Human Rights Commission

City of Morgantown Human Rights Commission Meeting Notes for October 15, 2015 Present: Marlene Robinson-Savino, Vice Chair Tim Hairston – Liaison w/ State HRC Don Spencer, Secretary Fran Whiteman Meeting called to order by Marlene Robinson-Savino, Vice-Chair, at 7:00 p.m. due to the difficulty for members gaining access to the meeting room caused by traffic flow blockages to support a parade in the downtown. Chair Jan Derry and Kristen Cooper reported in advance that they would not be available to attend the meeting. Due to the lack of a quorum, the Commissioners present decided to proceed with information exchange on agenda topics. Public Session: No persons attended requesting to speak at a public session. Communications: A NAACP Banquet held on September 28 was reported to have been a success in recognizing Charlene Marshall. Tim Hairston and Don Spencer reported that the Community Coalition on Social Justice annual picnic event at Westover Park involved participation of various state and local groups including the Morgantown Police Department represented by Matt Solomon. The Diversity Leadership Conference on September 29 involved three different panels and an attendance of approximately 60 persons. The event was positively received. Upcoming events include a WV Fairness Conference and Reception on October 24, a CHAP Housing workshop on October 28, and a deadline for a State Disability History Essay Contest on October 31. An article published in the Dominion Post regarding cities changing the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day was discussed briefly and suggested for consideration on a future agenda. Minutes of September 17, 2015: Due to the lack of a quorum, no action was taken on approving the minutes of the previous meeting. Action will be taken at the next regular meeting of the HRC. Priority Item: After consideration of the present Commission workload and the lack of a quorum, the Commissioners recommended that the plan for conducting an International Human Rights Day Awards on December 10th be set aside until 2016. Progress Reports: A copy of a letter sent by Mayor Shamberger to federal and state government officials relating to the Just Transition for Coal Workers Resolution was shared. Spencer reported that at the previous meeting, a plan had been made to have the resolution taken to Westover, Star City and Granville. This plan will be carried through. The Community Living Initiatives Corporation has requested that the HRC share the Resolution for Accessible Housing be shared with the other communities as well. Marlene Robinson–Savino confirmed that the status of the 24/7 HRC phone line will be checked by Monday. 1 Spencer reported that the Inclusive City Planning Committee chaired by Jan Derry has been working on Mental Health and Addiction planning with the assistance of Bob Jones and Paulette Livengood. Marlene Robinson-Savino, chair of the Diversity Representation Committee, reported that the Committee has me twice since the September HRC meeting and expects to have a draft of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan for the City developed by the end of the year. A copy of the plan’s preface was distributed. Spencer reported that the dates for the Human Rights Film Festival have been set to begin on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. Other dates will be on Tuesdays of February involving the 2nd, 9th, and 16th and the Tuesdays of March including the 1st and 8th. A planning committee is being activated by the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to finalize plans for topics and titles of the films. The HRC Commissioners present recommended that human trafficking (Film: “Not Like Me”) and race (Film: “White Like Me”) as well as empowerment of international citizens be considered by the committee. For this year’s State Legislative Priorities, it was recommended that the HRC request that the City support for a third year passage of an Employment and Housing Non- Discrimination. New Business: Fran Whiteman followed-up on the initial discussion at the previous HRC meeting on the possibility of taking additional steps at the local level for protecting equality. She said that she would research the Morgantown City Code, Charleston City Code and Kanawha Board of Education on the current status of LGBT and gender identity protections. On the matter of promoting Universal Design as a way of increasing accessibility in Morgantown housing, Jan Derry sent a report saying there is a student working at her agency who is researching the use of municipal ordinances to require universal design standards in new fair housing projects. With such information – plus the mention of Universal Design in the WV Code – the Commission may request that the City of Morgantown add a Universal Design ordinance to its next Home Rule Program amendments. A City’s future relationship with the Black Lives Matter (too) movement was discussed briefly. The Somerville, MA, banner incident was reviewed as was the positive community policing initiatives of the Morgantown Police Department. A potential banner design will be considered for future use. Regular Meeting Items: The Commissioners reviewed 1) the Commission’s annual operations calendar; 2) the 2015 Annual Projected Work Plan; and 3) the October/November/December events on the HRC Observances Calendar. There being no Commissioner reports, the next HRC meeting was set for November 19, 2015 with a Diversity Representation Committee set for October 26 and an Inclusive City Planning Committee meeting to be called by its chair, Jan Derry. Adjournment: The information exchange session was closed by the Vice-Chair at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 2 Don Spencer, Secretary October 19, 2015 3