NOVEMBER 17, 2005

ATTENDANCE: Barbara Amodio, Chair; Bea Brown; Vicky Su; Gerald Ross; Charles Stabinsky; Sally Grose

STAFF: Elisabeth Youngerman

OTHER:

CALL TO ORDER

Dr.Amodio called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

** DR. STABINSKY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 20, 2005 AS AMENDED.

The correction to the minutes is on page 3, under New Business; change Ms. Patterson to Ms. Youngerman.

** MS. BROWN SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

CHAIRLADY’S REPORT

The Chair said that she met with Ms. Youngerman, and that the information will be reviewed in the Director’s Report. She has been busy preparing for International Human Rights Day, as well as the second event that is planned for the spring. She met with the new Mayor to confirm December 2 at 11:00 a.m., not 10:00 a.m. in the City Hall atrium for International Human Rights Day. The Music Theatre will not be able to be perform. She has requested other people to perform. Mr. Ross will play the piano if no one else is available. The event at Ponus Ridge Middle School will be on December 8, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. There are additions to the art displays for the atrium. Ms. Youngerman had a local business owner donate the dry-mount services. They include two Norman Rockwell pieces, a United Nations mosaic, posters (5) of The Declaration of the Rights of the Child to give away as prizes, and Historic Sites in the Settlement of African Americans in Connecticut donated by Ms. Carol Ann Falasca, of the Historic Commission. It can now be used for Black History Week. She mentioned that Nilsa Martinez did a nice job preparing the announcements. The Carver Center garden planting will be done in the spring as a new project for the commission. Dr. Amodio asked the Commission members to bring forward any ideas for the planting program.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Ms. Youngerman said that the information on International Human Rights Day was mailed out. The staff has worked hard on getting everything ready, and they are encouraging people in City hall to participate. They have set up an area in the office with art supplies for people to create their own messages there.

Ms. Youngerman then reviewed her written report. She said the majority of the cases during the past month were fair rent intakes. There were two human relations intake cases in October, and a few more in November. One of the cases was a possible age discrimination and disability issue. The other case was a harassment issue. She had advised the person to return, and possibly file a complaint, but the woman has not returned yet.

They are still waiting for a new printer. The staff has cleaned up the office, and building management painted the main wall blue, so that when people stopped in, the office would look fresh. The intern, Ms. Monique Cipriano, a University of Bridgeport graduate student, is coming in every Tuesday to work on the Spanish language resource directory. A young man from the Fair Rent Commission is assisting with a rent survey.

Dr. Amodio and Ms. Youngerman spent time with Mr. Booth of the Fair Rent Commission preparing the budget presentation for next year. They added funding for education and training to the budget, which is the only increase, for next year.

Mayor Knopp stopped by to thank the members of the Commission for all their hard work.

The brochure for Human Relations Commission outreach will be 8 pages and bi-lingual. The transit district just produced a film in Spanish. Ms. Youngerman has spoken with the new President of Norwalk Community College about doing a symposium on issues of the Spanish speaking community. She met with Mr. John Gonzalez, the owner of a local business in South Norwalk, and she said he is interested in doing outreach in the community.

Ms. Youngerman reported on the ADA Compliance. In addition, she is filing a request for an investigation with a State ombudsman on behalf of a mentally disabled person. There is no central place in Norwalk for disabled people to go to get support. The situation was a condominium where a disabled person is being evicted. The Fair Rent Commission is assisting in referring her to appropriate affordable housing. DMR, the Department of Mental Retardation, is working with the person as well. In the workplace, people have to be accommodated. The Chair was not sure about how accommodations are made in condominiums. A committee should be established to look at issues of disabled persons in Norwalk.

Diversity training will be open to City Hall employees as well as any Norwalk agency that has employees in customer service oriented jobs that work with the Norwalk Human Services Council. Ms. Grose mentioned about suspensions in the school, intercultural training, and sensitivity training that came up in a meeting she attended. Some discussion followed regarding the Board of Education and Human Relations, and the possibility of intervening but not having anyone be offended by it. Diversity training, conflict resolution, and other topics that could be applicable were discussed. Mr. Steven Paymer is considering a train-the-trainer program, ADL’S World of Difference, for the Youth Council. Ms. Youngerman hopes to have the brochures printed in December for distribution in January.

Mr. Ross asked if the Human Services Council would pick some of the cost of diversity training up. Ms. Youngerman said it would be divided. The cost will have to be under $10,000 for an RFQ. There is a cap of $9,000. The City’s participation will most likely be about $3,000. The Chair felt it was more in the purview of the Commission to do an ADA Compliance Workshop, etc. She felt it was a lot of money for a small budget commission. Ms. Youngerman said they are not paying the intern.

Ms. Youngerman provided a copy of the Community Indicators from the Human Services Council for all the Commission members. The Commission members noticed that there was no date printed on the publication. Ms. Youngerman is now on the Steering Committee for the next issue of the Community Indicators.

The Chair invited Ms. Youngerman to speak on some issues of the office, now that they are fully staffed. Ms. Youngerman said that they have staff meetings every Monday morning at 10:00 a.m., and she invited everyone to attend. They review intakes during the meeting. The meeting lasts about 30-45 minutes.

Dr.. Stabinsky asked about the progress of new computers. Ms. Youngerman said that the office is looking at different possibilities for managing cases.

OLD BUSINESS

International Human Rights Day

This was covered under the Chairlady’s Report.

NEW BUSINESS

Dr. Stabinsky said he reminded the members that he had emailed some information about the By-Laws concerning the need for a secretary. He suggested the By-Law Committee review the need for an amendment to the By-Laws concerning the need for this position.

Ms. Amodio asked the Commission members if they planned on attending Human Rights Day. Some of them will be able to attend. She and Ms.Youngerman invited the Commission members to come in and make an ornament.

ADJOURNMENT

** MS. BROWN MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** DR. STABINSKY SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn Marr
Telesco Secretarial Services

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