Human Rights Commission

Agenda Royal Oak Human Rights Commission Meeting Monday, March 2, 2026, 6:30 p.m. City Hall, Room 122 203 S. Troy Street Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 Anyone planning to attend the meeting who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the city clerk’s office at 248-246-3050 at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting. Pages 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes a. February 2026 Minutes 2 b. January 2026 Minutes 5 5. Public Comment 6. Business a. Discussion on Human Rights and Trust in the Context of Federal Enforcement Activities b. Focus Group Update c. Presentations Update d. Discussion of HRC Bylaws 8 7. Public Comment 8. Commissioner Reports 9. Announcements a. Next Meeting 10. Adjournment  Minutes Royal Oak Human Rights Commission Meeting February 2, 2026, 6:30 p.m. City Hall, Room 122 203 S. Troy Street Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 Present: Rachel Andrews Annie Urasky Tiekeya Smith Emily Calabrese Grace Hatton Robert Sidelinger Gabrial Taylor-Saddler Absent: Brett Tillander Diya Oberoi Non-Voting Members Susan Barkman Present: _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. 2. Roll Call The group did introductions with new members of the board and the public. 3. Approval of Agenda Moved by: Robert Sidelinger Seconded by: Emily Calabrese Motion to adopt the agenda. 1 Page 2 of 13  Motion Adopted 4. Approval of Minutes Minutes were not available in the eScribe system so we will have those next month. 5. Public Comment Three members of the public spoke that they wanted to attend to find out more about what was happening. 6. Business 6.a Election of Officers We discussed the challenges of having some turnover in the board and the existing bylaws requirements and term limits. The group determined that they would like to review the bylaws at the next meeting. 6.b Presentations Update Board members have presented to the Oakland County Democrats and to the Older Adults Advisory Board. They would like to follow up with the Chamber of Commerce DDA, and faith organizations. Overall they felt like presentations went well and were met with curiosity and interest in future work. They would like to have some additional information tailored to groups for future presentations. 6.c Focus Group Update Robert has been working on questions, and will take feedback and ideas from the group. Susan to send out questions and then board members have send into to Robert. Additionally the group had some discussion about leading the focus groups themselves and whether or not they would like to get assistance from outside organizations to help them set up training and facilitation guides. 6.d Discussion on Human Rights and Trust in the Context of Federal Enforcement Activates The group discussed recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in the area and the concerns related to police department cooperation, the types of stops that may be disproportionally impacting people of color, the number of equipment failure stops, and how the data related to stops is or isn't being tracked and shared. The group asked Susan to share the link to the video where the Mayor made a recent statement for the group to watch. There was interest in having the Police Chief attend a future meeting, but no determination was made as to what meeting. 2 Page 3 of 13 7. Public Comment 3 members of the public spoke about the concern over ICE activities, and are interesting in hearing more about what happens next in the process. 8. Commissioner Reports 9. Announcements 9.a Next Meeting Next meeting is March 2nd. Susan will follow up on parking questions related to the new system and the lot outside of city hall coming online. 10. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:45pm. Moved by: Robert Sidelinger Seconded by: Annie Urasky Motion to adjourn. Motion Adopted 3 Page 4 of 13  Minutes Royal Oak Human Rights Commission Meeting January 5, 2026, 6:30 p.m. City Hall, Room 122 203 S. Troy Street Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 Present: Annie Urasky Brett Tillander Diya Oberoi Emily Calabrese Grace Hatton Robert Sidelinger Absent: Rachel Andrews Tiekeya Smith Non-Voting Members Susan Barkman Present: _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:32pm. 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda Moved by: Robert Sidelinger Seconded by: Grace Hatton Motion to approve the agenda. Motion Adopted 4. Approval of Minutes 1 Page 5 of 13  Moved by: Robert Sidelinger Seconded by: Diya Oberoi Motion to approve the December 2025 minutes. 5. Public Comment Public comment opened at 6:34pm. Lisa Mason introduced herself. Public comment closed at 6:35pm. 6. Business 6.a Election of Officers The group worked through the elections process, but noted the challenges with the bylaws and term limits. In order to get some clarification on next steps the group agreed to table this item until the next meeting to discuss how to proceed. 6.b Presentations Update Diya reported on the presentation she and Rachel gave to the Oakland County Democrats Club. Only disconnect was the lack of a tangible next steps or plans. Brett said that their December plan to present to the Older Adults Board didn’t happen because there wasn’t enough time on their agenda; he reports that Tiekeya is scheduled to present at their January meeting. 6.c Outreach to Business Groups Annie suggested reaching out and inviting DDA director and deputy to next month’s meeting. Rob suggested starting a conversation with the Police Department’s community outreach person; Kara will find out who that best person would be. Brett asked Diya is it would be possible to reach out to Roeper or the high school; she agreed to talk to members of administration. Grace said that the best route would be to go through administration. Brett volunteered to be that inroad if the group is interested. 6.d Focus Groups Outreach to the Black, Senior, and Youth communities has happened. There was some discussion around the group’s uncertainty over who was conducting the focus groups. Annie suggested putting it on the next meeting, especially considering the presentation feedback re: concrete next steps. At the next meeting, should be prepared to narrow down the list of names of focus group moderators, have standard guidelines for how 2 Page 6 of 13  groups will be moderated, and decide where to hold groups (Senior Center, meet people where they are at businesses or organizations, etc.). Discussion about the content asked in the focus groups, how we’ll hone the information that we want to achieve, what questions we’ll ask, and whether we ask the same questions of all groups. Annie reminded the group that we chose to focus on black and brown and youth communities because they didn’t respond in large numbers—so we want to identify some of those gaps. 7. Public Comment Public comment opened at 7:14 p.m. Lisa Mason reacted to the Committee’s conversation, recommending that they move faster by nominating people to take each task and giving deadlines. Annie responded with a review of the progress made and steps to be taken in the next month. Public comment closed at 7:24 p.m. 8. Commissioner Reports Brett referenced the survey results shared on social media in November and the modest but positive response from the City’s audience. He suggested doing a highlight of our two youngest members to keep build transparency and momentum. 9. Announcements 9.a Next Meeting Next meeting is February 2nd. 10. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:30pm. Moved by: Robert Sidelinger Seconded by: Diya Oberoi Motion to adjourn. Motion Adopted 3 Page 7 of 13  CITY OF ROYAL OAK HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION BYLAWS Approved February 2025 I. NAME The name of this Commission is the Human Rights Commission. II. PURPOSE As established by Chapter 90 of City of Royal Oak Code of Ordinances, the purpose of the Human Rights Commission shall be to advise and make recommendations to the City Commission and the City Manager to assist with efforts to bring greater equity and inclusion for protected groups of residents, visitors and employees within the City of Royal Oak. Ill. MEMBERSHIP AND VACANCIES a. The Human Rights Commission shall be made up of nine total members. Eight of those shall be appointed by the City Commission, including seven voting members and one voting student member. A minimum of four voting members shall be Royal Oak residents, and three voting members may be filled by applicants with a vested interest in the community, such as a business owner, employee of a business located in the City or a property owner who does not live in the City. One member shall be a staff ex officio member who does not have the ability to vote and is appointed by the City Manager or their designee. b. All members shall be appointed by the City Commission consistent with Chapter 12, Appointments to Advisory Boards, Commissions and Committees, of the City of Royal Oak Code of Ordinances, also known as the Appointments Ordinance. i. The staff ex-officio member shall notify the City Clerk of any vacancies on the Commission who will forward any vacancies to the City Commission for consideration to fill any vacancies. ii. The Human Rights Commission members shall keep the City Clerk's office informed of changes in their names, addresses, phone number, email address or other basic contact information or anything that might change their status as a commission member. Page 8 of 13  iii. Members appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the original term of the vacancy as set by the City Commission and/or the Appointments Ordinance. iv. Members shall comply with ordinances relates to attendance as described in in Chapter 12. IV. OFFICERS The Human Rights Commission shall elect a chair, vice chair, and any other officers deemed necessary. a. Chair: The chair shall preside over the meeting and serve as a voting member b. Vice- Chair: The vice-chair shall perform the duties of chair in their absence. c. Staff Ex-Officio: The staff ex-officio member, who is appointed by the City Manager or their designee, shall serve as the secretary and record the minutes. d. Officer at large: The officer at large shall perform the duties of chair in the absence of the chair and vice chair. Term: All officers, except for the staff ex-officio member, shall serve a one (1) year term. Term Limit: An officer can serve a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms. A member may return to the officer position after two (2) consecutive terms if at least one (1) year has lapsed since their last term in that position. Qualifications to be an officer: a. Has attended at least four (4) Human Rights Commission meetings within the six (6) months prior to nomination. b. Be an able and willing communicator. c. Has contributed to the Human Rights Commission’s work and expressed a willingness to support other officers and fulfil their duties as assigned. Removal of Officers The Human Rights Commission has the authority to remove a member from being an officer of the Human Rights Commission but does not have the authority to remove Page 9 of 13 them from the Human Rights Commission. The City Commission has the authority to remove a member from the Human Rights Commission. Officers may be removed based on the Code of Conduct. The Human Rights Commission may remove a member from being an officer, by motion, second, and the concurring affirmative vote of four members of the Human Rights Commission. V. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS The Human Rights Commission shall hold the election of officers annually in February, nominations for which shall be accepted at the January meeting. Any member of the Human Rights Commission may be nominated if they meet the requirements as determined in Section IV, qualifications of officers. Members may nominate themselves or any other appointed member of the Human Rights Commission. The affirmative vote of the majority of members present for the election shall be required to be elected as an officer. VI. Code of Conduct In general, the use of good judgement, based on high ethical principles, will guide the Human Rights Commissioners with respect to lines of acceptable conduct. The successful operation and reputation of Royal Oak boards and commissions is built upon the principles of fair dealing and ethical conduct of members. Integrity and excellence requires careful observance of the spirit and letter of all applicable laws and personal integrity. Failure to abide by these rules may result in removal from the Human Rights Commission by the City Commission. a. Adhering firmly to a code of sound values. b. Attending and preparing for meetings faithfully. c. Acting in a manner that maintains integrity and independence, and impartiality yet being responsive to the interests and needs of those they represent. d. Obeying all laws applicable to their official actions. e. Using independent judgement to pursue the common good. f. Presenting opinions to all in a reasonable, forthright, and consistent manner. Page 10 of 13  g. Remaining incorruptible, self-governing, and unaffected by improper influence while at the same time being able to consider opinions and ideas of others. h. Treating other members of the Human Rights Commission, staff and the public with dignity and respect. i. Honoring the opinions of others even when in disagreement with other members of the body. j. Understanding and supporting the body’s mission and overall direction. k. Taking pride in the city and your role as a member of this body. l. Being flexible, innovative, and responsive to change. VII. MEETINGS a. Meeting Schedule Regular Meetings. The Human Rights Commission shall adopt a schedule of regular meetings for the next year no later than the final meeting of the calendar year. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Human Rights Commission may be called by the chair or by two members of the Human Rights Commission in accordance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act. The Human Rights Commission shall notify the staff liaison of all special meetings reasonably in advance of the scheduled meeting so that the notice of the meeting shall be timely published as required by the Open Meetings Act. All meetings of the Human Rights Commission shall be subject to the Michigan Open Meetings Act, Act 267 of the Public Acts of 1976, MCL 15.261 et seq. b. Order of Business. All meetings shall be conducted to conform to the following order: 1. Call to order 2. Roll Call 3. Agenda Approval 4. Public Comment 5. Minutes 6. Business • Community Issues 8. Human Rights Commissioner Reports 9. Adjournment Page 11 of 13  c. Quorum. A minimum of four (4) members of the Human Rights Commission shall constitute a quorum. d. Minutes. The staff ex-officio member shall be responsible for taking minutes and act as the records custodian for the Human Rights Commission. e. Action. All action by the Human Rights Commission shall be made by motion adopted by the concurring affirmative vote of four members. f. Members of the Human Rights Commission who would like to add an agenda item to future meetings may bring that item up during the commissioner reports portion of the agenda. If there is a concurring affirmative vote of four members of the Human Rights Commission, it will be added to a future meeting. Staff will add administrative items as needed. VIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY Parliamentary authority for the Human Rights Commission is governed by Robert's Rules of Order. In case of conflict between these bylaws and the Robert's Rules of Order, these bylaws control. In case of conflict between these bylaws and any city ordinance, the city ordinance controls. In case of conflict between city ordinance and state law, the state law controls. IX. ADOPTION OR AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS a. The Human Rights Commission makes a recommendation to adopt the bylaws to the Royal Oak City Commission. A recommendation to adopt, modify or repeal the bylaws shall be approved by two-thirds of the entire membership of the Human Rights Commission. b. The Royal Oak City Commission has the authority to approve, amend, or repeal these bylaws. c. The Human Rights Commission shall review these bylaws annually in February. If there is no proposed amendments then no action is needed. X. GENERAL PROVISIONS No member of the Human Rights Commission shall order or instruct any city staff member to perform any service or duty without having first been approved by the City Manager. The Human Rights Commission is an advisory organization to the City of Page 12 of 13 Royal Oak and its City Commission and act by making recommendations to the City Commission. XI. MICHIGAN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT COMPLIANCE MANDATORY The Human Rights Commission shall comply with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [Public Act 422 of 1976, MCL § 15.231 et seq.] and the city's current FOIA policy. The City Clerk and Human Resource Director shall assist the Human Rights Commission in compliance. XII. MICHIGAN OPEN MEETINGS ACT COMPLIANCE MANDATORY The Human Rights Commission shall comply with the Michigan Open Meetings Act (OMA) [Public Act 267 of 1976, MCL § 15.261 et seq.]. XII. Accessibility Anyone planning to attend a public meeting of the Human Rights Commission who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the City Clerk’s office at 248-246-3050 or email CityClerk@romi.gov at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting so that the city can support the full participation of members of the community. Page 13 of 13