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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: Human Rights Commission Annual Report ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Annual Meeting with the Human Rights Commission Meeting Date: June 30, 2010 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Central Services/City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Holly LeMasurier www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5619 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session provides an opportunity for the City Council and Human Rights Commission (HRC) to discuss shared goals and the HRC work plan. Commissioners will provide a brief update on accomplishments of FY10, and will highlight issues and key work items for FY11. BACKGROUND The City Council and the Human Rights Commission hold an annual meeting to review the work of the commission, and discuss human rights issues. The council approved a two-year work plan for the Human Rights Commission in 2009. The Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan is focused on four goals:  Increase Commission effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in responding to and aiding in the resolution of incidents of discrimination and harassment.  Promote relationships and build capacity between the community and Human Rights Commission through collaborative work on human rights issues.  Enhance relationships and communications with the Eugene City Council, Equity and Human Rights Board, other commissions, and City staff.  Work toward the adoption of a Human Rights City Framework. The goals of the work plan expand capacity to address important issues in our community through the Human Rights Commission, City Council and City organization, all in partnership with community members and organizations. The Human Rights Commission in its current form, and the standing committees of the commission, were established by Ordinance 19732 in 1990. The commission has 15 members, 14 of whom are appointed by the City Council and one who is a member of the council. The current City Council liaison is Councilor George Brown. The commission’s history goes back even further than 1990. The Human Rights Program began in the late 1960s with a Human Rights Commission that focused on race relations and issues of the community's ethnic minority members. It developed into five constituency-based commissions: Commission on the Rights of the Aging; Commission on the Rights of People with Disabilities; Commission on the Rights of Minorities; Commission on the Rights of Women; and Commission on the Rights of Youth. A President’s Council with a representative from each commission was charged with Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100630\S100630A.doc oversight and coordination of the commissions' activities.In 1989, the Mayor's Human Rights Task Force examined options for restructuring the Human Rights Program and developed recommendations on ways to improve the program's overall efficiency and effectiveness. In 1990, as a result of the task force's recommendations, the City Council established the Human Rights Commission and its standing committees. The mission of the Human Rights Commission is to work so that everyone has the opportunity to share in the full benefits and responsibilities of living in Eugene. In supporting City Council goals, the commission is committed to: -Ensuring that human rights are a central part of every City program. -Respecting and reflecting cultural and individual diversity. -Fostering mutual understanding. -Promoting inclusiveness, justice and equity. RELATED CITY POLICIES Organization and Bylaws of the City of Eugene Human Rights Commission Article V: Operating Requirements of Commission and Members Section 1: The commission shall submit an annual report and yearly work plan in writing to the council by July 1. The report shall list the activities and accomplishments to date and assess these against the commission's mission and against the yearly work plans. The work plan must be approved by the council. COUNCIL OPTIONS 1.Accept annual report and forecast for council-approved FY11 work plan. 2.Provide direction to modify the work plan or approach. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager has no recommendation at this time. SUGGESTED MOTION None. ATTACHMENTS A. Human Rights Commission FY 10/11 Work Plan B. Memo from Human Rights Commission Chair, Linda Hamilton C. “Buddy System” Contacts for HRC/CC Members FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Holly LeMasurier, Human Rights Analyst Telephone: 682-5619 Staff E-Mail: holly.k.lemasurier@ci.eugene.or.us Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100630\S100630A.doc City of Eugene HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FY 10/11 Work Plan Adopted March 11, 2009 Equity and Human Rights Center 99 W. 10, Suite 116 th Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 682-5177 FAX (541) 682-5221  www.eugene-or.gov/hrc Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBERS Annette Leonard Twila Souers, Chair Ken Neubeck Mary Otten Jon Belcher Rosa Chavez Councilor George Brown Ibrahim Hamide Neil Van Steenbergen Mo Young Misa Kawai Joo Keevan Labowitz Linda Hamilton, Vice Chair Nehali Davé For more information about the Human Rights Commission, please contact: Holly LeMasurier, Human Rights Analyst 541-682-5619 holly.k.lemasurier@ci.eugene.or.us City of Eugene Equity and Human Rights Center 99 W. 10, Suite 116 th Eugene, OR 97401 541-682-5177 www.eugene-or.gov/hrc Approved March 11, 2009-Updated August 2009 - 2 - Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan Background The Eugene Human Rights Commission (HRC) and standing The Human Rights Commission FY 10/11 committees of the Commission were established by Work Plan is focused on four goals: Ordinance 19732 in 1990. The ordinance was updated in Increase Commission effectiveness,  2002. The Human Rights Commission has fifteen members, efficiency, and accountability in fourteen appointed by the City Council and one member of responding to and aiding in the the City Council. The committees of the Commission are: resolution of incidents of Education and Outreach Committee, Accessibility discrimination and harassment. Committee, and Human Rights Support System/Advocate Promote relationships and build  Response Team (ART). Committees are comprised of a capacity between the community mixture of commissioners and community members. Each and Human Rights Commission commissioner is a member of at least one standing through collaborative work on committee, is an advocate with the Human Rights Support human rights issues. System, and/or serves as a commission liaison to a Enhance relationships and  stakeholder partner group. communications with the Eugene City Council, Equity and Human The commission’s enabling ordinance, adopted in December Rights Board, other commissions, of 1990, requires that it develop a work plan for City Council and City staff. review and approval. Work plans follow a July 1 – June 30 Work toward the adoption of a  Fiscal Year (FY) schedule. The projects proposed for the Human Rights City Framework. commission’s FY10/11 Work Plan began July 1, 2009. Work Plan Goals The tasks proposed in this work plan are clearly aligned with the Commission’s role and objectives as described in its charter. A key strategy of this work plan is to respond to emerging issues. The group continues to be forward thinking in its work strategies and responsive to issues facing our community. The projects detailed in this work plan are designed to ensure a thorough, deliberative review of important issues in our community that require the attention of the Human Rights Commission and organization. New projects, including integrating a human rights framework, working with the community to build relationships and address needs, and helping the City Council and City organization address the human rights concerns in our community, are all fundamental parts of this work plan. Collaborative Meetings The commission identified the following collaborative work sessions as those of high priority, and also reserves meeting time to address emerging issues. The following collaborative work is planned for FY10/11:  Joint meetings with Sustainability Commission, Police Commission, Civilian Review Board, and Equity and Human Rights Board;  Forum with Mayor and City Council;  Forum with City Executive team;  Commissioner training and capacity building;  Community forums; and  Human Rights Summit. Procedural Improvements As a result of the Commission’s process of developing this work plan, the Commission agreed to address a series of procedural issues with suggestions for improvement. Some specific procedural objectives are to: Approved March 11, 2009-Updated August 2009 - 3 - Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan  Support the leadership team with appropriate responsibilities and reasonable time commitments;  Strengthen the relationship with City Council;  Improve follow-up to public comment and contributions;  Maintain a highly qualified and dedicated membership;  Identify opportunities for team building and facilitate group cohesiveness; and  Continue outreach, information sharing, and collaboration with the community and City organization. Staff and Committee Support Working closely with staff, Committee and Commission Chairs will: prepare agendas for monthly meetings; design commissioner trainings and retreats; respond to updates from the City Council and City Manager on priorities; plan for meetings with the Mayor, City Council and City Executive team; and develop a communication plan for responding to community human rights issues. Committees of the Human Rights Commission are: Education and Outreach Committee, Accessibility Committee, and Human Rights Support System/ART. These committees are where commission work plan action items are largely addressed. Committees are comprised of human rights commissioners and community members. The Education and Outreach Committee will focus primarily on the Human Rights Framework; the design and implementation of a survey instrument to understand community needs and the Human Rights Commission; community forums; and creation of educational events, tools and resources addressing emerging issues such as hate crimes, discrimination, and inequity. The Accessibility Committee will focus on the City’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Accessibility coordination including: pavement preservation and accessibility, curb cuts, accessible signals, and intersections; dangerous dog ordinance; taxi accessibility; phase seven of the City’s ADA transition plan; the Bike and Pedestrian Plan; availability of listening devices; and availability of City documents in needed formats. The Human Rights Support System/ART will focus primarily on a review and redesign of the Human Rights Support System; work with Citizen Review Board (CRB) and other community complaint and response processes to clarify roles and needs; explore conflict resolution service models; recruitment and training of Human Rights Support System volunteers; and track and report human rights complaint trends in the city. Approved March 11, 2009-Updated August 2009 - 4 - Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan Increase Human Rights Commission effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in responding to and aiding in the resolution of incidents of GOAL 1. discrimination and harassment. The commission and its committees will:   Continue to meet the needs of community members who experience incidents of discrimination and harassment.  Develop a system to track and report human rights concerns and trends in the City.  Explore proactive and effective approaches to respond to emerging issues.  Review and strengthen the human rights support system (HRRS): Develop a working definition of advocacy; o Assess recruitment and training of new HRSS advocates; o Review and improve the response and case management process; o Create an on-going evaluation of the program; o Begin pilot implementation of any new designs. o  Work with Citizen Review Board (CRB) and other community complaint and response processes to clarify roles and responsibilities HRSS advocates;  Explore diverse conflict resolution approaches. Promote relationships and build capacity between the community and Human GOAL 2. Rights Commission through collaborative work on human rights issues. The commission and its committees will:  Address the following procedural objectives, through workshops or communications: Skills and resource sharing; o Individualized growth plan development; o Commissioner’s self-care; o Accountability and commitments; o Examine current community partner liaison roles and reporting process; o Clarify working agreements with staff and other partners. o  Participate in a minimum of two trainings to increase commissioners skills and knowledge of human rights advocacy approaches such as: Helper vs. ally; o Effective conflict communication and dialogue; o Dis/Ability awareness; o Racism; and/or o Power and privilege. o  Host or facilitate community forums on human rights topics.  Design and implement various methods to consistently and continually gain helpful knowledge of community needs and identification of human rights issues in our community. Approved March 11, 2009-Updated August 2009 - 5 - Human Rights Commission FY10/11 Work Plan Enhance relationships and communications with the City Council, Equity GOAL 3. and Human Rights Board, other commissions, and city staff. The commission and its committees will:  Develop a Memorandum of Understanding with its mandated City Council liaison.  Develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the Human Rights Analyst.  Update the status of the Mental Health Care Resolution, Hate Crime legislation, the City Council Priority on Race, and City Council Priority on Homelessness.  Work with relevant City departments, boards and commissions as collaborative opportunities arise.  Support the City of Eugene Diversity and Equity Strategic Plan implementation.  Define Human Rights Commission relationship and roles with: Mayor & City Council; o City Executive team; o Police, Sustainability and Planning Commissions; and o Equity and Human Rights Board. o Work toward the implementation of a Human Rights Framework. GOAL 4. The commission and its committees will:  Clarify the scope and objectives of the human rights framework efforts, perhaps through compiling data showing the current status of human rights in our community, and demonstrating the appropriateness of a human rights framework.  Work with the City organization to develop a strategy for integrating a human rights policy and principles framework into the Commission and organization’s work.  Review the process for a resolution or ordinance in support of the adoption of a City of Eugene Human Rights Framework.  Present the City Council with recommendations to implement this framework in our community.  Work with community groups advocating for the adoption of a Human Rights Framework.  Support a Human Rights Summit. Approved March 11, 2009-Updated August 2009 - 6 - ATTACHMENT B City Manager’s Office HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION M City of Eugene EMORANDUM th 99 W. 10 Avenue, Suite # 116 Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5177 (541) 682-5221 FAX ehrcenter@ci.eugene.or.us www.eugene-or.gov/hrc Date: June 21, 2010 To: Mayor Piercy and City Council From: Linda Hamilton, Human Rights Commission Chair Subject: ANNUAL MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Human Rights Commission members look forward to reporting personal highlights and Commission accomplishments from this past year, and discussing with you our shared goals and upcoming work plan items. This opportunity to check in on where we are and where we are going, and to renew your support and our partnership, is a critical component of the Commission’s success. You may be aware of the Commission’s work through communications in the Council Newsletter, presentations at Council meetings, and your attendance at events. Activities in FY10 have included:  Busting Immigration Myths public forum -- November 2009  Transgender Awareness Week and Vigil - November 2009  Human Rights Day City Celebration and Award– December 2009  Hate Crimes public forum – March 2010  Human Rights Summit – April 2010  State of Equity and Human Rights in Eugene public forum – June 2010 (Equity and Human Rights Board and Human Rights Commission joint meeting)  Choice in Mental Health Resolution – October 2009 (adopted by Council)  Support the DREAM Act Resolution – March 2009 (adopted by Council)  Consultations and meetings with Police Commission, Lane Council of Governments Transportation Planning team, Civilian Review Board, Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, Housing Policy Board, Envision Eugene listening session, Community Climate and Energy Action Plan advisory team, outreach to Neighborhood groups.  Social Equity analysis in development of the Triple Bottom Line Tool – Spring 2009  Joining the Opal Network, a coalition to support mental health clients  Partnerships in City and community events, including - Project Homeless Connect, DisOrient Film Festival, Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC) Cornucopia, Eugene Pride Festival, We Are Bethel Celebration, Eugene Celebration, Multicultural Festival, Cuba Awakening Conference, Vagina Monologues, Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Grrrlz Rock, University of Oregon Department of Education Gender Studies Film Series, Arab Student Union Culture Night. The Commission work plan for FY11 includes continued exploration of the human rights framework and Eugene as a Human Rights City; a 20-year retrospective celebration of the Human Rights Commission; collaborative workshops, projects and joint meetings on key community issues; strategic reporting and communications; and community forums and capacity-building events. Each of these areas will benefit from council support and direction. Commission findings from outreach conducted over the past year include: -Outreach to neighborhood and faith groups, and schools should be a priority for the Commission. -Commission meetings at sites, in new geographic areas, could be explored. -Information about reporting of discrimination, hate and bias should be improved through public service announcements and other outreach. -We want to seek greater participation of youth and seniors. -The City organization must prepare for rapid demographic changes and increasing cultural competence in the community will be important. The Commission can play a valuable role in this effort. Additionally, commissioners want to keep in mind the following feedback we have received, so that we can give attention and advocacy to these issues: -High unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and loss of resources for social services are connected and impacting the community. -Concern for adequate housing for low- and middle-income households, and safe and adequate shelter for everyone, is significant. -Campaigns to ensure living wage and career ladder jobs are an integral part of sustainable development and visions for Eugene. The Mayor’s and Council’s support for Commission initiatives, positions and activities is instrumental in their success. Thank you for your ongoing support. Please contact me if you have questions or need additional information. ATTACHMENT C Human Rights Commission “Buddy” System Purpose: To support work plan goal: “Enhance relationships and communications with the Eugene City Council, boards, commissions and other city staff”. Ward 1 Ward 4 George Brown George.r.brown@ci.eugene.or.us Ward 7 George Poling Ward 2 george.a.poling@ci.eugene.or.us Andrea Ortiz Betty Taylor Linda Hamilton Andrea.f.ortiz@ci.eugene.or.us Betty.l.taylor@ci.eugene.or.us linlin991@msn.com Toni Gyatso Ward 5 Iva Boslough toni.gyatso@ci.eugene.or.us bosloui@yahoo.com Ward 8 Mike Clark Ibrahim Hamide Mike.clark@ci.eugene.or.us Chris Pryor ibmaha@comcast.net Keith Mason Chris.e.pryor@ci.eugene.or.us Ward 3 masonbriankeith@gmail.com Autumn Lovell Alan Zelenka Ken Neubeck amistlovell@gmail.com alan.zelenka@ci.eugene.or.us kneubeck@comcast.net Mat Beecher Ward 6 Lorraine Kerwood mat.beecher@gmail.com lorrainekerwood@gmail.com Jennifer Solomon Raydeen Cuff Jennifer.l.solomon@ci.eugene.or.us raydeen.joy@gmail.com Mary Otten maryotten@comcast.net