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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 06 06 Discussion Item 1 - Community Dialogue Regarding City Policies and Practices • DISCUSSION ITEMS ITEM 1 d CITY COMMISSION AGENDA I JUNE 6, 2022 WORKSHOP 1959 TITLE Community Dialogue Regarding City Policies and Practices SUMMARY The City Commission adopted Resolution 2020-19 at the July 13, 2020 City Commission Regular Meeting. Per this resolution, the City is committed to holding an annual workshop meeting open to the public for the purposes of assessing relevant City policies and practices. This workshop will be in the format of a round table discussion and is to include the Mayor and City Commission, the City Manager, the Police Chief, other relevant staff, and a select number of citizens and businesses of Winter Springs. From this workshop the City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare and deliver a written report to the Mayor and Commission identifying successful implementation of plans and practices and also identifying areas in which the City can improve. This meeting will be the third workshop since the passage of the resolution. RECOMMENDATION Staff is recommending the City Commission conduct the Community Dialogue Workshop and discuss relevant City policies and practices with the input of residents. 1 RESOLUTION NO.2020- 1 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, AFFIRMING THAT ALL PERSONS. ARE CONSTITUTIONALLY GUARANTEED DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW, FREE OF RACISM AND UNJUST AND ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION IN ALL FORMS; STRONGLY REJECTING RACISM AND ANY FORM OF UNJUST AND ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE LAW, AND FULLY AFFIRMING AND SUPPORTING EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW; STRENGTHENING THE CITY'S RESOLVE AGAINST RACISM AND ANY FORM OF UNJUST AND ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE LAW BY ESTABLISHING A TRANSPARENT AND PUBLIC PROCESS FOR THE MAYOR, CITY COMMISSION AND THE CITIZENS OF WINTER SPRINGS TO ASSESS THE CITY'S RELATED POLICIES AND PRACTICES AND ENGAGE IN A PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE FOR THE OVERALL BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITY; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF PRIOR INCONSISTENT RESOLUTIONS, SEVERABILITY, AND AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, this Resolution is the collective expression of the Mayor and City Commission as the governing body of the City of Winter Springs pursuant to the City Charter and Ordinances; and WHEREAS, Article I, Section 2 of the Florida Constitution provides that all natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law; and WHEREAS, the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws; and WHEREAS, under these fundamental principles, and history of Federal and State equal rights laws, all persons are constitutionally guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law, free of racism and unjust and arbitrary discrimination in all forms; and WHEREAS,since the creation of the City of Winter Springs in 1959, each and all Mayors and Commissioners, as well as each and all Winter Springs Law Enforcement Officers,of the City have taken an oath of office to support,protect and defend the Constitutions of the United States and State of Florida; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission strongly reject racism and any form of unjust and arbitrary discrimination under the law, and fully support equal justice under the law; and WHEREAS,the Mayor and City Commission also desire to express, as a matter of policy and practice of the City, the City's commitment to continuously and vigorously strengthen and foster within the organization and community at large human dignity, equality, diversity, inclusivity and equal justice under the law; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission recognize the substantial efforts regularly being made by the City Manager and all City Departments to evaluate, improve and implement 2 policies and practices to continuously afford all persons due process and equal protection under the law, free of racism and unjust and arbitrary discrimination, and to foster human dignity, equality, diversity,inclusivity and equal justice within the organization; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission desire to strengthen the City's resolve against racism and any form of unjust and arbitrary discrimination under the law by establishing a transparent and public process for the Mayor,City Commission and the citizens to assess the City's related policies and practices; and WHEREAS, the City Commission hereby finds this Resolution is in the best interests of the City of Winter Springs and its officials, employees and citizens. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS,SENUNOLE COUNTY,FLORIDA,THAT: Section 1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are hereby adopted as material provisions of this Resolution and deemed fully incorporated herein by this reference. Section 2. Annual Public Assessment hLthe 2lgl2Land,Cit LCommission. A. No later than June of each year,the City of Winter Springs shall conduct an annual assessment to evaluate how well the City is implementing policies and practices consistent with this Resolution. B. The annual assessment shall be conducted by the Mayor and City Commission at a duly scheduled workshop meeting open to the public. The workshop will be conducted in a round table format consisting of the Mayor, City Commissioners and a select number of citizens and businesses of Winter Springs and such other persons deemed to be a relevant stakeholder in the Winter Springs community chosen by the City Manager and City Commission. During the workshop meeting,the City Manager,Chief of Police,and other management personnel designated by the City Manager will initially report on said policies and practices for purposes initiating and engaging in a productive roundtable dialogue for the overall betterment of the community. An opportunity for public input shall also be provided. C. After considering the dialogue occurring at the workshop meeting and such other relevant and appropriate considerations, the City Manager shall prepare and deliver a written annual report to the Mayor and City Commission at a duly held regular meeting open to the public. The annual report will identify areas in which the City has successfully implemented the plans and practices and identify areas in which the City can improve in the implementation of such policies and practices. The annual report shall include an action plan that includes a schedule and budgetary considerations for implementing improvements to the City's policies and practices. Section 3. Severabilill. If any section,subsection,sentence,clause,phrase,word,or portion of this Resolution is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, whether for substantive or procedural reasons, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Resolution. City of Winter Springs Resolution No.2020- Page 3 of 3 3 Section 4. Repeal of Prior Inconsistent Resolutions. All prior resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict. Section 5. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida. RESOLVED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, in a regular meeting assembled on the 130`day of July,2020. CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS,FLORIDA C LA , OR ATTEST: CHRISTIAN GOWAN,CITY CLERK Approved as to legal form and sufficiency for Cf Winter Springs only: The ANTHONY A. GARGANESE, CITY ATTORNEY / City of Winter Springs Resolution No.2020- Page 3 of 3 4 CITY COMMISSION ricorporated 1959 WORKSHOP I95 MINUTES MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 AT 6:30 PM CITY HALL- COMMISSION CHAMBERS 1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434, WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA 5 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Kevin McCann called the City Commission Workshop of Monday, June 7, 2021 of the City Commission to order at 6:32 PM in the Commission Chambers of the Municipal Building (City Hall, 1126 East State Road 434, Winter Springs, Florida 32708). Roll Call: Mayor Kevin McCann, present Deputy Mayor Ted Johnson, present Commissioner Matt Benton, present Commissioner Kevin Cannon, present Commissioner TiAnna Hale, present Commissioner Rob Elliott, present City Manager Shawn Boyle, present City Clerk Christian Gowan, present Police Chief, Chris Deisler, present The following individuals were also in attendance as participants in the Diversity Workshop: Ms. DollyAmes, 750 Third Street, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Sheila Benton, 474 Cedarwood Court, Winter Springs, Florida Monsignor John Bluett, St. Stephen's Catholic Church, 575 Tuskowilla Road, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Kendra Eichelberger, 552 Dunmar Circle, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Rachel Eichelberger, 552 Dunmar Circle, Winter Springs, Florida Rabbi Maurice Kaprow, PO Box 795233, Winter Springs, Florida Mr. Kok Wan Mah, 745 Nandina Terrace, Winter Springs, Florida Mr. Scott Marshall, 668 Fanning Drive, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Treva Marshall, 668 Fanning Drive, Winter Springs, Florida Mr. Rasheed Muhammad, 7255 Belle Avenue, Suite 717, Winter Springs, Florida Mr. Michael Radko, 423 Sandringham Court, Winter Springs, Florida Mrs. Bettie Sanders, 7035 Winter Springs Boulevard, Winter Springs, Florida Mr. Louis Sanders, 7035 Winter Springs Boulevard, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Gina Shafer, Winter Springs Village, Winter Springs, Florida Ms. Channi Sodhi, 5040 West SR 46, Suite 7726, Sanford, Florida Ms. Mandy Sodhi, No address provided. Monsignor John Bluett provided the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Kevin McCann provided some background on the workshop, its purpose, and the procedure to be followed for the workshop. CITY COMMISSION MINUTES I WORKSHOP I MONDAY, JUNE 7. 2021 1 PAGE 2 OF 4 g PUBLIC INPUT Mayor McCann opened Public Input No one spoke Mayor McCann closed Public Input. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1.) Community Dialogue Regarding City Policies and Practices Cover Page`� Resolution 2020-19 � 2020 09 21 City Commission Workshop Minutes "�b Mayor McCann opened the floor for discussion. Lengthy discussion followed on City demographics, hiring practices, city policies, police training and practices, recent accreditation, developing programs for middle and high school students, child hunger and the free lunch program, inclusivity in city events, creation of a Winter Springs United campaign, better addressing challenges faces by mobility-challenged individuals, consideration of the elderly and those without access to electronics when crafting and distributing communications, the lack of discussion about the LGBTQ+ community, website accessibility, and the importance of language and respect From this discussion the following ten (10) actionable items were identified: 1. Developing a campaign and programming for middle and high school students addressing what to do when pulled over or otherwise interacting with law enforcement. Discussed involving the Youth Council. 2. Evaluating inclusivity in City events such as the Santa Run 3. Working with peer cities to evaluate community diversity and needs of diverse groups. 4. Evaluating and making changes to the City Welcome Packet 5. Including a diversity tent at City events and inviting representatives from diverse backgrounds on stage (e.g. at Celebration of Freedom) 6. Increase ADA/mobility challenged accommodations at City events 7. Creating a Winter Springs United section for the City newsletter featuring editorials, spotlights, etc. 8. Identifying service providers and drafting a letter to encourage use of gender neutral road signs. 9. Working with the Senior Center to provide transportation assistance to City events 10. Evaluate the City website for accessibility Further discussion followed on the importance of communication and potential format changes for future workshops. PUBLIC INPUT ADJOURNMENT Mayor McCann adjourned the meeting at 9:11 PM. RES �TFULLY SUBMI TTED: CHRISTIAN GOWAN 5@�.`•'"� .: , CITY CLERK �cs,`�:• ��►Y EDY`+ O -.,I. > O © 1 APPROVED: MAYOR KEVIN McCANN NOTE: These Minutes were approved at the y 2021 City Commission Regular Meeting. CITY COMMISSION MINUTES I WOPKSHOP MONDAY, JUNE 7. 2021 1 PAGE 4 OF 48 + , INFORMATIONAL AGENDA ITEM 201 CITY COMMISSION AGENDA I AUGUST 9, 2021 REGULAR MEETING TITLE Annual Report- Diversity Workshop SUMMARY The City Commission adopted Resolution 2020-19 at the July 13, 2020 City Commission Regular Meeting. Per this Resolution, the City is committed to holding an annual workshop meeting, open to the public, for the purpose of assessing relevant City policies and practices. This workshop is in the format of a round table discussion and includes the Mayor and City Commission, the City Manager, the Police Chief, other relevant staff, and a select number of citizens and businesses of Winter Springs. From this workshop, the City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare and deliver a written report to the Mayor and Commission identifying successful implementation of plans and practices and also identifying areas in which the City can improve. On June 9th the Mayor, City Commission, City Manager, and City Staff held our annual Diversity Workshop. In this public workshop your City and Community Members discussed multiple topics such as: policies and procedures, compliance programs, social workers for police calls, body cameras, process for encounters with mental disabilities, citizens advisory committees, homelessness, men-working construction signs, handicap and mobility challenged, and hate crimes. Attached is the annual report required by Resolution 2020-19. RECOMMENDATION Staff is submitting the Annual Report to the Commission 9 o S� City of Winter Springs �1 Office of the City Manager m<o p 1959 tiGoo WESRJy MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Commissioners FROM: Shawn Boyle, City Manager DATE: 08/09/2021 SUBJECT: Annual Report- Resolution 2020-19 Historical Background The City Commission adopted Resolution 2020-19 at the July 13, 2020 City Commission Regular Meeting. Per this resolution, the City is committed to holding an annual workshop meeting open to the public for the purposes of assessing relevant City policies and practices. This workshop will be in the format of a round table discussion and is to include the Mayor and City Commission, the City Manager, the Police Chief, other relevant staff, and a select number of citizens and businesses of Winter Springs. From this workshop, the City Manager, or their designee, shall prepare and deliver a written report to the Mayor and Commission identifying successful implementation of plans and practices and also identifying areas in which the City can improve. June 9,2021 Annual Diversity Workshop On June 9th the Mayor, City Commission, City Manager, and City Staff held our annual Diversity Workshop. In this public workshop your City and Community Members discussed multiple topics such as: policies and procedures, compliance programs, social workers for police calls, body cameras, process for encounters with mental disabilities, citizens advisory committees, homelessness, men-working construction signs, handicap and mobility challenged, and hate crimes. 10 F��KreR S.o City of Winter Springs Office of the City Manager mca P 1959 t tiC00 WF:-0'9 There were no substantiated complaints accusing City officers or employees of racial discrimination, and City staffing exceeds local labor and industry market demographic benchmarks. City and Community Leaders launched the Winter Springs United Initiative (#winterspringsunited) which reinforces the directives of Resolution 2020-19 and focuses on improving and implementing policies and practices to continuously afford all persons due process and equal protection under the law, free of racism and unjust and arbitrary discrimination, and to foster human dignity, equality, diversity, inclusivity and equal justice within the organization. Winter Springs United further demonstrates that as a community we stand together against bullying and discrimination. Current Status and Future Action Plan Since the June 9 meeting, the City has formally launched the Winter Springs United (#winterspringsunited) campaign. This campaign has brought the Community together in an unprecedented way. The City advertised a new Winter Springs United logo, hosted a Winter Springs United tent at our annual Celebration of Freedom event (with giveaways), and added a new section to the monthly newsletter focusing on Diversity and Inclusion topics. We plan to continue having the Winter Springs United tent and giveaway at future City events such as Hometown Harvest and Winter Wonderland. We have earmarked an additional $2,000 for promotional and marketing materials related to Winter Springs United. During the next year, the police department will work on an educational campaign focusing on citizen/police interaction. This campaign will be pushed out through social media outlets, the City Newsletter, and the Winter Springs Citizens Police Academy. All of our Perk Up Parks projects have been ADA compliant. Throughout this year, we will be reviewing ways to go beyond basic compliance and add equipment and activities at our parks that further include those with mobility constraints. The costs associated with some of these additions may be between $5,000 and $10,000. 11 o S� City of Winter Springs �1 Office of the City Manager m<o p 1959 tiGoo WESRJy The City is very encouraged by the participation we had from our community at, and following, the diversity workshop. Staff is excited and ready to take on some of the opportunities that were discussed. 12