Present: Mohamad Khan, Bernard Bidne, Blanca Flores, Flora Lee,
Robert Smith, Jr., and Jack Morlan
Staff: Tim Cook, Ron Pothast, and Don Grove
Public: None
Items:
1. Call to Order
10:06 a.m.
2. Recognition of Public and News Media
None
3. "Mission and Programs of the Central Iowa Center for Independent
Living," presentation by Robert Jeppesen, executive director
Jeppesen provided the following information about his agency:
mission - to empower individuals with disabilities to control their lives
services - info/referral, teach independent living skills, work with employers on accommodation issues, advocacy, teach self-advocacy, peer counseling and support, and disability awareness training
annual budget - $200,000, from federal and state grants, and private contributions
4. Commissioners' Reports
Khan - said he attended the Polk County Diversity Appreciation Coalition meeting on November 20 and that group is working on developing a directory of Polk County diversity-related clubs and organizations; also said he spoke on religious diversity to a Drake University religion class last week
Lee - said the Jewish Federation in Sioux City hosted their annual prejudice elimination workshop, this year featuring Jane Elliott
Flores - said she served on a committee to elect a new councilperson; said she interviewed the candidate and was pleased with his views on diversity; said she is working with a group of high school students to talk about high school life, the issues and concerns they face day-to-day
Bidne - said he was pleased with the growing interest in the Friends of Iowa Civil Rights, Inc. organization and annual awards banquet; said Dawn Peterson deserves recognition and thanks for all the work she did to make this year's Banquet so successful; shared information about the lack of diversity in the nation's agricultural committees and what the federal government is doing to remedy the situation; also said he's been reading and enjoying ICRC's latest Contested Case Reports and the June 1997 Mortgage Lending Practices Report
Smith - said the Waterloo School District is trying to decide whether to hire a full-time Equity Director to work on equity issues in the schools; said he attended a work session on improving communications among the students, especially among Bosnian and other minority students; said Waterloo is looking more and more like America; also said he was glad to see that there was going be a big Conference on Immigration in Waterloo on March 13, 1997, sponsored in part by the ICRC
Morlan - no report
5. Next Meeting
10:00 a.m. - Noon, Friday, January 16, 1998
Teleconference
Location for Commissioners in Des Moines and for public and media - ICRC Offices
Commissioners decided that their February 1998 Meeting in Des Moines would begin at 9:00 a.m. so that they could allot an hour for a "Getting to Know Each Other" session during the Meeting.
6. Minutes of October 24, 1997 Commissioners' Meeting
Bidne moved to approve; Smith seconded. Motion passed.
7. Financial Report for October 1997
Discussion among the Commissioners, Grove, and Pothast about the scope of the Commissioners' responsibility in approving the Financial Report. Issues for discussion are: What does "approving" mean? What does "approve and file for audit" mean? What is the Commissioners' responsibility or liability if the Report is inaccurate or fraudulent? Instead of approving the Report, may the Commissioners just acknowledge that they reviewed the Report? Pothast said that he would check with the State Auditor's Office and report back at the next meeting.
8. "Fighting Discrimination, Part 2" powerpoint presentation by Don Grove, executive director
Grove facilitated discussion regarding ICRC's mission and programs.
9. Duties/Responsibilities of Commission Chair
Commissioners approved the following duties/responsibilities of the ICRC Chair:
a. determine meeting agenda items
b. manage the monthly meetings, following generally accepted, basic parliamentary procedures
c. approve Commissioner's requests to attend meetings via telephone
d. make the decision, along with the executive director, on whether a case proceeds to public hearing
e. review/sign Commissioner Complaints
10. Duties/Responsibilities of Commissioners
Commissioners listed the following duties/responsibilities of Commissioners and agreed to review, modify, add, and subtract at the next several meetings:
a. regularly attend Commissioners' Meetings
b. attend local workshops/seminars and share information gained with other Commissioners and staff
c. notify Commissioners and staff of upcoming, local civil rights and diversity-related events
d. report/discuss local civil rights and diversity-related issues or situations
e. refer citizens interested in filing civil rights complaints to ICRC intake or Grove
11. Staff Reports
No Report
12. Procedures for addressing the Commissioners
Commissioners decided to adopt the following procedures for persons who want to address the Commissioners during Commissioners' Meetings who have not asked beforehand to be on the Agenda:
a. person must speak to the Commissioners, not to others in the audience
b. each person has 3 minutes to speak
c. person must be respectful of others
d. person should not expect an immediate decision or action by the Commissioners
Smith said that the Waterloo School Board has developed a statement that is read at the beginning of their meetings which states the rules/procedures for the public addressing the Board. Smith said that he would send a copy of that Statement to Grove to be placed in next month's Commissioners' Books. Commissioners decided to review that Statement and draft their own Statement at the next Commissioners' Meeting, Jaunuary 16, 1998.