Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare an ordinance amending Chapter 2.44 of the Long Beach Municipal Code to: (1) revise the title of the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to the Long Beach Equity and Human Relations Commission; and, (2) to amend the purpose, functions, and membership of the HRC, as outlined in Attachment A.  (Citywide)
Motion carries. Thank you. Let's have item number 15, please. Report from City Manager Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare an ordinance to revise the title of Human Relations Commission to the Long Beach Equity and Human Relations Commission. Will make the motion on this one. Staff report. That evening, Vice Mayor, members of the Council will have ah this presentation made by the Theresa Chandler, our Office of Equity, along with Katie as the equity officer. Thank you. Okay. All right. We were locating locating the clicker. All right. Good evening. Honorable Mayor and members of the city council meeting are here this evening to present the proposed amendments to the Human Relations Commission and to seek approval for the ordinance to be revised. The reconciliation report we presented to you last August included four main goals. The first of which is to end systemic racism in Long Beach in all local government and partner agencies through internal transformation. From their strategy for is focused on building robust organizational capacity to support anti-racist reform. And one of the action items included reevaluating the role and function of the city's Human Relations Commission as an institutional asset. Since then, the Commission has been going through a robust evaluation process to develop the proposed recommendations we are presenting to you this evening. January of this year, Council directed the city manager to work with the commission to not only change the name, but to also update and expand its mission and scope to align with the recommendations from the Racial Equity and reconciliation initial report. Here is a timeline of the process we've been engaging in since you provided this direction in January. In February, the Commission met to discuss counsel's direction, a timeline process, and formed an ad hoc committee who could dedicate some additional time to this effort outside regular monthly meetings. This ad hoc committee met with the city attorney to best understand the parameters of the City Charter and role of advisory commissions. In March, the Office of Equity held a visioning session with community stakeholders to gather input around what the functions and role of a Re-envision commission could entail. In April, the Ad Hoc Committee reported back to the Commission on the visioning session themes and began discussing and forming recommendations which the Commission voted on in May and circulated for review with the city attorney and city manager in June. We are excited to share these recommendations for your consideration this evening. The proposed amendments in the Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 2.4 cover four key areas related to the Human Relations Commission, including the name, purpose, functions and membership. It will now walk through each of these areas. Thank you, Theresa. So the Human Relations Commission proposed the revised name of the Equity and Human Relations Commission. There are multiple options being explored by the commission members and community stakeholders, but ultimately they narrowed it down to a few options. An Equity in Human Relations Commission emerged. The name was selected to lead with equity first, while also acknowledging and uplifting the human impacts that we were seeking to achieve through our equity efforts. Next, I will walk through the three revised purposes of the commission. The first is to make advisory policy recommendations to the City Council on Equity, Human Relations and social justice issues, including racial equity and reconciliation. Also to serve as a forum for community discussion on equity and social justice policy issues, and to encourage input and participation from the groups most impacted by these issues. Second, the Commission proposes that they consider and recommend programs that foster a more equitable and socially just Long Beach at the individual community and system level, and to evaluate and provide recommendations regarding such programs, information and services relating to advancing matters of equity, human relations and social justice in the City of Long Beach. Finally, the Commission seeks to cultivate and sustain equity, diversity and inclusion in the City of Long Beach through accountability, measurable outcomes, and civilian oversight to provide accountability and transparency in government in the city of Long Beach. The Commission also recommended the following updated functions to provide a public forum where matters of equity, human relations and social justice may be presented, discussed and evaluated for the purpose of submitting recommendations to the City Council. Recommend policies and programs to the City Council in matters affecting human relations, equity and social justice issues, and recommend legislation for the implementation of such policies. Collaborate on project development with community groups, city commissions and other related institutions, including but not limited to the Human Dignity Program, to foster a more equitable and socially just Long Beach. Review and make recommendations on the equity action plans implemented pursuant to the City's Framework for Racial Equity and Reconciliation. Submit a report to the City Council Biannually that details the status and progress on equity measures in the city and any other areas or topics related to equity, human relations and social justice as directed by the City Council. Related to the membership of the Commission. The first recommendation is to expand the number of members from 13 to 15. The second recommendation is to ensure that the Commission is broadly representative of those persons and groups impacted by inequity at the individual community and systems level. And the third is that commissioners should possess experience either personal, professional or academic experience related to equity, human relations and social justice. And finally, that members must attend an implicit bias or anti-racism training upon being appointed to the Commission. Tonight we ask that city council request the city attorney to prepare an ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 2.44 to revise the title of the Commission, as well as amend the purpose and duties of the Commission if directed. Between August and October, the City Attorney will work to draft the ordinance update, which could return to city council. That concludes our presentation and we're happy to answer questions. Thank you. I'll offer my comments here and here from the city council will go to public comment. So, first of all, thank you to the Human Relations Commission taking up this charge. The city council directed you to I, you know, find a way to modernize and update your commission. The last update was 1989. At the same time, the PCC was updated. As we're going through the process of updating the PCC and only made sense to update the Human Relations Commission to place a focus on equity. I think what you present it, I think shows much more clarity in the mission and the focus and thank you , the staff for for doing your job and facilitating this process. I even think the name of what you came up with, equity in human relations, I think that represents compromise and inclusion. I know there was a debate there, but that that represents inclusion. So I think you've done you've done your job, and I'm happy to support what you put in front of me. There's one area and, you know, I you know, I think it needs to be a little tighter on one area. So, you know, focus on the programing and all these other things. I would have loved to see systems or policy added in there, too, because the part of this is really systems and policy. So, you know, that's just my only feedback there. But in general, I think we've done a great job and those are my comments. Councilwoman Allen. Yes. Thank you, vice mayor. And also, I just want to say thank you to the members of the commission and the support staff. That was a wonderful presentation. Also a special thanks to the chair and Vice Chair Ellis and Amy. I am very grateful for your frequent communications and I'm so happy to have you both residents of the Second District. I wholeheartedly, wholeheartedly support the inclusion of equity, specifically in the title and mission of the Human Relations Commission, and support renaming the Commission the Long Beach Equity and Human Relations Commission. I also support the recommendations to increase membership on the Commission and also increase their scope of work. The Commission can and should be empowered to serve as an advisory body, recommending solutions from and for the community. I look forward to continue to work with you and all of the wonderful commissioners. Thank you for all your hard work and testing. Thank you. Councilman Ciro Ings Vice Mayor. I also want to add my thanks to Ms.. Chandler and Ms.. Balderas for the presentation and their work with the Commission. I know it's. I also want to thank our commissioners for their hard work and just going through such a process to ensuring that there is dialog and conversation about what it means to be inclusive and to work toward equity. And so I think it's really important that we do consider how the commission is relevant to our times and the needs. So I just want to thank all the hard work that was put into coming to this point and with the renaming and the additional board members to the commission , which I fully support. Thank you. Thank you public comment for any public comment on this item. There is the first speaker is Amy Erickson. Chanel Smith, Melissa morgan and John Schultz. Can you please line up? Good evening, Vice Mayor. Council member. So nice to see you all inside here again. And to city staff, especially to Kelly, Colby, Tom Modica and Charlie Parkin and your staffs for all the hard work that you've all done on this change to this ordinance. I am Amy Ericson. I'm a lifelong resident here in District two, and I am coming to you as the vice chair of the hopefully soon to be renamed Equity and Human Relations Commission. I'm here to support agenda item 15, which is this recommendation to revise the title of the Human Relations Commission to the Equity and Human Relations Commission and to amend the purpose, functions and membership of the HRC. I would also say to also fund $200,000 per year to support the work of the Commission and those staff members that work diligently on all of their work and then have to find time to do this work. We want to see some dedicated staff time so that they don't have to work five times harder than most other folks. As the City of Long Beach engages in efforts to institutionalize equity and infuse an equity lens throughout this process, it's we want to move that through its practices, policies and decision making. And it has and it is critical that an independent citizen commission has the ability to advise, advise city council on matters of equity and social justice and be on hand to provide accountably accountability and partnership throughout the process. Just as you said, vice mayor. I think policy is most important in the work that we're doing. This is something I know we've been able to do in past years as we present and comment in council. But with this change in ordinance, we will ensure that this work continues into the future. On that note, we are hoping that not only will you support this ordinance tonight, but that you will look at the items that were recommended through the process from community commissioners and staff. One important piece is that we also need to staff this important work. But as Chair Sardinia's stated in the Cape Cod presentation, all commissioners want the community to come out and share their needs so each commission can help. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month and would like to make sure that any of the community here come out to our meetings and be a part of it. Another recommendation we have is about commissions. What we found through our work is that this is not the only commission we need to look at. A women's commission is desperately needed in this town to look at the work of what we can do to uphold these people. It's critically important, especially when we're thinking about naming buildings and naming bridges. It's important to think about women in that as well. I wanted to also share that some of the work that we also need to be doing is around ensuring that this work goes on. So we are going to be coming back to you to talk to you about how we can make this a charter commission. We know that you all uphold the values that we that we hold dear, this commission. But we don't know that you're that the people that come after you will as well. So thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello. My name's Chanel Smith. I'm a resident of District three and the district appointed to the Human Relations Commission. And I want to thank Council for your recognition of all of the hard work that went into this new name and the new purposes. And to that, the staff, Teresa and Katy, for the amazing work that they did in helping us through this process. I won't take up too much time. I think that Commissioner Erikson said it perfectly. Vice Mayor, I appreciate your comments on how this is really a systemic issue and how this commission needs to start looking at systems , which is why we want to have the revised duties that the Equity and Human Relations Commission are asking for. And also we'll be coming back to you guys to discuss this becoming a chartered commission. I want to second Commissioner Eriksson Eriksson's comments regarding the $200,000 ask that is not a part of today's mission or today's motion, but we'll be coming back. It's really important that we have staff to support this and that we recognize that we're not asking to reinvent the wheel. As the Relief Human Relations Commission moves into the city manager's office, the staff that we currently have is not going to follow us until we want to make sure that we have that continued staff support. So thank you all for your time and for the acknowledgment of the need for this commission to change its work. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Okay. Well, good morning or no I'm I got an evening long day I. Did that. Pandemic life blurs their everyday is blurs day. I'm. Hello Mayors. City Council city manager and city staff. I'm Melissa morgan speaking tonight on behalf of Long Beach Forward where I am privileged to work and learn and grow. We support this important step to provide some citizen led oversight and advisement and accountability regarding the city's equity driven efforts . And we support amending the Commission's purpose, functions and membership in line with recommendations from the Racial Equity and reconciliation initial report. We also support $200,000 of funding for staff support. You may not know, but once upon a time I staffed the Human Relations Commission when I worked in the same offices, our city manager here and I was in the city manager's office. Back then, maybe you could imagine the Human Relations Commission was a little bit pooh poohed, for lack of a better word. It wasn't really lifted up or valued. There was not budget and staff support that I was able to give was very minimal. And so that commitment just wasn't there. So this is very encouraging to see this effort being made and this support from staff and hopefully from you, all this council and really making this change. I had the honor to independently outside of my 9 to 5 or nine train or depending how late this goes tonight, my full time job to participate in the March 24th Community Stakeholder Visioning session. There were about 25 no 35 passionate community members and ten staff, I believe. And it was an amazing experience. Folks shared, very frankly, how much they care about human relations. Some great tips on how commissions could function. So I definitely encourage you to read the report that is added here in the materials. And I wanted to tell all of you council members that some people in the community have a perception and concern that you all don't necessarily embrace equity to its fullest and that there may be staff who do not embrace equity to its fullest and that there's work to be done there. We're really looking for actions beyond words, as well as funding and budget and change in system and policy. So the community was very clear that they're looking for your leadership to really show how deeply you embrace equity, diversity and inclusion. Something I was reminded in the process is that the Human Relations Commission was started and then restarted again in response to police brutality. And back then there was an article about 30 years ago where a person who was involved said, We really hope this commission gets some teeth this time, so we're asking you for some teeth. Please support this item. Please support deeper equity regardless of race, sexual orientation, our age or immigration status. It's vital that we see diversity, equity and inclusion priorities in our government. We're waiting for your leadership. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, council people, city staff. I see the equity team over there. I see fellow commissioner here. My name is John Schulz and I'm a 20 year resident of the fifth District. Today I speak to you as a member of the Human Relations Commission. I'm the newest member, and really, I've only seen these people on on Zoom. And you guys all look better in person briefing. I ask you for your support of agenda item 15. Up on the screen, the logistics call for a name change. Some additional commissioners that's likely to pass at a moment. So today I'm going to advocate, advocate and encourage the city manager, the mayor and the council to help find the funds requested in this item. It's a relatively small amount, and we do have some federal one times to look at, especially any of those funds that require an eye on equity. We have a huge task of reconciliation ahead of us. Help us help you. In the policies, logistics and implementation of equity and everything that that word means to our city. That's what I got. Thank you for your time. Stay healthy. Fantastic. Thank you. All right. Well, thank you all for your participation here. And and good luck to the new HRC and members. Please cast your vote. Motion carries. Thank you. Let's take item number 27 now.