a turnout of 570+ people attending. Pandya updated the commission on the free daily psychotherapy training clinic with student involvement. Abdullahi updated the commission on his work creating a company that creates engaging content regarding recycling due to the lack of education and accessibility to recycling efforts. Kollasch reported on his attendance of the 50th anniversary gala for the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, meeting with delegates from the country of Georgia regarding LGBTQ+ rights, and the upcoming Rainbow Graduation at the University of Iowa. Announcements of staff: None. Adjourned: 6:54 PM. The meeting can be viewed at https://citychannel4.com/video.html?series=Local%20Government. Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/23 2/27 3/4 3/26 4/23 5/28 6/25 7/23 8/27 9/24 10/22 11/26 12/24 Jahnavi Pandya 2024 X X X X X Sylvia Jons 2024 Z A A A A Doug Kollasch 2024 X X X X X Viana Qadoura 2025 X X X X X Idriss Abdullahi 2025 - - - - X Mark Pries 2025 X A X X X Roger Lusala 2026 X X X A X Kelsey Paul Shantz 2026 X X X X Z Liz Mendez-Shannon 2026 X X X A Z KEY: X = Present A = Absent Z = Present via Zoom Draft resolution establishing a Transit Advisory Commission for Iowa City Resolution Establishing a Transit Advisory Commission Whereas, the City of Iowa City aims to provide efficient, effective and equitable public transportation services that meet the needs of all residents; and Whereas, creating a Transit Advisory Commission would enhance public participation, diversity, equity and inclusion in transit planning and operations; and Whereas, a Transit Advisory Commission composed of community members can help close the gap between transit policy and the needs of transit riders who are directly impacted or underserved; and Whereas, a Commission can improve communication, public engagement, and understanding of the transit system; and Whereas, the Commission shall advise the City Council on transit issues, review proposed changes to routes, fares, and services, advocate for improved access, monitor ridership data, engage in transit planning, and address rider complaints and concerns; and Whereas, the composition of the Transit Advisory Commission shall include [X] members representing the diversity of Iowa City residents, transit riders, bus drivers and drivers union members, organizations serving transit-dependent populations, major employers and stakeholder groups; Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Iowa City City Council that: 1. A Transit Advisory Commission is hereby established to advise and assist the City on matters related to public transit services. 2. The Commission shall have [X] voting members appointed by the City Council for staggered [X]-year terms, not to exceed [X] consecutive terms. 3. Commission members shall be City residents or regularly travel to destinations within City limits, with a focus on representing the diverse ridership and stakeholders of the transit system. The commission shall include a minimum of one bus driver union member. 4. The Commission shall prepare bylaws governing its procedures and responsibilities, subject to City Council approval. 5. The Commission's duties shall include but not be limited to: a) Advising the City Council on transit funding, policies, routes, fares, services and equity. b) Reviewing and providing input on proposed transit changes prior to implementation. Agenda Item #7- Submitted by Jeremy Endsley c) Monitoring transit performance data and metrics related to ridership, accessibility, etc. d) Conducting outreach to rider groups and the general public on transit issues. e) Advocating for improvements to better serve transit-dependent populations. f) Identifying unmet transit needs and recommending solutions to address gaps. 6. City staff shall provide administrative support and guidance to the Commission. 7. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon passage.