Human Rights Commission

City of Morgantown Human Rights Commission Meeting Minutes for November 21, 2019 Present: Jacob Powers, Chair Kristen Cooper, Secretary Jan Derry Jena Martin Ramsey Kinsella Tim Hairston (Liaison with State HRC) Don Spencer (Program Associate) DeeDee McIntosh (PFLAG Liaison) Meeting called to order by Jacob Powers, Chair, at 6:32 P.M. The agenda was distributed and there were additions regarding the CCSJ Party and a complaint that was sent to the Commission. The agenda was approved with those changes. Public Session: Two Morgantown residents attended the meeting. Both are from the Morgantown Pride group. Ashton Cutright is the President of the group and Rozzi Lauderback is the vice president. They expressed interest in creating an LGBTQ Work Group or Committee similar to the one that exists in Charleston. They also expressed interest in working with the Commission to improve areas of the MEI where the city is not getting recognized, e.g. a liaison with the city police. A discussion took place to determine the best way to structure a committee of this nature. It was discussed whether the committee should be part of the HRC or perhaps part of the newly formed liaison group that works directly with the City Manager. It was agreed that the first step should be creating a liaison position to the HRC from Morgantown Pride. Ashton and Rozzi both agreed to become liaisons to the HRC and will attend future meetings and work with the HRC (and vice versa) to create programs that will positively influence the MEI. Later in the evening Mayor Bill Kawecki joined the meeting. Minutes: The October 2019 minutes were reviewed. Jena Martin moved that the minutes be approved as written; Kristen Cooper seconded the motion. The minutes where approved unanimously. 1 Communications: Jena Martin met with Dan Kimball to discuss the 30th anniversary of the ADA. She wanted to acknowledge the State HRC for its contribution. Tim Hairston agreed to speak directly with Dan Kimball about involvement in the possible celebration. Jena Martin distributed copies of the WVU College of Business and Economics’ report on the City’s economy for consideration in future dealings with housing initiatives. The Commission received a complaint which will be addressed. The complaint came via Cris Mayo. Jacob Powers will reach out to Cris and get information more information so the prospective complainant can begin the process by formally filing a complaint. Jan Derry reported that the Morgantown-Fairmont Housing Authority received $130,000 to increase Section 8 vouchers. There has been no recent activity with the Commission’s social media, email or phone line. Tim Hairston reported on recent events with the State HRC. The Commission met last month. They have a new Executive Director from Logan, WV. They are focused on outreach and making the commission much busier. The Commission plans to meet every other month. The case load has decreased because of a shortage of caseworkers. The Executive Director will be at the HRC Awards reception on December 3 as a speaker. The State Commission is also working on an HR summit in the spring with ambassadors 15-21 years of age – similar to the civil rights teams of the past. Planning for the upcoming HRC Annual Awards was discussed. The Aull Center has been reserved by Kristen Cooper. Decorations (posters) will be supplied by Don Spencer, Ramsey Kinsella will bring cutlery, plates and napkins, Kate Levine-Freedman will bring a vegetable tray, Drew Bucy will bring fruit, and Jacob will bring a pretzel tray. The new liaisons from Morgantown Pride will bring bottled water, and Kristen Cooper will bring cookies and another beverage. Jacob will emcee the event and introduce the winners and the speaker. Jan Derry will pick up the award plaques and deliver them to Christine Wade at the City office. Jacob Powers will also be speaking about the Awards on WAJR on Tuesday, November 26th. Priority Items: A request has been made to the City Council to revise the Welcome Statement to include veterans. It was agreed that changes would be made to include the phrase “family or veteran status”, remove the word “economic” and add the word “blindness” after the word “abilities.” Jacob Powers moved to make the noted changes to the Welcome Statement. The motion was seconded by Kristen Cooper. The motion passed unanimously. 2 Representatives from the HRC met with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to review the DEI Plan – specifically Part 5. The plan still needs review and input by the City Attorney and the City Manager. Ashton Cutright will also work with Jacob Powers on wording of the plan. After these reviews, the plan will be sent back to the City Council for its review. A discussion of the Open to All campaign took place. Mayor Kawecki explained that the City Council was not familiar with the national group before making a commitment to the inclusion of Morgantown in the program. The benefits of joining the national organization vs. creating a local version of the campaign were discussed. The City Attorney will check into the copyright of the phrase “Open to All” to provide information as things move forward. Further discussion of this program will be discussed at the next HRC meeting. Jan Derry and Don Spencer will work on the Annual Report but need priorities before December 19 so they can be voted upon at the next HRC meeting. The 2019 MEI score was reviewed. The City received a score of 75, which is down from 80 the past year. It was noted that the City did not get credit for the Anti-Bullying Ordinance or the creation of the minority liaison group. Don Spencer plans to contact the Human Right Campaign to inquire about these oversights. Other variables such as a city contractor non-discrimination pledge and transgender health insurance were briefly noted. New Business: The WVU Law School will be co-sponsoring the Human Rights Film Festival in 2020 instead of the Division of DEI at the University. The CCSJ is considering an event in the Spring which would include social justice/human rights groups and asked if the HRC would participate. Announcements: The next meeting of the Human Rights Commission will take place on December 19, 2019. The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm. Submitted by Kristen Cooper 3