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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - April 26, 2012 u, !Lis: ' AZUSA. AGENDA AZUSA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING Light &Water Department Thursday, April 26, 2012 Downstairs Conference Room 7:00 p.m. 729 N. Azusa Avenue Commissioners Diana Williams, Chairperson LaLisa Morgan, Vice Chairperson Scott Bledsoe Lydia Estep Joanne Hinojosa Helen Jaramillo Sharron Lindsay Lil Sass NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Copies of staff reports or other written documentation relating to each item of business referred to on the Agenda are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are available for public inspection at the City Library. Persons who wish to speak during the Public Participation portion of the Agenda, shall fill out a card requesting to speak and shall submit it to the City Clerk prior to the start of the City Council meeting. When called, each person may address any item on or off the agenda during the public participation. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE TO THE FLAG INVOCATION ROLL CALL A. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (Person/Group shall be allowed to speak without interruption up to five (5) minutes maximum time, subject to compliance with applicable meeting rules. Questions to the speaker or responses to the speaker's questions or comments shall be handled after the speaker has completed his/her comments. Public Participation will be limited to sixty(60) minutes time.) B. SCHEDULED ITEMS 1. Approval of Minutes 2. Review and Revision of HRC Guidelines 3. Preparation for Upcoming Meeting with City Manager and Chief of Police C. REPORTS, UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM STAFF/COMMISSION Page 2 HRC Agenda April 26, 2012 1. Subcommittee Updates a) Lead in Harmony b) Hands Across Azusa c) Fundraising Committee d) Café on Leche 2. Coordinator's Update 3. Open Discussion D. ADJOURNMENT 1. Adjourn. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a city meeting, please contact the Human Relations Coordinator at 626/812-3252. Notification three (3) working days prior to the meeting when special services are needed will assist staff in assuring that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide access to the meeting. DRAFT (Most recent document as of August 2007) City of Azusa Human Relations Commission Guidelines Article I: Name The name of this advisory body is the Human Relations Commission. Article II: General SECTION 1. MISSION The Human Relations Commission of the City of Azusa is an independent, non-partisan body of appointed members, assisted by concerned citizens, with a goal of developing a comprehensive plan to create and perpetuate inclusion, diversity, and civic peace. SECTION 2. KEY DEFINITIONS a. Diversity is the infinite range of individual and/or group characteristics, experiences, and perceptions, including, but not limited to, communication and thinking styles, physical and mental abilities, ethnicity, race, color, culture, age, national origin, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. b. Inclusion is the conscious act of developing and maintaining communities in which all individual who live, work, and/or visit the city of Azusa: (1) Are welcomed to participate fully in community life with respect for each individual's worth and without prejudice based on real or perceived dimensions of diversity, as defined above. (2) Have an equal opportunity to share in the resources of community life because all community systems and services demonstrate knowledge, sensitivity, and respect. (3) Have an equal opportunity to responsibly participate in cooperative efforts to improve relations among all groups. c. Civic peace is a citywide environment where equity, understanding, respect, inclusion, diversity and hospitality thrive through commitment and active participation by citizens and government. SECTION 3. POWERS AND DUTIES The Commission shall serve in an advisory role to the City Council and the City Manager to address inter-group and inter-cultural relations, the causes of and responses to hate, and the development of policies, practices and implementation of programs related to its mission. Subject to final approval by a majority vote of the City Council, the Commission may appoint committees from time to time to assist the Commission in fulfilling its purpose to promote diversity, inclusion and the eradication of hate. SECTION 4. OBJECTIVES The Commission's work shall include the following objectives: a. To develop and monitor a comprehensive plan that addresses and strives to eliminate hate crimes, hate incidents, and inter-group conflicts and that ensures that the rights guaranteed by state and federal law are protected for all citizens, regardless of communication and thinking styles, physical and mental abilities, ethnicity, race, color, culture, age, national origin, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or any other aspect of diversity. b. To create, implement and support services and programs for victims of hate crimes, hate incidents, and inter-group conflicts, including but not limited to, rapid response teams, counseling, health services, and/or relocation services. c. To create and foster forums for community dialogue. d. To establish and/or support neighborhood watch programs. e. To create task forces of concerned citizens, the police department, and interested organizations for the purpose of creating, supporting, and improving programs related to the Commission's mission and objectives. f. To identify and mobilize the many available resources available to assist in the Commission's mission, including civic groups, youth groups, neighborhood organizations, professional organizations, local governmental entities, business organizations, religious organizations, non-profit organizations, external governmental agencies, activists, surviving victims and families, and other exceptional individuals. g. To compile and distribute a community resource booklet. h. To train or facilitate the training of Commission members, City staff and employees, and community volunteers in the areas of diversity, tolerance, victim assistance, mediation, and intervention. i. To actively participate in programs offered by the Human Relations Commission of Los Angeles County, the Community Relations Services of the U.S. Department of Justice, RVPUB/ACD/657064 2 the State of California Attorney General's office, and other governmental and non-governmental entities. j. To actively pursue grants and other fund-raising avenues to assist the city in the financial support of the Commission and its programs. k. To produce a human relations newsletter to be distributed periodically to the residents of Azusa. 1. To work with the City and other entities to promote, support and facilitate theater productions, arts, and cultural programs that celebrate and share the diverse cultures that exist in Azusa and the larger Southern California and U.S communities. m. To create a civic strategy for peace that includes an effective mix of peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace building activities. Peacemaking refers to direct efforts to stop perpetrators from committing acts of racial or hate based violence. Peacekeeping refers to efforts to prevent immediate outbreaks of racial or hate-based violence. Peace building refers to longer-term efforts to strengthen community bonds and mutual understanding in order to prevent future conflicts. Article III: Membership SECTION 1. NUMBER OF MEMBERS The Commission shall consist of nine members. SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT PRODCEDURES a. City Council appointees Eight of the nine members shall be appointed by the City Council. Six of those eight members shall be appointed by a majority vote of the City Council, as provided in Section 2-32 of the Azusa Municipal Code. Two of those eight members shall be recommended by the governing board of the Azusa Unified School District and shall be appointed by a majority vote of the City Council b. Commission appointee One member shall be a "Commission appointee" selected by a majority vote of the eight appointees. SECTION 3. CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT Members should reflect the broad spectrum of characteristics, experiences, and perceptions of the Azusa community and the larger U.S society. To the greatest possible extent, the membership of the Commission should include representatives from all sectors of the RVPUB/ACD/657064 3 community with a significant stake in reducing hate-related violence and in promoting diversity inclusion, and civic peace in Azusa, including, for example, individuals from the business, educational, spiritual, and arts and cultural sectors Members of the Commission should, at the minimum, be familiar with the issues of hate crimes, hate incidents, and inter-group conflicts, particularly those relevant to the City of Azusa, and should be committed to the pursuit of inclusion of all of the diverse sectors of the City. SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY OF NON-RESIDENTS Non-residents of the City of Azusa may be appointed to the Commission. To be eligible for appointment, a person must demonstrate that he or she is committed to the general well-being and welfare of the community. Non-residents must further demonstrate that they have actively participated in the City's community activities for at least one year prior to the anticipated date of appointment. Non-residents appointed to the Commission shall continue to actively participate in community activities while serving on the Commission. SECTION 5. TERM OF MEMBERSHIP; TERM LIMITS a. General All members, including the Commission appointee, shall normally serve for a term of three years. A shorter term is permissible under circumstances that prohibit participation in meeting and/or activities of the Commission for two or more consecutive months. A two-thirds vote by a majority of the members of the Commission is required to gain a shortened term or to obtain a waiver. One-third of the Commission shall be elected each year. Commission members shall hold office until their reappointment or until their successors have been appointed. If a vacancy shall occur other than by expiration of term, it shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term, as provided for in Article III, Section 2. b. Inaugural Commission At the outset of the Commission, the terms of the first group of members were determined by lot, with one-hired of the term expiring after one year, one-third expiring after two years, and one-hired expiring after the third year. c. Term Limits (1) General Members shall serve no more than two consecutive terms of office. If an incumbent has already served two consecutive terms, and his or her term is due to expire the incumbent may reapply for membership to the Commission only after the passage of one full term. In the event that there are no applicants for the position up the expiration of the second term of office, the incumbent may be reappointed to an additional term as provided for in Article III, section 2. (2) Commission appointee RVPUB/ACD/657064 4 The Commission appointee shall be selected to serve one three-year term by a majority vote of the eight members approved by the City Council. A second three-year term may be approved by a majority vote of the eight City Council appointees. If after serving two consecutive terms, the commission appointee wishes to serve another term, he or she may reapply only after the passage of one full term and must be appoint as provided in Article II, section 2. (3) Definition of Term With the exception of a"short term" granted under Article III, section 5, a full term shall constitute eighteen (18) months of membership of the Commission. SECTION 6. RESIGNATION Any member desiring to resign from the Commission shall submit his or her resignation in writing to the chair of the Commission as soon as possible and no later than the earliest regularly scheduled Commission meeting. SECTION 7. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION The mission of the Commission is of the utmost importance to the Azusa community. Before accepting appointment, members must understand and accept that the work of the Commission is challenging, and requires a substantial commitment of time and energy (e.g., attending regularly scheduled meetings, planning meetings, training sessions, event implementation). Members should accept appointment only if their personal and professional life circumstances will permit them to assign the work of the Commission a highly priority during their term of service. Members are required to attend all meetings of the Commission and to actively participate in its work. Members must notify the chair or City Commission coordinator of any anticipated absence in advance of scheduled meetings. If any member has more than three absences per year, a pattern of low participation (i.e., missing a majority of Commission-related meetings or programs/events/assignments within a given quarter), or is otherwise unable to fully participate in the Commission's work, the Commission shall assess whether the productivity, effectiveness, goals or mission of the Commission would be best served by the replacement of that member with someone able to more fully participate. If a majority of the other Commission members make such a determination, the Commission shall, in the case of a City Council appointee, recommend to the City Council the member's removal and replacement or, in the case of a Commission appointee, remove the member as provided for in Article III, section 9. Any member who finds that he or she is unable to fully participate in the Commission's work, he or she may resign from the Commission and reapply at a future time. If a leave of absence extends beyond two months, the Commission shall undertake procedures to temporarily or permanently replace the Commissioner who is on leave of absence. If a member resigns from the Commission or is removed from the Commission having served less than eighteen (18) months, such membership shall not count towards the term limits set forth in Article III, section 5. RVPUB/ACD/657064 5 SECTION 8. COMPENSATION Members shall receive compensation in an amount established by resolution of the City Council. Each member may also be reimbursed for any reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of Commission duties. SECTION 9. REMOVAL a. Removal of City Council appointee With the exception of the Commission appointee, Commission members serve at the pleasure of the mayor and City Council and may be removed from the Commission for any reason by a majority vote of the City Council. If a two-thirds majority of the Commission members determine that a City Council-approved appointee should be removed, the Commission shall recommend to the City Council that it remove that member. b. Removal of Commission appointee The Commission appointee may be removed for any reason by a two-thirds majority vote of the Commission members. SECTION 10. PROXY VOTING Absent members cannot vote by proxy on issues before the Commission. SECTION 11. DISTRIBUTION OF GUIDELINES Upon appointment, all members shall receive a copy of these Guidelines and the provisions of the Azusa Municipal Code relating to the Commission. SECTION 12. RIGHTS OF MEMBERS Each member as the right: a. To receive timely notice of all meetings. b. To receive a copy of the minutes prior to approval. c. To make motions or to second them. d. To debate motions. e. To vote on motions. f. To discuss issues relevant to the Commission's work. RVPUB/ACD/657064 6 g. To hold elected office while serving on the Commission. h. To make recommendations to the Commission. SECTION 13. REPRESENTATIONS TO OTHERS No member shall purport to represent or speak on behalf of the Commission without the prior approval and majority vote of the Commission. SECTION 14. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST If, due to any of the following factors, a member has a conflict of interest in a matter before the Commission, that member shall declare the interest publicly, refrain from participating in the deliberations, abstain from voting on the matter, leave the hearing room during any hearings and deliberations, and not discuss the matter with any other Commission member prior to final action by the Commission: a. Member is a client, employee or business association of a party with a matter before the Commission; b. Member is related by blood, marriage or adoption to a party with a matter before the Commission; c. Member has a financial interest in the matter before the Commission; d. Member and the party with a matter before the Commission are affiliates in an association that would cause a reasonable person to question the Commission member's impartiality in resolving the matte before the Commission; e. Member is a friend or acquaintance of a party with a matter before the Commission, which would cause a reasonable person to question the Commission member's impartiality in resolving the matter before the Commission. f. Member may have a bias prejudicial to the interest of the public or which would give the appearance of impropriety. SECTION 15. COMMISSION COORDINATOR As appropriate, the coordinator of the Commission shall make periodic reports to the City Council and City Manger on the activities of the Commission. Article IV: Officers RVPUB/ACD/657064 7 SECTION 1. GENERAL The officers of the Commission shall be a chair and vice chair. The Commission may also elect a secretary SECTION 2. TERM OF OFFICEHOLDERS; OFFICEHOLDER TERM LIMITS The term of office for Commission officers shall be for one year or until their successors have been elected. Successors shall serve the remaining portion of the term of office. Officers may serve a maximum of two one-year terms. No member shall hold more than one office at any one time. SECTION 3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS The Commission officers shall be elected by open ballot. An officer's term of office shall begin at the close of the meeting at which they were elected. SECTION 4. CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION OF OFFICERS In recommending and considering nominees for an office on the Commission, Commission members and the Nominating Committee shall consider an individual's demonstrated participation and leadership in the Commission, as well as his or her experience in human relations issues. Commission members shall also consider the training and knowledge gained by a candidate who has worked his or her way up through committee leadership and/or the vice-chair and sectary positions. SECTION 5. CHAIR The chair shall have the following powers, duties, and rights: a. Preside over all Commission meetings. b. Vote on Motions. c. Step out of role of chair to participate in dialogues or discussion. d. Call special meetings. e. Compose the agenda. RVPUB/ACD/657064 8