Human Rights Commission

City of Morgantown Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes for January 19, 2017 Public Safety Training Room Present: Jan Derry, Chair Kristen Cooper, Public Relations Billie Murray David Seville Judith Wilkinson Matthew Miller, Secretary Don Spencer, Program Assistant Tim Hairston, Liaison to State HRC Meeting called to order by Jan Derry, Chair, at 6:37 PM. The agenda was reviewed, with minor additions made to the “communications” section. Public Session: Member of the public Jeremy Thomas was present and addressed the Commission. Mr. Thomas indicated that he was on assignment from members of the Fairmont Community to learn from the Morgantown HRC as part of their desire to establish a Human Rights Commission in the City of Fairmont. Commission members discussed resources as well as the setup of the Commission in a conversational format with Mr. Thomas, answering his questions and volunteering such information as seemed helpful. Beyond the structure of the Commission, past accomplishments and current goals were discussed in a general overview of the Commission’s activities. Minutes: The commissioners discussed the minutes of the December 15, 2016 meeting. It was noted that there was not a quorum present so the meeting was only a working meeting. Kristen moved to accept the minutes, Judith seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Communications:  Jan Derry summarized the process involved in the inception and execution of the Human Rights Day Award, and discussed the success of the Award Presentation at City Council in December and the reception which followed. The Individual Awardee was Evan Hanson, an Environmental Scientist doing noteworthy work on Water related issues, among others. The Group Awardee was PSALM (Proud Students Against Land Mines), a group of St. Francis Central Catholic School students in Grades 3-8 who are dedicated to educating others about the dangers of landmines and cluster bombs and preventing future casualties through service projects.  Multiple Commissioners attended celebrations for MLK day, which were discussed. Jan Derry reported that the new brochures promoting the Commission were successfully distributed at one such event.  Jan Derry announced that Police Chief Ed Preston will be present at the next Commission meeting in order to discuss issues of mutual interest.   Jan Derry informed the Commission that April 23rd will be “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” in Morgantown. This walk is to raise awareness of rape, sexual assault, and gender violence and was previously known as “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” but has changed the name to “their” in order to recognize the reality that men are also impacted by these atrocities. Commissioners discussed ways in which the Commission might become involved with the Walk.  Jan Derry discussed an upcoming Family Housing Fair to be held at the Mountaineer Mall on March 4th which will provide resources to local families on both rental and home ownership concerns. Commission involvement was discussed and potential sources of funding will be explored.  Judith Wilkinson informed the Commission that she will be joining the Sisters of St. Joseph in attending the 61st Commission On The Status Of Women. Multiple Commissioners expressed excitement to hear her report on the event.  Judith Wilkinson announced that several Morgantown citizens want a race relations and equality meeting here. These meetings have been happening in other cities in the state. The HRC will be notified ASAP when an event is scheduled.  David Seville discussed Ugandan Refugee issues with the Commission. He described how he has been hosting a Refugee from Uganda in his home for about a month, and reported that the organization with which he has worked has at least 6 more Ugandans who are ready to be re-settled, potentially to Morgantown. He explained that they go through a 2 to 4 year process seeking asylum in the United States. It was enthusiastically agreed by all commissioners that inviting the young man being hosted by David to a Commission meeting would be beneficial. David described a film entitled “God Loves Uganda” which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and explores the present crisis in Uganda, expressing a desire to add the film to consideration for this year’s WVU Community Human Rights Film Festival. Don Spencer indicated that the selection of films for the festival was nearly complete, but that he would bring the film to the attention of those making the final decisions at their next meeting. Priority Items: Human Rights Ordinance: Don Spencer reported that he and Matt Miller had met on December 12th for Breakfast to discuss the progress of the draft Human Rights Ordinance. He described the outstanding issues to be resolved for the commissioners, including the process of implementation and the addition of Veteran Status as a protected class, and requested a working meeting be scheduled with the goal of finalizing the proposed ordinance. It was agreed that a working meeting with be held, to be tentatively scheduled for February 13th at 11:30AM at Jan’s office. Universal Design Ordinance: It was discussed that the Commission is interested in pursuing an ordinance which advances the concept of Universal Design (“designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life”), but it was agreed that we should complete work on the Human Rights Ordinance before taking on another such project. Progress Reports:  Welcome to Morgantown / New to Morgantown: Jan Derry distributed to the Commissioners a draft of a “City Welcome Statement” which was then discussed.  Multiple Commissioners suggested changes which would improve the statement, and a consensus was reached on what should be a final version, a draft of which will be considered for approval and presentation to the City Council at the next Commission meeting if possible. The general form to be considered at the next meeting is to be: “Welcome to Morgantown! “We welcome all persons of diversity in race, religion, ethnicity, sex, age, gender identity, economic status, sexual orientation, abilities or life situation. The City of Morgantown continuously works to build an inclusive community for its residents and visitors. We ask that all persons treat others and our environment with respect and civility.”  Don Spencer once again mentioned that the Human Rights Film Festival will be in March and April of 2017, and that the final decisions on the program should be made at a meeting scheduled for January 20th.  Jan Derry reported no contacts through the email or phone line.  Diversity Plan Development: The Commission plans to take up the Diversity Plan as top priority after completion of the Human Rights Ordinance.  Inclusive City Planning: The Commission plans to take up Inclusive City Planning as top priority after the completion of the Diversity Plan.  The Development of HRC Advisory Boards was tabled pending a review of the priorities for such boards.  Indigenous People’s Day: This was tabled to allow for more full discussion at a future time. New Business:  Legislative Priorities: Don Spencer noted that the Commission should take up Legislative Priorities in November or earlier in order to allow sufficient opportunity to communicate them to lawmakers. Commissioners expressed interest in issues to be potentially taken up by the WV Legislature this year, including the Golden Rule Act and a Universal Design Act. Regular Meeting Items:  Due to time constraints, review of both the annual calendar and the annual plan were tabled.  Next Meeting: Jan Derry indicated that she would be out of town during the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission, and multiple Commissioners expressed a desire to reschedule the meeting in order to allow her to attend. It was agreed that the next Commission meeting would be held on Thursday February 23, 2017, instead of on the 16th. Motion to adjourn was made by David Seville, and Chair Jan Derry adjourned the meeting at 8:45 PM. Respectfully Submitted, Matt Miller, 1/24/2017