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Human
Relations Commission
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Click
here for minutes from the April 18th, 2002 meeting
Click here for minutes from the
June 20th, 2002 meeting
Click here for minutes from the
July 18th, 2002 meeting
Click
here for minutes from the August 28th, 2002 meeting
SEPTEMBER 17, 2002
ATTENANDCE: Art Scialabba, Chairman; Joanne Romano, Vice Chair;
Mariusz Kossarski; Steve Papadakos; Andy Garfunkel, Michael Murray, Barbara Amodio (8:23 p.m.)
STAFF: Sonja Devitt, Director; Larry Patterson, Field Representative
The Chairman opened the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 28, 2002
Ms. LaTourneau’s name should have a capital T.
** MS. ROMANO MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 28, 2002, AS CORRECTED.
** MR. KOSSARSKI SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Ms. Devitt apologized to Mr. Kossarski in leaving his name off the memo as a member of the Nominating Committee.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Mr. Scialabba said that he sent a letter to the Mayor’s office regarding usage of the recording secretary services and has not yet received a response. The City Clerk’s office will cover the hearings, but the regular Commission meetings have not been determined as being covered by that budget. However, if not covered by that department’s budget, the Commission’s budget will cover the regular meetings. The staff participates in the meetings and the minutes should be taken by an independent party. There has been no response from Bruce Morris regarding the annual tree planting.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Ms. Devitt commented on the written Director’s Report. There are two new complaints with a possible third. There has been no word on Commissioner appointments. Irene will be on vacation October 15-25, 2003. She was encouraged not to take an earlier week due to hearings and heavy activity during the month of October. She met with Pam Stark who stated that there will be a secretary for hearings. Ms. Stark said that other agencies in the State do not have secretaries for their regular meetings. Ms. Devitt also wrote a letter stating that the minutes are records of the meeting that may be influenced by staff thoughts. She also stated that the staff does not have the skills or time to perform this activity. They would lose a full day for minutes playing the tape and making notes and compiling minutes.
Mr. Scialabba stated that the search for who gets minutes taken should be for all departments, not just this one.
Ms. Devitt also noted in her letter that the discretionary funds are less than $8,000 a year and pulling out several thousand dollars for secretarial service is unrealistic.
She has begun scheduling the panel for ADA Awareness Training, October 9 and 10, despite that there is no financial commitment from the Board of Education or the City. It needs to be done. She has spoken with different organizations that will send a participant.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no comments.
Barbara Amodio arrived at 8:23 p.m.
EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR CASE REVIEW
** MS. ROMANO MOVED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR CASE
REVIEW.
** MR. PAPADAKOS SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Chairman closed the Public Session at 8:25 p.m. and convened Executive Session for Case Review.
The Chairman closed the Executive Session at 8:45 p.m. and reconvened the Public Session.
OLD BUSINESS
Fair Housing Representative’s Report
Mr. Papadakos stated that Ms. Suib had visited with him and told him that Mr. Shipp’s term has ended and a new Chairman must be appointed. She questioned who should chair the meeting in lieu of this vacancy. The Mayor has legal authority to appoint the chairman for that Commission.
Review/Revision of Brochure
The group reviewed the brochure adding or deleting information to finalize the document.
Ms. Romano suggested not listing the position of the Commissioners, just list them in alphabetical order as the terms end prior to an updating of the document. Prior to printing, an update of the Commissioners’ names will be checked.
Ms. Devitt noted under "Goals" the term should read other than for the millennium… "goals for the future", "continuing goals", "ongoing goals", "continuing goals’ were some suggestions. It was agreed that the term "goals and activities" would be inserted.
Ms. Devitt suggested removing "to" and start with "education." In the third item, the term should read "liaisons with" and the next delete "allegation of." The Blue Ribbon Report would be totally deleted. An addition would be "Effect fair resolutions of discrimination complaints" as there is no mention of taking complaints in the brochure.
Ms. Romano referred back to the first notation and asked that "to continue to educate" be added. Ms. Amodio suggested using action words to begin each line.
Ms. Devitt stated that under Education there should be an "s" added to employee.
With regard to "events" Ms. Devitt wished to make the information more meaty. She suggested starting out by saying "December is Human Rights and Opportunities Month in Norwalk."
Events sponsored by the Commission:
There were further suggestions of wording on the outside of the brochure for immediate viewing. Changing the fonts was suggested on various notations.
OTHER BUSINESS
Plans for International Human Rights Day
Mr. Scialabba repeated that he has left a message for Mr. Morris and as soon as he has some information he will pass it on to the appropriate people.
Ms. Devitt noted that Human Rights Day is on a Tuesday. She asked the Chairman if he was going to appoint a subcommittee for ideas and plans for this activity.
Mr. Scialabba asked for volunteers for this project. Ms. Amodio, Mr. Scialabba, Andy Garfunkel and Ms. Romano will make up the subcommittee. Ms. Romano suggested a skit by the children in the auditorium from the different schools regarding the day. Ms. Amodio suggested a repeat of something she developed several years previously. It drew parents, the community and the media.
Ms. Romano will create T-shirts for the activity and ornaments for the tree.
Ms. Amodio suggested that the Human Rights coordinator for each school facilitate the creation of ornaments and then bring them to the activities to be hung on the tree.
Election of Officers
Ms. Amodio reported that the Nominating Committee presented the following slate of officers to serve from the date of their election to the September 2003 Human Relations Commission meeting:
Chairman – Steve Papadakos
Vice Chairman – Art Scialabba
The Chairman inquired whether there were any other nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominations were closed.
** MS. ROMANO MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION ACCEPT THE
NOMINATIONS OF STEVE PAPADAKOS AS CHAIRMAN AND ART SCIALABBA AS VICE CHAIRMAN.
** MR. KOSSARSKI SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Mr. Scialabba stated that he enjoyed being the Chairman for the past terms.
** MS. ROMANO MOVED THAT MR. SCIALABBA CHAIR THE
HEARING TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2002, AS HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE CASE FROM THE BEGINNING AND IS THE BEST PERSON ON THE COMMISSION TO HANDLE THIS MATTER.
** MR. KOSSARSKI SECONDED.
Ms. Devitt asked who is now Chairing the meeting. Mr. Scialabba stated that Mr. Papadakos is the Chair.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Mr. Papadakos thanked the Commission for its vote of confidence. He expressed that Mr. Scialabba had chaired the meeting well and had been a good teacher. He will be continuing to learn and hoped that he would do a good job.
Ms. Devitt commended Mr. Scialabba for his chairing ability. She stated that he had new ways and good ways of handling community issues that aided the Human Relations Commission to keep up on and have brought to its attention. She looked forward to his remaining on the Commission as vice chairman.
Ms. Devitt expressed that she looked forward to Mr. Papadakos’ leadership in the upcoming term.
Ms. Amodio said that during her term of 15 years on this Commission that Mr. Scialabba has kept the Commission together through tough times and good times. She appreciated his fine mind for detail and it had been a pleasure to work with him.
Mr. Kossarski stated that Mr. Scialabba’s direction has presented an intelligent thoughtful decision so that there was unity for giving credence to the decision for things that have been occurring in the last two years. He gave his hat off to him.
Ms. Devitt asked that the Commissioners note that those involved in this racial harassment hearing be aware that there are different things involved in this type of hearing. The Supreme Court has made it easier to bring a case like this forward. She read some notations from her summary distributed to the Commissioners. They will need to decide whether 1) did the respondent say and do the things he is accused of or is there truth to complainant’s allegations; 2) even if he did say what he is accused of saying or doing, was it sufficiently severe to alter the condition of the complainant’s employment and create an abusive working environment. It must be determined if this is creating a harassment environment. She asked them to read the material and have some initial material to go on.
ADJOURNMENT
** MS. ROMANO MOVED TO AJOURN.
** MR. SCIALABBA SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Alvina L. Richardson Decker
Telesco Secretarial Services
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