[00:00:01]
[1. Call The Meeting To Order - Mayor Jeff Gore]
IS NOW SIX O'CLOCK AND THIS IS SEE IF YOU WERE HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MEETING.THIS IS A SPECIAL SESSION, UH, IS A HYBRID IN-PERSON REMOTE MEETING.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE GETTING STARTED AT SIX O'CLOCK.
UH, THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY CALLED TO ORDER.
MR. ROGERS, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROOM PLEASE? MR. SHAW HERE, MS. BAKER, MR. CAMPBELL, MRS. BERG, MR. OTTO, MR. LYONS EAR, MR. HILL HERE.
MR. WEBB HERE, MAYOR GORE HERE.
[ A Resolution Denouncing Racism And Discrimination And Declaring Racism And Discrimination A Public Health Crisis. (first reading)]
UP IS ITEM THREE, WHICH IS NEW BUSINESS ITEM THREE, A MR. ROGERS WAS YOU READ THE RESOLUTION PLEASE.ITEM THREE, A RESOLUTION DENOUNCING RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION AND DECLARING RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION, A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AT THE FIRST READING.
IS THERE A MOTION PLEASE? MR. CAMPBELL MOTION TO ADOPT FOR A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION MR. RODDICK, WE'RE GONNA START.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, WE, UH, FIND OURSELVES IN A PLACE WHERE WE DISCUSSED DOING ONE THING, AND NOW WE'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UH, AT THE MEETING A COUPLE OF TUESDAYS AGO, WORK SESSION, WE HAD WHAT I BELIEVED AND WHAT THE VIDEO OF THAT MEETING SHOWS IS THAT WE HAD, UH, OUR, OUR FINAL DECISION WAS, UH, MS. BAKER WAS GOING TO WORK UP SOMETHING, SEND IT OVER TO TONY.
TONY WAS GOING TO BE THE MIDDLE ON THAT HE WAS GOING TO DISTRIBUTE.
UM, WE WERE ALL GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO PUT INPUT INTO IT, UM, MAKE SUGGESTIONS SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION, UM, TO DO FINAL DISCUSSION.
AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO VOTE ON IT AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING.
UM, BUT HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT A RESOLUTION THAT I DIDN'T WORK ON.
UM, MS. BAKER, DID YOU WORK UP A, A RESOLUTION AND SEND IT TO MR. ROGERS? YES, I BELIEVE IT WAS SUNDAY, THE 2020 FIRST, 21ST.
THERE WAS THIS ONE, THIS, THE ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A FEW EDITS.
AND MR. ROGERS, FROM THAT POINT, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THAT RESOLUTION THAT SHE SENT TO YOU? THE DRAFT RESOLUTION.
I HAD SENT IT TO THE MAYOR AND ASK HIM ABOUT DISTRIBUTING IT TO COUNCIL.
AND, UH, THEN I WAS INFORMED THAT, UH, ANOTHER RESOLUTION DRAFT, I THINK, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MS. BAKER HAD, UH, INCORPORATED HAD BEEN DRAFTED AND THAT, THAT WAS THE PROCESS THAT WE WERE GOING WITH.
AND, UM, AT THAT POINT THEN IT WAS, UH, WAS IT SENT OUT TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WE DISCUSSED FOR OUR INPUT AND WHATNOT ARE NOW, UM, I, I WAS DIRECTED TO SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING.
WHICH WAS THE MEETING TONIGHT.
AND I FIND THIS ALL VERY DISHEARTENING BECAUSE, UM, WE JUST KIND OF WENT THROUGH THIS WITH THE CITY MANAGER THING.
AND, UM, AND ALSO IT'S, I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT, UM, MISS SOMEONE CAME OUT HERE DURING THAT MEETING AND MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AND THE ONES THAT STUCK WITH ME, I THINK THE MOST WERE THAT SHE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS THING.
JUST BEING A COPY PASTE SITUATION, WHERE WE JUST PASS SOMETHING TO PASS SOMETHING, AND WE REALLY DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING INTO IT THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME CONVERSATION DESIRED THAT WE WANTED TO REALLY GET INTO IT AND, UH, AND, AND MAKE IT REALLY MEAN SOMETHING.
BUT WHEN THE F THE MAJORITY OF THIS BODY DOESN'T EVEN SEE THE DOCUMENT OR POPS UP ON A SPECIAL WORK SESSION, NOTICE FOR US TO VOTE ON, UM, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO DO, UH, WE'VE AGAIN, SKIRTED THE PROCESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS TO, UH, GET OUT OF THE WORK INVOLVED, UH, NOT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS, UM, ALL THE ABOVE, BUT, UH, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT WE TEND TO TRUMPET OUR HORN QUITE A BIT ABOUT BEING OPEN, HONEST, AND TRANSPARENT.
AND THIS IS NONE OF THE ABOVE.
UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN GONE ABOUT ALL WRONG AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY BEEF WHATSOEVER WITH THE CULTURE DIVERSITY COMMISSION.
I THINK I'VE SHOWN THROUGH MY ACTIONS, NOT MY WORDS, THAT I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, I SHOW UP I'M THERE, I'M INVOLVED.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS, THIS IS NOT WHAT WAS ASKED FOR.
THIS IS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND IF WE MOVE TO VOTE TONIGHT, UM,
[00:05:01]
I WILL ABSTAIN.I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN HIT WITH THE BAIT AND SWITCH THING AGAIN AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT HERE WE ARE.
MA'AM I WILL JUST SAY, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STUCK OUT TO ME DURING THAT MEETING AS WELL, WHEN MS. SOLOMON SPOKE, WAS THAT NOTHING, WELL, HEY, THERE, NOTHING COULD MOVE FORWARD FROM THE DIVERSITY COMMISSION UNTIL A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS WAS PASSED.
I THINK SHE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR AND SHE ALSO MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT SHE, UH, AND THE COMMISSION VERY MUCH SO LIKED THE RESOLUTION THAT, UM, AT OAKWOOD HAD HAD PUT TOGETHER.
I THINK THE ONLY ISSUE WAS WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS A FIVE OH ONE C3 COMPONENT THAT THE CITY COULD DO.
AND WE HAD ASKED MR. MCDONALD TO KIND OF LOOK INTO THAT.
AND MR. MCDONALD'S SENT AN EMAIL BACK TO ME, UH, ABOUT THAT FIVE OH ONE C3 AND WHAT THAT SITUATION WOULD, WOULD OCCUR.
UM, SO I THINK THIS RESOLUTION IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE OAKWOOD RESOLUTION IS.
UM, THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT IT'S, IT'S OUR RESOLUTION, BUT IT'S FOR THE, THE, THE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE DIVERSITY COMMISSION.
AND THIS WAS SHOWN AND WORKED, UM, WITH MISS HONAKER AND, UH, MRS. SUMMIT, UH, TO, TO HELP PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND, UM, ONCE I GOT WORD THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE WORK AND THE RESOLUTION AND THAT, UH, THEY WERE OKAY WITH THIS AND NOT JUST OKAY, BUT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
UM, THAT'S WHEN I ASKED MR. ROGERS TO IT'S MUTED, I ASKED MR. ROGERS TO PUT, UH, TO REQUEST A SPECIAL MEETING SO WE COULD DO THIS.
SO, ONCE WE, UM, ONCE WE KNEW WE HAD THE APPROVAL OF THE, UH, OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DIVERSITY COMMISSION WHO WORKED, UH, TO HELP PUT THIS TOGETHER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UM, UH, MR. CAMPBELL USED THE WORDS HAVE A, EVEN A SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH I THINK IS GOOD BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
AND WE CAN SHOW THE FOCUS THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
AND, AND WE STAND BEHIND THIS.
AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT THE SPECIAL MEETING WAS CALLED.
THEY HAVE A COMMISSION MEETING THIS EVENING.
SO, UH, TONIGHT MADE SENSE TO DO THIS, WHERE WE COULD PRESENT THE RESOLUTION TO THEM.
UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION DID HAVE INPUT AND, UH, AND THE BULK OF THIS RESOLUTION IS BASED ON RESOLUTION THAT THEY WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT MS. SULLIVAN SAID SHE WAS HAPPY WITH, AND THAT'S HOW THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT TONIGHT.
I'LL SEE THIS REAL SOLUTION IS IMPORTANT.
IT BEGINS A PROCESS FOR RECONCILIATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND WRONGDOINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER CENTURIES.
WE, AS MIDDLE-CLASS WHITE PERSONS CAN NO LONGER STAND BY AND ALLOW OPPRESSION TO BE THE NORM.
OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE BACKS OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND ITS LAWS WERE FORMED IN WAYS TO OPPRESS THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THOSE VERY PEOPLE.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO STOP AND LISTEN TO THOSE WHO CRY OUT FROM OPPRESSION AND DO OUR PART TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE FROM ENSLAVEMENT JIM CROW LAWS, TO THE WAR ON DRUGS ROLES, AND CREATED TO KEEP PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM BEING COMPLETELY FREE AND A COUNTRY THAT HAS TOUTED FREEDOM FOR CENTURIES.
WE, AS A COUNCIL CANNOT NOT ON OUR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCES.
WE CANNOT GO ON OUR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCES.
SO WHEN A, SUCH AS THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY ACT A CITIZEN ACTION COMMISSION COMES TO US AND ASKS US TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION SUCH AS THIS IT'S TIME FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN, I WILL BE VOTING IN FAVOR OF TONIGHT'S RESOLUTION BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT THE RIGHT THING TO DO, IT'S BEYOND TIME THAT WE AS A CITY MAKE A STATEMENT FOR THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN OUR BORDERS.
I WAS, I WAS JUST HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY MUTE BUTTON.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, JUST WANT TO, UM, A COMMENT ON, UH, COUNCILMAN HILL'S STATEMENT.
UH, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON POINT.
UH, IT WAS HEARTFELT AND, UH, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH WHAT HE SAID MORE.
[00:10:01]
THIS IS THE RESOLUTION.UM, TONY, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS HONAKER IN MS. SOMEONE WORKED ON THIS.
DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WAS NOT PART OF THAT MEETING.
AND SO MS. HONAKER AND MS.
I KNOW YOU TOOK ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS, UH, VOLUNTEERS FOR THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZENS ACTION COMMITTEE.
I KNOW IT'S GOT TO BE A PASSION FOR BOTH OF YOU AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE ON THAT COMMISSION, UH, BY THE WORK PRODUCT.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE ALTERNATE DIVERSITY COMMISSION HAD BROUGHT TO COUNCIL, UH, HAS BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE AND VERY TIMELY, CONSIDERING YOUR COMMISSION JUST STOOD UP LAST YEAR.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THIS HAS BEEN ABOUT 10 MONTHS IN THE MAKING.
AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF I HAVE THIS DETAILED CORRECTLY, BUT, UH, IN A MEETING THAT WE HAD, I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN CAMPBELL HAD CHAIRED.
AND, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, HE MADE THE STATEMENT FOR SOMETHING TO CHANGE, UM, IN ORDER TO HAVE CHANGED, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
AND CERTAINLY I HOPE, UH, MR. CAMPBELL CAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF.
AND I HOPE I DIDN'T BUTCHER HIS COMMENT, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY THE FORM AND THE POINT I'VE HAD IN MY MIND, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN CAMPBELL FOR, UH, YOUR INITIAL WORK ON THIS AND ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SINCE IT, IT, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE HERE NOW, LET ME CORRECT THAT.
I KNOW WE WOULD BE HERE TODAY WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THIS, IF IT WASN'T FOR COUNCILMAN CAMPBELL AND HIS ABILITY, UH, AND EXPERIENCE ON COUNCIL.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK, UM, MAYOR, AS I WAS READING OVER THIS IN PREPARATION FOR THEM MEETING, UM, THIS IS, UH, SHOW MEETING AND THIS IS THE FOCUS.
IT'S THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MORE TIME.
I WAS ABLE TO READ AND REREAD AND LET THIS LEGISLATION SINK IN.
UM, LET IT BE PART OF WHO I AM BECAUSE IT'S SO VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, SECOND ONE SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL OF HUBER HEIGHTS, HEREBY DENOUNCES ALL FORMS OF SYSTEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION AND DECLARES THAT RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
UH, THAT'S A VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT.
AND THEN THE SECTIONS, UM, THAT GO FARTHER IN DETAIL, UH, REALLY HIT HOME, UH, SECTION FOUR, TO ME PERSONALLY, THE CITY COUNCIL OF HUBER HEIGHTS HERE BY COMMITS TO PROMOTING RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PROMOTING EQUITY IN HEALTHCARE, MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING EMPLOYMENT, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, FURTHERMORE, PROMOTE VOTING EQUITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF LOCAL GOODS, INCLUDING LEADERSHIP, STAFFING, TRAINING, AND CONTRACTING.
UM, THAT IS ALL THAT'S COVERING ALMOST EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF AN EVERY FACET OF LIFE.
IT DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE AND GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THIS.
I THINK THE DATE HE'S COMING AFTER THIS VOTE, IF THIS SHOULD PASS.
AND I CERTAINLY HOPE IT WOULD BE, I WOULD BE SUPPORTING THIS AND I DO ANTICIPATE VOTING YES ON THAT.
UM, BUT THE VOTE BEING VERY IMPORTANT, WHAT COMES AFTERWARDS, I THINK, IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WITH COUNCIL.
OTHERWISE, THIS IS JUST A SPECIAL MEETING WITH A PIECE OF PAPER, SOME WORDS ON IT WITHIN INK AND, AND SOMETHING TO BE FILED AS A PUBLIC RECORD TO BE AT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UH, YOU AND STAFF AND THE RESIDENTS OF HUBER HEIGHTS CAN COUNT ON MYSELF.
AND I'M SURE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL TO FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN AS A CITY TO BE LEADERS.
AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TONIGHT TO BE HERE AND TO VOTE YES.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, KATE, UH, COUNCIL BAKER.
UH, I DIDN'T WANT TO FORGET YOU, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MINIMUM FLIGHTS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WENT INTO THIS.
UM, I THINK IT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY STELLAR AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU TOO,
[00:15:01]
AS WELL.AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY THIS RESOLUTION, UM, I KNOW IF YOU HAVE, AND I'VE MET THE, UH, THE PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION.
SO THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD I WOULD EVER EXPECT IS THIS TO JUST BE SOME INK ON PAPER.
UH, I THINK THERE IS ABSOLUTE MEAT TO THIS.
I THINK THIS RESOLUTION IS IMPORTANT AND KNOWING THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND, AND WHAT THE, UH, THE, THE ACTION IN THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL COMMISSION, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS MEANS THAT THERE'S ACTION BEHIND, UH, BEHIND OUR WORDS AND, AND WHAT WE'VE GOT ON PAPER.
SO I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THIS AS MISS SOMEONE SAID AT THE MEETING, NOTHING COULD HAPPEN.
NOTHING COULD MOVE FORWARD UNTIL THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED.
YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE HER WORDS.
I TOOK THAT TO HEART AND, AND, AND HERE WE ARE.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE ACTION BEHIND THIS RESOLUTION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, MR. SHAW, THANK YOU, MIRROR.
UM, YOU HAVE, TONIGHT'S A SPECIAL SESSION.
UM, I DID WANT TO NOTE ORIGINALLY I WAS NOT GOING TO BE HERE DUE TO MY SON'S BASEBALL GAME, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE WEATHER CANCELED THAT GAME.
SO I'M HERE, UH, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, NOT SO MUCH FOR HIM, BUT, UM, I DO FIND, UM, THE, THE RESOLUTION TO BE, UM, UH, VERY GREAT AND SUBSTANCE MATERIAL.
UM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THE, UM, THE PROCESS SURROUNDING THIS, UM, DID NOT TAKE PLACE AS ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED, UM, AT THE MARCH 16TH WORK SESSION.
UM, I FIND THAT VERY UNFORTUNATE, UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE AFTER THE MARCH 2ND WORK SESSION, UM, I CREATED A SHAREPOINT SITE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THIS COUNCIL ON MARCH 7TH, UM, WITH OVER 1500 PAGES OF AVAILABLE RESEARCH.
AND NONE OF THAT WAS USED FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, I HAD PUT TOGETHER MY OWN, UM, DRAFT RESOLUTION AND INPUT, UM, AND THAT WAS NEVER ASKED FOR AS DISCUSSED AT THE MARCH 16TH WORK SESSION.
UM, AND THEY MET A DATA WOULD SHOW THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON THAT.
UM, SO I DO FIND IT VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THE ROUGHLY FIVE TO 6,000 RESIDENTS IN MY WARD, UM, DO NOT HAVE A VOICE IN THIS RESOLUTION.
ADDITIONALLY, I HAD, UH, SOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, PREPARED TO COME TO OUR WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY, WHERE I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED, UH, TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN INPUT AS I WAS CHARGED THROUGH THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
AND I, AND I DID JUST THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO CALL THEM AND TELL THEM THAT, UH, UH, THERE WAS GOING TO BE NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON THIS.
UM, SO, UM, I FIND IT VERY UNFORTUNATE, UH, THAT, UH, WE FIND OURSELVES HERE AGAIN.
UM, BUT, UM, I, UH, WILL UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE RESOLUTION, I, UH, I BELIEVE HAS A LOT OF GOOD MERIT POINTS IN IT, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE FOLLOWED UP ON THAT.
UM, MY CONCERN HERE TONIGHT IS NOT OF THE RESOLUTION AND ITS CONTENT, HOWEVER, THE PROCESS, UH, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS COMPLETELY CLEAR, UM, AS, UH, AS I'M SURE THIS WILL BE TURNED INTO A POLITICAL NIGHTMARE, UM, UH, FOR, FOR MY COMMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS HERE TONIGHT, UM, MAYOR, THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVEN'T IN LIEU OF THE, UH, PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU, MR. SHULL, THEN YOU'LL GO TO DISCUSSION.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE MARCH 16TH MEETING, I BELIEVE IN LISTENING TO MRS. SOMEONE.
AND SHE SAYS, IF WE USE THE OPA DOCUMENT AND I WENT BACK AND CHANGED IT, THAT THAT WAS THE DIRECTION WE WERE GOING.
AND I WORKED IN SEVERAL OTHER DOCUMENTS.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER I SUBMITTED THEM? THAT'S I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT I KNOW I DID WORK ON HIM AND I DID HEED WHAT THEY WISHED FOR.
I FEEL LIKE THIS DOES REPRESENT THE BODY OF WORK THAT THEY WISH FOR.
IS MRS. SIMILAR, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS DOCUMENTATION? YES.
IF YOU GO TO THE MIC, MRS. SOMEONE, THANK YOU.
SO I THINK WHAT WE SAID NUMEROUS TIMES WAS OAKWOOD WAS A DOCUMENT THAT I LIKED, BUT WE DID PROVIDE SEVERAL OTHER BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK ON OAKWOOD.
WE GAVE OAKWOOD, WE GAVE PICK WAWA.
WE GAVE TROTWOOD, THERE WAS THREE OAKWOOD WE'D LIKE, BECAUSE OF THE, IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT GIVEN THEY HAVE SUCH A SMALL MINORITY POPULATION.
[00:20:01]
READ THE RE THE RESOLUTION.I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS, IS GREAT.
UM, THE RESOLUTION IS SUPPOSED TO COME FROM COUNCIL, BUT IN TALKING WITH OTHER CITIES, IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
THEY HAD COMMISSIONED COUNCIL LAW DIRECTOR.
THEY HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE WORK ON THE RESOLUTION.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY ON MY COMMISSION, BUT I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS A GOOD START.
ALL THE WORK HAS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE RESOLUTION HAS PASSED.
WHAT I WOULD ASK TONIGHT IS THAT WE DON'T GET SO CAUGHT UP ON THE PROCESS THAT THIS BECOMES A SLOW ROLL AND NOTHING GETS DONE BECAUSE I'M, I'M SICK OF THAT.
TO BE QUITE HONEST, IT'S TIME TO GET SOMETHING.
THE PROCESS CAN'T BE FIXED RIGHT NOW.
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU AS A COUNCIL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT NEED FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE ACTION AND STOP FOCUSING ON THE PROCESS.
THE PROCESS HAS TO BE FIXED AND EXECUTIVE SESSION, PROBABLY IT CAN BE FIXED TODAY, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE SHOW PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT YOU ALL MEAN WHAT YOU SAY, PERIOD, AND ALL OF THIS OTHER STUFF, DOESN'T MATTER.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REITERATE THAT THAT'S EXACTLY THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE AND THAT THIS MEETING WAS CALLED.
SEE YOU AS CHAIR OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY CITIZEN ACTION COMMISSION.
I HEAR THE CONCERNS OF THE COUNCILMEN, AND I UNDERSTAND THEM GREATLY.
I BELIEVE THAT THE RESOLUTION IS GOOD.
UM, RHONDA MIA AND MYSELF HAD INPUT INTO IT, BUT THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF CITY COUNCIL, WHICH MEANS THAT IT SHOULD REPRESENT EVERYONE'S VOICE TO HAVE A RESOLUTION.
AND HALF OF THE COUNCIL IS SAYING, WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY INPUT INTO THIS.
THE ONLY WAY THAT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE ARE BOUGHT INTO IT IS THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY INTO IT BY HAVING THEIR, THEIR OWN DRAFTS REVIEWED, OR HAVING SOME INPUT INTO THE RESOLUTION.
SO I GREATLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN HERE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SLOW ROLL ANYTHING.
HOWEVER, A PIECE OF PAPER THAT RESOLUTION REPRESENTS A VOICE FROM OUR COMMUNITY FROM CITY COUNCIL.
WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT HAS TO BE YOUR VOICE.
IT HAS TO BE EVERYONE'S VOICE.
IT CAN'T BE HALF OF THE COUNCIL SAYING, WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY INPUT INTO IT.
SO I DON'T WANT ANY DIVISION HERE.
I NEED EVERYBODY TO BE ON BOARD, SO EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT INTO, IN MY THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
NOW, THIS RESOLUTION IS A STARTING POINT.
WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOME THINGS WITHOUT THIS RESOLUTION, BUT THIS IS WHAT PROVIDES THE LEVERAGE FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO GET SO CAUGHT UP ON THIS, THAT WE ALSO DON'T DO THE WORK.
WE NEED THE LEVERAGE, BUT IT NEEDS TO COME FROM EVERYONE.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR LAST MEETING, THAT IT WOULD COME BACK AND THERE WILL BE INPUT.
AND I RESPECT THAT TO BE HONEST.
SO THAT THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TO SAY.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF BACK AT THE SAME PLACE WE WERE WHEN WE HAD THE VOTE, THE MEETING WITH ROB SHOMER.
WHEN PEOPLE WERE SAYING THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE VOTING FOR.
HERE'S WHAT I HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH.
AS A COMMISSION MEMBER, WHEN WE HAVE A MEETING, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THE PACKET, TO SEE WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA AND TO COME PREPARED.
AND IF I DON'T HAVE WHAT I NEED TO PRESENT, THAT'S MY OWN FAULT.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK EACH OF YOU, HONESTLY, CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
SHOULD IT HONESTLY TAKE THIS LONG TO DENOUNCE RACISM? WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS IN APRIL? AND WE STARTED OUR COMMISSION IN JUNE AND NOW IT'S ANOTHER THING OF, I DIDN'T KNOW, AND I DIDN'T CONTRIBUTE.
WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU CONTRIBUTE?
[00:25:01]
WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SUBMIT WHAT YOU WANTED TO SUBMIT? WHY DIDN'T YOU, WHY WEREN'T YOU PROACTIVE IN SUBMITTING WHAT YOU WANTED TO SUBMIT? WHY DID SOMEONE NEED TO COME TO YOU AND ASK YOU FOR A SUBMISSION? THAT'S WHAT I TAKE ISSUE WITH YOU.OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE'VE VOTED INTO OFFICE, YOU ALL HAVE THE SKILLSET.
ALL OF YOU ARE VERY SMART, VERY BRILLIANT PEOPLE.
YOU SERVE ON OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, I DIDN'T HAVE, I DIDN'T KNOW.
I NEEDED TO SUBMIT OR I DIDN'T GET TO SUBMIT.
WHY? WHY IS THAT? THAT BOTHERS ME.
IT BOTHERS ME BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN THAT RESOLUTION MATTERS TO PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME.
I THANK YOU FOR THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
IT'S TIME TO JUST MAKE A DECISION.
THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND IF YOU ALL DON'T VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION, ARE YOU STILL WILLING TO DENOUNCE THAT RACISM IS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS? BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION IS ONE PART, BUT WHO CAN DENOUNCE RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS WHO CAN DO THAT.
WHO'S WILLING TO ENSURE THAT THAT GOES ON OUR WEBSITE AND THAT EVERYBODY SEES THAT WE AS A CITY BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE FOR ME, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
THE RESOLUTION IS A START, BUT THERE'S STILL WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND I HOPE THAT TONIGHT WE DO NOT.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEN WE'RE STILL NOT MOVING FORWARD.
SO I HOPE THAT THIS DOES PASS AND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT EACH OF YOU HONESTLY TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY.
IF YOU DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE RESOLUTION, I WANT YOU TO ASK YOURSELF WHY DIDN'T YOU? CAUSE NOBODY HAS TO COME TO YOU TO GET ANYTHING.
I COME TO THESE MEETINGS ALL THE TIME.
YOU'RE PREPARED FOR WHAT MATTERS TO YOU.
THIS MATTERS TO EVERY PERSON OF COLOR THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I NEED YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT.
I WILL TELL YOU IF, IF THE, IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN THE RESOLUTION, IF THE RESOLUTION WASN'T IMPORTANT TO ME, I WOULDN'T HAVE CALLED THIS MEETING.
THE RESOLUTION ABSOLUTELY STATES THE WAY I FEEL IT'S EXPRESSED VERY WELL IN THIS FORM.
AND IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN IT AND WASN'T WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IT, I WOULD, I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
AND I WILL SAY THIS WENT OUT IN THE PACKET A FEW DAYS AGO.
AND NOW WHAT I'VE HEARD IS PEOPLE UPSET AND MAD, BUT NOBODY EVER EMAILED ME.
NOBODY EMAILED ME AND SAID, HEY, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE.
I WANT TO ADD THAT SILENCE COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WE WERE WORKING ON BECAUSE NOBODY CONTRIBUTES TO THAT EITHER.
IT WAS IN THE PACKET, IT WAS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
IT WAS OUT THERE AND NOBODY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY THEN TO SAY, HEY, I DIDN'T CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
SO SINCE I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, I'M ASSUMING PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH IT.
I KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION WAS OKAY.
I KNOW THE WORK THAT WENT INTO IT.
I KNOW THE MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE.
WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION ON SATURDAY.
SO, AND MR. CAMPBELL, MS. BAKER ABSOLUTELY WORKED AT THE WORK THAT THEY DID ON THIS.
AND THAT WAS THE INPUT THAT I RECEIVED, UM, AT, AT THE RALLY ON SATURDAY, MS. HONAKER, I'M GOING TO REITERATE WHAT RHONDA SAYS.
SO THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS WHEN IT KEEPS GETTING DELAYED FOR, BECAUSE WHO BROUGHT UP, WHO, WHO DID THIS, WHO DID THIS? THAT'S THE GAMES.
LIKE I SAID, THE LAST TIME I WAS UP HERE, IT'S PETTY.
WHEN YOU KEEP PUSHING THIS BACK AND IT CONTINUES TO BACK, IT TELLS PEOPLE OF MY COMMUNITY THAT I DON'T MATTER, THAT I DON'T MATTER IN THE PLACE I CALL HOME, THAT I DON'T MATTER IN THE PLACE.
I SPENT A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PLACE, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO I'M HOPING TONIGHT THAT WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND PASS IT, BE BETTER IN THIS AND DOING THIS.
IT'S JUST, WHEN I SEE CITIES ALL AROUND US, PRACTICALLY, EVERY CITY AROUND US HAS PASSED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS, NOT THIS MONTH, NOT
[00:30:01]
LAST MONTH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THEY DID THIS LAST YEAR AND WE'RE QUIET.AND WHAT, AND THE ONLY THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT IS GOING BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH AND ARGUMENTS BACK AND FORTH.
I'VE HONESTLY FELT LIKE EVERY TIME WE PUT SOMETHING FORWARD, THIS IS A WALL THAT COMES UP.
AND IT'S JUST MORE AND MORE OF THE PUSH OF, UM, AS A PERSON OF COLOR IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT I FEEL THAT WE DON'T HAVE HERE.
WE NEED YOU TO NOT JUST HAVE THIS RESOLUTION, BUT THE, THIS RESOLUTION AND PUT YOUR HEART AND YOUR SOUL AND YOUR ACTIONS INTO IT.
LIKE I THINK I TOLD MR. CAMPBELL, YOU, UM, WHEN WE HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION, YOU HAVE A LOT OF POWER THAT I DON'T HAVE.
I'M NOT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL UP THERE.
THIS IS THE FIRST STEP THAT TELL OUR COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS NOT TOLERATED HERE.
SO THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANT TO SAY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY TOO, I'M INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE'VE EVEN HAD TO GET TO THE POINT OF THIS CONVERSATION.
I WAS EXPECTING AND CELEBRATION TONIGHT AS MR. CAMPBELL HAD ASKED ABOUT, AND AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, AND THE FACT THAT ALL OF THIS DISTRACTION IS TAKING AWAY FROM THE RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE HERE TO DO THE ACTION THAT WE WANT TO TAKE.
UM, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE WERE EVEN HAVING TO HAVE THIS LEVEL OF CONVERSATION.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE THING REALLY CLEAR.
WAS IT MONDAY? UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS SENT OUT ON MONDAY TO US.
TONIGHT'S AGENDA AND A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION.
AND THIS IS MY WALL WORN COPY BECAUSE OF ABOUT MEMORIZED IT BY NOW, WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO GO OVER THE, AS SOON AS THE MIRROR JUST SAID, WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO GET AHOLD OF THE MIRROR, GET AHOLD OF TONY AND LET THEM KNOW IF WE HAD OBJECTIONS, LANGUAGE CHANGES, THINGS WE DIDN'T THINK WOULD WORK MIRROR.
HAVE I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT AS REASONABLY, AS LAST NIGHT, I HAVE WE'VE DISCUSSED IT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT POINTS IT MAKES, AND IT IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE.
IT'S A TIME TO CHAMPION THE WORDS THAT ARE ON THIS PAPER.
IT'S A TIME FOR US TO START TAKING THE NEXT STEP.
I'M PROUD OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS CATHERINE MARK OR KATIE AND MARK.
YOU GUYS ARE, I'M BLOWN AWAY BY IT.
IT MEANS A LOT TO ME PERSONALLY, IT SHOULD MEAN A LOT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON SITTING ON THIS DAY.
US RIGHT NOW, AS I SAID, I'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME.
I DON'T THINK I HOPE IT UNTIL TUESDAY, BUT I'VE DIGESTED IT EVER SINCE GONE OVER IT TO SEE WHAT IT MEANS TO ME, IT MEANS A LOT FOR ME AND THE CITY.
SO I WANT TO JUST SECOND SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR SAID, I THOUGHT WE WOULD COME HERE TONIGHT AND, AND CELEBRATE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M GOING TO ASK MS. SOMEONE AND HER COMMITTEE THERE TO PLEASE NOT PUT US ALL IN THE SAME CATEGORY.
UH, WHEN SHE FEELS LIKE A LOT OF US DON'T CARE, WE DON'T HAVE INPUT.
UM, THAT'S MAKING A GENERALIZATION.
THAT IS JUST NOT CORRECT, UM, EAT, BUT THE, THE BIG THING I WANT TO START OUT WITH THIS, I RUN A THINK MIA AND RHONDA AND YOLANDA AND WHOEVER ELSE WORKED ON THIS, UM, THIS, THIS TURNED INTO A EXCELLENT PRODUCT.
I THINK THAT IT CAPTURES, UM, WHAT THE, THE WHOLE PREMISE OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPRESS HERE.
UM, AND WHEN MISS SYMLIN STOOD IN FRONT OF US AT THE, AT THE LAST MEETING AND, AND TOOK SOME TIME TO TELL US ABOUT HOW WE ARE NOT LIKE HER AND, AND WE CAN'T KNOW HOW SHE FEELS AND, AND THAT SHE DID NOT WANT, UH, SOMETHING TO BE COPIED AND PASTED.
THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T PROVIDE INPUT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME FROM SOMEBODY ELSE.
I'M TRYING TO PICK THE BEST OF, OF OTHER EXAMPLES.
AND I FELT LIKE WE HAD COMMISSIONED THIS, THIS, UH, GROUP TO PUT THIS STATEMENT TOGETHER FOR IT TO COME FROM THE HEART.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS FINAL PRODUCT HERE.
UM, AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS THIS RESOLUTION CAPTURES WHAT WAS
[00:35:01]
NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT MR. SCHOMER GABE AND I SUPPORT IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.UM, BUT I, BUT, UM, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO CHALLENGE A COUPLE OF, UH, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, I'VE, I'VE REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM REPEATEDLY FOR SOMEBODY TO SAY I SUPPORT THIS, BUT WHETHER IT'S, I DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS, I DON'T LIKE WHATEVER ELSE, BUT MEANS BEHOLD THE UNDERLYING TRUTH.
SO IT REALLY SAYS YOU DON'T SUPPORT IT.
YOU WANT TO FIND A REASON NOT TO SUPPORT IT.
THE OTHER PART IS THAT MR. SHAW SAID THAT HE READ, I THINK HE SAID 1500 PAGES OF RESEARCH.
OKAY, MR. SHAW, IF YOU READ 1500 PAGES OF RESEARCH, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MISSING FROM THIS RESOLUTION? UH, I'M I, I BELIEVE IT'S GREAT.
I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD PASS AND I COMMEND YOU FOLKS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, AND I'M REALLY SORRY, JUST LIKE THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS GOING ON BECAUSE IT'S RIDICULOUS.
IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND WE NEED TO GET IT DONE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD RESPOND TO MRS. BIRCH'S COMMENTS.
UM, SO WHAT IS MISSING IS THE INPUT OF ROUGHLY FIVE TO 6,000 OF RESIDENTS THAT I, UH, THAT'S NONSENSE AND YOU KNOW, IT, I BEG YOUR PARDON.
AND YOU KNOW, IT, LET MR. SHAWL FINISH, PLEASE.
UH, SO, UM, AS I PREVIOUSLY STATED, I HAD, UM, MANY COMMUNICATIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS IS GOING TO BE HERE ON TUESDAY TO SPEAK, UH, MY, MY, UH, MY PERSONAL DRAFTED, UH, AND INPUT, UM, NOT ONLY INCLUDING THE, UM, MARCH 7TH SHAREPOINT SITE, UH, THAT I SET UP, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ALL THIS COUNCIL THAT ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON.
UM, SO I GUESS THE BIG QUESTION, UH, THAT MRS. BURCH HAD IS WHAT IS MISSING FROM THIS IS, UM, IS MY, MY HEART, MY INPUT THAT WAS REQUESTED FROM MARCH 16TH.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WHEN IT WAS ASKED THAT THE INFORMATION BE SUPPLIED, UM, I TOOK INITIATIVE ON THAT, WHICH IS WHY I CREATED, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THAT I EVEN SHARED WITH CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT BALL ROLLING.
THAT'S ONE REASON I SIT ON A NATIONAL COMMITTEE, UH, FOR RACE AND INEQUITY.
UM, THAT IS, I, I GUESS I'M, I'M KIND OF CONFUSED ON WHY WE ARE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT WHEN WE SHOULD'VE BEEN HAVING IT ON TUESDAY.
UM, AND MRS. STEVENS TO, TO YOUR DIRECT POINT, UM, AND, AND PART TWO, MRS. SUMMERLAND, I I'VE BEEN READY TO DENOUNCE RACISM FOR A MINUTE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S BEEN KNOWN THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE NEVER SHARED WITH THIS COUNCIL ALONG WITH DOCUMENTATION.
UM, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION I HEAR IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND WORKING ON THIS FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS, THAT'S NOT TRUE FROM THIS COUNCIL MEMBER FROM THIS COUNCIL MEMBER.
THE FIRST TIME I SEEN ANY DRAFT RESOLUTION WAS ON MARCH 2ND, WHEN IT WAS SHARED BY THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, ANY TYPE OF EDITS OR OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT THE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE HAD, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
SO TO BE PROACTIVE, UM, IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID ON THE SEVENTH, FIVE DAYS AFTER I WAS FIRST NOTIFIED THAT THIS CONVERSATION WAS TAKING PLACE, THAT THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAYOR AND PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER THAT WAS NEVER RELATED TO THIS COUNCIL.
SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO DO RESEARCH AND PROVIDE INPUT ON A CONVERSATION.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENED.
AND I FIND THAT VERY UNFORTUNATE.
YES, THE CONVERSATIONS OF THE WEBSITE HAS TAKEN PLACE ON THIS COUNCIL AND THE DIRECTION THAT'S BEEN GIVEN, WHY IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, ON, ON MARCH 2ND, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WEBSITE AND THE APP HANDLING FOR COMPLAINT PROCESSING, UM, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME BACK TO THE NEXT WORK SESSION, WHICH THE MAYOR HAS CONTROL OVER THAT AGENDA THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
SO, YES, I GUESS THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS HERE.
[00:40:01]
I THINK IT'S THE, THE POLITICAL MATCH AND THE SPIN GAMES BEING PLAYED ON THE RESOLUTION.AND YES, I DO FIND THAT CONCERN AND I DO FIND THAT VERY UNFORTUNATE.
UM, WHEN AS STATED, WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING THAT THE PROCESS OF THIS COMMUNITY, THAT EVERY VOICE IN THIS COMMUNITY WAS HEARD AND INSIDE THIS RESOLUTION, NOW IT CAN EASILY BE DONE THAT THE EMOTIONS THAT WERE, UH, MADE CAN BE, UM, LIFTED, UH, THIS CONVERSATION CAN TAKE PLACE AT THE WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY AND PASSED ON MONDAY WITH PROPER INPUT, LIKE WAS DISCUSSED ON MARCH 16TH.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT DOING ANY OF THAT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN I WAS ASKED TO PUT MY TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT, THAT'S NOT ANY SLOWING FOR ME NOW, ANY TYPE OF SLOW PROCESS THAT TOOK PLACE BY THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVE THIS EVENING.
UM, AND IN LIGHT OF A COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT'S COMING UP HERE AT 7:00 PM.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, THE FIRST CONVERSATION OF THIS WASN'T JUST IN MARCH, WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT EVERYTHING IN JANUARY WHEN YOLANDA DID HER FIRST PRESENTATION, BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
OUR MEETINGS ARE HELD ONCE A MONTH AND THEY'RE PUBLIC, AND WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS SINCE OUR CREATION.
SO, UM, IT WASN'T LIKE NOTHING WAS HIDDEN.
NOTHING WAS, EVERYTHING IS ON THE OPEN, WE'RE ALL PUBLIC, THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
AND AGAIN, THE FIRST TIME WE BROUGHT IT UP TO COUNCIL WAS WHEN WE BROUGHT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
INITIALLY BACK IN JANUARY, IT COULD BE FEBRUARY, BUT IT WAS BACK IN JANUARY.
IT WASN'T JUST LAST MONTH, LAST MONTH WAS THE CONTINUATION.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THIS WORK, AND THEN IT GOT PUSHED TO THIS AND IT GOT PUSHED TO THIS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING NEW, THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS OF ALL THIS, WHATEVER YOU HAD DISCUSSED.
UM, I KNOW I WAS REACHED OUT AND ASKED BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY, WE WERE HEARD WE HAD OUR INPUTS, WE ALL GREED UPON THIS.
AND JUST, IT'S JUST, UH, UH, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD OR IS THERE SOMETHING MISSING? I LIKE TO KNOW THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE DONE INSTEAD OF JUST GOING BACK AND FORTH SO WE CAN GO AND MOVE ON TO A VOTE AND HAVE A CELEBRATION OR HAVE WHATEVER IT NEEDS TO BE.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO, JUST TO CLEAR UP THAT THIS WASN'T JUST A CONVERSATION THAT STARTED LAST MONTH.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW.
SO THERE, MR. OTTO, I WANT TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU'VE BEEN HAD ALREADY AS WELL.
I'M IN AGREEANCE THAT THE FIRST DOCUMENT RESOLUTION DRAFT COPY, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS THAT MARCH 2ND MEETING WHEN MR. SCHOMER PULLED IT UP DURING THE MEETING, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS SEEN ANY, ANY TYPE OF RESOLUTION WAS SEEN BY THIS COUNCIL PUBLICLY.
SO WE ARE JUST AT ABOUT A MONTH RIGHT NOW.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, AGAIN, MY ISSUES DON'T GO TO THE RESOLUTION, THE COMMISSION, OR ANYTHING OF THAT.
I WILL PUBLICLY DENOUNCE RACISM ALL DAY LONG.
AND LIKE I SAID, I WILL SPEAK THROUGH MY ACTIONS AND NOT WORDS ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
I AM THERE PHYSICALLY SUPPORTIVE MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL AND THAT CAN'T BE DENIED.
UM, AND, UH, BUT ADDITIONALLY, MY BIGGEST ISSUE IS JUST THE SIMPLE FACT THAT ON THE 16TH, WE SAT HERE AT AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING AND TOLD 40,000 PEOPLE W HOW WE WERE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME TO OFFER UP THAT THEY WANTED TO COME AND SPEAK ON IT, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO COME OUT ON TUESDAY.
AND AS SOON AS THEY HEARD THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING TONIGHT, THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, HOLD ON A SECOND, WAIT A MINUTE.
SO WE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON IT.
YOU CAN COME TONIGHT, BUT WHAT IF I CAN MAKE THAT? SO THAT'S MY BIG ISSUE.
WE, AND TO THE RESOLUTION ITSELF, I THINK IT PROVIDES A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.
I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING THAT I THINK IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD GO EVEN A BIT FURTHER IN SOME AREAS, BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF WORDS, BUT I DIDN'T FIND ONE ACTIONABLE ITEM IN IT.
ONE THING THAT SAYS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS ACTION, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS THING.
IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF WE DON'T LIKE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH, BUT THAT REALLY, AS SOON AS THIS HAS PASSED AND IT GETS FILED HISTORICALLY,
[00:45:01]
THAT'S ABOUT IT.AND UNLESS IT GETS PULLED UP LATER FOR REFERENCE IT, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
AND THAT WAS KIND OF THE DISCUSSION THAT I WAS HOPING TO HAVE ON TUESDAY WAS WHAT IS GOING TO BE ACTIONABLE WITHIN THIS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR THE RESIDENTS WHO NEED THESE THINGS? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? NOT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY? SO AGAIN, WE TOLD 40,000 PEOPLE HOW WE WERE GOING TO HANDLE THIS, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY ALSO THAT, UM, WHOEVER ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE, WHO, WHO CONTACTED MR. SHAW AND CONTACTED MR. OTTO ABOUT WANTING TO COME AND SPEAK ON TUESDAY? ONCE THIS SPECIAL MEETING WAS ANNOUNCED, I HAD ZERO COMMUNICATION FROM EITHER OF THOSE COUNSELORS TO LET ME KNOW THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
IF I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE SOURCE, THEN I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING IS OKAY.
I DIDN'T HEAR FROM ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO POSTPONE THIS.
UM, SO IF YOU DID, YOU DIDN'T LET ME KNOW THAT'S ON YOU, MR. WEBB, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP, MR. AUTO'S COMMENTS.
HE SAID, THIS IS A, OR IT'S ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND THIS IS IT TO BE FILED AWAY.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU I'LL STAND UP AND SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, THE SAFETY NET.
THIS IS WHERE WE START MOVING.
THIS IS WHERE THINGS START CHANGING.
IT'S A RESOLUTION, BUT IT MEANS SOMETHING.
IT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT FROM THIS COUNCIL MEMBER.
I CAN TELL YOU, IT'S NOT A, IT DOESN'T STOP HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS.
IT'S MY PROMISE TO YOU SHOULD BE EVERY PERSON ON THE STYLIST WAS PROMISED TO YOU.
A PUBLIC VOTE OF YES, IS HOW THIS BODY EXPRESSES THEIR APPROVAL OF WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM.
WHEN EACH COUNCIL MEMBER CAST THEIR VOTE PUBLICLY AND SAYS YES, TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION, THAT IS THEIR STAMP OF APPROVAL.
THEY AGREE WITH THIS, THAT THIS MEANS SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE WORDS THEY'RE TELLING YOU FROM THIS DIES.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW YOU CAN ABSTAIN ON THIS BOOK, TONY.
ISN'T A, IT ISN'T AN ABSTENTION ONLY IF THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AS A LEGAL VOTE, TYPICALLY PEOPLE.
SO YOU CAN WRITE THERE'S GOING FORWARD.
SO YOU CAN SAY I ABSTAINED, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
AND ABSTENTION MEANS THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OF WHY I SHOULDN'T BE VOTING ON SOMETHING.
SO YOU CAN MAKE THAT VOTE IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANT TO VOTE.
BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, YOU MIGHT AS WELL VOTE.
WHAT'S THAT? DAVID THOMAS, UM, I'M PART OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 60 YEARS, AS MARK KNOWS, WE WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES US OUR AGE AT ALL.
YOU LOOK AT ME AS A WHITE MAN, WHICH I GET, BECAUSE I AM, I MEAN, THERE'S NO DENYING IT OR ANYTHING, BUT THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT IT, THE WAY THAT THIS IS WORDED IS WHAT I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DENOUNCE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, AND, AND NOTHING AGAINST THE, UM, CALL IT DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE OR A COMMISSION, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN IS BEEN, UM, I, I'M SORRY.
I'M I JUST CAME FROM A VOLLEYBALL GAME AND I'M TRYING TO PUT MY THOUGHTS TOGETHER, UM, WHICH WAS BY THE WAY, OVER AT WAYNE, UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE RESOLUTION ITSELF, BUT SOME OF THE WORDING I DO BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHERS THAN JUST AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY POINTS THEM OUT AS BEING ONE OF THE HARDEST TIT.
NOW, WHEN I HEARD THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE HAVING THAT, THERE WAS A MEETING TONIGHT AND EVERYTHING.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE A RUSSIAN COMMUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE A TURKISH COMMUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE A POLISH COMMUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF IRISH COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MYSELF.
WE HAVE A INDIAN, NATIVE, INDIAN, OR AMERICAN INDIAN, HOW YOU WANT TO PUT IT, BUT WHY ISN'T THAT THEIR NAME INCLUDED? AND
[00:50:01]
WHY DOES THIS SPECIFICALLY POINT OUT THAT IT'S JUST THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY? BECAUSE IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT HUBER HEIGHTS HAS MADE OF.AND IN FACT, UM, I'M SURE THAT MARK CAN AGREE WITH ME HERE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, EARLY EIGHTIES, WHEN WE HAD A VIETNAMESE BOMB THAT WE GOT, UH, A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS THAT WERE FLEEING VIETNAM AND THEY ENDED UP MAKING ROOTS HERE IN HUBER HEIGHTS.
SO I AM NOT AGAINST THE RESOLUTION, BUT I AM AGAINST SOME OF THE WORDING AND THE WAY THAT IT IS WORDED AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THEY SHOULD ALSO BE PART OF THE COMMISSION TO REPRESENT THAT SPECIFIC GROUP.
I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY MAY COME ACROSS WRONG.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS WRONG.
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, MY BUSINESS PARTNER, MIKE WHITE, WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE BOWLING COACH OVER AT WAYNE.
HE AND I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THAT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR WITH THE CHURCH THAT I GO TO AND I LOVE THEM DEARLY.
AND ONE THAT I THINK THAT A LOT OF YOU HAVE KNOWN IN THE PAST, AND THIS PERSON WAS AN EXTREMELY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WAS ROBBIE RED CROSS.
AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE, BUT JUST BECAUSE THAT, IT SAYS BECAUSE OF RESOLUTION OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS STOP THE RACISM AND EVERYTHING IS GOING ON.
IT'S NOT ONLY IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, BUT YET THE WAY THAT I SEE THE COMMISSION AND I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE IT SOUND RACIST, BUT WHERE ARE THE OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTED IN HUBER HEIGHTS? AND BECAUSE IF I READ THROUGH WHAT IT SAYS, THAT WHAT THE COMMISSION IS, WHAT THEIR PURPOSE IS FOR.
AND I WOULD ALSO ASK, THEN WE HAVE THE EVENT COMING UP, JUNE 12TH.
HOW MANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN INVITED AND HOW HAVE THEY BEEN REACHED OUT TO THE RUSSIANS? OKAY.
CAN I ASK HOW I GOT BACK? I EMAILED THEM OUT, OUR INVITATION PUBLIC THAT CAME UP THIS WEEK, EVERYBODY.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT JUST, IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT IT'S WORDED THAT I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, BECAUSE I WANT MY FRIENDS WHO WERE IN THOSE OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS, I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S A START, BUT WHAT ARE THEY THINKING RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH? LOOK WHAT HAPPENED JUST ONE OR TWO WEEKS AGO.
I MEAN, WHO GOT SHOT UP? SO THIS IS JUST, I DON'T, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE RESOLUTION ITSELF, BUT I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE WORDING.
CLEAR THAT THIS THING WAS BETWEEN RACE AND NATIONALITY.
CAUSE, CAUSE I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE BROUGHT UP ABOUT KIND OF THE MISSION AND KIND OF THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION.
AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT CERTAINLY BEING INCLUSIVE OF MANY DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I THINK IT WAS ALSO MADE VERY CLEAR, UM, BY MS. STEVENS REGARDING THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION, HOW IT WAS STARTED.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF, OF THE, OF THE CONVERSATION THAT, UM, MR MS. STEVENS HAD WITH MYSELF AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD INCIDENT, THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY HOW WE CREATED THE COMMISSION.
THAT WAS THE PURPOSE AND THE DESIGN BEHIND IT.
AND THEN IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, I HAD A MEETING WITH MS
AND THAT SPECIFICALLY WAS THE PURPOSE.
AND I THINK WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL BOARD AND THE COMMISSION, AND I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT IN FAVOR OF TALKING ABOUT THE MISSION AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE, THAT THIS COMMISSION IS GOING TO DO, DEAL WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT NOBODY CAN DENY THE FACT OF WHY THIS COMMISSION WAS STARTED.
AND WHEN IT WAS STARTED, HISTORICALLY, THE TIMELINE WAS SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE, AND, AND, AND WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY FELT ABOUT THAT.
[00:55:01]
A START AND WE HAVE SOMEPLACE TO GO.I AM, I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT DOES SPEAK FOR ME AND HOW I FEEL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
MS. HONAKER, I JUST WANT TO CLEAR ONE THING, NATIONALITY AND RACE ARE NOT THE SAME NATIONALITY IS THE POLISH, IRISH, MYSELF, KOREAN RACE, BLACK, OUR BLACK, OUR BLACK PEOPLE ARE AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
IF THEY WANT TO REFER TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS ASIAN ASIAN-AMERICANS, UM, INDIGENOUS OR NATIVE AMERICANS, THAT'S RACE AND ETHNICITY AND OUR LATINOS AND OUR LATIN X GROUPS, THAT'S RACE AND ETHNICITY.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COUNTRIES THAT'S NATIONALITY AND THEY CAN BE, UH, MULTIPLE RACES IN THOSE NATIONALITIES.
I THINK WE GET TOO CONFUSED AND GET THIS WORDS AS THE SAME.
LIKE THEY MEAN THE SAME, WHICH WHEN WE SAY WE ARE DENOUNCING RACISM AND WE MENTIONED, AND IT'S ONLY ONE LINE THAT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THAT'S ABOUT THE HEALTH CRISIS, ACTUAL PHYSICAL HEALTH PRICE OF THE DIABETES.
AND THAT'S A STATISTIC REALITY.
THE LINE IN HERE SAYS THAT WE ARE INCLUSIVE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A VALUE OF ENORMOUS VALUE IN A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMITTEE COMMUNITY AS RELATES TO RELIGION, RACE, ETHNICITY, PHYSICAL ABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AGE, AND MORE.
IT'S NOT EXCLUDING ANYBODY, THE CULTURAL MULTICULTURAL FESTIVALS SINCE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AS DEAR TO MY HEART AS THE CHAIR OF THAT FESTIVAL.
SOMETHING THAT, UM, I WAS SO GLAD TO HAVE THE CITY START THAT LAST YEAR.
AND UNFORTUNATELY COVID PUT THAT ON HOLD.
SO WE'RE HAVING THAT AGAIN HAS ALWAYS, IS ALWAYS THE PREMISE OF, WE JUST STARTED DOING EVERYTHING THEY INVITE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INCLUSIVE.
EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO SIGN THE VENDOR.
WE EVEN, WE EVEN DID NOT HAVE FEES FOR VENDORS THIS YEAR, JUST SO IT CAN BE OPEN TO MORE GROUPS JUST TO BE ON A RECORD THAT NOBODY'S EXCLUDING ANY CULTURES NOBODY'S EXCLUDING ANYTHING.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THE PREMISE.
AND THE START OF THIS COMMISSION THERE'S WORK AROUND THAT.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS LIKE THE RESOLUTION STATES.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN OTHER WORK IS GOING TO BE IGNORED.
OTHER GROUPS ARE GOING TO BE IGNORED, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT SO MANY TIMES WHERE YOU'RE EXCLUDING ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS, YOU'RE SCOOTING ALL THIS.
WE'RE NOT BECAUSE IF YOU EXCLUDE ANYBODY, WE DON'T HAVE INCLUSION.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO BE INCLUSIVE.
SO THAT'S, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ALSO RACE AND NATIONALITY PET PEEVE OF MINE, TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
SO, YES, UM, BACK TO ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE, I BELIEVE BY MR. OTTO THAT SAYS THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING ACTIONABLE IN A RESOLUTION.
UM, RESOLUTION IS BASICALLY A DECLARATION.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S A DECLARATION OF INTENT AND, AND WHERE WE WILL SEE THE RUBBER HIT THE ROAD IS WHEN THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, DIVERSITY COMMUNITY ACTION, UH, COMMITTEE COMES BACK AND IDENTIFIES THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND STARTS WORKING TOWARD ACHIEVING THOSE.
AND I PERSONALLY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE, BUT THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO GAUGE AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GAUGE THE SUCCESS IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND AS FAR AS MR. SHAWLS COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEAK TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN HIS WARD, HE'S AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE AS WE ALL ARE OF OUR, OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND IF ANYONE OF MINE COMES TO ME AND SAYS SOMETHING, AND IT GIVES ME IN-POINT INPUT, I'M GOING TO GET THOSE COMMENTS TO THE PERSON THAT NEEDS, HAVE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT IT CAN BE ROLLED INTO WHATEVER PROJECT IS BEING WORKED ON.
AND SINCE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MR. SHAW NEVER SHARED HIS SHAREPOINT WITH ANYBODY ON COUNCIL.
THEN, UM, WE WERE LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP ON THAT.
SO THERE'S NO WAY ANYBODY ELSE COULD PUT THEIR INCOME IN THERE.
BUT, UM, AND, AND THE LAST THING IS THAT, UM, ATTENDING A MEETING DOES NOT SIGNAL SUPPORT OUR VOTES SIGNAL, OUR SUPPORT FOR AN ACTION.
AND, AND I WOULD REALLY, WE'RE GOING IN CIRCLES HERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THIS, ON THIS MOTION
[01:00:04]
MAYOR.DID I SAY SOMETHING? YES, PLEASE.
UH, BACK IN JUNE, WHEN I PRESIDED OVER THE MEETING THAT, UH, JEFF WAS OUT OF TOWN, I THINK YOUR SON WAS GETTING MARRIED.
UH, I HAD MENTIONED THAT FOR THERE TO BE CHANGED, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
AND I ASSURE EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF HUBER HEIGHTS THAT WHEN THIS PASSES AND JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, THAT'LL BE A MAJOR CHANGE.
IT IS HOW WE SPEAK AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THAT COUNCIL AS A WHOLE DOES HAVE A LOT OF POWER.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO WITNESS CHANGE.
AND I HOPE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES THAT THE MAYOR CAN COME DOWN AND PRESENT SOMETHING TO THE DIVERSITY COMMISSION AND WE CAN CELEBRATE THIS MAY NOT BE PERFECT.
IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING EVERY ONE ON THE DAYAS LIKES A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, DAVE, WE DID GO TO SCHOOL TOGETHER AND WE, WE MIGHT DIFFER ON OUR VIEWPOINT, BUT I KNOW YOUR HEART.
AND I KNOW MY HEART AND, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE SAME, THE CITY NEEDS TO HEAL AND IT STARTS UP HERE.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT THERE BE A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
AND WE BEGIN THAT HEALING PROCESS IN A SERIOUS WAY TONIGHT.
BUT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, THERE'S GOING TO BE MAJOR CHANGE.
THIS IS NOT JUST A SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER.
SECOND CALL THE VOTE, MR. ROGERS, MS. BAKER, MR. CAMPBELL.
AND THE MOTION DOES CARRY SIX TO TWO SIX WITH THE TWO ABSTENTIONS PASS.
GUYS DID THIS HOLD FOR THE BOAT AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY ON THE CALL FOR THE BOAT.
CAUSE YOU HAD SOMEONE MAKE A MOTION AND THEN MR. CAMPBELL SECONDED CALL FOR THE BOAT.
AND YOU HAVE TO APPROVE THAT AT FIRST LEGALLY, TO BE ABLE TO GO GET TO THAT NOTE FOR THE RESOLUTION.
I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT, BUT IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE, IT SHOULD COME FROM A MEMBER OF THE BODY AND NOT FROM A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
AND SECONDLY, UM, I TOOK THE, UH, THE CALL FOR THE VOTE IS A STATEMENT THAT THEY WERE ENCOURAGING ABOUT NOT AN ACTUAL MOTION TO, UH, CALL THE CAUSE EMOTION.
AND THE SECOND HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EMOTIONAL SECOND ON THE FLOOR RATHER THAN BEFORE WE HAD THE DISCUSSION AND THE APPROPRIATE MOTION.
IF IT WAS TO BE A FORMAL MOTION TO FORCE, THE VOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CALL THEM QUESTION AND THAT WAS NOT DONE.
SO I, I TOOK, UH, MR. CAMPBELL AND MRS. BURGESS AND A STATEMENT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE IS JUST THAT A STATEMENT NOW.
SO I THINK PROCEDURALLY ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER WERE, WERE OKAY.
UH, SO I AM EXCITED THAT THIS, THAT THIS DID PASS, I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FROM ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DID VOTE.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WOULD PLEASE JOIN ME UP FRONT.
SO THIS IS THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED THIS EVENING AND THE THREE YEARS AND THREE MONTHS I'VE BEEN IN THE NARRATIVES, THE FIRST RESOLUTION AND I'VE SEEN FLAT.
SO I THINK THAT DOES SAY SOMETHING IN TERMS OF HOW THIS COUNCIL FEELS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
AND I'LL CERTAINLY ASK FOR THE COMMISSION TO SAY ANY WORDS, BUT FOR, FOR ME PERSONALLY, ALSO A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, THIS MAYOR, AND I SAID, IT'S VERY OBVIOUS.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND ABOUT BEING A MINORITY.
THERE ARE THINGS I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RELATE TO.
THERE ARE THINGS I WILL NEVER, I WILL NEVER HAVE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU AS THE MAYOR OF THIS CITY, WHAT'S UNACCEPTABLE IS HAVING ANY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY
[01:05:01]
FEEL UNWANTED, FEELING UNRESPECTED OR BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR EYES.
AND TO ME, THAT'S WHAT THIS RESONANCE, THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION.
AND I MEAN, WITH ALL SINCERITY AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO WORK AND WHEN IT GETS TO WORK WITH YOUR HEALTH, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO AS A CLINICIAN.
I'M GOING TO PRESENT THIS TO THE CHAIR.
AND YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION.
CERTAINLY LOVE TO HEAR IF YOU TALK LOUD OR NOT REALLY LOUD, OVERHEAD MICROPHONE, WE WILL, EVERYBODY WILL CERTAINLY HEAR IT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, AND I THANK YOU BECAUSE THIS, THIS MAKES A STRONG STATEMENT TO OUR CITY THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT.
WE ALL WANT TO FEEL SAFE AND IT TAKES ALL OF US TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, THE REAL WORK STARTS NOW, THE REAL WORK STARTS NOW.
SO WE ALL HAVE TO BE BUSY AND TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS AN ENTITY, AS A BODY, AS CITY COUNCIL, TO BE THE CHANGE MAKER TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE.
WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING, CALL IT OUT.
WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING THAT EVEN HAPPENS ON THE DIETS, THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT OR SOUNDS DISCRIMINATORY OR BIAS, CALL IT OUT.
WE HAVE TO CALL EACH OTHER OUT AND WE HAVE TO EDUCATE ONE ANOTHER.
PLEASE DON'T EVER FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T TALK TO ANY OF US, BECAUSE I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE GET TOO SENSITIVE.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
SO WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNCLEAR OR YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS, PLEASE TALK TO US.
I WANT THAT TO BE ABLE TO HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I HEARD THE GENTLEMAN TALK, UM, AT THE MIC EARLIER AND HE DOESN'T KNOW THIS, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID REALLY HURT MY HEART, UM, ABOUT NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THERE'S THIS FOCUS RIGHT NOW ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
AND I'M THINKING PROBABLY BECAUSE AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE DYING RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE BEING KILLED.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S A FOCUS THERE, BUT HE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND MY VIEW.
SO I WOULDN'T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER SO WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND.
DON'T GET SO SENSITIVE AND JUST SHUT DOWN AND SAY, I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS PERSON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND OR GET WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM OR BECAUSE THERE'S CONFLICT.
CONFLICT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESS.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSFORMATION, BUT WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS.
SO WHAT WE CAN CHANGE THE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT MAKE THAT EXCLUDE PEOPLE.
SO I'M CALLING ALL CITY COUNCIL, ALL CITY RESIDENTS OF HUBER HEIGHTS.
WE GOT TO PUT IN THE WORK TO MATCH THIS RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE FOR COMING AND BEING PART OF THIS TONIGHT.
AND I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE REASON TO CELEBRATE.
I THINK AS MR. CAMPBELL STATED TONIGHT IS A NIGHT THAT CHANGE BEGINS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION AND GETTING ALL THE THINGS DONE THAT WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT TO, TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT IS NOW SEVEN 10 AND THIS SPECIAL MEETING IS ADJOURNED.