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THE MEETING TO ORDER[ AGENDA ADVOCACY COMMITTEE OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION Remote Meeting November 19, 2020 8:30 P.M.]
AT 8:32 PM.I'M ONE PAGE BEHIND IN MY EMAIL.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THE AGENDA? OH, OH, LET'S UH, ROLL CALL FIRST.
UM, ALONDA STEPHENS HERE, PRESENT AND MYSELF HERE AS WE KIND OF DISCUSSED.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TABLE THE MINUTES TO YOU, UM, FOR THE NUMBER THREE, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TABLE THAT IF NOBODY HAS ANY, UM, I'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, REASON NOT TO OR ANYTHING AGAINST PEOPLE IN THE MINUTES UNTIL A LATER DATE.
I THINK THE OLD BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE IS, IS UNDER NEW.
IT'S KIND OF REVOLVING NEW, OLD BUSINESS.
A NEW BUSINESS, UH, A WAS KIND OF THE APPOINTMENT OF, UM, AN ACTUAL CHAIR VERSUS THE ORIGINAL IDEA OF CO-CHAIRING.
SO MADAM CHAIR OR CHAIR PRO, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE YOU AS THE OFFICIAL CHAIR OF THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE.
YOU'RE NOMINATING, UM, TARA, WHOSE CHAIR WAS CHAIR PRO EXAM.
I MEAN, WE WERE CO-CHAIRS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE SARA AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
I SECOND, I GUESS THAT'S CARRIED AND MAKES ME THE CHAIR FOR NOW OR FOR ANOTHER ODD DISCLOSED PERIOD OF TIME, I GUESS WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, SO DO WE, THE PURPOSE MISSION, UH, THE PURPOSE OR MISSION STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEE? UM, RHONDA AND I HAD KIND OF TANGLED WITH THAT, UM, AT LAST MEETING.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T FINALIZE ANYTHING.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WANTED TO, UM, KIND OF FURTHER WORK WORK THROUGH THAT, UM, TIGHT OR IF WE WANTED TO, UM, JUST KIND OF DISCUSS AND THEN WORK ON THE BACKEND, LIKE WE HAD BEFORE, WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, I SENT THAT OUT TO BOTH OF YOU GUYS.
IT'S A GOOGLE DOC, CORRECT? YOU'RE RIGHT.
YEAH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
YEAH, IT'S A GOOGLE DOC, SO I I'M GOING TO RECOMMEND, AND YOU GUYS CAN AGREE OR NOT, BUT THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT DOCUMENT AND MAYBE BRING IT BACK PREPARED FOR OUR COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY NEED TO SHARE IT WITH THE COMMISSION AS WELL, SINCE WE DIDN'T DO A QUESTION FOR OUR CHAIR.
WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO HAVE TO PRESENT FOR THE NEXT MEETING? I THINK IF WE AGREE TO IT, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHANGES, I DON'T SEE WHY WE COULDN'T BRING IT, UM,
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TO THE NEXT MEETING FOR, YOU KNOW, APPROVAL OR ADOPTION INTO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF END RESULT OF WHERE THIS WILL END UP IS.SO I THINK IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE ENOUGH TO, UH, BRING IT TO FOR APPROVAL OR FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, AND AT THE DECEMBER MEETING.
TRYING TO FIND IT IN MY GOOGLE DOCS, BUT EVERY TIME I OPENED ONE FROM THE SCHOOL EVERY OTHER DAY AND THERE IT IS, CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT THROUGH GOOGLE DOCS AND SOLIDIFY IT, UM, FOR SOMETHING TO PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
WHAT WAS, UM, WHAT DID WE DO WITH THE ORIGINAL PROCLAMATION? DID WE EVER IN THAT GROUP TAKE THAT FOR APPROVAL FOR THE BROADER GROUP? NO, I NEED TO SEND THAT OUT TO THE GROUP.
UM, CAUSE I TOLD THEM AT THE MEETING THAT I WAS GOING TO DO THAT.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S STILL A GOOGLE, IT'S A GOOGLE DOC.
SO I JUST NEED TO, I GUESS, GIVE THEM, UM, THE ABILITY TO, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO EDIT IT, MAYBE SEE IT.
AND SO OUR GROUP WORKED ON IT, GIVE IDEAS MAYBE, AND THEN WE CAN BE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE.
CAN WE ACTUALLY WEREN'T EVEN A COMMITTEE.
SO LET ME NOT SAY THAT BECAUSE WE WEREN'T, UM, WE WERE LITERALLY SHARING DOCUMENTS.
THEY CAN VIEW IT AND WE CAN MAKE THE EDITS FOR FINAL READ, UM, PRESENT.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO JUST, UM, FOR THAT IN THERE PLEASE.
MY DOC, I PULLED UP AND I DIDN'T REMEMBER EVER DOING WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY DONE, WE FINISHED IT.
THEY JUST NEED TO SEE IT AND YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE SOME, SOME FEEDBACK, UM, THEN WE CAN TAKE IT BACK TO OUR WORK GROUP AND WE CAN MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO IT.
CAN YOU SEND THAT OUT AS SOON AS YOU CAN? I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF, UM, MAYBE THIS IS OVERLAPPING WITH, IF WE HAVE THAT PROCLAMATION COMPLETE FOR DECEMBER MEETING AND THEN THAT COULD BE READ AT THE WHATEVER EVENT YOU HAVE FOR MLK OUTREACH HAS FOR THE MLK.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND IT YESTERDAY AND GOT OFF WORK AND WENT TO SLEEP SO WELL, MAKE SURE THAT I, TWO NIGHTS AT MIDNIGHT UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE GOAL IS TO BRING THE, THE FINALIZED PURPOSE MISSION STATEMENT, KIND OF FOR THE COMMITTEE, FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING, UM, C FOCUS AREA GOALS, WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DEFINED THE ORIGINAL FOCUS AREAS AND THEN DIDN'T GET INTO A LOT OF THE GOALS BEHIND WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH THOSE AREAS.
LET ME FIND MY INITIAL CRAZY NOTES, STEPHANIE LATELY, YOU KNOW, THE FAIR HOUSING.
UM, I THINK WE DID IT, WAS IT FAIR HOUSING, FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES.
THAT'S HOW WE ENDED ON THAT ONE.
NO, IT WAS FAIR HOUSING LAWS AND THEN EDUCATION.
I THINK IT WAS PUBLIC EDUCATION AS A SEPARATE UH HUH.
AND THE THIRD WAS THE ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE.
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I DON'T KNOW WHY I WANTED TO KEEP BURNING FAIR BUSINESS AND THAT'S, UM, REFORM.SO MANY OF THESE COMMISSIONS ARE GONNA OVERLAP.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE HAVE A SEPARATE STEP FOR MEETING FOR THE COMMISSION PEOPLE, THE HEADS OF THE COMMITTEES, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF OVERLAPPING AREAS AND THINGS.
SO WHEN WE BRING THAT ALL BACK TOGETHER, I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE OVERLAP.
SO HOW DID WE WANT TO FURTHER DEFINE THESE OR HOW DID WE WANT TO START TANGLING INTO THESE? UM, OR WHAT WERE WE, I GUESS, LOOKING FOR WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WITH THESE GOALS, AND I SEE YOU HAVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT DOWN UNDER F BUT I THINK THOSE TWO THINGS ALIGN WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE A PRETTY EXTENSIVE LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU'D WANT TO FOCUS ON, BUT I THINK MAYBE, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS LOOK AT HOW WE GRAB INFORMATION AND WELL, HOW WE EMBED SOME OF THOSE FOLKS AREAS THAT YOU IDENTIFY INTO THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO GAUGE HOW MUCH OF A NEED IS THIS TO HELP PRIORITIZE WHICH ITEMS YOU TACKLE FIRST? BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ADVOCACY ISSUES, AT LEAST LIKE THE, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY BIG, RIGHT? BIG PROJECT BASED, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE OF THESE AND JUST REALLY DIVE IN, BUT IT'S LIKE, WHICH ONE DO YOU START WITH THAT, THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT DATA WILL HELP.
BUT I, BUT I THINK AS PART OF THIS FOCUS AREA IDENTIFY WHAT IS THE DATA THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO GET FROM A NEEDS ASSESSMENT? WHAT FOCAL AREAS WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE ON THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT? SO GUYS, THIS IS WHERE I AM.
I'M HAVING A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
UM, I'M HAVING A CHALLENGE FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, ONE I'M ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO I TRY TO BE NEUTRAL, BUT AT THE SAME POINT, I'M ALSO IN A, A GROUP, A DISENFRANCHISED GROUP, I'M IN A MINORITY GROUP AND I'M IN A, A GROUP THAT IS OFTEN, UM, UNDERSERVED.
SO I GET THE NEED TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO ASK THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WANT US TO BE FOCUSING ON.
BUT I ALSO KNOW IN A REAL LIFE SITUATION, I KNOW THAT FOR ME AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER CARE IS AN ISSUE I'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO IT'S LIKE, I DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT THAT QUALITY ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IS AN ISSUE FOR ME AND PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN MY INCOME BRACKET, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN A SITUATION THAT I'M IN SINGLE PARENT FAMILY.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, AND I DID SIT ON, SIT IN ON THAT MEETING TONIGHT AND WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING, SOME OF WHAT THEY'RE SAYING MAKES SENSE.
UM, NANCY MENTIONED UTILIZING, UH, MIAMI VALLEY, REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, RICHARD SHAW MENTIONED USING SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, WHICH MAKES GREAT SENSE.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT PARTNERS, BUT I, WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE OF IS THAT WE DO NOT GET AWAY FROM THE DISPARITY THAT MINORITY GROUPS FACE.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO VEER AWAY FROM THAT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE THAT ARE IN, UM, MINORITY GROUPS, WHETHER IT BE PEOPLE OF COLOR, BLACK, BROWN, WHATEVER, THESE PEOPLE HAVE REAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR US.
I DON'T WANT US TO GET SO CAUGHT UP IN A ASSESSMENT THAT FOCUSES ON UNITY AND DIVERSITY THAT WE FORGET THE SYSTEMIC THINGS THAT REALLY, REALLY CREATE PROBLEMS FOR
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BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I THINK THOUGH, WHERE WE WERE THERE MAY, WHEN YOU, YOU SAID SOME ASKING THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE US LIKE FOR US TO DO LIKE TO SEE US DO.
SO THAT'S NOT THE INTEREST NECESSARILY IN A NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS REALLY GAUGING AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
WHAT ARE YOUR ISSUES? YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WHAT ARE YOUR ISSUES? WHAT IS YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC? WHAT IS YOUR AGE RANGE? ARE YOU AFRICAN-AMERICAN? ARE YOU CAUCASIAN? ARE YOU, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO BREAK THAT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, BASED ON THIS DATA OF OUR RESPONSES, WE CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, 10% ARE IMPACTED BY CHARITIES IN HOUSING OR, UM, 30% IS AFFECTED BY THIS OTHER ITEM OVER HERE, BUT WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH VARIOUS ISSUES, STRUGGLES, CHALLENGES, A MULTITUDE OF THEM, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO STEP BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING THING THAT I NEED TO RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING THING THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED RIGHT NOW? RIGHT? BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER OUR MISSION.
AND THIS IS WHERE I KEEP GOING BACK TO THIS.
YOU GOT TO KEEP GOING BACK AND READING IT.
OUR MISSION IS NOT FOCUSING ON OUR MISSION IS VERY, AND I GO BACK AND READ IT FREQUENTLY.
IT'S DEALING WITH DISCRIMINATION, SYSTEMIC RACISM.
SO OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT NEEDS TO SPEAK TO WHAT THE MISSION AND THE LEGISLATION OF OUR COMMISSION IS GEARED TOWARDS.
THIS IS WHERE I THINK SOMETIME ORGANIZATIONS MOVE AWAY FROM THEIR FOCUS.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO BE ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT OUR COMMISSION WAS DESIGNED TO BE ADVOCATING FOR.
WE'VE GOT TO ATTACK, WE'VE GOT TO ATTACK THE SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE DISPARITY THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF RACE, SEX, GENDER, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET INTO A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT GOES IN ALL KINDS OF DIRECTIONS, BUT WHAT ARE WE REALLY, REALLY FOCUSED ON? WELL, I THINK WE'VE SAID IT NUMEROUS TIMES THAT OUR FOCUS AS THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION IS TO FOCUS ON THE DIVERSITY ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE UP AT EACH OF THE COMMITTEES IS TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT DATA WOULD YOU NEED, WHAT DATA WOULD HELP YOU FROM A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO DRIVE WHAT YOUR COMMITTEE DOES COMMISSIONED US.
SO WE ARE VERY TARGETED AND WE WANT TO BE VERY TARGETED WITH OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN GATHER SPECIFIC DATA THAT WE NEED TO FURTHER OURSELVES TOWARD ACCOMPLISHING THAT MISSION.
SO THAT REALLY COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ASSESSMENT IS WRITTEN, WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS, WHAT IS THE FORMAT AND THE PROCESS BASED ON THE DATA THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GATHER.
SO YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE THE THOUGHT AROUND THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND IS THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING JUST KIND OF GENERIC TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT WOULD YOU ALL LOOK FOR US TO DO THIS? IT'S NOT THAT IT'S VERY STRATEGIC, VERY DATA DRIVEN, RIGHT? IT IT'S BEING, AND YOU ALL GO BACK AND WATCH THE MEETINGS TONIGHT.
I NEED TO, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS BEING DRIVEN BY THE LEGISLATION, WHICH WE KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON, THAT OUR COMMISSION WAS ADOPTED FOR.
THAT WAS TO ADDRESS SOME VERY SPECIFIC THINGS CAME FROM THAT EIGHT POINT INITIATIVE THAT ERIC FORWARD AND THE NAACP HAD.
THAT'S THAT WAS THE WHOLE REASON YOU AND ERIC WENT TO MAYOR GORE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE POST GEORGE FLOYD.
SO I JUST WANT US TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT WE'RE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WATCHING THE MEETING, UM, NOW SHARE, UH, I THINK THAT I'VE SHARED THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF FACT THAT WAS, DID DIVERSITY ASSESSMENT WAS GOING TO BE ON THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA SO THAT, UM, IT WAS CONCERNING TO ME THAT I WASN'T
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AWARE THAT THE BE YOU ON THERE, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION HAS SET FOR TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL AT THIS POINT.UM, BUT I WOULD ENVISION THAT AS THE DIVERSE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION, AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR LAST FEW MEETINGS THAT WE ARE EMBEDDED IN THIS PROCESS OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND THAT IS NOT JUST DRIVEN BY CITY, BUT WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE CITY TO SAY, THIS IS A NEED, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE HAPPEN.
WE NEED SOME BASELINE DATA TO DRIVE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I, I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS AND I'VE, I'VE SHARED, YOU KNOW, UM, I'VE TALKED VIA EMAIL OUT, SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE EMBEDDED IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT RFP.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN GET TO PROVIDE RFPS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO BE IN THAT PROCESS OTHERWISE, WELL, I'LL SAY WE NEED TO BE IN THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THIS ALIGNS MOVING ALIGNED TO THE VISION OF THE COMMISSION.
THAT'S ALSO WHY WE DIDN'T DO OUR ASSESSMENT AS PART OF THE GENERAL ENGAGEMENT OR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY, BECAUSE I VIEWED THAT AS A SURVEY VERSUS AN ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL OF DATA COLLECTION.
AND IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMMUNITY-WIDE SUPPORT ON WHAT WE'RE ALREADY VIEWING AS THE POTENTIAL ISSUES ISSUES THAT ARE KNOWN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CALL POTENTIAL ISSUES, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF FAIR THING, ASKING IN THIS, THE MORE, YOU KNOW, IF 78, OTHER PERCENT OF PEOPLE AGREE WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, ASSESSMENT THAT MAYBE THAT THE MAJORITY, SOME OF THE RENTAL UNITS ARE NOT OF THE SAME STANDARD OR UP TO STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, KIND OF PROOF IN THE PUDDING OF, YOU KNOW, STATISTICS BACK UP, WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FOR AS FOCUS AREAS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN HAVE A VOICE OR ARE HEARD AS MUCH AS THEIR PEERS.
UM, ARE THEY FACING ISSUES WITH FOOD INSECURITY? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TIMES SCHOOLS WILL.
UM, SO I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE EITHER, YOU KNOW, SIDE OF IT.
IT'S JUST THAT I THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
NOW WE HAVE, DID YOU, DO YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE THE ANSWER FROM THE CITY FOR THE EIGHT POINTS BECAUSE THERE WERE FORMED COMMITTEE DOES, AND I COULD PIECE THAT PART OUT AND SHARE IT WITH THIS GROUP AS WELL.
CAUSE I HAVE THIS WHOLE RESPONSE.
SO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN THIS DOCUMENT THEY SEND IS 231 PAGES LONG TO ANSWER AS ANSWERING.
AND I THINK MY, MY POINT AND MY ASS IS THAT THE VOICE OF THE POPULATION THAT WE ARE SERVING, THAT WE HAVE TAKEN AN OATH TO SERVE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT VOICE IS THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THE ROOM.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE THE VOICE THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO HEAR THE VOICE THAT IS DRIVING OUR DISCUSSIONS.
THEY'RE THE VOICE THAT'S DRIVING OUR, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS.
BECAUSE IF, IF WE'RE NOT LISTENING TO THAT BOY, THEN, THEN WE, WE HAVEN'T DONE WHAT WE CAME TO DO.
AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE UNDERSERVED IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TARGETING BECAUSE BASED ON OUR LEGISLATION, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE
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SERVING.AND YES, DIVERSITY IS WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEKING THAT, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO GET SO CAUGHT UP ON DIVERSITY THAT WE OVERLOOKED THE SYSTEMIC STUFF THAT'S GOING ON AS IT HAS BEEN WIND ANYWHERE YET.
AND BEFORE YOU CAN TRULY HAVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY AND UNITY, YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC STUFF.
SO CO-MINGLED INTO EACH OTHER THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE HAVING FOOD INSECURITIES, CHANCES ARE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH HAVING ADEQUATE HOUSING AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, ADEQUATE WOULD BE BEST, BUT YOU KNOW, DO PEOPLE EVEN HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF GETTING TO DOCTORS PERIOD? YOU KNOW, SO DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BUS STOPS IN THE AREA? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO GET TO, AND FROM THERE'S SO MUCH TO THIS, BUT THEY ALL BLEED INTO EACH OTHER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND IT, IT IS A FOCAL, I THINK IN THOSE THREE AREAS, IT DOES BECOME THE FOCUS OF THE UNDERSERVED.
SO I, UM, I HAVE KIND OF STARTED DOING SOME INITIAL RESEARCH ON THE HEALTHCARE.
AND SO I, I KIND OF DO WANT TO TAKE THAT ON, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S REAL.
AND IN TALKING TO THE, I WENT TO WALMART TO TALK TO THE EYE DOCTORS AND OPTIC OPTICIANS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE VERY CLEAR TO ME WHY THIS DISPARITY EXISTS.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT IS A DOCTOR CAN CHOOSE WHO THEY WILL AND WON'T SERVE WHAT THEY CANNOT DO.
IS THEY NOT, THEY CANNOT SERVE YOU BECAUSE OF WHERE YOU LIVE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE.
BUT WHAT THEY CAN DO IS THEY CAN SAY, WE DON'T EXPECT THIS HEALTHCARE.
WE DON'T EXPECT THIS INSURANCE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHO FALLS INTO THAT DEMOGRAPHIC? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THAT'S HOW WE CAN DO THAT SAFELY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, A VIOLATION.
SO LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO THEN AS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IF I DON'T EXPECT YOUR INSURANCE, WHAT, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE AREA TO BE SERVED.
SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS AND SOME OTHER BARRIERS, AND IF THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION THAT COULD VERY WELL JUST MEAN THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT THE ACCESS TO CARE THAT YOU NEED.
SO NOW HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUES ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
DIABETES IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE, IF YOU'RE PREGNANT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THOSE NEEDS ADDRESSED.
AND IT'S JUST A RIPPLE EFFECT.
I MEAN, IT'S, SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ACCESS ISSUES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THEY WANT QUESTIONS POST, BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING ON A, YOU KNOW, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING A RIDE TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE? YOU KNOW, JUST SEEING WHAT THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF THE BROADER COMMUNITY ARE.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO PAIR THOSE DOWN BY DEMOGRAPHICS AGE, YOU KNOW, JUST HOWEVER WE NEED TO.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE RESOURCE GUIDE, IT'S ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, THAT JFS HAS A NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION SERVICE FOR PEOPLE, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S, I THINK WE'RE ALSO BE GRASPING AT THE BROADER KNOWLEDGE BASE OF THE COMMUNITY.
HOLY HELL RESOURCES ARE OUT HERE, EXCUSE THE BEAST.
SO WE WANT TO, I MEAN, YOU'LL WANT TO, YOU WANTED, YOU WANTED QUESTIONS FOR THE NEED ASSESSMENT KIND OF SOONER THAN LATER, NOT NECESSARILY QUESTIONS, UM, CONTENT OR DATA THAT WE WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO GATHER FROM A NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO, UM, IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO GAUGE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE IMPACTED BY, YOU KNOW, HOUSING NEEDS THAT AREN'T BEING MET
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OR FOOD SHORTAGES, OR EVEN JUST TOPICAL THINGS THAT YOU WANT THE ASSESSMENT TO ADDRESS.AND THAT'S SOMETHING I LIKE WE DID WITH THE REFORM GROUP.
WE CAN PUT INTO A GOOGLE DOC AND SHARE AND ADD TO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF PULL OUT THOSE THREE KIND OF AREAS AND THEN FOCUS IN ON WHATEVER WE DECIDED TO KIND OF TAG ON FIRST, IF IT'S QUALITY, HEALTH CARE, UM, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, IT ALL GOES ONE INTO THE OTHER.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SITTING IN A CLASSROOM AND YOUR FEET ARE COLD AND YOU'RE HUNGRY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CARE.
OR IF YOU'RE SITTING IN A CLASSROOM AND YOUR TOOTH HURTS AND YOU CAN'T GET TO THE DENTIST, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CARE.
SO IT IS ALL OF THOSE SERVICES THAT WRAP AROUND TO COME TOGETHER TO BE THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR THOSE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES UNDERSTOOD UNDER SERVED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, I SHOULD SAY.
I REALLY LIKE TO SEE FROM THE CITY IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS, YOU KNOW, WHO IT'S BEEN TO LOW INCOME CATEGORY, WHO FITS INTO MAYBE A MODERATE TO HIGH INCOME CATEGORY.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW WHAT THE WEBSITE SAYS, BUT IF WE'VE GOT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UM, HUBER HEIGHTS IS IN THE MAJORITY, IS IT, IS IT LIKE 73%? IF I REMEMBER CORRECT THE MAJORITY POPULATION? YES.
WELL, I THINK AFRICAN AMERICAN AND MINORITY POPULATION WAS 13%.
SO MAYBE WHAT IS THAT ABOUT 7% WHERE IT WAS LIKE 74% WHITE, 17% AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND THEN VARIOUS OTHER DELINEATED GROUPS.
I THINK THAT AS WELL IN THE, THE DOCS THAT WE WERE SENT.
BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF THAT PER THAT 74%, WHAT PART OF THAT POPULATION, UM, HAS ANY TYPE OF, IS EXPERIENCING ANY TYPE OF DISPARITY WITH HEALTH CARE AND THEN MINORITY POPULATION? WHAT PERCENTAGE IS THIS IS EXPERIENCED IN DISPARITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT, IF YOU'VE GOT PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE AND YOU DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE GETTING TO THE DENTIST OR THE DOCTOR, YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, NOPE, WE DON'T, THAT WE'RE GOOD.
SO THAT'S, WE INCLUDE ON A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, TO GAUGE, YOU KNOW, I'M COVERED BY PRIVATE INSURANCE OR I HAVE MEDICARE OR MEDICAID OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE YEAH.
SO, SO WE SHOULD, SO THAT WHOEVER THAT, UM, ENTITY IS THAT BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES THE ASSAULTING SERVICES AND BE ABLE TO BREAK OUT THE RESULTS TO LOOK AT, OKAY.
OF OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION.
HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE BE ARE FACING THESE ISSUES OF OUR CAUCASIAN POPULATION? HOW MANY ARE FACING THESE ISSUES AND REALLY BREAK IT OUT.
UM, I AGE BY RACE, ALL OF THAT.
AND EVEN IF WE'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TYPE OF INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE SPECIFIC PROVIDERS AS WELL, TO EVEN PIECE THAT OUT.
ONE MORE, YOU KNOW, CARE SOURCE IS A HUGE MEDICAID PROVIDER IN OUR AREA, BUT THERE'S ALSO PARAMOUNT AND UNITED HEALTHCARE ANTHEM, ALL THESE OTHER PLACES THAT ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.
SO A DOCTOR THAT MIGHT HAVE A CARE SOURCE CONTRACT, ISN'T GOING TO TAKE PARAMOUNT INSURANCE OR A DOCTOR THAT HAS A CONTRACT TO TAKE MOLINA, MAY NOT TAKE BUCKETS.
AND THEN YOU'RE EVEN FURTHER COMPLICATING HEALTH CARE ISSUES.
BECAUSE AS MEDICAID PROVIDERS AND THEMSELVES PICK AND CHOOSE WHO THEY'RE GOING TO SERVE, OR WHAT DOCTORS ARE WILLING TO TAKE THOSE INSURANCE PLANS, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN OUR AREA, WE HAVE TWO, MY CARE PLANS, BUCKEYE AND MOLINA.
ONE IS PREFERRED OVER THE OTHER BECAUSE ONE, NONE OF THE DOCTORS TAKE.
AND SO THEY FLIP ONTO THESE PROGRAMS AND THEN DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR MEDICATIONS OR THEIR DOCTORS.
AND I THINK SO, EVEN LOOKING AT THE DOCTORS THAT ARE IN OUR AREA, HOW MANY OF THEM LIVE IN THE AREA? YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THEY LIVE? YOU KNOW, I FIND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE INDEPENDENCE WHO GET TO SAY WHO THEY WANT TO ACCEPT AND WHO THEY DON'T.
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THEY MAY EXCEPT CAN RESOURCE FOR THE, FOR THE GLASSES OR MOLINA FOR THE GLASSES, BUT THEY DON'T EXPECT CARE STORES FOR THE EXAM.SO THEN PEOPLE CAN GO GET EYE GLASSES, BUT THEY CAN'T GET AN EXAM.
THEY GOT TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN TO GET THE EXAM, GET THE GLASSES.
YOU GOT TO COME OVER HERE TO GET THE GLASSES.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PAYMENT, MEDICARE IS GOING TO COVER SOMETHING THAT MEDICAID'S NOT GOING TO COVER.
BUT USUALLY IF I TAKE ONE, I TAKE IT ALL.
NO, THEY DON'T HAVE A SEPARATE ISSUE.
THEN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT DATA.
NO, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH AN ISSUE BECAUSE IF, IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T GET ACCESS TO AN EXAM AND GET THE FRAMES OR GET THE CONTACT, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, THEN THEY MAY JUST GET THEIR EYES CHECKED.
THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT PIECE, BUT I MEAN, YOU, YOU MENTIONED WHERE THE DOCTORS LIVE WELL.
NO, I THINK IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL FOR, IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW, BECAUSE WE CAN THEN SEE, YOU KNOW, OUR DOCTORS COMING OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA AND NOT SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY VERSUS THOSE DOCTORS THAT MAY LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY BE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE I MEAN, WE CAN INVITE DOCTORS INTO OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, DOCTORS CAN SIGN UP TO BECOME MEMBERS OF WHATEVER PLAN THEY WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF.
SO SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING MORE DOCTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO SERVE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, OR I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY OPENING UP SOME SLIDING FEE HEALTH CLINICS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU HAVE TO DEFINITELY WORK WITH MY IDEA FOR THAT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT MY IDEA IN THAT RIGHT, WOULD BE MORE OF LIKE A SETUP, LIKE GOOD NEIGHBOR HOUSE AS ABSOLUTELY WHICH ISN'T FAR OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT AGAIN, ACCESS AND PLUS RIDES AND, YOU KNOW, HEALTH ISSUES, UM, WELL FOR TIME SAKE, WELL, ON THE BACK END PUT TOGETHER SOME QUESTIONS AND FOCUS AREAS AND MAYBE HOW WE WANT TO ADD, ASK THESE QUESTIONS TO GET WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OUT OF THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY RHONDA, YOUR PASSION AS IN THE HEALTHCARE, I, YOU KNOW, MY PASSION IS VERY MUCH IN THE EDUCATION, UM, FIELD AND THE KIND OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES THERE FOR, UM, EDUCATION.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I HAD BROUGHT UP IN, YOU KNOW, EVEN MY INTERVIEW IS THAT PRESCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T SUPPORT CHILDREN WHEN THEY'RE VERY YOUNG AND WE'RE NOT DOING A LOT IF WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AS CHILDREN ARE COMING UP, EVEN FROM BIRTH.
SO THAT GOES INTO QUALITY HEALTH CARE AS WELL.
UM, ARE WE OKAY? ARE WE OKAY TO, UM, WORK ON THAT IN A DOCUMENT VIA EMAIL FOR THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS, KNOCK OFF TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE THAT WAS DEFINITELY A F AND C.
SO, UH, FOOD BIZARRE UPDATES, ANYTHING THERE.
UM, I DID GO DOWN TO VISIT THEM RECENTLY AND THEY ARE DOING WELL.
UM, I STILL DON'T THINK THEY HAVE HAD ANY, UM, REPORT ON OR UPDATES ON THEIR SITUATION.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE STILL AT A STAND STILL THERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE IF WE EVER DO GET THE CHANCE TO DO LIKE A, THE CULTURAL FAIRS OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THE TURKISH COMMUNITY, THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF FARE OR CULTURAL GATHERING OR SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
CAUSE THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF TURKISH OWNED BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE GREAT TO HIGHLIGHT, EVEN IF WE DID LIKE,
[00:40:01]
AGAIN, WAIT, BUT LIKE A MONTH THE SPOTLIGHT ON THESE BUSINESSES OR SOMETHING, AND JUST KIND OF RABBLE-ROUSERS AROUND OUR ETHNIC AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OR UNIQUE BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY.SO DOES THAT LEAD TO YOUR POLICE DIVISION FOLLOWUP THAT GO NADA? I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE POLICE YET.
I KNOW YOLANDA AND I ARE GOING TO TALK TO THE POLICE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO ALONG WITH SETTING A PROTOCOL FOR WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, WHAT IS THE STEP ONE? WHAT ARE THE FOLLOW-UP ACTION THAT WE WANT TO SEE? UM, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE A PROCESS, THEN HOW ARE WE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY? SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF A RAPID ACTION PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 24 HOURS, THIS HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A WEEK, THIS HAPPENS WITHIN 10 DAYS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT A CONSISTENT EXPECTATION THAT WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE RESOLVE IS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO JUST SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG.
I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, AN ACTION PLAN THAT WOULD NEED TO BE USED, UM, EVERY LITERAL BLUE MOON.
BUT I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH HAVING AT LEAST A, A ROUGH OF, YOU KNOW, STANDARDS FOR US TO FOLLOW, JUST TO ENSURE THAT I FEEL LIKE IT ISN'T, UH, HOPEFULLY HISTORICALLY HAS NOT BEEN A HUGE ISSUE EXCEPT FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT SEEMS LIKE THIS, THIS ONE BUSINESS THAT'S BEING TARGETED.
UM, GOSH, HEAVEN FORBID IT EVER DID BECOME SOMETHING WE NEEDED TO TANGLE WITH ON AN ONGOING BASIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM THREE TIMES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE BUSINESS CONTINUES TO GET TARGETED, BUT LUCKILY IT'S NOT BEEN A, IT'S NOT BEEN AN OVERREACHING COMMUNITY ISSUE WHERE OTHER ETHNIC BUSINESSES ARE BEING TARGETED.
YOU KNOW, NOT THAT IT MAKES IT ANY BETTER, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEM.
JUST THAT IT'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT JUST HASN'T BEEN DATA AGAINST, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE BUSINESSES.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING TARGETED JUST IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, SO I MEAN, THAT BRINGS TO POINT B WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED THIS MISSION, THE THOUGHT WAS TO DEVELOP A PROCESS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD VOICE CONCERNS THAT, OF, OF BEING TARGETED.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FOCAL AREAS THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON WILL BE GUIDED BY KIND OF THAT THE DATA THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT IS DEVELOPING A PROCESS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SPEAK UP WHEN THEY ARE BEING TARGETED WHEN THEY ARE HAVING ISSUES AS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD START TO DEVELOP NOW WITHIN THE ADVOCACY GROUP? ABSOLUTELY.
BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE BUSINESSES COUPLE LATELY THAT TOLD ME THEY SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES WITH ME THAT THAT ARE CONCERNING.
AND, UM, SO I WANT, I KNOW WE ALL WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN AVENUE AVENUE TO COME IN AND REPORT THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I KNOW, UM, THAT RIGHT NOW THE PROCESS IS THAT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, THEY REPORT IT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WELL, IF YOU'RE BEING TARGETED BY THE POLICE OR YOU FEEL YOU'RE BEING TARGETED BY THE POLICE, THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WILL FEEL SAFE TO GO AND REPORT THAT TO THE POLICE.
SO WE JUST WANT TO PROVIDE A NEUTRAL AVENUE, SAFE AVENUE FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE.
AND I MEAN, THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WE
[00:45:01]
WERE TASKED WITH.AND THAT WAS PART OF, UM, THE EIGHT POINT NAACP PLAN THAT HEBREW HIDES PUT IN PLACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NUMBER ONE THAT TO PUT AS THE POLICE REVIEW BOARD, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE, UM, CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THIS BE SOMETHING THAT THE ADVOCACY GROUP THEMSELVES WOULD HANDLE AS THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE? UM, IF WE COULD DEVELOP SOME TYPE OF A SECURE EMAIL FOR, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO GET OUR OWN LITTLE WEBPAGE YOU EVER HIDE? IT'S WHERE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THIS COMMITTEE, THIS IS HOW YOUR VOICE, YOUR CONCERN, EVERYTHING SECURE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE SET A DAY TO LISTEN TO CONCERNS OR, YOU KNOW, VIEWED THEM AS THEY COME ACROSS AND DECIDE WHAT IF ALL PROBABLY SHOULD BE FOLLOWED UP ON.
WE NEED OUR OWN TAB ON THE WEBPAGE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S THE ONE THAT COULD BE A PRIORITY ITEM FOR US.
LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON NOTHING, ANY DATE OR ANYTHING FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING IS WE'RE PENDING A LOT BACK ON THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S ALL BEING PENDED OUT, WHICH IS FINE, BUT THERE ARE MORE ACTIONABLE ITEMS LIKE THIS THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY MOVE UP THE, THE CHAIN.
UM, SO IF WE, YEAH, LIKE A TAB ON THE WEBPAGE AND THEN WE COULD BE A SECURE EMAIL WHERE YOU COULD VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.
I MEAN, I GUESS IN TRANSPARENCY WORLD, I DON'T THINK WE CARE PER SE IF ROB IS CC NECESSARILY ON THE EMAIL GROUP OR HOWEVER THAT WORKS, I WOULD JUST NOT ENJOY BEING DISSEMINATED EMAILS VERSUS I'M COMING DIRECTLY TO SOMEONE ON THIS COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO, BECAUSE DEREK'S POINT INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON AN EX CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD, AND WE'RE NOT REALLY EXTERNAL.
SO AT SOME POINT SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT THEY CAN COME TO US WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING RETALIATED AGAINST THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY HERE CITY, IF YOU WERE HEIGHTS, THIS CAME FROM THE RESIDENT AT ONE, TWO, THREE ABC STREET.
I WAS THINKING IF IT, IF IT WAS LIKE A SECURE EMAIL THAT CAME TO THREE APPOINTED PEOPLE, OR, YOU KNOW, THE ERIC AND US, OR HOWEVER, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE, IT'S THE ABILITY TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE BACK OBVIOUSLY TO THE CITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WOULD ALLOW US OR GIVE US THAT ABILITY, UM, TO BE THAT TOUCHING POINT OR THAT, YOU KNOW, AIR YOUR CONCERNS POINTS.
AND SEE, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE CITY BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE LIKE ME COMING TO YOLANDA AS A NEIGHBOR AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, HEY YOLANDA, YOU KNOW, I'VE FEEL LIKE I'M BEING TARGETED BY THIS PERSON.
OR, YOU KNOW, I WAS BEING FOLLOWED.
I NOTICE EVERY TIME I GO IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD I'M BEING FOLLOWED OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN TO THE CITY BECAUSE THAT'S ALMOST LIKE A NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR OR RESIDENTS OR PEER TO PEER TYPE OF, UM, NOTIFICATION, IF YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LETTING YOU KNOW, AS A FELLOW RESIDENT OR A FELLOW NEIGHBOR THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME.
UM, I WAS FEELING IT NEEDED TO BE MORE IN A MORE OFFICIAL CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE LODGED YOUR CONCERN AS THE COMMISSION.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD YOUR CONCERN OR, YOU KNOW, YOU WE'VE RECEIVED YOUR CONCERN AND WE WILL INVESTIGATE AND FOLLOW UP OR, OR SOMETHING VERSUS IT JUST BEING AN AIRING BOARD.
YOU KNOW, FOR ME, THINGS NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TEETH IN IT
[00:50:01]
THAT, THAT IF IT'S YOU'RE VOICING A CONCERN, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION OVER COFFEE.IF I'M EMAILING THIS BROAD COMMISSION THAT IS TASKED WITH THIS, THEN I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO GET SOMETHING DONE THAT WAY.
AND WE TASK IT IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
THEN WE'RE ALSO HELD TO THAT STANDARD OF ISSUING AN OUTCOME.
I DON'T, I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING IS I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GET THE CITY'S APPROVAL TO MOVE ON THESE THINGS.
I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION, MAKE RECOMMENDATION.
SO IF SOMEONE FEELS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, FOLLOWED OR THEY'RE BEING TARGETED BY THE POLICE AND THEY DROP A NOTICE ON OUR WEBSITE, WE TAKE THAT, WE BRING IT TO THE COMMISSION, UM, IN SOME, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH AN EMAIL OR THROUGH SOME TYPE OF MEMO.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP AFTER THAT? YEAH, YEAH.
LIKE THE BUY-IN FROM THE CITY TO LIKE, MAKE THEM MAKE US A TAB, NOT LIKE GET PERMISSION, JUST LIKE, I DON'T THINK WE MADE IT SAD.
UM, TO BE HONEST, TARA, I THINK WE NEED PERMISSION TO HAVE A WEBSITE.
IT DOESN'T, IT MAY BE, IT'S NOT EVEN ATTACHED TO THIS THING.
NO, WE'RE VERY ATTACHED TO THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M I STRUGGLE BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THE INITIATIVE THAT DEREK ASKED FOR IT.
IF EVERYTHING, IF I DON'T KNOW, I CANNOT RECALL WHAT HE SAID.
I DIDN'T MEAN, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
I CAN'T RECALL WHAT THE CITY'S RESPONSE WAS TO THAT FIRST INITIATIVE IN TERMS OF EXTERNAL DO EITHER OF YOU.
MATTER OF FACT, I JUST PULLED IT OUT AND I THINK TO TEAR TO YOUR POINT, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH THE PROCESS AND SAY, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED AND, AND JUST TELL THEM WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SEE, AND THIS IS WHAT CAME UP THE OTHER DAY IN THE REFORM GROUP.
AND THIS IS I THINK, WHY IT NEEDED TO BE MORE, UM, OFFICIAL BECAUSE THE NUMBER ONE WHERE IT CAME FROM CHIEF LEITNER WAS MODIFIED AND, OR IMPLEMENT A CITIZEN'S REVIEW BOARD, EMPOWERED WITH SUBPOENA POWERS, TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CONCERNING MISCONDUCT BY THE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS JUST, UH, A PERSON.
UM, I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE SUBPOENA POWERS.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE REFORM COMMITTEE WAS GOING TO TAKE BACK.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL EIGHT POINTS TO THE POLICY, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT BACK, UM, TO THE GROUP BECAUSE IT, THEY DID ADD US AFTER THE FACT, BUT THE, THE ONE POINT WAS THEY DID IMPLEMENT A CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE SUBPOENA POWERS.
NOT THAT IT DOESN'T MEET THOSE NEEDS.
AND, UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE ARE NOT JUST FOCUSED ON, UM, POLICE, EITHER ACROSS THE BOARD.
ARE YOU FACING ISSUES OF DISCRIMINATION, SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHIN OUR CITY? AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF LENS INTO WHAT WE'RE, WE'LL FIND WITH THOSE, YOU KNOW, ASSESSMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I THINK WE'LL STILL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ALWAYS THINGS WE MAY NOT KNOW, OR NOT EVEN HAVE KEYED INTO.
THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WILL COME OUT IN THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO WE, IF WE'RE GOING, GONNA MAKE IT A PRIORITY ITEM, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO, WE WANT TO TANGLE WITH THIS.
DO WE WANT TO JUST POSE THIS TO ROB AND SEE WHAT HE COMES UP WITH ON HOW TO, OR WE WANT TO COME UP WITH THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW CAN THIS COMMISSION SERVE THE PURPOSE OF THE, UM,
[00:55:01]
THE CITIZEN'S REVIEW BOARD, OR IS THAT ANOTHER ENTITY THAT'S UNDER US? YOU KNOW, BUT IT, IT HAS TO BE AN ENTITY THAT HAS THAT SUBPOENA, RIGHT? YOU, YOU KNOW, SAY JOE BLOW DID THIS AND HE CAN'T GET TO JOE BLOW, OR HE, YOU KNOW, STONEWALL'S US.WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO ACTUALLY, AGAIN, HAVE SOME FAITH IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THAT'S WHAT WILL GIVE US THE, YOU KNOW, THE POWER WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE, DO WE NEED AN ENTITY THAT FALLS UNDER THE COMMISSION THAT WOULD BE, UM, CITIZEN'S REVIEW BECAUSE THAT WAY IT COVERS, YOU KNOW, I THINK SO.
I THINK IT WOULD BE TO BE QUITE HONEST, IF FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN ORGANIZATION AND SAY WHERE THE CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD, THEY COULD DO THAT, THEY WOULDN'T NEED THE CITY'S PERMISSION TO DO THAT, TO BE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO JUST WANTS TO HELP OUT IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO NECESSARILY BE ATTACHED TO US.
THEY COULD WORK IN TANDEM WITH US.
UM, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO BE EFFICIENT, IT HAS TO BE SEPARATE BECAUSE AS LONG AS THERE IS NO, THERE CAN'T BE ANY BIAS.
THERE CAN'T BE ANY, UM, CIRCUMVENTING THE OUTCOME.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR CONCERNS.
AND SO LIKE, THERE WILL KNOW THERE WILL BE NO RETALIATION, THEIR VOICES ARE GOING TO BE HEARD.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD DO THAT FEASIBLY ATTACHED TO THE CITY.
I'M NOT SAYING NECESSARILY PROPOSALS THE CITY PER SE, BUT ARE WE PROPOSING THAT THERE BE A STAND ALONE? UM, WHAT DOES THE TERM CITIZENS RE WHAT CITIZENS REVIEW EXTERNAL CITIZENS' REVIEW BOARD, INTERNAL CITIZENS REVIEW, OR NOT ATTACHED TO THE CITY WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE VARSITY COMMISSION.
SO MAYBE THAT RE REPORTING WOULD GO THROUGH THE STILL, OH, IT'S GOOD TO GO.
THEY RESPONDED TO NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A WHOLE SEPARATE DEMO ON A SEPARATE PAGE.
AND IT'S LITERALLY SAYS, LIKE, THIS IS THE POINT OF WHAT WE'RE ASKED WITH.
LIKE THE WHOLE, THIS REVIEW BOARD SHOULD BE DIVERSE, INDEPENDENT AGENCY ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH AN ELECTORAL PROCESS, SUCH AS PRECINCT CAPTAINS, AND WE'LL CONDUCT PARALLEL INVESTIGATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED A LONG INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SPECIFICS LAID OUT IN THE EXPECTATION, THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, CONSIDERING THAT THE CITY HAS THE CAPACITY OF CREATING A NEW COMMISSION TO BE IN THIS WORK.
WE HAVE ALREADY, WE ALREADY HAVING CITIZENS ENGAGED IN HELPING DEVELOP CITIZEN HEIGHTS, CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMISSION THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEGISLATE AND FORMERLY CREATE WITHIN THE MONTH OF JUNE, THE NEW COMMISSION WILL BE FORMED UNDER BASIC, BUT CRITICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT WILL BE EMPOWERED TO CONTINUE GROWING AND DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT AS MORE TIME AND NEEDS ALLOW.
SO THEY MUST HAVE PUSHED BACK ON THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE FOR NUMBER ONE.
SO THEN THEY ISSUED THIS WHOLE SEPARATE THING BASICALLY SAYING NO, BUT WE MADE THIS COMMISSION.
BUT WE HAVE NO SUBPOENA POWER SO WE CAN SUBPOENA ANYTHING IN TERMS OF RECORDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND EVERYTHING WE DO IS IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY, WE MAKE RECOMMENDATION.
SO IT'S REALLY SOUNDS GOOD IN THEORY ON PAPER.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO COME UP WITH WHAT IT IS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO PUT THIS IN PLACE.
[01:00:02]
DOES IT MEAN THAT WE, AS A COMMISSION REQUEST, SUBPOENA POWER, DOES IT MEAN THAT WE HAVE AN ENTIRE SEPARATE ENTITY AS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE? THAT'S WHAT WE TO FIGURE OUT.AND I THINK THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A SEPARATE ENTITY, BUT IT'S EXTERNAL, TOTALLY STEPPED.
CAUSE WE'RE CONNECTED TO THE CITY.
WE ARE, WE ARE 100% A COMMISSION OF THE CITY.
NOW, WHEN THEY SAY EXTERNAL, HOW ARE THEY DEFINING IS SEPARATE FROM THE CITY.
I MEAN, IN THE DOCUMENT, HOW ARE THEY DEFINING THAT? BECAUSE TARA, WHAT YOU FIRST SAID, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, I SHOULD JUST, DO YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? CAN YOU SHARE IT IF I COULD DO THAT? UM, MY CUP.
I THOUGHT I SHARED MY SKIN SET UP IN A CUP OF WATER OVER HERE.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THE SECOND SCREEN, THE ONE THAT HAS HEBREW HEIGHTS RESPONSE IN JUNE? YES.
UM, I CAN TRY, MIGHT HAVE TO DOWNLOAD IT AND PULL IT UP.
THIS WAS BEFORE THEY ADDED US IN CAUSE THEIR ORIGINAL.
SO THE EMPOWERED CITIZEN REVIEW IS STRATEGY ONE, UM, REVIEW BOARD SHOULD BE A DIVERSE INDEPENDENT AGENCY.
IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PICKING OUT? YES.
SO WHAT ARE THE FIRST AGENTS? THE ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE COOP? ALMOST LIKE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OFFICIAL, BUT ISN'T THAT MORE OF A, WE ARE NO, WE'RE NOT OFFICIALS, BUT THEY DIDN'T LIKE FOR AN ACTUAL ELECTION.
SO THE CITIZENS HAVE A SAY IN WHO'S ON THAT BOARD SUCH AS PRECINCT CAPTAINS.
SO THIS HAS NOT BEEN SATISFIED.
AND, AND THEY, THEY POINTED THAT OUT AND THEN SUPPOSE I GUESS WHAT THEY RESPONDED WITH WAS, WELL, WE MADE THIS GROUP, BUT WE DON'T MEET THAT CRITERIA IN ALL HONESTY EITHER.
NO, WE'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PARALLEL INVESTIGATIONS BACK UP ONE SECOND.
SO THIS SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY ITEM THAT ARE, THAT WE WORK ON TO BE CONSIDERED ALONGSIDE THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION.
YOU SEE THAT WE'RE NOT THAT WE ARE NOT THAT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.
AND REFORM WAS ALSO QUESTIONING THIS.
SO WE NEED TO PROPOSE HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS OR, OR EITHER GUESS WHAT? WE JUST KNOW THAT AND YEAH.
AND SAY, HOW DO, HOW, HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, MAYBE ALIGN IT WITH LIKE YOUR, THE WARDS.
THEY NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELECTED FROM EACH WARD ON THIS BOARD, BUT IT'S NOT A HAPPEN.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THINK THAT THERE'S NO ISSUES IN HUBER, BUT I HEAR THEM ALL THE TIME.
AND WHEN YOU ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SHARE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEM, THEN THAT'S ADDITIONAL DATA THAT SHOWS YOU EXACTLY THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH VISIBILITY TO IT.
THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE WAS LIKE, THE POLICE DIVISION HAS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE COMPLAINT AND INVESTIGATION PROCESS.
[01:05:01]
LIKE WE DO IT ALL OURSELVES.THAT WAS THEIR ORIGINAL ANSWER.
NOT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HERE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, RIGHT? TO POINT THESE THINGS, NOT A PROBLEM WE ARE ASSISTING IN, IN MAKING, IN THE EVOLVING PEOPLE SO THEY CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT.
SO WE ARE ASKING FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY FROM ALL PARTIES INVOLVED SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING YOU DON'T REALIZE, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS, AS YOU SHOULD BE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ON PURPOSE, IT JUST HAPPENS.
THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ROB WAS A FORMER POLICE CHIEF, YOU KNOW? AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE POINT FINGERS AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT DOING THINGS THE CORRECT WAY, BUT IF WE DO WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT AND IF WE DO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BE OPEN AND HAVE HONEST DIALOGUE WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR RE THE RESIDENTS AND YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS YOU HAVE TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM, DO WE HAVE BODY CAMERAS ON ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS? YEP.
BUT MAYBE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO THIS.
MAYBE THE COMMISSION MAKES THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I STILL DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AN ELECTED BODY THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CITY.
MAYBE WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS SHOULD HAPPEN.
I THINK BEST STEP ONE IS JUST KIND OF PUSH BACK ON HOW THIS IS BEING MET AND THEN KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS WHAT WAS IMPLEMENTED TO MEET NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, REALLY HOW IS THAT BEING MET AND FROM WHAT WE'RE VIEWING, IT'S IT DOESN'T MEET THE OWNNESS OF THAT STATEMENT.
SO SINCE WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT, I DO LIKE RUN THIS IDEA TO JUST GO AHEAD AND PRESENT IT TO COUNCIL.
THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS WE KNOW IT'S NOT BEING MET.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO TELL, I MEAN, BASICALLY THEY TOLD US THAT IT'S NOT BEING MET.
SO NOW WE CAN SAY, OKAY, THIS IS A PART OF THE EIGHT POINT INITIATIVE.
HOW DOES, HOW WILL THE CITY MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND IN WHAT TIMEFRAME? YUP.
SO IT'S KIND OF A FIRST INITIATIVE FOR ADVOCACY.
UM, I CAN, UM, YOU CAN PRESENT THAT AT THE MEETING MR. MEETING.
BUT I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY HEAR THAT FROM, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TWO OF THE COMMITTEES.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN KIND OF BECOME A, UH, A LARGER ISSUE YEAH.
AND I THINK, UM, SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING AND REMIND ME, PLEASE, UM, TO, TO PRESENT THAT TO CITY COUNCIL.
THERE IS ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO BRING UP.
UM, SO THERE WAS A SITUATION, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL SAW MY FACEBOOK POST OR I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED TO YOU, BUT THERE WAS A SITUATION AT WALMART.
UM, THERE WAS, SORRY, YOU'RE STILL SHARING TO THE TIER.
DON'T LOOK AT MY MESSY DESKTOP EITHER.
I GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO LOOKS LIKE MINE EVEN MORE ON THE OTHER SCREEN STUFF EVER.
WELL, THERE WAS A SITUATION AT WALMART.
UM, THERE WAS A TRUCK THAT WAS WASTING A CONFEDERATE FLAG AND AN AMERICAN FLAG.
[01:10:01]
OR FOUR DAYS AND I SAW THE SAME TRUCK WITH THE SAME FLAG.I SAW A WALMART EMPLOYEE COMING OUT OF THE TRUCK, WHICH GAVE ME EVEN GREATER CAUSE TO QUESTION WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON.
UM, SO I DID SPEAK TO MANAGEMENT, UM, AND GOT A LITTLE PUSH BACK AT FIRST FROM ONE OF THE MANAGERS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD, THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, YOU COULD DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
TELL THE EMPLOYEE, THEY HAD TO TAKE THE FLAG DOWN.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO HIM WAS REALLY SO, UH, ANY ORGANIZATION WHO WANTS TO VOICE A HATE FLAG, UH, THEY CAN DO THAT ON COMPANY TIME.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME? AND HE SAID, DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH.
SO I SAID, I WANT YOU TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME RIGHT NOW.
UM, WELL THE EMPLOYEE CAME OUTSIDE OF WALMART AND ASKED ME, WAS THE FLAG, THE ISSUE.
AND I SAID, WELL, YEAH, IT IS.
SHE SAID, I'LL TAKE, GET DOWN.
IT'S MY HUSBAND'S, IT'S MY HUSBAND'S TRUCK.
SO I WENT BACK, YOU KNOW, AND I DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MANAGERS, YOU KNOW, WERE WILLING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE VIDEO TO SEE WHO THE EMPLOYEE WAS.
AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE FLAG DOWN.
SO I, SO I'M SAYING THIS THIS DAY, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND BRINGING UNITY TO OUR COMMUNITY, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS RECOGNIZING THOSE BUSINESSES WHO EMBRACED THE VISION, THAT WE ARE A UNIFIED COMMUNITY AND THAT WE WANT TO SEE DIVERSITY.
WE WANT TO SEE INCLUSIVITY AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND PRAISE THOSE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE THESE POLICIES AND THESE CORE VALUES REPRESENT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD IN THIS CITY.
UM, SO I KNEW THAT THIS COMPANY HAD GOTTEN RID OF ALL OF THEIR CONFEDERATE MERCHANDISE IN THEIR STORES FOR THAT REASON, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO SEND THAT MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY BELIEVED IN HATE AND BELIEVED IN THE THINGS THAT, THAT FLAGS BEFORE.
SO I WAS GOING TO SEND A LETTER, UM, TO THEM TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THE FLAG WAS TAKEN DOWN.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SEND A LETTER JUST STATING, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, REITERATING TO THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THIS FLAG REPRESENTS AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD, NOT JUST IN OUR CITY, BUT IN A WORLD WHERE IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE GET ALONG.
WE'RE AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE A UNIFIED BODY IS THAT WE NEED YOU ALL TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR EMPLOYEES.
MAYBE ALL OF THEM DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CORE VALUES ARE THAT THIS BEHAVIOR IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND WHEN IT'S IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT FURTHER INFLAMES OUR COMMUNITY.
SO HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE BUSINESSES THAT EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND THAT IM THAT EMBRACE INCLUSIVITY? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COMMISSION TO THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE HOW HARD IT IS FOR COMPANIES TO AT THE TOP LEVEL SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE.
A LOT OF COMPANIES HAVE LOST FUNDING.
THEY'VE LOST BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE THEY'RE STEPPING OUT AND SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE SUPPORT THIS.
SO I THINK THEY NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED AND THEY DO THAT.
UM, AND I THINK IT ALSO IS GOOD TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO SOME TYPE OF A STICKER WINDOW DECAL OR SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, SAYS, HEY, THIS BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME CUTE SLOGAN.
I HAVE SOME IDEAS IN MIND AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THEM THAT SAYS WE SUPPORT THESE FOUR VALUES.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO GIVE THEM A DECAL.
WHEN PEOPLE COME IN TO THEIR BUSINESS, THEY SEE, HEY, THERE ARE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SUPPORT, I LOVE THAT IDEA.
THEY USED TO HAVE THE, UH, YOU CAN PUT THE SAFE SPACES, SIGN IN YOUR WINDOWS.
AND IF KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDED A PLACE TO JUST GET OFF THE STREET REAL QUICK, THEY COULD KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR AND YOU WOULD LET THEM IN
[01:15:01]
THE SAFE SPACES.JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE, LIKE ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.
OR, YOU KNOW, WE PLEDGED NOT TO DISCRIMINATE OR WHATEVER.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS HAPPY THAT IT IS IT THAT WAY.
UM, BECAUSE I'LL KNOW ME THAT ONE STORE, THAT'S STILL DOWN ON KEYWAY THAT I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T JUST GIVE UP AND TUCK TAILS AND LEAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD EVERY FLAG AND EVERY EVERYTHING OUT, THE WHOLE SPAN OF KIWI UP TO THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, UM, CAUSE THEY WERE, THEY WERE SO SURE THEY WERE RIGHT.
IT IS TO SEE, I'D SEE IT OFTEN PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND WITH, I, I EVEN THINK MAYBE THAT EXACT TRUCK, UM, AND IT'S HONESTLY AUTOMATICALLY A TRIGGER, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
AND I THINK SOMETHING FOR BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT THAT WOULD SHOW THAT THEY ARE NON-SUPPORTIVE OF SUCH PRACTICES AND COUNCIL, WE COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC CAUSE I REALLY DON'T THINK I STILL DO NOT THINK PEOPLE TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT FLAG REPRESENTS.
I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF WHAT THAT FLAG REPRESENTS.
I MEAN, IT LASTED LONGER THAN THE CONFEDERACY.
SO, UM, I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT.
LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS, UM, STANDS FOR AND ALMOST BECOMES LIKE AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
AND I WAS JUST THINKING, UM, AND THIS IS ME JUST BRAINSTORMING OUT LOUD.
BUT IF WE DID SOME DID A, LIKE A EARLY NEWSLETTER OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN, OR YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY GETS AND USE A COMPONENT, UM, FOR ONE TO PUBLICIZE PROGRAMS TO RECOGNIZE BUSINESSES, UM, AND TO EDUCATE ALL IN ONE, JUST LIKE A ONE PAGE NEWSLETTER YOU COULD HAVE LIKE, DID YOU KNOW CORNER, YOU KNOW, THE CONFEDERACY LASTED FOR THREE YEARS.
THE CITY HAVE SOME, WELL, I GUESS WE WOULDN'T HAVE LIKE, PEOPLE'S EMAIL ADDRESSES, BUT IF THE CITY HAS BEEN LIKE CONSTANT CONTACT OR YOU COULD SET UP THOSE LISTS TO SEND EMAILS TO ALL THE PEOPLE, WELL, WE THINK WE DID STUFF IN THE WATER BILLS ALL THE TIME SHE WENT ON.
I DIDN'T HEAR THE LAST THING, RHONDA, LET YOU PUT THEM IN THE WATER.
THEY HAVE A TIMEFRAME THAT YOU HAVE TO GET ITEMS. THEN YOU CAN DO THAT.
I THINK MINE'S ON, LIKE, I DON'T REMEMBER IF I EVEN GET A BILL HALF THE TIME IT WAS JUST ON PAY.
THEY JUST TAKE MY MONEY AND I NEVER PAID ANY ATTENTION.
UM, DO WE WANT TO, LET'S PUT, UM, THIS IDEA, UM, FOR THE SAFE SPACES OR THE DIVERSITY, WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPE THING, DO WE WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH FOR LIKE A LITTLE BUSINESS OR SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE TO CRAFT AND WORK ON? OR HOW DO WE WANT TO TANGLE WITH THAT? WE COULD MAKE THAT LIKE A SECOND INITIATIVE BEHIND THE NAACP ONE.
UM, WELL THE NEWSLETTER AND STUFF, I FEEL LIKE WOULD BE EDUCATION, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE BUSINESSES ONE DEFINITE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ADVOCACY.
SO IT MAY BE THE BRAIN CHILD COULD COME OUT OF ADVOCACY FOR THE WHOLE.
AND THEN WE'LL TASK SOMEBODY ELSE WITH AND EVERY, EVERY COMMITTEE WOULD JUST HAVE A SECTION OF THE NEWSLETTER TO DO SOMETHING.
[01:20:01]
YEAH.WE DO A QUARTERLY WORK TOO, AT LEAST I DO.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE, LADIES AT NEXT MEETING? I DID WANT TO SAY, UM, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE KIND OF PAIRED THAT WITH FOCUS AREA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WAS DISCUSSED TONIGHT AT THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UM, AND THEY DID BRING UP THAT THIS HAD COME OUT OF THE DIVERSITY COMMISSION'S EFFORTS AND DISCUSSIONS.
I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY IS TAKING IT ON AS AN INITIATIVE THAT CAME OUT OF THIS MISSION.
UH, BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO WORK ON LIKE COMMUNICATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THINGS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORTH TO CITY COUNCIL ON OUR BEHALF, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT, OUR INITIATION OF THAT.
I AM GLAD THAT THEY DID DISCUSS IT TONIGHT AND HOPEFULLY, UM, CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TOMORROW WITH THAT.
OR WHENEVER THEY TONIGHT WAS JUST WORK GROUPS.
SO WHENEVER THEY DO ME NEXT WEEK.
SO, UM, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT ONE KIND OF COVER, WE'RE GOING TO START A DOCUMENT AND WE'LL WORK THAT AROUND FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND THINGS LET'S LOOK AT.
WE HAVE BROAD MEETING DECEMBER 3RD, UM, ARE MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAYS.
WHAT DAY IS BEST FOR YOU TO, I CAN WORK IN AS NEEDED FOR ME FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
I AM WHAT YOU WANNA DO? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M DOING? I'M NOT GOING TO BROADCAST IT.
UM, SO THESE MEETINGS, OTHER THAN COMMISSION ARE GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR ME HERE IN THE WEEK, UNLESS THEY'RE EARLY DOVER.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT A SATURDAY MEETING OR A LATE NIGHT MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE, BUT NO ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING FOR ME, ONE IN THE MORNING, BACK ME UP.
I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST SATURDAYS OR SUNDAYS.
I JUST, MY SON, UM, WE STARTED INDOOR SOCCER AND THOSE TEND TO BE ON SUNDAYS.
UM, I AM NOT FOND OF SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS TO SAY THAT.
ARE YOU AND WHAT TIMES ARE YOU AVAILABLE? LET ME TALK TO YOU ALL OFF HERE.
LET ME, YEAH, LET ME LOOK AT MY SCHEDULE, BUT WE'LL PAY.
WE WILL FIGURE THAT OUT AND WE WILL PUT IT OUT THERE WHEN WE NEED TO.
WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO THE HOLIDAYS HERE SHORTLY.
SO THERE'S THAT TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
WELL, TO GET THIS WRAPPED UP BEFORE 10 O'CLOCK AND IT IS NINE 56.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE WANT TO ADD TO THE MEETING OR ARE WE GOOD TO ADJOURN? NOPE.