##VIDEO ID:oaZbOZnbu14## e e e e e e e e okay so it's 5:15 on October 28th so I'll call this meeting of the new Al Human Rights Commission to order um first thing on the agenda is the approval of minutes from the August 26th meeting um we did not have a meeting in September because it was there was a lack of a quorum so it was canceled so everybody just take a peek at the meeting minutes from the August meeting and review let let me know if there's questions or changes oh here it's a lot of minutes plus it was a big meeting on in August would you like to put in [Music] here and just let me know as you're reviewing if you had have any questions or changes did we ever I see that Katie you had contacted the grand about you're right next to me well you would contact the grand about displaying the posters and essays like do you know where we're uh I did not follow up with them so I'm not sure where we're we're at with that well and I know if there's not I know we're getting into that but if there's not a whole lot maybe maybe we can see how many we get first do we have weren't we saving money for something or was it the speaker who's no longer speaking um we that was cancelled as of the last meeting so the remaining money in the budget was for that poster an saay contest okay yep that's right I remember now and is that going to be enough I mean do we have enough I think it should be within the budget we Lisa did really intense math and figured it out because our math wasn't [Laughter] right there are no changes I would entertain a motion to approve the minutes I motion to approve the minutes as written do we have a second second I'll approve say I I oppose sign that motion passes to approve the minutes um next is the budget report so that is attached as well we have $1,241 left um and that covers our awards for the poster and essay contest which we'll discuss more as we get to it kind of where we're at with that and the other question that Lisa had was we had approved and this isn't actually in our budget but we had approved money for candy for the um welcoming event and I don't know that any anybody ever submitted that to her I still have a receipt perfect that answers that question but that money will come out of that Grant the separate grant money not out of our budget so basically everything we have left left is allotted to the um prizes any questions about the financial report okay we don't need any motions on that so next is the events committee um so the first is the South Central Minnesota PR first parade summary of that parade which was held on September 7th I'm not sure who was there I was not there does anybody have any notes or summary on that sure uh it was me and Casey and it was a wonderful event um there was a great turnout from everyone in the community and uh we went down and uh uh went to the park and saw wonderful performers and just a lot of booths from people who were there to support it was really a lovely experience I thought it was cool again this year seeing people from New Alm and people saying oh like recognizing people from newm so it's nice to have that presence because we don't have an event here so people are clearly going to mano looking for that so it's nice to have representation there awesome thanks thanks for attending on on our behalf all right and then the second thing is the real welcoming initiative so summary of our welcoming week event which was held on Friday September 20th um if you remember that's the event we pulled together pretty quickly I feel like it went really well um you guys rocked really was fun that's the key to our success is like planning it very quickly and we have to do it so I feel like we had a pretty good turn um turnout I think the one thing somebody said to me is um that we could have advertised in more places and the feedback to them was just like we only had so much time and opportunity so if we decide to do it again in the future just maybe starting earlier and doing a little more advertising and pulling in people but otherwise I think we like for the amount of time we had the participation from vendors and the amount of people that came were good I think it was a really good idea whoever it was to have it in the parking light here cuz it was visible cuz people just kind of stopped when they saw the food trucks and so I think that was really good as well anybody else have I think some diversity of food trucks uh just cuz there were like three taco trucks out of the four food trucks and I mean the food was great but yeah having and again I know that was a function of the time the time limitation that we had so not um I think it was great I think people got a lot of positive feedback you know people kind of if they were coming in from the side and going past our table and just trying to engage with people they were really excited to be there and yeah and there was just a lot of kind of flyby like oh I just saw was wondering what this was all about out and um stopped I thought the this location was perfect I think it was really fun I think in the time that I've lived here that's the most like unique and diverse group I've ever seen together it was really cool to see it was is that I don't know if anyone knows or maybe mayor if you can speak to this but is that I'd like to U make a comment is first of all I applaud uh this commission for taking that project on and making it happen one of the things that we are including in our strategic plan our 5-year plan is while we take pride in our German Heritage it's important for us to validate first of all recognize acknowledge and validate the diversity in our community and this this event that you held is one way for us to do it so I'm hoping we continue and that we also look at other diverse groups in the community and uplift their efforts I know there were several festivals this year uh one was initiated this last year and I'm hoping that through this group and others that we could keep things going so thank you so much for taking this on and making it a success yeah thank you do we know if that's a grant that would be available next year and what that would look like to pursue that again um we can look at that it just happened to fall in our lap it was nothing that we solicited it just was okay you can have this $500 if you want to do something and of course none of us knew what that meant and again this was a perfect group uh to tie it into so uh we'll check on that and see if those dollars are there and if not there might be some other dollars that can be thrown into the mix to make things happen and I would say overall it really didn't cost us much I don't think we spent the full 500 of that Grant just because the food trucks came we didn't have to pay a fee um it was the bouncy house most the bouncy house a little bit of candy and I feel like there was oh the advertising and stuff yep yeah so that's really what we spent the money on so we could keep it in mind if even if we don't have a grant if there are other dollars or we could all lot a $0000 of maybe our budget next year if we just kind of plan for it ahead of time because it really it actually did not cost us a lot especially since we Ed this parking lot it was outside um we kind of just told the vendors it's you bring your own stuff you set up there's no fee we didn't charge a fee they didn't charge us a fee for the food truck so that was one nice thing about it it wasn't super costly to put on I'd also like to make a comment that um we consider adding it um additional funds into the budget and asking city council for approval I I can't guarantee that it would be approved but I think it's something worthwhile and in keeping with what I hope is our strategic plan awesome yeah in a month imagine what we could do yeah yeah yeah definitely yeah I think uh you know a couple things we could use funding for would be trash cans tables chairs a porta potty perhaps and I I think and we had talked about this a little bit afterwards I think it'd be nice to you know given more time solicit um more exhibitors from the nonprofit realm of town and maybe not with the vendors um and just try to try to get some more people there I think I mean who doesn't love to come display at a no fee absolutely there you know I think it's just it's a great way to to extend groups reach without costing them anything and like you said doesn't cost us much at all so yeah and those are very good points to keep in mind for next year I looked around I was like there are no garbage no garbage I mean bathrooms yeah so just like things you don't think of until you're standing there so I think that's yeah a really good call out too and I don't think there was trash Left Behind or anything like that so that was good people were tidy but the easier we can make that the better the other thing I thought about um as I was there was that there was no um signage or anything as to what it actually was so um there a lot of questions about that which is good because it it allowed for engagement but maybe a banner about just just saying welcoming event um or even that I think there's like maybe the banker somebody has like a um a visual the digital billboard digital billboard maybe we could put something on up there just like during the event so people know all right any other comments on that I had heard people saying maybe we could get shells to do like a beer cart or something like that too good idea also I think there's lots of opportunity oh for sure in that event okay um then next we have the human rights award so it is that time of year um that we seek nominations for the human rights award so the nomination form and the press release is attached so the nomination form is just the form that somebody would submit and they would submit it to Lisa um at this email address last year's um deadline was November 17th so just keep that in mind as we're talking about it and then there's a draft of a press release and this was last year so we're a little bit behind obviously this year because we didn't have a meeting in September so we're probably going to want to push that back because last year we put this out on September 18th we're already to the end of October um but this is each year the new all Human Rights Commission selects an individual organization to receive its annual human rights award the Human Rights Commission is currently accepting nominations for its 2025 award it'll be the recipient of the newal Human Rights Commission annual human rights award should be an individual activists or organizations or businesses in the newal area that have worked towards social justice and the betterment of life for a protected class a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to the preservation and advancement of Human Rights human rights are considered the fundamental rights that that humans have by the fact of Being Human and that are are neither created nor can be I cannot pronounce that word abrogated by any government these include cult cultural economic and political rights such as right to life liberty education and equality before law and right of Association belief Free Speech information religion movement and nationality the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is a state agency within the governor's cabinet responsible for enforcing Minnesota Human Rights Act the Human Rights Act is a state law prohibiting discrimination in Minnesota every person in Minnesota is protected by the human rights act because every person based on their personal character characteristics such such as a person's race or sex belongs to one or more of the protected classes below race color creed religion national origin sex marital status familial status disability Public Assistance status age sexual orientation local Human Rights Commission activity um so we basically just have to decide um if we want to make any changes to this when we want to send it out and then what a deadline will be for the nominations so looks like we sent it out September 18th of last year that the deadline was November 1st it was like a little over a month month and a half that we gave for nominations the only thing would be then we'd be looking at doing the award later then most likely because if we don't receive them until the December meeting which we sometimes don't even have a December meeting which make sure that we can commit to December meeting yeah yeah cuz we'd have to I mean the deadline can be when ever but then we just have to make sure that we have a plan yeah make sure we have a plan I know that the ceremony last year was a lot late it was like I think it was the end of March yeah so we do have some time for the actual ceremony for sure but yeah we'd have to make sure that we once we got nominations we have a meeting that we can select one and I would say I think the only change is obviously the year I I feel like everything else do we want to look at having it closed down or before the December meeting and hopefully we can get a December meeting to work I think we did end up meeting last year we did we met in between like the holidays last year yeah we could do that have the deadline be December with December maybe within like the first like the second week second week I W yeah I don't know that I want to do it the first cuz that would only give us a month like December December 13th is a Friday yeah we could do December 13th our meeting would be scheduled on the 23rd this year but like I said we can reach out to M reach out to Lisa and see if there's a different date that works kind of as we're getting closer because we'll have a meeting in November and then the December meeting let's go with the 13th then I think that I'd make a motion to set the deadline to December 13th I would second that motion okay I'll approve say I I oppose same sign that motion passes um so we will have Lisa change the date on this and put the correct dates in and then we will um the nomination deadline will be December 13th and then we'll discuss it at our December meeting and we'll just put December meeting and then we'll figure out the date later okay next item that is it for the events committee report the next is the education Community report so that's a poster essay and video contest our deadline is no November 1st not a lot to do with this but I did get an email from Lisa today that so far they have one poster entry and that is all we have um like I said the deadline is November 1st so all we can really do is wait and see for the next meeting what we get and then and the next meeting we can discuss the plan for selecting a winner it's really disappointing because we we're really hoping we'd get more this year I don't know if this is something that's coming back or not though yeah I mean you guys did a really good job of getting the word out this year I feel like yeah we're very organized so it might like you said it might just be something that maybe we need to maybe it's run its course we need to look at a different way to engage the students cuz I think that's the point is to engage the kids yeah so we'll just bring that to the next meeting does the human rights award um is it a monetary award no oh nope it's just a it's an award and then you get a plaque and then we do a little ceremony and then it is on the plaque out here as well at City Hall all right so other business the community needs survey we just want to have a discussion about how we want to continue using it um just because we just started it this year and we had a few responses which we reviewed but how do we want to continue or if we want to continue using the survey how many responses do we have do we know still four I mean we haven't disseminated anything really so I I know we had a QR code to scan at the fair and at the welcoming event but I don't know I mean I maybe told one person about the QR code there and that was that was all I really had the chance for so I mean I think it's always important when you're developing a strategic plan to get voices so how do we do that um you know especially if there's if we do have funds left over from not having prizes for this contest maybe we have some funds to put that word out in the journal or something yeah I mean I really I really like the idea of the survey I think having on a QR code and making it easy for people I think it's good I think it's really good to collect information from the community because we want to know what they feel is important so I would say we would I personally feel like we should continue to kind of try to work with it because it more information can't hurt is there a way to link it on like the um the city website or need to be a to do Facebook we need the we need the city since we don't have our own page and our own Facebook page we would need the city to disseminate it on their social media or website would we work with Lisa on that or are you okay with that I would suggest that you would work with Lisa and if it's not Lisa Grell she would then work with her Pier uh okay Lisa pelo one of the two does work on the website okay yeah that's what I was thinking too that we get it on the website and maybe even do a press release you know and I wonder if there were a maybe a deadline you know not that we would have to be super super wonder if we could but if we said you know kind of put the word out that we're really looking for input and and you know going forward we'd we'd you know like to be able to have what are people's concerns and that can help direct you know resources we at you know speakers we may have or you know and maybe people if they're really asked and you know feel like that we really want that info because I think right now it's you know I mean the fair was just people we happened to catch absolutely which is you know good I mean that's certainly good but you know maybe we need to really just kind of push it yeah when our event season is kind of done at this point so yeah you're not going to get unless you're doing it online that'd be the only way to get at this point yeah I think it the putting it online putting it a press release is a great idea I love that um I mean the journal is one Avenue but it's that's not a lot of people get print copies or right you know so anything we can do on social media would be really good Kathleen like how many people respond to the city surveys when you're talking about strategic plan uh when we worked on the Strategic plan they were hoping for 300 and it was upwards of 400 oh wow so it was very good response according to uh the people that are facilitating the Strategic plan so four we have a little bit of work to we have a little work to do but you know it's good to it's good to temper expectations right right but yeah I I also all the things that you said I think it's good to solicit information from the community so I think next year we um maybe try to work on getting it on the website and also still pushing it at the event and see how far we get by the end of the year are there places we could have the QR code at you know like I'm thinking of like the clinic is there a spot in the clinic where you could have you know hey the Human Rights Commission is looking for your input and I mean I don't know if the clinic would allow that but you know or churches or you know the Library of Commerce maybe yeah just you know if we just kind of had that a variety of places if places would let us I'd be able to make one of those little visual things like if we want to print 20 of them and see if people want to just take them and try to ask people to put them up speaking of that I mean kind of along those lines I got contacted by the wellness Collective I mean to be fair I am on their board but um they said that December is human rights what did I tried to pull it up on my email Sheil human rights awareness month and she was wondering if the Human Rights Commission wanted to partner they do um if would the Human Rights Commission be interested in sponsoring our free class Friday in December in honor of Human Rights awareness month I didn't think we had any more money in the budget for that this year the donation would be $500 to cover a month 250 to cover half a month and I told her that likely we wouldn't have any we wouldn't have that much money left in the budget this year but in thinking like that A partnership like that we could have like the QR code there and people who come for the class could take the survey and blah blah blah um so just thinking about Partnerships within the community when do they need to know by because we could potentially have some left over after the post chunk if we aren't getting yeah that's a good question I can ask them well and at minimum like we won't have that won't work I say we won't have another meeting like a meeting till the end of November but we'll know by Friday how many entries we have so we'll sort of be able to eyeball how much money we'll have left but then we won't have time to have a meeting to make a motion on it is the only issue we could at the end of November but I wonder if that would be too late I mean I think it'd be worth I'll ask I mean it all depends I'll ask how they do their because if they're going to have um if they're I'll just ask cuz I'm going to speculate and I have no idea do we need a motion to pursue this I think we yeah I think we probably need yeah tion the partnership to purs it un like a motion oh do you have a second second all approve say I I same sign okay that motion passes obey here you willing to just okay perfect look into it um as far as the should I make like a graphic do we need a motion on that I mean that's not a budget it's not a budget thing yeah so I would just go for it and then we can kind of keep an eye on it bring come to the November meeting maybe we'll just keep it why don't we just keep it to as like a standing item for a couple months so just touch base on are we getting responses what do we want to do with this do you know what I mean do we need a more formal like line or whatever so let's just keep it yeah on the agenda are you going to work with Lisa or ask Lisa about the I'll ask Lisa about um posting on social media and a press release okay um next thing on other business is the student commissioner vacancy we have not received any applications to date so if you know of anybody who'd be interested I would encourage them to apply um there's info they just submit the application to Lisa we don't have any applications we don't have any current student members Sam's done Sam's was done so so both of our student I've heard at least one that's interested so I'll push them to was that on the city's Facebook page I it's on their website I thought I saw it yeah so any students interested just encourage them to apply um legislative update I do not have anything does anybody else have anything okay and then the city council is me I don't have anything that applied that was relevant for the last well since the last time we met um and then we do need to appoint a new person for so we need to appoint it from oo I October through December October's obviously already almost done so November December so would there be anybody willing to do that and you can just watch them online or um you don't actually have to go to them in person it's fairly easy and then just anything that's relevant that applies to the um Human Rights Commission then you just bring back to the meeting I'd be willing to do that okay thank you um then the next item current human rights issues we don't have anything in the agenda is there anything else anybody would like to bring to our attention for current human rights issues being that uh there is an election coming up as the Human Rights Commission we should just say get out and vote make sure that that's a good opportunity for you to voice your opinions and your cares for our society and for our country absolutely thank you and also I'd like to um share with you that we'll be looking for another person uh for this commission if you have any names of individuals you think may be interested please forward those to me uh generally the process is I make a an appointment to the city council and the city council approves so uh we will have an open seat and also uh we've got another position that I have to check with the person to see if they're willing to to reup um but will be looking I do have a couple of names that have been forwarded to me but also want to make you aware as uh people sitting on this Council or in this commission and understanding what the responsibilities are uh please uh forward those names to me thank you thank you all right so the date of the next meeting is going to be Monday November 25th with that that is all the items on our agenda I would entertain a motion to adjourn I'd move to it during the meeting I'll second okay I'll approve say I iose sign this meeting is a j thank you thank you