Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting Courthouse
December 3, 2015 Minutes
Present: Misty Gonzales, Helen Rentch, Lauren Graves, Dan Brown, Donald Morton, Marilyn Daniel
Absent: Lonnie Jackson, Gayle Franklin, Rev. Shelia Harris (she called as in the hospital post surgery)
Misty Gonzales presiding.
Minutes approved with correction on financial report.
Financial report:
Balance: $1952.76 Expenditures: $75 booth rental, Income: $0.15 interest
Correspondence: none
Old Business: Education Co.: Superintendent Scott Hawkins will attend the January meeting to discuss ‘achievement gap’ concerns. Dan will send a letter repeating questions which Garet Wells could not address. Lauren has sent a request to Carmen Wilcox to meet with us and will now specify that March would be a desirable date.
Fairness Co. : Marilyn will send Versialles City Council information r/t to recent corporate decisions by Brown Forman (organizing a coalition of businesses to seek a legislation to protect LGTB on the state level) and Krogers (expanding their internal policy to protect Transgender individuals).
Ed Dove, attorney for the Lexington-Layette HRC, will provide training in the Open Records Act at 6p prior to our February meeting. (Marilyn to f/u)
Rev. Green will be invited to the February meeting to present on a Reconciliation Project. Donald to be in touch with him. Gayle Franklin has responded to the letter sent to him, stating his appreciation and intention to contact Judge Coyle to submit his resignation.
Confusion over current term appointment dates was noted and Helen will contact the government offices to get clarity on the various length of appointments and how they are staggered.
Nominations for the vacant offices were discussed. Lauren Graves will continue as Treasurer. Donald Morton accepted nomination as Chair, Marilyn Daniel as Vice Chair and Dan Brown as Secretary. Election will be held at the January meeting.
New Business: Misty submitted a letter explaining her decision to not accept reappointment by Mayor Traugott. She has accepted a position with Americans for Refugees in Crisis and due to new family and business commitments must give up some responsibilities. She provided information for transitioning the website administration and expressed willingness to continue to work with and be a resource for the Commission. She will continue on the Commission while the new appointments are being made.
Several members expressed a new concern with the security of the Commission meetings due to general episodes of violence in the society and because we are dealing with controversial issues as well as sometimes disgruntled individuals.
Donald will contact Judge Coyle to discuss placing an officer in or about the courthouse during our meetings. Resolved that outdated By-laws which do not incorporate the change in Commission composition, from 15 to 9 members, will be corrected in 2016. (It might be noted that since this change we have only had one meeting when there was not sufficient quorum to do business, persisting lack of a quorum having been the rationale for the composition change. Meeting adjourned
Next meeting to be January 7, 2016 at 6:30p in the courtroom.