050321 HRC MinutesCITY OF NEW HOPE
4401 XYLON AVENUE NORTH
NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA 55428
Human Rights Commission May 3, 2021
Regular Meeting Via Zoom & In Person
CALL TO ORDER Chair Meyer called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
ROLL CALL Present: Kendra Curry Heather Fruen
Allison Isenberg Mindy London
Donna Meyer Trista Rehnke
Danielle Saima Jennifer Toavs
Zachary Snabes
Absent: Heaven Shaw
City Liaison: Chief Tim Hoyt
Guests: Mayor Kathi Hemken
Brad Kallio, Community Service Officer
Brandi Hearn, Administrative Specialist New Hope PD
AGENDA APPROVAL Commissioner Isenberg made a motion to accept the May 3, 2021,
agenda, seconded by Commissioner Saima. All voted in favor.
MINUTES APPROVAL Commissioner Saima made a motion to accept the April 5, 2021,
minutes, seconded by Commissioner Isenberg. All voted in favor.
OPEN FORUM Questions for Chief Hoyt
- Q: Police Department update?
- A: Department has been very busy, with the killing of Daunte Wright
in Brooklyn Center the mobile field force (6 officers) has been utilized
but has now been demobilized. The Chauvin verdict and protests
have all been peaceful.
- Q: Coffee with a Cop
- A: Fat Nat’s on April 9th. Crowd was small but had good questions.
Did another session at Anthony James by Broadway Village. Will
continue to set these up.
- Q: Be a Light in the Night – vests and dog leash/flashlights
- A: It was a great idea. We have passed out a lot and got many
requests from the community. We put a sticker on each one that has
the HRC name on it. Will continue to promote and give them out.
Commissioner Curry
- Proud of the Chief’s statement on the Chauvin trial.
- Nice to see the new officers have lot of diversity.
- Thank you for achieving the financial excellence award and providing
good remodel rates.
- Continue to spread the word that New Hope does not have any
racially discriminate covenants.
- Newark, NJ, community policing focuses on connecting with
community vs. warrior style.
- Fence ordinance in St. Paul, BLM was painted on a fence and had to
be removed due to the ordinance. What would we do in New Hope?
o Chief Hoyt indicated he would check with community
development to inquire on if we have a similar ordinance.
- What would we do if a New Hope officer shoots a BIPOC individual,
similar to Daunte Wright shooting in Brooklyn Center?
o Chief Hoyt stated a detailed plan exists. For safety and
security reasons, no further details can be provided.
- City of Bloomington just passed a ban on conversion therapy
practices.
Chair Meyer
- Pretextual stops by police, what are we doing?
o Chief Hoyt stated that when someone is stopped, plate is run
and a felony or violent offense comes up. There is no right
answer. It is always a difficult situation and can escalate
quickly. New Hope PD has reviewed policies regarding
tasers and adjusted how it is worn and when it is used.
- John Elder made a statement regarding George Floyd’s death that is
not factually accurate (as part of his position with the Mpls PD, not
New Hope City Council). Plan to reach out to him directly.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
AND REPORTS 2021 Committee Updates:
Colors of the World Crayon Donation (Lead – Kendra Curry)
- Will sponsor kindergarten classes in 3 elementary schools
(Sonnesyn, Meadowlake, Spanish Immersion). Have connected with
donors to cover the costs of the crayons, collected $700.
- Plan to have kids draw a picture of their family, then post the pictures
at City Hall and have an open house for them to attend.
Increase HRC awareness/Facebook posts/Marketing (Lead - Allison
Isenberg)
- Looking to funnel other subcommittee information/activities/events to
this one to get the word out.
- Working on creating monthly posts for the city website/Facebook.
- Working on figuring out how to get into the other city sources and
timing/deadlines for them.
Workshop on Home Ownership (Lead - Danielle Saima)
- Reached out to contact who leads classes on this topic, meeting was
rescheduled.
- Would prefer to do this event in person vs via Zoom.
Community Conversations - Race & Police Interaction (Lead- Donna
Meyer)
- Finalizing questions.
- Used park clean up to look at places in the city that need attention.
- Going to apartments and asking them to host a location for a
community conversation.
- Will provide a resource table at each event.
- Scheduling the first one soon.
- Officer Kallio will assist.
- Pancake Breakfasts – crime fund has money available. If the HRC
coordinates it, the police will do it.
LGTBQ Group Partnership (Lead - Trista Rehnke)
- Reached out to Golden Valley HRC regarding GV Pride but haven’t
heard back, they have not met yet.
- Reached out directly to Golden Valley Pride. They are doing
something in 2021 but they aren’t sure exactly what yet. They would
love more volunteers though. More info will be coming.
Sunnyside Park Clean-up
- HRC sponsors Sunnyside Park and has committed to cleaning the
park three times each year.
- Park was cleaned on 3/27/21.
- Next clean up scheduled for Saturday, June 5th at 9:00 am. Meet at
the playground at the north end of the park. Bring gloves. Trash
bags will be provided by the city.
Discussion: New Model for Policing Articles
- St. Cloud Cop House
o Great idea and there are many similar models out there.
Works best for larger departments due to amount of staff
available each shift.
- School Resource Officers
o Officers apply for the position, applications are reviewed,
interviews are done by leader and school staff, candidates
selected. 3 year assignments unless they (officer) asks to
be removed. Currently there are 2 officers at Cooper High
School. Plymouth handles Armstrong High School.
NEW BUSINESS New Hope Police Meet & Greet
- Organized by the community through Neighbors of New Hope
Facebook page
- Saturday, May 29th
Status of Meetings – In person vs. Zoom
- Next meeting will be in person.
- If you are unable to attend in person, please let Chief Hoyt or Brandi
know so a link can be set up.
Census
- 2020 Census numbers have been released. MN kept a seat in the
House by just 89 people. Redistricting will occur in September.
COMMUNICATION &
INFORMATION SHARING Men’s Shelter (to donate clothing that would be offered for free)?
- Sharing & Caring Hands in Mpls, PRISM in Golden Valley
Food Truck Fridays
- Starting May 28th, Fridays 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
- City Hall parking lot
- Different food trucks each week
NEXT MEETING The next meeting is Monday, June 7, 2021 at 7:00 pm. Meeting will be
in person at City Hall.
ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Commissioner Trista Rehnke
Secretary