Human Rights Commission

Human Rights Commission Hybrid Meeting Agenda Thursday, April 28, 2022, 5:00 p.m. Reno City Hall 7th Floor Caucus Room One East First St. Reno, NV 89501 Members Alex Goff, Chair Cesar Minera Zeina S. Barkawai, Vice-Chair Tori N. Sundheim Erin Eddings Cortney Young Hagen T. Sandoval Scott Youngs Debra A. Whitlock Lax Council Liaison: Councilmember Devon Reese Sean Savoy Staff Liaison: Cynthia Esparza Public Notice This agenda has been physically posted in compliance with NRS 241 (notice of meetings) at Reno City Hall – 1 East First Street. In addition, this agenda has been electronically posted in compliance with NRS 241 at http://www.reno.gov, and NRS 232 at https://notice.nv.gov/. To obtain further documentation regarding posting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (775) 334-2030, or cityclerk@reno.gov. Members of the Board/Commission/Committee may participate in this meeting using the zoom video conference platform. Members of the public may participate in the meeting by registering through the below zoom link which will provide the meeting ID number and call-in phone number. Virtual link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4TW1FuZ1RmiY977iLoihTA In Person: One East First Street, 7th floor Caucus Conference Room Accommodations Reasonable efforts will be made to assist and accommodate individuals with disabilities attending the meeting. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (775) 334-2030 at least 48 hours in advance so that arrangements can be made. Supporting Materials Staff reports and supporting material for the meeting are available by contacting Cynthia Esparza at (775) 348- 6900, esparzac@reno.gov and on the City’s website at Reno.Gov. Pursuant to NRS 241, supporting material is made available to the general public at the same time it is provided to the public body. Order of Business The presiding officer shall determine the order of the agenda and all questions of parliamentary procedure at the meeting. Items on the agenda may be taken out of order. The public body may combine two or more agenda items for consideration; remove an item from the agenda; or delay discussion relating to an item on the agenda at any time. See, NRS 241. Items scheduled to be heard at a specific time will be heard no earlier than the stated time, but may be heard later. Public Comment In-Person A person wishing to address the public body shall submit a “Request to Speak” form to the presiding officer. Public comment, whether on items listed on the agenda or general public comment, is limited to three (3) minutes per person. Unused time may not be reserved by the speaker, nor allocated to another speaker. No action may be taken on a matter raised under general public comment until the matter is included on an agenda as an item on which action may be taken. The presiding officer may prohibit comment if the content of comments is a topic that is not relevant to, or within the authority of, the public body, or if the content is willfully disruptive of the meeting by being irrelevant, repetitious, slanderous, offensive, inflammatory, irrational or amounting to personal attacks or interfering with the rights of other speakers. Any person making willfully disruptive remarks while addressing the public body or while attending the meeting may be removed from the room by the presiding officer, See, NRS 241 and the person may be barred from further audience before the public body during that session. See, Nevada Attorney General Opinion No. 00-047 (April 27, 2001); Nevada Open Meeting Law Manual, § 8.05. Examples of disruptive conduct include, without limitation, yelling, stamping of feet, whistles, applause, heckling, name calling, use of profanity, personal attacks, physical intimidation, threatening use of physical force, assault, battery, or any other acts intended to impede the meeting or infringe on the rights of the public body or meeting participants. Virtual No action may be taken on a matter raised under general public comment until the matter is included on a subsequent agenda as an action item. Pursuant to NRS 241, those wishing to submit public comment may do so through the online public comment form found at Reno.Gov/PublicComment, by sending an email to cityclerk@reno.gov, by leaving a voicemail at 775-334- 2030 or at the meeting during virtual public comment. Public comment is limited to three (3) minutes per person. Comments received prior to 4:00 p.m. on the day preceding the meeting will be transcribed, provided to the Board/Commission/Committee for review, and entered into the record. Comments received after 4:00 pm on the day preceding the meeting will be provided to the Board/Commission/Committee for review prior to adjournment, and entered into the record. A. Introductory Items A.1 Call To Order/Roll Call A.2 Public Comment – This item is for either public comment on any action item or for any general public comment and is limited to no more than three (3) minutes for each commentator. A.3 Approval of the Agenda (For Possible Action) – April 28, 2022 A.4 Approval of the Minutes (For Possible Action) – January 27, 2022 A.5 Council Liaison Report – Item for general announcements and informational items only. No action may be taken on this item. A.6 Staff Liaison Report – Item for general announcements and informational items only. No action may be taken on this item. B. Business Items B.1 Discussion, review, and possible creation of a City of Reno Human Rights Commission’s land recognition statement and related actionable outcomes (For Possible Action) B.2 Update and possible discussion on Human Rights Commission community engagement in collaboration with City of Reno staff (For Possible Action) C. Board/Commission/Committee Member Reports and Announcements - Limited to items that do not appear elsewhere on the agenda. No action may be taken on this item. D. Future Agenda Items - Discussion of items for future agendas. No action may be taken on this item. E. Public Comment - This item is for either public comment on any action item or for any general public comment and is limited to no more than three (3) minutes for each commentator. F. Adjournment (For Possible Action)  Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission Meeting Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting A. Introductory Items A.1 Call To Order/Roll Call and action The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. Staff Liaison Cynthia Esparza took roll call. Present were Human Rights Commission (HRC) Members Sean Savoy (Chair), Cortney Young (Vice Chair), Zeina Barkawai, Erin Eddings, Alex Goff, Debra Whitlock Lax, Tori Sundheim, and Scott Youngs. A quorum was established. HRC Members Hagen T. Sandoval, Cesar Minera, and Bert Ramos were absent. Also present was Staff Liaison Cynthia Esparza and Mari Potts, transcriber. A.2 Public Comment No public comment at this time. A.3 Approval of the Agenda of January 27, 2022 The order of items was discussed. Agenda Item B.5 was moved to be heard before Item B.2. MOTION: HRC Member Youngs moved to approve the agenda for January 27, 2022 with the noted change. Upon second by HRC Member Whitlock Lax, the agenda was approved unanimously. None opposed. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, and Ramos were absent. A.4 Approval of the Minutes of October 19, 2021 and December 9, 2021 MOTION: Upon motion by HRC Member Eddings and second by HRC Member Young, the minutes of the meetings of October 19, 2021 were approved unanimously. None opposed. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, and Ramos were absent. MOTION: Upon motion by HRC Member Youngs and second by HRC Member Barkawai, the minutes of December 9, 2021 were approved unanimously. None opposed. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, and Ramos were absent. A.4 Council Liaison Report Councilmember Devon Reese was not present to provide a report at this time. Staff Liaison Esparza confirmed that he had been reappointed to serve as the Council Liaison to the HRC. A.5 Staff Liaison Report Staff Liaison Esparza noted that her report ties into Agenda Item B.3, possible collaborative programming related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and would provide her update at that time. B. Business Items B.1 Nevada Open Meeting Law training – Brian Sooudi, City of Reno, and Ryan McElhinney, City of Reno (For Information Only) City Attorney Ryan McElhinney introduced himself and offered his support for the members. He advised that the Open Meeting Law provides transparency. He stated that both action and deliberation need to be open and transparent, noting that transparency and compliance with the Open Meeting Law are the most important factors in any public meeting. He advised that posting requirements had changed during the pandemic allowing for virtual meetings. He added that it is important to allow public comment. He also advised that committee members limit the discussions to the scope of the agenda items and keep conversations reined in. He added that the item included on the agenda for discussion of future agenda items offers a broader scope for discussions. He alerted members to be aware of walking or constructive quorums in individual conversations. Mr. McElhinney advised the committee to do its best not to restrict public comment. He stated that the agenda must be posted by 9 a.m. three days prior to the meeting. He stated that every email and statement made are public records. He again summarized the changes allowed due to the pandemic including the suspension of a physical location requirement and agendas being required on the State of Nevada’s and the public body’s website. HRC Members clarified discussion versus action. Action was clarified to take place only when a vote of the full commission is taken. He also reminded members to limit their discussions to the agenda. HRC Members asked if during a meeting a discussion item could be changed to an action item. Mr. McIlhinney responded that discussion items requiring action by the commission need to be pushed to a future meeting or the body risks being perceived as nontransparent to members of the public. He clarified that agenda items cannot be added at the time of the meeting but are allowed up to three days prior upon the posting of the agenda. Reno City Attorney Brian Sooudi advised that he is the backup when needed and reiterated not to engage in mass emails amongst commission members. He also stated to monitor public comment and intervene if someone is being attacked. HRC Members asked for clarification on who would remove a person from the meeting. Mr. Sooudi stated that the Chair should provide a warning and the IT person could cut them off if necessary. B.2 Update on human rights related legislation from the 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature – Calli Wilsey, City of Reno (For Information Only) City of Reno Senior Management Analyst Calli Wilsey provided a presentation on the State’s 2021 Legislative Session. She advised that the City of Reno had tracked 500 bills during the session. She summarized the human rights related legislation as touching upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion. She covered that restrooms must have inclusive restroom signage, the equity in workplace policy, sexual orientation and gender identify data collection, and antidiscrimination for protected hairstyles. She also discussed criminal justice reform and court system changes including the decriminalization of traffic violations, pretrial release hearings, and stated that the court cannot suspend a driver’s license for the inability to pay a fine. She noted that pretrial release hearings must be held within 48 hours and advised that the Attorney General is the authority for monitoring patterns of racism. Ms. Wilsey stated that the Miranda warning had been changed to clarify its wording for youth. She advised that continuing education requirements for peace officers had been added and new legislation regarding recruitment and selection of peace officers had been added. She discussed changes to no-knock warrants, training for juvenile justice related staff, monthly reporting of hate crimes, the use of force requiring de- escalation when possible, traffic stop data collection, and requirements for a lactation room for public use in courthouses, coverage for hormonal contraceptives, suicide prevention, and a behavioral health hotline. Ms. Wilsey stated that voting access by mail was made permanent in the State of Nevada. She noted that offering cannabis compliant lounges and the death with dignity bill did not pass. She advised that during 2022 work continues through interim committees in preparation for the 2023 legislative session. HRC Members showed interest in working with Ms. Wilsey regarding the interim committee work. Ms. Wilsey recommended looking at the committees and advised that interested parties work with their Staff Liaison Esparza or Council Liaison Reese. HRC Members initiated a discussion regarding Assembly Bill 280 regarding public restrooms. Sr. Management Analyst Wilsey noted that the City Code must include it for new construction and stated that any policy statements or platform adopted by Council dictates that anything done on behalf of the City would be coordinated with AB280. HRC Members clarified voicing their opinion when involved in a conflict of interest. Ms. Wilsey provided an example and stated that a committee member should identify themselves and their position while noting that the position is representing yourself. She added that individuals don’t represent the commission and don’t speak on behalf of the body. Staff Liaison Esparza advised that the City had replaced all restroom signs that were not in compliance with the new legislation, noting 17 total. HRC Member Whitlock Lax left the meeting at 5:57 p.m. It was noted that the commission still had a quorum. B.5 Discussion and selection of Human Rights Commission Chair and Vice Chair for 2022 (For possible action) Agenda Item B.5 was taken out of order. Chair Savoy introduced the topic of selection of the Human Rights Commission Chair and Vice Chair for 2022. He recommended use of Roberts Rules of Order for the election process. He stated that nominees will not require a second and the HRC members will vote after all nominees are named. Chair Savoy thanked the commission for the privilege of serving as their Chair. He thanked the current and previous commissioners, City staff, and legal team for the opportunities the HRC has had and stated that he feels that they have developed an action plan which will guide their work over the next years. He advised that he is not seeking re-election and would like to assist in the new Chair’s transition into office. He nominated HRC Member Alex Goff as Chair. MOTION: No further nominations were made for Chair and a vote was taken. HRC Member Alex Goff was elected as Chair unanimously. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, Ramos, and Whitlock Lax were absent. A discussion was held regarding the selection of Vice Chair. HRC Member Young was nominated but did not accept the nomination. HRC Member Young nominated HRC Member Barkawai as Vice Chair. HRC Member Goff nominated HRC Member Sundheim as Vice Chair. MOTION: No further nominations were made for Chair. A vote was taken. HRC Member Barkawai received votes to serve as Vice Chair from HRC Members Savoy, Young, Barkawai, and Eddings (4 total votes). HRC Member Sundheim received votes to serve as Vice Chair from HRC Members Goff, Youngs, and Sundheim (3 total votes). HRC Member Barkawai was elected as Vice Chair. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, Ramos, and Whitlock Lax were absent. Newly elected Chair Goff began chairing the meeting. He directed the commission to Agenda Item B.3. B.3 Discussion on possible collaborative programming related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – Cynthia Esparza, City of Reno (For Possible Action) Staff Liaison Esparza advised that she is working to form a collaboration between the City Manager’s office and the HRC on programming to serve the community related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. HRC Member Youngs stated that the HRC has been working on establishing a panel encompassing disability related programming. He stressed the power of their collective voices. Staff Liaison Esparza inquired if there was an interest in doing something with the City. She advised that she is seeking an HRC member to work with her to see what they can put together for a future meeting. Ms. Esparza advised that she is proposing a monthly speaker series on a variety of topics to partner on a panel like a Tedx. Staff Liaison Esparza stated that she would like to reach out to HRC Member Youngs and to be brought up to date regarding his expertise regarding disability related programming. It was noted that Our Center had been the presenter for the month of January. Chair Goff requested Ms. Esparza’s interest in meeting with each HRC member to gain knowledge of their focus and expertise. MOTION: After the discussion, HRC Member Savoy moved to select HRC Member Barkawai to work with Staff Liaison Esparza on the possible development of collaborative programming related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Upon second by HRC Member Youngs, the motion carried unanimously. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, Ramos, and Whitlock Lax were absent. B.4 Discussion and possible creation of a City of Reno Human Rights Commission’s land recognition statement and related actionable outcomes (For Possible Action) HRC Member Savoy stated that he had been impressed by the presentations on development of a statement and reminded the HRC that the land acknowledgement needs to contain measurable action items. He added that he would like to see a statement adopted but wanted the commission to be aware of the limitations of the HRC’s resources. A discussion was held regarding the January presentation made by Stacy Montooth and the Reno Sparks Indian Colony who had advised that the HRC develop their own land acknowledgement and associate the statements with actionable items. HRC Member Sundheim advised reaching out to Bethany Sam to work on the language. Also, she requested that the missing persons coordinator for the State come to a meeting for the HRC to hear about murdered and missing indigenous persons. HRC Member Sundheim also wanted a speaker from the Intertribal Council of Nevada. HRC Member Savoy thanked HRC Member Sundheim for her work to bring the presenters and added that he doesn’t want the language acknowledgement statement to be the end of the process, but wants an actionable item attached to the statement. HRC Member Young stated that she believes there are action items in the current action plan which could be considered as part of the land acknowledgement statement such as a review of policies and procedures to ensure they are inclusive and not harmful to our indigenous communities. MOTION: HRC Member Sundheim moved to have the Human Rights Commission investigate the drafting of a land acknowledgement statement which would include actionable items related hereto. Upon second by HRC Member Eddings, the motion carried unanimously. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, Ramos, and Whitlock Lax were absent. C. Board/Commission/Committee Member Reports and Announcements HRC Member Young stated that the diverse interests of the commission members were helpful in deriving the action plan. She stated that they may want to request a presentation regarding the use of ARPA funding, especially surrounding housing and recreational spaces. HRC Member Sundheim announced that the National Point in Time Count had been established as February 24th to canvas the City to speak to the unhomed. She planned to participate in the survey and Chair Goff expressed interest in joining her. HRC Member Youngs advised that Council Liaison Reese spoke regarding the Electric Scooter program at a recent Access Advisory Committee Meeting and felt the HRC should have offered a recommendation on the program. He expressed concerns for trip and fall hazards for the blind. He added that although mitigation measures were put in place, from an ADA perspective he doesn’t want to see more barriers in the way of pedestrians with disabilities. He noted that no action had been taken. HRC Member Youngs noted that each Councilmember had received $70,000 for discretionary funds from ARPA moneys. Chair Goff stated that he had seen how his workplace had been affected by COVID and acknowledged City staff. He stated that he has observed that they have continued to execute their jobs in a professional manner and have remained available. He thanked them for the continuance of meetings and for their professionalism. D. Future Agenda Items The HRC’s Land Acknowledgement Statement was discussed as a future agenda item with additional speakers to talk about the acknowledgement, a review of the draft document, and to brainstorm action items. Also identified as a future agenda item was a presentation from Tom Los of the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding missing and murdered indigenous peoples. Thirdly, the HRC requested a presentation on ARPA funds, and affordable and accessible housing for low income individuals. The HRC also requested to include nondiscriminatory housing in the discussion. Staff Liaison Esparza offered that in February, a Council meeting is scheduled for a discussion on affordable housing. She advised that she would share details of date/time when set and will provide any materials presented at that meeting to the HRC. Chair Goff recommended that Council Liaison Reese presents information from the February meeting. E. Public Comment No public comment was made at this time. F. Adjournment Chair Goff requested a motion for adjournment. MOTION: Upon motion by HRC Member Savoy and second by HRC Member Young, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. All ayes. None opposed. HRC Members Sandoval, Minera, Ramos, and Whitlock Lax were absent.