HomeMy WebLinkAboutBHRCMinutes_2016_08_15Brookings Human Rights Commission Minutes (amended)
Monday, August 15, 2016
Room 300, Brookings City & County Government Center
Chair Hauffe called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm.
Attendance: Penny Hauffe, chair; Lawrence Novotny, recorder; Chandradhar Dwivedi; George Hamer; Judy
Karen; Elliot Johnson; Laura Renee Chandler and Shari Thornes, City Clerk-staff. Absent: Steve Bayer; Shafiqur
Rahman and Maggie Owens.
A motion was made by Dwivedi, seconded by Hamer, to approve the agenda. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Schedule next meeting. September 28 at noon.
Reports/Updates.
A. Draft 2016 MEI Scorecard: The draft scorecard from Human Rights Campaign was received and gave
Brookings a score of 35, which is down from last year’s score of 52. A review of the scorecard revealed two
errors: 1) The Commission was not awarded 5 points for the LGBT liaison to the city executives (Lawrence
Novotny currently fills this role) 2) The Commission was not awarded 10 points for a LGBT liaison in the
police department (Derrick Powers currently fills this role). Documentation will be submitted to the Human
Rights Campaign regarding the liaisons and this will raise our score to 50. The other 2 points from 2015 were
lost due to Human Rights Campaign rating system changes.
The HRC wondered if points could be obtained for providing services to LGBT elderly and the HIV/AIDS
population. Novotny visited with administrators at the Brookings Health System and the Neighborhoods,
and he was informed that LGBT elderly and HIV/AIDS patients are treated like every other client. Both
institutions do not have any policies addressing LGBT. Novotny stated that some large metropolitan cities
provide funding for the LGBT population (youth and elderly) and for HIV/AIDS. Brookings City does not
provide any funding of this type.
The HRC wondered if points could also be obtained for providing services to LGBT youth. While Brookings
City provides some funding support for the Boys & Girls Club, the Club does not provide any programming
specific to LGBT youth. In e-mail correspondence between Steve Bayer and Daniel Berg (advisor to the high
school HRC), Berg stated the high school HRC has reached out to LGBT high school students. While this is
great, Brookings City does not provide any funding to the school.
B. Community Common Read: The timing is too late to produce a bookmark listing the Common Read events
to be inserted in the utility bill. HRC will be a co-sponsor of the Brookings Empowerment Project’s panel
“Depression is NOT a Choice” on October 3. October is also Mental Health Awareness Month. At the
Brookings City Council retreat, the Council suggested dedicating the October 18 meeting to mental health.
A motion was made by Novotny, seconded by Hamer, to authorize the expenditure of up to $2,500 of the Common
Read budget to promote mental health awareness during October. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Announcements:
September 10 – Dakotas Equality Summit, Sioux Falls
October 3 – Brookings Empowerment Project forum
October 16 – Fall Diversity Potluck
October 25 – Common Read speaker
Adjourn: Motion made to adjourn at 5:50 pm.
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder