Human Rights Commission

MORGANTOWN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MINUTES for the REGULAR MEETING on August 22, 2024 At the Morgantown Public Safety Building, 300 Spruce Street, Morgantown, WV Attendance: Commissioners: Chair, Annie CRONAN YORICK; Vice Chair, Danny TREJO; Secretary, Ashley SWANSON Liaisons: Tim HAIRSTON, State of WV Human Rights Commissions; Brian BUTCHER, Morgantown City Councilor Members of the Public: Chris RUEHMER, Deputy Chief, MPD; Laura FLETCHER, HRC candidate Commissioners Absent: None Call to Order: A quorum was present; the Chair called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Minutes: No minutes were presented for approval. Public Portion: • Laura Fletcher introduced herself. She applied this morning for an HRC position. She is interested in our work and has an in-progress plan for a grant through Farmer’s Market, a Food Rescue grant. • Commissioners discussed the camping ban that was recently passed by the city council and the concerns raised by it. Deputy Chief Ruehmer is helping Kelly Rice, the MPD social worker, refocus her efforts to help build trust between the Unhoused community and the police force. Communications and Announcements: • The Sister Cities Commission suggested doing a joint commemoration of National Hispanic American Awareness Month (September 15th – October 15th). After discussion, the HRC will work with the Sister Cities Commission via Liz Finklea to draft a proclamation. Commissioners will reach out to find any planned events the HRC can participate in or co-sponsor. Updates: Chair, Annie Cronan Yorick: • She spoke at the August 20th city council meeting on behalf of the HRC, saying it was ‘putting the horse before the cart’ with the Camping Ban ordinance. The city needs to hire and train employees to do the outreach described in the ordinance. The new law puts a sizeable strain on the already understaffed police force, and there is no existing system to identify and track offenders or violations. The ordinance must be written as the City intends to enforce it; it’s magical thinking to say, “Oh, we aren’t going to arrest anyone.” WV law requires all police officers to enforce laws as they are written. Failure to execute laws as they are written subjects the officer to terminated employment, fines, and other penalties. Homeless services are not currently available, and there are far fewer beds available than some council members believe. • She performed a statistical analysis of the proposed new map by the Ward and Boundary Commission. She expressed concerns that minority and low-income residents are concentrated in two or three of the seven wards according to the HUD CBDG maps. The W & B Commission adhered to the city’s statutory guidelines. She asked the city council to amend the guidelines, adjusting for a more diverse distribution of low-income and minority residents per ward. • She met with the City Attorney and HR Manager on July 2nd to gather information for the 2024 Municipal Index and the DEI Reports; she hasn’t received any of it yet. Vice Chair, Danny Trejo: • He is getting assigned to a lot of Spanish-speaking Child Abuse & Neglect cases; there are no language-appropriate therapy services. The law doesn’t allow him to be the service provider and the translator. Secretary, Ashley Swanson: • She asked for clarification between what the HRC is charged with doing versus incoming human rights complaints. It was explained that the HRC only has original jurisdiction for discrimination against members of protected classes that the City recognizes, but the State does not. That includes gender identity, sexual orientation, and veteran status. Tim Hairston, WVHRC Liaison: • Governor Jim Justice, through the WVHRC, will confer the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Advocacy for Civil and Human Rights in Charleston on Friday, August 23rd. The Chair of the Morgantown HRC is among the recipients. Brian Butcher, City Council Liaison: • He spoke about his proposed ordinance to Ban Discrimination in Housing Based on an Applicant’s Source of Income. He requested the HRC to conduct public forums to gather testimony from people who have experienced such discrimination. Priority Business Addressed: • Plan to ensure ADA Compliance and Code Enforcement in the City and develop a strategy to advance stronger disability advocacy. • Continued efforts to comply with the 2020 DEI Plan. • Commemorations for Transgender Visibility Month. • Modifying the HRC By-laws: The commissioners agreed that we should not change the residency requirement for membership. Members oppose changing the bylaws because it would be onerous to frequently verify whether a non- resident commissioner is employed in the city and to remove appointees who became ineligible. Several people have recommended having a county-wide commission instead. That is not the concern of the Morgantown HRC; we serve at the pleasure of the City Council. • The 2024 HRC’s Human Rights Awards Individual Award: Becky Rodd She was part of Health Right long before it was associated with Milan Puskar. She moved away and did consultancy work to build programs with the homeless population. She helped make programs and boards more equitable and helped streamline shelter programs. She ran Hazel’s House of Hope Warming Shelter without pay for a full year with little help. She has since retired but continues to work with several boards around the city, including CCSJ and the local chapter of the NAACP. Trejo nominated her; Swanson seconded. Becky Rodd was unanimously designated as the Individual Award winner. Organization Award: Morgantown Area Youth Services Project MAYSP works with troubled youth, guiding them through the court process. It offers counseling services and a safe place for clients to stay after school. The organization has helped countless youth community members in its 25+ year existence. Swanson nominated MAYSP; Trejo seconded. 2 Yeas; Trejo abstained. MAYSP is the 2024 Organization Award winner. Adjournment: As there was no further business, Trejo moved to adjourn; Swanson seconded. The Chair adjourned the meeting at 8:32 p.m. Next Regular Meeting: Scheduled for September 19, 2024. Minutes by Secretary Ashley Swanson for approval at the September 19, 2024 meeting.