Inquiry Made At Plymouth City Council Meeting About City's Human Rights Committee

During the public forum at the July 9 Plymouth City Council meeting, Plymouth resident Ada Alden inquired about the Plymouth Human Rights Committee (HRC).

Alden has been the Plymouth HRC Chair for two years and an active member since 2007. She on the Minnesota League of Human Rights Commission Board of Directors and been on that Commission for the last four years. 

At the July 9 council meeting, Alden aired her concerns about the Plymouth HRC.

"I'm deeply disturbed by the silence in our community about this," Alden said. "I was told in 2007 Plymouth has no human right problems."

But Alden went onto list serious issues of human rights such as cyber bullying, combatting poverty, examining peer pressures and more that have been brought up to her.

"There is an existing silence in 2013 that the human right concerns are no concern of our elected leadership," Alden said. 

Alden questioned if addressing human rights is a part of the city government's infrastructure and "not viewed as unnecessary or an annoyance."

She hopes the city is willing to have courageous conversations about human rights.  

Alden also mentioned that retiring City Manager Laurie Ahrens had delivered a brief report about the HRC during a council session in March and the topic was put on a pending study sessions list until it was taken off the list in June. 

In December 2012, the City Council discussed the HRC's function, past work and uncertainties, looking at whether or not it could be an as-needed group that met to advise on human rights or not. But nothing was decided before interviews for city committees and commissions were conducted in early 2013. Alden said she knew of people who were interviewed for city commissions and committees in January 2013 and had voiced interest in serving on the HRC. 

According to the city's website: "The Human Rights Committee advises the city council on matters pertaining to human rights issues and discrimination in the city of Plymouth. The committee provides education on human rights issues. The HRC meets on a quarterly basis at Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Meetings are open to the public."

But the HRC has not met this year and may not be meeting in the future.

According to Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik, who has also been a member on the HRC, the city and council are looking for a better way to provide information and education the HRC did about human rights in the community.

"Yes, the topic [of the HRC] was removed from our future study session list," Slavik said. "It was done so we could focus on the budget and process that take up our [study session] dates. The entire council recognizes the importance of human rights issues."

She said that is why the city has the police department work very actively to make sure any human rights issues are addressed as they come up and the council is informed about any human right violations or perceived violations. 
Slavik said the city works with the state Human Rights Department to provide services with it and appreciates access to those services as violations come forward and are addressed.

"Our Human Rights Committee focused on education and we've asked the city's park and recreation department to fulfill the education role because frankly the work wasn't really getting done and so we can work on it in a more effective way," Slavik said. "We weren't getting the work we wanted done."

Slavik talked about the work with schools the HRC did for the human rights essay contest. She also said the city has changed commissions and committees and missions of citizen groups as well as took those roles and parceled them out into city departments. 

Uncertainty surrounding the HRC is not new. Last year HRC member Kelly Guncheon brought up the issue of the group's function and having three city representatives--Slavik, Councilmember Bob Stein and Police Chief Mike Goldstein--on it. Guncheon was concerned about possible conflict of interest with city officials and staff on the HRC. Alden had agreed that those spots could have been open to three members of the public rather than city officials. 

As of last November's HRC meeting, Slavik had said the Council would review and look at the HRC's function.

Also last November, Goldstein resigned from the HRC stating that personally and professionally it was best that he step away. He never gave any other official reason for his resignation.

The HRC has been involved with several projects in the past year.

Last August the HRC approved a recommendation to the Plymouth City Council for the city adoption of an ordinance that would allow people to register as domestic partners. In essence, allowing domestic partner registry for unmarried couples to certify their relationships with the city. 

Also, last October the HRC hosted a public forum to discuss the two controversial constitutional amendments on the Minnesota general election ballot, the amendment recognizing marriage solely is between a man and a woman and the amendment for a photo ID required for voting, both of which later failed to pass.

"We used to have the Youth Advisory Committee and the Public Safety Committee," Slavik said. "It is not that this council doesn't think human rights aren't important. We're just looking for a better way to provide the information and education in the community."

No one else on the City Council spoke about the HRC at the July 9 council meeting. No official voting was made on anything to do with the discussion and comments made about it as it was part of the informal public forum.