Community Relations Commission

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES October 8, 2015 Persons in attendance: Jenny Lee – Chair Joe Kuffel Dan Ryan Jason Trunco Trustee John C. Jekot Steve Vinezeano – Village Manager Tony Hollenback – Director of Family Services Dennis McEnerney – Chief of Police Cathy Spadoni – Secretary Cammy Fortuna – Secretary Persons absent: Mary Marusek I. Call to Order Commissioner Lee called the regular meeting of the Community Relations Commission to order at 5:35 p.m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room, Village of Niles Municipal Building as a quorum was present. II. Approval of Minutes Commissioner Ryan made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Kuffel, to approve the minutes of the July 9, 2015 regular meeting. On voice vote, all concurred. III. Reported Citizen Comments / Complaints a) Police and Other Village Departments Police Chief McEnerney and Secretary Spadoni reported that no complaints were received by the Police Department or other Village departments. b) Telephone / Email Hotlines Secretary Spadoni reported that no complaints were received via the telephone or email hotlines. c) Commissioners The commissioners reported that no complaints were received.  Community Relations Commission October 8, 2015 IV. Old Business a) Fair Housing Guide Secretary Spadoni reported that the Fair Housing Guide has been changed to reflect the new Village of Niles logo and colors, the new CRC reporting phone number and the fact that Spanish and Polish language versions of the guide are available on the Village website. These new brochures have been distributed to Village facilities and the Niles Public Library. The website has also been updated. The CRC has sent the guide to area schools and churches. Now we would like to send it to Niles realtors. Secretary Spadoni will get a list of realtors and Chair Lee will draft a letter to accompany the guides. At present, there is no need to translate the guide into either Korean or Arabic. b) Justice Day Commissioner Kuffel attended the Justice Day, hosted by Open Communities, on Sunday, July 26 in Winnetka and shared a table with the Niles Public Library. He reported that the event was well-attended and covered a broad range of topics. He suggested that Niles could better benefit from an event that was more compatible with its demographics. Chair Lee thanked him for attending. Chair Lee stated that Open Communities is hosting a Justice Summit at Oakton Community College on Sunday, October 11. V. New Business Commissioner Lee noted that the purpose of the CRC, as stated in the Niles Code of Ordinances, is broad. She asked for input to name five goals for the coming year that relate to that purpose. She referred to the following publications: Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Housing Policy Agenda, Open Communities “Principles for the Welcoming Community,” Niles Health Survey 2015, and Cities of Service “Recruit Your Mayor.” After brainstorming issues that face Niles residents, it was determined that over the next year or two the Commission would focus on 1) housing, 2) families, 3) volunteer opportunities, and 4) education and outreach. More specific plans can be discussed at the next meeting. It was noted that Open Communities is available to conduct workshops on some of these topics. Secretary Spadoni reported that the Village of Niles has renewed its annual membership in Open Communities. VI. Next Meeting The next scheduled meeting will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room, Village of Niles Municipal Building. 2  Community Relations Commission October 8, 2015 VII. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Community Relations Commission, Commissioner Lee made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Kuffel, to adjourn the meeting. On voice vote, all concurred. The meeting adjourned at 6:56 p.m. __________________________ Catherine Spadoni, Secretary Community Relations Commission 2015-2016 Community Relations Commission Commissioners Ex-Officio Members Jenny Lee – Chair Trustee John C. Jekot Joe Kuffel Village Manager Steven C. Vinezeano Mary Marusek Human Services Director Tony Hollenback Daniel P. Ryan Sr. Chief of Police Dennis McEnerney Jason Trunco Secretary Cathy Spadoni 3