Minutes_Human Rights Commission 12 3 11Dubuque Human Rights Commission
Goal Setting
December 3, 2011
Present: Miguel Jackson, Regine Ronek, Kurt Hansen, Mike Elliott, Anthony Allen,
R.R.S. Stewart, Judie Root
Absent: Mitzy Krey, Andrea Beacham
Staff: Kelly Larson
Facilitator: Sid Scott
The meeting was called to order at 9:15 a.m. and attendees proceeded with
introductions. Facilitator Sid Scott then reviewed the mission and the focus for the
meeting, reminding commissioners to consider others with whom they might partner to
accomplish goals. He also summarized the characteristics of successful organizations,
including identifying crucial issues that are driven by results and attached to timetables
with clear measures of success, as well as the need to engage both internal and
external constituencies.
The group proceeded to discuss potential goals for the coming year, and the following
suggestions were presented:
Increase HRC attendance
Improve tenant/landlord communication
Increase opportunities for citizen dialogue
Increase community knowledge of human rights issues
Decrease incidents of bullying and violence
Improve interaction /communication between races /nationalities
Help promote the NAACP
Assist educating the public regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act
Have some type of occasional functions where we get together as "people" not
commissioners, possibly with spouses /significant others
Build "community" bonding.
Improve attendance of commissioners
Improve tenant/landlord communications
Plan for 2012 equity conference
Develop a commissioner advocate program
Improve the visability of human rights and what they do /stand for
Work with other commissions
Improve landlord communications — not be afraid to call police as needed
Get to know and understand human rights
Get together with other commissioners; attend other meetings
Focus on education; foster neighborhood mediation
The group connected the above ideas into five potential goals as described below.
Commissioners also indicated which goals they would be interested in working on.
Based on past conversations at meetings, the Commissioners present suggested
absent commissioners for certain goals, recognizing they may decline to accept those
assignments.
1. Increase opportunities for citizen dialogue and education around human rights
issues (Kurt, Mike, Miguel, Anthony)
a. Educating on the ADA
b. Advocacy /awareness of the commission
c. "Community" bonding — all of Dubuque
d. Interaction between various races /nationalities
e. Particular focus on individual rights and where those arise under the
Constitution — it is "we" have rights, not "I" have rights — this could foster
more civil dialogue. It is not "me vs you" it is all of us negotiating how we
will live together as a community. Educate people on this — this may
mean commission needs additional education first.
2. Improve HRC quality (Kurt, Judie, Regine, Anthony)
a. Increase visibility
b. Improve organization of meetings
c. Advocate
d. Increase attendance
e. Improve camaraderie amongst commissioners
f. Work with other commissions
3. Improve tenant/landlord communication (Judie, R.R.S.)
4. Decrease incidents of bullying and violence (Andrea, R.R.S., Anthony)
a. Some focus on the GLBT community
b. 2013 equity conference
c. Foster neighborhood mediation, mediation skills, working with DDRC
5. Help promote the NAACP (Mike, Judie, Mitzy)
Next Steps: Kelly will provide the notes to Sid to review, and will then forward them to
the Human Rights Commission. Commissioners then can vote to formally adopt goals,
create subcommittees, and determine objectives and actions steps.
Meeting Adjourned at 1:00 p.m.
Minutes approved as submitted°
Minutes approved as corrected: