Human Relations Commission

Human Relations Commission Monday, December 9, 2024 6:30pm Location: Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street – Staff Lunch Room (1 st Floor) In Attendance: Commissioners: Anthony Agee, Sheryl Bloom Basile, Gurjot Bilkhu, Alex Chaparro (interim chair), Sheila Crumrine (vice-chair), David Donegan, Carl Johnson, Jonathan Lavin, Marcos Levy, Joseph Meyers, Swarupa Pahan, Valeriya Slutskaya, Brad Sugar, Margaret van Steenderen, Trustee Khem Khoeun, Skokie Staff Liaison: Amanda Sabri Not in Attendance: Maria Monastero Bueno (E), Jeremy Segall (E), Karen Sherman, James Specker (E) I. Call to Order: 7:00 PM II. Approval of Agenda A. Carl Johnson motioned to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded by Margaret van Steenderen. All were in favor and the motion carried. III. Approval of Minutes of October 28, 2024 Meeting A. David Donegan motioned to approve the minutes as written. The motion was seconded by Sheryl Bloom Basile. All were in favor and the motion carried. IV. Introductions and Updates A. New commissioner Gurjot Bilkhu introduced himself and current members also provided introductions. V. Public Comments A. No public comments given. VI. Committee Reports A. Neighbor Engagement Committee 1. Block Party of the Year Award Applications: Amanda Sabri provided a presentation of the top eight Block Party of the Year Award applications. Commissioners each voted on their top three choices. Anthony Agee moved that the commission ratify the vote of the selected winners and this was seconded by Jon Lavin. All were in favor and the motion carried. The selected winners are: a) 3900 White Cloud Drive (Samoset Trail to Four Winds Way) b) 4600 Grove Street (Kenton to Knox)  c) 5100 Morse Avenue (LeClaire to Laramie) 2. Commissioner provided feedback on ways to improve application and selection process in the future. These ideas included changing the application criteria to be more objective while being mindful to not create barriers for residents. It was also suggested to provide the slideshow of the top applications to commissioners prior to the commission meeting so they have sufficient time to review the applications before voting. It was agreed that Neighbor Engagement Committee will continue to work on ways to improve this process to increase engagement. Brad Sugar indicated he would be open to developing protentional improvements for the award application. 3. Block Party Forum: No updates 4. Know your Neighbor: No updates 5. 4th of July Parade: No updates B. Housing Committee 1. Housing Subcommittee: No updates 2. Fair Housing Ordinance: Margaret van Steenderen provided an overview of the document she provided to commissioners titled “Opening Doors: Suggestions for Fair Housing Awareness in Skokie”. Her desire is to spread awareness of Fair Housing practices and regulations, especially to immigrant communities who may not be aware of their rights. Alex Chaparro discussed the need for all commissioners to have a baseline understanding of Fair Housing practices and suggested future training for the commission as a whole. Amanda Sabri discussed the possibility of promoting awareness of Fair Housing law through Village social media channels during the month of April, which is National Fair Housing month. Sheryl Bloom Basile requested a short presentation at the following meeting to discuss Skokie’s Fair Housing ordinance and the commission’s role in this ordinance. C. Equity and Diversity Committee 1. Early Intervention Hate/Bias Incidence: Amanda Sabri informed the commission that the Policy for Early Identification and Intervention in Initial Incidents of Hate is now ready to be shared with the commission. It was decided that this discussion will be added to the agenda for the January commission meeting. Amanda also provided an update on the Village staff’s involvement with the Strong Cities Network Prevention Academy, which is geared at helping cities identify and address threats, needs, and vulnerabilities related to hate and extremism. 2. Black History Month: No updates 3. Unite Against Racism w/ YWCA: Sheila Crumrine, Sheryl Bloom Basile and Amanda Sabri attended a meeting with Heather Sweeney and Roger Moreano at YWCA’s Equity Institute on November 7. Sheryl Bloom Basile provided an overview of the commissions previous work with Unite Against Racism as well as YWCA’s vision for the future, which includes trainings and active engagement with the community. As YWCA formalizes their plans, members of the committee will continue to be in communication about how the commission can collaborate on these events.  4. Skokie Festival of Cultures – No updates 5. Skokie Juneteenth - No updates 6. Skokie Pride – No updates 7. SEED Training – No updates 8. Women’s History Month: Sheila Crumrine provided an update on a new initiative highlighting prominent women historical figures in Skokie. This initiative is in collaboration with the Skokie Heritage Museum and the Skokie Public Library. The library intends to do a pop-up event along with a magic board. The Skokie Heritage Museum has developed a walking tour that highlights several historical locations where women lived or had businesses. Sheila motioned to approve $200 to sponsor the walk, which would allow increased access for community members. Carl seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. VII. Other Items of Business A. Village Seal Redesign: Amanda Sabri provided an update that the Village Seal Committee last met on November 8. Based on community feedback, some small changes to the colors and images were recommended. The committee will be meeting again soon to discuss community feedback in greater depth before moving forward. B. Skokie Police Use of Force Review Board: Amanda Sabri provided updates on behalf of James Specker who gave his updates via email. James will be reappointed as the chair of this board at the December 16 Board of Trustees meeting. He indicated there will be more substantial update in January as board has not completed their final police use of force report at this point. VIII. Adjourn: 8:45 PM