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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/10/28 - ADMIN - Minutes - Human Rights Commission - Regular Human rights commission meeting October 28, 2025 6:00pm If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call (Pat Coleman 952-924-2518) or the administration department at 952.924.2525. Meeting minutes Human rights commission Members present: Andrea Alvarez, Lee Conlife, Daniel Bashore, Otoha Masaki, Isabel Anderson, Catherine Lawler Turnbull, Cynthia Tlaiye, Akilah Anderson Members absent: Jackie Kay Guest: Jessie Hendrix, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Commission Staff present: Pat Coleman, community engagement coordinator 1. Call to order – roll call – 6:03pm 2. Approval of agenda A motion was made by Commissioner Bashore, seconded by Commissioner Alvarez, to approve the agenda of the October 28, 2025 meeting. Motion carried 3. Approval of minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Lawler Turnbull, seconded by Commissioner Bashore, to approve the meeting minutes of the September 18 , 2025 meeting. Motion carried 4. Old business a. DEI Commission Forum Recap Several commissioners from the HRC attended a DEI Commission Forum hosted by the City of Minnetonka’s DEI Commission. The purpose of the event was to provide a space for DEI and related commissions to come together, connect, learn, and share experiences with peers from other cities. HRC commissioners reported that the forum discussions focused on metrics and accountability, community engagement and trust building, and work plans with opportunities for cross-city collaboration. A key observation was that while commissions share many similarities, there are also notable differences in their approaches. Commissioners found it reassuring to see that, although our commission is highly active compared to others, many of the challenges we face are common across commissions. Overall, commissioners expressed that the forum was a valuable experience. They were pleased with the event and expressed interest in participating in similar opportunities in the future. Human rights commission meeting Catherine Lawler b. Human Rights Award Mr. Coleman provided an update on the status of the Human Rights Award, following the commission’s September discussion. He noted that the award guidelines have been revised to reflect current and upcoming dates. The marketing plan will mirror last year’s approach but begin earlier to generate more attention and allow residents additional time to consider nominations. The adjusted timeline includes highlighting the award in the Winter Park Perspective, opening the nomination period on January 5, 2025 for eight weeks (instead of six), and collaborating with the communications department to develop content and distribution materials for HRC members to share throughout the community. Mr. Coleman also addressed the commission’s earlier request to consider offering two awards, one for a group and one for an individual, as had been done in the past. He recommended postponing that decision until after the nomination process concludes, when the total number of nominations can be reviewed. The commission reached consensus to proceed with this approach and expressed appreciation for the extended timeline, which will allow for more robust advertising and community engagement in identifying the award recipient(s). Guest Jessie Hendrick inquired about the previous year’s award recipient. Commissioner Lawler Turnbull responded that Dana Strahnson, Youth Services Librarian, received the 2024 Human Rights Award. c. Workplan Updates The commission continued brainstorming potential work plan ideas, building on discussions from the September meeting. The updated list of items under consideration includes: 1. Addressing growing concerns related to federal ICE activity in St. Louis Park 2. Supporting REI projects and initiatives, such as the Language Access Plan and Title VI policies 3. Hosting Community Conversations 4. Developing a book club or conversation circle program 5. Continuing the Human Rights Award 6. Participating in the Golden Valley Pride Festival Commissioners briefly discussed each idea and expressed interest in reaching consensus on a finalized work plan. The goal is to determine which items can be realistically pursued based on commission capacity, alignment with their scope of work, and consistency with city priorities. 5. Chair and staff updates a. Vision 4.0 Human rights commission meeting Catherine Lawler Mr. Coleman provided a final engagement update to the commission, noting that five initial themes emerged from the process: safety, infrastructure, sustainability, community connection, and housing/affordability. He shared that the next step will be the presentation of a final report at the City Council study session on December 8, 2025. Mr. Coleman also expressed his appreciation to the HRC for their support and contributions throughout the Vision 4.0 process. 6. Adjournment – 7:15 p.m.