Human Relations Commission

Human Relations Commission Minutes Wednesday, September 28, 2022 6:00-7:00 PM ACC Planning Auditorium ACCGov Staff in Attendance: 1. Niki Jones (he/him) - Assistant Manager, Manager’s Office Staff 2. Sarah George (she/her) - Assistant to the Manager, Manager’s Office Staff 3. Joseph D’Angelo (he/him) - Chief Data Officer, Geospatial Information Office Staff 4. Gino Cyrus (he/him)- Marketing & Outreach Analyst, non-voting member, Inclusion Office staff 5. Micah Nix (she/her) - Inclusion Fellow, Inclusion Office Staff HRC Members in attendance: 1. Tameka Curry (she/her) 2. Ke’Marcis Howard (he/him) 3. Jayivey Brown (she/they) 4. Sharon McDaniel-Miller (she/her) 5. Alejandra Villegas Lopez (she/her) 6. Danielle Gillmer (she/her) 7. Julita Sanders (she/her) 8. Brandon Baker (he/him) 9. Callie (Anna) Moore (she/her) 10. Cameron Jay Harrelson (he/him) 11. Daniel ‘Ed’ Moore (he/him) 12. Tucker Duval (he/him) Members who were not in attendance: Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  1. Myung Cogan (she/her) 2. Kathleen ‘Megan’ Westbrook (she/her) Non-members in attendance: 1. McKenzie Bramblett (Callie Moore’s caregiver) Minutes ● The meeting was called to order at 5:59 pm ● The Chair, Julita Sanders, began the meeting by welcoming everyone in attendance. ● The Chair moved to approve the meetings from the previous meeting on August 24, 2022. Cameron Jay Harrelson noted that his name was not included on the list of members in attendance and moved to amend the agenda to reflect that. The amendment passed with fourteen in favor and one abstention (Ed Moore). ● The motion to approve the minutes with the amendment to change the list of attendees was passed. That motion was passed unanimously. ● Niki Jones requested that a motion be made to amend the agenda to include a time for discussion about the stipend and vendor forms, the work plan retreat, information about the Crosswalk Dedication, and an icebreaker activity. ● Cameron Jay Harrelson moved to amend the agenda. Ed seconded the motion. The motion to amend passed. This vote passed unanimously. ● Niki Jones began to present the HRC Bylaws. He explained the intention of the Bylaws and that only some things could be changed. He shared that the items that can be changed are highlighted on the documents at everyone’s seat. He asked that Gino display the presentation: “Human Relations Commission Bylaws Review and Vote.” This is a presentation that he created that emphasized certain components that he felt were most pertinent to the Commission and should be looked over for potential changes based on his experience. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com ● The presentation began with Article 6, Section 1: Organization. This section defines the roles of the officers, specifically the Chair and Vice Chair. Niki asked if the group wanted to make any changes to the duties and responsibilities listed for these officers. ○ He asked if they would like to see language from a different set of bylaws to be used here. ○ Cameron Jay asked if there was an example of that language available. Sarah George read similar language that is used in the Bylaws of the Athens Clarke County Airport Authority. She read off the seven duties they have listed for the Chair and Vice-Chair. She noted that they should disregard the section about a Secretary because ACCGov staff would perform these duties. She did make recommendations of what language they should consider adding to their Bylaws based on what would be most practical and logistical for the HRC. ○ Niki asked if they feel the Chair should have a vote, and the HRC decided yes, the Chair should be allowed to vote. ○ Brandon moved to amend the language that uses “he or she” pronouns to “they.” ○ The Airport Authority allows for the formation of subcommittees, so Cameron Jay brought up the potential for the HRC to create subcommittees. The group decided that the Commission should have the ability to create subcommittees. The composition of the subcommittee would be determined by the members of the HRC based on the purpose and function of the subcommittee. ○ The Chair noted that other members of the HRC who may have a more vested interest in a certain matter should be able to represent the HRC other than just the Chairperson. Cameron Jay added that the Bylaws could say that the Chair will represent the HRC unless they appoint another member to do so. ○ Niki explained that there will be a vote at the next meeting to accept the Bylaws with the suggested changes and comments made at this meeting. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ○ Within this same section, Niki asked if the group approved of the manner of choosing a Vice-Chair and the duties of the Vice-Chair. He also noted how the process should be done to select a new Chair, a new Vice-Chair, and an acting Chair in the event of absences or vacancies. The group approves the same method of a majority vote. ○ Ed pointed out a typo in the bylaws where the section is misnumbered. Niki and Sarah assured him that this would be corrected and they could correct the numbers manually for the purposes of the meeting. ● Micah Nix asked that everyone announces their name as comments are made to ensure that the minutes accurately reflect each speaker. ● The next section covered was Article 9, Section 1, which is related to the meetings of the HRC. ○ Niki Jones began by asking about special meetings. The Chair suggested that the chairperson has the authority to call a special meeting. ○ Ed asked if business could take place at these special meetings. Sarah explained that a meeting could occur if quorum is not met, but no official business may take place unless a minimum of eight members are present, which includes voting. ○ Alejandra asked if there would be special accommodations made for those who may not be able to access the meeting information online in a timely manner. Niki assured her that ACCGov staff would be responsible for communicating with each member via email or phone ○ Ed asked about how this meeting would take place. Niki explained that the staff liaison would be responsible for communicating with them and providing appropriate details. ○ Ed asked for clarification about what happens when a meeting is canceled due to a government announcement related to inclement weather. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ○ Sarah explained that voting could not occur when there is no active meeting based on Robert’s Rules of Order. ○ Brandon asked about what would happen if the Chair did not want a meeting, but the other members would like to have one. ○ The HRC decided to keep the same system of scheduling meetings every 4 weeks and the schedule would be determined at the first meeting of the year in January. ● The next section covered was Article 9, Section 2, which is related to Public Comment. ○ Niki urged the group to pay special attention to this section as it is very integral to the purpose of the Human Relations Commission. ○ Niki asked if there should be public comments at every meeting, and the commission decided that it should. ○ The HRC decided the same for special-called meetings. Cameron Jay noted that these meetings are even more important in many cases as they are usually called for a specific purpose, so the public should be given an opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions. ○ Brandon asked about a provision that would prevent speakers from speaking too long. Niki explained that this topic was coming up in the next section. ○ Niki shared that there should be a list informing the Chair of those who wish to speak. ○ Niki suggested that there should be information on the website about how to be added to the speaking list. ○ Alejandra expressed concerns about access to information about this list for those who do not have reliable internet or technology. Niki shared these concerns and suggested the HRC can work to help alleviate this problem. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ○ Mackenzie asked about amending this list if there were guests present at a meeting who wished to speak but were not on the original list. The Chair explained that she supports the use of a list that can be amended. ○ Cameron Jay suggested there be two opportunities for public comments at the beginning of the meeting for old business and at the end of the meeting for any new business. ○ Danielle asked about other avenues available for the public to provide their opinions other than during HRC meetings. Niki answered that they should contact the Inclusion Office via email or phone. ○ Niki and Sarah suggested that they allow them the opportunity to provide their information in case they need to be contacted. The Chair explained that they should provide their name, number, and address. ○ Micah suggested that there could be a private form online that allows those wishing to make a public comment to choose to provide their information. This form would only be visible to the Chair and ACC staff. This form would also allow for them to provide contact information if they wish to be contacted at a later time. ○ The group then discussed the time that each speaker has to speak. Sarah explained that three minutes is the most common, and the Chair agreed that three minutes is an appropriate amount of time. ○ Mackenzie asked what would happen if someone does not stop talking even after their allotted time is over. Niki pointed out that the chair would call a Point of Order and urge the person to stop talking. ○ The HRC decided to keep the section that gave the responsibility of keeping track of time to the Vice Chair. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ○ Cameron Jay asked about Article 9. Section 2. 3c. He suggested that the language about providing an address and the language about one-person speaking be removed as the address could pose a danger to individuals/groups, and an organization wishing to speak may want more than one representative to speak on their behalf. ○ Tucker asked about what would happen if a heckler were speaking and causing a disturbance. Niki assured him that ACC staff is here and available to help maintain order. Micah also suggested that language can be included in the Ordinance that would give the Chair the discretion to maintain decorum. ○ Sarah asked if there should be specifications made about the public comment and what can be said. ○ The Chair suggests that specific comments related to the business at hand can be placed on the agenda at the beginning, while general concerns can be made at the end along with the new business. ○ Niki asked about how questions from the public would be handled. Cameron Jay explained the HRC should not immediately address the public. He shared that it is the best practice that they receive responses from the HRC later so that one person is not speaking on behalf of the commission before the group gets a chance to gather their thoughts. ● The final section was Article 9, Section 3, which involves agenda distribution. Sarah explained that the agenda must be available at least 24 hours in advance but suggested at least a week in advance. The group decided that at least five days in advance was satisfactory. ● Niki moved to table the bylaws until the next meeting, where it will be revisited and voted on once the amendments have been made. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com ● Niki explained that there must be an annual work plan created each year to ensure that the Commission is accomplishing and working towards the goals that are most important to the Human Relations Commission as intended by the Mayor and Commission. Niki explained that a retreat to produce work plans is usually very efficient and productive. He introduced Joseph D’Angelo, who is very familiar with participating in and facilitating these retreats. ● Joseph D’Angelo first shared a few takeaways from the survey sent out by the Inclusion Office that help to understand how the members of the HRC felt about their position and the HRC in general. Joseph explained that this information is useful to tailor the retreat experience to this specific group and maximize efficiency. The survey showed that the group knows each other on a first-name basis, is comfortable with their role, and is excited about the work of the HRC. ● Joseph asked if the group would be interested in a retreat that would last for a few hours to complete this task. He wondered how they felt about two 3-hour sessions or one retreat broken up into 2-hour sessions with lunch in between. The group expressed their concerns about the difficulties of scheduling two sessions with such a large group. ● Ed asked about the possibility of the work plan being completed in one 3-hour session as it can be difficult to carve out so much time during a weekday. ● Alejandra asked what the retreat would look like. ● Joseph explained that the agenda would most likely be as follows: ■ 1. Develop a shared language ● Defining terms that would be relevant to the work of the HRC ■ 2. Develop an Outcomes-Oriented Mission Statement ● Goals and how this would be done ■ 3. Identify the key themes of the work of the HRC ● A. Community, Relationship-Building, and Listening Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ● B. Policy ● C. Non-Discrimination Ordinance and related work ■ 4. SWOC exercise ● Identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges associated with the previously determined themes ■ 5. Activities based on the results of the SWOC exercise ■ Joseph explained that this could also be an opportunity for the members to get to know each other better. ■ Sarah shared the concerns of planning more than one session but emphasized the great responsibility this Commission has as the inaugural Human Relations Commission. They are being charged with establishing what the HRC sees as most critical. ■ Alejandra shared that she is for two 3-hour sessions to ensure they are able to accomplish all of the aforementioned tasks. ■ Tucker asked about the precedent of work retreats with groups of this size. Sarah shared her experience working with Animal Services to successfully develop its strategic plan, which is more thorough than the work plan that the HRC is charged with drafting. ■ Brandon suggested they plan for one 3- hour session and allow for the potential for another session if needed. ■ Tucker asked for the potential for the retreat to take place outside of business hours during weekdays or on the weekend. ■ The Chair, Julita Sanders, explained that she would be okay with attending a session on a Saturday and that these activities usually require at least 4 hours to be thorough enough. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  ○ Niki explained the importance of a work plan as it is appreciated by those who want to understand the goals of the HRC, and it helps to make the path ahead more clear. ○ ACCGov staff will work on sending out more potential meeting times after taking these comments into consideration. ● Niki explained that only six people have been set up to receive the stipend. ○ Sharon asked if anyone was dropped from the list of registrants to ensure that there were no errors made with the registration. ○ Sarah explained that you could be registered at any time but paid quarterly. ○ Ed asked if every member must receive payment, to which Niki responded that they do not. ○ Niki assured the group that he would send out a communication to those who have not been registered yet but would like to be. ○ Cameron Jay wanted clarification about missed payments if he registered after the quarter already passed. Sarah assured him that he would be paid for every meeting he attended. ○ Mackenzie wanted to verify that receiving payment already means that one is registered. Sarah confirmed. ○ Jayivey inquired about when the quarters are. Niki explained the quarter starts in July and goes through September and repeats every three months. ● Sharon asked about email communication to ensure that she was receiving all necessary information. ● Niki asked that everyone says their name and where they're from in lieu of the icebreaker activity he planned due to time. He shared that he was from Farmville, NC, but he was born in Germany and lived there for a long time. ● Julita shared that she was born in Detroit, MI but raised in Athens. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com ● Ed is from Fernando Beach, Fl but has called Athens home for the last 20 years. ● Tameka shared that she was born and raised in Athens, GA. ● Cameron Jay shared that he was from his “mother’s hardwork” and his “grandmother’s fervent prayers” but has called Athens home for about 10 years. ● Brandon is from Marietta but has called Athens home for the last 14 years. ● Tucker shared that he is from Barrow County, GA. ● Sharon explained that she is from Birmingham, AL but came to UGA for school and has stayed in the Athens/Marietta area for the last 20 years. ● Alejandra, or “Ale,” is from Evanston, Il, and was raised in Chicago. ● Jayivey explained that they were born and raised in Athens, GA. ● Makenzie, who speaks on behalf of Callie as her caregiver, was raised in Oconee County but lived in Wisconsin for a while and now lives in Athens. She explained that Callie is from the Oglethorpe County/Madison area but has lived in Athens for the last few years in her own apartment. ● Danielle shared that she is from Long Island, NY but has stayed in Athens for the last 8 years. ● Ke’Marcus explained that he was born and raised in Athens. ● Cameron Jay announced that the rainbow crosswalk in Downtown Athens near College Square would be dedicated on October 11, 2022, at 11 am. This event came from a petition he began after the 2019 PrideFest. The petition received over 6000 signatures making it one of the largest petitions in recent history. He declared that while effective policy is needed, visibility is also very important. ● The Chair asked for any more comments or questions. ● The meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm. Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com  Inclusion Office THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA P. O. Box 1868 ∙ Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3015 ∙ Email: inclusionoffice@accgov.com www.accgov.com