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EVERYONE[CALL TO ORDER]
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TO THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING.UM, IT IS JUNE 3RD, UH, 6 0 7, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
[ROLL CALL]
MAY WE GET A ROLL CALL.VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ PRESENT AND CHAIR COVINGTON HERE.
[CHAIR REMARKS]
OF THE PUBLIC AND CITY STAFF, UH, FOR JOINING US TODAY.UH, HAPPY JUNE, UH, WHICH IS ALSO HAPPY PRIDE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE KNOW IN LONG BEACH OUR PRIDE IS IN MAY.
UH, SO WE GET DOUBLE THE CELEBRATIONS.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE JOINING US TODAY.
UM, UH, MANY COMMISSIONERS, UH, ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS, UM, BUT TODAY IS MY LAST MEETING, UM, BOTH AS CHAIR AND AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE WILL DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THIS DURING OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE END, BUT I AM SO FILLED WITH JOY, UM, AND, UM, JUST HAPPINESS THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH AS A TEAM, UH, AND BEING CHAIR FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND A MEMBER OF, UH, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS BEEN A PERSONAL, UM, PERSONAL PASSION AND JOY.
AND ALL OF Y'ALL MAKE THIS SO SPECIAL.
UH, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO OUR VICE CHAIR, UM, WHO'S GONNA READ OFF OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? THANK YOU CHAIR.
UH, TONIGHT I ACKNOWLEDGE I'M SPEAKING TO YOU FROM THE, FROM THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNSEATED TERRITORY OF THE GABRIEL GABRIELINO TONGVA PEOPLE, PEOPLES THE TRADITIONAL TER, THE TRADITIONAL TER, THE TRADITIONAL CARETAKERS OF THIS LAND WHO WERE DISPOSED, UH, DISPOSSESSED OF THEIR LAND, AND YET CONTINUE TO STEWARD THIS LAND TODAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO INVITE FOLKS IN TO PAUSE AND HONOR THEIR CULTURE, HISTORY, AND IDENTITY AND A AND ANCESTORS AS WELL AS THE LIVING ELDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHOSE LANDS YOU ARE ON AND THEIR ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH, AND LET THEIR ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH INSPIRE YOU.
WE ALSO PAUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE FREE LABOR OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS AND CONTINUES TO FUNCTION FROM THE LABOR OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR EVERY DAY.
LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PAST AND GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHOSE LANDS AND SHOULDERS WE STAND ON TODAY.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR FIRST ITEM, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE FIRST ITEM? ITEM NUMBER ONE IS
[1. 26-55288 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission meeting of Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, MAY 6TH, 2026.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? MOTIONS BY VICE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BUTLER.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE? IF THERE ARE ANY IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE U UM, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM ONE.
UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO COMMISSIONER
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DISCUSSION.ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS ON OUR MINUTES? SEEING NONE, UH, WE WILL GO TO A VOTE.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL IF YOU'RE HAVING TECHNICAL ISSUES.
THANK YOU MADAM CLERK AND COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MAY WE PLEASE MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO?
[2. 26-55289 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation regarding the City of Long Beach LGBTQIA2S+ Community Health Needs Assessment and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection Best Practices. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, L-G-B-T-Q-I-A TWO S PLUS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS A ASSESSMENT AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA COLLECTION, BEST PRACTICES.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY AND SAMMY WEIL A SECOND.
UH, WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE RYAN, UH, TO COME UP AND PROVIDE OUR PRESENTATION FOR THE DAY.
UM, I WANNA START BY SAYING HAPPY PRIDE MONTH.
I'LL ECHO WHAT CHRISTOPHER SHARED EARLIER.
UM, I HOPE FOLKS WERE ABLE TO ENJOY PRIDE WEEKEND AND THEY CAN ENJOY THIS MONTH AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR INVITING ME TO SHARE THIS PRESENTATION, UM, AND FOR YOUR INTEREST AND COMMITMENT TO LGBT HEALTH EQUITY IN LONG BEACH.
SO WHO AM I? UM, MY NAME IS RYAN MAGINI.
MY PRONOUNS ARE HE AND HIM, AND I'M THE LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, UM, AND I'M THE INAUGURAL COORDINATOR IN THIS POSITION, AND I WAS THE CITY STAFF THAT HAS BEEN, UM, COORDINATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND SO BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE PROJECT, I WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT HOW WE GOT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, AS Y'ALL ARE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2020, UM, THIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS IN RESPONSE AND RECOGNITION, UM, OF THAT WORK.
AND SO THIS WORK RESPONDS TO GOAL ONE, STRATEGY TWO AND THREE, UM, ABOUT BEING MORE COMMUNITY CENTERED, UM, AND ENSURING THAT COMMUNITY VOICE IS INCORPORATED INTO THE WORK IN THE CITY.
UM, AND SO MORE SPECIFICALLY, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS TASKED WITH BUILDING OUT A RACIAL AND HEALTH EQUITY TEAM, WHICH OF COURSE, I'M A PART OF, UM, AND INVOLVED HIRING AN, UH, EQUITY COORDINATOR IN MY ROLE AS WELL AS ALLOCATING FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE STRENGTHS AND NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO, UM, UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLECTING SOGI DATA.
AND SO WHAT IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE SAY CHNA? SO THIS GRAPHIC KIND OF GIVES A VISUAL OVERVIEW OF THAT.
UM, BUT IN SHORT, IT'S A METHOD OF CAPTURING A COMMUNITY'S CURRENT HEALTH STATUS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO, UM, HEALTH RISKS OR POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND INVOLVES ENGAGING A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY, IN THIS CASE, LGBTQA TWOS PLUS FOLKS, UM, COLLECTING DATA AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO RESPOND TO THAT INFORMATION.
SO AT THIS POINT, LIKE TODAY, WE'RE AT STEP SIX.
SO LET'S DOCUMENT AND COMMUNICATE RESULTS LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
UM, AND THE HOPE IS THAT, UM, THIS SUMMER AND THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE'LL START PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE STUFF THAT WAS FOUND IN THE REPORT.
AND SO THIS IS A BIT TECHNICAL, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS, UH, PROJECT WAS OF A FORM OF PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE.
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PROJECT, UM, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE GROUNDED IN RESEARCH, UM, FRAMEWORK, BUT PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE IS DEFINED AS THE ONGOING AND SYSTEMIC COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF HEALTH RELATED DATA TO PROVIDE, UM, HEALTH PERSONNEL, THE GOVERNMENT LEADERS, AND THE PUBLIC ON GUIDING HEALTH POLICY AND PROGRAMS. SO THAT SAID, NOT TO CONTRADICT MYSELF, BUT AS I HAD MENTIONED, THIS IS ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH MODEL.
UM, AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS, UH, THIS IS A RESEARCH MODEL THAT INVOLVES ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
UM, FROM THE START, IT INVOLVES COMBINING KNOWLEDGE WITH ACTION TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES, UM, AND INVOLVES SHARED LEADERSHIP.
SO AS YOU'LL SEE IN THIS ILLUSTRATION, WE'RE NOT SIMPLY JUST INFORMING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WAS FOUND, UM, IN A VERY DIDACTIC WAY.
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UM, WE'RE CO-LEADING WITH COMMUNITY TO, UM, COLLECT DATA AND TO LIKE LEAD IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT.SO HOW DID WE DO THAT? SO THERE ARE FOUR PROJECT GOALS, UM, FOR THIS WORK.
THE FIRST BEING TO ASSESS HEALTH NEEDS AND FACTORS IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LGBTQI PLUS FOLKS IN LONG BEACH.
UM, THE SECOND WAS TO IDENTIFY CURRENT RESOURCES AND ASSETS AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, THAT PROMOTE HEALTH AND SUPPORT WELLBEING IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE THIRD WAS TO UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES AND COLLECTING, UM, SOGI DATA, SOGI BEING SEXUAL ORIENTATION GENDER IDENTITY DATA.
AND THE FOURTH IS TO HAVE A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROPOSAL THAT, UM, PROVIDES THE COMMUNITY A WAY TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.
AND SO, UM, AS A PART OF THE COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH FRAMEWORK, WE HAD A PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATION, SO A PLA HEALTH, UH, MELISSA MARQUETTE, UH, EARTH LODGE CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATION WITH CYNTHIA RUFFIN, LONG BEACH FORD, JAMES WAZO, PETER MATSON, AND DIANE BERKHOLDER, UBA ORGANIZING PROJECT ROMEO GARCIA AND JALYN PASTORE, UM, THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER OF LONG BEACH, INCLUDING VIOLET RODRIGUEZ AND PETER BECK, UM, AS WELL AS YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE FRONT, WHICH WAS THE SORT OF RESEARCH, UM, CONSULTANT FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, THEY FOCUSED ON YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN LA COUNTY, UM, AND THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF THE DATA ANALYSIS FOR THE WORK.
AND SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT.
SO IMPLEMENTATION STARTED ACTUALLY EARLIER THAN 2024, BUT THE FIRST, UM, KICKOFF MEETING AND CONVENING OF THE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS IN SEPTEMBER, 2024.
UM, THE FALL, WE HOSTED EIGHT LISTENING SESSIONS, UM, TO GET DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS FOR THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
UM, AND THE SURVEY OCCURRED IN THE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER OF 2025.
SO ALL IN ALL, IT WAS, UM, A YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, UM, OF THE PROJECT, UM, TO DATE.
AND SO THIS IS A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE METHODOLOGY SESSION, BUT, UM, SOME THINGS I WANTED TO NOTE, THE PROJECT USED CONVENIENCE SAMPLING.
SO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH WAS CONDUCTED BY COMMUNITY PARTNERS PRIMARILY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY GIVEN LIMITED, UM, DATA SETS ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY IN LONG BEACH, UM, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO A MORE RIGOROUS SAMPLING METHOD.
UM, THIS IS BECAUSE THINGS LIKE THE CENSUS DON'T COLLECT THIS INFORMATION.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT IT WAS JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
UM, MORE ABOUT THE SAMPLE SAMPLE OF BOTH THE LISTENING SESSION AND THE SURVEY.
THESE WERE FOLKS WHO LIVED IN LONG BEACH, SO CURRENT RESIDENTS, THEY WERE OVER THE AGE OF 18.
UM, AND THEY SELF-DISCLOSE THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE COMMUNITY IN SOME WAY.
THAT WAS THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
AND THEN ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE LISTENING SESSIONS OR THE SURVEY RECEIVED GROCERY GIFT CARDS AS COMPENSATION FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR FEEDBACK.
AND SO THE LISTENING SESSION, SO AS I MENTIONED, THERE WERE EIGHT OF THEM.
SO THAT INCLUDED LATINX FOLKS, BLACK FOLKS, PHILIPPINE, CAMBODIAN, UM, TGI OR TRANSGENDER, GENDER EXPANSIVE AND INTERSEX YOUTH, OLDER ADULTS, AND THEN FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, THE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THOSE FOLKS WERE SELECTED BY THEIR EXPERTISE AND HISTORY OF SERVING THESE VARIOUS SUBPOPULATIONS.
UM, AND THEY WERE CONNECTED TO THESE COMMUNITIES SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO, UM, UNIQUE THEMES BY SUBPOPULATION.
SO I'LL JUST SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS THAT I THINK ARE PERTINENT, UM, FOR THESE FOUR LISTENING SESSION GROUPS.
SO THE FIRST, I THINK, IS TO BE MINDFUL OF THESE CULTURAL BARRIERS.
I THINK A BIG THEME OF THE REPORT WAS TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT MONOLITHIC IN LONG BEACH BY ANY MEANS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CULTURALLY SPECIFIC, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND KIND OF CRITICAL BECAUSE I THINK WE THINK ABOUT LGBT AFFIRMING PRACTICES.
BUT I THINK THERE'S THE INTERSECTION OF LGBT AFFIRMING AND CULTURALLY AFFIRMING THAT IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL IN SERVING, UM, OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH.
SO THINGS LIKE, UM, IN THE PHILIPPINES, UH, LISTENING SESSION, THINGS LIKE SHAME OR HEA AND FAMILY HONOR, UM, WHICH ARE UNIQUE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND THEN THINGS LIKE PLANT-BASED CULTURAL FOOD AND FOOD ACCESS FOR THE BLACK, UM, LISTENING SESSION.
AND THEN THE OTHER HIGHLIGHT WAS AROUND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
SO THINGS THAT CAME UP LIKE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND DISPARITY OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
UM, I THINK THESE THINGS ARE PROBABLY NOT UNIQUE TO THE LGBT
[00:25:01]
COMMUNITY, BUT, UM, I THINK THEY ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING HEALTH HOLISTICALLY, AND NOT SIMPLY ABOUT LIKE PHYSICAL HEALTH OR MENTAL HEALTH.UM, THINKING ABOUT ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH HEALTH IS DETERMINED BY YOUR ZIP CODE, RIGHT? AND THEN SOME MORE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, SO THIS IS FOR THE FOUR REMAINING LISTENING SESSIONS.
UM, THINKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
SO THAT WAS A REAL SIGNIFICANT THEME, AND WE'LL GET MORE INTO THAT WITH MORE OF THE DATA.
BUT, UM, THINGS LIKE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS, UM, AND COMMUNITY DIVISIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THESE ARE MAYBE MORE PREVALENT IN THE COMMUNITY THAN WE REALIZE AND MAYBE NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH.
I MEAN, THE SOCIAL ISOLATION LONELINESS WAS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OLDER ADULT, UM, LISTENING SESSION, BUT I THINK IT REALLY RESONATES WITH THE COMMUNITY BROADLY.
UM, AND THEN VIOLENCE AND SAFETY WAS THE OTHER HIGHLIGHT.
SO ESPECIALLY NOW, GIVEN THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE.
AND THERE'S, UH, I THINK THE RISING POLITICAL TENSIONS AND SAFETY CAME UP IN THE TGI, UM, LISTENING SESSION SPECIFICALLY, BUT I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE LARGER FEELING FOR QUEER AND TRANS PEOPLE OF, UM, NOT FEELING THE SAFEST RIGHT NOW, EVEN IN A COMMUNITY LIKE LONG BEACH THAT IS AFFIRMING AND SUPPORTIVE AND, UH, FRIENDLY.
AND SO I ALSO WANT TO POINT TO ALL THE STRENGTHS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THESE LISTENING SESSIONS.
SO SOMETHING THAT CAME UP A LOT WAS HOW STRONG THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IS IN, UM, LONG BEACH.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, MU STRONG MUTUAL AID NETWORKS.
THERE'S A LOT OF VISIBILITY OF THE COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE.
UM, THERE'S A, A LONG ESTABLISHED QUEER HISTORY, UM, AND SOCIAL SPACES IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND A ROBUST PEER SUPPORT SYSTEM.
SO I THINK FOLKS FEEL LIKE THEY CAN ACCESS SUPPORT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT WITHIN THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE THEM.
AND SOMETHING ELSE, EVEN SOMEONE MENTIONING THAT THERE'S WELCOMING RELIGIOUS SPACES.
SO EVEN, EVEN IN PLACES HISTORICALLY OR IN OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WOULD NOT BE AFFIRMING OR SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH, THERE ARE THOSE SPACES, UM, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING AND, AND A REALLY GREAT THING TO, TO NOTE.
SO GIVEN ALL OF THOSE, THOSE FINDINGS, UM, THEY KIND OF FELL INTO DIFFERENT DOMAINS.
AND SO WHAT WE DID AS A PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS SORT OF, UM, COMBINE THEM AND, AND SORT THEM INTO SURVEY DOMAINS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE FOUR THAT ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE.
SO SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, HEALTHCARE, QUALITY AND ACCESS, UH, VIOLENCE PREVENTION, DISCRIMINATION, SAFETY, AND THEN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS.
AND NOW FOR THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, SO THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, THIS IS A 61 QUESTION, UM, SURVEY THAT WAS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR IN PERSON, AND WE HAD IT IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AYA, TAGALOG.
UM, AND WHAT WE DID WAS TAKE QUESTIONS FROM OTHER EVIDENCE BASED SOURCES LIKE THE CDC, THE, THE CENSUS, UM, CALIFORNIA HEALTH INFORMATION SURVEY, OTHER CNAS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE AND IMPLEMENTED, UM, SO THAT THERE WERE ALREADY EVIDENCE-BASED QUESTIONS THAT WERE, UM, VETTED AND THAT HAD INSTRUMENTS OR SCALES THAT WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED, UM, THAT WE CAN ALSO COMPARE OUR DATA TO THOSE LARGER DATA SETS.
UM, AND SO WE CAN GET INTO THE SURVEY FINDINGS.
WE ACTUALLY GOT MORE THAN 4 47 RESPONSES.
I THINK IT WAS CLOSER TO FOUR 60 OR FOUR 70.
UM, BUT UM, THAT WAS THE TOTAL SAMPLE AFTER DATA CLEANING.
UM, 70% OF THOSE SURVEY RESPONDENTS WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
UM, AND 47% WERE TGI IDENTIFIED.
UM, WITHIN THE SAMPLES, WELL, 30, AROUND 30% HAD AN INCOME OF 20 K OR LESS.
UM, 60% WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 AND 44.
UM, AND 47% OF THEM WERE SINGLE.
OKAY? SO LOOKING AT SAFETY AND VIOLENCE.
SO THIS KIND OF EMERGES A CENTRAL THEME ACROSS THE SUBPOPULATIONS.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME, UM, SOME KEY DATA POINTS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE, UM, FROM THIS SECTION.
SO, WHEN ASKED ABOUT CONFIDENCE IN GOING TO THE POLICE, POLICE FOR HELP IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, UM, 59% OF ALL SURVEY PARTICIPANTS REPORTED NOT FEELING CONFIDENT.
AND IT, THAT FIGURE WAS EVEN HIGHER.
IT WAS 77, 70 7% AMONG TGI FOLKS.
UM, AND THEN AMONG FOLKS WHO EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE OR A HATE INCIDENT, UM, ONLY AROUND 20% REPORTED THE
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INCIDENT.UM, SO THAT SUGGESTS SOME LEVEL OF RELUCTANCE TO ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT SOME POSITIVES HERE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
SO 82% OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HAVING PLACES THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE SOCIALIZING, AND 84% FELT THAT THEY CAN TURN TO FRIENDS OR THEIR RELATIONSHIPS FOR SUPPORT.
SO AS I KIND OF MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY WITH STRENGTHS, THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY AND PEER SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, EVEN IF THERE MIGHT NOT FEEL THE MOST COMFORTABLE GOING TO INSTITUTIONS FOR SUPPORT.
SO AMONG SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, ONE IN FOUR REPORTED EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE PAST YEAR.
SO, AND AS WE DEFINE, AS WE DEFINE HOMELESSNESS, THIS WAS STAYING AT SOMEONE'S HOUSE IN A SHELTER, SLEEPING OUTSIDE, OR IN A MOTEL.
UM, AND OF THOSE, UM, 25% OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, 70, 76% OF THOSE WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
UM, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR EMERGENCY SHELTER EXPERIENCES, 50% OF TGI FOLKS FELT THAT THE SHELTERS WERE NOT AFFIRMING, UM, OF THEIR GENDER.
AND, UM, 74% OF PEOPLE REPORTED SPENDING 30% OR MORE OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT.
SO THAT CONSTITUTES, UM, BEING RENT BURDENED.
UM, AN ADDITIONAL 22% REPORTED SPENDING 60% OR MORE OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A DEGREE OF FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH.
I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY NO SURPRISE TO FOLKS ON THE COMMISSION THAT HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THERE'S DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG, UM, BIPOC QUEER AND TRANS FOLKS AND TRANS FOLKS GENERALLY.
SO OF THE, OF ALL THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, 64% ARE REPORTED BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IN THEIR LIFETIME.
UM, LOOKING AT THIS FIGURE BY GENDER, UM, 80% OF TGI PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO 51% OF, OF CISGENDER PARTICIPANTS INDICATED HAVING A MENTAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOME, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, A ROUGHLY 30% DISPARITY, WHICH IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, A QUARTER OF ALL SURVEY PARTICIPANTS ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UM, SERVICES IN THE LAST YEAR.
THIS IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANECDOTALLY, BUT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE AND THE FEELINGS OF, UM, NOT FEELING SAFE.
UM, IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS ABOUT BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, UM, GENDER AFFIRMING CARE AND SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, FOLKS TALKED ABOUT DIFFICULTY FINDING PROVIDERS, DIFFICULTY GETTING APPOINTMENTS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, PAY FOR CARE.
AND SO NOW TO THE SOGI DATA COLLECTION.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW.
UM, THERE'S A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, BEST PRACTICES IN THE REPORT.
BUT, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF OUR PROCESS, SO FEEDBACK ON THESE BEST PRACTICES COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
SO AT EACH TOUCH POINT, SO DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, UM, DURING THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WERE HOSTED, AND THEN OF COURSE IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE ASKED SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY AS WELL AS THE FEEDBACK AREA ON HOW THOSE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED.
UM, SO IN THE FINAL REPORT, YOU'LL SEE A OVERVIEW OF SAMPLE QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, KAMAI, AND FILIPINO.
UM, AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT COLLECTING SOJI DATA SHOULD BE DONE WHENEVER DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED.
THIS IS REALLY ESSENTIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT ALSO ALLOWS CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH.
AND SIMPLY PUT, IF WE DON'T ASK THIS INFORMATION, WE DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND SO THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY IN A GIVEN SERVICE OR PROGRAM.
I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT THERE'S A STANDARD OF PRACTICE BEING DEVELOPED AND FINALIZED WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON COLLECTING AND REPORTING SOGI DATA.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY, PLEASE REACH OUT AND I CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND SHARE WHEN IT IS FINAL.
AND SO, PRIORITIES AND AREAS OF SUPPORT.
SO, UM, BASED ON ALL THAT INFORMATION, THE FOUR SIGNIFICANT AREAS WHERE, UM, SUPPORT IS NEEDED MOST FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS AROUND HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL HEALTH, ACCESS TO AFFIRMING CARE AND SAFETY.
AND SO THESE PERCENTAGES ARE AT THE PERCENT OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS WHO PRIORITIZE THESE TOPICS, UM, WHICH IS WHY THE, UH, DATA WAS FRAMED IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT WAY.
UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY, AREAS WHERE SUPPORT IS NEEDED IS AROUND TGI FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
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UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE RENT BURDENED, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE ACCESSING, UH, WHO ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCESS AFFIRMING CARE AND VICTIMS, VICTIMS OF CRIME OR VIOLENCE ACCESSING SUPPORT SERVICES.SO BASED ON, UM, WHAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE, UM, NEEDS ASSESSMENT AS WELL AS PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUGGESTED HERE ARE A FEW JUST LIKE SUGGESTIONS AROUND POLICIES THAT, UM, WERE RECOMMENDED.
SO ONE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UH, RENT SUPPORT AND HOUSING STABILITY INITIATIVES FOR TGI FOLKS.
UM, A VACANCY TAX, THIS IS ACTUALLY, UM, ONE MEMBER OF A LISTENING SESSION, UM, PROVIDED THIS, UM, POLICY SUGGESTION WORD FOR WORD, A VACANCY TAX FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WITH EMPTY UNITS, UM, TO DISCOURAGE AND DECREASE TO DIS TO DISCOURAGE THE VACANT UNITS, UM, PARTICULARLY IN LARGER, LIKE, UM, HOUSING UNITS, UM, WHERE THEY'RE USING THAT VACANCY TO RAISE THE PRICE OF THE OTHER UNITS.
UM, INTRODUCING AN OFFICE OR COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY FOR LGBT, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UM, CULTURAL HUMILITY TRAININGS FOR CITY STAFF AND STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR POSITION.
AND SO THE FINAL REPORT, SO TONY, I BELIEVE, UM, PASSED OUT THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE REPORT.
UM, SO YOU'LL HAVE THE PHYSICAL COPIES.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, DIGITAL COPIES ONLINE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY ALSO TO REPORT THAT THE SPANISH TRANSLATION IS ALSO COMPLETE, AND THAT SHOULD BE ONLINE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE REPORT WAS TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH AS WELL.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING FOR ME, UNLESS WE'RE DOING A QUESTION PORTION.
UH, WE WILL DO QUESTIONS, OKAY.
UM, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? IF THERE ARE ANY IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM TWO.
UH, SO WE WILL NOW START, UM, COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION.
UH, SO IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR RYAN, UM, NOW IS THE TIME TO OFFER THAT.
UM, AND LET ME GET OUT OF THE SCREEN.
UH, I'M NOT SEEING ANY ONE FOR ITEM TWO, BUT IF YOU WANNA RAISE YOUR HAND DR. LARA, AND THEN WE'LL GO.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER AFTERWARDS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR COVINGTON, UH, RYAN, FIRST OF ALL, UH, IMMENSE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE STAND BEHIND YOU IN GETTING THIS, UM, THIS WORK FORWARD.
UM, I CAN TELL NOT JUST FROM THE PRESENTATION, BUT FROM THE SLIDES TO THE LITERATURE, HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT, UM, AND PROBABLY A LOT OF HOOPS THAT YOU JUMPED THROUGH.
SO I WANNA CELEBRATE, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA DIVE INTO QUESTIONS.
SOME OF 'EM MAY COME UP ORGANICALLY, BUT THE ONES THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY CAME TO MIND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC, UM, SUBPOPULATIONS PUTTING, UH, HIGHLIGHTING PHILIPPINES AND CAMBODIAN DUE TO THOSE, THOSE TWO SUBPOPULATIONS BEING PROBABLY THE LARGER OF THE ASIAN COMMUNITY.
BUT IS THERE DATA FOR THE OVERALL ASIAN COMMUNITY, UH, THAT WE, THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DATA FOR THAT SUBPOPULATION? YEAH, THAT WAS A GREAT QUESTION.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE FRONT ABOUT AND MAKE ENSURING THAT WE WERE DISAGGREGATING BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH RESPONSES, UM, IN THE OTHER RACIAL AND ETHNIC CATEGORIES TO LIKE PULL OUT MEANINGFUL, UM, DATA OR LIKE INSIGHTS ESSENTIALLY.
UM, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY, IF THAT'S SOMETHING OF INTEREST, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK ON SEEING HOW WE CAN SHARE THAT DATA.
UM, BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING WE DID ATTEMPT TO DO IN FURTHER ANALYSIS.
WELL, WHAT I WAS THINKING IF HELPFUL, RIGHT? YEAH.
IS HAVING, UM, MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY SUB FURTHER SUBPOPULATIONS OF THE ASIAN COMMUNITY MM-HMM
BUT THE BROADER ASIAN COMMUNITY OH, INCLUSIVE OF PHILIPPINES AND INCLUSIVE OF CAMBODIAN WITH SOME OF THE OTHER, LIKE VIETNAMESE COMES TO MIND, THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS, RIGHT.
JUST SO WE CAN HAVE AN OVERALL PICTURE OF THE RACIAL CATEGORY IN ADDITION TO THE ETHNIC CATEGORY MM-HMM
AND THEN SINCE WE'RE ON THE THEME OF RACE AND ETHNICITY, SOMETHING THAT STANDS OUT FOR ME AS SURPRISING, BUT I'M SURE IN OTHER WAYS IT MIGHT BE CONTEXTUALIZING THE DATA FOR THE LATINX COMMUNITY.
[00:40:01]
ONE OF THE THEMES ON THE PRESENTATION, UM, THAT WAS NOT THERE, BUT IT WAS PRESENT FOR, I WANT TO SAY, WELL, LEMME GET TO THE THEME AND I'LL IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, THE DATA CLEARLY MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN I CAN IN, IN, IN THE FEW MINUTES THAT I HAVE.BUT THERE WAS A THEME OF IMMIGRATION.
IT WAS NOT IN THE LATINX COMMUNITY, BUT IT WAS IN THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED BELOW THAT ON YOUR SLIDE.
UH, I FOUND THAT THAT'S SURPRISING.
SO MAYBE IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INFORMATION, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS GROUP FOR WHATEVER REASON.
IT MAY NOT ABOUT THAT UP, BUT I'M JUST SURPRISED GIVEN THE, THE LONGSTANDING DISCOURSE OF HOW IMMIGRATION IMPACTS DISPROPORTIONATELY THE LATINX COMMUNITY.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS.
I'LL SPEAK TO THE FIRST POINT ABOUT, UM, AGGREGATING INTO LIKE A LARGER ASIAN RACE AND ETHNICITY.
I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PARSE OUT CAMBODIA AND PHILIPPINE X, BUT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN WORK ON.
IT'S LIKE COMBINING, UM, AND AGGREGATING ESSENTIALLY THE DATA TO LOOK AT AN ASIAN CATEGORY.
UM, BUT SPEAKING ABOUT IMMIGRATION CONCERNS, SO I THINK THIS REALLY WAS DUE TO TIMING.
I THINK THE LATINX, UM, AND OTHER LISTENING SESSIONS OCCURRED IN THE FALL OF 2024, AND THE PHILIPPINE X LISTING SESSION OCCURRED IN JANUARY, LIKE RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION, OR LIKE RIGHT AROUND INAUGURATION, RATHER.
SO I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY THAT LISTENING SESSION SPOKE ABOUT THE CONCERNS OF LIKE, WHAT THIS NEW, NEW PRESIDENCY WAS, UM, GONNA BRING, UM, FEARS ABOUT MARTIAL LAW, FEARS ABOUT UNCERTAINTY.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S MAYBE A TIMING THING THAT CAME UP THAT WAY.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAD TO PIVOT A LOT AROUND THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, UM, IN THE SPRING OF 2025 TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S LIKE PROTECTION AROUND DOCUMENTATION STATUS AND, UM, AND QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT.
SO I THINK IT MAY BE JUST A TIMING QUESTION THAT'S IMPORTANT CONTEXT.
I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER, GOOD EVENING.
UM, I, MORE THAN A QUESTION, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST THANK YOU AND, UM, EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, EFFORT, AND PASSION THAT OBVIOUSLY WENT INTO, UM, ACQUIRING ALL OF THE DATA THAT'S, THAT WENT INTO THIS REPORT.
AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN A TRUE LABOR OF LOVE TO WORK WITH NINE SUB SUBPOPULATIONS TO PULL ALL THIS DATA TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATE THAT, AND THE TEAM FOR DOING THE WORK.
UM, COORDINATING THE OVERLAP OF MULTIPLE CULTURES DATA IS NOT EASY, UH, ON ANY DAY.
SO, UM, THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER AND PRESENTING IT THIS EVENING.
COMMISSIONER DEION, THANK YOU AGAIN, ECHOING THE WORDS OF THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THIS IS SUCH A TIMELY AND IMPORTANT REPORT, AND SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO US AND ON SUCH A TIMELY, UH, MONTH AS THIS, UM, KIND OF A COMMENT.
AND THEN A, A QUESTION FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, I THINK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF LISTENING SESSIONS AS A COMMISSION.
UH, AND I THINK THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF ALL THESE ISSUES IS, IS I THINK, ECHOED IN THIS REPORT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS SESSIONS WE'VE HAD WITH COMMUNITY, UM, HOW, UM, HOUSING INSTABILITY, HOW, UM, RENT BURDEN, UM, IS DIRECTLY IMPACTING FOLKS IN A WAY THAT INTERSECTS WITH THEIR, UH, RACIAL IDENTITY, GENDER IDENTITY, IMMIGRATION STATUS.
AND SO I THINK THE STORY OF THIS YEAR, REALLY FOR US AS A COMMISSION HAS BEEN UNEARTHING HOW INEXTRICABLE THESE ISSUES ARE, UM, IN COMBINING TO CREATE FOR SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS A SUFFOCATING EFFECT ON THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, WHERE COST LIVING CAN BE HIGH AND FEAR OF RATES IS OMNIPRESENT AND DISCRIMINATION CONTINUES.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS, THIS JOINS THE COURSE I THINK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR ADDING TO THAT.
UM, PART OF OUR COMMITMENT AFTER WE WRAP OUR VERY LAST OF OUR SERIES OF LISTENING SESSIONS IS TO COLLATE ALL OF THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THIS DOCUMENT REALLY IS A LISTENING SESSION IN OF ITSELF THAT WE CAN WEAVE INTO THAT WORK, UM, TO MAKE US, UM, BUILD THE MOST ROBUST REPORT WE CAN, UH, TO MAKE REPUTATIONS AS A COMMISSION.
AND THAT THAT WILL BE OUR ROADMAP AS A BODY, UM, ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED LOWE'S.
AND THIS IS REALLY TIMELY 'CAUSE WE GET TO INCLUDE THAT IN THIS STORY.
I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR YOU, I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLY GOOD WORK.
MY WORRY IS THE ANSWER IS THAT THIS IS THE ONLY POINT IN TIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE ON THE BOOKS, AND THAT THERE ISN'T STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR ANOTHER ONE OF THESE TO SHOW PROGRESS AND, AND OR STAGNATION IN THE FUTURE.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS REPORT LIVES ON? BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH I WANT TO DO OUT OF THIS, AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND TO WHAT EXTENT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO, UM, THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE WORK NEEDED TO ADVANCE SOME THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN YEARS TO COME? YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION THAT I THINK
[00:45:01]
I THINK ABOUT AND OUR TEAM THINKS ABOUT A LOT.UM, AND I THINK, UH, IN TERMS OF LIKE FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, IT'S VERY UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW.
SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY DEFINITIVE ANSWER ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THIS PERIODICALLY, NOT ONLY FOR, UM, THE LGBT COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE COORDINATORS FOR, UM, OR THAT ARE UNDERSERVED BY THE CITY IN SOME WAY.
SO THAT IS OUR HOPE AND OUR GOAL FOR OUR TEAM.
BUT I DON'T KNOW, EVERYTHING IS VERY UNCERTAIN, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC HEALTH RIGHT NOW.
SO WISH I HAD A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU,
I THINK WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL SEARCHING FOR THOSE ANSWERS AS WELL.
AND, UM, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE COULD DO FROM THE DAIS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH, WITH THAT POWER.
SO I GUESS AS A QUICK FOLLOW UP MM-HMM
ARE THERE CONCRETE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE MIDTERM, WE'RE GOING TO BE INCORPORATING AS MUCH AS WE CAN FROM THIS YEAR INTO OUR STRATEGY, LOOKING AHEAD ONCE WE'VE COLLATED ALL THE LISTING SESSION DATA AND, AND ALL THE PRESENTATIONS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A MIDTERM THING.
ARE THERE ANY SHORT TERM WAYS THAT WE CAN AMPLIFY OR SUPPORT, UM, THE FINDINGS YOU HAVE HERE IN ADDITION TO, TO HAVING YOU HERE TO SPEAK TO US TONIGHT? YEAH, SO IN TERMS OF SHORT TERM WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS WORK OR THIS DATA, I THINK IT'S AROUND THE DISSEMINATION.
SO, WHICH IS LIKE, SPEAKS TO THE LARGER POINT OF THE CYCLE WE'RE AT.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE THIS DATA WITH MORE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE.
UM, AND WE NEED ANYONE, WE, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY ALLIES THAT CAN SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT THOSE LARGER LIKE, FUNDING SOURCES OR RESOURCES THAT WE'RE USED TO IN YEARS PAST.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IS SHARING THIS FAR AND WIDE AND, UM, CONNECTING STAKEHOLDERS TO MYSELF AND OUR TEAM SO THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE.
UM, I'M GONNA SCAN THIS SIDE BEFORE WE GO BACK TO DR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, WINE ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY WELL STRUCTURED AND YOU HAD A VERY STRONG FRAMEWORK FROM THE BEGINNING.
COMMISSIONER SAMUEL WEILL, YOUR PHOTO IN THERE IS REALLY GREAT TOO.
UM, AND UM, ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME JUST BY KIND OF BRIEFLY LOOKING AT, UM, THE ASSESSMENT WAS THE TOP PRIORITY BEING HOUSING ACROSS ALL POPULATIONS.
UM, THERE WAS A SLIDE THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT IT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, DUE TO, UM, AFFORDABILITY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR, UM, ACROSS ALL POPULATIONS, WAS IT MORE THAN JUST AFFORDABILITY? UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
UM, AND I KIND OF WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE AS A COMMISSION OR WHAT THE CITY IS PLANNING TO DO TO, UM, EITHER RECTIFY ANY AND ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT THE COMMUNITIES, UH, HAS SPOKEN TO.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE WONDERING WHY IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY FOR FOLKS OR, WELL, ACROSS ALL POPULATIONS, YEAH.
WHEN WE GO OVER FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD FOR ALL, ALL POPULATIONS AND ALL ETHNICITIES, UM, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS WAS THE FIRST ONE.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THAT WAS PART OF DISAGGREGATING, UM, RACE AND ETHNICITY AND SEEING IF WE LOOK AT LIKE JUST THE BLACK FOLKS THAT RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY, WHAT, HOW WOULD THEY RANK IT? AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT COMPARISON CHART SPEAKS TO.
BUT, UM, UH, TO SPEAK MORE TO HOW HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS BECAME SUCH A PRIORITY AND A THEME IN THIS, UM, I THINK THE DATA POINTS TO THE NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT MAKE FOLKS MAKE KEEP ARE GETTING AND KEEPING HOUSING SO CHALLENGING, UM, IN LONG BEACH, I THINK, UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT, UM, ISOLATED, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FOLKS BEING STABLY HOUSED MM-HMM
UM, BUT I THINK THAT CHART WAS TO ILLUSTRATE THAT, UM, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE TO THE QUEER AND TRANS COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ACROSS THE CITY AND REALLY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MM-HMM
AND THAT IT'S NOT NEW, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE GENERATIONS OF HOUSING INEQUITIES WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
AND SO, UM, YEAH, THERE'S NO EASY, SIMPLE ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT I THINK YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT'S WHAT I HAVE AND HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS IS, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY A PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY FOR, UM, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, UM, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, YOU DIDN'T DID MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT A STANDARD OF PRACTICE REGARDING SOGI DATA.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND THE TRAJECTORY FOR THAT FOR THE CITY.
[00:50:01]
THERE IS A DATA ANALYST TEAM, UM, STAFFED WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.UM, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON, UM, STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR THE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY ON COLLECTING THIS INFORMATION.
UM, I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT THEY'RE OUT IN FINALIZATION ON IT, BUT THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH IT NOW.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ONE ON COLLECTING, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY DATA AS WELL WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I THINK IT FOLLOWS IN MANY REGARDS TO THE BEST PRACTICES WE COLLECTED, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF, BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH DATA IS COLLECTED WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SO MANY GRANT AND SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, LIKE STATE HEALTH DATA SYSTEMS, FEDERAL, UH, DATA SYSTEMS, UM, IT INCLUDES LIKE BROADER CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT HOW TO, UM, INCORPORATE COMMUNITY VOICE WHILE ALSO, UM, WORKING WITHIN CONFINES OF THOSE SYSTEMS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO HAPPY TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN IT'S FINAL AND, AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I WE CAN CONNECT ON THAT.
ANY, ANY TIMEFRAME OR TIMELINE WHEN THAT MIGHT BE? I'M REALLY NOT SURE.
UM, I THINK THEY WERE HOPING TO HAVE IT BY THE SUMMER, BUT I, I REALLY DON'T KNOW.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SAMUEL WHILE COMMISSIONER DR.
UH, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION THAT, UM, THAT THAT WAS ASKED BY COMMISSIONER, UH, DE LEON AND YOUR RESPONSE WAS AMPLIFICATION OF THE DATA.
SO A THOUGHT THAT OCCURRED TO ME IN THAT MOMENT, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY DONE A VERSION OF THIS, SO, SO IF IT'S A DUPLICATE IDEA, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
BUT I WAS THINKING, UM, YOU, YOU STRATEGICALLY WORK WITH KEY L-G-B-T-Q ORIENTED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY, CIRCLING BACK WITH THEM, UH, ON A DATE TO DO A PRESENTATION JUST LIKE YOU DID WITH US HERE.
UH, BUT ONLINE FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND AMPLIFICATION PURPOSES AND HAVING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS CROSS PROMOTE THE EVENT TO BRING AN AUDIENCE TO THAT, THAT SPACE.
AND, UM, WORKING WITH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OF COURSE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING.
I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY HOOPS YOU HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH, BUT THAT COULD WORK AND TIME, I KNOW WE SAID IMMEDIATE, BUT I KNOW YOU COULD PROBABLY NEED A LOT OF TIME TO PLAN THAT OUT.
AND, UH, OCTOBER IS L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY MONTH, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT HISTORICAL.
I THINK PUTTING A HISTORICAL FRAME ON IT, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LGBQ HEALTH AND WHAT'S HAPPENED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AIDS CRISIS THAT IS STILL ONGOING.
AND THEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS COULD HELP, UM, WITH, WITH NOT JUST HOW WE FRAME IT, BUT GETTING THE WORD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT IDEA IS HELPFUL IN TERMS OF AMPLIFYING THE IDEA TO AS MANY KEY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE THEN THAT WILL ACT AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN ADVOCACY IN CITY HALL TO ENACT SOME OF THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT, MY TURN
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, THIS IS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT, UH, FOR MYSELF, UH, BECAUSE COMING IN AS CHAIR, UH, WE WERE GOING TO, UH, ASK THE COMMISSION AND ASK THE CITY TO DO AN LGBT NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET CONNECTED TO THIS PROCESS AND SEE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ACTUALLY COME TO FRUITION.
UM, IN THE PRESENTATION YOU NAMED, UH, WHAT IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, AND THAT YOU ALL WERE AT STEP SIX, IF THAT'S CORRECT MM-HMM
UM, WHAT DOES THE FOLLOWING STEPS LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR THIS PROCESS? YEAH, SO I BELIEVE SEVEN IS THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES.
SO THAT'S LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE, AGAIN, COLLABORATIVELY WITH COMMUNITY, UM, PUT INTO PRACTICE SOME SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THINGS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE OTHER SPECIFIC ONES.
YEAH, IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE STEP EIGHT.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY BEYOND JUST PLANNING AND COLLABORATING ON, ON STRATEGIES, IT'S IMPLEMENTING THOSE STRATEGIES.
AND THEN NINE WOULD BE EVALUATION, SO EVALUATING, SO THAT'S UNDERSTANDING ARE THOSE STRATEGIES, UM, EFFECTIVE? UM, ARE THEY WORKING, ARE THEY RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY? AND THEN IT JUST REPEATS AGAIN.
SO THEORETICALLY WHEN, IF AND WHEN MORE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, WE WOULD REPEAT THE PROCESS AND START THIS OVER AGAIN.
AND SO IF WE'RE CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, IN JUNE MM-HMM
UH, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE REST OF THE STEPS WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE OR SLASH THE INITIATIVE AS A WHOLE? OR IS THE INITIATIVE COMPLETE AT THIS TIME? SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR, LIKE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO NOW IS, UM, BUILD A COLLABORATIVE.
SO IT WOULD BE A QUEER HEALTH COLLABORATIVE, UM, WITH HOPEFULLY, UM, THE EXISTING PARTNERS THAT WERE AT THE TABLE FOR THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY ORGS ARE INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING.
[00:55:02]
UM, THIS WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE LIKE A REGULAR BODY THAT MEETS, UM, YEAR ROUND AND BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER ANOTHER NEEDS ASSESSMENT HAPPENS.SO THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGED IN THIS WORK REGULARLY, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THIS PROJECT OR THEORETICALLY FUNDING COMES AGAIN, UM, TO WORK ON THESE ISSUES.
SO I THINK THAT IS LIKE THE NEXT STEP THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
UM, AND I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THIS.
THIS IS JUST INFORMATION THAT I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW AND ALSO FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC MM-HMM
UM, IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GOING TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TOWARDS THIS HEALTH, UH, QUEER HEALTH COLLABORATIVE, OR IS THIS GONNA BE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONAL LED EFFORT? YEAH, SO THERE IS SOME LIMITED FUNDING FOR THIS GROWTH COLLABORATIVE.
UM, BUT IT IS TEMPORARY IN ONE TIME.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR LONG TERM, FOR FUNDING FOR THIS COLLABORATIVE, BUT I DO KNOW LIKE TO START AS SORT OF LIKE SEED FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE.
UH, I WANTED TO, UH, LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AT LEAST SIX 59% OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED AND 77% OF TRANSGENDER GENDER INCLUSIVE PARTICIPANTS, UM, FELT NOT SAFE AROUND POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT HESITANT TO EVEN INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF, UM, MAYBE, UM, SOME STORIES OR, UM, WHAT SOME SPECIFIC ASKS ARE COMING OUT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE AROUND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH POLICE? BECAUSE, UM, I DO AGREE WITH THE, THE, THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS IN SAYING THAT, UH, LONG BEACH IS MOSTLY OPEN TO QUEER PLACE THAT THEY'VE EVER LIVED, AND IT'S A VERY QUEER, UH, ACCEPTING PLACE.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE, HISTORICALLY HAS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY, UM, CONTENTIOUS.
UM, SO YEAH, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ALSO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN, IN RELATION TO THE POLICE? YEAH.
SO FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER FROM THE LISTENING SESSIONS, I THINK IT WAS, UM, IN TERMS OF RELUCTANCE TO ENGAGE, I THINK IT'S, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS, UM, IF THEY'VE EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF HATE INCIDENT OR THEY EXPERIENCED SOME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION, I THINK THERE'S A FEELING OF, WELL, ONE, NOT SURE HOW TO NAVIGATE THE PROCESS OF REPORTING IT.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, WHO TO TALK TO.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, MISUNDERSTANDING AROUND HATE INCIDENT VERSUS HATE CRIME.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO LIKE A LOT OF HISTORICAL TRAUMA AND, UM, A LOT OF, UM, MISTRUST OF THE COMMUNITY WITH POLICE.
SO THERE'S A RELUCTANCE TO ENGAGE EVEN WHEN SUPPORT IS BEING SOUGHT.
UM, ONE MAYBE SPECIFIC ANECDOTE AROUND WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF SUPPORT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT IS THAT I KNOW HISTORICALLY AT THE CENTER THEY HAD A PLAIN CLOSE, UM, OFFICER OR, UM, STAFF MEMBER FROM, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, WHO WAS AVAILABLE TO REPORT, UM, HATE CRIMES.
SO THEY WERE THERE, THEY WERE MORE ACCESSIBLE.
THEY WERE, I THINK, I BELIEVE THEY WERE A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, SO THEY WERE LGBT IDENTIFIED.
UM, SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE SOLUTIONS LIKE THAT WHERE, UM, WE CAN KIND OF MEET COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ARE, UM, AND HELP KIND OF ADDRESS MISTRUST AND HISTORICAL HARM THAT'S BEEN DONE.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK THAT EXAMPLE IS VERY SMALL AND VERY DISCREET, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT IF THAT GIVES YOU SOME KIND OF IDEA OF LIKE WHAT FOLKS ARE LOOKING FOR.
UH, THE OTHER THING, AND I'LL, I'LL MENTION THIS FOR THE COMMISSION, UM, THAT WAS ALARMING TO ME WAS THAT, UM, DESPITE THE CITY'S REPUTATION, UM, PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED THEIR, UM, THAT THERE ARE GAPS WITHIN AFFIRMING SERVICES, UM, THAT PERSIST.
SO YOU HAVE A, A, UH, WELL, A POPULA A LARGE POPULATION WITHIN THE CITY, BUT THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE SAFE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE, UH, THEY HAVE GOOD INTERACTIONS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE SAFETY WITHIN THE CITY.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO AFFIRMING SERVICES, THERE ARE HARDLY
[01:00:01]
ANY TO NONE.UH, AND WITH THE ATTACKS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE'RE NOW SEEING THE CLOSING OF L-G-B-T-Q AND HIV SERVICES ACROSS THE NATION, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, SO IT IS A DIRE NEED THAT WE INVEST IN SUPPORTING OUR L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, BECAUSE THIS HAS TO BE A, FOR US BIAS MODEL, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE INSTITUTIONS AREN'T GOING TO KEEP US SAFE.
UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT AND THE FINDINGS OF THE REPORT.
UM, AND I, I DO ENCOURAGE THIS COMMISSION, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS MY LAST MEETING, UM, TO ESTABLISH AN AD HOC, UM, TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS, UM, REPORT AND SHARE IT UP TO CITY COUNCIL SO WE CAN ELEVATE THE NEED.
ADDITIONALLY, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, BUT THE MORE PEOPLE WHO CAN SCREAM, YELL, SHOUT THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY WITH AN UPCOMING BUDGET, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEFICITS THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING, IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT'S MY ENCOURAGEMENT TO, TO THIS COMMISSION.
UM, UH, LASTLY, UH, AND MAYBE THIS CAN BE SHARED OVER EMAIL, UM, WITH TONY, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE POLICY SUGGESTIONS.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S A FULL LIST OF SUGGESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, BECAUSE I ONLY SEE IT IN THE PRESENTATION ON THE REPORT ITSELF.
UM, SO IF THAT CAN BE DONE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, THE FULL LIST SO THAT, UM, SOMEONE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ADDITIONALLY TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, THIS, UH, FLYER AND, UH, ZINE
UH, I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE THE TEAM THAT THE QR CODE IS NOT NO LONGER LINKED TO THE WEBSITE.
UM, SO IF IT'S STILL IN CIRCULATION, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE INFORMATION'S HELPFUL, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO USE CONTACT CLUES TO FIND OUT THE INFORMATION.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I WILL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CLERK.
LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION
[3. 26-55290 Recommendation to discuss and approve the Equity and Human Relations Commission 2025 Annual Report. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO DISCUSS AND APPROVE THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION 2025 ANNUAL REPORT.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? MOTION BY DR. LARA.
SECOND BY VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ AND I ARE, WE TAG TEAMING THIS, TONY? UM, YEAH, WE CAN, I PREPARED A QUICK PRESENTATION JUST TO GUIDE YOU ALL THROUGH THE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE ON IN YOUR PACKET.
AND THEN AFTERWARDS, I THINK YOU CAN OPEN, OPEN THAT TO A DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL.
SO, JUMPING IN, UM, AGAIN, IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN WHERE WE'RE REVIEWING THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID THROUGHOUT THIS LAST YEAR.
UM, I'LL SAY AS I WAS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER FOR YOU ALL, UH, YOU ALL WERE VERY BUSY
UM, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE START THE REPORT WITH IS THE COMMISSION'S MISSION AND VISION.
SO AS YOU SEE, THE MISSION IS TO INSPIRE AND SUPPORT SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND FOSTER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT FOR ALL, UH, THE VISION BEING, UH, THAT LONG BEACH IS A JUST AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY FREE OF DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE WHERE ALL PEOPLE ARE VALUED AND HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, UM, TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
UH, AGAIN, AS YOU SEE, THAT'S AN OUTDATED PHOTO.
UM, WE HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT, SO WE WILL BE DOING A PHOTO AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, TALKS ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP.
SO THIS ONE, THIS IS JUST A TABLE THAT OUTLINES, UM, ALL OF THE MEMBERS ARE PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMISSION THIS YEAR, UH, INCLUDING THE MEMBERS WHO ARE NO LONGER ACTIVE.
UM, AND WE ALSO OUTLINED THE, THE DISTRICT AND OR IF IT'S AN OUT LARGE SEAT.
THE NEXT PART OF THE REPORT OUTLINES THE MEETINGS, UM, THE COMMISSION'S, MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE.
SO WITH JUNE'S MEETING, THERE'S A TOTAL OF 10 MEETINGS THAT TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR, ONE OF THEM BEING A SPECIAL MEETING IN OCTOBER.
UH, AND AGAIN, SO IF YOU NOTICE ANY DISCREPANCIES HERE ON YOUR, ON YOUR ATTENDANCE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT MEETING ATTENDANCE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, NOLAN, IT SAYS NINE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THIS REPORT DOESN'T INDICATE TONIGHT'S MEETING, BUT IT WILL BE UPDATED TO, TO SAY 10.
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ALRIGHT, SO NEXT WE JUST HAVE A LIST OF THE CITY PERSONNEL THAT SUPPORT THE COMMISSION.UM, AS YOU SEE, WE HAVE A, A ROBUST GROUP OF CITY STAFF WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE COMMISSION AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING.
SO WE JUST OUTLINE AND, UH, DESCRIBE THE, THE ROLES OF ALL OF THEM.
UP NEXT, WE ALWAYS INCLUDE A SECTION ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN YEARS WHERE THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND OR, UM, UH, EVENTS.
UH, THIS YEAR, THE COMM THE, THE, UH, COMMISSION PARTICIPATED IN ONE EVENT JANUARY 17TH, 2025, UM, WHICH WAS THE MLK PARADE.
SO, UH, WE'LL INCLUDE SOME PHOTOS OF THAT AND, UH, INCLUDING THE COMMISSIONERS WHO, WHO ATTENDED THAT.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SECTION YOU'LL FIND IS THE CONSIDERATIONS AND ACTIONS.
SO, UH, WHAT I DID IS I PUT TOGETHER A VERY BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EVERY MEETING, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED, WHAT WERE THE OUTCOMES, UM, JUST A QUICK BLURB OF, OF THE, THE, UH, UH, ACTIONS TAKEN AT EACH MEETING.
AND THEN, UH, FOLLOWING THAT, THERE'S ALSO THE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO, AGAIN, JUST A QUICK, A QUICK OUTLINE OF WHEN YOUR, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL IN A TFF FORM, IN A MEMO FORM, AND THE TITLE OF THAT MEMO.
THE NEXT PART OF THE RAPPORT OUTLINES THE AD HOC COMMITTEES.
UM, THIS IS WHERE I THINK YOU'LL FIND HOW, HOW BUSY YOU HAVE BEEN.
UH, THE COMMISSION THIS YEAR, UM, CREATED 11 NEW AD HOCS OF WHICH THREE ARE CURRENTLY STILL ACTIVE.
SO THE TABLE WILL INDICATE WHEN, UH, IF THE AD HOC IS STILL ACTIVE, THE PURPOSE OF THE AD HOC, THE MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC, AND THEN THE STATUS OF THE AD HOC STATUS BEING ACTIVE OR WHEN IT WAS DISSOLVED.
THE NEXT PART OF THE REPORT OUTLINES A, UH, ROADMAP UPDATE.
SO DURING THIS SECTION, UM, I WROTE JUST A VERY QUICK UPDATE, UH, AS TO WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN UP TO IN TERMS OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS.
UH, YOU'LL FIND THAT IT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL REPORT.
IT'S, IT DOESN'T GO, UH, DEEP INTO THE FINDINGS AS WE HAVE IN CREATED AN AD HOC TO SYNTHESIZE THE FINDINGS OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS AND PROVIDE A REPORT ON THAT.
SO, UH, I FOCUSED ON JUST EXPLAINING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, THE PURPOSE AND HOW IT, IT, THE, HOW THE AD HOCS WERE CREATED TO, UM, SUPPORT THE LISTENING SESSIONS.
WE'RE ALMOST DONE HERE, I PROMISE.
IT'S A VERY HEFTY REPORT, YOU ALL.
UM, THIS NEXT PART IS A BUDGET OUTLINE.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, THE EHRC HAD A BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN, UH, CARRIED OVER SINCE 2024.
SO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO USE ALL OF IT THIS YEAR, UM, IN PART BECAUSE OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS AND IN PART BECAUSE WE ALSO INCLUDED, UM, THE, UH, THE COST OF THE INTERPRETATION SERVICES THAT WE HAVE, UM, DURING EACH MEETING.
SO, UH, UH, AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S ZERO REMAINING, UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, FROM YOUR, YOUR, UH, BUDGET, WHICH AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR WAS $11,029.
SO, UM, ALMOST CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
THE, WE INCLUDED A SECTION THIS YEAR THAT ACTUALLY WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN EVERY OTHER ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY.
THIS IS A MOMENT FOR CITY STAFF TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE IS, UH, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE COMMISSION, UM, CONTINUE IT TO WORK, UM, WITH A FEW, UH, MODIFICATIONS SPECIFICALLY WE'RE RECOMMENDING REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE COMMISSION AS IT HAS YET TO BE OPERATIONAL UNDER 15 MEMBERS.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING MODIFYING THE MEETING, THE MEETING FREQUENCY FROM MONTHLY TO BIMONTHLY OR QUARTERLY TO ALLOW COMMISSIONERS AND AD HOC COMMITTEES, ADEQUATE TIME TO ADVANCE LONGER TERM RESEARCH, ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY WORK BETWEEN REGULAR MEETINGS.
AND THEN THE REPORT ENDS WITH A, UH, WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
SO, UH, AT THIS POINT FOR A SECOND, CAN HAND IT OVER TO YOU SO YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE, THE, UM, UH, WHAT YOU, YOU BOTH WORKED ON, ON THE LETTER.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE PRINTER, UH, LOST TWO PAGES, UM, AND I DOUBLE CHECKED WITH EVERYBODY, NOT EVERYBODY, BUT AT LEAST RIGHT HERE.
UM, YEAH, PAGE 12 AND 13 IS MISSING FROM THE PRINCE.
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UH, OUR VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR REPORT, UH, THE MAIN THING THAT WE WANTED TO, UM, CONVEY TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR IS THAT THE COMMISSION IS STRONG.UM, WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH THIS YEAR.
UH, WE'VE, UM, UTILIZED OUR PLATFORM AND THIS SPACE AS A DIALOGUE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE COMMISSION, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THE ROADMAP, UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR GAPS THAT WE HAD WAS ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BECAUSE THROUGH SEVERAL MEETINGS, UM, SOME FOLKS WOULD SHOW, SOME FOLKS WOULDN'T.
AND WE WANTED TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE FOLKS COULD HAVE DIALOGUE, UM, SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, AND ALSO SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE OUR CITY AS A WHOLE, UM, MORE JUST, UM, AND EQUITABLE FOR ALL.
UM, AND TO MEET THE MISSION, UH, AND VISION THAT WE HAD SET, UM, AS WE WENT THROUGH A WHOLE PROCESS OF, UM, CREATING A NEW ORDINANCE, UH, FOR THIS COMMISSION AND NAME.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, WE NAME APPRECIATIONS.
UH, WE ALSO LIST, UM, OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH ALL OF THE LETTERS THAT WE DRAFTED.
UH, I WANNA, UM, GIVE A DEEP APPRECIATION TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
UM, SOME ARE PAID HERE, BUT THE PAY TO BE HERE IS NOT AN ACTUAL SALARY.
IT'S MORE OF A THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, AND YOU SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE DAY AND YOU SHOW UP OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS TO ATTEND AD HOCS.
UH, SOMETIMES IN EVENINGS, SOMETIMES IN MORNINGS.
UH, AND YOU SHOW UP WITH THE PURPOSE OF REALLY UPLIFTING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT SHOWS, UM, I AM MOST PROUD THAT THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE HAVE SENT THE MOST LETTERS TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS EVER SENT, UM, TO THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR.
UM, SO PLEASE DO, UH, GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DID THAT Y'ALL, UH, AND SET A STANDARD, UH, FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONS TO FOLLOW AND SUIT.
UM, SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, APPRECIATIONS AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ALL THE WORK, UM, WE NOTE, UH, THE WORK THAT LIES AHEAD, UM, AS EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS IS CONTINUED TO BE ATTACKED ON A FEDERAL LEVEL IS MOST IMPORTANT.
THAT, UM, WE STICK OUR FEET IN THE SAND, UH, AND WE ARE ANCHORS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, FOR LONG BEACH, BUT FOR THE NATION AS WELL.
UM, AND TO FIGHT BACK AND TO EXPAND ON THE SUPPORT AND THE POLICIES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LISTED OF THINGS TO COMPLETE, UM, IS CONTINUING OUR LISTENING SESSIONS.
THERE'S A SERIES OF, UH, TO MORE THAT WE NEED TO DO TO COMPLETE THE FIVE.
UH, AND I'M EXCITED FOR THE CULMINATION OF THE REPORT AS COMMISSIONER, UH, DE LEON HAD MENTIONED.
UH, AND WE HAVE SOME, UH, RESEARCHERS, UH, ON THIS COMMITTEE, ON THIS COMMISSION.
UH, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 40 PAGE REPORT.
BUT THE INTENTIONAL REPORT THAT WILL COME FROM THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS.
UM, IN ADDITION, UH, WE'RE STILL PARTNERING WITH, UH, THE COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS, UH, AND WE'LL BE REVISITING, UH, THE DRAFT LETTER TODAY IN OUR AD HOC ITEM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, PROMOTING ADDITIONAL POLICIES, UM, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, UM, AROUND ACCESSIBILITY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND OTHER COMMUNITY WELLBEING EFFORTS.
UM, AND SO THAT, UH, CONCLUDES THE UPDATE FROM THE LETTER FROM THE VICE CHAIR AND MYSELF.
UH, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO OUR VICE CHAIR TO SHARE ANYTHING I MAY HAVE MISSED OR, UM, YOUR EXPERIENCE THUS FAR.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ECHO, UH, CHRIS'S, UH, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, UH, BEEN ON THIS, UH, COMMISSION FOR JUST OVER FIVE YEARS, UH, WITH CHRIS.
WE ENTERED TOGETHER AND, AND HE'S A ABANDONING US ME.
UH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
CHRIS, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SAT HERE AND THANKED STAFF AND ALL THE, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, AND I JUST, UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SIT NEXT TO YOU AS, AS VICE CHAIR THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, YOU'VE DONE A, A, A REALLY, A REALLY GREAT JOB WITH THIS.
UM, I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH SO, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
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FIVE YEARS AGO, WE WERE MEETING IN DARK COMMUNITY CENTER ROOMS. AND, UH, SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO MEET AT CITY HALL BECAUSE THAT'S THE MAN, AND YOU HAD TO EXPLAIN TO HIM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE, THE MAN WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMISSIONERS.AND, UH, UM, SOMETIMES WE HAD COMMISSIONERS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT THEY, THEY WOULD, THEY, THEY, THEY DIDN'T LAST AS LONG AS THEIR ONBOARDING DID.
THEY, THEY'D COME FOR TWO MEETINGS, AND THEN IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHERE, WHERE DO THREE MEETINGS LATER? THEY, WHERE'D THEY GO? UH, I THINK THIS IS THE STRONGEST THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN IN THE, IN THE FIVE PLUS YEARS THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, AND I SEE TONIGHT, MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MAYBE WE DID THIS ONE OTHER TIME, BUT EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER IS SEATED.
THAT IS, UH, THAT IS ON OUR, UM, THAT IS ON OUR HEADER, 11 COMMISSIONERS, UH, UH, 11 SEATED.
UM, SO I JUST, I, I THANK YOU GUYS, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO VICE CHAIR, UH, UH, FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, FEW MONTHS.
AND, UM, I'M NOT AS ELOQUENT AS YOU IN, IN SPEAKING, BUT, UH, UH, THANK YOU, CHRIS.
UH, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER THREE IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM THREE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MADAM CLERK.
WE WILL NOW GO TO COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION.
UM, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I, UM, WE MAY NEED THE SLIDES UP, UM, JUST IN CASE TO, TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THEM.
IT, UH, TEAM, AND ALSO THANK YOU TO YOU ALL, UH, BECAUSE Y'ALL COME INTO WORK AT 8:00 AM AND YOU STAY WITH US FOR SOMETIME 12 HOURS, 13 HOUR DAYS.
UH, SO BIG UPS TO YOU ALL IN THE BACK, UH, WHO HELP US MAKE THIS SUCH A SUCCESS AND ACCESSIBLE ON ZOOM.
THANK YOU FOR OPENING THAT UP.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO NEED THE MISSING PAGES, UM, PLEASE REFER TO YOUR EMAIL.
UM, IT WAS SENT OUT BY MADAM CLERK EARLIER TODAY.
UH, AND, UH, THE FULL REPORT IS THERE AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, UH, AND, UH, COMMENTS.
AND WE GOT THAT MOTION IN A SECOND.
AND LEMME GO DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.
LAURA, AS ALWAYS, I WANNA START WITH GRATITUDE FOR PUTTING THE REPORT TOGETHER AND, UH, ALLOWING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT.
UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS, I, I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS EVERY DAY, AND IT'S LIKE, WAIT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS AT THE END? AND PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.
I WAS LIKE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, TONY.
I WAS LIKE, OH, THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN REALLY BUSY.
UH, SO, SO THAT, UH, REALLY REFLECTS WHY I'M APPRECIATIVE OF PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER IN A REFLECTIVE PIECE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, TWO QUESTIONS THAT COME TO MIND.
WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONS MEET, UM, IN A BIMONTHLY OR QUARTERLY FORMAT? AND THEN TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THAT BEEN WORKING FOR THOSE COMMISSIONS, IF ANY? AND THEN TWO, UM, IN TERMS OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, UM, WHAT GIVES ME PAUSE IS, I KNOW HAVING BEEN THE CHAIR WAS THAT TWO CYCLES AGO, THREE CYCLES AGO.
UM, AND ALSO AS A COMMISSIONER THAT THINGS EMERGE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE BROUGHT UP TO THE ATTENTION.
OR AS COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE ALREADY IN THE KNOW THAT OFTEN, UH, NECESSITATE IZING.
AND SO MEETING LESS FREQUENTLY, LESS FREQUENTLY, ALTHOUGH MAY ADVANCE THE AD HOC COMMUNITY, WOULD THAT HINDER US IN BEING ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO IN REAL TIME, QUITE FRANKLY, CRISES THAT SOMETIMES HAPPEN, UNFORTUNATELY, IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO RESPOND TO AS AN AGENDA, AS SOME.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT GIVES ME PAUSE.
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WOULD STILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT? AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A RECOMMENDATION, SO NOTHING SET IN STONE, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'LL ALLOW US SOME TIME TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT, UH, WHERE AS A BODY, HOW WE, UH, HOW WE RESPOND.I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS ON.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL THE ADVISORY BODIES THAT MEET AT A LESSER FREQUENCY.
UM, TWO THAT COME TO MIND WOULD BE THE CHARTER COMMISSION, WHICH WOULD BE THE POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION.
THEY MEET ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
UM, A NON-CHARTER COMMISSION THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT ALSO MEETS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS WOULD BE THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
AND THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO PRODUCE THEIR WORK IN A REGULAR BASIS AND PRODUCE THOSE ANNUAL REPORTS.
UM, THAT RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM US IS VERY REFLECTIVE OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT OUR, THAT TONY AND I HAVE BEEN STAFFING THIS COMMISSION.
UM, THIS COMMISSION DOES A LOT OF LONG-TERM WORK, AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE AGENDAS THAT ARE SPARKS AND SO FOR THE, THE STANDING COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO GIVE THE COMMISSION, GIVEN THE PROACTIVE, UH, STRUCTURE OF UTILIZING COMMITTEES TO DO THAT IN BETWEEN WORK, IF WE WERE TO GIVE THEM THE ADEQUATE TIME TO PRODUCE IT, AND THEN WE'RE MEETING LIKE PERIODICALLY TO PRODUCE, UH, OR PRESENT THOSE FINDINGS, IT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE ENRICHING AND CONSISTENT, UM, REPORT BACKS.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF AD HOC COMMITTEES THAT SPANNED THE THREE OR FOUR YEARS THAT YOU'VE HAD THIS ROADMAP.
AND SO, UM, MORE RECENTLY, I THINK, UH, CHAIR COVINGTON HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN JUST HELPING TO MOVE A LOT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD BY HAVING, UH, TIME RESTRICTIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES IN PLACE FOR AD HOC COMMITTEES.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK JUST HAVING LESSER MEETINGS MIGHT AID IN HAVING CONSISTENT ENGAGEMENT AND OUTPUTS OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT ALSO WOULD EASE THE, UM, BURDEN ON OUR COMMITTEE MEMBER, COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING ON THOSE COMMITTEES AND ATTENDING THESE MONTHLY COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I, I CAN'T GUESS THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS YOU'RE HAVING IN BETWEEN MEETINGS ON A MONTHLY BASIS JUST TO GENERATE THE LETTER OR THE FINDINGS OR CONDUCT THAT RESEARCH.
AND SO THIS IS REALLY JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WORK, UM, THAT ALL OF YOU ARE PUTTING IN, IN ADDITION TO STAFF AND COMMISSION CAPACITY.
UM, THERE, I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY COMMON FOR MOST COMMISSIONS TO MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO JUST WANNA OFFER THAT, AND WE COULD GIVE YOU ALL A MORE EXTENSIVE LIST OF THE MEETING FREQUENCY FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
YOUR OTHER QUESTION ABOUT EMERGENT INSTANCES WITHIN COMMUNITY, AND SO WE'VE DONE THIS ON QUITE A FEW TIMES WHERE WE'VE SCHEDULED SPECIAL MEETINGS BECAUSE THERE A NEED AROSE FOR, AROSE FOR IT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE SAME EXPECTATION IN THE INSTANCE THAT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED, WHETHER NATIONALLY, LOCALLY, UM, THAT, UH, BROKER IS A CONCERN FOR URGENT ATTENTION FROM THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
YOU ALL COULD ABSOLUTELY CALL A SPECIAL MEETING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF YOUR, UH, STANDING SCHEDULE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT WOULD STILL ALLOW YOU THE FLEXIBILITY OF HAVING, UM, LIKE TO BE RESPONSIVE, UM, TO, TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
SO I APPRECIATE IT, UH, THE, THE, THE RESPONSE AND, UH, I'M GLAD I ASKED THE QUESTION, SO THANK YOU, ALANA.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE COMMISSIONER COLE, AND THEN COMMISSIONER FLORES AGAIN ECHOING THE THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THE REPORT TOGETHER.
UM, AND I DID NOTICE THAT THIS AFTERNOON, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I CAN WE TURN IT AROUND AND MAYBE USE IT TO, IN SOME CASES, LIGHT A FIRE, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT SOME OF THESE AD HOCS DON'T JUST CARRY ON.
UM, I KNOW, JUST TAKING MYSELF AS AN, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE FIRST AD HOC I WAS ON, I DIDN'T EVEN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE COMMISSIONER WHAT THE NEEDS WERE OR WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO NOW FOR, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, BUT I'M LIKE, I'M MORE IN THE STRIDE.
I COULD ACCOMPLISH MORE
MY CONCERN IS IN THE EXPERIENCE BEING ON THE AD HO HAWKS IS I AD HOCS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OH MY GOD, WE COULDN'T MEET, OR SOMEONE HAD TO CANCEL.
OKAY, WELL AT LEAST WE'LL MEET THE NEXT MONTH.
SO TO HAVE A WHOLE QUARTER GO BY AND, AND WE FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULES, SO WE CAN'T TALK, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHICH TAKES US EVEN LONGER TO ACCOMPLISH THINGS.
IT'S JUST SO LONG AND WOULD LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE MORE MM-HMM
AND SO THESE ARE JUST STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
YES, A HUNDRED WE'RE ALREADY REQUIRED BY THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON ANY POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS OR WHETHER OR
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NOT THAT COMMISSION SHOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE IN ITS CAPACITY.AND SO WE ARE IDENTIFYING THESE AS POTENTIAL WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN ENRICH THE WORK, ENHANCE THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSION IS DOING, UM, WHETHER THAT'S TAKEN EITHER BY THIS COMMISSION IN YOUR BYLAWS, OR BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THAT IS TO YOU ALL'S DISCRETION AS DECISION MAKERS.
UM, AS AN OBSERVATION, I THINK ON THE ENGAGEMENT SIDE OF THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SIDE, OUR MOST ACTIVE AND ENGAGED MEETINGS ARE THE ONES THAT WERE YOUR LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH OCCURRED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
OTHERWISE, WE'VE HAD MAYBE ONE TO TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT.
AND SO I THINK ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING ENGAGEMENT, FATIGUE AND THE TYPE OF WORK AND THE TYPE OF ADVISORY BODY YOU INTEND TO BE NOT HAVING THESE MEETINGS EVERY SINGLE MONTH, UNLESS IT MAYBE YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATING KIND OF FREQUENCY OF A BUSINESS MEETING WHERE YOU'RE PROVIDING UPDATES AND THEN ANOTHER MEETING IN WHICH YOU'RE HAVING ENGAGEMENT.
SOMETHING ELSE, A A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STRUCTURE WOULD ALLOW YOU ALL TO EFFICIENTLY, UM, ADVANCE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THAT ALSO WOULD ALLEVIATE, AGAIN, HAVING THESE MEETINGS WHERE WE, UH, AND, UM, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, ARE JUST MAKING UP AGENDA ITEMS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MEETING.
SO, UM, I, I, THAT, THAT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION ON THE STAFF END.
UM, HAVING BEEN IN THESE PLANNING MEETINGS, HAVING ATTENDED THESE MEETINGS FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, YEAH, FIVE YEARS, UM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD HELP JUST CONTINUE THE WORK IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY, UM, WITH REGARD TO AD HOC COMMITTEES THAT WOULD, YOU ALL WOULD BE MEETING IN YOUR COMMITTEES ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND THEN COMING TOGETHER ON THAT QUARTERLY BASIS TO PRESENT YOUR FINDINGS OR TO DO THAT LARGER ENGAGEMENT, WHATEVER THAT IS.
SO THAT WAS THE, THE LOGIC BEHIND PROPOSING A DIFFERENT, UH, MEETING SCHEDULE.
OH, AND I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, USEFUL THAT YOU PUT THAT FORTH BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT AND THINK ABOUT THE MEETING TIMES, AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME KIND OF HAPPY MEDIUMS OR, OR WAY IN WHICH TO ADJUST OUR SCHEDULE.
I JUST, WHEN I SAW THE QUARTER, I KNOW IT SAID BIMONTHLY OR QUARTERLY, BUT WHEN I SAW THE QUARTERLY, I WAS LIKE, SO JUST A LONG TIME IN BETWEEN.
SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORES, THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING REPORT.
IT JUST MAKES, MADE ME REALIZE THE JOYFUL WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER AND HOW MUCH WE'VE DONE.
AND WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT MEETINGS NOT HAPPENING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, I THOUGHT, OH MY GOODNESS, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THE WORK DONE? BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THE MONTHLY DEADLINES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LISTENING SESSIONS, WAS LIKE WE WERE ON OUR TOES HAVING MEETINGS EVERY WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PLAN THEM IN AHEAD OF TIME WITH TONY.
AND I THINK THAT KEPT US, UH, ON TRACK, AND I APPRECIATED THAT VERY MUCH.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
SO MAYBE IF WE ARE IN A SEASON OF HAVING A LOT OF WORK, LIKE LISTENING SESSIONS, THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT BIMONTHLY OR QUARTERLY WOULD WORK FOR THAT.
BUT, UM, I'M JUST SAYING, I, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE ROADMAP, CAN WE GET THE WORK DONE? I THINK HAVING THE MONTHLY MEETINGS WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, FOR ME, WITH THE LISTENING SESSIONS AND THE AD HOCS THAT I WAS SITTING ON, IT REALLY KEPT US IN SYNC AND KEPT PUSHING, AND WE DIDN'T SKIP A HEARTBEAT BECAUSE WE HAD DEADLINES AND WE HAD TO DELIVER.
COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
UM, I'M GONNA THANK YOU TONY AND ALANA FOR PUTTING THIS ON, UM, AS A RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S HONESTLY SOMETHING THAT I AM IN AGREEANCE WITH.
UM, I MAY BE ONE OF THE FEW COMMISSIONERS THAT AGREES WITH THIS, BUT OUR MEETINGS ARE EXTREMELY LONG, RESPECTFULLY.
WE HAVE SOME EXTREMELY LONG-WINDED PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION AS WELL.
UM, AND I THINK MEETING ON A QUARTERLY OR A BIMONTHLY BASIS WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.
UM, YOU LITERALLY TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH WITH AD HOCS THAT HAVE GONE ON FOR YEARS, AND YES, LIKE THANKFULLY FOR THIS REPORT, TONY, WE CAN SEE THAT WE'VE CLOSED A LOT OF AD HOCS RECENTLY, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN AD HOCS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON, I FEEL LIKE MY ENTIRE TIME HERE, AND IT'S NOT A GOOD USE OF OUR TIME.
UM, WE, HOW CAN WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY IF AN AD HOC IS GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? UM, SO I AM IN AGREEANCE WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I LIZETTE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY THAT MAYBE SOMETIMES WE MEET QUARTERLY AND THEN SOMETIMES WE MEET MONTHLY? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING? I, I THINK WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IS WITH
[01:30:01]
THE WORKLOAD THAT WE HAD WITH THE LISTENING SESSIONS, MAYBE IT WAS THE SEASON OF HAVING TO GET ALL THAT WORK DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER, THAT HAVING MONTHLY MEETINGS WAS HELPFUL BECAUSE WE, AS A AD HOC, WE HAD TO MEET EVERY WEEK TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD UPDATES AND RESPONSES, UM, AT, UM, TO REPORT AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING.SO I JUST FELT LIKE THAT REALLY HELPED US STAY ON TRACK FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO DELIVER.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, ALANA, YOU SAID THE AD HOCS COULD STILL MEET EVEN IF WE WERE TO MEET QUARTERLY, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT A TIME RESTRICTION FOR THE AD HOCS.
WE CAN MEET WHENEVER WE NEED TO MEET AND WE WOULD JUST BE PRESENTING QUARTERLY OR BIMONTHLY.
SO THE INTENTION IS THAT BY HAVING THE FULL COMMISSION MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH, THAT MONTH THAT YOU ARE OFF OR DARK, WOULD BE THE MONTH IN WHICH THOSE COMMITTEES ARE DOING THAT IN BETWEEN WORK.
SO IF, YES, YOU'VE HAD MONTHS WHERE YOU'RE MEETING EVERY SINGLE WEEK, THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE FOR A VOLUNTEER BODY, SUCH AS YOU ALL, WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT YOU ONLY GET PAID FOR THIS ONE MEETING HERE.
AND SO THE INTENTION IS THAT YOU HAVE DEDICATED TIME.
IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO SCHEDULE SOME OF THOSE AD HOC COMMITTEES, RIGHT? YOU ALL ARE VERY BUSY.
SO IT'S, IT WOULD GIVE YOU THE TIME IN BETWEEN WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT, OKAY, I HAVE THREE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND I STILL HAVE MY MONTHLY COMMISSION MEETING ALL HAPPENING IN THE SAME WEEK OR MONTH.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE, THE EXPECTATION AS THAT WE ARE REALLY BEING MORE ACCOMMODATING TO BOTH THE COMMISSION AND STAFF CAPACITY.
UM, GIVEN THE TYPE OF ROBUST WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, IF YOU ALL ARE GONNA CHANGE MAYBE THE SPHERE OF EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS THAT YOU'RE FOCUSING ON, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE CHANGING THE, THE TYPE OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THIS BODY THAN PERHAPS A MONTHLY, YOU KNOW, CADENCE IS FINE, BUT GIVEN THESE MUCH MORE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON COLLECTIVELY, IT SEEMS LIKE A LESSER MEETING FREQUENCY WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE, MORE ROBUST ENGAGEMENT AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
UM, YES, I'M, I AM STILL AM IN AGREEANCE WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING CHAIR COVINGTON.
HE JUST SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESEARCHERS.
UM, SO THIS GIVES PEOPLE THAT TIME TO RESEARCH AND BRING, UM, MEANINGFUL AND WELL EXECUTED LETTERS BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THANK YOU.
UM, I'M GOING TO REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY HAS, HAS ALREADY SAID.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK FROM EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE SUPPORTING STAFF IN THE EQUITY OFFICE.
UM, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE MODIFICATIONS, THE MEETING MODIFICATIONS.
IF I WERE TO THROW, IF I WERE TO GO ALL IN, IT WOULD BE WITH THE BIMONTHLY COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND BIMONTHLY WORKS FOR ME BECAUSE YOU STILL RETAIN A LOT OF THE INFORMATION FROM THE MONTH BEFORE LAST.
YOU KNOW, LIKE QUARTERLY MEETINGS, THAT'S A LONG TIME IN BETWEEN MEETINGS, THINGS ARE GOING ON A LOT.
BUT IF YOU'RE MEETING EVERY OTHER MONTH, YOU STILL, YOU TEND TO STILL REMEMBER A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECALL A LOT OF INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
UM, WITH BI, WITH, WITH BIMONTHLY MEETINGS AS OPPOSED TO QUARTERLY MEETINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE AD HOC MEETINGS, I TOTALLY CONCUR.
IT'S JUST THE GENERAL COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE, UM, BEST IF THEY WERE CONDUCTED ON A BIMONTHLY BASIS.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT STUFF IN THIS REPORT.
AND SO ALSO ECHO FOLKS, UH, WE'RE GONNA DEEP DIVE INTO THE DISCUSSION AROUND THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE, BUT I DON'T WANNA LOSE THE FACT THAT THERE'S SO MUCH INCREDIBLE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND THERE'S SO MUCH GRATITUDE THAT WE HAVE FOR, UH, THE, THE STAFF.
WE, WE REALLY CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU ALL.
SO, UM, IF WE GO IN ON THIS, IT'S NOT ANYTHING ON THAT.
IT'S, IT'S TRULY, UM, LIKE MORE GRATITUDE THAN I CAN SAY.
UM, AS WE WERE TALKING, I, I THINK, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THE CADENCE FOR OTHER COMMISSIONS.
SO I WENT AHEAD AS WE WERE TALKING, I WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE COMMISSION IN LONG BEACH AND CHECK, CHECK THE CADENCE FOR MEETINGS FOR ALL OF THEM.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, FROM WHAT I CAN FIND, BASED ON BYLAWS, 18 OF THE COMMISSIONS MEET MONTHLY, JUST TWO MEET BIMONTHLY, THREE MEET MORE FREQUENTLY, ACTUALLY AT TWICE A MONTH, CADENCE TWO MEET QUARTERLY AND
[01:35:01]
ONE MEETS AS NEEDED.SO, UM, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS TO TWO THIRDS OF THE COMMISSIONS MEET AT A MONTHLY FREQUENCY OR MORE FREQUENT.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE THAT AS A DATA POINT FOR US.
IT WOULD BE BASED ON MY REVIEW OF EVERY SINGLE OTHER COMMISSION SCHEDULE, UM, WOULD BE AN UNUSUAL CHANGE.
UM, AND I THINK IN THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH, UH, SO ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT HAS HIT OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS DEEPLY INTERSECTED WITH EQUITY IN HUMAN RELATIONS.
AND I THINK, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT.
I THINK WHAT MIGHT BE FELT BY COMMUNITY AND RECEIVED IN COMMUNITY IS THIS IS THE EXACT WRONG TIME TO DOWNSIZE THE AMOUNT OF CHANCES FOR COMMUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK.
I THINK FOR A LOT OF US, FOR ME, THE VERY FIRST CITY BODY THAT I EVER SPOKE AT WAS THE EQUITY, HUMAN RELATIONS.
I HAD MOVED BACK TO LONG BEACH AFTER BEING IN, UH, DC WHOLE OTHER STORY THERE AS THEY'RE DOING, UH, THE SHUTDOWNS.
UM, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST BODY THAT I GOT TO SEE OTHER COMMUNITY WITH ME SPEAKING.
AND I WOULD HATE FOR US TO CUT BY HALF OR BY MORE THAN HALF THE NUMBER OF CHANCELLOR PEOPLE TO COME.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME WAYS WHERE WE CAN DRAW DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS.
MY SUGGESTION ACTUALLY MIGHT BE TO HAVE US MOVE TO 10 INSTEAD OF 12, SO 10 INSTEAD OF, UH, MONTHLY.
THE REASON BEING THAT WE'VE PRETTY CONSISTENTLY HAD ONE MEETING THAT GETS CANCELED KIND OF LAST MINUTE ANYWAY.
UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN YEAR, UH, I THINK SINCE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE SEEN I THINK ONE YEAR WHERE THERE'S ADDITIONAL MEETINGS PULLED OFF.
AND SO I THINK DOWNSIZING TO 10 MIGHT BE A REALISTIC WAY TO, UM, MEET THE NATURAL EBBS AND FLOWS OF THE YEAR, UM, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF STAFF CAPACITY BEING SPENT BY TWO OUT OF TWO OUT OF 12.
UM, BUT STILL GIVE US THE FREQUENCY FOR PEOPLE TO MEET.
UM, AND THEN I THINK FOR THE POINTS AROUND CAPACITY, I THINK IT'S REALLY INCUMBENT IN US AS COMMISSIONERS TO SIGN UP FOR THE AD HOCS THAT WE HAVE TIME FOR, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE DON'T HAVE CAPACITY, UM, TO TAKE ON THREE AD HOCS, WE SHOULD, UH, BE ACCOUNTABLE TO NOT SIGNING UP TO THREE AD HOCS, RIGHT? UM, AND SO I THINK EACH OF US ARE APPOINTED FOR THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE BRING.
UM, WE SHOULD BE JUDGES OF OUR OWN ABILITY TO CARVE OUT TIME.
AND I THINK IT'S OKAY IF SOME OF US ARE NOT IN AD HOC FOR A MONTH OR ARE IN ONLY ONE AD HOC FOR A COUPLE MONTHS, OR ARE, IF WE WANT TO BE ON FOUR, YOU CAN BE ON FOUR AS LONG AS YOU CARVE OUT THE TIME AND SPACE.
SO I THINK MY RECOMMENDATION, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE NAVIGATE, LIKE CAN THE COMMISSION ADD LANGUAGE TO THIS, LIKE HOW WE NAVIGATE THIS, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY RECOMMEND VERY STRONGLY THAT WE DO NOT AS A BODY RECOMMEND DROPPING DOWN TO A LESSER CADENCE.
UM, UH, OR IF WE WERE TO, I WOULD RECOMMEND DROPPING OUT A 10 INSTEAD OF 12.
YEAH, I, UM, APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DE LEON, UH, UH, YOUR INPUT.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS IN, IN MY READING, IT WAS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A HARD TIME, UM, MEETING QUORUM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE WE NOT MET QUORUM? AND CLARIFICATION, YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE REDUCTION OF THE SIZE OF THE COMMISSION, CORRECT? RIGHT.
AND THEN I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA STILL, UH, TALK ON THAT SUBJECT, BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE NOT, WE'VE CANCELED A MEETING IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS THAT WE'VE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
WE HAVEN'T CANCELED THE MEETING BECAUSE OF QUORUM, BUT I ALSO DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A FULL COMMISSION FULL OF, OF, WITH A FULL BODY.
UH, THE BODY CURRENTLY STANDS AT 15 MEMBERS PER THE BYLAWS.
WE'VE YET TO HAVE A FULL STAFFED COMMISSION.
SO IF, AND, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR THESE LAST 12 MONTHS, PRIOR TO THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE DID ENCOUNTER A PERIOD WHERE SEVERAL MEETINGS WERE CANCELED BECAUSE OF QUORUM.
UM, SO I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
SO HAVING A 15 MEMBER COMMISSION WHERE ONLY CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE 11 ACTIVE MEMBERS.
UM, IT LEAVES US VERY VULNERABLE TO CANCELING FOR QUORUM IF MORE THAN THREE OF YOU CAN'T SHOW UP.
AND JUST TO FURTHER ON THAT COMMENT, WE HAVE HAD TO PAUSE MEETINGS THE MOMENT WE LOST QUORUM WHEN ONE OF YOU HAD A RESTROOM BREAK OR AN EMERGENT PHONE CALL.
THOSE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN WHICH WE HAVE HAD TO SUSPEND THE MEETING TEMPORARILY TILL WE HAD EIGHT MEMBERS PRESENT AGAIN AT THE TABLE AT THE DAIS.
AND THEN IF, IF WE TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION OR WE, WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS, HOW WILL THAT BE DONE? AND WILL WE JUST BE ELIMINATING AT LARGE MEMBERS SINCE EACH DISTRICT COUNCIL DISTRICT GETS AN APPOINTEE? I MEAN, SO ARE WE GONNA
[01:40:01]
JUST TAKE AT LARGE MEMBERS AWAY? HOW DO WE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PLAN OF HOW WE GET THIS DOWN TO A, A SMALLER AMOUNT? AND SO THAT PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN SPELLED OUT.THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT STAFF IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TO THE MARON CITY COUNCIL.
IT WOULD THEN BE TO THEIR DISCRETION.
PERHAPS THEY WOULD ENGAGE US IN HOW WE RECOMMEND CHANGING THE COMPOSITION.
PERHAPS YOU GO FROM HAVING NINE DISTRICT, UH, ORIENTED SEATS TO MAYBE, UH, EIGHT OR SO, UM, AT LARGE SEATS, ALL REPRESENTING SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES.
THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH COMMISSIONS ARE STRUCTURED TO PROVIDE THAT DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF, UH, LIVED EXPERIENCE, IDENTITY AND VOICE, UM, ON THESE ADVISORY BODIES.
AND SO THAT IS NOT SPELLED OUT IN OUR RECOMMENDATION.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME AT A LATER POINT IN TIME.
AND SO THIS, AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATION IS SOMETHING STAFF IS RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ABOUT, UM, OUR OBSERVATIONS AND WHAT WE THINK WOULD HELP TO CONTINUE THIS WORK, ADVANCING THE WORK FORWARD.
AND HAS THIS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED TO THE STAFF, UH, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL? NO, WE BEGIN WITH THE COMMISSION.
YOU'RE BE, YOU'RE BEGINNING WITH US.
UM, AND SO IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR IDEA THAT THERE MIGHT BE JUST ELIMINATING DISTRICT APPOINTMENTS AND EVERYBODY JUST BE AT LARGE.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I, THAT'S A POTENTIAL COMPOSITION? THIS IS NOT OUR IDEA.
THIS IS JUST WAYS IN WHICH SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE STRUCTURED THAT YOU HAVE MAYBE JUST RESIDENT SEATS, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY TIED TO A SPECIFIC, UH, DISTRICT.
THERE ARE COMMISSIONS THAT ARE, AGAIN, REPRESENTING DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE CITY, UM, OR COMMISSIONS THAT REPRESENT, UM, DIFFERENT ROLES, UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE, THE ISSUE AREA OF THAT ADVISORY BODY IS.
AND SO THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS THAT I'M AWARE OF AND I'VE OBSERVED.
AND SO THAT WOULD COME AT A LATER POINT IN TIME.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS IS JUST AN OBSERVATION THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.
AND THEN MOVING ON TO, TO OUR, OUR MEETING SCHEDULE, WHETHER WE MEET MONTHLY OR NOT MONTHLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAD A COMMISSIONER JUST, YOU KNOW, COMMENT EARLIER THAT, UM, OUR MEETINGS GO LONG AND WE'RE LONG-WINDED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO MY CONCERN IS, IS IF WE START GOING TO EVERY OTHER MONTH, HOW MUCH MORE LONG-WINDED ARE WE GONNA GET IF THE AGENDA GETS LONGER?
UM, I KNOW A COMMISSIONER WHO MEETS EVERY MONTH, EVERY WEEK.
UM, IT'S A MUCH BIGGER COMMISSION THAN OURS IS.
BUT, UM, UM, BUT I, I, I, I WANNA GO BACK AND, AND CONCUR WITH, WITH MY COMMISSIONER, UM, DELEON ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY HOPE THAT WE THINK THROUGH.
'CAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH, IF WE DON'T GET OUTTA HERE UNTIL EIGHT OR EIGHT 30, WHEN WE START AT SIX, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH AND THE AGENDA IS GONNA BE LONGER, AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS GOING ON, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET OUT HERE UNTIL 11 OR 1130 UNLESS WE START EARLY, IF WE, UNLESS WE START AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON.
UM, SO I, I, I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT IN, AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANT US TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S, OH, I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE THAT IF WE NEEDED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, IF WE, IF WE WENT TO BI-MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY MEETINGS, THAT THERE COULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING CALLED AT ANY TIME, WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CALLING THAT MEETING? WOULD IT BE ANY, ANY COMMISSIONER, OR WOULD IT BE THE CHAIR? THE CHAIR.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES IN WHICH OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE CONTACTED THE CHAIR TO INITIATE THOSE, UH, SPECIAL MEETINGS.
UM, YOU MADE A COMMENT EARLIER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WITH REGARD TO THE MEETING LENGTH.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE ANTICIPATE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MORE AGENDA ITEMS ON A LESSER FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS.
IT'S THAT YOU WERE JUST, I THINK JUST IN SHORT, THIS RECOMMENDATION ISN'T INTENDED TO DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMISSION'S WORK.
IT'S REALLY INTENDED TO ALIGN YOUR STRUCTURE, HOW YOU HAVE BEEN OPERATING OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, UH, WITH, UM, IN PRACTICE WITH THE NATURE OF THE WORK.
[01:45:01]
UM, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE YOUR FOUR TO SIX AGENDA ITEM MEETING.I THINK MANAGING TIME AROUND HOW MUCH TIME WE'RE SPENDING ON, UH, CERTAIN AGENDA ITEMS WOULD HELP WITH ENSURING YOU'RE STILL OUT.
YOUR BYLAWS, UH, SET THESE FOR TWO AND A HALF HOUR MEETINGS.
AND SO AT MOST, WE SHOULD BE HERE TILL EIGHT 30.
AND SO THAT WOULD STILL BE THE EXPECTATION IF THIS IS HAPPENING ON A LESSER FREQUENCY.
UM, THERE ARE JUST OTHER CHECKPOINTS YOU WOULD NEED TO PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT YOU HONOR THAT TIME THAT YOU HAVE TOGETHER.
AND WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT GOING TO BE THAT THOSE CHECKPOINTS ARE MAINTAINED? THAT WOULD BE THE CHAIR WHO CHAIRS YOUR MEETING.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ, AND THEN I'LL ROUND, ROUND US OUT.
UH, I DON'T WANNA BE LONG-WINDED HERE, BUT, UH, UH, AND I JUST, I LOVE THE SPIRITED CONVERSATION.
NOT, NOT CONTENTIOUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UM, I, I LOVE THE SPIRITED, UH, UH, UM, DISCUSSION HERE.
UM, STAFF HAS TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST LIKE, WE'RE MANDATED TO SHOW UP AND HAVE A QUORUM.
THEY'RE MANDATED TO HAVE AN ANNUAL, UM, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, OR ANNUAL REPORT.
AND, UH, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I MEAN, I'M SEEING SO MUCH MORE STAFF THAN WHEN WE, UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I WAS HERE FIVE YEARS AGO, WE EVEN GOT IN SO MUCH TROUBLE.
WE, WE HAVE A, A LAWYER HERE EVERY, UH, EVERY MONTH I HAD TOY.
UM, FIRST I, I, I WOULD TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF, OF COMMISSIONERS, UM, RIGHT FROM THE JUMP.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE NINE OR 11, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, UH, UH, BROUGHT UP SOME POINTS.
BUT YOU'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT TO, I THINK, INTO THE, INTO THE WEEDS.
UH, I, I THINK WE WOULD, WE WOULD COME UP WITH A NUMBER AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UM, HOW TO GET TO THAT NUMBER.
UH, I DON'T AGREE WITH A A A A COMPLETE, NOT THAT IT'S MENTIONED IN THIS, UH, A COMPLETE AT LARGE ASSIGNMENT, BECAUSE THEN WE'RE JUST, YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE APPEARANCE OF SERVING AT THE MAYOR'S.
UM, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, AT LARGE, UH, UH, UH, UH, UM, MISS, UM, UH, SO NINE OR 11 IS, IS A NUMBER THAT I LIKE.
UH, UM, WE'VE, LIKE, WE'VE GOT A FULL BOAT HERE AT 11.
IT JUST, IT JUST, IT, IT FEELS RIGHT.
UM, UH, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE WAYS TO GET TO THAT NUMBER AND BY DISTRICTS OR, OR, OR, OR HOWEVER WE DO THAT.
UM, BUT LET ME MOVE ON TO, UM, THE MONTHLY MEETINGS.
UM, UM, COMMISSIONER DE LEON, YOU BROUGHT RECEIPTS,
YOU WERE LOOKING UP, UH, UH, AND DOING THAT LONG RESEARCH, UH, AND FOUND OUT, UH, WHAT, HOW MANY COMMISSIONS MEET AND WHEN.
AND, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL DO WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS, UH, UH, WHEN YOU GET HOME.
BUT, UM, AND WHEN YOU DO, IF YOU DO, UM, I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN TO PLANNING MEETINGS, AND I'VE BEEN TO OTHER, OTHER COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I, I, AND YOU CAN CHECK ME IF I'M WRONG NEXT MONTH, BUT I, I THINK WE'RE ONE OF THE, AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, I THINK WE'RE ONE OF THE MOST, UM, HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE MORE ATTENDED, UH, ESPECIALLY IN SOME MONTHS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S, WHEN THERE'S AN ISSUE, WHEN THERE'S, WHEN THERE'S TROUBLE, UH, WHEN THERE'S A WAR GOING ON.
AND NOBODY WILL CALL CEASEFIRE.
WE WERE THE FIRST ONE TO DO THAT.
WE WERE THE FIRST BODY TO DO THAT.
UH, UH, AND, AND CHALLENGED THE, UM, INVITED THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW FOLLOW OUR LEAD ON THAT, I THINK.
AND, UH, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WEREN'T THERE FOR THOSE TALKS, WE HAD 300 PEOPLE HERE, UH, UH, AND WE WERE WENT FOR HOURS, JUST THE LINE OF 30, 40, 50 PEOPLE WAITING TO TALK.
UM, AND I SAY THIS IN A MEETING WHERE WE HAVE ONE PERSON SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, AND SOME, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING IT GETS BETTER.
UH, BUT, UH, I, I SEE, I SEE THE, THE, UH, UH, THAT SOMETIMES OUR MEETINGS ARE, UM, WE, WE FILL OUR AGENDA TO, TO FILL OUR TIME.
UH, BUT I, I THINK I, I THINK OF, UH, OF THE CEASEFIRE, I THINK OF LAST MONTH'S, UM, BLACK WORKERS, UH, I THINK OF, UH, THE, UM, UH, THE VOTE, THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING.
[01:50:01]
AND I THINK OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AT THAT DAIS, UH, UH, AND, UM, I THINK AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL, THIS, THIS ENTITY, THIS BODY, THESE MEETINGS ARE, UM, MAYBE EVEN A SAFER PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP AND BE HEARD, WHO WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE HEARD.UH, UM, AND WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN WE'RE PUBLIC FACING, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF AD HOCS AND GETTING THE WORK DONE AND COMMITTEES.
AND THIS IS, THAT'S EVERYTHING.
BUT, BUT THIS, THIS PODIUM HERE IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME UP AND, AND SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
UM, UH, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSES THAT THIS COMMISSION, UH, UH, UH, SERVES IS, IS A, IS A SPACE FOR PEOPLE, UH, UH, UH, UH, EVERY KIND OF PERSON, UH, TO BE HEARD.
UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, UH, 10 MEETINGS, UH, UH, A YEAR.
UM, UH, THE CITY, AND I DON'T, NOT COMPARING US TO CITY COUNCIL AT ALL, BUT CITY COUNCIL DECIDE THEY, THEY, THEY'RE DARK TWO WEEKS IN JULY OR WHATEVER.
THEY HAVE PRE-ASSIGNED TIMES THAT THEY KNOW THEY'RE GONNA BE DARK.
I JUST HATE FOR THE PERSON WHO FINALLY GOT THE GUTS UP TO COME AND SPEAK WHATEVER PUBLIC COMMENT THEY WANNA SPEAK HERE.
THEY GOT ON A BUS, AND WE'RE NOT THERE THAT, THAT EVERY MONTH OR WHEN WE, WHEN WE USUALLY BE, UM, AGAIN.
UH, SO I WOULD BE FOR 10 MEETINGS, UH, FOR, UH, LOWERING THE NUMBER AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET TO THAT NUMBER LATER.
UH, UH, AND, UM, AND, AND WITH THAT, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING.
AND, UH, I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, UH, LIKE THIS.
'CAUSE YOU'VE SEEN HOW SOME MEETINGS GO IN THIS ROOM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR, IF I MAY.
UM, SO TO, UM, VICE CHAIR'S COMMENTS, UM, WITH REGARD TO HAVING 11 SEATS AND ALL OF OUR MEMBERS PRESENT, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING IN WHICH WE'VE HAD ALL FULL ATTENDANCE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER POINT, UM, JUST BEHIND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE HAD.
WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND WE, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THE COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO MEET, WHEN YOU BE BECOME APPOINTED, AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE FULL ATTENDANCE.
SO YES, PERSONAL THINGS HAPPEN MM-HMM
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE OBSERVATIONS IS THAT WE'VE RUN INTO QUORUM ISSUES DURING ACT ACTIVE MEETINGS, UM, TO COMMISSIONER DE LEON'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE, THE MEETING CADENCE OF THE OTHER COMMITTEE'S COMMISSIONS.
MANY OF THOSE THAT HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS TEND TO CANCEL WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE AGENDA ITEMS OR NEW BUSINESS.
AND SO PERHAPS THAT'S THE NORM THAT YOU ADOPT.
I THINK ALSO THE, JUST ESTABLISHING A 10 MEETING PER YEAR AND KNOWING WHICH YOU'RE, WHICH MONTHS IN WHICH YOU'RE DARK, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, ANOTHER ONE WE MANAGE HAS, AND HAVING THAT IN ADVANCE IS, IT JUST MAKES THINGS A LOT EASIER.
AND SO I THINK THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME STRUCTURE CHANGE.
STRUCTURAL CHANGES, I THINK WILL AID THIS COMMISSION IN BEING ABLE TO DO ITS WORK AS EFFECTIVELY AS WE HAVE SEEN OVER, LIKE, THE LAST FOUR TO SIX MONTHS.
UM, WHICH I THINK IS AS A RESULT OF A LOT OF THE, THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO, UM, JUST OFFERING THE, THAT INSIGHT INTO THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UH, WITH, UH, UH, WITH WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST SAT HERE, UH, MY VERY FIRST MEETING, I WAS SCARED.
YOU KNOW, I'D WATCHED IT ON TV, I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE TO GO TO 25, UM, 25 COMMISSIONERS, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MELT INTO THE WALL AND LEARN WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I, BUT I KNEW I HAD TO SPEAK UP AT MY VERY FIRST MEETING SAYING, LOOK, YOU, YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT QUORUM IS, RIGHT? UH, I'VE LOOKED AT YOUR, YOUR NUMBERS AND, AND OFTEN YOU DON'T MAKE QUORUM AND YOU'RE JUST, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU, YOU CAN'T DO, YOU CAN'T DO 25 A A, A MUCH SMALLER BODY CAN REPRESENT ALL COLORS OF THE FLAG, ALL WALKS OF LIFE WITHOUT NECESSARILY BEING FROM THAT, THAT WALK OF LIFE.
AND WE COMPROMISED TO A LONE NUMBER.
UH, AND SINCE THEN, I THINK WE RESTRUCTURED IT AGAIN TO BRING IT DOWN TO ANOTHER LOWER NUMBER.
UM, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS JUST AN, AN EVOLVING COMMISSION.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ITERATION SO FAR.
BUT, UH, UH, AND I, AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY, BUT I, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN BRING THE NUMBER DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
[01:55:01]
TO SHOW UP TO A MEETING AT, AND, OH, WE, WE CAN'T HAVE A MEETING, OR, OR TONY LETS US KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM.LET'S, LET'S JUST, LET'S CALL IT OFF.
NO MATTER WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA THAT MONTH.
UM, UM, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU GET UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND WE ALL GOTTA, WE ALL GOTTA TO GO TO THE BATHROOM WITH YOU, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO BREAK THE MEETING.
SO QUORUM IS, IS, IS, IS A SUPER IMPORTANT LOGISTIC, UH, UH, AND I THINK, I THINK LOWERING THE NUMBER, I I, MY PERSONAL BELIEF, LOWERING THE NUMBER WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO, UH, TO, TO KEEP QUORUM, TO KEEP THE, THE, THE MEETINGS STREAMLINED.
UH, AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENT.
UM, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE ALMOST TO EIGHT O'CLOCK MM-HMM
UH, AND WE HAVE THREE MORE ITEMS OH.
AND AN ELECTION TO DO TONIGHT.
UM, SO, UH, I'M GONNA MAKE A COMMENT REAL QUICK, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO THROUGH.
UM, SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UM, LET'S TRY NOT TO REPEAT THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPEATED, PLEASE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA COME FROM IT FROM CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK, UM, ALTHOUGH I DON'T AGREE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, WE HAVE TO LET THE PROCESS PLAY OUT.
UM, AND, UM, SEE WHAT COMES FROM IT.
I HOPE THROUGH PROPER GOVERNANCE AND BUREAUCRACY, THAT THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION OR AN ASK TO THE COMMISSION TO DO X, Y, Z THING.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THE PROPER COMMUNICATION AND PROCESS TO DO SO.
JUST LIKE WE WERE ASKED TO UPDATE OUR ORDINANCE, UH, OUR MISSION AND OUR NAME.
UM, SO CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME COMMISSIONS THAT WERE DISBANDED, UH, WHEN WE HAD NEW, NEW LEADERSHIP COME IN.
UH, HOPEFULLY THAT ISN'T THE CASE IN THIS NEW ITERATION OF A NEW TERM.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I'M GONNA, I STILL HAVE MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH AND ALLOW FOLKS TO DO THEIR SECOND ROUND.
UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES, ALANA, I SO APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHTS.
I JUST, I'M SO WORRIED THAT IF WE GO BELOW 11, I, I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE WE NEED A COUPLE MORE COMMISSIONERS.
HOW DO WE GET THE WORK DONE? I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALL ON AN AD HOC, READY TO FINISH IT AND RUN TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND WE BARELY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR AD HOCS.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT ONE COMMENT.
UM, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY HAS TAKEN THEIR HAND DOWN.
COMMISSIONER DEON, DO WE ALSO HAVE A HANDFUL FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER? I MEAN, I, I WOULD JUST ADD, I PERSONALLY LIKE THE NUMBER 13 BECAUSE WE CAN STILL MEET QUORUM VERY EASILY.
WE CAN HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH DISTRICT AND STILL A GOOD NUMBER OF AT LARGE COMMISSIONERS.
I, I NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH QUORUM IS A LOT OF TIMES THE SEATS AREN'T FILLED EXCEPT ON A, BY LIKE WINTER AND THEN SUMMER.
SO IT'S LIKE THERE'S A LONG GAP WHERE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S APPLICANTS OR INTEREST, THE SEATS JUST AREN'T BEING FILLED.
'CAUSE THERE'S A CADENCE THAT THE, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL DID, UH, GETS TO BE ABLE TO, TO ADD PEOPLE TO THE, TO THE BODY.
IS THERE, I MAYBE THIS QUESTION FOR CITY ATTORNEY FOR, FOR OR A TO A IS, COULD WE TIE, COULD WE DO A BYLAWS AMENDMENT TO TIE QUORUM TO THE NUMBER OF SEATS FILLED INSTEAD OF THE NUMBER OF SEATS AVAILABLE? SO THAT MEANS THAT IF THERE'S A RESIGNATION, NO, LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE GETTING A HEAD SHAKE ALREADY.
NO, I WAS GONNA SAY, UH, COMMISSIONER DE LEON, GOOD QUESTION.
BUT NO, QUORUM IS ALWAYS GONNA BE BASED OFF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS, UH, PER COMMISSION OR, OR BO WHATEVER THE BODY IS.
SO I GUESS, LIKE, I THINK THAT JUST, JUST SHOWS THAT, UM, THOSE, THE RESIGNATIONS THAT HAPPEN LIKE MID IN BETWEEN THE WINTER APPOINTMENTS AND THE SUMMER APPOINTMENTS PROBABLY HAVE A MORE OUTSIZED IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO WORK THAN RESIGNATIONS THAT HAPPEN KIND OF IN LINE WITH THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DELEON.
UM, LOTS OF FRUITFUL, UM, FRUITFUL DISCUSSION.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, UH, IF, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY STAFF, UH, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THAT? UM, I KNOW THAT AT LEAST I CAN PROBABLY TRY TO DO A FRIENDLY ON OUR SECTION OF THE REPORT.
UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF THERE IS ANY WIGGLE ROOM BASED OFF OF WHAT YOU'VE HEARD AND THE ANXIETY THAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE SHARED ABOUT POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT THE STAFF WOULD BE CONSIDER, THAT WOULD CONSIDER
[02:00:02]
COMING BACK WITH A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION.UM, AND SO I KNEW THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS GOING TO SHAKE THE TABLE, SO DEFINITELY APPRECIATING THE DIALOGUE FROM YOU ALL.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS.
I DON'T THINK THE RECOMMENDATION ITSELF JUST BEING PUT OUT THERE IS GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION WE'RE REQUIRED TO PRESENT.
UM, IF YOU WANT US TO CHANGE THE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT MEETING CADENCE TO 10 MEETINGS PER YEAR RATHER THAN 12 OR WHATEVER WE COULD, I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
BUT I, WE DIDN'T SPECIFY ANYTHING BEYOND MEETING CADENCE, UM, WITH REGARDS TO REDUCING THE SEATS.
WE DIDN'T SPECIFY A NUMBER, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO AT THIS TIME.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ADJUST FOR WHATEVER THE FINAL ITERATION IS.
AND THEN, JUST AS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, I DO WANT TO JUST CLARIFY FOR EVERYBODY 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT IMPACT ON COMMUNITY, BUT THE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE COMMUNITY WHERE THE MEETINGS THAT WERE AGENDIZED AND PROACTIVELY OUTREACHED FOR, AND THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
AND SO THAT'S ALSO PART OF LIKE THE HEART BEHIND, UM, THAT RECOMMENDATION ABOUT A LESSER MEETING FREQUENCY IS THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC MEETINGS IN WHICH YOUR AGENDA IS VERY RICH AND BRINGS OUT A LOT OF COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THERE ARE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE MAYBE ONE OR NO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO IS MEETING EVERY MONTH GOING TO FULLY CENTER THE VOICE AND THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT YEAH, HAPPY TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT IF THAT PLEASES THE BODY.
UM, AND I THINK BASED OFF OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM COMMISSIONERS, THERE'S A CONSENSUS OF MOVING TO ATTEND MEETING STRUCTURE, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, UH, FOR MYSELF, I THINK, UM, WHEN I READ THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, WHAT BROUGHT ME PAUSE WAS THE OPENNESS, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OPENS THE DOOR TO MANY POSSIBILITIES.
UH, AND I LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE BLACK AND WHITE
UM, I APPRECIATE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION AND I THINK, UM, THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO FACE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
UH, AND THIS RECOMMENDATION IS PROBABLY ANTICIPATING, UM, SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE FACING, ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, EACH DEPARTMENT IS BEING ASKED TO CUT THEIR, THEIR WORKFORCE OR SLASH FULL BUDGET, UM, BY 20%.
UM, SO I DEFINITELY HEAR, OR I'M, I'M ASSUMING, UH, THAT, THAT SOME OF THAT IS IN THIS RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, PUTTING MY SOCIAL JUSTICE AT MY COMMUNITY HAT, UM, I'VE HEARD COMMISSIONERS SHARE, LIKE, THIS IS A SPACE TO AIR THAT EVEN IF SOME OF THE AGENDAS ARE PURPOSEFUL OR MADE TOGETHER LAST MINUTE, UM, TO ACTUALLY HOLD THE SPACE.
BUT HAVING A SPACE FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS AND ALSO THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE OUR CITY, UM, MORE EQUITABLE AND JUST, UM, IT, IT BREAKS MY HEART TO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'D BE A REDUCTION OF, OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, EVEN THOUGH THERE COULD BE AD HOC MEETINGS IN BETWEEN, ET CETERA.
UM, SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPENNESS, UM, OF AMENDING, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ONE THING I THINK THAT PROBABLY ISN'T AS CLEAR IN THIS REPORT, UM, UH, IS, UH, WHO THE RECOMMENDATION IS COMING FROM.
UH, AS YOU READ THROUGH IT, THE, THE FULL REPORT HAS ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND THEN IT GOES SPECIFICALLY INTO LIKE, FROM THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
UM, SO I THINK THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE LIKE A DISCLAIMER THAT THIS REPORT WAS DEVELOPED BY STAFF IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S IN THIS REPORT, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO, UH, NAME THAT STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I DO HAVE A FRIENDLY, UM, IN REGARDS TO, UM, THIS, UH, ITEM.
AND I, BASED OFF OF WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE FULL COMMISSION, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A HAPPY MEDIUM.
UM, AND THE FRIENDLY WOULD BE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT GOES INTO STAFF SECTION, SO FEEL FREE TO DENY IT, AND THEN IF NOT, I CAN ADD IT TO MY SECTION OF THE REPORT, UH, IF POSSIBLE.
[02:05:01]
WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO SAY THAT, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, PROPOSED, UM, TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, UM, IF THEY ARE TO BE CONSIDERED, UM, JUST SO THAT THERE ISN'T, THAT WE'RE BEING CLEAR THAT IF COUNCIL DOES CONSIDER, OR THE MERIT DOES CONSIDER TO DO A SHAKEUP OF ALL COMMISSIONS, UH, THAT THEY COME BACK AND THEY JUST DON'T DO IT AND THEN ENFORCE IT ON ONTO THE COMMISSION ITSELF.I THINK ADDING THAT LANGUAGE, UM, FOR ME FEELS LIKE A SAFETY NET OF LIKE, DO THIS WITH US VERSUS LIKE, OH, HERE ARE SOME OPEN-ENDED RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONSIDER AS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY.
UM, SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS HOW THAT, THAT LANDS AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADD.
AND SO WE'RE PROVIDED BOILER PLATE LANGUAGE ON WHETHER, HOW WE FRAME WHETHER OR NOT THE BODY SHOULD BE, UM, DISBANDED, MODIFIED, UH, ET CETERA.
AND SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE SPO, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE ANY SPEC SPECIFICS ON A PROCESS.
UM, THAT SAID, IF YOU WANNA INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR LETTER, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S NEEDED THERE.
AND THEN, UH, ANY TYPE OF DISCLAIMER ABOUT THAT BEING A STAFF RECOMMENDATION, THE FULL REPORT IS WRITTEN BY CITY STAFF.
THE ONLY PART IS WR THAT'S WRITTEN BY YOU ALL, OR PROVIDED BY YOU ALL IS THE CHAIR LETTER.
SO I THINK THAT'S KNOWN, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD TO THE HEADER OF THAT SECTION STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THE CONTINUANCE OF THE CO, THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO ADD, UM, UH, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STAFF ARE PROPOSING AND, UM, ARE REQUESTING THAT, UM, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMISSION FOR OUR CLERK.
DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT ANYTHING? UH, NO.
IF WE CAN JUST HAVE THE ORIGINAL MAKER AND SECONDER, UH, PROVE YOUR FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ADD THAT ADDITION.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE COMMISSIONER LARA AND COMMISSIONER SAM.
I ACCEPT CHAIRS COVINGTON FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND VICE CHAIR SCHU.
I, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NUMBER 10, THE MEETINGS COMPROMISE, WE ALREADY SAID WE WOULD DO THAT.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, THAT WASN'T IN HIS FRIENDLY WORDS.
SORRY,
THAT'S NOT NEEDED IN THE FRIENDLY, I, I'M JUST MAKING SURE.
JUST, AND I THINK MAYBE THIS IS CLARIFICATION FOR THE FULL COMMISSION.
DOES ANYBODY NEED TO HEAR ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT WE JUST AGREED TO SEEING? NONE.
UM, SO NOW, UH, ON THE FLOOR IS THE AMENDED MOTION TO ADD THAT SECTION IN YOUR LETTER FROM THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UM, THAT THEY, THAT YOU APPROVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, IF THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE TO CONSIDER TO INCLUDE, TO BE INCLUDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THAT.
THIS IS THE DUTY, THIS IS WHAT WE WERE APPOINTED, UM, BY THE MAYOR IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF WE ARE REPRESENTED BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND ALSO FOR THE ENG UH, ENGAGING CONVERSATION.
COMMISSIONER BROWN, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL YES.
AND COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES.
[4. 26-55291 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING.UM, WE, THE MAJORITY OF, OF THE AD HOC WAS GOING TO BE REPORT BACK, UM, FOR THE CURRENT, UM, AD HOCS.
UH, AND A PART OF THAT, UM, YOU ALL RECEIVED, UM, THE LETTER, UM, THAT WE WERE GOING TO REVIEW ANYWAYS.
UM, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE
[02:10:01]
TO TABLE THAT ITEM, UM, BECAUSE AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, UM, YOU ALL WILL BE ESSENTIALLY APPROVING THE LETTER, BUT YOU CAN ALSO MAKE ON THE, ON THE FLOOR AMENDMENTS TO IT AS WELL.UM, AND IF THERE ARE AMENDED AMENDMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LETTER, UM, PLEASE DO SHARE IT WITH COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, UM, WHO'S GOING TO BE TAKING THIS COMM, THIS AD HOC ON AND HAS THE, THE COPY OF THE LETTER, UM, SO THAT THOSE AMENDMENTS CAN BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME, UH, AND INCLUDED AND, AND, AND, UM, CONSIDERED.
WHILE, WHILE TABLING, UH, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO ASK ANYBODY, BUT
UM, MADAM CLERK IS THAT WOULD BE THE PROPER, I WAS JUST TO, TO SAY NO RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT THE MEETING DURING A MEETING.
SO YOU MENTIONED YOU WANTED RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTER.
WE CAN'T DO THAT OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE, SO WE NEED TO COME BACK AND REVIEW THE LETTER AS A BODY AND THEN, AND THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT.
WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE.
SO IT'LL COME BACK FOR READY FOR REVIEW.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED BY THE AD HOC, UM, AND IT IS FINALIZED.
I APPRECIATE THE GUIDANCE ON THAT.
MADAM CLERK, ARE WE GOOD TO TAKE, POSTPONE THE ITEM OR DO WE JUST CANCEL IT? REMOVE IT? WE CAN GO AHEAD AND WITHDRAW IT SINCE IT'S A STANDING ITEM.
WE'LL HAVE IT FOR NEXT MONTH ANYWAYS, SO AT YOUR DISCRETION, YOU CAN WITHDRAW THE ITEM.
UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UM, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ELECTIONS.
IS THAT AFTER ITEM NUMBER FIVE? THE ORDER IS AT YOUR DISCRETION AS WELL.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO DO THE ELECTION NEXT OR ITEM FIVE, THAT'S UP TO YOU.
UH, I THINK ITEM FIVE IS GONNA BE QUICK.
SO LET'S, OR DO WE WANNA HOLD THAT OFF? YEAH, THAT'S HOLD UP.
WE COULD, LET'S DO, LET'S, WE CAN DO THE ELECTIONS FIRST.
LET'S DO THE ELECTIONS AND THEN WE WILL DECIDE IF WE NEED THE REPORT OR NOT.
Y'ALL GET YOUR STRETCH ON, WE'RE ABOUT TO DO AN
[CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR ELECTION]
ELECTION.UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH VICE CHAIR FIRST, THEN WE'LL MOVE OVER TO THE CHAIR.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, I WANNA FORMALLY, UM, DECLARE THAT THE NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR, FOR THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, UH, IS CURRENTLY OPEN.
UH, EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR VICE CHAIR, INCLUDING YOURSELF.
UH, THESE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND.
UM, SO I'M NOW GONNA CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND I WILL START WITH MYSELF.
UM, I HAVE WORKED WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL FOR SOME TIME AND FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, AND, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO NOMINATE, UH, JOHN SCHULTZ, UH, AS VICE CHAIR FOR THIS NEXT ITERATION OF, UM, THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.
UH, YOU HAVE STEPPED UP IN YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, YOUR CARE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, UM, AND WILLINGNESS, UM, TO COLLABORATE ARE ALL QUALITIES, UM, THAT MAKE A, AN AMAZING VICE CHAIR.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, CONTINUING AS VICE CHAIR IN THE NEXT, UM, TERM, UH, WILL ONLY GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, MEET YOUR OWN PERSONAL GOALS, UH, THAT YOU HAVE, UM, FOR SUPPORTING THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS COMMISSION AND OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU VICE CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR COVINGTON.
UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS, EITHER FOR YOURSELF OR FOR OTHERS.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER? NO, NEVERMIND.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE TIME Y'ALL SPEAK UP, AND IF NOT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE CHOICE.
USE THE MIC FOR FOLKS ON ZOOM TOO.
UM, I, MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT IF THERE WAS A CO-CHAIR SITUATION? LIKE, DOES IT HAVE TO BE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OR IS IT CO-CHAIR? HOW IS THAT DETERMINED? BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD CO-CHAIRS IN THE PAST, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, RIGHT.
HAVE WE, I'M NOT AWARE OF A CO-CHAIR, UM, STRUCTURE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, UM, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR WOULD NEED TO, UM, AGENDIZE AN AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH
[02:15:01]
A PROCESS OF UPDATING THE BYLAWS, UM, TO THE SPECIFICS OF, OR THE WANTS, UM, OF THE COMMISSION.UM, BUT WE'LL CONFER WITH OUR ATTORNEY.
I, I'M LOOKING AT THE BYLAWS NOW BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT BYLAWS HAVE SOMETHING, UH, THEY HAVE A CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, UH, SET UP, BUT THERE'S ALSO, I BELIEVE, A, A CO-CHAIR.
UH, AND AS YOU'RE RESEARCHING, CAN YOU ALSO LET US KNOW IF THE CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE, UM, ELIMINATES THE VICE CHAIR ROLE? WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE A CO-CHAIR SITUATION BEFORE.
WEREN'T YOU DIDN'T YOU HAVE A CO-CHAIR? I WAS CHAIR, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.
SO THE QUESTION POSED FOR THE PUBLIC WAS, UM, DID, DID I HAVE A CO-CHAIR WHEN I, I GUESS CHAIRED? NO, IT WAS, I WAS A CHAIR AND, UM, PRESENTLY, CHAIR COVINGTON WAS VICE CHAIR AT THE TIME.
UM, I THINK THE, WHAT'S COMING UP IS THAT, UM, UH, DR. LARA WOULD JOKINGLY SHARE AND USE THAT LANGUAGE, I THINK ONCE OR TWICE.
UM, BUT UNDER, UM, THEN CHAIR LARA, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMISSION, AND WE DID EXPLORE ALL OF THE OPTIONS.
UM, AND SO I'M NOT TOO SURE IF IT MADE IT IN THE FINAL, UM, BUT OUR ATTORNEY IS ACTUALLY LOOKING INTO THAT.
SO CURRENTLY IN THE, IN THE BYLAWS, UH, FOR EHRC, THERE IS BOTH, THERE IS A CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, UM, SET UP, AND THEN THERE IS A CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE.
THE CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE DOES GET RID OF THE, THE VICE CHAIR THERE.
AND BECAUSE IT'S AN ELECTION, I JUST, I, I THINK IT'S THOROUGH.
UH, IF I COULD JUST READ THIS SECTION, IT'S NOT THAT LONG, BUT I THINK I NOW'S THE TIME, LIKE YOU SAID, SHARED COVINGTON FOR EVERYBODY TO KIND OF LIKE, UNDERSTAND.
OH, BEFORE YOU START READING, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
UM, AS YOU'RE GONNA READ, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO SHARE THE PROCEDURE OF CHOOSING EITHER THE CHAIR OR THE COACH CHAIR MODEL.
UM, BECAUSE WE WILL NEED TO ENGAGE IN THAT PROCEDURE IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT DECISION BEFORE THE ELECTION HAPPENS, TO MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO YOU WANT ME JUST TO COVER BOTH, BOTH STRUCTURES AND HOW DO WE ACTUALLY CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO? OKAY.
LIKE, LIKE, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE A DISCUSSION, BUT LIKE, IS IT, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TABLE THE ELECTION AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEADERSHIP VOTE ON THAT AS A COMMISSION.
I BELIEVE THAT NEEDS TO BE AGENDIZED.
MAYBE WE CAN DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE IN LIMBO RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING NEEDS TO BE FURTHER AGENDIZED BECAUSE IT, IT'S THE, THE ELECTION DOES, I MEAN, IT'S IN THE BYLAWS.
SO WHEN IT'S THE ELECTIONS, IT, IT IS UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE BODY TO CHOOSE WHICH WAY THAT THE MAJORITY WANTS TO VOTE ON.
SO I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, UH, TO ANSWER THAT PART OF YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO AGENDIZE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, A SEPARATE AGENDA, AGENDA ITEM.
LIKE, SO, SO WE'RE SELECTING WHICH STRUCTURE TO, TO GO WITH.
I THINK THAT COULD BE DECIDED NOW, JUST IN OPEN FORUM.
UM, SO I'M GONNA ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION, A MOTION.
I'M GONNA ASK FOR SOMEONE TO DO A MOTION IF YOU WANT TO GO.
'CAUSE CURRENTLY WHAT'S ON OUR AGENDA IS TO DO VICE CHAIR, CHAIR.
UM, SO THAT'S THE STRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
I THINK WHAT IS PROCEDURAL IS WE NEED A MOTION FROM SOMEBODY TO SAY, LIKE, I ACTUALLY WANT TO, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS ISN'T AN ITEM.
WELL THEN I JUST NEED SOMEONE TO SAY, HEY, I WANT, I WANT THE CO-CHAIR MODEL, AND THEN WE ALL VOTE ON IT.
YOU, YOU'RE, THE, THE WAY IT'S ON THE AGENDA IS IT'S JUST LISTED AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR ELECTION.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO MOTION 'CAUSE IT'S NOT AN ITEM.
AND ALSO, WHO WANTS THE CO-CHAIR MODEL? AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON IT.
AND IF IT GETS THE VOTES, THEN THAT'S THE MODEL WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH.
MAYBE IF, IF WE READ BOTH, BOTH STRUCTURES, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT ALLOWS THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE KIND OF FULLY INFORMED.
[02:20:01]
YOUR DISCRETIONARY, UH, VOTE AFTER THAT.SO OFFICERS, SO THIS IS THE BYLAWS.
THIS IS ARTICLE FOUR OFFICERS OF THE COMMISSION.
SO ELECTION OF OFFICERS, TWO OFFICERS MUST BE ELECTED BY AND FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS IS HELD AT THE JULY MEETING OF EACH YEAR.
THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS ASSUME THERE ARE OFFICES IN THE FIRST REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST.
AT EACH ELECTION, THE COMMISSION RESERVES THE OPTION TO ELECT OFFICERS AS EITHER AS NUMBER ONE, CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, OR NUMBER TWO CO-CHAIRS.
SO OFFICERS ELECTED AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
SO WHERE THE COMMISSION ELECTS OFFICERS AS A CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY, THE CHAIR PRESIDES AT ALL MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION AND HAS THE DUTIES NORMALLY GRANTED TO THE CHAIR OF A BODY AS OUTLINED IN SECTION THREE B OF THIS ARTICLE.
UH, B THE CHAIR MAY DISCUSS AND VOTE ON ALL MATTERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
UH, THE VICE CHAIR ACTS FOR THE CHAIR IN THE CHAIR'S ABSENCE.
IN THE ABSENCE OF BOTH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, THE MEMBERS PRESENT AT SUCH MEETING MAY ELECT A CHAIR PRO TEM, WHO WILL SERVE ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING IN WHICH THE APPOINTMENT WAS MADE.
ANY PERSON ELECTED AS CHAIR PRO TEM FOR A MEETING HAS ALL POWERS OF THE CHAIR FOR THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR.
SO NOW WE GET INTO THE CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE.
SO WHERE THE COMMISSION ELECTS OFFICERS AS A CO-CHAIR, THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY, RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY ASSIGNED TO THE CHAIR IN THESE BYLAWS APPLY TO CO-CHAIRS EQUALLY AND MAY BE ASSIGNED TO ONE CO-CHAIR BY AGREEMENT OF SUCH OFFICERS CO-CHAIRS WILL, IN CONSULTATION WITH ONE ANOTHER, DECIDE ON HOW BEST TO SHARE AND DIVIDE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT TO PRESIDING OVER COMMISSION MEETINGS, ENSURING THAT THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED, MONITORING AND FACILITATING THE COMMISSION'S PROGRESS ON THE COMMISSION ROADMAP SETTING AND APPROVING THE AGENDA FOR COMMISSION MEETINGS PRIOR TO DISTRI, UH, DISTRIBUTION.
AND IN CONSULTATION WITH COMMISSION LIAISON, APPROVING AND SIGNING COMMISSION REPORTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS PREPARED BY THE COMMISSION, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH MUST BE SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR SIGNING CORRESPONDENCE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION MONITORING COMMISSION DYNAMICS, AND SUPPORTING, GUIDING AND COACHING FELLOW COMMISSION MEMBERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, REPRESENTING THE COMMISSION AT EXTERNAL EVENTS, SPEAKING TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN PUBLIC COMMENT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION AND PREPARING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMISSION CONSIDERATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DRAFT LETTERS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR.
THE CO-CHAIRS MAY AGREE TO ALTERNATE WHO PRESIDES OVER MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION.
THE CO-CHAIR PRESIDING OVER A MEETING HAS THE DUTIES NORMALLY CONFERRED ON THE CHAIR, AND THEY MAY DISCUSS AND VOTE ON ALL MATTERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION WHERE THERE IS ONLY ONE CO-CHAIR PRESENT AT A MEETING OF THE COMMISSION, SAID CO-CHAIR WILL PRESIDE OVER THE MEETING IN THE ABSENCE OF BOTH CO-CHAIRS, THE MEMBERS PRESENT AT SUCH MEETING MAY ELECT A CHAIR PRO TIM, WHO WILL SERVE ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING IN WHICH THE APPOINTMENT WAS MADE.
UH, ANY PERSON ELECTED AS CHAIR PRO TIM FOR A MEETING HAS ALL POWERS OF THE CHAIR FOR THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE END OF THE, UH, BOTH STRUCTURES.
UM, SO I'LL POSE THE QUESTION TO THE COMMISSION ONE MORE TIME.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY, RICKY HAS AN HAND UP.
OH, I, IS THIS EVEN ON THE AGENDA? RICKY, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
I'M, YOU ALMOST BECAME COACHING
SO THAT WE DON'T GET INTO, UH, LONGER WINDED DISCUSSIONS OVER THIS.
UM, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO DOWN THE, UM, CO-CHAIR ROUTE? UM, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE SHOULD HAVE CLARITY ABOUT ALL OF THE OPTIONS.
NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UH, AND, UH, FOLKS
[02:25:01]
ARE, ARE AWARE OF OUR BYLAWS, UH, THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD BE READING AND HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO INTO OUR ELECTION.UM, SO WE'RE GONNA NOMINATIONS REWIND.
UM, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE NOMINATION ON THE FLOOR FOR VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR? ALRIGHT.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, THERE ARE NO FURTHER NOMINATIONS.
I DECLARE, UH, JOHN SCHULTZ AS VICE CHAIR.
UM, I, IT IS NOW YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
WELL, FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, I'D LIKE TO SAY
ALL RIGHT, Y'ALL, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SECTION.
UM, SO I NOW DECLARE THAT THE NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR, UM, CHAIR OF THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR CHAIR, INCLUDING YOURSELF.
UH, THESE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND.
UM, SO NOW WE ARE OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A NOMINATION, UH, AND THAT NOMINATION IS FOR COMMISSIONER JOSH DELEON.
UM, JOSH DELEON RECENTLY CAME ONTO OUR COMMISSION, UM, HAS BEEN, UH, ASSERTIVE AND ALSO SUPPORTIVE IN TERMS OF, UM, JOINING AD HOCS, UM, CONVENING AND SHARING AD HOCS, UM, STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE ON JOINING ADDITIONAL AD HOCS, UM, WHEN OTHER FOLKS, UM, DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO SO.
UM, THOSE ARE TRAITS THAT I BELIEVE, UM, ARE SUPPORTIVE TRAITS, UH, FOR A CHAIR.
UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO RESEARCH.
UH, ALL OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE REALLY DOES ROUND OUT, UM, THE COMMISSION.
AND I FEEL THAT UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, YOU'LL TAKE THE COMMISSION TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH MORE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I NOMINATE JOSH DE LEON FOR CHAIR.
WITH THAT, I WANNA OPEN IT UP IF THERE ARE OTHER, ANY NOMINATIONS.
COMMISSIONER BUTLER, GO FOR IT.
SO BASED ON THE TIME THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS INVESTED SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION, UM, THE ATTENDANCE RECORD, AND, UM, THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHOUT HESITATION AND, UH, OR, OR RESERVATION, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER KEANA MONTGOMERY TO SERVE AS INCOMING CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO, UM, I WANNA OPEN UP IF THERE ARE ANY, ARE ANY OTHER FURTHER NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR? OKAY.
SAMMY WILD WANTS TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER FLORES
UH, LET ME, LET ME GET BACK INTO THIS.
UM, SO BEING THAT THERE ARE NO FUR FOR FURTHER NOMINATIONS, I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED.
UM, SO, UM, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE EACH, UM, PERSON WHO RECEIVED A NOMINATION OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, PLEASE DO SHARE WHY YOU BELIEVE, UM, YOU ARE FIT FOR THE ROLE AS CHAIR.
UH, THIS WILL HELP, UH, THE COMMISSION IN THEIR DECISION MAKING.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER DEION, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
YEAH, THANK YOU CHAIR COVINGTON, AND VERY APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYBODY.
WE ARE NOW AT EIGHT, ALMOST EIGHT 30, AND I KNOW THAT
UM, I WAS DRAWN TO THIS COMMISSION FIRST BECAUSE I THINK THAT FOR THE OTHER 30, 29 TO 30 DAYS OF THE, OF THE YEAR, WE ARE NOT ON A D WE'RE IN COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I KNOW FOR ME IN THIS LAST WEEK, UM, I'VE, AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, I'VE WORKED WITH SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, WE HUGGED AND SHE SAID SHE HAD TO GO BACK TO MEXICO WITH HER HUSBAND BECAUSE HE'S BEING DEPORTED.
UM, A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THAT, UM, TALKING TO A FRIEND AND CONNECTING HER TO ALL OF THE, UH, RENTAL PROTECTIONS,
[02:30:01]
RESOURCES WE COULD FIND HERE IN THE CITY, BECAUSE SHE HAD A THREE DAY NOTICE.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY IN, IN MY DAY JOB AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IN, IN MY LIFE, EXISTING HERE IN THE CITY, THERE'S THIS SENSE OF FRAGILITY THAT I THINK THAT WE FACE HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
A CITY THAT I LOVE, A CITY THAT WE CAN DO SO MUCH FOR.
AND THAT ALSO, UM, IS HIT BY AN INTERSECTION OF SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION AND CHALLENGES.
AND, AND THAT'S HARD, RIGHT? UM, AND SO TO JOIN THIS COMMISSION WAS, WAS NOT AS A RESUME BOOST, WAS NOT AS, AS A SPACE TO BE ABLE TO COME UP AND SIT HERE ONCE A MONTH.
BUT REALLY, WE ARE IN A COMMUNITY IN CRISIS.
AND SO HOW DO WE USE WHAT SHREDS OF POWER OR INFLUENCE OR MICROPHONES THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH THE WORLD JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TOWARDS EQUITY AND SAFETY, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I KNOW FOR MANY OF US HERE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT HATS THAT THERE ARE MORE WAYS OF POLITICAL CHANGE THAT WE MAKE BEYOND JUST THIS ROLE THAT SO MANY OF US DO.
JOBS WHERE OUR DAY JOB IS HELPING PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY, WHERE WE VOLUNTEER IN WAYS TO HELP COMMUNITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT TOTALITY IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND ALSO TO HAVE ACCESS TO A COMMISSION LIKE THIS, UM, IT IS POWERFUL IF AND ONLY IF WE MAKE IT AND LET IT, RIGHT? THERE'S A VERSION WHERE IT'S RECEIVE AND FILE, UM, AND THINGS GO INTO SMOKE.
AND THERE'S A VERSION WHERE THIS IS A COMMISSION THAT IS ACTIVE AND ADJUNCTIVE, THAT IS A SAFE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SPEAK.
UH, AND THAT MOVES RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, UH, THAT ARE WELL RESEARCHED OR THOUGHTFUL OR INFORMED BY COMMUNITY AND THEY CAN MOVE WORK FORWARD.
UM, THAT'S THE COMMISSION I WANNA HELP BE A PART OF.
THAT'S THE COMMISSION I WANNA HELP LEAD.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, UM, WHY I AM, UH, ACCEPTING THAT AUTOMATION TO RUN.
AND, AND I WANNA BE, UH, CHAIR NOW.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR WORKING ALL FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
WE'RE NOW GONNA PASS IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
UM, I WILL TRY TO BE REALLY CONCISE.
UM, WHEN I CAME ONTO THIS COMMISSION FOUR YEARS AGO, I CAME ON LIKE A ROCKET.
I GOT CED, UM,
THE COMMISSIONER SITTING TO MY LEFT, DIDN'T EVEN WANT ME HERE.
UM, BUT THAT HAPPENED AND I CAME AND I SHUT MY MOUTH AND I WALKED AND I LEARNED HOW THIS COMMISSION OPERATES, AND I REALLY GROAN TO LOVE THIS COMMISSION AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, I DID GET MY EMAIL THAT I AM GETTING REAPPOINTED, SO I AM GLAD TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND AS I'VE BEEN HERE THE PREVIOUS TWO TERMS, UM, I'VE SEEN THINGS THAT I THINK WE DO REALLY WELL.
AND AS I SPOKE EARLIER, I'VE SEEN THINGS THAT I THINK, UM, WE CAN IMPROVE UPON TO MAKE OUR WORK MORE IMPACTFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
IT, IT DOES, IT DIDN'T SOUND POPULAR.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THIS COMMISSION CAN BE MORE CONCISE WHILE STILL SERVING THE NEEDS AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT IS WHAT I WOULD REALLY HOPE TO DO AS CHAIR, JUST, UM, KIND OF, UH, BRING A MORE POINTED FOCUS TO THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE TRANSMITTING TO COUNCIL, UM, THEY REALLY GET HEARD BY THE MAYOR AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME OF THOSE THAT SERVE.
AND I THINK THAT CAN ALSO REALLY HELP AS CHAIR GET SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT WE'RE SENDING ACTUALLY, UH, MOVED BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY WHAT'S HELPING THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE WRITING THE LETTERS, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS GETTING COUNSEL TO MOVE ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO DO, AND I HOPE TO EARN YOUR VOTE.
UM, NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR FROM BOTH FOLKS WHO ARE NOMINATED, UM, WE WILL NOW CALL FOR A VOTE, UM, SOME PASSOVER TO OUR CLERK.
SO WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE FIRST NOMINATION, AND THAT'S FOR COMMISSIONER DELEON.
IF, UM, THE MAJORITY CARRIES FOR THIS, UH, PERSON, THEN THIS PERSON BECOMES THE CHAIR AND WE WILL NOT NEED AN ADDITIONAL VOTE CLARIFICATION.
UM, IS IT ONE VOTE? SO YOU'RE VOTING YES.
FOR ONE, AND YOU'RE VOTING NO FOR THE OTHER.
AND, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS TWICE.
SO THE, THE VOTE THAT'S GONNA OCCUR FOR COMMISSIONER DE LEON IS EITHER GONNA BE A YES OR A NO.
SO THEN IF THAT CARRIES, THEN HE'S THE CHAIR.
IF THAT DOESN'T CARRY, THEN, UM, THEN COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY WOULD BE THE, WE WOULD HAVE A VOTE FOR COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND OPENED THE VOTE ON YOUR TABLETS FOR COMMISSIONER DELEON
[02:35:01]
FOR CHAIR.COMMISSIONER BROWN, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL IF YOU'RE HAVING TECHNICAL.
AND FOR COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER DEION ON BECOMING CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, THE VOTE IS THE VOTE.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, INCOMING CHAIR, DEION, WE WILL NOW GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW WORDS, UH, A LOT OF GRATITUDE FOR EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION AND, AND FOR THE SERVICE.
UM, MUCH GRATITUDE TO COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, WHO I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT WORKING WITH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, AND TO VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ.
WE ARE GOING TO DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK TOGETHER.
APPRECIATE YOU ALL, AND I'M GONNA MISS ALANA ON STAFF AND CHAIR COVINGTON AS THEY MOVE ON TO YOUR NEXT STEPS.
I KNOW, RIGHT? ALL OUR VOICES SOUND THE SAME.
UM, JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE A CORRECTION TO THE BYLAWS, WHICH STATED THAT, UH, OUR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS WOULD, UH, TAKE OVER IN AUGUST.
THAT WAS PRIOR TO THE FORMALIZED COMMISSION YEAR, WHICH IS JULY ONE THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF THE UPCOMING YEAR.
AND SO, JUST WANNA NOTE THAT, EFFECTIVE AT, UM, AT YOUR JULY MEETING THAT OUR NEW OFFICERS WOULD TAKE THEIR SEATS THEN.
UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR ELECTION.
UM, DO WE NEED ITEM FIVE? UH, YEAH, I HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS.
MAY I HAVE, UM, ITEM FIVE, READ PLEASE.
MADAM CLERK ITEM FIVE IS A RECOMMENDATION
[5. 26-55292 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Office of Equity. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE OFFICE OF EQUITY.ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA BE VERY CONCISE.
WAIT, I NEED THE EMOTION IN A SECOND.
OH, THAT'S, AND I KNOW I'M THE ONE WHO FORGETS IT ALL THE TIME.
NOW WE'LL GO INTO THE PRESENTATION.
UH, MOVED BY, UM, DE COMMISSIONER DELEON, AND SECOND BY DR.
JUST REAL QUICK, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, PLEASE TAKE THE DISABILITY, UM, SURVEY.
UH, IT'S STILL ALIVE UNTIL, UNTIL JAN, JUNE 30TH.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO, UH, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ASKED ME TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING THE COMMISSION.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH, UM, A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR CHRISTOPHER COVINGTON FOR YOUR, UH, INGRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF YOUR DEDICATION SERVICE AS A COMMISSIONER OF THE LONG BEACH EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, INCLUDING TWO YEARS AS CHAIR.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS COMMISSION.
AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL ALSO MAKE, BE CONCISE AND I APOLOGIZE.
UM, SO AFTER 90 YEARS, WE'RE SAYING GOODBYE TO ALANA.
SO, UH, ANYWAY, THIS IS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO ALANA.
UH, JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
WAIT, STAY FOR A PHOTO AT THE END.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, WITH DEEP LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS CITY AND FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE THANK YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY, ALANA.
UM, THAT WAS THE PRESENTATION, AND NOW WE ARE GONNA GO TO DISCUSSION.
UH, SO WE CAN DO ALL OF THE LOVEY DOVEY STUFF, WHICH WILL CARRY US OVER, BUT I THINK FOLKS CAN DO THAT ONE-TO-ONE OR AFTER THE FACT.
BUT, UH, I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO FOLKS', UH, JUDGMENT AND DISCRETION.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM.
SEEING NONE, UM, WE WILL GO TO A VOTE JUST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, IF, WOULD ANYONE IN PERSON LIKE TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE LINE UP NOW
[02:40:02]
SEEING NONE, AND THERE'S NO PARTICIPATION IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM FIVE.AND COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE'S ANY PERSON I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME, SEEING NONE IN PERSON AND NO PARTICIPATION IN THE ZOOM.
THAT CONCLUDES NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
HAVE COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCEMENTS.UH, IF THERE ARE SOME FOLKS CAN BE BRIEF.
I THINK IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT I DO ADDRESS, UH, ALANA FROM THE DAIS.
SHE HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR MANY YEARS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
THE LITTLE THAT WE CAN DO IN THIS MOMENT IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER FROM THE DIOCESE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON GOING TO HARVARD.
UM, SEE WHAT YOU STARTED, TONY.
UM, SHE'S AN I, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I WROTE, WE HAVE A LITTLE CARD FOR YOU.
AND WHAT I WROTE IS THIS GRATITUDE, PRIDE, AND AN INTELLECTUAL POWERHOUSE.
RIGHT? THOSE ARE THE WORDS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF YOU AND THE LEGACY THAT YOU LIVE, AND THE LEGACY THAT YOU HAVE LEFT, AND THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE.
'CAUSE I READ YOUR EMAIL, YOU SAID YOU'RE COMING BACK IN A YEAR.
BUT I KNOW THAT ANY OTHER CITY, ANY OTHER INSTITUTE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND BEYOND, WELL, IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOUR TALENT.
SO IF YOU DON'T COME BACK COMPLETELY GET IT RIGHT.
YOU, UH, NOT ONLY ARE YOU ENGAGING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE, BUT YOU WILL DOWN THE ROAD WRITE MANY, MANY, MANY CHAPTERS IN A FUTURE BOOK, UH, THAT WILL, UH, ENSHRINE YOUR INTELLECTUALISM.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU TREMENDOUSLY, UM, AND OUR COMMISSION IS ONLY AS EFFECTIVE AS THE WISDOM THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO IMPART ON US.
RIGHT? AND, AND YOU KNOW, WELL, WELL, IN A YEAR YOU'RE GONNA BE GRADUATING.
WHEN I STARTED, UH, ON THIS COMMISSION, UH, FIVE YEAR, I KEEP SAYING THAT.
UH, I, I I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT EQUITY WAS.
UH, UH, AND, AND NOW I KNOW IT AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE CHAMPION OF IT FOR, FOR OUR CITY.
SO I JUST WANNA STAND UP AND, AND, AND APPLAUD YOU UP.
CAN I GO NEXT? AND THEN, AND I GOT A, YOU GOT A PLANT THERE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO HARVARD.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO GET YOU.
WELL, NO, IT'S GOTTA BE MORE THAN THAT.
AND THEN WE SAY LIKE, GIFT CARD.
'CAUSE OH MY GOD, SHE'S GOING TO HARVARD.
HOW'S SHE GONNA TAKE THE PLANT ON THE PLANE? AND THEN YOU SAID YOU WERE DRIVING, SO IT WORKED OUT.
SO YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A CARPOOL BUDDY? UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, AND CARVER.
UH, I HOPE YOU LEARN A BUNCH OF STUFF AND, AND, AND COME BACK.
ARE YOU GONNA COME BACK AND APPLY IT HERE? I HOPE SO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.
WE'LL, WE'LL STILL GIVE YOU THAT STANDING OVATION.
COME HOME AND, AND, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, UH, UH, UM, I JUST, I JUST WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
YES, ALANA, I'M GONNA SPEAK, YOU KNOW, I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK, UM, FROM OUR ROAD DOG DAYS WORKING FOR REX IN THE TRENCHES.
TRULY
YOU HAVE BEEN LIKE A BIG SISTER TO ME.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU DO,
I'M GONNA JUST JUMP RIGHT ON IN.
BUT YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT WHEN I FIRST MET YOU, YOU HAD JUST FINISHED UNDERGRAD AND I WAS MOST IMPRESSED BY YOU.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR IMPACT ON THE CITY.
AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T BURN ANY BRIDGES, YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK HOME.
WE'LL BE RIGHT HERE WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN.
AND I'M GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH TWO SIMPLE WORDS.
UH, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, I, OH, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
[02:45:01]
CAME ON THIS COMMISSION, IT WAS MY FIRST MEETING WAS AT THE PLANNING MEETING.AND I JUST REMEMBER ALL THOSE PIECES OF PAPER THAT YOU PUT ON THE WALL.
AND HAVING BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION 150 YEARS AGO, UM, TO CURRENT DAY.
AND WHEN YOU PUT ALL THOSE PIECES OF PAPER AND YOU WERE JUST WRITING AND PEOPLE WERE, AND YOU CONNECTED WITH ME AND, AND, AND I ASKED YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND YOU ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE, OKAY, I BELONG HERE.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND EVERY MEETING THAT I'VE BEEN AT, YOU ALWAYS GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF US.
YOU SAY HI, YOU SAY GOODNIGHT, AND YOU SPEND THESE HOURS.
UM, AND SO I JUST REALLY, WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU.
UM, MADAM CLERK, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE DONE WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, WE RAN THROUGH THE NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WANTS JUST TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, CAN WE GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE? THANK YOU.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.UH, MY NAME IS MATT AND I'M A LONG BEACH, UH, RESIDENT.
I'M ALSO A PART OF THE PRIDE ORGANIZATION.
UH, TONIGHT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING.
I, I'VE LEARNED A LOT AND YOU GUYS ALL SPOKE SO ELOQUENTLY AND, UH, SO THANK YOU.
UM, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER PREVENTING LONG BEACH RESIDENTS FROM ATTENDING THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETINGS? AND WHAT STRATEGIES, WHAT STRATEGIES CAN THE COMMISSION IMPLEMENT TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION AND ENSURE MORE RESIDENTS FEEL WELCOMED, REPRESENTED, AND EMPOWERED TO ENGAGE? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS.
UM, UNDER OUR, UM, POLICIES, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, BUT IF YOU WANT SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN EMAIL THEM TO, UM, TONY, UM, AND THAT EMAIL WILL BE SENT TO THE COMMISSION.
BUT DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? YOU HAVE TWO MORE MINUTES.
ALSO, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST MEETING, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SPECIFIC RULE FOR ALL COMMISSIONS AND CITY COUNCIL TO NOT DIRECTLY RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT AND PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THANK YOU FOR WAITING SO LONG TO, TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT.
UM, WITH THE CLOSEOUT OF PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OUR APPRECIATIONS, UH, I NOW
[ADJOURNMENT]
ADJOURN THE MEETING AT WHATEVER TIME IT IS, WHICH IS 8 45.