Minutes - 5.7.19Richfield Human Rights Commission
Monthly Meeting Minutes
May 7, 2019
Members Present: Brett Stursa, Heather Eastlund, Bob Mulcahy, Katie Goodemote, Carrie
Chillman, Michele Thompson, Sarah Musgrave, Kris Anderson, Todd Diede
Public Safety Liaison: Mike Flaherty
1.Meeting called to order by Chair Brett Stursa at 6:31pm.
2.Motion to approve Agenda: Chillman/seconded Anderson; motion carried.
3.Motion to approve Minutes: Chillman/seconded Thompson, motion carried.
4.Open Public comment: None
5.Reports:
a.Chair’s report: None
b.Secretary’s report: Drive cleanup complete. Ownership transferred to current
secretary. Musgrave noted that maybe we should have an RHRC account so we
wouldn’t have to transfer it each year; that would also give us an e-mail address.
c.Vice Chair’s report: None.
d.School Board Liaison report: None
e.Public Safety Liaison report: Unity in the Community event update; Stursa
suggested we might want to be a part of it next year. Commission was supportive
of this. PMAC (Police Multicultural Advisory Committee) organizes the event; we
may be able to collaborate. Flaherty to let them know our interest.
6.New Business
a.Outstanding Citizen Award. Stursa reminded the commission that judging criteria
traditionally include but are not limited to impact in Richfield, direct connection to
Richfield community, human rights emphasis, and timeliness of efforts. Motion to
select Pastor Eichlersmith by Thompson/Eastlund seconded. Motion carried.
Flaherty to follow up with city on reception (presumably June 11 before city
council meeting), Stursa with recipient. Eastlund and Chillman to follow up on
refreshments for reception.
b.Annual Report: Stursa to take lead; Flaherty to work with city on expectations.
c.Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Stursa and Thompson summarized. Not something
we intend to pursue at this time.
d.Meeting dates for July 2 and Aug 6: July meeting moved to July 9; August
meeting moved to August 8. Stursa to reach out to city.
7.Unfinished Business
a.Gender neutral bathrooms (Musgrave, Stursa, Eastlund): Flaherty says memo
should be ready by May 14 council meeting.
b.Proclamation committee (Stursa, Mulcahy, Chillman): ADA next, will be available
for review by next meeting.
c.Housing committee (Eastlund, Chillman, Mulcahy, Stursa, Diede, Anderson):
Richfield Foundation approved our ability to redirect existing grant to housing
efforts. Stursa reached out to Julie Urban, Richfield Housing Manager, for more
information on the best way to use the grant, perhaps to encourage attendance.
We may want to support an existing event or sponsor a new offering of an
existing event. Need to understand issue to solve better. Flaherty suggested
Assumption Church as a venue, potentially after a mass; would be great to reach
Latino population to ensure renters aren’t taken advantage of.
d.History project (Mulcahy): Discussion of ideas of ways to celebrate 50th
anniversary. Penn Fest? Reception with former commissioners; coordinate with
historical society, article in Sun (if event hook), approach Edwina Garcia to help?
Mulcahy to reach out to Historical Center to gauge interest in a reception.
e.Census committee (Chillman, Eastlund, Diede, Musgrave, Anderson, Ostendorf):
Complete Count committee would be open to participation from HRC. Flaherty to
work with city to bring in appropriate person to talk to the HRC on how we can
partner and lend support (but not lead).
f.Penn Fest committee (Chillman, Musgrave, Goodemote): Initial contact make
with Arts commission to partner with them. Put on your calendars: September 15
from 1 to 5.
g.Renaming Columbus Day committee (Stursa, Diede, Ostendorf): Research
phase.
h.Naturalization Ceremony committee (Eastlund, Stursa, Diede, Anderson,
Thompson): No update.
8.Announcements/Open Forum: Discussion of participation of youth commissioners. One
has never attended since appointed last year; the other has indicated ongoing interest.
Eastlund to reach out to them, copying Stursa. Discussion of recruitment process;
Eastlund to research by reaching out to Teresa Rosen and Jared Leto.
9.Next meeting: June 4th, 2019, 6:30pm
10.Motion for adjournment: Chillman/seconded Eastlund, motion carried. Meeting adjourned
at 8:01pm.
Submitted by Bob Mulcahy 5/8/19