Human Rights Commission AGENDA Community Engagement Committee September 2, 2021 Virtual/Electronic Meeting 2:30 pm Please take Notice that this virtual meeting of the Human Rights Commission is for the purposes of planning, developing and drafting management and administration documents for the Human Rights Commission. For the purpose of addressing issues during the quarantine, this virtual meeting will be a limited public forum to discuss the agenda items designated under Section 5 below and to ensure the continuity of services provided by the Commission. The Commission Chair may limit public comments or discussion points that are unrelated to agenda items under Section 5 or that pertain to topics outside the scope of this Agenda. Members of the public are limited to three minutes of comment time per person related to the Agenda below. A maximum of sixteen public comment time slots are allotted per meeting. This will be a virtual/electronic meeting open to the public and registration information is available at www.charlottesville.gov/zoom. Link to Human Rights Commission shared Box folder: https://app.box.com/s/xty3wnn2s1tj8h7trkknvd79bipyxezy 1. WELCOME a. CALL TO ORDER b. ROLL CALL c. MISSION (recited by all): Act as a strong advocate to justice and equal opportunity by providing citywide leadership and guidance in the area of civil rights. 2. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC a. PUBLIC COMMENT (Webinar attendees use the “raise hand” function, phone attendees use *9) b. COMMISSION RESPONSE TO MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC 3. MINUTES a. None 4. WORK SESSION a. Review draft template for public statements b. Review draft Resolution A21-1 c. New business 5. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC a. PUBLIC COMMENT (Webinar attendees use the “raise hand” function, phone attendees use *9) b. COMMISSION RESPONSE TO MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC 6. NEXT STEPS & ADJOURN * ACTION NEEDED Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate in the public meeting may call the ADA Coordinator at (434) 970-3182 or submit a request via email to ada@charlottesville.gov. The City of Charlottesville requests that you provide a 48 hour notice so that proper arrangements may be made. Charlottesville Human Rights Commission Community Engagement Committee Proposed Template for Commission Statements DRAFT_August 5, 2021 Purpose: The Charlottesville Human Rights Commission (HRC) Subcommittee on Community Engagement would like to have a consistent way of amplifying critical issues in our community in a way that aligns with our values and vision. Use: The proposed template will be used by the HRC to provide public statements to Council and the general public regarding emergent issues and will be kept on record on the HRC website page. Aims: The development of statements from HRC gives the commission a way to speak on critical issues as they emerge and provide leadership and strategic direction recommendations to City Council and the public. We aim to have the language and format of the statement be accessible to all. Protocol: Commissioners bring issues of importance to our committee meetings for discussion. The commission will outline key points, value statements, and recommendations to include. An individual commissioner (or sub-set of commissioners) will draft a statement using this template and submit it by email for approval by the whole commission. When approved by a majority of commissioners through email, the finalized statement will be presented to council during public comment, either by the HRC Chair, Vice Chair, Subcommittee Chair or assigned commissioner. Support: Commissioners will opt in to sign on to the statement. If a commissioner is unavailable or does not desire to sign on to the statement they can choose to abstain. Record: Statements will be kept in a central location on the HRC website page. Format: The format is designed to be ADA accessible Statement of the Charlottesville Human Rights Commission On [Indicate Issue of Importance HERE] [DATE] Submitted by the following Human Rights Commissioners: [Include list of Commissioners that have signed on to the statement, one on each line] Mary Bauer (Chair) Kathryn Laughon (Vice Chair) Jeanette Abi-Nader Ernest Chambers Jessica Harris Wolfgang Keppley Susan W. Lewis Tobiah Mundt Andrew Orban Alex Oxford Lyndele von Schill The role of the Charlottesville Human Rights Commission, as stated in Ordinance #O-21-021 is to act as a strong advocate for justice and equal opportunity by providing citywide leadership and guidance in the area of civil rights. In alignment of this mission, the Charlottesville Human Rights Commission stands in….[indicate core issue that we are supporting or decrying]. [THE CONTEXT: Provide supporting contextual information that includes key points such as: • Historical references to the situation being addressed, highlighting any systemic inequities that are contributing factors; • The values of the Commission that support our perspective; • Information on how this issue ties to our overall city strategic values, goals, and priorities as well as specifics on the implications for upholding human rights] [THE DATA: Provide supporting data that includes key points such as: • Concise and key data that provides insight into the systemic or specific nature of the issue at the local level; • Concise and key data that provides insight into the systemic or specific nature of the issue at the regional and/or federal level; • Concise and key data that provides insight into the recommendations proposed.] [THE RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide recommendations for action to include key points such as: • Recommended actions we would like to see City representatives (Council, City Manager, City Staff) take; • Budget implications if there are any; • Community action steps that can be taken in support of this effort; • Any action that the HRC will be taking.] [WORKS CITED-include references to the works cited throughout our statement] RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR ADVOCACY AND ACTION CHARLOTTESVILLE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION RESOLUTION #: A21-1 WHEREAS, the Charlottesville Human Rights Ordinance, hereinafter “the Ordinance,” states that the role of the Charlottesville Human Rights Commission, hereinafter “the Commission,” is to act as a strong advocate for justice and equal opportunity by providing citywide leadership and guidance in the area of civil rights (City code Article XV. Sec. 2-433.); and WHEREAS, the Ordinance states that the Commission will collaborate with the public and private sectors for the purpose of providing awareness, education and guidance on methods to prevent and eliminate discrimination citywide (City code Article XV. Sec. 2-433.b); and WHEREAS, the Ordinance states that the Commission will identify and review policies and practices of the City of Charlottesville and its boards and commissions and other public agencies within the City and advise those bodies on issues related to human rights issues City code Article XV. Sec. 2- 433.c); and WHEREAS, the Ordinance states that the Commission will prepare recommendations to City Council as to policies and procedures the Commission believes are necessary for the performance of the roles, duties and responsibilities assigned to the Commission within this article, and for modifications of operating procedures approved by City Council (City code Article XV. Sec. 2-433.f); and WHEREAS, the Ordinance states that the Commission will be responsible for identifying and reviewing policies, practices and systems of an institutional nature that may not constitute unlawful discriminatory practices but nevertheless which produce disparities that adversely impact or affect individuals on the basis of a status such as their race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, marital status, criminal record, income or disability (City code Article XV. Sec. 2-435.a.2); therefore BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission hereby declares its intent to take specific action as a strong advocate for human and civil rights; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commission will undertake specific advocacy action following a majority vote of approval during a publicly-noticed regular meeting of the Commission, except in limited situations between regular meetings of the Commission, when a human or civil rights issue requires prompt action that must occur before the Commission can convene in a publicly noticed meeting, in which case the Commission authorizes the Commission Chair to take advocacy action, on behalf of the whole Commission, without a prior majority vote of approval during a publicly-noticed regular meeting; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that specific advocacy action, proclaiming the Commission’s position on an issue related to human and/or civil rights, may include one or more of the following: 1. Writing and delivering letters to a. City Council b. The City Manager c. Non-profit organizations or other community groups d. State government officials e. Federal government officials f. Local media outlets 2. Adding the Human Rights Commission to online petitions 3. Adding the Human Rights Commission to sign-on letters 4. Creating and publishing Public Service Announcements 5. Attendance and participation in public events including but not limited to a. Protests b. Counterprotests c. Rallies d. Marches e. City Council meetings 6. Managing Human Rights Commission social media accounts Dated this ___________ of ________________, 2021. ___________________________________________ Mary Bauer, Chair, Human Rights Commission