Regular Meeting of the Human Rights Commission August 24, 2020 Human Rights Commission to be held August 24, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (Sunday, August 23, 2020 by Noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the August 24, 2020 Human Rights Commission Meeting, residents must: •Call or email the board liaison at (512) 974-3276 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov no later than noon, Sunday, August 23, 2020 (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live 1 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Monday, August 24, 2020 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Sareta Davis, Chair Jamarr Brown, Vice Chair Jared Breckenridge Garry Brown Kristian Caballero Isabel Casas Idona Griffith Maram Museitif Courtney Santana Alicia Weigel Nathan White AGENDA CALL TO ORDER 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Regular Meeting. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Consider approval of the minutes from the Human Rights Commission’s July 29, 2020 a. Discussion and possible action on recommendation to Require the Mayor of Austin Appoint a Democratically Elected Chief of Police. (White/Caballero/Weigel) 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Commissioners will report on and discuss the status of the Commission’s key priority areas of concern for 2020-2021, including plans and strategies for meeting those key priority areas of concern: i. Institutional Equity ii. Environment & Land Use iii. Health Access & Nutrition iv. Autonomy & Human Rights ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the …
DRAFT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Human Rights Commission Recommendation Number 20200824‐002a: Recommendation to Require the Mayor of Austin Appoint a Democratically Elected Chief of Police WHEREAS, the current structure of policing has been well‐documented to be a problematic and racist institution which was initially organized as slave patrols; and, WHEREAS, One of the most common feedback comments this commission is offered by the community is the restructuring of policing and community safety; and, WHEREAS, The City Council of Austin has recently reallocated funds for the police in an effort to redress community needs; and, WHEREAS, The current Chief of Police is complicit in the violation of Austin Residents’ Human Rights according to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 18, 19, 20); and, WHEREAS, The right to freely chosen leadership is enshrined in Article 21 of The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and, WHEREAS, There is no logical, sound argument made to justify that the federal executor of laws is democratically elected and the local executor is not; and, WHEREAS, Austin Police Department, like many others, has a known reputation for unfair and racially biased practices, which has been verified by a recent report demonstrating for a number of years the only people the police killed were Black or Brown; and, WHEREAS, The current appointment process lends a distorted amount of power to representatives. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Human Rights Commission recommends the Austin City Council pass an ordinance with the effect of committing the Mayor of Austin to appoint a Chief of Police that has won a local election for that position, either through a formal special‐called election, or an informal, city‐funded and administered process. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or board member can sign)
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Human Rights Commission Recommendation Number 20200824-002a: Recommendation to Require the Mayor of Austin Appoint a Democratically Elected Chief of Police WHEREAS, the current structure of policing has been well-documented to be a problematic and racist institution which was initially organized as slave patrols; and, WHEREAS, One of the most common feedback comments this commission is offered by the community is the restructuring of policing and community safety; and, WHEREAS, The City Council of Austin has recently reallocated funds for the police in an effort to redress community needs; and, WHEREAS, The current Chief of Police is complicit in the violation of Austin Residents’ Human Rights according to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 18, 19, 20); and, WHEREAS, The right to freely chosen leadership is enshrined in Article 21 of The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and, WHEREAS, There is no logical, sound argument made to justify that the federal executor of laws is democratically elected and the local executor is not; and, WHEREAS, Austin Police Department, like many others, has a known reputation for unfair and racially biased practices, which has been verified by a recent report demonstrating for a number of years the only people the police killed were Black or Brown; and, WHEREAS, The current appointment process lends a distorted amount of power to representatives.
REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, August 24, 2020 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MINUTES The Human Rights Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, August 24, 2020 via teleconference in Austin, Texas. Chair Sareta Davis called the Board Meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair Davis, Vice Chair Jamarr Brown, Commissioner Breckenridge, Commissioner Garry Brown, Commissioner Caballero, Commissioner Griffith, Commissioner Santana, Commissioner Weigel, and Commissioner White. Staff in Attendance: Jonathan Babiak, Human Resources Coordinator, Human Resources Department 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. The minutes from the regular meeting of July 29, 2020 were approved on a vote of 8-0: Chair Davis motion, Commissioner Garry Brown second. Voting in favor were Chair Davis, Vice Chair Jamarr Brown, Commissioner Breckenridge, Commissioner Garry Brown, Commissioner Caballero, Commissioner Griffith, Commissioner Santana, and Commissioner White. Commissioner Casas, Commissioner Museitif, and Commissioner Weigel were absent. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action on recommendation to Require the Mayor of Austin Appoint a Democratically Elected Chief of Police. (White/Caballero/Weigel). The Commission discussed this item. The Commission worked informally to finalize the recommendation. The recommendation was adopted on a vote of 6-1-1; Commissioner White motion, Commissioner Griffith second. Voting in favor were Chair Davis, Commissioner Breckenridge, Commissioner Caballero, Commissioner Griffith, Commissioner Santana, and Commissioner White. Voting against was Commissioner Garry Brown. Vice Chair Jamarr Brown abstained. 3. OLD BUSINESS a. The Commission discussed the following key priority areas of concern for 2020-2021: Institutional Equity i. Environment & Land Use ii. iii. Health Access & Nutrition iv. Autonomy & Human Right ADJOURNMENT Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 1:51 p.m. on unanimous consent. 1
