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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-07-13CITY OF OCOEE MINUTES OF HUMAN RELATIONS/ DIVERSITY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING HELD NOVEMBER 7, 2013 CALL TO OR Chairman Hopkins called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in Room 109 of City Hall, 150 North Lakeshore Drive. Following a moment of personal reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, a quorum was declared present. PRESENT: Chairman Hopkins, Past Chairman Maxwell, and Members Calloway, Curry, Foster, Freeman, and Singh ALSO PRESENT: Commissioner Keller, Staff - Liaison Wright, and Recording Clerk Turner ABSENT: Chair -Elect Dawkins (A /E), and Members Boudokhane (A /U) and McKenzie (A /U) _. _... _ - -- BUSINESS FOR DISCUSSION APPROVAL OF MINUTES October 3, 2013 Past Chairman Maxwell directed the board's attention to page five (5) of the minutes, asking if the passage was a true portrayal of the occurrence at the HRDB's October 3rd meeting. Recording Clerk Turner explained to the board that minutes are a brief summary of meetings, and not a transcribed document. Lengthy discussion ensued. Past Chairman Maxwell informed the board of Member Pierce's resignation, Minutes of the October 3, 2013, meeting were accepted as written. COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS/ PUBLIC Chairman Hopkins explained that this agenda item is a legislative requirement for boards to allow the public reasonable opportunity to be heard before taking action or) an issue. SUNSHINE LAW OVERVIEW (COMMISSIONER KELLER) Commissioner Keller provided the board with a brief overview of Florida's Governrnent in the Sunshine Law (Exhibit A). Key points of the presentation were as follows: • The law is applicable to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter on which foreseeable action will be taken by the board. • Meetings of public boards must be open to the public. • Board meetings and subcornmittee meetings must be reasonably noticed. • Minutes of the meeting must be taken. • Board meetings do not need to be electronically recorded. • Board members cannot talk to each other in private discussions about board business. • Meetings between a member of a board and an ex officio, non- voting board member are subject to the Sunshine Law. Human Relations Diversity Board Minutes November 7, 2013 Page 2 of 4 Members of a board are not prohibited to meet socially, provided that matters which may come before the board are not discussed at the gathering. All written correspondence is considered a public record. Social media (Facebook pages, etc.) should not contain matters that may come before the board. Board discussion ensued regarding the Florida Sunshine Law, and Chairman Hopkins stated that a refresher on the Sunshine Law should be provided annually. Chairman Hopkins continued by saying that the board's guidelines are very specific that a member's personal business cannot be intermingled with the board's events. BUDGET REPORT Staff - Liaison Wright informed the board that the HRDB account balance is $5,677.26 with no outstanding deductions or donations. Additionally, for the new fiscal year, the City will be depositing $7,000 to the board's account. MLK UNITY PARADE AND CELEBRATION Staff - Liaison Wright provided the board with a copy of the 9th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Parade outline (Exhibit B). The list below describes sorne of the pending tasks and task assignments: • Member Calloway volunteered to invite Tammy Munk to sing the National Anther • Chairman Hopkins volunteered to confirm the J.R.O.T.C:.. for the Presentation of the Colors. Chairman Hopkins volunteered to contact the Ocoee High School Band. • Member Calloway confirmed Reverend Dorsey for the Invocation and Benediction. • Member Maxwell confirmed that the Garden Community Choir will perform; Staff - Liaison Wright will reach out to the choir to see if they will require risers. • Staff - Liaison Wright will e -mail or bring to the December meeting an event - day volunteer list. • Member Calloway volunteered to secure sponsorship for refreshments. • Staff - Liaison Wright will invite last year's participants and advertise the event. Member Calloway stated that he and Vice -Chair Dawkins contacted Evans, Wekiva, and West Orange High School Bands; however, they have not received a response from the schools. Board discussion ensued regarding soliciting donations, and Chairman Hopkins explained that event donors will be publically noted depending on the level of sponsorship they commit to. Staff - Liaison Wright informed the board that the event registration and sponsorship letter are on the HRDB's webpage. Human Relations Diversity Board Minutes November 7, 2013 Page 3 of 4 Staff - Liaison Wright informed the board that Borne of the pole flags that are to be displayed on Clarke Road may need to be replaced as they may be missing or damaged; she asked that the board designate some funds towards their replacement. Member Calloway, seconded by Member Curry moved to set aside funds not to exceed $1,000 to replace the missing or damaged banners that are to be displayed on Clarke Road for the MLK Unity Parade. Board discussion ensued regarding pricing and replacement of the missing /damaged banners. Past Chairman Maxwell directed Staff - Liaison Wright to ensure that the flags being used do not have the past year's sponsorship information. After board discussion, the motion passed unanimously. Member Singh asked Staff - liaison Wright to e -mail him the size, wording, and quantity of banners that need to be replaced, and he will contact a local print -shop for pricing. BLACK HISTORY MONTH ESSAY CONTEST Chairman Hopkins asked Staff- Liaison Wright to provide the board with a pre -event planning outline for the Black History Month Essay Contest. Board discussion ensued regarding the 9 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Unify Parade outline format. Member Freeman stated she would like to see the outline as an Excel spreadsheet. She continued by saying information such as timeframe, who volunteered for each task, and if the task was completed should be tracked on each line item. Staff - Liaison Wright stated she would provide Member Freeman with a copy of the outline, and gave her permission to change the format. Chairman Hopkins informed the board that at the October meeting, the board voted to separate the themes for the MLK Unity Parade and Celebration and the Black History Month Essay Contest. Board discussion ensued regarding themes, and the board was directed to bring ideas for themes to the Decerber meeting. Board discussion ensued regarding inviting local high schools to participate in the contest. Commissioner Keller suggested inviting Wekiva, Ocoee, West Orange, and Olympia High Schools. Chairman Hopkins directed Staff - Liaison Wright to 1)e -mail the schools to inform them that the essay contest is approaching, 2) bring a list of local schools to the December meeting, 3) request that the teachers provide a list of participants. Staff - Liaison Wright informed the board that the essay contest guidelines will be provided to the schools in January. Also to be discussed at a future meeting is whether to separate grand prizes by school level. Board discussion ensued regarding offering feedback on the essays. After lengthy board discussion, it was decided to award each essay participant with a certificate of participation or certificate of appreciation. Human Relations Diversity Board Minutes November 7, 2013 Page 4 of 4 NEXT AGENDA - DECEMBER 5, 2013 Comments from Citizens /Public Budget Report Spring Fling MLK Unity Parade and Celebration Black History Month Essay Contest Set Next Agenda QUESTIONS /COMMENTS ADJOURN Member Singh volunteered to inform other communities regarding the MLK Unity Parade and Celebration. Member Foster informed the board that the Florida Frontiers featured the Ocoee Massacre on their radio show. Chairman Hopkins asked Member Foster to research the opportunity to access the radio show. The meeting adjourned at 9:04 p.m. +- - -- - -- .. Diana Turner, Recording Clerk ennife ' Fiop ins, Chairman Exhibit A Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law Q &A • What is the Sunshine Law? Florida's Uovermnent -iii- the - Sunshine law provides a right of access to governmental proceedings at both the state and local levels. It applies to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter which will foresee ably come before that board for action. There is also a constitutionally guaranteed right of access. Virtually all state and local collegial public bodies are covered by the open meetings requirements with the exception of the judiciary and the state Legislature which has its own constitutional provision relating to access. What are the requirements of the Sunshine law? The Sunshine law requires that I ) meetings of boards or commissions must be open to the public; 2) reasonable notice of such meetings must be given, and 3) minutes of the meeting must be taken. What agencies are covered under the Sunshine Law? The Uovermnent -in- the - Sunshine Law applies to "any board or conilnission of any state agency or authority or of any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation or political subdivision." Thus, it applies to public collegial bodies within the state at both the local as well as state level. It applies equally to elected or appointed boards or commissions. • Are federal agencies covered by the Sunshine Law? Federal agencies operating in the state do not come under Florida's Sunshine law. • Does the Sunshine Law apply to the Legislature? Florida's Constitution provides that meetings of the Legislature be open and noticed except those specifically exempted by the Legislature or specifically closed by the Constitution. Each house is responsible through its rules of procedures for interpreting, implementing and enforcing these provisions. Information on the rules governing openness in the Legislature can be obtained from the respective houses. • Does the Sunshine Law apply to members- elect? Members -elect of public boards or commissions arc covered by the Sunshine law immediately upon their election to public office. • What qualifies as a meeting? The Sunshine law applies to all discussions or deliberations as well as the formal action taken by a board or commission. The law, in essence, is applicable to any gathering, whether formal or casual, of two or more members of the same board or commission to discuss some matter on which foreseeable action will be taken by the public board or commission. There is no requirement that a quorum be present for a meeting to be covered under the law. • Can a public agency hold closed meetings? There are a limited number of exemptions which would allow a public agency to close a meeting. These include, but are not limited to, certain discussions with the board's attorney over pending litigation and portions of collective bargaining sessions. In addition, specific portions of meetings of some agencies (usually state agencies) may be closed when those agencies are making probable cause determinations or considering confidential records. • Does the law require that a public meeting be audio taped? There is no requirement under the Sunshine law that tape recordings be made by a public board or commission, but if they are made, they become public records. • Can a city restrict a citizen's right to speak at a meeting? Public agencies are allowed to adopt reasonable rules and regulations which ensure the orderly conduct of a public meeting and which require orderly behavior on the part of the public attending. This includes limiting the amount of time an individual can speak and, when a large number of people attend and wish to speak, requesting that a representative of each side of the issue speak rather than everyone present. • As a private citizen, can I videotape a public meeting? A public board may not prohibit a citizen from videotaping a public meeting through the use of non- disruptive video recording devices. • Can a board vote by secret ballot? The Sunshine law requires that meetings of public boards or commissions be "open to the public at all times." Thus, use of pre- assigned numbers, codes or secret ballots would violate the law. • Can two members of a public board attend social functions together? Members of a public board are not prohibited under the Sunshine law from meeting together socially, provided that matters which may come before the board are not discussed at such gatherings. • What is a public record? The Florida Suprerne Court has determined that public records are all materials made or received by an agency in connection with official business which are used to perpetuate, communicate or formalize knowledge. They are not limited to traditional written documents. Tapes, photographs, films and sound recordings are also considered public records subject to inspection unless a statutory exemption exists. • Can I request public documents over the telephone and do I have to tell why I want them? Nothing in the public records law requires that a request for public records be in writing or in person, although individuals may wish to make their request in writing to ensure they have an accurate record of what they requested. Unless otherwise exempted, a custodian of public records must honor a request for records, whether it is made in person, over the t- elephone, or in writing, provided the required fees are paid. In addition, nothing in the law requires the requestor to disclose the reason for the request. • How much can an agency charge for public documents? The law provides that the custodian shall furnish a copy of public records upon payment of the fee prescribed by law. If no fee is prescribed, an agency is normally allowed to charge up to 15 cents per one -sided copy for copies that are 14" x 8 1/2" or less. A charge of up to $1 per copy may be assessed for a certified copy of a public record. If the nature and volume of the records to be copied requires extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance, or both, the agency may charge a reasonable service charge based on the actual cost incurred. • Does an agency have to explain why it denies access to public records? A custodian of a public record- who contends that the record or part of a record is exempt from inspection must state the basis for that exemption, including the statutory citation. Additionally, when asked, the custodian must state in writing the reasons for concluding the record is exempt. • When does a document sent to a public agency become a public document? As soon as a document is received by a public agency, it becomes a public record, unless there is a legislatively created exemption which makes it confidential and not subject to disclosure. Are public employee personnel records considered public records? The rule on personnel records is the same as for other public documents ... unless the Legislature has specifically exempted an agency's personnel records or authorized the agency to adopt rules limiting public access to the records, personnel records are open to public inspection. "]'here are, however, nurnerous statutory exemptions that apply to personnel records. Can an agency refuse to allow public records to be inspected or copied if requested to do so by the maker or sender of the documents? No. To allow the maker or sender of documents to dictate the circumstances under which documents are deenred confidential would permit private parties instead of the Legislature to determine which public records are public and which are not. ® Are arrest records public documents? Arrest reports prepared by a law enforcement agency after the arrest of a subject are generally considered to be open for public inspection. At the same time, however, certain information such as the identity of a sexual battery victim is exempt. ® Is an agency required to give out information from public records or produce public records in a particular form as requested by an individual? The Sunshine Law provides for a right of access to inspect and copy existing public records. It does not mandate that the custodian give out information from the records nor does it mandate that an agency create new records to accommodate a request for information. • What agency can prosecute violators? The local state attorney has the statutory authority to prosecute alleged criminal violations of the open meetings and public records law. Certain civil remedies are also available. What is the difference between the Sunshine Amendment and the Sunshine Law? The Sunshine Arendment was added to Florida's Constitution in 1976 and provides for full and public disclosure of the financial interests of all public officers, candidates and employees. The Sunshine Law provides for open meetings for governmental boards How can I find out more about the open meetings and public records laws? Probably the most comprehensive guide to understanding the requirements and exemptions to Florida's open government laws is the Government -in -the- Sunshine manual compiled by the Attorney General's Office. The manual is updated each year and is available for purchase through the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee. For information on obtaining a copy, contact the First Amendment Foundation at (350) 224 -4555. Exhibit B 9 11, Annual Martin Luther King, .Jr. Unity Parade Outline Mc7yor Citly Mana..ger .L b y 19 comrnis5ior le, rs florida City of Oe©oe 9 Annraal Martin LLither ling, Jr. Unity Parade Monday, Jantaary 20, 2 014 @ 10:00 am - Clarke Road UPDATED 11 -7�-1 - — -- — - Person Date to be Pre -ev p lanning respon Action completed Parade staging area Joy Wright ------- __ -_ -- Emailed By end of Principal November 0 Contact Citrus Elementary principal to reserve the school as the Bender parade staging area 11/7/13 Post - Parade Celebration Joy Wright —� Sent email io By end of West Oaks May 0 Contact West Oaks Mall and secure mall as post parade venue Mall 0 Coordinate with mall re: electrical source for stage 5/2/13 0 Ask mall about diabetes screenings /blood pricks permitted — YES this Done - Mall is permitted for health screenings c onfirmed Keynote Speaker Joy Wright — Done Judge By end of'June 0 Develop short list of potential speakers — speaker confirmed - Judge HRDB members Belvin Perry bring names of confirmed Belvin Perry potential speakers ❑Extend invitation to keynote speaker — secure & confirm speaker to June meeting Post - parade activities Vice Chairman _ By end of June Hopkins - MC Done — MC 0 Master of Ceremony — invite Allie Braswell confirmed 0 Singing - invite Garden Community Choir Chairman Maxwell 0 National Anthem — secure a singer — choir Done - choir confirmed 0 Health Screenings — invite Walgreens and other groups Member Turner 0 Presenting of the Colors — invite Ocoee High JROTC Health screenings Done — essay 0 Invocation and Benediction — invite local pastor Member winner Katie Wise 0 Health Screenings — invite Walgreens Boudokhane — 0 Essay contest winner recite essay— invite Katie Wise, winner, pastor Thornebrooke Elementary — contact before school year ends June 6 Member Dawkins Health Screenings 0 Reserve Winter Garden stage essay winner confirmed 1 West Orange High School — invite band 5/6/13 Immediate Past Chairman Maxwell West Oran 2 Hugh band m - Sponsorships Member Calloway 0 Contact Dunkin Donuts and Publix for parade staging area refreshments, coffee _ - Person Bate to be Pre-event planning res Ac;don complete Joy Wright Done - By end of July Parade registration registration I I Update parade registration form posted online By end of ❑ Mail registration form and letter to previous parade participants November ❑ Create spreadsheet with parade participants Joy Wright By end of Equipment November ❑ Parks and Rec - request podium, tables for VIP check -in and sponsors, chairs, American and Ocoee flags for stage ❑ 500 chairs - Kirby Rentals C! Porto -lets —Waste Management Joy Wright _ Emailed By end of A rah /Photo rah udio /Video 9 P Y 9 P Y 11/7/13 November ❑ Book Gary Faller, audio engineer ❑ Book Mike Bissett, videographer ❑ Book Jennifer Roper, photographer Joy Wright Done -flyer By end of Publicity posted on August web site in ❑ Flyers created to post on web site August ❑ Flyers printed and ready to be distributed By mid- 0 News releases December ❑ MLK event program ❑ West Orange Times paid advertisement - 11 Orlando Times paid advertisement - Joy Wright By end of Promotional Signage beginning of ❑ Trinity design street sign artwork for Bluford Ave., Silver Star, Clarke Rd. December ❑ Public Works print street signs and post on roads on January 6 On Jan. 6 ❑ Public Works put up Clarke Road diversity banners on January 6 Joy Wright - By end of Ocoee Celebrates Diversity Pole Banners for Clarke Road Immediate Past November ❑ Contact Public Works to inspect banners , determine how many, order Chairman Maxwell new banners if needed Ocoee Police Operations Plan D Operations plan ❑ VMS boards for Bluford Ave.and Clarke Road ❑ Road closure