Human Relations Commission

Human Relations Commission AGENDA FOR REGULAR MEETING October 21, 2021 HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION: Babs Gellman, Chair Tina Meier, Vice Chair Ed Bryant Jason Dunn Jessica Ross-Sutton Donalee Gastreich Dr. Suzanne Leake Dr. Wade Steinhoff Victor Ponce Lt. Thomas Wilkison (Representing PD) Dan Borgmeyer, Mayor Denise Mitchell, City Council Liaison Chuck Lovelace, Staff Liaison and Secretary/Treasurer Commission Members: On Thursday, October 21, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. the City of St. Charles Human Relations Commission will hold its regular meeting in City Council Chambers within St. Charles City Hall located at 200 N. Second Street, St. Charles, Missouri. I. Call To Order and Call the Roll (2 min.) II. The Pledge of Allegiance III. Welcome Any Guests (Babs) IV. New Commissioner Victor Ponce (Babs – 5 min.) V. Review and Approval of September 15, 2021 Minutes (Babs - 2 min.) VI. Comments from the Mayor (15 min.) A. Discussion of HRC’s Purpose, Mission, Direction and Intent VII. Old Business A. Elimination of HRC Facebook Page (Beth Norviel – 5 min.) Human Relations Commission Agenda Page 1  October 21, 2021 VIII. New Business A. Updates – Questions/Comments (Chuck, Tina & Babs - 3 min.) B. City Education Committee (Tina, Ed, Jessica, Wade - 3 min.) C. Building Awareness, Alliances and Appreciation Committee (Jason, Suzanne, Tom, Donalee - 3 min.) – No Report D. Transgender Day of Remembrance (Jason – 5 min.) E. Officer Nominations Taken (Babs – 5 min.) F. HRC Strategic Plan (Tina & Babs – 15 min.) IX. Comments from Commissioners (5 min.) X. Next Meeting – The next general meeting will be held on November 18th. XI. Adjournment Upcoming General Meeting Schedule: November 18, December 16 NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: The City of St. Charles offers all interested citizens the opportunity to attend public meetings. If you wish to attend this public meeting and require an accommodation due to a disability, please contact the Office of the City Clerk to coordinate an accommodation at least two (2) business days in advance of the scheduled meeting at 636-949- 3282 or 636-949-3289 (TTY – for the hearing impaired). The City of St. Charles, Missouri fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 636-949-3282 or visit City Hall located at 200 North Second Street, St. Charles, Missouri, 63301. Agenda Posted 10/15/21 @ 2:00 p.m. By: CWL Attachments:  HRC Meeting Minutes September 15, 2021  HRC City Code  HRC Updates October 21, 2021  Remote Participation Policy City Code  Person of the Year Award Submission Form 2021  Education Committee October 2021 Report  Draft HRC Strategic Plan  Former HRC Policies & Procedures Human Relations Commission Agenda Page 2  Human Relations Commission MEETING MINUTES September 16, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT STAFF PRESENT Tina Meier, Vice Chair Chuck Lovelace, Staff Liaison & Secretary/ Treas. Dr. Wade Steinhoff Jason Dunn Donalee Gastreich Dr. Suzanne Leake Lt. Thomas Wilkison (Representing PD) Jessica Ross- Sutton Denise Mitchell, City Council Liaison MEMBERS ABSENT Babs Gellman, Chair Ed Bryant Dr. Suzanne Leake Dan Borgmeyer, Mayor GUESTS Kara Elms (Resident) Tom Hannegan (State Rep.) Scott Mell On Thursday, September 16, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. the City of St. Charles Human Relations Commission held its regular meeting in City Council Chambers within St. Charles City Hall located at 200 N. Second Street, St. Charles, Missouri. I. Call To Order and Call the Roll- The meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Tina Meier at 4:30 p.m. Those in attendance are noted above. II. Pledge of Allegiance- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier led in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. III. Welcome Any Guests- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier welcomed guests in attendance: Kara Elms, State Representative Tom Hannegan and Scott Mell. Human Relations Commission Minutes Page 1  Meeting Minutes – September 16, 2021 IV. Review and Approval of Minutes from Last Meeting- Commissioner Donalee Gastreich made a motion to approve the August 26, 2021 minutes as written. Commissioner Jason Dunn seconded the motion. All were in Favor. The minutes were approved unanimously. V. Comments from the Mayor- None VI. Old Business- A. Recap of the Role as Advisors this past month- Vice Chair Tina Meier provided a brief recap of the past month’s events. VII. New Business- A. Impact of Abstaining from a Vote- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier discussed the impact of abstaining from voting and asked if Commissioners would need to complete a form indicating why they choose to abstain from voting. Council Liaison Denise Mitchell will check with the City Clerks office and follow up at the October General Commission Meeting. B. City Education Committee- Report is attached to these minutes. C. Social Media & Marketing Committee- Report is attached to these minutes. 1. Dissolving Social Media and marketing Committee- Council Liaison Denise Mitchell made a motion to dissolve the Social Media and Marketing Committee. Commissioner Dr. Wade Steinhoff Seconded. All were in Favor. The motion passed unanimously D. Building Awareness, Alliances and Appreciation Committee- No Report Provided. E. Administrative Committee- Report attached to these minutes. 1. Dissolving the formal Administrative “Committee”- Commissioner Donalee Gastreich made a motion to dissolve the Administrative Committee. Council Liaison Denise Mitchell Seconded. All were in favor. The motion passed unanimously. F. 2020 Meeting Dates- Commissioner Donalee Gastreich made a motion to approve the 2022 meeting dates. Commissioner Dr. Wade Steinhoff Seconded. All were in favor. The motion passed unanimously. The 2022 meeting dates are attached to these minutes. G. 2022 Officer Nominations- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier announced that she would not be running for office and that Commission Chair Babs Gellman would also not be running for office in the 2022 session. Commissioner Donalee Gastreich expressed gratitude and appreciation for Tina and Babs and their work during their term. Vice Chair Tina Meier announced that nomination of officers would take place at the October 2021 General meeting with a final vote at the November 2021 General Meeting. New Commission officers begin their term at the 2021 General Meeting. H. Person of the Year Award Submission Form- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier stated that the person of the year award submission forms deadline is October 11, 2021. A motion was made by Commissioner Jessica Ross- Sutton and Seconded by Commissioner Thomas Wilkison to permit Commissioner Jason Dunn to compete the form and submit to Staff Liaison Chuck Lovelace before the October 11, 2021 Human Relations Commission Minutes Page 2  Meeting Minutes – September 16, 2021 deadline without further review by the Commission. All were in Favor. The motion passed unanimously. I. Elimination of the HRC Facebook Page- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier discussed the recent elimination of the HRC Facebook page. This was a decision made by the City Legal Department. Commissioners request to ask a member of the City Media Department to attend the October 2021 General Commission Meeting to discuss further. Commission Staff Liaison Chuck Lovelace indicated that he would follow up with the Media Department. J. Zoom Meetings Prohibited- Staff Liaison Chuck Lovelace announced that all Commissions and Committees are now meeting in person and not through Zoom (virtually) as the Commission had done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meetings and agendas should be posted, this includes Committees. K. Restrictions on KRC Commissioners’ Personal Comments on Facebook/ Social Media- Still in Review by Legal. L. HRC Strategy Plan- Commission Vice Chair Tina Meier presented the preliminary 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. The preliminary plan is attached to these minutes. VIII. Comments from Commissioners- Council Liaison Denise Mitchell discussed the upcoming event at St. Charles West High School to honor Joseph Luckett. Joseph is the first African American in St. Charles to receive a Key to the City. The event will be held on Monday, October 11th from 7 to 9 PM at St Charles West High School. IX. Next Meeting- The next General Meeting will be held on October 21, 2021 at 4:30pm in the City Council Chambers. X. Adjournment- After final discussions and there being no further business, a motion was made by Commissioner Jessica Ross-Sutton and Seconded by Council Liaison Denise Mitchell to adjourn the meeting. All were in favor. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m. Human Relations Commission Minutes Page 3 City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=27698992&children=true City of St. Charles, MO Monday, October 4, 2021 Chapter 125. Boards, Commissions and Committees Article XXX. Human Relations Commission Section 125.1150. Mission, Vision, Goals and Objectives. [R.O. 2009 §33.320; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] A. Mission Of The Commission. The mission of the Human Relations Commission is to promote respect, harmony and understanding throughout the Saint Charles community. B. Vision Of The Commission. The vision of the Human Relations Commission is an equal-opportunity community in which all persons respect one another and give and receive fair treatment. C. Goals And Objectives Of The Commission. 1. The goals of the Commission shall be: a. Promote mutual understanding and respect among all social, racial, religious, cultural and ethnic groups in the community. b. Endeavor to eliminate prejudice among various groups in the community and create harmonious relationships among citizens, groups, agencies and departments within the City. 2. The objectives of the Commission shall be: a. Plan activities or programs that increase understanding and respect among all residents of the City. b. Establish relationships and encourage dialogue with diverse groups within the community to identify and address tensions that may arise. c. Provide methods and resources for citizens to take concerns and complaints related to discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing; or related to bias incidents and hate crimes motivated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability of the victim. d. Facilitate mediation services as needed in the community. e. Support efforts by law enforcement agencies, community groups and educational institutions to collect and review data related to the following and serve as repository for such data: (1) Patterns of discrimination and hate crimes. (2) Issues of civil rights and human rights. 1 of 4 10/4/2021, 1:23 PM City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=27698992&children=true (3) Community relations efforts within the City. f. Support the continued assembly and dissemination of pertinent data, studies and programs for the purposes of: (1) Promoting best practices to improve human relations. (2) Providing training materials that may be used by civic or religious organizations, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, businesses and others to prevent unfair treatment and encourage harmonious relations. (3) Disseminating such information and research as, in its judgment, will promote good will and minimize or eliminate discrimination in the City. (4) Measuring the effectiveness of programs established to educate the citizens of St. Charles in human relations issues and actions. Section 125.1160. Internal Operation. [R.O. 2009 §33.321; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] A. Advise and consult with the Mayor and City Council on matters involving discrimination. B. Study, advise and make recommendations for legislation, policies, procedures and practices of the City and other public entities as are consistent with the purposes of this Chapter. C. Regularly advise the Mayor and City Council, through distribution of its agenda, minutes, memoranda, reports and other pertinent documents, of the programs and activities being planned by the Commission; the concerns or complaints concerning discrimination or hate crimes received by the Commission; the patterns within the complaints; and other terms of business before the Commission. D. Prepare an annual report for the Mayor and the City Council concerning the Commission's activities under the provisions of this Section with recommendations and pertinent comments. E. All media interaction shall first be approved through the office of the Mayor. Section 125.1170. Commission Structure. [R.O. 2009 §33.322; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] A. Composition. 1. There shall be a Human Relations Commission consisting of eleven (11) members, appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council. Members shall include the St. Charles Police Chief or his/her designee; one (1) member of the City Council; and one (1) superintendent or his/her designee from the school districts of the City of St. Charles, Francis Howell and Orchard Farm. 2. The Mayor of Saint Charles shall serve ex officio as a non-voting member. 3. All members shall serve without compensation. All members shall serve staggered terms of three (3) years each. Appointees to the first (1st) Commission shall serve shortened terms designated at the time of appointment, with three (3) Commissioners serving for one (1) year, three (3) for two (2) years and three (3) for three (3) years. In the event of death or resignation of any member, the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council, shall appoint a successor to serve the unexpired portion of his/her term. 2 of 4 10/4/2021, 1:23 PM City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=27698992&children=true B. Commissioner Qualifications. 1. Commissioners should represent the diversity within the City as much as possible. Thy should have a strong commitment to human rights and to the principles of equal opportunity. 2. College and high school students may be appointed to serve one (1) year terms as non-voting members of the Commission. C. Internal Elections And Commission Meetings. 1. Each year the Commission shall elect one (1) Commissioner as Chair, one (1) Commissioner as Vice Chair and one (1) Commissioner as Secretary/Treasurer. 2. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Commission and perform all the duties and functions of the Chair thereof. 3. The Vice Chair shall act as Chair during the absence or incapacity of the Chair. When so acting, the Vice Chair shall have and perform all the duties and functions of the Chair and the Commission. 4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall record or sign minutes of the Commission's meetings and, as necessary, carry out financial duties and maintain financial records as stated in the Charter. 5. The terms of office of the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer shall be one (1) year. Members may be reappointed to the Commission and may serve consecutive terms as Chair, Vice Chair or Secretary/Treasurer. 6. The Chair, Vice Chair or Secretary/Treasurer may resign from office at any time during the term and may do so without resigning from the Commission. In such event, the Commission shall elect another member to replace the resigning officer. Such person shall serve the unexpired term of the person he/she replaces. 7. A majority of the appointed members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting the business thereof. 8. The Commission shall meet monthly. The Commission shall also meet at other times, as needed, to plan and carry out programs or activities or to respond to acute needs that may arise. Section 125.1180. Interface With Community. [R.O. 2009 §33.323; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] With direction and support from the City, the Commission will develop, implement and annually update a communication plan. Section 125.1190. Learning Organization. [R.O. 2009 §33.324; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] A. Commission members shall recognize that their position requires ongoing education and shall strive to participate in the training made available to them. The City will facilitate training and education by various agencies to familiarize Commission members with aspects of City operations; Federal, State and local hate crime and anti-discrimination laws; the character and cultural aspects of the City and its residents; and successful techniques for dispute resolution, mediation and community reconciliation. B. Commission members who repeatedly fail to participate in such training may forfeit their office. 3 of 4 10/4/2021, 1:23 PM City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=27698992&children=true Section 125.1200. Funding. [R.O. 2009 §33.325; Ord. No. 08-126, 6-18-2008] The City shall work with the Commission to seek, apply for and receive grants and/or funding to support its programs and operations. 4 of 4 10/4/2021, 1:23 PM  HRC Updates October 21, 2021 Babs Gellman – Chair ● Person of the Year Award Submission Form Jason Dunn provided specifics (as agreed upon by the AAA Committee) of what to include, and a finalized version was created by the Media Department, well ahead of the Oct 11th deadline. (Thank you!) An informational copy is included in this meeting packet. ● Officer Nominating Process Since many are new to the process, I thought I would share how I propose we manage the nomination process. This is based mostly on how this has been done in the past, with a few additions for clarity. 1. At the start of the Nomination process, I will ask a motion be made to adopt the process as detailed here. Changes to this process may be included in that motion. 2. Nominations for Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer are made at the October meeting with elections held in November. Both should be included as an agenda item. New officers begin their role at the December meeting. 3. The Chair opens the nominations, one position at a time, and all Commissioners can verbally put forth names. After each nomination the Chair repeats the nominated person and position and asks if there are any more nominations. The Chair will give a few minutes of time so additional nominations can be made. The Chair will announce that “Nominations for (position) are Closed” when no further nominations are put forth. The Chair then moves to the next position. 4. Some additional information about nominations: a. Nominations will be taken in the following order: Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. b. A person can be nominated for, but not hold, more than one position. When voting takes place, should they be elected Chair, and they were also nominated for Vice-Chair, their name is removed from the voting for Vice-Chair. Those elected for Chair and Vice-Chair, are then removed from the voting process for Secretary/Treasurer, if they had also been nominated for that position. c. Nominations do not have to be seconded, but it is not out of order for a Commissioner to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. d. A person can nominate themself. e. A Commission can decline the nomination during the nomination process. f. Based upon the City ordinances, all three positions must be filled for the Commission to function. Page 1 ● Process & Procedure Guidance We’ve looked into some questions HRC members had, with our City Council liaison, Denise Mitchell, leading the way. Following are the guidance/answers provided by the City, along with some established process and procedure of the HRC: 1. Legal Services: Charter section 7.7 states the city attorney shall advise… commissions concerning any legal questions affecting the city's interest, and shall perform such other legal services as may be requested by the council. The City has advised It would be best if the Staff Liaison reaches out to Legal on behalf of the commission so that Legal is communicating with one person on the commission. City has offered that the City Council Liaison may also reach out to Legal on behalf of the board/commission for legal advice and that if the Chair or Vice-Chair had a legal question, Legal would probably make themselves available. 2. Commission/Committee Meeting Related Process & Procedures: The same process and procedures for the HRC Commission apply to any task force, committee or sub-committee established as a part of the Commission. They should be following the open meetings laws located in the Sunshine Law. This includes: a. Agendas: i. Agendas should, in a manner reasonably calculated, advise the public of the matters to be considered. ii. Agendas should include the time, date and place of the meeting. If the meeting will be conducted by telephone or other electronic means, the notice of the meeting shall identify the mode by which the meeting will be conducted and the designated location where the public may observe and attend the meeting. iii. Agendas should be posted outside of the City Clerk’s Office in the City Hall Building, 24-hours in advance. 24-hours in advance is further defined as being: exclusive of weekends and holidays when the facility is closed, prior to the commencement of the meeting unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in which case as much notice as is reasonably possible shall be given. iv. City Liaison sends Agendas to City Council and the Mayor via email. Page 2  v. If the plan is to meet by internet chat, internet message board, or other computer link, agendas should be posted on its website, in addition to posting notice at the City Clerk's Office. (See Zoom Meetings below). vi. While not legally required, the HRC posts all Agendas on the City website, also at least 24 hours before the meeting. b. Meetings: i. Each meeting shall be held at a place reasonably accessible to the public and of sufficient size to accommodate the anticipated attendance by members of the public, and at a time reasonably convenient to the public, unless for good cause such a place or time is impossible or impractical. ii. If the meeting is held at City Hall, the Staff Liaison will book the conference room for the meeting and will arrange for someone to provide Commissioners and public attendees access to and from the conference room and building itself. iii. The City Hall building is not open to the Commissioners/public on weekends. iv. Every reasonable effort shall be made to grant special access to the meeting to handicapped or disabled individuals. See the notice at the bottom on this month’s agenda. c. Minutes: i. The Staff Liaison shall file Minutes of meetings at the City Clerk's office. The City Clerk forwards copies of all minutes to the Mayor and City Council for their information, with no formal action required unless desired or deemed necessary by the City Council. ii. The Staff Liaison also posts minutes on the City website. d. Quorum And Voting: i. A quorum shall consist of a majority of those members who have been appointed. Vacant positions shall not be counted as part of the total membership in determining a quorum. The affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum shall be necessary to adopt a motion. ii. No quorum, no meeting. If a quorum is lost during a meeting, the meeting should be adjourned. e. Refer to State Statutes of Missouri: 610.020.1 & 2 and City Code Section 125.040 for further information. Page 3 3. Abstaining from Voting a. Commissioners may abstain from voting only if they have a conflict of interest. They should explain there is a conflict of interest involved at the time they abstain. b. If no conflict of interest exists, and a Commissioner feels they don't have sufficient information, or they are uncomfortable making a decision, they may: i. Vote no, or ii. Make a motion to table the vote until they get more information to enable them to make a decision. This would require someone to second the motion, and approval of the motion by the Commissioners. 4. HRC Commissioner City Residency Requirement: In the past, we were under the impression residency was a requirement, having had a viable applicant denied (some years ago) for living outside the City and based on the City website. The Boards, Commission & Committees page on the City website states, under Serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, “If you are a resident of the City of St. Charles … please complete and submit our (application)”. We have now been advised that each board, commission, and committee (by ordinance), outlines the qualifications for membership. Code Section 125.1170 of Article XXX Human Relations Commission (https://ecode360.com/27699020) does not include being a city resident as a requirement for the HRC. We will advise Media of this and leave it to them to make what changes they choose to on the City website. 5. Zoom Meetings for the HRC and its Committees: Limited remote participation is allowed for HRC Commission meetings. The City’s Remote Participation Policy (Code Section 115.405) provides further information with which Commissioners should familiarize themselves (copy provided with this meeting’s packet). That section includes: i. A full quorum must be physically present at the meeting’s location, before any remote participation is allowed. ii. Remote participation will not be allowed solely for the convenience of the commissioner or merely to avoid attending one or more particular public meetings. Page 4 iii. Any commissioner wanting to remotely participate must advise the HRC Staff Liaison (who will in turn advise the City Clerk) at least two business days ahead of the meeting. No more than two commissioners can participate remotely. iv. Remote attendees must be clearly visible and audible to the greatest extent practicable. v. The acceptable reasons for remote participation are: personal illness or disability, employment duties outside the City…, or a family or personal emergency. vi. Once roll call is taken of those physically present at the meeting, a roll call vote must be taken to allow for the remote participation. vii. Remote participants are recorded as present by means of videoconference. viii. The remote commissioner(s) shall be heard, considered, and counted as to any vote taken. ix. A commissioner participating remotely may leave a meeting and return as in the case of any Commissioner physically present, provided the commissioner shall announce their departure and return. A quorum must be maintained at all times for the meeting to continue. x. All votes taken during any meeting in which a commissioner participates remotely shall be by roll call vote. xi. No commissioner may remotely participate in a closed meeting by videoconference. xii. Refer to City Code Section 115.395 and Chapter 610 of Missouri Law regarding Public Governmental Bodies and Public Meetings for further details. xiii. The City Staff Liaison is assigned, in part, to ensure the members of the HRC are following the Sunshine Law when it relates to Public Governmental Bodies and Public Meetings. As has been done in the past, if the HRC inquires about a specific procedure for holding a public meeting and the staff liaison is not familiar with the Public Governmental Bodies and Public Meetings law or City Code, the liaison should inquire with the City’s Legal Department. Page 5 Chuck Lovelace – Secretary/Treasurer and Staff Liaison ● Budget: 2021 Total Annual Budget: $1,000.00 Remaining Budget total as of Sep 2nd: $65.21 Spent Last Month: $0 Remaining Budget total as of Oct 7th: $65.21 ● Concerns brought to the attention of the Commission: ○ No complaints were received. Page 6 City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=31508263 City of St. Charles, MO Monday, October 4, 2021 Chapter 115. City Officials Article V. Public Records, Public Meetings and Votes Section 115.405. Remote Participation Policy. [Ord. No. 16-148 §1, 7-19-2016] A. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code of Ordinances to the contrary, a member of a public governmental body may attend and participate in a meeting of that body from a remote location via videoconferencing; provided, attendance and participation in the meeting is in compliance with the Remote Participation Policy set forth in this Section and Missouri law. B. Definitions. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning: BOARD MEMBER Any elective or appointive member of a public governmental body of the City of Saint Charles. CLOSED MEETING The same meaning as set forth in Section 610.010, RSMo., as amended. OPEN MEETING LAW Chapter 610, RSMo., as amended. PUBLIC GOVERNMENTAL BODY The same meaning as set forth in Section 610.010, RSMo., as amended. PUBLIC MEETING The same meaning as set forth in Section 610.010, RSMo., as amended, but shall not include a closed meeting. QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCEEDING Applies to the action of public governmental bodies, acting in their administrative capacity, who are required to investigate facts, or ascertain the existence of facts, hold hearings, and draw conclusions from the facts, as a basis for their official action, and to exercise discretion of a judicial nature. A determination of whether a proceeding is quasi-judicial shall be guided by whether the public governmental body exercised such traditional judicial powers as the conducting of hearings at which witnesses may be summoned and examined, documents subpoenaed, and judgments handed down. VIDEOCONFERENCE 1 of 3 10/4/2021, 3:10 PM City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=31508263 A conference among board members of a public governmental body remote from one (1) another who are linked by interactive communication through duplex audio and video signals transmitted over a telephone network, data network, or the Internet, between and among board members of the pubic governmental body and members of the public physically present at the meeting location. During any videoconference both the visual and auditory communications functions of the devices shall be used. C. Policy Statement. It is the policy of the City of Saint Charles that any board member of a public governmental body may attend and participate in a public meeting of that body from a remote location via videoconferencing; provided, attendance and participation is in compliance with this policy and any other applicable law. This policy is promulgated to promote greater participation in government. Board members are encouraged to make all efforts to physically attend public meetings whenever possible. Board members have a responsibility to ensure that remote participation in a public meeting is not used to thwart the purposes of the Open Meeting Law.[1] Remote participation will not be allowed solely for the convenience of the board member or merely to avoid attending one or more particular public meetings. [1] Editor's Note: See § 610.010, et seq., RSMo. D. Prerequisites. A board member shall be provided the opportunity to attend a public meeting from a remote location if the board member meets the following conditions and a majority of the board members physically present at the public meeting vote to approve the remote attendance. 1. The board member must notify the City Clerk at least two business days before the public meeting of his/her intent to remotely participate in the public meeting; 2. Board members who participate remotely and all persons present at the public meeting location shall be clearly visible to the greatest extent practicable and audible to each other; 3. The board member must assert one of the following reasons why he or she is unable to physically attend a public meeting of the public governmental body of which he or she is a member, including either because of: a. Personal illness or disability; b. Employment duties outside the City, military service or other City business; or c. A family or personal emergency; 4. A majority of all the members of the public governmental body must be physically present at the meeting location; and 5. Not more than two board members shall be permitted to participate remotely during any one (1) public meeting. If more than two (2) board members desire to participate remotely during the same public meeting, priority shall be granted to the two (2) board members that first notified the City Clerk pursuant to Subsection (D)(1) of this Section. E. Technology. The public governmental body shall determine the method of communication technology to be used for remote meeting participation, subject to the availability of the technology and the appropriation of funds. The public governmental body chairperson or, in the chair's absence, the person chairing the meeting, may decide how to address technical difficulties that arise as a result of utilizing remote participation, but is encouraged, wherever possible, to suspend discussion while reasonable efforts are made to correct any problem that interferes with a remote participant's ability to see and hear or be seen and heard clearly by persons present at the public meeting location. If technical difficulties result in a remote participant being disconnected from the public meeting, that fact and the time which the disconnection occurred shall be noted in the meeting minutes. F. Voting Procedures. After the meeting is called to order and the roll call of board members physically present at the meeting occurs, then a roll call vote shall be taken, considering the prerequisites set forth in Subsection (D), on whether to allow a board member to participate remotely. G. Quorum And Vote Required. A quorum must be established by board members physically present at the public meeting before it may consider whether to allow a board member to participate in the public meeting remotely. A vote of a majority of the board members physically present shall be necessary to decide the issue. For the public meeting to continue there shall always be a quorum physically present. 2 of 3 10/4/2021, 3:10 PM City of St. Charles, MO Ecode360 https://ecode360.com/print/ST3435?guid=31508263 H. Minutes. The board member participating remotely shall be counted as present by means of videoconference for that meeting if the board member is allowed to participate in accordance with Subsection (G). The meeting minutes shall state whether each board member is physically present or present by videoconference. I. Participation By Remote Board Member. The board member permitted to participate remotely will be able to express his or her comments during the public meeting and participate in the same capacity as those board members physically present, subject to all general public meeting guidelines and procedures previously adopted and adhered to. The remote board member shall be heard, considered, and counted as to any vote taken. Accordingly, the name of any remote board member shall be called during any vote taken, and his or her vote counted, recorded and placed in the meeting minutes. A board member participating remotely may leave a meeting and return as in the case of any board member physically present, provided the board member attending remotely shall announce his or her departure and return. J. Voting. All votes taken during any meeting in which a board member participates remotely shall be by roll call vote. K. Closed Meetings. A majority of all the board members of a public governmental body must be physically present at any closed meeting. No board member may remotely participate in a closed meeting by videoconference. L. Quasi-Judicial Proceeding. No board member may remotely participate in any quasi-judicial proceeding. If a quasi-judicial proceeding is only part of a public meeting in which a board member is participating remotely, that board member participating remotely shall abstain from participating or voting in the quasi-judicial proceeding. M. Costs. Payment of any costs associated with remote participation, including videoconferencing and other audio and video equipment, must be approved by the City. 3 of 3 10/4/2021, 3:10 PM Do These Attributes Sound Like Any Person Or Organization You Know? 1. Promotes mutual understanding and respect among all social, religious, cultural and ethnic groups. 2. Encourages dialogue and inclusivity with diverse groups. 3. Promotes best practices in human relations. If so, The Human Relations Commission of St. Charles City is looking for nominations for their Annual Person of the Year Award. This award is presented to one individual or business who has best demonstrated these attributes. Please include in your nomination the following information: 1. Describe how the individual or organization has met or currently meets the three attributes listed above. 2. What problem(s) have they addressed or helped? 3. Explain who their work has impacted. 4. Describe how they have assisted in changing St. Charles’ Human Relations efforts? Please remember the nominee must be an individual who has resided or been employed in the city for at least 2 years, or an organization that has directly served St. Charles City residents for at least 2 years. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Nominator Information (If additional space is needed please submit another piece of paper) Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Email Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: _____________________________________________________________________ Nominee Information Name or Organization Name: _________________________________________________________ Street Address: __________________________________________________Zip Code:__________ Email Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: _____________________________________________________________________ Reason for Nomination (please remember to include the criteria previously listed): ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Send to the Human Relations Commission at HRC@stcharlescitymo.gov or by mail to Chuck Lovelace in the Community Development Department at City Hall, 200 N. 2nd Street, Suite 303, 63301. For more information, call (636) 949-3222.  OCTOBER 2021 Report Education Subcommittee of the Human Relations Commission City of St. Charles, Missouri Education Committee Members: Tina Meier, Ed Bryant, Jessica Sutton, & Wade Steinhoff 1. No monthly Education Committee meeting happened. 2. As of October 7, 2021, Shanton said that they are still trying to finalize dates for the training, but with needing 16 different sessions, its taking some time. Shanton will provide an update when scheduled. END OF REPORT  STRATEGIC PLAN 2021 - 2024 MM/DD/YYYY THROUGH MM/DD/YYYY COMMISSION APPROVED ON MM/DD/YYYY OVERVIEW The St. Charles Human Relations Committee was created by Ordinance #08-126 on June 18, 2008. Its formation was sparked by an incident in late 2007 which illustrated the need for the City of St. Charles to provide the Community with support when they faced unfair discrimination that infringed upon their Civil Rights. MISSION To promote respect, harmony and understanding throughout the Saint Charles community. VISION An equal-opportunity community in which all persons respect one another and give and receive fair treatment. GOALS OF THE COMMISSION Promote mutual understanding and respect among all social, racial, religious, cultural and ethnic groups in the community. Endeavor to eliminate prejudice among various groups in the community and create harmonious relationships among citizens, groups, agencies and departments within the City. CORE VALUES The Human Relations Commission’s core values align with those common, those essential to, diversity, equity and inclusion work: INTEGRITY: We assure reliability and honesty. We are ethical and respectful in all our endeavors and continually strive to apply high standards and best practices to make a direct and powerful difference in our community EDUCATION: We work to continually increase our knowledge of current trends and research related to our mission. We anticipate and adapt to changing conditions. INCLUSION: We embrace different abilities, perspectives and experiences, and are committed to the promotion of equity—welcoming, celebrating, and valuing the contributions of all. EMPATHY: We seek to understand, support, and actively listen to individuals in need of our services and convey compassion without judgement. Page 2 Rev 8/27/2021 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Our Strategic Priorities are driven by the City of St. Charles’ Title I Government Code, Chapter 125 Boards, Commissions and Committees, Article XXX Human Relations Commission. 1.) LEGISLATION, POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES: EXISTING ORDINANCES Support efforts by law enforcement agencies, community groups and educational institutions to collect and review data related to the following and serve as repository for such data: (1) Patterns of discrimination and hate crimes. (2) Issues of civil rights and human rights. (3) Community relations efforts within the City. (125.1150) Study, advise and make recommendations for legislation, policies, procedures and practices of the City and other public entities as are consistent with the purposes of this Chapter. (125.1160) Regularly advise the Mayor and City Council, through distribution of its agenda, minutes, memoranda, reports and other pertinent documents, of the programs and activities being planned by the Commission; the concerns or complaints concerning discrimination or hate crimes received by the Commission; the patterns within the complaints; and other terms of business before the Commission. (125.1160) Prepare an annual report for the Mayor and the City Council concerning the Commission's activities under the provisions of this Section with recommendations and pertinent comments. (125.1160) 2.) EDUCATION: EXISTING ORDINANCES Disseminating such information and research as, in its judgment, will promote good will and minimize or eliminate discrimination in the City. (125.1150) Measuring the effectiveness of programs established to educate the citizens of St. Charles in human relations issues and actions. (125.1150) Page 3 Rev 8/27/2021  3.) COMMUNITY AWARENESS & ADVOCACY: EXISTING ORDINANCES Plan activities or programs that increase understanding and respect among all residents of the City. (125.1150) Establish relationships and encourage dialogue with diverse groups within the community to identify and address tensions that may arise. (125.1150) Provide methods and resources for citizens to take concerns and complaints related to discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing; or related to bias incidents and hate crimes motivated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability of the victim. (125.1150) STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: LEGISLATION, POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES: Keep legislation, policies, procedures and practices of the City and other public entities, aligned with diversity, equity and inclusion advancements made at the federal, state and local level. PRIORITY ACTIVITES 1. Advise the Mayor and City Council on changes that have occurred (or are needed), providing information and recommendation for action(s) to be taken by the City. a. Develop a process for advising the Mayor and City Council. b. Identify DEI advocates (groups and individuals) who work in this area and how we can benefit from their knowledge and expertise. c. Review ordinances pertaining to the HRC to ensure that they consistently cover all areas of discrimination and make recommendations as needed to the City. d. Evaluated Bi-Lingual services and supports and make recommendations as needed to the City. e. Recommend Juneteenth be included in the ordinances as a City Holiday. f. Recommend a Minority and Women Owned City Purchasing Policy. g. Recommend the mayor/city creates a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement. Page 4 Rev 8/27/2021  2. Regularly advise the Mayor and City Council. a. Prepare an annual report for the Mayor and the City Council concerning the Commission's activities and recommendations. b. Distribute agenda, minutes, memoranda, reports and other pertinent documents, of the programs and activities being planned by the Commission. c. Report concerns or complaints concerning discrimination or hate crimes received by the Commission; the patterns within the complaints. d. Formulate a plan to present critical and/or time sensitive information directly to the Mayor and City Council. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2: EDUCATION Provide education on diversity, equity and inclusion and encouraging respect, harmony and understanding, aimed at minimizing or eliminating discrimination in the City. PRIORITY ACTIVITES 1. Recommend the City formally commitments to providing City Staff diversity, equity and inclusion training. a. Recommend such training be included in ordinances as being required. b. Recommend such training be included in the City budget. c. Recommend support and sufficient City resources be allocated to the development of a training plan using internal and/or external resources. 2. Collaborate with the Human Resource Director for the City to implement DEI training for all City employees. a. Plan a yearly calendar of trainings available to all City employees. b. Research new DEI training opportunities for all City employees. 3. Research and make recommendations of training opportunities for civic or religious organizations, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, businesses and residents. a. Identify appropriate trainings. b. Develop methods of sharing training opportunities and encouraging them to engage. 4. Measuring the effectiveness of educational programs. a. Research and developing appropriate tools for measurement. b. Regularly report results. Page 5 Rev 8/27/2021  5. Enhance our digital platform including City web, social media resources and tools to increase reach and educate targeted audiences. a. Work with the City’s Media Department to provide educational information to City residents. b. Provide timely content related to HRC’s mission through Facebook and the HRC website. c. Regularly evaluate data to determine the public’s awareness of HRC (ex: site traffic, social listening, search volume) and inform strategy. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3: COMMUNITY AWARENESS & ADVOCACY Establish relationships and encourage dialogue within the community to increase understanding and respect among all residents of the City. Advocacy means going beyond having conversations with people that already agree with you. PRIORITY ACTIVITES 1. Plan activities or programs that increase understanding and respect among all residents of the City. a. Attend, sponsor or hold XX events held within the city/county each year, with a minimum of three Commissioners present at in-person events or actively participating in on-line events. b. Person/Business of the Year Award. 2. Provide methods and resources for citizens to take concerns and complaints related to discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing; or related to bias incidents and hate crimes motivated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability of the victim. a. Continue to provide easy access to Citizens to take concerns, complaints, and suggestions to the HRC through the website, email, HRC Facebook page, and City Hall lockbox. b. Proactively solicit thoughts and ideas from the public on what they need and want from the HRC and City. c. Review data, monitor trends, and provide reports to the City. Page 6 Rev 8/27/2021 OUTCOMES Human Relations Commission activities enhance the likelihood of achieving the desired outcomes outlined below, ultimately ensuring we fulfil our mission. 1. Increase the City’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score; 2. Increase recognition of the HRC with city administrators, city staff, businesses, agencies and residents as successfully advocating for anti-discrimination action within St. Charles; 3. The City is recognized as providing solid protections under the law, and as welcoming, to people of all identities. 4. People of all identities are included, and have a voice, in what is happening within their community. Page 7 Rev 8/27/2021  City of St. Charles Human Relations Commission Ordinance Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011 33.320(C)(2)(a) Plan activities or programs that increase understanding and respect among all residents of the city. Policy Each year the Human Relations Commission (HRC) will sponsor, independently or with other organizations, one or more activities or educational programs designed to increase residents’ understanding of and respect for all other residents. Procedure 1. The HRC will sponsor activities and programs that increase the awareness and understanding of St. Charles citizens of the history, culture, beliefs or traditions of all residents. 2. The HRC will encourage participation by residents of all racial, cultural and religious backgrounds in the programs and activities that it sponsors. 3. Each year the HRC may recognize individuals or organizations for commendable service in building understanding and respect within the St. Charles community. 33.320 (C)(2)(b) Establish relationships and encourage dialogue with diverse groups within the community, to identify and address tensions that may arise. Policy To promote understanding among all residents and to increase awareness of situations that may affect the well-being of the City of St. Charles, the Human Relations Commission will establish and maintain relationships with various other organizations that share its goals for promoting respect and understanding. Procedure 1. The HRC will host an annual meeting to establish and maintain relationships with the city commissions, city boards and other organizations that share HRC’s goals for promoting respect and understanding. The HRC will invite representatives from each of the groups to attend the annual meeting. At the meeting, all groups will have the opportunity to discuss their plans or objectives for the next year, and to consider ways that they might work together on projects. 2. The HRC will encourage all organizations with which it establishes relationships to keep the HRC informed throughout the year of any human relations issues they become aware of in the community, as well as commendable human relations efforts that should be recognized. HRC Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011  2 33.320(C)(2)(c) Provide methods and resources for citizens to take concerns and complaints related to discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing; or related to bias incidents and hate crimes motivated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability of the victim. Policy The Human Relations Commission will provide a process for individuals to present to the HRC concerns related to discrimination, bias or hate crimes. The HRC will contact any individual who submits a written concern or requests information about how to submit a concern. The HRC will facilitate the process of getting the concern to the appropriate organization or organizations, and will request information about resolution of the concern. Procedure 1. Concerns may be submitted in writing on the Human Relations Commission Suggestions / Concerns Form, which will be available at City Hall and on the City of St. Charles website. The form will include information about how to complete and return it. For further information about submitting a concern, individuals may contact the HRC through the city website or by calling the HRC Staff Liaison at City Hall. 2. All concerns submitted to the HRC will be relayed by the HRC City of St. Charles staff liaison to the HRC Chairperson and the Mayor. 3. The HRC Chairperson will appoint a committee to process concerns received by the HRC. The committee will collect and organize information about local, state and federal organizations that handle complaints about discrimination, bias or hate crimes. When the HRC Chairperson receives a written concern, she or he will ask the committee to contact the individual who sent it. The HRC committee will offer to send the person who submitted the concern all available information about local, state and federal organizations that deal with complaints related to their concern. 4. If the individual who submitted the concern decides to contact a local, state or federal organization about the concern, the HRC committee will, if the individual so desires, inform the organization that the individual intends to contact them. The HRC committee will request that it be informed about resolution of the complaint. 5. The HRC committee will file the concern and all reports received about its resolution. The committee will report at HRC meetings on new information received about the concern until it is resolved or the process is closed. 6. An individual who wishes to remain anonymous while reporting a concern to the HRC may do so by using the mail or email address on the Human Relations Commission Suggestions / Concerns Form or by depositing the completed form in HRC Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011  3 the HRC Suggestions / Concerns Drop-Box at City Hall. The concern filed anonymously will be relayed by the City of St. Charles staff liaison to the HRC Chairperson and the Mayor. A concern filed anonymously may be discussed with any individuals or organizations it concerns. The concern will be reported at the next HRC meeting. Section 33.320(C)(2)(d) Facilitate mediation services as needed in the community. Policy The Human Relations Commission will provide education about mediation as a means of resolving conflicts to its members and to other interested St. Charles organizations and individuals. Upon request by the Mayor or City Council, the HRC will facilitate mediation services. Procedure 1. The HRC will collect and organize information about mediation services available in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The HRC will make the information available to the Mayor and to other interested individuals and organizations. 2. The HRC may periodically engage qualified mediation experts to provide educational and/or training sessions on mediation. 3. If requested by the Mayor or City Council, HRC members who have received mediation training may act as mediators to help resolve community conflicts. 33.320(C)(2)(e) Support efforts by law enforcement agencies, community groups, and educational institutions to collect and review data related to the following, and serve as repository of such data: 1. Patterns of discrimination and hate crimes 2. Issues of civil right and human rights 3. Community relations efforts within the city Policy To be effective, supportive, and productive, the Human Relations Commission must be cognizant of the issues, patterns and behaviors that affect the well-being of the community. This includes patterns or issues that affect community groups, law enforcement agencies and educational institutions. Procedure 1. At each monthly meeting the Mayor, Police Chief, Superintendent of Schools, City Council liaisons and other HRC members will have the opportunity to report any topics, patterns or issues related to the HRC mission that have emerged, and any community relations efforts that have been made. HRC Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011  4 2. Reports of human relations issues from community groups with which the HRC has established relationships [See 33.320(C)(2)(b)], received at the annual meeting hosted by HRC for such groups, or at any other time during the year, will be addressed promptly by HRC. 3. Concerns received by the HRC from individuals in the community [See 33.320(C)(3)(c)] will be addressed promptly by HRC. 33.320(C)(2)(f) Support the continued assembly and dissemination of pertinent data, studies and programs for the purpose of: 1. Promoting best practices to improve human relations. 2. Providing training materials that may be used by civic or religious organizations, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, businesses and others to prevent unfair treatment and encourage harmonious relations. 3. Disseminating such information and research as, in its judgment, will promote good will and minimize or eliminate discrimination in the city. 4. Measuring the effectiveness of programs established to educate the citizens of St. Charles in human relations issues and actions. Policy HRC members will strive to keep informed about programs and activities in other Missouri cities or other states that have successfully promoted understanding and respect or reduced discrimination within the community, and that might be adapted for use in the City of St. Charles. The HRC will publicize its programs and activities widely in an effort to encourage as many individuals as possible to participate. Each year the HRC will survey the community groups with which it has established relationships, other interested groups or individuals, and its own members, about the effectiveness of HRC’s programs and activities. Procedure 1. HRC officers will keep abreast of successful HRC regional programs and activities through communication with the Department of Justice Community Relations Service in Kansas City, Missouri. 2. The HRC will invite other organizations and interested individuals to attend any training sessions it sponsors to prevent discrimination or encourage harmonious relations within the community. 3. The HRC Chairperson will appoint a committee each year to review the minutes of the previous year for the purpose of compiling an HRC Annual Review that includes information about HRC’s meetings, reports, programs and activities, as well as the concerns that HRC has received and monitored. The committee will provide a written copy of the HRC Annual Review to the Mayor and to the organizations with HRC Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011  5 which it has developed relationships. Information from the Annual Review may be used by the HRC to plan activities, programs, studies, initiatives and actions that promote understanding and respect, and eliminate discrimination, in the City of St. Charles. 4. At the annual meeting hosted for all organizations with which HRC has established a relationship, the HRC will ask attendees to complete an evaluation of the programs and activities it has sponsored or co-sponsored during the preceding year, and to suggest programs or activities for the future. ******************** HRC Policies and Procedures August 4, 2011