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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Cultural Communities Board - 05/23/2017Approval Pending KENT CULTURAL COMMUNITIES BOARD MEETING MINUTES May 23, 2017, 6:30 pm Kent Senior Activity Center _______________________________________________________________ Attending: Beabe Akpojovwo, Yusuf Bashir, Marvin Eckfeldt, Rand Al Hammadi, Mizanur Rahman, Ted Schwarz, Pastor Herbert Carey, Norma Maldonado, Cesar Rangel, Shamso Issak, Dr. Sonia Morales and Vaivao Semisi-Tupou. Absent: Josephine Karanja, Satwinder Kaur, Ta Kwe Say, Hussein Al Kinani, Marwa Almusawi, Yuriy Zaremba, Davies Chirwa and Sharndeep Kaur. Elected Officials, Staff & Guests: Mayor Suzette Cooke, Dinah Wilson and Patrick Briggs. Vice-Chair Rangel called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. Roll call – attendees listed above. Changes to April Minutes Ted Schwarz noted that Satwinder Kaur is “Chair” not Vice-Chair. Additionally, the next date of the CCB should be Tuesday, June 27 at 6:00 pm at Centro Rendu. Moved by Schwarz, seconded by Tupou to approve the April minutes with the changes listed above. All ayes. Announcements and Event Follow-up (announcements that occurred prior to the release of minutes are not included) Islamic Center of Kent Festival will be held on July 8 at Marymoor Park in Redmond. This event attracts people from five surrounding states and accommodates a very large crowd with activities for all. The event runs from 11:00 am to 7:00 or 8:00 pm. Ted Schwarz attended the Khalsa Day Parade last Sunday at the ShoWare Center. He estimated the attendance around 5,000 people enjoying activities throughout the day, along with a colorful parade. There was also food and cultural information. Dinah Wilson attended the Arabic School graduation on Saturday, May 20th, at the Kent Phoenix Academy. Dinah, and some of the CCB members, will attend the Refugee Housing Summit tomorrow at the Renton Community Center from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Approval Pending Norma Maldonado was pleased to announce that 75 children graduated from the early childhood education program at Children’s Home Society, receiving their certificates on Tuesday, May 20. The Food Policy Council of Living Well Kent is considering hosting a “healthy” farmer’s market in downtown Kent organized and run by youth, starting in July. Mayor Cooke informed the CCB that interviews were conducted for the Youth Initiative Program Coordinator and a top candidate was selected. Once formal acceptance is received, the City will make a formal announcement. A CCB member discussed concerns with the city’s summer parks programs. The programs do not run from the close of school to the start up in the fall. It is difficult for his children to participate for two reasons: 1) the programs run past the start of school; and, 2) the fees are too high, especially when more than one child per family participates in separate sports. There is a discount when two family members register for the same sport. Scholarships offered are snapped up quickly. Additionally, there is a scant number of places for children to play sports outside of organized programs. Mayor Cooke responded that these are valid concerns that the CCB should bring to the attention of the Parks Director, Julie Parascandola. CCB will invite Julie to a future meeting. Assignments - City Council Meeting presenters The first speaker before the Kent City Council was Pastor Herbert Carey on May 2. Pastor Carey recapped his presentation to Council addressing concerns from the African American community and the need for programs for youth that would include mentoring and provide hope. He was well received by the City Council. June 6 – Norma Maldonado June 20 – Yusuf Bashir July 5 – Marvin Eckfeldt July 18 – Mizanur Rahman August 15 – Josephine Karanja September 5 - Vaivao Semisi-Tupou September 19 - Hussein Al Kinani Norma Maldonado will address the Council on June 6. Norma will provide information on the Hispanic community in Kent and issues that concern them. Norma plans on preparing a brief PowerPoint that she will provide the City Clerk prior to the meeting. Sound Credit Union Discrimination Discussion about the discrimination that took place at Kent’s Sound Credit Union that made the news recently, wherein, a female customer was not allowed back into the branch as she was wearing a hoodie and then went to her vehicle and came back wearing a hajib. It is the policy of the CU that all headwear must be removed. However, there were male customers in the branch wearing hats. Approval Pending According to information on the internet, the woman accused of discrimination is no longer employed at the CU and CU officials stated it would provide additional training and educational opportunities for employees. One member stated that a Jewish organization in Tacoma and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will review the incident and then meet with Sound Credit Union administration. The Board decided they would draft a letter to Sound Credit Union Board that they were aware of the incident and offer to provide training on cultural issues. A motion was made by CCB member Eckfeldt and seconded by Rahman authorizing Chair Kaur and Vice-Chair Rangel to draft a letter on behalf of CCB noting same. The motion was unanimously approved. Civic Education – Local Opportunities for Voter Education Ted Schwarz led the discussion on “voters’ parties” where people are educated on the voting process, offer assistance in registering to vote, how to read voters’ pamphlets, how to fill out ballots, and where to return ballots. People are not instructed how to vote; rather these voter education parties are a mechanism to increase voting and civic engagement, especially in populations that have low voter participation. Members liked the idea of organizing voting parties, but one member expressed frustration with the decrease in buses running on the East Hill on Sunday. Many residents rely upon public transportation and the decrease in bus service has become a hardship for some. If voter education gatherings fall on a weekend, transportation becomes an issue. Marvin Eckfeldt mentioned that candidate forums will be hosted by various organizations, i.e. the Chamber of Commerce typically hosts a forum. He suggested that the CCB could host a forum. Following discussion of the Board, it was decided CCB would host a Mayoral Candidates’ Forum in place of their June meeting. Vice-Chair Rangel was tasked with putting together a plan of action. A sub-committee to work on the forum will include Ted Schwarz, Mizanur Rahman and Shamso Isaak. Once a location is secured, invitations will be sent to the four candidates. Patrick will work on finding a location that would work well for a forum. Board members can invite members from their communities to attend - the date will be Tuesday, June 27 beginning at 7:00 pm. Meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm.