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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Human Relations Commission - 10/03/1991 MINUTES OF THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING d October 3, 1991 Commissioners Present Commissioners Absent Kate Haltom, Chair Elida Gonzalez Errol Summerlin Gene Ward Rosalie Beaty Grandis Lenken Terry Mills Elisa Holland Lynda Herndon Beatrice Lopez Jimmy McCurn Adolf Andrews Staff Present Jacquelyn Harrell June Shultz Ora Stone Rosie Alaniz Guest Mayor Mary Rhodes Jorge Garza, Director Of General Services Debbie Lindsey Opel The regular monthly Meeting was called to order at 5 p.m. by Kate Haltom Chair. The roll call was taken and a quorum was 41110 present to conduct a legally constituted meeting. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES It was moved and seconded that the Minutes of September 5, 1991 , be approved. PUBLIC INTRODUCTION AND REMARKS The Mayor, Mary Rhodes, was welcomed by the Chairperson and the rest of the Commissioners. The new member, Mr. Adolf Andrews, was introduced. Mr. Andrews gave a brief summary of his interest in the Human Relations Commission. CHAIRPERSON'S COMMENTS The Chairperson, read the copy of the City Ordinance #20838, Article 1 , Commission duties. She stated she read the Ordinance at the last meeting, but felt she should read it again. HUMAN RELTAIONS COMMISSION MINUTES October 3, 1991 PAGE 2 411/ The Chairperson also read from a letter drafted by Errol Summerlin outlining some of the concerns of the Commission. The following were some of the concerns: Commissioner Summerlin touched on the rewriting of the Ordinance. He explained how the City Attorney' s Office never attended the meetings and how they were uncooperative. He stated, the Ordinance took a year to finish. The changes made in the Ordinance were to bring us in line with current Federal law. Commissioner Summerlin touched on the Public Accommodations complaint that was filed against a local club here in Corpus Christi. This complaint was referred to the City Attorney because the Human Relations Commission was unable to resolve it. Thirteen or fourteen months later the file was sent back to Human Relations with no finding or conclusion by the City Attorney' s Office. Commissioner Summerlin expressed his concerns about it because the Americans with Disabilities Act is going to be in full force and effect in June of next year. Commissioner Summerlin explained that the Commission will require support from the staff. Commissioner Summerlin touched on the Housing Assessment. He explained that the Commission has been trying to get this Assessment for a long time, at least a year. Commissioner Summerlin touched on the Fair Housing Conference. He explained, he believed not one single City staff member attended besides the Human Relations Staff and the Commission. Mr. Garza attended but only for the introduction. He stated some people from the Housing and Community Development attended the lunch, but nothing else. The Mayor expressed the problem that we don' t have much staff and they are usually very busy. Commissioner Summerlin stated that he understood staff is very busy, but he and the Commission are busy too, yet they took the time out to go to the Conference. The Mayor, stated that is why we have the Commission. She also stated these staff members have tons of responsibilities. Errol explained we are not suggesting tons of staff. All we are suggesting is that at least someone from the staff should have attended the conference. Commissioner Beaty stated we had a lot of people at the i HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 3, 1991 PAGE 3 411, Conference asking where is the Mayor. The Mayor commented, she has hundreds of these conferences to attend every week and she could not possibly have attended the Human Relations Conference. She stated she did not apologize. Commissioner Mills stated it was the Commissioner' s understanding the Mayor had received notice of the Conference three months in advance. The Mayor stated she was told to come at noon and that is when she showed up. She stated she said she would come to do the, "Welcome" , but was given wrong information. She stated she could not have possibly attended the entire conference. Commissioner Summerlin also expressed that the Human Relations Commission has had a vacancy in the department, since approximately February, and for some reason it has not been filled. He stated a recommendation identifying the individual we want to hire has been made, but yet, for some reason the City will not hire this individual. He explained regardless of what the reasons may be, we can not go directly to the City Manager and ask why can' t we hire this individual. The Mayor asked if the Commission gets into the firing and hiring of the Human Relations Commission. Mr. Summerlin, explained, no, it is something that was brought to the attention of the 41, Human Relations Commission by the Director. It is our responsibility to see that the Commission operates properly because we oversee the work. The Mayor asked if the Commission was the one recommending the staff member. Errol explained the Commission is not the one recommending the staff member. The Mayor stated she will find out why it has been kept vacant. Commissioner Summerlin also explained the Commission has authorized themselves to form another Ordinance Review Committee where they will be looking at changing the City Ordinance to seek equivalency with Federal Law so that we can go ahead and enforce Fair Housing Laws within the City and obtain essentially a contract with HUD. Errol stated that the Commission is wondering whether it is something that the City is interested in having the Commission enforce. The Mayor stated she will go back and check into these things. She stated she will read the Federal Law. Errol stated the Commission is looking forward to Mrs. Harrell reporting to the City Manager directly. The Mayor asked, what on the Ordinance makes the Commission believe that Jackie should be reporting directly to the City Manager. The Mayor read a part of the Ordinance and explained that all Ordinances are written the same way and that we could not possibly have all our staff reporting directly to the City Manager. HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 3, 1991 PAGE 4 C Errol stated, I am sure there are a lot of other Commissions that feel their Commission is just as important as ours, but this particular Commission interplays with other Commissions in the City. It interrelates with every group that exists in the City and with every individual that exists in the City and lives in the City. The Mayor, said she will not intervene with the way the City Manager sets up his staff. She suggested the Commission should write him a letter expressing how the Commission feels. Jimmy McCurn gave each one of the Commissioners a copy of a letter from the IAHORA Conference. She went over the information distributed. Jimmy expressed that the involvement of the Philadelphia Mayor and their Staff was overwhelming. Jimmy also expressed that the Commission is finding walls are being put there for the Director and the Commission. It is fine for the director to be at the Conference, but if she is not able to get any headway with the people that she reports to then that is just as if to say Jackie was not there or no one from the City was there. That is problematic and the frustration that the Commission is feeling is apparent. The Mayor stated that she can not do anything about the chain of command on the staff level. She stated that there is nothing that says that 411110 the Commission cannot report to her. You are my appointees. You can come to me and I can go to the City Manager. That might help. Commissioner Beaty commented she has read in the paper, listened on the radio, and watched on television some of the comments where some of the City Council members and the Mayor have been quoted by the media. She explained that the Commission has noted a level of insensitivity regarding pertinent areas such as religion. A discussion ensued around the NCCJ/CCHRC subcommittee meeting regarding religions symbols and the city. Commissioner Errol Summerlin asked the Mayor about the meeting with Jo Ann Kernick. The Mayor stated she has explained to her it will be brought up later when we have a joint meeting with the School Board. The Mayor said the calls me back every week. I told her I would call her back, but she continues to call me back again. Commissioner Linda Herndondiscussed the letter drafted by Joann Kernick representing national Committee of Christians and Jews. Commissioner Beaty stated what we are looking at is at least getting this rolling because of all these holidays coming up. A lot of the groups that are taking offense to the City's current 4 - HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 3, 1991 PAGE 5 position I think would be at peace because the Council is looking at it. The Mayor stat ..7L if c:.c C x nission was willing to take the chance that the City Council might Eay no. Commissioner Beaty stated we have a contingency plan. Our hope is that the City Council will take the leadership role If they come back and say no, we as a Commission will form our own task force. Commissioner Summerlin stated, if the Mayor is going to make her recommendation to the Council at the next meeting maybe she should have a list of suggested taskforce members. Commissioner Herndon, stated that is in the letter. Commissioner Summerlin stated we should make a presentation of a motion to accept the report and that a taskforce be formed. We recommend the City Council formulate a taskforce and that the Mayor express that to the City Council at the next meeting. If they don' t do it, we will. The motion was seconded and passed. ADJOURNMENT Their being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6: 30 p.m.