Human Rights Commission

City of Morgantown Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes for October 17, 2019 Present: Jacob Powers, Chair Kate Levine-Freedman, Vice Chair Kristen Cooper, Secretary Jena Martin Drew Bucy Don Spencer (Program Associate) DeeDee McIntosh (PFLAG Liaison) Meeting called to order by Jacob Powers, Chair, at 6:30 P.M. The agenda was distributed and approved with no changes. Public Session: There was no one from the public present at the meeting. Minutes: The September 2019 minutes were reviewed. Drew Bucy moved that the minutes be approved as written; Kate Levin-Freeman seconded the motion. The minutes where approved unanimously. Communications: Jena Martin will be updating the flow chart she created to remove the background image. She also obtained an audio file which she will send to the City’s Communications Manager for inclusion on the HRC website. Don Spencer reported on the status of the DEI Plan. It was not approved at the City Council meeting on October 15th. The City Council voted 5 to 1 to table the plan. Some of their concerns were the televised interviews, term limits, length of the written plan, and lack of certified diversity trainers. Ash Cartwright spoke against the plan at the City Council meeting because of concerns about certain wording in the plan. Don has an upcoming meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor during which he will bring up the plan. Also, Don will talk to the NAACP about the availability of certified trainers. It was recommended that we make changes to the plan and possibly resubmit it to the City Council in time for the Committee of the Whole in November. 1 Jacob Powers reported on social media accounts. He has not made any significant updates to social media, and there have been no contacts to the HRC via phone or email. Tim Hairston, representative from the State HRC, was not in attendance, and therefore did not give an update of the State’s status. Priority Items: Regarding the HRC Liaison Coordinating Council, Don Spencer has made contact with several organizations who have submitted names of possible representatives. There are still several organizations that have not submitted names which Don will pursue. Don also asked that the commissioners suggest organizations for him to contact. It was suggested that he seek out a parents of autistic children support group, Stepping Stones, Kinship Care, VFW, American Legion, and the local synagogue. Kristen Cooper volunteered to review past meeting minutes and send Don a list of other organizations that we had pinpointed in the past. Regarding Open to All, Jacob has not heard from the Mayor and it was suggested that he touch base with the Mayor to move the program forward. The Commission designated December 3rd as the date of the Human Rights Awards. Responsibilities for the various elements of the event were discussed. Tim Hairston volunteered to provide the speaker (and an email was sent to Tim to confirm that the Executive Director of the State HRC will be available for the event). Everyone will contribute food and that will be discussed further at the November meeting. Kristen Cooper volunteered to call the Aull Center to reserve it for the reception. Don Spencer would like to acquire some posters about Women’s Suffrage to use as decorations at the event at a cost of $100. Don will work with Jacob and Jan Derry in regards to funds from the budget for this endeavor. Kristen Cooper and Jan Derry will work on getting the plaques made. A discussion took place about the award recipients and several names were offered – Mavis Grant, Jan Derry, Eve Faulkes, and Danielle Walker, the Innocence Project. The merits of the individuals and the organization/group were discussed. For the “Individual” award, Danielle Walker was nominated and approved by a unanimous vote. For the “Organization/Group” award, the WVU Law School Innocence Project was nominated and approved by a unanimous vote. Both Jena Martin and Jacob will contact the recipients to confirm their interest in being involved in the awards. New Business: Don Spencer will send information about the Anti-Bullying Ordinance to Jena Martin for her review. The Idea of a “Constitutional City” or “Human Rights City” designation for Morgantown (as opposed to a “Sanctuary City”) was briefly discussed, and information on Constitutional Cities was distributed. The discussion of this project will be discussed further at the next meeting. 2 Regarding the Indigenous Peoples Day project, discussion will continue at the November meeting. In the meantime, Don Spencer will broach the subject during his meeting with the Mayor. State legislative priorities included the Employment and Housing Non-Discrimination Act which often does come to a final vote because it is blocked. The Commission also agreed to be aware of a Religious Freedom Act which may come forth. Welcome banners have been printed and placed at strategic locations in the city. Don Spencer was recognized for his work on this project. Don suggested that we print more fliers with the welcome statement and consider putting information on the back of the fliers. Ongoing Projects: Jacob Powers reported on an Inclusivity Mural project that he is working on with Jesse at Mon Arts. Patty’s Art Spot has expressed interest in doing the artwork for the project, and a canvas/building for the mural is still being sought. Kate Levine Freedman will look into a possible location. Due to time constraints, other projects such as the Project Status Profiles and Gun Violence Resolution will be on the agenda for discussion at the November meeting. Announcements: The next meeting of the Human Rights Commission will take place on November 21, 2019. DeeDee McIntosh announced that there will be a PFLAG gathering on November 12th at the First Presbyterian Church. It is open to all who would like to attend. The meeting was adjourned at 8:32 pm. Submitted by Kristen Cooper 3