Commissioners' Meeting

Present: Mohamad Khan, Bernard Bidne, Blanca Flores, Robert Smith, Jr., Liz Nichols, and Jack Morlan

Staff: Don Grove

Public: None

Items:

1. Call to Order
   7:50 a.m.
2. Recognition of Public and News Media
   None
3. Commissioners' Reports:
   Khan - said he has been teaching horticulture to inmates and to the general public at Rockwell and Newton Correctional Facilities, under the Extension's Master Gardening Program; he frequently serves as a religious adviser at the Correctional Facilities; he conducted a program about trees and tree planting/care in February for the Jewish Community in celebration of Spring; he attended the recent meeting of the Polk County Diversity Appreciation Team, as well as a meeting with Don Adams from Drake University regarding the possibility of building a connection between Drake and the Polk County Team; according to Adams, Drake has been very active in the Des Moines community promoting the value of diversity; he has been asked by the Muslim community in Ames to support their efforts in constructing a Mosque, over neighborhood objections. Khan also presented a booklet on parliamentary procedure to the Commission.
   Nichols - said the Indianola Human Rights Commission has been working with the City on handicapped parking; each member of the Commission has been assigned a number of City parking spaces to inspect and make recommendations.
   Flores - said she met Pat French last week and discovered that Muscatine has a group, chaired by French, that's promoting community-wide study circles; LULAC is holding their State Convention in Muscatine at the Muscatine Community College on May 2, 1998, beginning at 10:00 a.m.; workshops will be offered in conjunction with the all- day Convention.
   Bidne - said he attended a meeting of the Employers Council of Iowa, a group of employers in the nine county area, on January 21, 1998; they discussed workplace harassment issues.
   Smith - said several recent hate crimes in Waterloo and Cedar Falls have prompted a number of community groups,to get involved in collaborative discussions/dialogue on what can be done to prevent and respond to hate crimes and to improve race relations.
   Morlan - said he attended several Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration activities and has been active working with the Cancer Society.
4. Next Meeting
   7:45 - 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2, 1998
   Muscatine, Iowa
   Shirley Thomas, ICRC staffer, will contact motels in Muscatine to determine vacancies. Shirley will then call Commissioners to give room reservation information.
5. Minutes of January 16, 1998 Commissioners' Meeting
   Bidne moved to approve; Smith seconded. Motion passed.
6. Procedure for addressing the Commissioners
   Commissioners reviewed and adopted the proposed statement prepared by Bidne with one sentence added by Morlan and Grove.
7. Adjourn
   8:15 a.m.
   

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