Chapter 57 review board was held on thursday, July 9, 2015

A general meeting of the City of Orlando CHAPTER 57 REVIEW BOARD was held on THURSDAY, July 9, 2015 at City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, 2^nd Floor Veterans Conference Room in Orlando, FL 32801. A quorum was met and the meeting was called to order at 9:05 a.m. by Bassem Chaaban, Board Chair. The Board reviewed and approved the April 9, 2015 minutes; motion made by Louis Preston, Jr. and seconded by Nathaniel Friends.
Record of Attendance –

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  Board Members: Bassem Chaaban, Board Chair; Ginger Malcom, Board Vice Chair; Nathaniel Friends; Wanda Bonet-Gascot; Louis Preston, Jr.; and Ron Nesbitt
  
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  City of Orlando Staff: Patricia Newton, Assistant to Director/Human Relations Official; Carmen I. Feliciano, Human Relations Specialist, Board Secretary; David Gillespie, Fair Housing Investigator; Marcia Hope Goodwin, Chief of Staff/Director
  
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  Board Member Absent: Alfreda Forshee
  

All People. All Voices. All Matter. Workshop Overview

Marcia Hope Goodwin explained that because there is a nationwide concern between communities and the police and the fact that Valencia College Peace and Justice Institute has been working on community issues for about nine years, especially race, the City has partnered with Valencia to address these concerns in Orlando.

Ms. Goodwin told the Board that Mayor Dyer has been briefed on current issues and concerns of the public and the police, and wants the Board to be more involved in these types of conversations, especially with the citizens and police. The Board was asked for their input and involvement and told that the Mayor would like the Board to take information to the entire City no just districts.
Ms. Newton asked what role the Board would like to play and Ms. Malcom stated that she wants to be involved in both the Peace and Justice Institute’s and City’s role. She also stated that even though race is the usual topic, civil rights is for everyone and that she is a strong advocate for the LGBT movement and would like to sit in on all conversations.
Louis Preston, Jr. brought up that we should follow our Jewish brothers way of thinking in that they don’t let the Holocaust be forgotten. That he recently went to an event and when race was brought up it was brushed off as not important or overstated. Louis wants his grandchildren to be aware of the struggles faced by not only African Americans but other minorities and that those struggles should not be forgotten but remembered and brought up often as the Holocaust is.
The Board unanimously agreed that they want to be informational advocates on many levels, not just race and not just in certain districts but entire city. The Board wants to communicate information in housing, LGBT, police and community, not just about race.

Along with giving out general information about the Board at events, it was suggested that the Office of Community Affairs and Human Relations create a fact sheet about what is Chapter 57 of the Code of the City of Orlando; schedule training sessions with the City’s civil rights attorney; and equipping/empowering the Board with knowledge to address the public.

Marcia says that we give out general information about the board at events, but realizes that the board should have sessions, fact sheet what is chapter 57 code of the city. What are the rights and responsibilities of this code, that is what the board does and enforces and you are enforcing. In terms of the law, that is when it gets tricky. Speaking about the law in public and that is why it is important that you get together with our attorney, who you will meet, for some training.
Ginger asked about the status of the policing seminar she attended last year. Patricia stated that OPD has this annual meeting on policing, racial profiling and reviewing their policy. OPD has an annual trainer who comes in sees if new training strategies are needed. Patricia will check on the status, because those at that seminar were high ranking individuals. Also to have chief mina come to one of the board meetings and give a status review. Patricia will email a copy of community policing assessment progress report of June 5, 2015 to each board member.
Meet the City’s Civil Rights Attorney

Bassem Chaaban introduced Dionna Little, Assistant City Attorney. After Ms. Little was greeted by the Board, she shared that she is from Texas and her expertise is in labor and employment. Ms. Little has attended a Department of Housing and Urban Development training on fair housing, and will attend an U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Training Seminar next month. She also expressed that she will attend future board meetings.

Case Review – Ginger Malcom vs LYNX, a Public Accommodations Complaint

Bassem, next item, Public Accommodation case. Patrician informed board that there was copy of the case, as well as a copy of negotiated settlement agreement. Ginger Malcom vs. City and Lynx . This case was filed on 2-18-14 Patricia stated that it was difficult getting lynx to cooperate. Lynx was going through some organizational changes and did not want o settle. The case went on for a few months and Patricia called Amy in our legal department. Amy made some phone calls and case went to mediation and settlement. Patricia was the mediator. Ginger only request was for Lynx to correct the PA system because it would interfere with outside announcement of the audible bus speaker. Ginger did not want any money and could have gotten a settlement of about $10,000.00. Ginger explained that the buses had three ways of announcing stations. The one that concerned her was the outside system. Ginger stated that the drivers had no control over the sound turn on/off of the bus.. This presents a problem if you are trying to hear which bus Is coming into the station if the PA system is on and there is other background noise in the station. Ginger signed settlement agreement. Patricia will get an update on the automated bus audible system every 15^th day of the month. Ms. Tangy Mobley is the director of transportation with Lynx and will b monitoring the PA system and making sure speaker is at 75% so the audible can be heard. Ms. Mobley also sends reports and Patricia had her high school volunteer create a graph showing how Lynx is working on the audible system to comply with settlement agreement. For the months of March 40 buses, April 21 buses, May 20 buses and June 8 buses the non compliance figures started going down. So Lynx is working on the system. Patricia said she wants to take a bus ride with Ginger and asks the board members to come along so the board can see what Ginger is talking about and at the same time check the compliance of Lynx. Patricia said that another good thing that came out of this case was awareness of the flaws in the PA system for someone like Ginger, who depends on the audible system not only to know the bus is there but it helps to know where the door is. Lynx will be monitored for two years. Lynx also had to put a visible notice for all the drivers, announcer system must be turned up. Ginger said if board members could take the bus and then stand in station with their eyes closed so they could orient themselves to their surroundings and try to find the right bus using audible system.

Board Chair – Update

Bassem Chaaban, Board Chair, updated the Board about the outreach event to engage Orlando citizens in a community forum/town hall meeting. Several Board members met on March 19, 2015, to discuss the scope, objectives and purpose of the outreach event, and brainstormed about organizations, agencies, communities, community leaders, law enforcement, and faith leaders to engage. The Board agreed to solicit the support of Valencia College, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, and the NAACP, and other local groups for content and financial support.

Mediation Unit Update

Ginger Malcom reported that several mediation conferences have been held in the past two months with successful outcomes. An additional mediator was requested by Patricia Newton, and Nathaniel Friends volunteered to join the mediation unit.

Upcoming City Events

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  50^th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, August 6, 2015 (possible cancellation)
  

Due to the fact that there was not enough time to plan an event to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Act, Marcia Hope Goodwin suggested that the Board discontinue; instead, Board Chair, Baseem Chaaban, requested that the Board provide alternative ideas by July 13, 2015.

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  U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Orlando Seminar
  

Ms. Newton asked the Board if they would like to attend this event, which is being held at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort, 12205 South Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL on Friday, August 14, 2015 from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Board will get updates on the latest changes to EEOC laws and regulations; find out how a company can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes; learn best practices; and meet the people who enforce the federal laws.
Adjourn

There being no further business to come before the Chapter 57 Review Board, the meeting was adjourned at 10:45 a.m.; motion made by Ginger Malcom and seconded by Nathaniel Friends.

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Carmen I. Feliciano, Recording Secretary Date