Share. I guess it's me. Well, >> you've been shar before, so you're experienced. >> Oh, I don't think I have. >> All right. Uh, golf. >> Yes. So, well, I kept meeting
and uh does uh can we like vote on the standards? I wanted to >> would you like uh proposed additions or deletions to the agenda? >> Yes.
>> Um when when I was weren't you at that training problem for constitution observers >> that night? >> Oh, John was Maldonado and he asked me to bring these booklets. I said, "Well, we should we should share these with the human rights commission." So, he asked me to bring them. So, I did. And I also
brought red cards so you know what's what's going on. So I'd like to add that to you know the addition is the the constitutional observer training and the red card hall first.
>> Yes. For the uh recording who is here um let's see on the table on the table. Jill Benson, Peggy Carson, Heidi Almond, >> Richard Aan, Pablo, >> Vicky Davis,
>> Kyle Box, Justin Husk, Alan Clark, >> and he's added some. Is there any other additions to the agenda? >> Um, do we have here So we have the sign from John.
So we'll just add those as C and D under regular business. Keep on track. So would we like uh those of people who will approve these uh minutes say I
>> I >> any opposed? >> Yeah. Should we look at the regular business? >> Who that? I'm sorry. Was there a second to the minute? >> Second. >> I wasn't here. So I I didn't vote.
>> I wasn't here. I said play practice. >> So I assume that we do the regular business first and then the additions are would be number um six and seven and then adjourn changes to eight.
>> Yeah. So I've just got it listed as C and D. Huh? >> 5C and 5D. >> So 5C I have the Peggy your item and then 5D just >> okay >> recap. Thank you. I see
>> I think there's a motion and a second. Uh, is there a motion to approve the regular business? >> Richard so moves. Who has a second? >> Thanks. Heidi has a second. All in favor? have regular business.
>> Sure. I think at the end of our the commission's last meeting, uh we wanted to wait until this meeting to set our meeting dates for the year. Uh historically over the last couple of years, those have been set quarterly.
Uh we do have one meeting that we do need to have in March to set the officers year. So that is the one meeting timeline that's in the bylaws of the commission be a March meeting to to
set those positions or those officer positions. So looking at the calendar um following the um
fourth Tuesday it looks like March 24th works. be the next meeting. >> Just double checking the date because you have for some reason it doesn't move to March in the calendar. >> No, it's
Yeah. >> Yeah. Give me half a month. March 24th. be looking at July meeting 28. See in October 7:27
that'll be our four four scheduled meetings for 2026. Obviously the commission can add to that if it feels feels it needs to, but those would be our set meeting dates. March 24th and September,
October. >> I had March 24th, July 28th, and October 27. >> All at 5:00 pm in this in this room or virtually if we need to. >> Need a motion for that?
>> Ah, yes. Um would see would like to um move and approve the uh >> I would move to accept those four dates. >> I'll second it. >> Well, it's three because we're here
already. >> Friendly amendment, right? >> Maybe the three additional things. Yeah. Three additional >> the three additional dates that motion. >> All in favor? >> We on beach. A great deal has happened
in the last few months as a human rights commission. Do we have some sort of a response? Um and share what the council has asked staff to do. Um the last council meeting on the 20th, we had a number of uh
residents that come to the meeting um to the open forum session, voiced their concerns and situations that are happening within the community. Um council had asked the police chief as well as Pablo to come up and speak from
their experiences at staff perspective and what the communities from what they're hearing from community members as well. I believe at the end of that meeting, I think it was council member OS had asked the administrator to prepare a letter on behalf of the city to bring back to the council at its next
meeting. Um, so we are uh Leslie, Pablo, myself have been drafting and working on a a letter for the council to see. Um, so that's where that's at. Great.
as it come as for the human rights commission. Um I think this is a question that was posed to us earlier uh or late last year is the responsibility of the commission. Obviously
um guys are free to have conversation and deliberation of course. Um if I could provide situations are are different constraint too but we want to make sure that any I
would like to make sure from my perspective that anything that's um being communicated we don't blind we're not blindsiding the city council uh making sure that there's um you know a um transparency and
communication and um when it comes to official statements like that, especially what when it would come outside of the purview of maybe the commission, maybe even the city council, making sure that we've got a unified approach on any communications
that we do for official statements. Um, I'm being very vague. I know that, but I think it's a more important or could could be just as important to focus on what we can control. uh reinforcing the narrative, statement
of facts, and providing resources. Um I think that's where we can strive in. Um that conversation happened a while ago. Um but
I'll start with that and but I we'll do what's asked and manage and and coordinate and communicate. But you know, thank Pablo if you wanted to touch on some stuff. >> I don't know if I missed but also the mayor had the statement. >> Yes. Yes.
>> I read at the beginning of the council meeting and I think that has been a kind of overall general um city statement. We are definitely
supporting uh of course people are receiving it both ways but that's for people to to um to interpret how they read it and hear it. Um
but I think that that so far is kind of the u statement that at least I am going back to of people ask for opinions or positions from the citizen. So hopefully that serves us also as a
as a place where we can all of us including the commission meet also and say okay so we have a starting point starting place instead of starting in all different opinions and positions and
experiences. I mean things are very fluid as you know. So to me it's kind of like always brings me back to okay I I'm part of a a larger unit a larger community.
I think the fluid nature of of the events makes it hard to make statements, right? Because you can make a statement at five o'clock on Tuesday and by 8 o'clock tonight, it might have it might be heard differently. And I appreciate you mentioning that. I think that's been
the challenge for a lot of us as we've made statements when this event or others events that that are fluid in nature like co too is like just as you thought you had figured it out like here's the position and then oh things
changed but >> I think it is important that people bring up how other people are affected and and not keep it secret. I think my daughter who was born in Columbia, you know, she sent the letter out. She
wanted to make sure we all had her on the locator on her cell phone and the kids >> and she had to talk with her kids that, you know, they're stopping everybody. So, you have to being a responsible parent, she had an obligation to inform them that they have to be something might happen.
>> It's something the kids would normally not be thinking about. and their world is a little different. But the real world is they they can be stopped. >> And uh if you have the the phone,
everybody can locate. We can locate it >> if they have a phone. Sounds very simple, but that's the real world. And the kids have grown up here. They have uh you know they don't they've been back
to Colombia and Ecuador but it's not as if they have a relationship there. In the real world police departments have to respond to a kidnapping or something and they're tied up just following up. They don't know what what's what they're doing. That's an
enormous burden on what we consider law enforcement or what the police department has to do. They still have the normal things that they have to do. >> Yeah. There was another car that was abandoned because of an ICE detainment
this today. And those kinds of things the police get, you know, it's extra work for them. >> Yeah. And there's no they they're starting with not having any idea what's going on. I think the you know we need police
departments. We need law enforcement. The thing is that it's me is that ICE doesn't look like a police department and they don't act like a police department. They act and look like an invading army. And the people do not respond to them
like a police department. they respond to him as if it's a debating army company and that's that's not how you do police work. That's just, you know, I don't think my firsthand knowledge is what you see on television and, you know, police
are really a skilled u you deescalate things. You do things the protocol how you how you do things that wasn't necessarily here. I just wrote a letter to uh West Central Tribune
explaining the kind of training we get from the post board required training in Minnesota for our police officers. They require two years of education. Um and I used to teach police report writing things like probable cause and evidence
procurement. There's no evidence of that with these guys. you know, probable cause is the color of your skin, you know, and uh with the police, if they're gonna go to your house, they have a signed warrant by a judge. And
these guys, you know, it's it's just if your last name sounds Hispanic, they're going to pull you over. That happened to uh Commensia's grandson uh in St. Cloud. you know, he's a American citizen. He looks white. So, they had an argument with him. You know, that that's not your
car cuz the license plate said he menace and he looks white. So yeah, that's um and in Minnesota too, you have to take an MMPI test to be an officer and that measures
your ability to handle stress and your your mental capability, you know, to be to be in that kind of a a job. And I don't think ICE does that kind of vetting at all. Our officers are well trained.
I was glad at the council meeting though that you know with this you know rain had said you know she talked about you know ice trying to get in her vehicle and you know she called the police and you know they weren't very helpful at
the time they say to try to respond that it's a crime not that it's ICE so that part was I think necessary And I was glad that that council said, "Wait, you know, you're not
answering the question to try to get that." So that that was good. Ultimately >> from the city's perspective, probably I mean the statement that you had there's not a playbook for what's going on
county or state. So, we're adapting as quickly and as appropriately as we can. Very limited in what we can and can't do. But it's front of mind uh to a lot of people
within in and outside the city organization. So, trying to be as responsive as we can when it when it matters the most. I think there's things going on behind the scenes too that aren't always in public view where the you know the city doesn't
have a whole lot we can do where we can pass an ordinance as council members you know there's not much we can do there but I think I think your leaders both staff and city council members are using our voices when we can and we've had I mean I sat in this this very room with
Pablo last week talking to some you know state and regional leaders um you know there's conversations now with federal leaders like we're we're kind of moving it up the chain in in hopes that just sharing those those facts and those firsthand accounts of what's happening
in Wilmer um will get to our elected leaders out in Washington where they'll be able then to to have the conversations on that level that that do matter where they do have agency that we we currently don't here.
Maybe also a reminder and we haven't talked too much about this but um because we don't take cases human rights violations um we need to maybe start being a little vocal about there is a place that you
can put your complaints on the violations and uh let people know that um there is a process you We know a lot of um
human rights violations are occurring. Um we don't remind people to step out and denounce that. Those are just going to
go with the history. Yeah. So I'm not an instigator but in this case I think it is good to use the process that we have. So we we know that there is this website
that maybe I need to study a little bit more on what's the best way to these cases immigration cases what are the best ways to
do a Yeah. Has it changed, right? I've appreciated that we've had local Vicki with a letter. Um, our mayor, I believe Dave Baker,
came forward with a little bit of something. um along with different elected uh our sheriff and chief of police I believe have made statements. So the chief not being unelected but
appointed and approved however but the elected officials at least making statements. They are the elected for we the people. So, so that's been appreciated that at least somebody step to go off of what Pablo said. Is there
anything we have to do as the Human Rights Commission of Kandandy County? or anything we have to do as far as issuing something saying like here's some resources for people like here's how you how you go about making that report if
you need to do we need to put something out there for people to locally access >> yeah that's what I'm going to check to make sure that there is probably a process already placed somewhere that is stable so we can just
>> and usually we just send them to the Minnesota, right? The Minnesota website, right? I thought we were I thought there was going to be because we've discussed this in the past where what are what our what our >> what's our role >> what our role is and I thought there was
a link now on our >> Yeah, there's a link to the state. Um I believe there was anyway >> that's memory. >> There's ours. Well, I see. >> Yeah, I think all of the links are on
there. Yeah, because I remember was it you Kyle that had put that all on there? Updated all of it? >> City of >> I know it had been updated recently too with the I thought information. >> Yep. And so
now whether we direct people to that. Yeah, that's good. But yeah, you better make sure problem. What's changed? Anything? >> You scroll down that page all the way.
>> You go under city of Wilmer and then you look up all the boards and commissions and then you'll see human rights commission. >> I thought we had a link for >> sometimes I, you know, show my students that. How about there's right the next
one down. Couple down. No, two more. That one because that one says to file a charge ofmination contact just goes. It's the same >> for discrimination up top on their far right there. A little move it further up the left. >> Left.
>> Left. I'm sorry. could update this link to this direct page. Sure. >> The city Facebook page or something like that. Put that out there, too, if you're looking for ways to make sure the public's aware.
>> Yeah, the social media. How many social media pages are there? Is it just Facebook or is there Twitter and I should say um >> you've got Facebook >> there's >> Facebook and Instagram for the main city
accounts >> because I know the young kids are Instagram that's what I hear anyway. >> Yes. work on some public facing stuff. Yeah. >> I'm having trouble finding it. >> Yeah. If you go right to the main city
of Walmart page, >> go to web page and then look at >> Yeah. boards and commissions and commissions. You're >> not on the right page. Oh, I kind of feel like even some topic
ideas seem kind of by the wayside as we consider everything. Yeah, one thing uh moving into the next topic if that's okay. We could put that feed that link
to the people that are sharing these red cards which delineate people's rights. So this this goes right into our human rights These this is we talked about education before. So this is educating people about their their rights. Um and
this is these cards are part of our training for there's some coming from this side. >> I have y these were passed out with our training for the constitutional observers. And one side's in Spanish and one side's in
English. And there's also um one that's English and Somali. And um basically it's based on uh sharing the fifth amendment rights and the fourth amendment rights. So the fifth amendments that you don't have to answer questions. Um you know the our police
you know you don't have to answer any questions. Anything you can do may be held against you in port of law and if um and you have a right to an attorney. Well obviously that's not happening. Um this also the fourth amendment uh is you don't have they nobody has the right to
search your belongings or your house or enter your house without a signed judicial warrant not a administrative warrant. So if people are so the people that are hiding in their houses that are afraid to come out they have these red cards and then they can put put that at
the wi on the window to show that they're not opening the door if ice comes to their their house. So these have been passed out. I just dropped off a bunch at the college so people know know their rights. So it's the fifth fifth and the fourth the constitutional
observers are exercising um their their rights to just to observe and the training the idea is to to take videos um to find out where ICE is and then to
take videos. Initially we were supposed to ask them who are you identify yourself. Well they ignore that or and then you asked do you have a warrant and they ignore that. So then you and you take videos while you are asking these
questions. The training says to say 8 feet away. So, you don't really you're not supposed to interfere, but you're just supposed to see if they are violating the person's rights. Um, and the the video,
I'm sure you saw it about this the Somali High School girl that was pulled into the the vehicle and her shoes were left on the street and she was barefoot. that that video uh resulted in getting her released because that was spread all
over and people then realized that her rights were definitely uh violated. Um she was here as a on refugee status. So she was legally here.
Um and uh the person that's involved with the refugee in town is um Jenny Gran. I think you pronounce her name with Arise. Um, so she's >> ministry. >> Yeah, Reed's ministry. So, um, but the
video with her made a difference and it's the same way with the the video of the the last incident on Saturday. There are lots of videos for that one. Um, and that that shows that he did not draw a
gun and he wasn't shooting anybody. So, and that that relates to the second amendment too. Um, another thing these uh that people have been doing in this group, there's two there's three um
signal groups. One is just information where we chat back and forth. One is alerts. So, if you see ice, you do an alert and then a you know, a couple people will drive over and we always go two by two in the vehicle. So, it's not into one individual. There should should
be at least two people in the visit vehicle that are finding you know what following ICE and then videotaping anything that's happening. Um the um I can't share you know it's confidential so I can't share some of the videos I've seen of some of the
things that have happened but I do know that vehicles have been left um and there was an art in the paper it did mention that there was car hit on on Seventh Street and that was just left in the middle of the street and and the ICE people took off. That's a hit and run.
That's that's crime. Um, and that was in the in the paper how that was hit. Um, >> Peggy, >> um, question for you. Uh, some of the conversations I've had with some folks, um, including Jenny and folks like Jenny
Grin who have kind of like certain, I don't know, expertise probably, I guess I would say, in like immigration policies and whatnot. Um, and local law enforcement. like there's been kind of a a like they they seem to all agree that
the the behavior of blowing whistles and and being really loud is not necessarily helpful for the person that's being detained. >> That's not what what we were trained to do. Okay. >> I don't know where that started. >> Sure. Because I know it was kind of it
sounds to me like federal agencies should be able to with facial recognition technologies and the database that they have, they should be able to quickly kind of determine whether or not a person um you know has like a legal status. But it, you know, and they could probably do that in
almost like a traffic stop kind of situation. But if there's a mob forming around them and all and everything is getting really loud, they're likely to try to you know, they're going to get out of there, right? They don't want that conflict. and now now they're bringing that person, you know, perhaps far away before they're able to process
and figure out is this someone we should have or we should release. Um, so I I know one of the things that that was I think you been in a couple meetings where that's been said to Pablo. So I don't know that I'm telling anyone what to do at this point. Uh, but uh just
wanted to share what I'd heard and wonder if that's something that you've heard as well or part of your training. It sounds like it's not part of what you've been trained for. supposed to be observers and you're supposed to stay on the sidewalk and stay away, you know, stay away. >> So, that's what the training is. Um,
>> and we were told that the whistles are helpful, at least for Wilmer. >> Helpful for what? Wilmer. >> For Wilmer. >> Yeah. >> Well, if you're in the parking lot in at Walmart and you start hearing whistles
and you're and you're a minority, then you know that ice is in the parking lot. So, maybe you turn around, go back in the store. >> Sure. could be helpful in that situation. >> Yeah, sure. >> So, it's it's to alert people that ICE is here >> and you got to be careful that it isn't
just Well, they kept using the soccer mom example, >> right? Just >> kind of random out of town people with tinted windows without, you know, out of state plates. >> Yeah. You got you've got to make sure >> you got to make sure that they're ICE officers, not just a van that's got out
of state plans. >> Which is what? H which is what a van without a state place or >> what? >> They might they might be ICE a van without a state place but usually they're in groups of three or four so
it's not just one single van. So >> I think what she's I think what they're trying to say is just to make sure like before anybody does any alerts or anything like that we tr they try to verify that it is actually ice. The word verify
>> verify comes in in the signal chats all the time. >> They also have a patrol where um people sign up to uh watch the the beginning of schools and the ending of schools. So they've got that covered. So to protect
the children, uh they have been um educating people to get something planned for your children. So if you get taken and again people that are in refugee status that are here legally are being taken. Um so they they've
distributed in Somali and English and uh Spanish the plants. Um the person that brought it to Pazaranza is um Sarah, you know her, she's a deacon. >> Sarah Crutchman. >> Yeah. So, she was the one that um
brought those planning documents to Pazius Peransza and then I I brought them over to I emailed them to the M multicultural club at Bridgewater so people are prepared. Um Sarah said that they're picking up people that are on
refugee status because they want to have them revetted, but that you know they why do you have to ship somebody to Texas to revet them? you know, people thought, well, they just interview them again or something. So, that's one of the reasons people are afraid. Um,
another thing that group is doing is delivering food and other kinds of things. I just got this this list today. Uh, and a Wednesday between 11 and 3, uh, people can drop off, um, things like
large, uh, reusable shopping bags, bell peppers, onions, tortillas, um, things like baby wipes, formula, powdered milk, uh, soap, razors, band-aids, toothpaste, deodorant, toilet paper, and then they pack these up, and there's 200 families
that they're delivering this to. And Vinci was a site for the others. You want to do you know anything about that? >> I I know that we were a site for drop off, but I I don't really know. >> John and I did deliver last week and we'll do it again this week. So, we
bring we shop and buy the groceries on the list and drop them off Ministries and then but you know he had to bring his mom to a doctor appointment so we were late last Thursday. Whoa. They were
they already blowing through for 100 people by the time we got there at one. So we'll do better this week. >> They're trying to do our shipping. >> Dropping office tomorrow. And on Thursday they're packing. I think that's also from 11 to 3. Okay.
>> But that's that arrive ministry that Jenny group runs like a a machine. >> And the VI one wasn't for food. that was for activities for the the people that are kind of housebound. Um, so we were supposed to give children's books and
adult books and and family games and blankets and >> yeah, there was a there was a box in a bag. The box had the bags on. So I I think that's also another reminder that
um of course we live in a very uncertain world. Um but also the uh opposite is occurring which is there's a lot of good things happening but uh we need to keep lifting those
maybe not in because a lot of people don't know everything that is going on. I don't know everything that is going on but we just have to keep reminding that we live in a community that do care. because we can find the negativity.
We don't have to look for it. I think we we need to make sure that we are providing the good of the neighbor and u that there's some good things happening. We need to try to find a balance
of how we are moving forward. So, thank you for reminding us that there's a lot of good things happening. >> Thank you for delivering, Joe. Yep. >> And you know, there were hundred,
you know, 100 people at the, you know, the training last night. >> Oh, wow. So, that's good. Y people ready for me to >> oh sorry
>> uh yeah yesterday morning uh John D had submitted his resignation from the commission uh he has accepted a a board position with the with Habitat for Humanity that conflicts
with u the meeting dates of this for this group. Um so obviously he was continues to be very appreciative. I should have maybe brought a letter of it but uh very appreciative of the commission its work uh enjoys uh enjoyed
his time on the board or on the commission and um bigger and better things I guess. I'll send him a email of thanks. Did a great job of filling in. >> Yeah. >> During a hard time to fill that spot.
>> So, so with that, we are a member short. Um, so I think we like to first start with this group. If you know of anybody that's interested, have a conversation with them and they can right on the website is where you
can apply um boards and commissions. And right here you can apply um or they can stop in too and pick up a paper application. But um if you know of anybody and want to send them our way for human rights or any of our board of
zoning appeals >> another fun one. Um but we'll if you know of anybody feel free to send them our way or to the website but we'll update I think actually we already updated John's already off here. How
many terms expire this year? >> Um, we only in 26. Yeah, we'll have three. Uh, Jill's was you were updated. So, another three-year term here. We'll make sure that's reflected.
>> Oh, we got the wrong >> the wrong clerk. Yeah. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> I apologize. I thought that was changed. >> We should have point him. >> Yeah. >> Is he still in town? Uh, Lil serves on our police commission. >> Oh, well, he can't be.
>> Yeah. So, >> yeah, that makes sense. >> I just didn't catch that. >> Sorry. >> He was one of my students in a dramatic >> stomp offices that you have to stay another three
years. >> I know Ben. He was in my police report writing class. Well, since we are doing that, I would like to submit my formal resignation. A >> another one. >> Well, I'm emptying my plate and I'm
completely emptying my plate, like everything. So, >> I printed this out. Well, my tenure was technically up, I guess, December 31st. So, I'll be emailing you guys, but I printed. >> Thank you for bringing it. >> Thank you for serving. Thank you.
>> I wanted to. It's been really great. fun. I really enjoyed it. But I think Steve's had some health issues and I'm going back to work finally and we just want to keep traveling. >> Oh yeah. And I know I've been able to
schedule these meetings very much um in between all of it. But like I said, I am completely emptying my plate. In fact, this is last thing on my plate to empty. I've emptied like four boards. So
>> Oh, wow. Yeah, it's been it's been nice >> to get get rid of some of the boards, too. I think I'm keep this president of the um campus Lutheran campus ministry board. Like to get rid
of that one. I've been there for 10 years. >> Well, thanks Heidi. Been great serving in some of you. >> Yeah, it was nice getting to know you. It's like well we'll probably be seeing each other nice
>> and in Wilmer, right? We're never that far away. >> No, I'm just a runaway and I'm starting to run a little or out walking by your house. >> Yes, that's good. >> I did my first three mile run on the treadmill on Sunday.
>> I know. >> Doesn't seem like you've been here three year three years. No, in fact, I was looking back and I'm like, was it two or three years? And then I looked back at all my minutes and I kept everything and it was like, oh my goodness, it was three. And then we didn't have a meeting
in December. So then I thought, I want to join one more meeting and come and see you all in person. Three years went fast. Does go fast. >> Yeah, nothing went fast.
Anyone else want to quit? >> Get these spots filled. So, I'm sure you will. >> Okay. Well, we came on at the same time. So, >> like what you automatically renew? >> Well, that's what I saw. I went, "Wait a
minute. 27." And then I thought, oh, because I didn't submit it in December, so it just automatically >> I don't mind staying on this one. It's only four times >> and that's why I kind of hesitated, too. But I thought, no, it's it's time. It's
okay. >> Also move. >> All in favor? Hi. >> Hi. >> We still made it in less than an hour. >> All that discussion. Good job, Jill.