Lake County Gazette

City of Highland Park Human Relations Advisory Group met Jan. 5.

Here are the minutes provided by the group:

CALL TO ORDER: At 5:01 PM, Chair Krent called the meeting to order.

Roll Call:

Members Present:

Chair Krent, Vice Chair Tiersky, Members Basofin, Canchester, Fishman, Gussin, Harris, Pestine, Small, Steinberg, and Weisskopf

Also Present: Council Liaison (CL) Lidawer, Moraine Township Representative (MTR) Alvarez, Park District Representative (PDR) Grossberg, Student Representative (SR) Drake, Alternate Staff Liaison (AL) Frey, and Staff Liaison (SL) Deputy Chief Bonaguidi. Volunteer Pool Coordinator (VPC) Marietta Stevens. Mia Ness

Chair Krent declared a quorum was present.

CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES

Chair Krent requested a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting held on December 7, 2021. A motion was made by Vice Chair Tiersky and seconded by Member Pestine. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote of the members present with the exception of Member Basofin who voted “present.”

COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

Chair Krent welcomed everyone. Special thanks was given to outgoing Chair Gussin for her 3 years of service as a member followed by 3 years as Chair. Chair Gussin did an amazing job of leading the Group through the transition to virtual meetings and events during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Chair Krent also expressed her gratitude that Member Gussin would continue to serve on the Group. New Vice Chair Tiersky was thanked for stepping up to her new position on the Group. New Members Basofin, Canchester, and Fishman were introduced and welcomed. Mia Ness was introduced and will be joining as a Student Representative on January 22nd. Introductions of everyone present took place for the benefit of the new members. Chair Krent gave an overview of work the Group has accomplished over the past few years and what lies ahead for the remainder of 2022.

COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED

None.

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

None.

OLD BUSINESS

MLK Day of Service

Teri Steinberg, MLK Chair, led the discussion

∙ Final preparation was underway for the virtual presentations. They are still scheduled to commence at 10:00 AM on MLK Day

∙ Those accepting donations at the Highland Park Country Club/Rec Center would be on site from 12 PM – 2 PM. Volunteers from HRAG would be on site in 3 time slots to assist with traffic direction and collection of donations.

o 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

o 12:30 PM – 1: 15 - PM

o 1:15 PM – 2:00 - PM

∙ New members were advised that there is much more work needed from them when the event is held in person rather than virtual

∙ PDL Grossberg shared a list of people/groups that were participating in the event in any one or combination of 3 ways:

o Zoom Program

o Donation Drop Off

o Remote Service Project

∙ Section Chairs will send out thank you letters after the event

2022 HP Awards

AL Frey led the discussion and provided an overview of the awards, for new members.

∙ Ceremony scheduled for in person on April 5, 2022, 7 pm – 8:30 PM at the Highland Park High School

∙ Ready to transition to virtual if pandemic conditions warrant

∙ Everyone was encouraged to solicit nominations

∙ Nominations scheduled to open January 12, 2022

∙ Google Docs will be used to track nominations

∙ Members will receive info on nominations and an opportunity to provide feedback

∙ Need several volunteers for the ceremony

NEW BUSINESS

Ideas for Future Work Plans to be Presented to the Mayor and City Council for Consideration

∙ Work Plans are drafted annually by the HRAG and submitted for review and approval by the City Manager and City Council

∙ Considerations in drafting the plan include budgeting, City Staff availability and resources, time members and representatives have to invest in fulfilling the plan

∙ The HRAG has the following duties and responsibilities as listed on its website:

o Support community programs to improve the quality of life; and

o Provide advisory recommendations related to developing effective solutions to social problems and opportunities related to equality and social justice

∙ The 2022 HRAG budget was reviewed

o $1,000 for the MLK Day of Service

o $500 for the Awards

o While the virtual MLK Day of Service will not use all of the budgeted funds, permission from the City would be needed to spend on another project

o Unused funds do not carry over to the next budget year

∙ Initial ideas that we might be able to add to the 2022 Work Plan in late 2022 or recommend for the 2023 plan include, but are not limited to:

o Member Canchester – Health insurance advisory service for those without. MTR Alvarez noted that Moraine Township offers assistance with obtaining insurance

o Chair Krent – Providing links to resources on the HRAG website. AL Frey informed the Group about United Way’s multiple resources through 211lakecounty.org or by calling 211. The City of Highland Park has a link on its website

o Member Pestine – Senior citizen wellness checks. AL Frey explained how the Senior Center is obligated to protect members’ privacy, but the Center communicated with its members throughout the pandemic. Seniors can voluntarily sign up for Wellness Checks conducted by Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) members through the Police Department by contacting Officer Hyndman or Sergeant Curran

o Member Weisskopf – Noted it’s challenging to find services that the City does not already provide. A social initiative such as equity/equality that the City would like to promote. “HP – Happy Place” for example

o Chair Krent – Issues of equity. Partnering with the Police Department to ensure good relationships with the community

o Member Harris – Newsletter for those without internet access or ability to search

∙ Chair Krent stated that these were great initial ideas and asked the Group to think about them and others for the next meeting

COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISON

CL Lidawer informed the Group that Northshore School District 112 conducted an equity audit last year that the City is reviewing for ideas. She encouraged the Group to continue to explore future work ideas, but to look for things that are not already being done in the City.

COMMENTS FROM TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVE

MTR Alvarez shared that there is a lot of need in the community and that the Township has several resources. Over 2,000 individuals are accessing the food pantry and the number is expected to increase. Over 200 Thanksgiving dinners were provided last year. Over $365,000 was distributed for emergency support for things like rent.

COMMENTS FROM PARK DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE

PDR Grossberg encouraged everyone to volunteer at Moraine Township and expressed an interest in both the Park District and the City collaborating on equity initiatives.

COMMENTS FROM SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE

None

COMMENTS FROM STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

SR Rolfe and Drake expressed their excitement and will be sharing award info with their school. COMMENTS FROM THE ALTERNATE STAFF LIAISON

AL Frey would be checking with United Way to see if we could get hard copies of the 211 info. COMMENTS FROM THE STAFF LIAISON

SL Bonaguidi informed that the Police Department currently has staff trained in referring those in need to 211 resources. The PD has some hard copy info available. The City Manager provided info that her office is working on the following with regard diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI):

∙ Drafting and adopting and equity policy

∙ Advancing an equity audit

∙ Drafting and affirmative DEI statement

The HRAG will be involved in the review process for the above

The City’s Compliment and Complaint Procedure will be shared via email before the next meeting so it can be reviewed for recommendations at the next HRAG meeting.

OTHER COMMENTS

Member Pestine complimented the Park District for their generosity in providing scholarships for their programming for those who cannot afford them.

ADJOURNMENT

Chair Krent entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting. A motion was made by Member Steinberg and seconded by Member Gussin. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 PM.