HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/01/27 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Human Rights Commission - RegularHuman rights commission meeting
January 27, 2026
6:00 pm
The St. Louis Park Human Rights Commission is meeting in person at St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005
Minnetonka Blvd in the Westwood Room on 3rd Floor. Members of the public can attend in person.
Visit www.stlouispark.org/government/boards-commissions to view the agenda and reports.
Agenda
1. Call to order
2. Approval of agenda
3. Approval of minutes
a. Human Rights Commission Meeting minutes of December 16, 2025
4. Old business
a. Workplan Approval and Council Advisory Communication form
b. Human Rights Award
5. New business
a. Federal Agents in SLP
6. Kudos
7. Work group/subcommittee updates
a. New Community Resources
8. Chair and staff updates
a. Vision 4.0 Updates
b. National Day of Racial Healing Recap
9. Adjournment
Future meeting/event dates:
February 17th
March 17th
April 21st
May 19th
If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call Pat Coleman
pcoleman@stlouispark.org or 952.292.4516) or the administration department at 952-924-2525.
Human rights commission meeting
December 16, 2025
6:00pm
These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited
and finalized by a staff person.
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, Otoha Masaki, Isabel Anderson, Catherine
Lawler Turnbull, Cynthia Tlaiye, Akilah Anderson, Jackie Kay
Members absent: Akilah Anderson
Guest: Jason Loewe, Executive Director of Human Resources SLP, Mary Kay Sauter and Joel
Edwards
Staff present: Pat Coleman, community engagement coordinator
1. Call to order – roll call – 6:02pm
2. Approval of agenda
A motion was made by Commissioner Kay, seconded by Commissioner Alvarez, to
approve the agenda of the December 16, 2025 meeting. Motion carried
3. Approval of minutes
A motion was made by Commissioner Alvarez, seconded by Commissioner Kay, to
approve the meeting minutes of the November 18, 2025 meeting. Motion carried
4. Old business
a. Workplan Updates
Mr. Coleman presented the updated work plan template which all
commissions now use. For the guest in the space, he explained how
initiatives are categorized and tracked, showing the structure that includes
initiative type, origin, committees, descriptions, and strategic priorities.
Mr. Coleman outlined four proposed initiatives for the Human Rights
Commission work plan:
1. Human Rights Award - The HRC will lead the human rights award by
setting guidelines, sharing information, reviewing entries, and
presenting the award with city staff support.
2. Support REI-related Projects and Initiatives - The HRC will support
city staff by reviewing projects and policies to ensure successful
outcomes. This includes forthcoming Title 6 policy, language access
policy, and potentially supporting community members affected by
ICE activities.
3. Golden Valley Pride Festival Partnership - The HRC will continue to
support Golden Valley's ongoing pride event efforts.
Human rights commission meeting
4. Community Awareness and Connection - Initially discussed as a
book club, this evolved into a broader initiative to increase
commission visibility and community connections. Commissioners
discussed various options including tabling at events, participating in
the city parade, and improving promotional materials rather than
hosting a formal book club which might invite complaints rather than
productive discussion.
The commission discussed leaving the fifth available initiative slot open and
asking City Council if they have specific requests for the HRC to pursue. Mr.
Coleman explained the next steps would include finalizing the work plan at
the January meeting, submitting it to City Council via the advisory
communication form, and receiving approval in early 2026.
5. New business
a. Officer Election December 2025
Mr. Coleman facilitated the election of officers for the upcoming year.
Commissioner Anderson expressed interest in serving as Chair.
Motion to elect Commissioner Isabelle as Chair of the Human Rights
Commission. Moved and seconded, motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Isabelle stated she wanted to serve as Chair because of the
difficult times ahead, particularly regarding ICE activities and federal
policies, noting that local government is where a real difference can be
made.
Commissioner Alvarez volunteered to continue serving as Vice Chair.
Motion to elect Commissioner Alvarez as Vice Chair of the Human Rights
Commission. Moved and seconded, motion carried unanimously.
6. Chair and staff updates
a. Vision 4.0 Updates
Mr. Coleman distributed the Vision 4.0 report that was presented to City
Council on December 8th. He highlighted key engagement metrics, noting
that over 2,300 residents participated through mobile pop-ups, an online
survey, and community conversations - nearly triple the participation of the
previous visioning process.
1. Five key themes emerged from the engagement process:
a. Safety - Creating a community where all people are and feel
safe
b. Infrastructure - Building a connected, reliable, and people-
first public realm
c. Sustainability - Responsible stewardship of natural and
financial resources
Human rights commission meeting
d. Community and belonging - Fostering a vibrant, inclusive
community
e. Housing and affordability - Addressing concerns about
housing costs
Mr. Coleman explained the next steps: a new consultant will be hired by the
end of December to work with City Council on shaping strategic priorities,
with approval expected by March 2026.
b. Federal administration communication
Mr. Coleman shared an email sent to trusted messengers throughout the
city regarding resources for residents concerned about immigration
enforcement. The email includes links to the police department's position
on immigration enforcement and various community resources. The city is
continuing to explore ways to support and protect residents, and Mr.
Coleman has requested that the Human Rights Commission be involved in
these efforts moving forward.
Mr. Coleman also mentioned the upcoming Neighborhood Leader Meeting
on January 18, 2026, which will bring together organized neighborhoods and
block captains to share information and foster collaboration.
7. Adjournment – 7:14 p.m.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
Presented to council:
Approved by council:
1
YEAR work plan │ ___________________ Commission
1
Initiative name: Human Rights Award
Initiative type:
☒ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☒ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☒ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Initiative description:
Together with city staff, the HRC will lead the Human Rights Award by setting guidelines, sharing information, reviewing entries, and presenting the
award.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
2
2
Initiative name: Support REI related projects and initiatives
Initiative type:
☒ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☒ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Initiative description:
The HRC will support city staff as needed by reviewing projects and policies and offering feedback to ensure successful outcomes.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
3
3
Initiative name: Golden Valley Pride Festival Partnership
Initiative type:
☐ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Initiative description:
In partnership with Golden Valley and the REI division, the HRC will continue to support their ongoing efforts to a successful Pride Event.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
4
4
Initiative name: HRC Awareness
Initiative type:
☐ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☒ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☒ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Initiative description:
This initiative focuses on strengthening the commission’s visibility and building deeper connections within the community.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
5
5
Initiative name:
Initiative type:
☐ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Initiative description:
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
6
Initiative Origin Definitions
Applicant-initiated – Project initiated by 3rd party (statutory boards)
Staff-initiated – Project initiated by staff liaison or other city staff
Commission-initiated – Project initiated by the board or commission
Council-initiated – Project tasked to a board or commission by the city council
Strategic Priorities
1. St. Louis Park is committed to being a leader in racial equity and inclusion in order to create a more just and inclusive community for all.
2. St. Louis Park is committed to continue to lead in environmental stewardship.
3. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a broad range of housing and neighborhood oriented development.
4. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely and
reliably.
5. St. Louis Park is committed to creating opportunities to build social capital through community engagement
Modifications
Work plans may be modified, to add or delete items, in one of three ways:
Work plans can be modified by mutual agreement during a joint work session.
If immediate approval is important, the board or commission can work with their staff liaison to present a modified work plan for city
council approval at a council meeting.
The city council can direct a change to the work plan at their discretion.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
7
Future ideas
Initiatives that are being considered by the board or commission but not proposed in the annual work plan. Council approval is needed if the
board or commission decides they would like to amend a work plan.
Initiative Comments