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Meeting Minutes Human Relations Commission Regular Meeting June 14, 2023 | 6:00 p.m. City Council Chambers 88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Tyler Conaway at 6:00 p.m. Roll Call Commission Attendance Staff Attendance Chair Tyler Conaway Niki Tapia, DEI Program Manager Commissioner Kriti Agarwal Adrianna Erickson, DEI Coordinator Commissioner Betty Ramirez Commissioner Garry Ong Commissioner Jacob Bello Commissioner Erica Maxwell Commissioner Joseph Curbelo Commissioner Tyler Conaway Scheduled and Unscheduled Public Appearances Consent Agenda Motion and Vote 1.Commissioner Kriti Agarwal moved to approve the Feb. 15, 2023 Regular meeting minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Betty Ramirez. Motion carried unanimously 8-0. Action Agenda Item No. 2 and Discussion 2. Election of new Chair and Vice Chair Chair Tyler Conaway explains that a member of the commission can either nominate a fellow commissioner or submit a self-nomination. He asks for nominations for Chair and Vice Chair. Chair Conaway nominates Commissioner Erica Maxwell. Commissioner Jacob Bello seconds the motion. Commissioner Maxwell accepts the nomination. Page 2 of 4 Nomination passes 9-0 and Commissioner Maxwell is announced as the next Chair of the Human Relations Commission. Commissioner Kriti Agarwal nominates herself for the Vice-Chair role, the nomination is seconded by Commissioner Joseph Curbelo. Commissioner Jacob Bello nominates Commissioner Garry Ong for Vice-Chair. Commissioner Garry Ong declines the nomination. A vote is held for Commissioner Agarwal to be Vice-Chair. Nomination passes 9-0 and Commissioner Agarwal is announced as the next Vice-Chair. Chair Conaway shares that he will meet with the Chair and Vice Chair to discuss the transition before the August meeting. Discussion 3. HRC MEI Score Chair Conaway gave a brief background on the HRC MEI score. He shares that the score is a reflection on municipality indexing with a focus on the LGTBQ+ community. There is a score card on the HRC site (hrc.org/resources/municipal-equality-index). referencing specific scoring criteria including descriptions if anyone is interested Chair Conaway informs the commission that in the past, Chandler has ranked mid-level, as there was not a Non-Discrimination Ordinance in place. He reminded members that a Non-Discrimination Ordinance was approved by the City Council in December and that should positively impact the new score. Ms. Tapia stated that many neighboring cities have scored a 100% whereas Chandler scored 65%, an updated score should be arriving any day with a letter going to the Mayor and City Manager’s office. Commissioner Bello asked who oversees the scoring? Chair Conaway answered that the Human Rights Campaign oversees the scoring. Ms. Tapia reminded the commission that having a Non-Discrimination Ordinance is important and this will certainly boost our score. Briefing 4. Crown Act Ms. Tapia explained that the Crown Act would give protection for natural hair. This topic was brought forward by a Hamilton High School Student who is seeking a respective and open world for natural hair. The City Manager’s office has the authority to implement this for City employees under the Equal Opportunities Act but not for residents. Ms. Tapia commented that this topic is gaining more momentum and we will be seeing and hearing more about it in the coming months. 5. DEI Update Page 3 of 4 Ms. Tapia asked DEI Coordinator to give an update on the Asian American Community Conference. Ms. Erickson, DEI Coordinator shared that the event was a success, and the topic of Mental Health was well received. Commissioner Garry Ong suggested a multiple day event in the future. Chair Conaway added that the topic of Mental Health can often be a difficult topic to approach, but it was well received in the format we offered. 5. Strategic Plan Ms. Tapia reported that the DEI Strategic Plan was reviewed by the subcommittee and approved by the City Council. Next steps will include a soft launch to the public and she asked the HRC to help educate and inform the public. She also shared that come the subcommittee will meet in July to discuss some of the content and programs impacted by the Strategic Plan. Chair Conaway asked if anyone else wanted to be on the Subcommittee. Current members are Commissioner Betty Ramirez, Tyler Conaway, Erica Maxwell, and John Anguiano. 6. Police Updates Commander Jason Sieczkowski shared that crime in Chandler is on downward trend. He also spoke about a program in San Diego that was bridging cultural gaps between the police force and residents. He stated that he will be looking further into the program to see if it is something Chandler can utilize. Member Comments/Announcements Commissioner Curbelo commented that he was enjoying the Leadership Program from Valley Leadership. He spoke about several opportunities he had to visit other cities and organizations. There was a lot of great information he learned, and he is excited to see how this information can impact his work on the HRC. Calendar The next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, at 6 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ Informational Items Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. ______________________________ ______________________________ Adrianna Erickson, Secretary Tyler Conaway, Chair Page 4 of 4