City of Lawrence
Lawrence Human Relations Commission
November 14, 2013 – 11:00 AM
Minutes
Members
Present:
Jason
Barnhill, Scott Criqui, James Dunn, Carl Edwards, Sarah Bloxsom, and William
Welch
Members
Excused:
Katherine Pryor and Katrina McClure
Members
Unexcused: Kirsten Krug
Staff
Present: Toni Wheeler, Scott Wagner, Bryant Barton,
Susan Parson, and Megan Gilliland
Public
Present:
Bill Larzalere, Chief Litigation
Attorney with KU Legal Services for Students
______________________________________________________________________
Commission
Meeting Called to Order
The Lawrence Human Relations Commission (LHRC)
Meeting was called to order by Chair, Jason Barnhill, at 11:00 a.m. in the City
Commission Room at City Hall, located at 6 East 6th Street, 1st
Floor, Lawrence, Kansas. Chairman Barnhill began the meeting by asking the
Commissioners and staff to go around the table and introduce themselves and to
provide a brief background of themselves. Vice Chairman Criqui welcomed the new
Commissioners: Carl Edwards, William Welch, and Sarah Bloxsom. Bryant Barton,
City Prosecutor and Human Relations Investigator introduced himself as a new
member of the City’s staff.
Acceptance
of Agenda
Chairman Barnhill asked the commission if
there were any additional agenda items for consideration. No additional items were offered.
Approval
of Minutes
Chairman Barnhill asked if there were
additions or changes to the commission minutes from the August, 15 2013 meeting.
Vice Chair Criqui moved to approve the
minutes, Commissioner Dunn seconded, all voted in favor.
Receive
Staff Report
Bryant Barton, our new City Prosecutor, gave
the Case Report Update.
A. Case Report Update:
Closed Cases (since August meeting)
Open Cases
B.
Outreach Activities:
Lawrence In-Focus
Megan Gilliland gave a review over the
videos the City has been using to promote priorities that are important to the
City of Lawrence called Lawrence In-Focus. Ms. Gilliland said what the Human
Relations Commission needs to do is: to have a target month, identify the goal
of the commission for the video, create questions that you want answered,
identify participants for video and in what role. Her staff does the on camera interviews, can
assist with preparing questions, and does the final editing. The final product
of the video should be 45 to 90 seconds. They will shoot about 20 minutes worth
of video and edit it down to what gives the best presentation of the goal of
your commission.
Vice Chair Criqui said he really liked the
videos and that it is a great way to get the word out, and asked will these
videos be around for some time? Ms. Gilliland offered that the City Manager
really likes them and the videos are being very well received within the City
and in the Community. Ms. Gilliland foresees this medium being used for some
time.
Executive Director Wheeler said we’d like to
hear what your ideas are. I think it’s a great idea for you as volunteers, we
can discuss it now, or we can discuss at a later time. Vice Chair Criqui said
Kathy Pryor is willing to work on a committee for this project. Barnhill said
all can give opinions and then we can have a smaller group work on the project.
Wheeler said we would need a direction of content, any of you who choose can be
pictured or interviewed for the video. Welch said outreach is important, I
didn’t even know the LHRC existed until the mayor told me about it. Criqui
agreed when he tells people about the commission often they are not aware of
it. He said then we need to get the information out there whenever we can. We
need to let people know what the Human Relations Commission can do for them.
Commissioner Dunn interjected that Fair
Housing month is coming up in April, so we have some lead time. Wagner added
that would be four months to prepare. Wheeler said we will check Ms.Gilliland’s
calendar for April. Barnhill asked if there were other comments. Criqui said we
should have a smaller group to discuss and present ideas maybe with a staff
person present, Welch volunteered, Edwards volunteered, Criqui said Pryor would
want to be involved, and that we can email some ideas around to prepare for a
meeting (the meeting was set up at City Hall, December 9th, 2013 at
3:30).
City-KU Good Neighbor Outreach
Scott Wagner reported two thousand Human
Relations Brochures and USB Chargers (with LHRC contact information on them) were
handed out September 5, 2013, along with other information for students and
residents in the Oread neighborhood area to promote good relations. Mr. Wagner
said it is a good partnership with KU. Ms. Wheeler included the goal is to
educate the new students about how to be a good neighbor and to get along, and
to build better relationships, as well as make sure the students know their
rights and protections under the code. Chairman Barnhill said he thought it was
a great outreach and wondered if there were ways LHRC could get more involved.
Ms. Wheeler said we are open to ideas for outreach to KU students and Haskell
University students. We have an on-going group that meets regarding
City-University relations and she serves on that committee. Commissioner
Bloxsom added being new to the commission I would like an update on outreach to
Haskell University.
Ms. Wheeler said in the past we have been at
the Haskell Powwow, and any ideas you have are welcomed. Mr. Wagner added
Commissioner McClure attended back to school events for Haskell in the past and
had a table with brochures and giveaway items.
We also have a former commissioner who works at Haskell – Lori
Tapahonso.
Festival of Cultures – was September 15,
2013 at 12:00 to 5:00 PM, it was a good event and well attended. The commission
staffed a table at the event.
Kansas Statewide Transgender Education
Project –
Scott Criqui attended and brought Human Relations brochures and give away items
and staffed a table for a time as well as speaking about the functions of the commission.
Flame Insert – Staff needs
direction as to when we want to do the insert in the Utility Billings
statements that go out each month. There are limited months, other departments
or organizations have certain months already claimed.
Commissioner Dunn said I’d like to go back
to the Case report information. Why were the two complaints waived, what was
the conflict of interest? Mr. Barton said he didn’t know he took the
information from Ms. Hafoka. Director Wheeler said when we merged the Human
Relations division with the City Prosecutor’s Office a complaint may be assigned
to an investigator who as the City Prosecutor may have someone who is involved
in a case in the Municipal court, and therefore creates a conflict of interest.
That is why these cases were waived to
other agencies.
Commission
Items
Chairman Barnhill asked if there were items
for discussion. Commissioner Dunn said Fair Housing Month is coming up in April.
He said in the past we have done dinners and training because we had the
funding. Wagner said City staff was able to do more when there was a stand-alone
division with its own budget. Now the office has merged into the City
Attorney’s Office. At that time we had seminars, with CLE credits, we just
don’t have that kind of staffing to do all those things anymore. If the
commission could do the outreach with staff support that would be a way for us
to get out in the community. Chairman Barnhill said do you want to put
something together? Dunn answered no. Wagner said last year we helped to
sponsor an event with the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority and
Landlords of Lawrence, that our staff presented information and training about
LHRC and the complaint process. Ms. Hafoka presented, and it was well attended.
Dunn said if we are going to do something for Fair Housing month we should be
planning now. Perhaps Mr. Barton could do some checking with KHRC to see if
someone would want to present. Mr. Barton said he would be happy to do that.
Chairman Barnhill said to please be on the
lookout for events and articles that would be of interest to this commission,
stories, events, news worthy information, send out a link by email. This way we
can see what other states are doing. We can’t violate KOMA and discuss the
issues, do not reply all and discuss. But I encourage getting the information
out about issues that relate to us. Are there any other comments?
Commissioner Criqui added that he encourages
everyone where ever you are, to talk about the Human Relations Commission and
get the word out. Bloxsom said do you need a decision on the inserts today?
Wagner indicated we just need to choose a month and he understood the direction
to be to choose a month when students are in session. Barnhill said any
information about the KU Good Neighbor Program, outreach to sororities and
fraternities, other clubs is a great way to get the word out. Any time we can
help we are interested. Bloxsom asked if we have reached out to the Chamber
yet. Wagner said no we have not. Criqui said he is in a networking group with
the Chamber I can reach out to them. Wagner said perhaps we could do a training
for them.
Public Comment
Bill Larzalere, Chief Litigation Attorney at
KU Legal Services for Students
Mr. Larzalere said he works with KU students
who have had housing issues, natural origin, and PTSD and as well as many other
issues. He said that he hadn’t attended any of our meetings in a long time. He
said he feels the City has had a de-emphasis of Fair Housing. It used to be
extremely prominent. He was very glad to hear there has been a new
addition in the City Prosecutor’s Office, but it was concerning to have that
turn over in that office. I wondered how they were going to be able to handle
it all. It sounds like Mr. Barton has a background in this area. I know you
receive funding from a HUD grant, and I just want to make sure that is it being
used for that purpose. Do you have a balance sheet for the HUD funding you
receive? Where is the money spent with this de-emphasis lately? Students have
growing housing issues; I want to refer them locally but not sure if I can.
Your commission deals with these issues. It sounds like Mr. Barton is a great
addition in the City Prosecutors Office and that will help.
Chair Barnhill asked, “What ideas do you
have to offer?”
Mr. Larzalere, said he would need to see
what kind of funding is available, how is it being used, since this is a local
agency.
Chair Barnhill asked Mr. Wagner if he could
get those numbers for them, Mr. Wagner said I can give you approximately the
amount of our last grant for the 2012 fiscal year was for roughly $16-17,000.00
which covers a small portion of Mr. Barton’s salary, and then some of that
amount is allocated to outreach requirements that HUD has for those funds. With
the City’s reorganization of the Human Relations Division the work of the prior
seven or so fulltime staff was merged within the duties of the City Attorney’s
office. Mr. Wagner said he could get the exact number of the HUD grant for
February’s meeting and a report for how those funds were allocated in 2012.
Adjournment
Chairman Barnhill asked if there are any
other comments. Criqui moved to adjourn, Welch seconded, all voted in favor.
Adjourned at 12:12 PM.