Date: February 6, 2013

Time: 4:00 p.m. –  6:30 p.m.

Location: 421 SW 6^th Avenue, Suite 500 Portland, OR

Commission Attendees: Kyle Busse, Allan Lazo, Donita Fry, Donna Maxey, Deyalo Bennette, Aimee Samara Krouskop, Ashley Horne, Moloy Good

Staff Attendee:  Jeff Selby

Welcome and Introductions

• Attendees were introduced to new communications program coordinator for OEHR, Jeff Selby.
• Kyle Busse welcomed HRC candidate, John Verssue.

Emily Gottfried Memorial

• Commissioners, past commissioners (Tricia Knoll and Hector Lopez), and community members offered reflections on the life and work of Commissioner Emily Gottfried, who passed away in January.
• ***MOTION: ALLAN LAZO / SECOND: DONNA MAXEY / MOTION PASSED***
  • Name the Human Rights Awards as the Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Awards and award the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously  to  Emily.
  • Kyle Busse recommended that the Vice Chair position be the point person for the Emily G. Gottfried Human Rights Awards process (facilitate planning). Allan Lazo suggested a bylaw change to make this formal. The HRC will table this discussion until a new Vice Chair is named.

Agenda:

• Ashley Horne updated the Commission on the Public Policy Committee
  • Committee work is coming into fruition and taking shape
  • Focusing on three categories: Special Projects (i.e. tuition waver for victims of human trafficking), Legislative-specific Public Policy Work, Responsiveness to Findings of Discovery Committee.
  • Kyle Busse discussed that the HRC should make an informed statement on the Earned Sick Leave Policy issue at the next hearing
  • ***MOTION: KYLE BUSSE / SECOND: ALLAN LAZO / MOTION PASSED***
    • Create a workgroup who will research the Earned Sick Leave Policy and advise the Executive Committee on a recommended position and spokesperson to represent the HRC at Council hearing.
• Donna Maxey announced the Urban League’s African American Legislative Action Day at the State Capitol will be held on February 19, 2013.
• Kyle Busse mentioned that Fluoride is another issue that the Public Policy Committee should monitor. Deyalo Bennette presented some information on the fluoride issue as well.

•  ***MOTION: DONNA MAXEY / SECOND: DEYALO BENNETTE / MOTION PASSED***
  • Establish an annual HRC event where commissioners can share appreciation for each other.
•  ***MOTION: ALLAN LAZO / SECOND: AIMEE Krouskop / AMENDED: MOLOY GOOD / MOTION PASSED AS AMENDED***
  • Authorize Kyle Busse to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) detailing the working relationship between the HRC and the OEHR with the following change in Section F: “Where a matter of conflict arises between HRC and OEHR, each body will work collaboratively and openly [with the Commissioner in Charge] to identify the gaps creating this and find solutions to those gaps. It is understood that the [full City Council] Commissioner in Charge of OEHR would have ultimate authority in decision-making should there be a continuing inability to reach agreement.” If the OEHR Director can or cannot sign the document with these changes, then the HRC should authorize the Chair to sign the document.
• Moloy Good amended the motion by recommending that if the OEHR Director cannot sign the document with these changes, then the following sentence should be deleted: “It is understood that the Commissioner in Charge of OEHR would have ultimate authority in decision-making should there be a continuing inability to reach agreement.”

• Portland Commission on Disability (PCOD) update from Chair, Nyla McCarthy
  • PCOD Retreat schedule for Friday, February 8, 2013
  • Joe Vanderveer will be elected Chair at the retreat
  • PECOD is recruiting new members
  • The goal of PCOD is to create disability awareness in all City functions
  • PECOD is interested in collaborating with HRC on legislation issues

• Housing Rights Task Force Update: Moloy Good
  • HRC and Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF) signed on to policies that lock out various communities. HRTF asked Rep. Chip Shields to submit a bill to eliminate Section 8 discrimination. Rep. Tina Kotek has introduced legislation that is similar to Rep. Shields’ bill.
  • Commissioners Good, Turner, and Lazo attended a Legislative Town Hall and met with Rep. Kotek to discuss HRC’s positions.
  • HRTF has joined a coalition (Connecting Communities of Oregon) that supports repeal of the ban on inclusionary zoning.
  • Connecting Communities of Oregon will give inclusionary zoning presentations to community partners, in preparation for a Housing Justice rally planned for March in Salem.
  • Allan Lazo added that HRC should tie state legislation and discussion to a City focus.

• Deyalo Bennette asked the HRC to give feedback on community organizations in the city that the Community Discovery Committee (CDC) can contact in preparation for upcoming community forums

• Community and Police Relations Committee (CPRC) Update: Donita Fry
  • Strategic Planning Process included presentation by Stephen Manning on the CPRC’s history and accomplishments. CPRC will develop formal work plan.

• Bureau Advisory Committee (BAC) Update: Allan Lazo
  • The initial focus of the BAC in their first two meetings has been budget. The group has a strong social justice focus.
  • Allan Lazo is on the one seat allotted to HRC and would entertain another Commissioner to take that seat if he/she is interested in doing so.

Public Comment:

• Allan Martinez is a PSU graduate student who is interested in an internship with the HRC and is interested in having the HRC involved with his current internship at Roosevelt High School. Ashley Horne volunteered to work with Allan on the Roosevelt High School project. Allan Lazo is researching the requirements of internship with the HRC.

Food was provided by Sho Japanese Restaurant.

Meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.