Mayor's Commission on Communities of Color (Meets 2nd Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.)

Office of the Mayor Jim Paine, Mayor Nick Raverty, Chief of Staff Phone: (715) 395-7212 1316 North 14th Street, #301 Fax: (715) 395-7590 Superior, WI 54880 TDD: (715) 395-7521 Website: www.ci.superior.wi.us E-mail: mayor@ci.superior.wi.us AGENDA MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021 5:30 P.M. – Virtual Attendance https://meet.google.com/xyf-vpuq-wkc (US) +1 617-675-4444 PIN: 181 891 427 3284# Members: Chair Deanna Reder, Deonne Nelson, Natasha Lancour, Jenny Van Sickle, Pat St. Germaine, and Kat Werchouski AGENDA: 1. Roll Call 2. Approval of November 10 minutes 3. Presentation from Superior Public Library Director, Sue Heskin 4. Discuss a Communities of Color/LBGTQ+ liaison officer 5. Discuss switching to quarterly or bi-monthly meetings 6. Goals for 2021 7. City staff training 8. Citizen suggestion update 9. MLK Day 10. Any other business 11. Adjournment The City of Superior complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you are in need of an accommodation to participate in the public meeting process, please contact Nick Raverty at (715) 395-7212 by 4:30 pm on Friday prior to the scheduled meeting. The City will attempt to accommodate any request depending on the amount of notice we receive. Notice is hereby given that a majority of the members of the Common Council may be present at the meeting, and although this may constitute a quorum of the Common Council, the Council will not take any action at this meeting. c: City Clerk’s Office Public Access – via e-mail  Office of the Mayor Jim Paine, Mayor Nick Raverty, Chief of Staff to the Mayor Phone: (715) 395-7212 1316 North 14th Street, #301 Fax: (715) 395-7590 Superior, WI 54880 TDD: (715) 395-7521 Website: www.ci.superior.wi.us E-mail: mayor@ci.superior.wi.us MINUTES MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 2020 6:30 P.M. - CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS The November 10 meeting of the Mayor’s Commission on Communities of Color was called to order at 6:33 pm. 1. Roll Call Present: Deanna Reder, Jenny Van Sickle, Natasha Lancour, Kat Werchouski, Mayor Jim Paine Absent: Deonne Nelson, Pat St. Germaine 2. Approval of September 16 minutes Motion by Commissioner Van Sickle, second by Commissioner Werchouski, and passed unanimously to approve the meeting minutes. 3. Elect officers for the Commission Commissioner Reder was nominated to by Chair of the commission by Commissioner Van Sickle, second by Commissioner Werchouski, and passed unanimously. No other officers were elected at this meeting. 4. Update from Chief Alexander on demographics and 2019 citations Police Chief Alexander hand-checked citations to establish a proper demographic breakdown for communities of color. Of the 184 citations issued to black individuals, 79 (44%) were non- residents, and of the 98 indigenous individuals, 35 were non-residents. There was legislation from the State of Wisconsin that monitored traffic stops for consistencies within communities, but was repealed due to its large size and inability to maintain. State of Wisconsin still tracks by race, gender, etc. Commissioner Van Sickle noted that 1.8% of Superior’s population is black, yet they still make up 5.9% of citations in 2019. It is important to review and analyze numbers regularly. Commissioner Van Sickle also noted it would be interesting to cast a wider net and see what the breakdown is for the entire Twin Ports area. Chief Alexander discussed the implicit bias and policing training that Superior Police Officers must complete. Officers Robinson and Davis are now certified to train others on implicit bias and de-escalation; a tool that will be utilized within SPD. This will be built into the annual training program for police officers and is aimed to happen multiple times per year. 5. Any other business Commissioner Van Sickle brought up the potential amendment to the nuisance ordinance within the City of Superior allowing for the installation of placards on nuisance properties for identification. The commissioner asked that the Commission be used as a resource for the City to  utilize while looking at the program, and stated how the program could impact communities of color. Chief Alexander explained how the nuisance ordinance and timeline is utilized for the City of Superior. The ordinance has been in effect since 2004 and is aimed to help abate quality of life issues and help keep landlords in compliance with local ordinances. Chief Alexander also mentioned the Public Safety Committee will be meeting November 18th to discuss this ordinance amendment and asked if someone from the commission may want to attend. Chair Reder asked what area or neighborhood these calls are typically for. Chief Alexander said he would check with Officer Jago who is the primary contact for nuisance ordinance processes. 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 pm.  Office of the Mayor Jim Paine, Mayor Nick Raverty, Chief of Staff to the Mayor Phone: (715) 395-7212 1316 North 14th Street, #301 Fax: (715) 395-7590 Superior, WI 54880 TDD: (715) 395-7521 Website: www.ci.superior.wi.us E-mail: mayor@ci.superior.wi.us NOTES MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 2020 5:30 P.M. - CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS The December 14 meeting of the Mayor’s Commission on Communities of Color was called to order at 5:35 p.m. AGENDA: 1. Roll Call Chair Deanna Reder, Jenny Van Sickle, and Kat Werchouski. No quorum was reached, but commissioners discussed the following agenda topics. 2. Approval of November 10 minutes Hold until the January 2021 meeting 3. Discuss switching to quarterly meetings Commissioner Van Sickle stated that quarterly meetings could build a more robust agenda, and the commission could consider inviting a guest speaker. She also stated department heads could attend commission meetings to create a collaborative environment. Commissioner Werchouski offered the idea to begin inviting community members to speak with the commission. They also asked the calendar for the year be set in advance, and if considering quarterly meetings should be extended to one and a half hours to offer enough time to complete business. They also mentioned the commission could consider bi-monthly meetings. Commissioners chose to hold this until the January 2021 meeting when more commissioners were present to have a quorum. Commissioner Werchouski asked that it be specifically mentioned in the next email to the commission the importance of discussing this topic. 4. Goals for 2021 Chair Reder opened the conversation by stating it would be beneficial to establish a shared set of goals for the commission to work towards in 2021. She offered if the focus should be internal growth or community presence. Commissioner Werchouski stated the commission should push for regular attendance and building relationships with community leaders within the Twin Ports (Superior, Duluth, and Fond Du Lac). Another focus should be Ojibwe naming across city and signs. Commissioner Reder added she would like to see continued growth in Superior then branch to other areas in the Twin Ports. Commissioner Van Sickle posed the question: Do we work to inspire speakers or for speakers to inspire our work? She stated she believes focus should be on education and facilitating cultural conversations. She would like to see the commission look at the naming of Moccasin Mike Road  (leading to Wisconsin Point). Commissioner Van Sickle also said she would like to see better partnership with department heads, organizations, students, events, and business. Chair Reder posed the question: How can we recruit more members from diverse backgrounds? Mayor Paine did interject to inform the commission the resolution establishing the commissioner set commission member number and term length. Commissioner Werchouski brought up the topic of city employee training. Mayor Paine said this is very attainable and could be done quickly. The commission can make a specific recommendation on the training and who should attend and the Mayor’s Office will begin working on this initiative. Commissioner Van Sickle stated there is a serious need for diversity training within the city. Suggested creating and sending out a survey to gauge what training would be most beneficial. She offered the idea that the commission offer a list of 5-6 goals for the training that could be translated into an RFP from the city soliciting proposals. Chair Reder closed the conversation by stating she will coordinate gathering lists of potential goals for 2021 from commissioners and a list of goals for staff training. 5. Citizen suggestion/comment ability Chair Reder began the conversation by explaining her idea that citizens should be able to easily reach out to the commission and ask questions, state concerns, or offer ideas. Nick Raverty shared an idea of doing something similar to the current citizen suggestion program, which would allow individuals to fill out a short form online and the response would be sent to commissioners and/or the mayor’s office. Chair Reder asked about the creation and use of a Facebook page for the commission. Commissioner Werchouski added it would be a great way to establish the commission as a hub of resources for the community. Mayor Paine reminded the commission it will get public interaction and there needs to be a way to facilitate that activity. When creating a public forum there are lines to consider that may implicate first amendment rights. Commissioner Van Sickle inquired if City Attorney Prell may offer guidance, or perhaps the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. Mayor Paine said yes, but it will take time to develop. 6. Any other business Commissioner Van Sickle shared that the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended naming Makwa Ziibiins Miikana – Bear Creek Trail with the Ojibwe name first, but was then presented to Council with Break Creek Trail first. Council did switch the naming back to Ojibwe first and English second, but now poses the questions if pronunciation should be included on the signage. It is not currently included on other city signs. Chair Reder asked if it should instead be included on every sign. Commissioner Werchouski said they believe we should go back and add for all signs by recommendation of this commission. It shows a respect for the language and is educational. Also make the recommendation for a city policy stating Ojibwe naming always precedes English. Mayor Paine stated we will need to find a way to promote the Ojibwe naming if this is the goal. 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:51 p.m.