HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
March 11, 2003
7:30 – 9:45 PM
Lincoln Park Community Center
357 Frederick Avenue

Re: Presentation on Activities of Rockville Human Rights Commission

Michael Berman, Chair of the Rockville Human Rights Commission, explained that the commission he represents has recently been moved from the City Manager’s Office to the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, which he considers a natural home for the work that it does. The Human Rights Commission’s responsibilities include: outreach, a Mediation Program, various policy initiatives, and investigation of charges of discrimination.

Mike defined outreach as basically education. He said that their biggest event is the Diversity Leadership Workshop, which is scheduled for April 26, 2003. Twenty students from high schools located in Rockville and twenty students from Montgomery College attend this daylong event. Designed to increase sensitivity, typical discussions at the workshop concern ethnicity, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. In the last part of the workshop, participants work on strategies to change societal attitudes. Other forms of outreach include mock trials, staffing booths at various city events, colloquia and the Martin Luther King event, which Commission members start planning in August. This year the event included a documentary on Rockville residents who had lived through the sixties.

Mike explained that the Mediation Program, which is staffed by members of the Human Rights Commission as well as trained community members, is intended to assist Rockville residents who have a dispute in solving their differences. The program does not assist with family conflicts or with certain kinds of employment discrimination. Referrals for the program come from the police, from the courts, and from other community members. Training in mediation techniques is offered once a year and will be held next in July. The City offers the forty-hour training for free. Mike invited Human Services Advisory Commission members to attend.

Policy, the third area of responsibility for the Human Rights Commission, Mike said, is the most difficult. This entails advising the Mayor and Council on issues as, for example, the City’s affirmative action plan. Another example is a proclamation urging President Bush to look harder at diplomacy, which the Commission nine days ago sent to the Mayor and Council for consideration. Finally, the Human Rights Commission is also responsible for investigating charges of discrimination within the city. Typically, Mike said, these go to mediation.

Bill Goodwin thanked Mike for his presentation and congratulated the Human Rights Commission members for their activism.

Re: Approve Minutes of February 11, 2003 Meeting

The minutes of the February 11, 2003 meeting were approved as written. There was a brief discussion of the format currently used in the minutes, specifically as to whether comments by guest speakers should be summarized. There was consensus that the format did not need to be changed at this time but might be reviewed again in the future.

Re: Disposition of “Beginning to End, A Plan to End Homelessness in Montgomery County”

Bill Goodwin asked if members had any additional thoughts on the content of the plan. Ann Reiss said that most of it is county and state-based. One issue in the plan, health care, is an issue for the City as well as the County. Agnes Saenz said that she does not think the City should be excluded. There are seven homeless shelters in or just outside the City limits. John said that it would seem important for the Human Services Advisory Commission to endorse the plan. He said that the plan goes to the core of what the Commission should be doing. The plan will not end homelessness but it is necessary to maximize resources for this problem.

Bill then asked how the Commission should dispose of the issue. He passed around an outline he made demonstrating the options available to the Commission. One option is for the Commission to send a letter to the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. Another is for the Commission to communicate privately with the Mayor and Council. A third option is to communicate publicly which would increase visibility. If the public approach were to be used, Bill said there would be an opportunity for a dialogue.

Agnes said she doesn’t see what the issue is in supporting the plan. The City already supports seven shelter programs. She doesn’t see any risk and doesn’t think that supporting the plan would mean that the City would have to give funds. Tom Lawrey responded that there is a political issue. If a weakness were found in the plan, their support could potentially embarrass the Mayor and Council. David L’Heureux agreed saying that the Mayor and Council are sensitive to spending more money.

Bill asked for a straw vote. The consensus was that the Commission should communicate privately with the Mayor and Council. After further discussion it was moved and passed unanimously that a forwarding letter should be drafted to accompany the plan that would advise the Mayor and Council that they should consider endorsing the plan. Bill and Agnes agreed to draft the letter. David added that the letter could also say that the Commission is willing to discuss the plan with the Mayor and Council at the upcoming worksession if they are so inclined.

Re: Planning for Upcoming Worksession with Mayor and Council

The working draft, mailed to Commission members prior to the meeting, was reviewed. Bill said that regarding the Commission’s Annual Report, he would like to know the Mayor and Council’s preference as to whether they want an annual report in the future. Ann agreed to do the briefing on 211 as she had done for the Commission. The last item on the agenda, “Plans for Future Activity” listed human service needs which individual Commission members have expressed an interest in pursuing in the past. Bill added that perhaps flexibility in the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program should be added to the list. Mary Lou said that the issue of increasing the maximum REAP payment should not go to the Mayor and Council until City staff have been able to discuss the pros and cons in greater detail with the Commission. Mary Lou added that the County does not always provide their full amount to Rockville residents. Since City residents pay County taxes, they are entitled to full benefits. Also, at the present time, Robin Sparer, the Youth, Family, and Community Supervisor in charge of REAP, is approving applications above the limit on a case by case basis.

David said that he would like to see the issue of Community Linc of Montgomery County added to the list of issues to be discussed. Community Linc was a database that provided a central clearinghouse for Information and Referral services. Community Linc was terminated because the County was going to provide this service. They have not yet fulfilled that promise. Ann said that when Community Linc was discontinued, the County said they would provide an Information and Referral service for the Aging and Disability Community. That has been done. In addition, an information and referral database has been put on the County website. David said he still thinks it would be appropriate for the Mayor and Council to bring up the issue at an appropriate time. Agnes said that, in view of the budgetary cuts being made in County services, this does not seem like an appropriate time. Tom agreed saying that this is a delicate time to discuss what the County should or should not do. Maybe a later time would be better. Ann commented that, in addition, the County would say they are supporting 211, which is the Community Linc of the future. Mary Lou said that David could speak to a related aspect at the worksession, specifically the needs of people with disabilities. At the last budget cycle, the City received a request for funding for a group offering services to the disabled. That would be an appropriate issue for the Mayor and Council and one area, perhaps, that the City could have an impact. David said he would suggest that Lauren Newman come speak to the Commission at a future meeting. He added that he feels strongly about the issue of information and referral. The Commission's mandate is to ensure that basic needs are being met. He feels that, at least, the topic should be raised with the Mayor and Council.

Tom said that most of the people he deals with at Manna Food Center are those in need. He thinks that Bill's list of topics for panel discussion has a good mix of items. John agreed to address the issue of affordable housing after consulting with Agnes and Darrell. Deborah agreed to speak about transportation in place of Charlotte who will be unable to attend. Charlotte is especially concerned about elderly people who are not low income and who should not be driving. She thinks they need another alternative. David said that Betsy Luecking, a supervisor for the County in Aging and Disability Information and Referral, has information on this topic. She could provide an overview and might be another possible guest for the Commission.

Ann asked if the Mayor and Council could be asked about the Commission's responsibility to them and how the Commission can be of assistance to them. Bill agreed to lay out the three main areas in the Commission's charter which could be given to the Mayor and Council before the meeting. Bill said he sees his role as trying to briefly cover all the topics.

Re: Plan Agenda for Next Meeting

Bill asked members if they wanted to have a regular meeting in April in addition to the already scheduled worksession with the Mayor and Council. David suggested that the next meeting could be a "debriefing" for the worksession immediately following the worksession. Members were in agreement with this plan. As a result there will be no regular meeting in April.

Re: Adjourn

The next meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission will be held on April 7, 2003, at 111 Maryland Avenue in the Boards and Commissions Conference Room immediately following the worksession with the Mayor and Council.

The next regular meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2003, from 7:30 - 9:30 PM, at 32 Courthouse Square.