HomeMy WebLinkAboutHRCMinutes_2020_10_15
Brookings Human Rights Commission Notes (unapproved)
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Community Room 300, Brookings City-County Government Building, and Zoom online meeting
Attendance: Meagan Irvine-Miller (chair – online); Lawrence Novotny, (recorder – in-person); Dan Berg (online);
Shedrick Flournoy (student representative – in-person); Hanna Holmquist (online); Marilyn Hildreth (online); Erinn
Thomas (in person); Roger DeGroot (school liaison – in-person); Keith Theroux (police liaison – in person); Casey Bell
(city human resources technician & staff liaison – in-person)
Absent: Matt Rhodes (county representative & vice-chair); Kati Hanson; Jason Meusburger; Susan Rotert (city human
resources director – staff liaison); Marci Gebers (police liaison); Fedora Sutton (BJET liaison); Kas Williams (SDSU
liaison);
Chair Irvine-Miller called the meeting to order at 703 pm.
Everyone introduced themselves. The new student representative was welcomed. Shedrick Flournoy is a SDSU senior
serving as a student coordinator with the new student orientation program.
Thomas moved, Berg seconded, to adopt the agenda. Motion passed.
Berg moved, Thomas seconded, to approve the minutes of the September 18 meeting. Motion passed.
Member Expectations:
A draft BHRC Attendance Expectations document was distributed to HRC prior to the meeting. The first bullet point
outlines expectations regarding meeting attendance and number of acceptable absences.
Novotny proposed that the second bullet point be split into two separate points. Novotny also proposed that HRC
members be required (not expected) to serve on at least one of the sub-committees/working groups.
It was discussed that with the pandemic situation, each member is expected to put the welfare of themselves and their
family over attendance of HRC events.
Novotny moved, Thomas seconded, to adopt the BHRC Attendance Expectations as amended. All voted aye.
Listening Sessions:
The action items that came out of the Black community listening session are:
• Sensitivity training for the police regarding racial profiling
• Need more info on the website www.liveinbrookings.com that will make Brookings more appealing to
recruitment of African Americans
• Create or improve a Welcome to Brookings entity. Ensure the entity has information that would appeal to
African Americans when visiting their homes.
• More education both in the Brookings community and Brookings schools regarding Black Culture and Black
History. Hold Black cultural events in the Brookings community, such as at Downtown at Sundown, besides
those held on campus. Downtown SDSU welcoming event.
• Ethnic festival (home festival) –celebrate our diversity as a community of one – a revamped version of HRC’s
diversity potluck
• Neighborhood block parties; home dinners with stakeholders
• SDSU and businesses need to do a better job of finding jobs for trailing spouses
Follow-up on the action items
Novotny, Rhodes and Theroux are members of CLEAR (Community Law Enforcement Action Response)
Partners that is looking at sensitivity training for police.
Thomas reported that the Boys & Girls Club has a new program to keep youth out of juvenile detention. This
program will be looking at racial disparities.
Holmquist is working with the Brookings Economic Development Corp. on updating the Live In Brookings
website.
The BEDC hosted a recent pop-up food event. Some of the participants are open to partnering with groups to
bring more food options into Brookings.
Block parties and shared meals are on hold until the pandemic is over.
The Hispanic listening session held on September 28 had 9 Hispanic community members. Also in attendance were
Mayor Corbett, council member Patty Bacon and city manager Paul Briseno. Hildreth organized the event and she
reported that the needs of the Hispanic community were completing different from the Black community. Action item
needs are:
• Work on providing information in Spanish. This includes (but not limited to)
The city recreation program
Brookings Utilities services available and billing info
Brookings School System materials sent home to parents
Brookings Health System translation services
• Visit with First Bank and Trust and Wells Fargo about allowing Hispanics to open up accounts
• Visit with agricultural producers about the possibility of funding transportation assistance with BATA
for their employees
• Create a listing of businesses that are friendly to the Hispanic community
Hildreth reported that the biggest needs that the Hispanic community expressed are:
• Enact SD law to allow registration of automobiles
• Visit with the owners of the dairies, hog, poultry and egg farms regarding transportation and healthcare needs
The City Manager expressed interest in getting some of the city information available in Spanish.
Irvin-Miller will contact the City Council to access their interest in pursuing legislation regarding automobile registration.
Hildreth will visit with Councilor Bacon and the Brookings Economic Development Corp about meeting with the ag
producers.
Liaison Reports:
Theroux announced the Back the Blue Law Enforcement Rally set for Saturday Oct 17th at 9:30am. The event
starts off at the East Fire Station on 6th St. It starts with a parade that goes to the Police Station. The Mayor
will give a speech and the Brookings Police Foundation gives away prizes to the kids that win the coloring
contest.
Theroux is organizing a Coffee with a Cop to be held at Cottonwood Coffee on October 22 from 4:30 – 6 pm.
Representatives from the Brookings Police and hopefully Sheriff’s Dept, SDSU Police, and Highway Patrol will be
present to meet with the public.
DeGroot reported that the in-school attendance during the pandemic has been successful so far. The school board has
retained its required 14-day quarantine policy for anyone who was exposed to the COVID virus. The school system has
made sure that each family has at least 1 technical device at home to aid their children to participate in online classes. The
school will be providing free meals for the rest of the year.
Staff Reports:
Holmquist will be resigning from the HRC at the end of the year due to time commitments. Irwin-Miller, Rhodes, and
Bell will start reviewing the list of applicants with the goal to have Holmquist’s replacement on board in January.
Novotny’s and Thomas’s terms expire in December. Both agreed to renew.
Rhodes moves from vice-chair to chair in January. Holmquist volunteered to find a new vice-chair candidate.
Butler Award will be presented to Dianne Nagy by Irwin-Miller and Mayor Corbett at the October 27 city council
meeting.
Bystander Intervention Training:
Hildreth said the training exceeded expectations. Fifty people registered but only 30 participated with 28 of them
attending the entire 4.5 hour session. The training was recorded and the recording is available at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MzFHKxXwgOZ68v-88ZgfYztDWRV2J9rC/view?usp=drive_web.
The online training prevented the acting out of scenarios as to how to handle difficult situations.
Listening Session Thank Yous
The mugs, pens and stickers discussed at the last meeting have been ordered from Clean Slate.
Thomas has been in contact with Kevin and Kaia -- a father-daughter team that makes custom cards. They
designed a draft card for BHRC. Members present approved the design. Thomas will order the cards. It is
anticipated that there will be funds left over from the $900 approved last month for promotional items which
will cover the cost of the cards.
Other items:
Community Common Read film showing of Reel Injuns will be November 7 at 10 am at Cinema 8 Theatres. Irvin-
Miller is checking on the theatre’s COVID policy.
Need to start planning for the MLK contest at the next meeting.
Next meeting will be determined by Doodle poll.
Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 8 pm.
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder