Rock Island Today

City of Rock Island Human Rights Commission met Jan. 17.

Here is the minutes provided by the commission:

I. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 P.M. by David Levin. The following commission members were present (P):

	Thurgood Brooks	P	Jerry Jones, City Liaison
	Quincy Davis, Chairman	P	Jason Lopez
P	Gregg Hampton	P	Clayton Peterson, Secretary
P	Christiana Headley		Vernon Soeken
P	David Levin	P	Vincent Thomas
	Janet Lockhart Johnson, Vice Chairman		Allison Wright

• Welcome.

II. GUEST PRESENTOR: SHARON CARLSON CEO, QUAD CITY AREA REALTORS

A. A video by the Realtors group was presented as a background.

B. Housing Authority Policies on criminal background checks should be uniform and apply to all applicants. The policy should only permit consideration of convictions and never take into consideration nor permit a housing provider to screen for any prior arrests or charges. Even where convictions are revealed during the screening process, the policy should avoid blanket or categorical exclusions of any person with any conviction record. Extreme example is to blanket someone on the Sex Offenders Registry, (in some states public urination puts you on that list). Similarly, the policy should also take into consideration the nature and severity of the conviction and any other mitigating factors, such as the age of the person at the time of the conviction, the length of time since the conviction, and evidence of rehabilitative efforts, such as stable employment, counseling or completion of drug treatment. To that end, a sound criminal history policy will also include a reasonable “lookback” period. According to the Guidance, employment law may offer insight into the proper use of criminal history. Based on this, a good rule of thumb may be to include no more than a seven year lookback (this is not part of the law rather a footnote) period on an applicant’s criminal history, as the Guidance suggests that recidivism tends to decline after this point All should include a appeal process.

C. Drugs and the distribution of drugs is an automatic denial. The guideline indicates that if you served your time and were released seven years prior you could be considered.

D. As a introduction to Fair Housing Month in the month of April and a forum will be held at the King Center. Will keep members posted.

III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES

A. Those present had opportunity to review and accept the minutes. Motion to approve Jason Lopez, 2nd Christiana Headley, consensus.

IV. PUBLIC COMMENT A. None

V. MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

A. David Levin stressed the importance of attendance and that the meeting occurs on the Third Thursday of each month. If you make the commitment you should attend.

B.

June 2019	June 2020	June 2021
Vince Thomas	Christiana Headley	Thurgood Brooks
	David Levin	Quincy Davis
	Jason Lopez	Gregg Hampton
	Clayton Peterson	Janet Lockhart Johnson
	Vernon Soeken
	Allison Wright

C. Search for new members will be a responsibility of Liaison Gerald Jones, we should be conscious of new members that might be beneficial to this Commission. At this time we are 11 members.

D. Areas we could address: Drug Education, Law Enforcement, Sheriff’s Department, Mental Health Worker, and possibly City Staff.

VI. OLD BUSINESS AND UPDATE ON CURRENT COMPLAINTS

A. 59-2018-AJS: A letter was sent to Johannes Bus Service on November 28, 2018, “default ruling letter”, and no response to that correspondence at this time.

1. The bus service requested that we communicate by e-mail. A letter was sent the end of December with questions from the commission. It was sent from the Liaisons City of Rock Island’s e-mail. Jason@johannesbus.com

2. No response at this time and a phone call was made by Jason to Johannes Bus service and no response to that phone call

B. 60-2018-JEF: Complaint against a fellow employee and Friendship Manor this matter was resolved and a letter of completion sent. Should not have been on the agenda.

C. 61-2018-RDH: Note the complainant has a new phone number 309-506-8861. He was convicted for distribution of Crack Cocaine in 1997 and was released May 31, 2018. Jason Lopez and David Levin have a meeting with Linda of the housing authority on Friday January 18, 2019.

VII. NEW BUSINESS/COMPLAINTS.

A. Gregg Hampton mentioned that it would be great if we had a single e-mail address affiliated with the City of Rock Island that we could all access as members of the Human Rights Commission.

1. Gerald Jones said he would inquire about attaining such an address.

VIII. PENDING COMPLAINTS

A. None

IX. FURTHER EDUCATION

A. It has been suggested that we review the guide that Allison Write has provided.

X. ADJORN

https://rigov.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02212019-332