Minutes_Equity and Human Rights Commission 04.08.25 Copyrighted
June 2, 2025
City of Dubuque CONSENT ITEMS # 1.
City Council
ITEM TITLE: Minutes and Reports Submitted
SUMMARY: City Council Proceedings of May 19, 2025; Airport
Commission of March 25, 2025; Equity and Human Rights
Commission of April 8, 2025; Historic Preservation
Commission of April 17, 2025; Housing Commission of
January 28, 2025; Long Range Planning Advisory
Commission of March 19, 2025; Mayor and City Council
Compensation Task Force Minutes of May 21, 2025; Park
and Recreation Commission of April 7, 2025; Zoning Board of
Adjustment of April 24, 2025; Proof of Publication for City
Council Proceedings of April 24, April 28, and May 5, 2025.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File
DISPOSITION:
ATTAC H M ENTS:
1. 5 19 25 City Council Minutes
2. Airport Commission Minutes
3. Equity and Human Rights Commission Minutes
4. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
5. Housing Commission Meeting Minutes
6. Long Range Planning Advisory Commission Minutes
7. Park and Recreation Commission Minutes
8. Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes
9. Proof_4.24.25
10. Proof 4.28.25
11. Proof 5.5.25
12. 5.21.25 Compensation Task Force Minutes
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EQUITYAND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
April 8, 2025
DATE: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
TIME: 4:30 PM
LOCATION: Multicultural Family Center, 1157 Central Avenue, Dubuque, IA 52001
The meeting was called to order at 4:35 pm.
Commissioners Present: Jake Kurczek, Matthew Zanger, Michaela Freiburger, Dave Heiar,
Rick Baumhover, DeLano Cain Watson, Traci Phillipson
Commissioners Absent: Luselena Bravo, Nikki Nutter
Staff Present: Gisella Aiken Shadle, Chief of Equity and Human Rights; Ann Marie
Jannette, Equity and Human Rights Specialist
New commissioner Traci Phillipson was sworn in. Returning commissioner Rick Baumhover
was also sworn in.
Approval of Meetinq Minutes
Motion to approve the minutes as corrected from the February 11, 2025 meeting by
Freiburger, seconded by Baumhover. All in favor.
Public Input
No members of the public were in attendance.
Reports
Caseload Report
• Complaints filed — number of complaints that were signed during the month
o March amount: 0
• Active investigations — investigations that are currently active but in various stages
(active, administrative review, initiated, on hold, etc.)
o March amount: 15
• Incidents in mediation — complaints currently in mediation
o March amount: 0
• Incidents in full hearing —complaints in full hearing process
o March amount: 0
• Inquiries—calls/inquiries that don't result in an official complaint being filed (including
outreach events)
o March amount: 11
• Complaints closed during the month — signed complaints that were closed during the
month (doesn't include inquiries or complaints that were never filed)
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o March amount: 0
• Total inquiries and complaints FY25—signed complaints filed in FY25
o March amount: 149
Example of EHR complaint received in March 2025:
No complaints were filed in March.
Director's Report
Aitken-Shadle reported that the department had recently attended an outreach event at
Clarke University where Aitken-Shadle also presented on a panel about immigration. She is
currently watching the state legislative bills, one of which would lower the commissioner's
term from three years to two years. The City has different teams internally to track the bills.
Community Impact, the Multicultural Family Center, and the Office of Shared Prosperity may
also be affected by the bills.
Aitken-Shadle asked Chairperson Kurczek to send a letter in the mail to Bravo to respond
promptly on her interest in joining the commission. If she doesn't want to join the
commission then she will be invited out of the commission due to lack of attendance and
lack of response to emails and phone calls.
Chairperson's Report
Chairperson Kurczek reported that he is tracking the legislative bills.
Old Business:
Freiburger reached out to Maitha Joilet about facilitating for the event who agreed to
participate. The theme will center around belonging and racial incidents in the community.
It will include 10-15 Marshallese individuals. The intention will be to collect stories from the
individuals and share them with City Council and state legislators. There was discussion
about having only one commissioner attend the event. Aitken-Shadle felt that all
commissioners should attend, at least briefly, to introduce themselves and put a face to the
commission.
Heiar to reach out to Alex Baum to make sure the group of Marshallese for the event are
coming from different groups within the community. Freiburger will train the facilitator in
understanding what information the commission is looking for.
Baumhover provided an update on the DCPRC. Everything is currently on hold with this
group as they wait to see what the state legislature will pass and what the language on the
bills will look like. Currently the Civil Service Commission has three members and if the
DCPRC is required to disband (per one of the bills) then the commission would increase to
five or six members. If the bill regarding the DCPRC doesn't pass then they will draft a new
memorandum of understanding.
The DCPRC requested training from Police Chief Jeremy Jensen and Kelly Larson. Aitken-
Shadle to look into doing the training. It may need to be postponed until the state legislature
decides on which bills to pass.
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New Business:
Antonio Mouzon and LaMetra Murdock from the Office of Community Impact and the
Multicultural Family Center, and Anderson Sainci from the Office of Shared Prosperity were
not able to attend. The commission will wait until after the bills are passed (or not) to invite
them to the commission as the bills may affect their positions as well. There are several bills
at the state and federal level that affect the Equity & Human Rights (EHR) Department and
the EHR Commission.
Reflections and Updates
Kurczek has been working on filling in the partnership spreadsheet and understanding who
else in the City has similar missions to partner and collaborate with. Kurczek to also reinvite
state legislators to the meeting after the current session is over in May.
Adiournment:
Motion to adjourn by Heiar, seconded by Baumhover. All in favor. The meeting ended at
5:52 p.m.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.,
at the Multicultural Family Center.
Minutes approved as submitted:
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Minutes approved as corrected: --
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