Human Services Commission · Wednesday, January 18, 2023 · City Council Digest

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of October 19, 2022

packet pp.3–4

▶ Watch from 0:29 Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 10-19-22 Human Services Commission Minutes Page 1 CITY OF ISSAQUAH Human Services Commission 6:30 PM Steelhead Room, 235 1st Ave. October 19, 2022 MINUTES SE, Issaquah

4. AGENDA ITEMS

20 min. Input

Tisha Gieser, City Clerk · packet pp.23

▶ Watch from 1:12:31 Open packet at p.23 ↗

Staff report:

During the 2021-2022 Human Services funding cycle, the City of Issaquah funded 57 programs. Of these, 29 were included in a pooled program with other cities on the eastside, to help create efficiencies and decrease contractual burden for organizations. Administration for these pooled contracts was done jointly by staff from the 5 eastside cities, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, and Sammamish, with payment being coordinated by the City of Bellevue.

2022 Human Services Grants - Report

15 min · Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager · packet pp.25

Topics: BudgetEquity

▶ Watch from 1:14:12 Open packet at p.25 ↗

Staff report:

ISSAQUAH HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION 2023 WORK PLAN - Draft

2023 Human Services Commission Workplan - Update

20 min · Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

Topics: Equity

▶ Watch from 1:19:18

5. REPORTS

Chair Report

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

2487 segments .txt ↗

0:00 ↗ okay so I'm calling to order the uh

0:03 ↗ January 18th Human Services Commission

0:08 ↗ and

0:09 ↗ um I guess I will start by asking Monica

0:13 ↗ if there's any reason are we having

0:15 ↗ public comment this evening we don't

0:18 ↗ have anyone signed up for public

0:19 ↗ comments and nobody submitted any public

0:21 ↗ comments okay and I've been standing on

0:23 ↗ online or in the room in the comments

0:25 ↗ all right and um okay then we need to

0:29 ↗ vote on the approval of the minutes and

0:31 ↗ I'm sure the minutes are very fresh

0:34 ↗ in everybody's mind from October

0:40 ↗ um does anybody want to make a motion

0:45 ↗ all right a second okay all in favor say

0:49 ↗ hi hi okay

0:53 ↗ all right anybody

0:54 ↗ Nays okay they're approved

1:03 ↗ okay and then I think the next thing

1:06 ↗ we're gonna do is just move right into

1:08 ↗ tisha's presentation wonderful and I am

1:12 ↗ going to hi everybody I'm Tisha Geezer

1:14 ↗ I'm the city clerk I've met most of you

1:16 ↗ at least virtually if not in person

1:19 ↗ um it's nice nice to see you and see

1:21 ↗ names with faces thank you for your

1:23 ↗ service I'm always impressed with the

1:26 ↗ number of individuals we have volunteer

1:29 ↗ to serve on we have 13 advisory boards

1:32 ↗ in the city so

1:34 ↗ um a lot of spoken Brett and we're

1:35 ↗ really grateful to have your your input

1:37 ↗ on um so many important issues that are

1:40 ↗ coming before the city all the time

1:43 ↗ um so tonight I'm talking here to talk

1:46 ↗ to you about and I'm sorry I'm pulling

1:48 ↗ up my PowerPoint right now so I have a

1:50 ↗ do you have a few visuals to go along

1:53 ↗ with my presentation

1:55 ↗ was some of that included in the packet

1:58 ↗ was that the yeah okay okay I just want

2:00 ↗ to make sure I'm in the right place

2:04 ↗ so in your packet it starts on page 17 I

2:09 ↗ think yeah

2:12 ↗ okay

2:15 ↗ now it actually starts on page five

2:19 ↗ five yes the actual policy starts on

2:22 ↗ page 17. yeah

2:24 ↗ so

2:26 ↗ um

2:28 ↗ thank you

2:30 ↗ um so uh as you recall during during the

2:34 ↗ covid pandemic the commission met

2:36 ↗ entirely virtually for um

2:39 ↗ I mean I'm close to two years so the uh

2:43 ↗ the commission is subject to the state's

2:45 ↗ open public meetings act and I know you

2:47 ↗ can't believe you recently received

2:49 ↗ training on the action so one of the

2:51 ↗ requirements in that act is that you

2:53 ↗ have to have your meetings have to be

2:54 ↗ open to the public and so during covid

2:57 ↗ um the governor suspended the

2:59 ↗ requirement that we have an in-person

3:00 ↗ open door location for you but said

3:04 ↗ instead we needed to have a phone number

3:06 ↗ people could call in too so that you'd

3:08 ↗ hear hear your meeting and in our case

3:10 ↗ we've we purchased some software and we

3:12 ↗ allowed people to join by computer

3:15 ↗ so during the coveted pandemic there was

3:17 ↗ a governor and eventually the

3:19 ↗ legislature kind of put a pause on that

3:21 ↗ in person requirement

3:23 ↗ and

3:24 ↗ um in June uh the governor announced

3:27 ↗ that he was suspending that sort of

3:30 ↗ exception uh to the open public meetings

3:32 ↗ act and we were kind of resuming the

3:34 ↗ normal course of business however we do

3:37 ↗ now have a stipulation or a

3:41 ↗ should I call it we do still have we

3:43 ↗ have a provision in the open public

3:45 ↗ meetings act that anticipates

3:48 ↗ um a need to go all virtual again so if

3:50 ↗ we need to do that there's now rules in

3:52 ↗ place which is wonderful but that

3:54 ↗ in-person meeting requirement came back

3:56 ↗ into being July 1st believe your board

3:59 ↗ resumed in-person meetings in September

4:02 ↗ because we were trying to get this room

4:04 ↗ ready to just kind of figure things out

4:07 ↗ so all of our boards and commissions

4:09 ↗ came back

4:10 ↗ um in either July or in September and

4:12 ↗ the mayor um if you recall she sent a

4:14 ↗ few emails out and she really emphasized

4:16 ↗ she wanted boards and commissions

4:19 ↗ commissioned nurse in seats in in

4:22 ↗ physical meeting spaces but that we

4:25 ↗ would be offering a virtual uh option

4:27 ↗ for members of the public and presenters

4:30 ↗ that was the initial expectation

4:33 ↗ uh however the mayor's office and US

4:36 ↗ city staff heard feedback over those

4:38 ↗ first few months of coming back the

4:41 ↗ boarding commission members liked to

4:42 ↗ have the flexibility to attend virtually

4:45 ↗ as well we aren't running a virtual uh

4:48 ↗ meeting for all of our boards and

4:49 ↗ commission so your commission was one of

4:51 ↗ the ones selected to have that hybrid

4:53 ↗ meeting option and we purchased

4:55 ↗ equipment set up these rooms we have

4:57 ↗ three meeting rooms in the city that can

5:00 ↗ accommodate this

5:02 ↗ um so after hearing some feedback from

5:04 ↗ board and Commissioners the mayor asked

5:06 ↗ me to draft a policy to because no one's

5:09 ↗ rules sort of allow for virtual

5:11 ↗ participation it was just something we

5:13 ↗ started doing during covid so she asked

5:15 ↗ me to draft a policy to allow for

5:17 ↗ virtual uh participation button really

5:19 ↗ limited circumstances is

5:21 ↗ so I'm going to talk to you about this

5:23 ↗ draft policy which was in your packet

5:25 ↗ which is sort of you know coming coming

5:28 ↗ from the city

5:29 ↗ um but I I also want to start by saying

5:31 ↗ that the

5:32 ↗ um the rules about how the Commissioners

5:35 ↗ attend meetings are in the commission's

5:37 ↗ rules and regulations those are

5:39 ↗ controlled by you the Commissioners you

5:42 ↗ vote to make changes to those rules so

5:44 ↗ tonight I'm hoping you think about

5:46 ↗ expectations the group of you have both

5:49 ↗ now and in the future and for future

5:50 ↗ Commissioners and what you're looking

5:52 ↗ for and after I talk about the

5:54 ↗ maintenance of the draft policy I'll

5:56 ↗ share with you I've been taking this

5:58 ↗ Ranch to

5:59 ↗ I think I've been to about five or six

6:01 ↗ boards so far and so they're all

6:04 ↗ adopting slightly different versions you

6:06 ↗ know they all have salt share um some of

6:08 ↗ what the other boards are doing

6:11 ↗ so the policy is it's pretty short but

6:14 ↗ in case you didn't have a time time to

6:16 ↗ look at it let me tell you about some

6:18 ↗ key components so the draft policy says

6:21 ↗ that

6:22 ↗ um a essentially you would need to

6:25 ↗ request permission to attend virtually

6:27 ↗ and you would do that if if you are

6:29 ↗ unable to attend the meeting and you

6:32 ↗ know you could interpret unable to

6:34 ↗ attend in different ways the idea behind

6:37 ↗ that is if you have you know sort of a

6:39 ↗ medical situation you're recovering from

6:41 ↗ a procedure you're in quarantine you're

6:43 ↗ not feeling well you have a

6:44 ↗ transportation issue a child care issue

6:46 ↗ you're maybe traveling for a business

6:48 ↗ trip

6:49 ↗ um and not not in Issaquah so those are

6:52 ↗ some of the reasons that were intended

6:54 ↗ by that wording

6:56 ↗ um but it's meant to really emphasize

6:58 ↗ that if you're you're around and you

7:00 ↗ don't have any of those things impeding

7:03 ↗ your ability to attend that you would be

7:04 ↗ in person

7:06 ↗ hi

7:10 ↗ um the policy also says that for a

7:13 ↗ quorum would be in person so that means

7:15 ↗ four of you would need to be here

7:17 ↗ physically for the need to proceed and

7:20 ↗ that's sort of for two reasons that's

7:21 ↗ one to again encourage that in-person

7:23 ↗ attendance and the second reason is we

7:25 ↗ have an issue with the technology

7:28 ↗ um

7:29 ↗ and we don't have four of you

7:31 ↗ that it needs to stop because we lose a

7:34 ↗ form so if there was a technical issue

7:36 ↗ we do have some awesome I.T stuff but if

7:38 ↗ there's a problem and pillow

7:41 ↗ um and we can't get the um equipment

7:44 ↗ working or if there's some sort of you

7:46 ↗ know internet outage or something like

7:48 ↗ that

7:49 ↗ um so that's the reason for the the

7:51 ↗ Quorum uh required in person

7:55 ↗ and then there's um some language in the

7:57 ↗ draft policy about if you do attend

7:58 ↗ virtually so if you reach out to Monica

8:00 ↗ and say you know I'm in Eastern

8:02 ↗ Washington but I'd like to still

8:03 ↗ participate at the meeting or I'm not

8:04 ↗ feeling well but I'd like to participate

8:06 ↗ in the meeting she would kind of confirm

8:08 ↗ that a quorum would be in person and uh

8:11 ↗ she would then know that you would be

8:13 ↗ virtual while attending virtually you

8:15 ↗ would be encouraged to indicate you're

8:17 ↗ there and able to participate in the

8:19 ↗ meeting by having your camera on as much

8:21 ↗ as possible

8:22 ↗ um and engaging with the group

8:24 ↗ um one thing this virtual attendance

8:26 ↗ option isn't meant to replace is is

8:28 ↗ needing an excused absence so if you're

8:30 ↗ really unwell if you are taking a

8:33 ↗ vacation and some time away for yourself

8:35 ↗ or with your family you know we want you

8:37 ↗ to to let us know and and request an

8:39 ↗ excused absence

8:41 ↗ um we don't want the virtual tenants to

8:43 ↗ make you feel like you need to attend

8:45 ↗ every in all meeting no matter where you

8:46 ↗ are

8:47 ↗ uh so back to the draft policy another

8:50 ↗ provision in it is that if you're the

8:53 ↗ chair

8:54 ↗ um you would be expected to be in person

8:55 ↗ or if you needed to attend virtually you

8:57 ↗ would ask if I share or have the

8:59 ↗ commission um nominate another person to

9:01 ↗ chair that meeting the chair would

9:03 ↗ always be someone in the room

9:08 ↗ um

9:11 ↗ talks about is it it sort of formalizes

9:14 ↗ the fact that your regular meetings um

9:16 ↗ will have this virtual option it is

9:18 ↗ something the city is committed to doing

9:21 ↗ um and barring some major unforeseen

9:24 ↗ issue we'll have all of your regular

9:26 ↗ meetings we'll have we'll publish that

9:28 ↗ WebEx link

9:29 ↗ um and ensure virtual attendance there

9:32 ↗ could I will say there could be some

9:34 ↗ special meetings if you decide to have

9:35 ↗ you know a social Gathering or a meeting

9:38 ↗ with a joint meeting with another board

9:39 ↗ or permission or a tour or something

9:41 ↗ like that we probably wouldn't offer a

9:43 ↗ virtual option

9:44 ↗ um but one of the real changes is to

9:46 ↗ just sort of document that intention

9:49 ↗ um and also clarify that the public can

9:51 ↗ make comments virtually and attend

9:52 ↗ virtually and also staff I don't know if

9:54 ↗ you've had any staff present to you

9:56 ↗ virtually but it is happening at some of

9:58 ↗ our other boards and commissions

10:00 ↗ um and then I added

10:01 ↗ um some language I noticed as I was

10:04 ↗ looking through the commission's rules I

10:06 ↗ was just kind of skimming it and we we

10:09 ↗ try and keep parity uh between our 13

10:11 ↗ board and commission's rules and I

10:14 ↗ noticed there was not a lot of language

10:16 ↗ around public comment and while all of

10:19 ↗ your meetings need to be open to the

10:21 ↗ public

10:23 ↗ um the the parameters under which people

10:25 ↗ provide public comment are up to you and

10:28 ↗ I would recommend adding some of this

10:30 ↗ language about what could be procedures

10:32 ↗ inappropriate so if someone is saying

10:35 ↗ um let's see the word the word in here

10:37 ↗ is pretty

10:38 ↗ um what page are you on oh I'm off sorry

10:41 ↗ I don't have your packet open I'm on

10:44 ↗ this Redline copy of the document okay

10:47 ↗ okay very good got it the last page so

10:52 ↗ actually the bottom of the second to

10:54 ↗ last so I added some language that's in

10:56 ↗ our other boarding commission rules that

10:58 ↗ just sort of say you know we'd like you

11:00 ↗ to state your name we'd like you to

11:01 ↗ limit your comments to five minutes but

11:03 ↗ the chair can adjust that time frame

11:05 ↗ we'd like you to give Monica if you come

11:08 ↗ with prepared comments it could be

11:09 ↗ helpful for her to have the written

11:11 ↗ comments

11:12 ↗ um and then we it talks a little bit

11:14 ↗ about the virtual attendance and then

11:16 ↗ lastly it has some parameters around you

11:19 ↗ know things that aren't allowed during

11:21 ↗ your public personal attacks I've seen

11:22 ↗ yeah exactly and that just gives the

11:25 ↗ chair some something to stand on if

11:27 ↗ there is someone that comes in is

11:29 ↗ disruptive you know you have this

11:30 ↗ published uh policy for your public

11:33 ↗ comment and it talks about what the

11:35 ↗ chair can do

11:37 ↗ um you know direct the person to their

11:38 ↗ seat and you have the staff and you

11:40 ↗ their microphone so this is sort of

11:42 ↗ separate from the virtual attendance

11:44 ↗ piece but it's something I'd recommend

11:45 ↗ adding or a version of this

11:49 ↗ uh so uh you've gotten the rundown of

11:54 ↗ this draft policy let me uh share with

11:56 ↗ you uh what some of the other boards and

11:58 ↗ commissions are are thinking about

12:00 ↗ related to this policy and my

12:02 ↗ expectation for tonight

12:04 ↗ I'd love to hear your input and um do

12:07 ↗ some tweaking if you have some tweaking

12:09 ↗ um to this policy and ask that you have

12:12 ↗ actually adopt these amendments to your

12:14 ↗ rules at your next meeting I'd like to

12:16 ↗ we want to have the language you know

12:18 ↗ um solidified so uh we can talk more

12:21 ↗ about it but that was my expectation for

12:23 ↗ uh tonight

12:25 ↗ uh so let me share some input we from

12:28 ↗ the other boards and commissions that

12:29 ↗ I've met with so far so two of the

12:31 ↗ boards um pretty much adopted the policy

12:34 ↗ as is

12:35 ↗ um that was our development commission

12:36 ↗ and our transportation Advisory Board

12:38 ↗ both groups um had a tendency and a real

12:42 ↗ um desire we were enjoying that

12:45 ↗ in-person element and I should I I

12:47 ↗ didn't talk about this earlier I should

12:49 ↗ mention one of the I talked a little bit

12:51 ↗ about that desire to have in-person

12:53 ↗ attendance for the Quorum and so if

12:55 ↗ there's we have a you know an internet

12:57 ↗ issue or computer issue your meeting can

13:00 ↗ proceed some other reasons why the mayor

13:03 ↗ was Advocate it continues to advocate

13:06 ↗ for that

13:07 ↗ um is there's just Synergy that comes

13:10 ↗ when you're in person and I think during

13:12 ↗ covid it was perceived that it was

13:14 ↗ difficult for some of the board and

13:16 ↗ commission members to just you know

13:18 ↗ connect with each other especially for

13:19 ↗ newer members and newer boards

13:21 ↗ um another reason why the mayor um has

13:24 ↗ has been an emphasis on that is just you

13:27 ↗ know one of the expectations of these

13:29 ↗ advisory boards is that they're a place

13:30 ↗ that the public can come and share their

13:32 ↗ input and so having people come into the

13:34 ↗ meeting room of course they can always

13:36 ↗ come virtually from the comfort of their

13:37 ↗ home but wanting to make sure that they

13:39 ↗ have some

13:40 ↗ people to connect with in the room so I

13:43 ↗ didn't share that earlier so those are

13:45 ↗ some of her

13:46 ↗ um

13:48 ↗ some of some of her rationale for that

13:50 ↗ interest not in person attendance and so

13:52 ↗ the first two words I mentioned really

13:54 ↗ that

13:56 ↗ um

13:56 ↗ that aligned with their feelings since

13:58 ↗ they adopted this policy almost as is

14:01 ↗ however I've since gone to the park

14:04 ↗ board environmental board and Equity

14:06 ↗ board and those three boards have really

14:09 ↗ um really liked the flexibility of the

14:12 ↗ virtual attendance and for for different

14:14 ↗ reasons so on the park boards one of our

14:16 ↗ larger boards so lots of board members

14:19 ↗ lots of newer board members and they are

14:20 ↗ really enjoying that flexibility you

14:23 ↗ know that some of them are parents are

14:25 ↗ dealing with commuting and have just

14:27 ↗ said that that's an element that they

14:29 ↗ want to retain and they feel that um

14:32 ↗ that it works well for their board so

14:35 ↗ um they haven't adopted a final version

14:36 ↗ but it will be modified from this

14:39 ↗ um the environmental board adopted the

14:41 ↗ policy last week and they um changed it

14:44 ↗ so they removed the requirement that a

14:47 ↗ certain number of board members be in

14:49 ↗ the room but instead said that all board

14:53 ↗ members would be expected to attend half

14:55 ↗ of the yearly meetings in person and

14:58 ↗ just and included some language really

15:00 ↗ emphasizing the in-person attendance but

15:03 ↗ took away the minimum number they also

15:05 ↗ took away sort of any kind of rap

15:08 ↗ for not attending so the wording

15:10 ↗ currently says if you're unable to

15:12 ↗ attend a person they wanted that removed

15:13 ↗ they wanted it to be flexible but they

15:16 ↗ want to encourage people to

15:18 ↗ come

15:18 ↗ um the equity board which I talked to a

15:20 ↗ few weeks ago really felt that to allow

15:22 ↗ for broad participation

15:25 ↗ um in recruiting members that they felt

15:27 ↗ it was important to have that virtual

15:29 ↗ attendance option for someone who might

15:31 ↗ have transportation issues a disability

15:33 ↗ be working multiple jobs just

15:36 ↗ um they felt that that is really

15:38 ↗ in-person attendance could be a barrier

15:40 ↗ and they want to remove barriers and

15:42 ↗ please if you have any other thoughts

15:44 ↗ but so they have not adopted a final

15:47 ↗ policy but we'll be making some changes

15:48 ↗ as well so

15:50 ↗ um that's what I have I welcome your

15:53 ↗ input

15:54 ↗ so I have a question you said one of the

15:58 ↗ other commissions they added language

16:01 ↗ that at least

16:02 ↗ they put in a number I'm I don't know 50

16:04 ↗ percent

16:05 ↗ you had to attend in person 50 of the

16:08 ↗ time but was there anything about just

16:10 ↗ attending meetings in general

16:12 ↗ I mean I think and most all of our

16:15 ↗ boards have an expectation that regular

16:17 ↗ members attend all meetings unless they

16:19 ↗ request an excused absence and actually

16:21 ↗ in most most of the boards have rules

16:23 ↗ actually in the ordinances that created

16:26 ↗ them saying if you miss three

16:28 ↗ consecutive meanings it could be caused

16:30 ↗ for removal so okay and one I'll just

16:33 ↗ share one thing that came up in the

16:35 ↗ conversation for the boards that want to

16:37 ↗ remove that minimum is you know thinking

16:39 ↗ about

16:40 ↗ um so is it are you okay if you're one

16:42 ↗ of two people you know in a meeting room

16:45 ↗ because if we if you take away that

16:46 ↗ minimum

16:48 ↗ um so their their compromise was you

16:51 ↗ know six roughly six meetings a year the

16:53 ↗ Commissioners will tend to be in the

16:55 ↗ room it could be that it's the same six

16:57 ↗ meetings I'm sure some of them will

16:59 ↗ attend all the meetings in person or

17:01 ↗ most you know it's just kind of what

17:03 ↗ dynamic you're looking for and think you

17:05 ↗ think works well for

17:07 ↗ um this commission and the work of your

17:09 ↗ commission

17:15 ↗ hey Brad

17:17 ↗ um when I first read this I thought my

17:19 ↗ first thought was that

17:22 ↗ kind of like the other uh committees is

17:24 ↗ that I'd like to see it opened up

17:28 ↗ um but being the fact that if you're

17:31 ↗ going to have a public coming in

17:34 ↗ you don't want an empty room when I'm

17:36 ↗ sitting in those chairs you know

17:39 ↗ but things are going more virtual so

17:43 ↗ this is going to be the only place where

17:44 ↗ there'd be an empty room and you're

17:45 ↗ looking at a screen

17:47 ↗ either so

17:48 ↗ um

17:49 ↗ yeah I I understand why the equity board

17:53 ↗ would want the flexibility

17:57 ↗ um I think

17:58 ↗ um you know that is moving towards being

18:02 ↗ able to pull more people in and

18:05 ↗ best thing that would go here too I

18:08 ↗ think for for the Human Service

18:11 ↗ Commission

18:12 ↗ so I'm I'm flexing back and forth right

18:17 ↗ there now he said that you mentioned uh

18:21 ↗ that we we were one of the only

18:22 ↗ commissions that went with the virtual

18:26 ↗ recently is that

18:28 ↗ um Ashley I may have misstated that if I

18:32 ↗ so we have 13 advisory boards currently

18:35 ↗ not all of the city

18:38 ↗ um committed to maintaining a like a

18:41 ↗ virtual component to about eight of them

18:43 ↗ three or nine because it takes a lot of

18:46 ↗ additional resources right

18:48 ↗ um so

18:50 ↗ Monica and I and I spent a lot of time

18:52 ↗ you know we spend a lot of time setting

18:54 ↗ up meetings in our virtual meeting

18:55 ↗ software we need specially equipped

18:57 ↗ rooms so a few of the boards that tend

19:00 ↗ to have less

19:01 ↗ um frequent public participation we've

19:04 ↗ we've just left as purely and they've

19:06 ↗ gone back to fully in person

19:09 ↗ um occasionally they're choosing to have

19:11 ↗ a hybrid meeting so that's what I meant

19:13 ↗ by that you are one of the eight or so

19:15 ↗ boards where the city felt it was

19:17 ↗ important that you have the continual

19:19 ↗ virtual option at least for the public

19:22 ↗ and then that's what you're discussing

19:24 ↗ is what that might look like for the

19:25 ↗ Commissioners so was The Advisory

19:27 ↗ board's choice to stay with the in

19:31 ↗ person

19:32 ↗ answer me

19:33 ↗ and not have the virtual element so of

19:36 ↗ the of the four or five that went where

19:40 ↗ the city said

19:41 ↗ um go ahead and just you know go back in

19:44 ↗ person I'll be honest most of them have

19:47 ↗ uh one of them is meeting tonight and

19:49 ↗ actually could not find a meeting room

19:51 ↗ that had this virtual we only have a few

19:53 ↗ meeting rooms with this technology so

19:55 ↗ um they're over at the community center

19:57 ↗ without a virtual element but we've been

19:59 ↗ trying to accommodate if they have a

20:01 ↗ higher profile meeting or have some

20:03 ↗ guested like to attend virtually we've

20:05 ↗ been accommodating that so they're kind

20:07 ↗ of a mix say

20:09 ↗ and we're still work and we're also

20:11 ↗ still figure you know to some extent

20:13 ↗ figuring this out

20:15 ↗ um those boards have not um

20:18 ↗ interestingly I haven't met with them to

20:20 ↗ discuss this yet I'm meeting with one of

20:22 ↗ one of them is our economic Vitality

20:24 ↗ commissioner I'm meeting with them next

20:25 ↗ month to talk about the policy and I'll

20:27 ↗ be really interested to hear what they

20:29 ↗ have to say because they have not had

20:31 ↗ the virtual option at every meeting like

20:33 ↗ you like your board has

20:36 ↗ so let me just I wanna for me I I've

20:40 ↗ really enjoy the flexibility for my

20:42 ↗ personal reasons but also thinking about

20:44 ↗ that flexibility I do recognize and I

20:48 ↗ see how the equity board will say let's

20:50 ↗ have it um have the flexibility here of

20:53 ↗ hybrid the hybrid system

20:56 ↗ um now I think we're gonna have to gauge

21:00 ↗ in terms of you know mostly this okay I

21:03 ↗ really recognize the human factors

21:05 ↗ coming together you know

21:08 ↗ um this certain element of us

21:09 ↗ interacting together however there's

21:12 ↗ also the other element of flexibility so

21:14 ↗ as many people as possible can

21:16 ↗ participate and not eliminating some of

21:18 ↗ the people who can say I really want to

21:20 ↗ be on the human condition but I can't

21:22 ↗ because of

21:23 ↗ XYZ personal reason or tonight

21:27 ↗ um if I if I I made an effort to come

21:30 ↗ here but I see how akola stayed home for

21:33 ↗ whatever reason for the reason I'm late

21:35 ↗ I'm sorry sorry so

21:38 ↗ so is like resources versus flexibility

21:41 ↗ so

21:43 ↗ um we have probably have to give

21:45 ↗ somewhere and it seems to me that many

21:48 ↗ of us who volunteer on this board come

21:51 ↗ with good faith in that we want to

21:54 ↗ invest we want that human connection

21:56 ↗ that's why we are doing this and uh just

21:59 ↗ by that it's like I think having a

22:01 ↗ flexible a hybrid situation uh

22:05 ↗ people who really still try to come in

22:07 ↗ person until they can't right so that's

22:10 ↗ those are the premises from which I'm

22:12 ↗ going we gain with that flexibility and

22:15 ↗ yes there are situations where okay if

22:18 ↗ only one or two people are in the room

22:20 ↗ you know

22:22 ↗ what happens but again it's all all

22:25 ↗ comes back to communication so if in

22:27 ↗ advance a week before we know that that

22:29 ↗ the uh this particular commission are we

22:33 ↗ all going to have one or two people and

22:35 ↗ they might not be okay then we have it

22:37 ↗ virtual and uh

22:40 ↗ knowing the Good Will of most of us

22:43 ↗ we're gonna just do those kind of things

22:46 ↗ when it's really needed and hopefully

22:48 ↗ we're gonna be together more than uh

22:51 ↗ more times and lesser time

22:53 ↗ you know

22:56 ↗ well I have a question oh no you go

22:59 ↗ ahead no you spoke first well I was just

23:01 ↗ gonna ask if just to start from the

23:04 ↗ Baseline would anybody

23:07 ↗ not be favorable to adapting the draft

23:11 ↗ as is

23:14 ↗ I mean does somebody feel strongly about

23:15 ↗ you know starting with the draft and

23:18 ↗ then making some amendments well rather

23:20 ↗ than getting to that why don't we have

23:21 ↗ everybody give their opinions first okay

23:23 ↗ because I have one okay but that's why I

23:26 ↗ was going to say you go Laurie Edwards

23:28 ↗ here yeah

23:29 ↗ um I

23:31 ↗ I do a lot of virtual stuff and uh in

23:34 ↗ fact

23:35 ↗ um have been doing a lot of virtual

23:37 ↗ stuff for a couple of years now and I

23:39 ↗ find that when I do that I have and

23:43 ↗ believe it or not I do other things

23:45 ↗ other than the Human Services Commission

23:48 ↗ um

23:49 ↗ I find that I can have a meeting from

23:51 ↗ four to six and then another meeting

23:54 ↗ from six till eight

23:56 ↗ um if I have to be someplace in person

23:59 ↗ that becomes real problematic

24:02 ↗ um and now the the flip side of that is

24:06 ↗ the the counter to that is in order for

24:09 ↗ me to participate I have to have a

24:11 ↗ computer I have to have the internet uh

24:14 ↗ and if I don't have those things then

24:16 ↗ that kind of precludes me being part of

24:19 ↗ the of the whole thing the other thing

24:21 ↗ is is I really get the idea I get the

24:23 ↗ the thing of being together in the same

24:27 ↗ room

24:29 ↗ um

24:30 ↗ and all the nuances that you get from

24:33 ↗ that

24:35 ↗ um however I can say that after two

24:38 ↗ years of being on the computer virtually

24:40 ↗ you know I get that now anyway I mean

24:43 ↗ I'm able to

24:45 ↗ zoom in on my Hollywood Squares screen

24:47 ↗ and and uh and and see people and know

24:52 ↗ that oh that's you know this is what

24:55 ↗ they're thinking or

24:57 ↗ um

24:57 ↗ so I like the flexibility I really do I

25:01 ↗ would like to be more virtual rather

25:04 ↗ than have to take the time to

25:06 ↗ drive down here drive home it just means

25:11 ↗ it's it's easier and more convenient to

25:13 ↗ be virtual

25:18 ↗ that one fish I when I read the your The

25:22 ↗ Proposal I thought it was very practical

25:25 ↗ I thought it made a lot of sense and I

25:27 ↗ appreciate having the flexibility but I

25:29 ↗ also appreciate having some parameters

25:31 ↗ around what virtual participation looks

25:33 ↗ like so having the chairperson present

25:35 ↗ here having a quorum present here I

25:38 ↗ think that's all very practical having

25:39 ↗ people that are participating virtually

25:42 ↗ having their screens on as much as

25:44 ↗ possible not that I ever would have

25:46 ↗ taken advantage of that to sweep the

25:47 ↗ kitchen with the screen off that was not

25:50 ↗ me but I I just thought I felt like

25:51 ↗ there was a lot of practical thoughtful

25:54 ↗ um parameters included in this I thought

25:58 ↗ it was great I appreciate having the

25:59 ↗ flexibility but I I'm I'm a fan of in

26:02 ↗ person and that's that's just me

26:05 ↗ oh Danny Brown here um

26:08 ↗ we also think about

26:10 ↗ new people coming in and age difference

26:14 ↗ in in their expectations right uh

26:18 ↗ virtual is nothing to

26:21 ↗ to the younger group right and if we

26:24 ↗ want that group to take over

26:27 ↗ this type of uh

26:29 ↗ agenda from the committee I think we

26:32 ↗ need to be open to the possibility that

26:36 ↗ they got their own world right and

26:39 ↗ that's part of the world is virtual and

26:42 ↗ if we fight that then we're not going to

26:44 ↗ get the participation from that group

26:53 ↗ um well

26:55 ↗ personally I think that it's nice to

26:58 ↗ have like flexibility because it's like

27:00 ↗ you said like implementation in like the

27:03 ↗ online world is like a must right now in

27:06 ↗ the younger generation Our Lives revolve

27:09 ↗ around our screens but um

27:13 ↗ I also think that it um

27:16 ↗ it's also important to have

27:19 ↗ um people in person again for that human

27:22 ↗ connection and also personally having

27:26 ↗ gone through school online I just feel

27:29 ↗ like it's better to have people and see

27:32 ↗ and do things in person and it's just

27:35 ↗ better and easier to get things done

27:38 ↗ this is very important

27:47 ↗ thank you too uh so the other aspect of

27:51 ↗ it when I was

27:53 ↗ reading it and hearing also is

27:56 ↗ a light that we have rules about virtual

28:00 ↗ um and I was thinking in terms of equity

28:04 ↗ the chair is obligated to be here in

28:06 ↗ person

28:07 ↗ how does it feel for that person are we

28:10 ↗ putting limitations on Who Wants to be

28:13 ↗ the chair that alone can drive someone

28:15 ↗ away say I don't want to be a chair they

28:17 ↗ want to do this

28:18 ↗ I'm just trying just to be fruitful here

28:21 ↗ so

28:25 ↗ yes considerations which if it's going

28:28 ↗ to be flexible do we have considerations

28:30 ↗ that is also flexible for that chair

28:32 ↗ that's great

28:36 ↗ but there is a provision if the chair

28:38 ↗ can't be

28:40 ↗ in person that the chair can designate

28:43 ↗ the the proxy the proxy yes right right

28:46 ↗ yeah can anyone explain to me why you

28:50 ↗ need to have people in person to have a

28:52 ↗ quorum

28:54 ↗ why is that necessary

28:57 ↗ well I think didn't you address that

28:59 ↗ when you said the that's that's the

29:01 ↗ eventual assuming that's making the

29:03 ↗ assumption that technology fails yes I

29:06 ↗ would say it's not it's not a

29:08 ↗ requirement I mean so this the

29:11 ↗ requirement is that there be a physical

29:13 ↗ meeting space uh for people to come and

29:16 ↗ listen to the meeting live so that does

29:19 ↗ mean that a staff person has to open the

29:22 ↗ door have the lights on have the

29:24 ↗ equipment working

29:25 ↗ um

29:26 ↗ you don't I mean from from what I

29:28 ↗ understand from talking to our attorneys

29:30 ↗ technically none of you need to need to

29:32 ↗ be are required to be in the room that's

29:34 ↗ why we're talking tonight

29:36 ↗ um

29:36 ↗ I think that the Quorum was a starting

29:39 ↗ point it's a it's a functional number

29:42 ↗ that we talk about and it's important to

29:44 ↗ the commission so it felt like a

29:46 ↗ starting point I do think if there are

29:48 ↗ technology issues it's just something to

29:50 ↗ be aware of that if people came down and

29:52 ↗ drove down to the meeting and there is

29:53 ↗ something prohibiting that a virtual

29:56 ↗ element that they the meeting can't

29:58 ↗ proceed

29:59 ↗ um how however I will um comment that

30:02 ↗ I've talked to some of the our staff

30:04 ↗ leads I was like Monica because we're

30:06 ↗ noticing that the public can comment

30:08 ↗ virtually I think my advice is that if

30:11 ↗ there's just some kind of outage or we

30:13 ↗ you know our equipment is not working if

30:15 ↗ if at all possible we would want to

30:17 ↗ reschedule the meeting we wouldn't want

30:19 ↗ to just plow ahead because we had four

30:21 ↗ people in the room so it's it's

30:23 ↗ something you can you know you should

30:25 ↗ talk about is whether you you want to

30:27 ↗ see that requirement and if you don't

30:30 ↗ then you can remove that and we can have

30:32 ↗ no requirement as to the number of

30:34 ↗ people in the room or we can have a

30:36 ↗ lesser requirement

30:38 ↗ um that's really up to you

30:41 ↗ so Commissioners disha was saying

30:43 ↗ basically you fulfilled the state

30:46 ↗ requirements

30:48 ↗ and I opened the meaning space and the

30:51 ↗ room we fulfill that requirement right

30:53 ↗ right so you have that wide range of

30:55 ↗ options options from that all the way to

30:57 ↗ requesting the Quorum in the room all

31:00 ↗ the way to that I really love to hear

31:03 ↗ your I love to hear your

31:06 ↗ so Facebook is many again uh

31:10 ↗ if there were people here and

31:14 ↗ we couldn't get out to the public we'd

31:16 ↗ have to reschedule anyway I would I

31:19 ↗ would recommend that I mean your meeting

31:21 ↗ can technically proceed but I would um

31:24 ↗ you could be opening up yourself for I

31:27 ↗ can't believe you moved ahead when I

31:29 ↗ wasn't able to participate right I mean

31:31 ↗ saying that it went out right now you

31:32 ↗ went through the public comment you have

31:34 ↗ a really light agenda four of you more

31:36 ↗ than four of you were in the room you

31:38 ↗ could wrap up your meeting but yeah I

31:40 ↗ think if it was at the top of the

31:41 ↗ meeting or it was you know you're making

31:43 ↗ your final recommendation on the uh the

31:45 ↗ grants you know and you have interested

31:48 ↗ people we would want to reschedule yeah

31:50 ↗ so it's I I talk about the that

31:53 ↗ requirement is that was something that

31:54 ↗ was in my mind when I wrote this but

31:57 ↗ it's not it's not a requirement by any

32:01 ↗ means and you could address that and

32:04 ↗ that's it I appreciate the fact that you

32:06 ↗ guys go through all this and give us a

32:08 ↗ starting point yeah okay absolutely you

32:11 ↗ know I like the grant said but you know

32:13 ↗ starting point then it would be in big

32:15 ↗ trouble so I really do appreciate that

32:17 ↗ and do it again

32:25 ↗ so ideally we should be able to vote and

32:29 ↗ adapt something next month yes and it'd

32:32 ↗ be nice if if I I have some Direction I

32:35 ↗ mean I've I've heard some input and I'm

32:38 ↗ happy to summarize that if that's

32:39 ↗ helpful but it would be it would be

32:42 ↗ great to so so far what I've heard is an

32:44 ↗ interest in more flexibility and a

32:46 ↗ majority of you definitely seem to

32:48 ↗ prefer not having a quorum like a

32:51 ↗ certain number of individuals required

32:54 ↗ and I'm also hearing uh the fact that

32:57 ↗ you there's some trust and you feel like

33:00 ↗ um you trust the Judgment of the

33:01 ↗ Commissioners to if they need to if they

33:03 ↗ if they need to attend virtually for

33:05 ↗ themselves they should be able to do

33:06 ↗ that we don't need to put parameters

33:08 ↗ around why or say that it's just um so

33:12 ↗ open that up a little bit so I've heard

33:13 ↗ those comments and that has seemed to

33:15 ↗ come from a majority I guess what would

33:17 ↗ be helpful is if there's any but I've

33:20 ↗ also heard that there's value in it

33:22 ↗ being in person that we can capture that

33:24 ↗ in the rules I guess I'm interested

33:25 ↗ would be interested if there's any

33:27 ↗ interest in putting any kind of

33:29 ↗ requirement other than just encouraging

33:32 ↗ [Music]

33:33 ↗ um in-person attendance

33:35 ↗ or or not and if you just want to have

33:38 ↗ it wide open and one more thing I'll add

33:40 ↗ you can amend these rules at any time I

33:42 ↗ think partly we're we're all trying to

33:44 ↗ figure this out

33:46 ↗ um so I expect I'm going around all the

33:48 ↗ boards for this first round

33:50 ↗ we can talk about this again you can

33:52 ↗ observe how it's going and right and

33:54 ↗ modify it in you know the next few

33:57 ↗ months even if you want to I do have one

33:59 ↗ more thing I can contribute

34:01 ↗ um Maury Edwards here again

34:03 ↗ um and that is that when you have a

34:06 ↗ hybrid model you've got some people in

34:08 ↗ person and some people are on the screen

34:11 ↗ you know it doesn't work as well

34:13 ↗ it's either if everybody's in person

34:16 ↗ it's better or if everybody's on Virtual

34:19 ↗ it's better but having the two of them

34:21 ↗ together just doesn't work as well if

34:23 ↗ somebody gets left out

34:26 ↗ it's hard it's and I think it is hard

34:29 ↗ for the harder for the chair and

34:31 ↗ speakers it's you know just making that

34:33 ↗ eye contact and feeling like you're

34:34 ↗ including everyone

34:36 ↗ um so I yes I agree but I also think you

34:40 ↗ know it's it's been occurring I'm not

34:42 ↗ sure if your commission meetings if

34:44 ↗ you've had anyone attend virtually yeah

34:46 ↗ yes most of our other commissions have

34:49 ↗ have to and you know it does or it does

34:52 ↗ work it's just it's a little

34:55 ↗ a little more complicated to to manage

34:59 ↗ and so yeah again Betty Brown here oh

35:05 ↗ again the whole concept of equity board

35:09 ↗ and human Commission

35:12 ↗ gives you that

35:14 ↗ just the names I'm gonna give you the

35:15 ↗ idea that you're talking about people

35:17 ↗ and what's best for for them and and

35:21 ↗ advancing in a direction that works for

35:25 ↗ for the people

35:27 ↗ and you know that's what it comes down

35:30 ↗ to is

35:31 ↗ it might feel inconvenient

35:34 ↗ to uh everybody to be here

35:37 ↗ and it might be a little inconvenient

35:39 ↗ for being on this on Virtual but

35:42 ↗ what's the best thing for to get that

35:46 ↗ information out to everybody and in this

35:48 ↗ world I'm afraid it's virtual

35:51 ↗ yeah

35:53 ↗ I need to see Monica sitting here by

35:55 ↗ herself

35:59 ↗ turning the lights off just let us know

36:04 ↗ but yeah I don't know I uh as far as

36:07 ↗ staff I'm not concerned about that I

36:08 ↗ think like he said and thank you so much

36:10 ↗ though for your concern it's also nice

36:12 ↗ and nice to appreciate all of you I

36:14 ↗ think like you said if we are thinking

36:16 ↗ about people what can provide us the

36:18 ↗ despite some inconveniences what can

36:20 ↗ provide the most flexibility to for

36:22 ↗ everyone right and that includes some

36:24 ↗ people who might not have a computer and

36:26 ↗ they might come here or that includes

36:28 ↗ some people who might have child care

36:30 ↗ issues or have other things and it's

36:32 ↗ very convenient to just hop on the

36:33 ↗ computer right

36:35 ↗ those are the questions that I love to

36:37 ↗ hear all of you including the chair

36:39 ↗ options and and the so so well said path

36:42 ↗ like is this gonna deter some people

36:44 ↗ from even as we are going to talk just

36:46 ↗ later in the meaning about

36:48 ↗ um onboarding new Commissioners

36:50 ↗ hopefully in a couple of months

36:52 ↗ um is is that gonna prevent anyone from

36:55 ↗ even applying if they see a very strict

36:57 ↗ requirement one way or the other right

37:00 ↗ not to mention even just being willing

37:03 ↗ to

37:04 ↗ um

37:05 ↗ serve as a chair if they know that they

37:07 ↗ have more stringent requirements right

37:09 ↗ so it's all about how can we make it

37:11 ↗ better for everyone in the community and

37:13 ↗ making it accessible for people

37:15 ↗ so I love all the questions

37:18 ↗ I really liked thank you for mentioning

37:20 ↗ the fact that this is dynamic and that

37:23 ↗ we can adopt something now see how it

37:26 ↗ goes and then maybe after a few months

37:28 ↗ say okay what do you guys think do you

37:31 ↗ think it's working for us and then you

37:33 ↗ know and then we can either stick with

37:34 ↗ it or modify it some more but I really

37:36 ↗ like that

37:37 ↗ because then maybe what we could because

37:39 ↗ otherwise you guys we could be sitting

37:42 ↗ here this entire 90-minute meeting and

37:45 ↗ talking about this

37:46 ↗ you know what I mean so um

37:50 ↗ so should we just

37:54 ↗ um okay so what was the last thing you

37:56 ↗ said you wanted to know oh if there

37:58 ↗ needed to be something more than just

37:59 ↗ encourage people to attend or maybe you

38:02 ↗ don't even I mean the feeling I got from

38:04 ↗ the equity board is they I think they

38:05 ↗ don't even necessarily want to say that

38:07 ↗ they really want

38:09 ↗ um they really want it wide open I think

38:11 ↗ the

38:13 ↗ um so they've been the board that's you

38:14 ↗ know really wanted the most flexibility

38:16 ↗ and uh and we can do some minor worth

38:20 ↗ smithing I think I do have good input I

38:22 ↗ think uh based on the input I've heard I

38:24 ↗ think aligning your roles to those of

38:27 ↗ the equity board is probably

38:29 ↗ um both seem to have similar

38:31 ↗ perspectives on it

38:33 ↗ um and I and didn't I hear correctly

38:36 ↗ then that

38:37 ↗ um somebody wouldn't have to call up and

38:41 ↗ tell Monica that they're not kind right

38:44 ↗ we would so we would take we would

38:48 ↗ change it from a sort of right now it

38:51 ↗ says you need permission to attend

38:53 ↗ virtually it would be changed to sort of

38:56 ↗ a notification okay and that's maybe

38:59 ↗ something we could consider removing

39:00 ↗ eventually

39:02 ↗ I you know and I don't I don't know if

39:05 ↗ you have thoughts on that and and that's

39:07 ↗ something I mean in terms of attendance

39:09 ↗ whether it's first impersonal virtual I

39:12 ↗ think that informally I always try to

39:14 ↗ check in with you all right and that we

39:16 ↗ have kind of like my my expectation and

39:18 ↗ trying to send you reminders and sending

39:21 ↗ you notes about that please let me know

39:22 ↗ if you're not participating it's more

39:24 ↗ for all of you because I'm trying to

39:26 ↗ make sure if we don't have a quorum then

39:28 ↗ we should try to cancel the meaning in

39:30 ↗ advance and I don't want to put any two

39:33 ↗ three of you in a position of coming all

39:35 ↗ the way here and then we don't have

39:36 ↗ enough money right right so for from for

39:38 ↗ that perspective I don't know if you

39:40 ↗ need something in the rules we can put

39:42 ↗ something but I don't even know if we

39:43 ↗ need something in the rules or just

39:45 ↗ let's check in to make sure that there's

39:47 ↗ a quorum or like let me know if you

39:50 ↗ think you're not gonna be able to make

39:51 ↗ it even if it's last minute because or

39:54 ↗ even something that says um you know

39:57 ↗ Pat Manny um plan to attend personally

40:00 ↗ right just on on the uh the group email

40:04 ↗ that you send out so that everyone knows

40:07 ↗ that okay they're gonna be there

40:09 ↗ you can make your choices whatever well

40:12 ↗ I we have the option just to take out

40:13 ↗ the quorum

40:14 ↗ yeah

40:16 ↗ I'm talking about for information's sake

40:19 ↗ because right right right right right no

40:22 ↗ I I agree information's sake right but

40:25 ↗ that way you know if there's if there's

40:28 ↗ uh public here that there's somebody

40:30 ↗ here or or not you know so yeah no I

40:34 ↗ agree yeah I think for information we

40:37 ↗ should have a feel yeah otherwise it's

40:40 ↗ just like really too loosey-goosey yeah

40:42 ↗ yeah as a reminder currently the and we

40:46 ↗ you haven't delved into this and you do

40:48 ↗ have other items on your agenda to get

40:50 ↗ to so I will I will plan it um

40:52 ↗ move on here but the the chair would be

40:55 ↗ required a person would be required to

40:57 ↗ be in person and I will say I actually

40:59 ↗ think it could be beneficial to have you

41:02 ↗ know it does put a burden on the chair

41:04 ↗ if they're here in person but having the

41:06 ↗ vice chair or another commissioner have

41:08 ↗ an opportunity to chair a meeting I

41:10 ↗ think is actually a really helpful thing

41:12 ↗ because it gets people a little more

41:13 ↗ comfortable with it so I see that less

41:15 ↗ as a

41:17 ↗ um a requirement that the actual chair

41:19 ↗ would need to be here physically every

41:20 ↗ time and they would probably enjoy being

41:23 ↗ able to let someone else manage that

41:25 ↗ part of the meeting

41:27 ↗ um and attend virtually but I think at a

41:30 ↗ minimum if that provision stays that

41:32 ↗ person will probably need to communicate

41:33 ↗ with Monica so she knows um and as far

41:36 ↗ as that other notification I know

41:38 ↗ sometimes it's helpful to sort of know

41:39 ↗ as you're trying to ascertain like who's

41:41 ↗ am I looking for the door to open or am

41:44 ↗ I staring at my screen right that can be

41:46 ↗ kind of helpful but I don't know how

41:48 ↗ critical right

41:50 ↗ yeah and a little consideration what

41:53 ↗ else is thinking for the number of times

41:56 ↗ so who keeps the count

41:58 ↗ yeah

41:59 ↗ I had that same time yeah I I yeah I

42:03 ↗ wouldn't want that

42:04 ↗ you're talking about the condition where

42:07 ↗ uh 50 of meetings yeah they have to okay

42:12 ↗ Maury was here in in March but he wasn't

42:15 ↗ here in April I don't want to have it or

42:17 ↗ yeah but he was here but he was virtual

42:18 ↗ but no that's yeah we weren't really

42:20 ↗ sure if he was here

42:23 ↗ thank you for that because

42:30 ↗ first grade attendance list

42:37 ↗ I think when I when I heard from you

42:39 ↗ Lori is that I mean because you don't

42:42 ↗ think things are as effective if it's

42:44 ↗ hybrid you would prefer if we just all

42:46 ↗ went back to Virtual right if we all met

42:48 ↗ first that's my preference yeah is there

42:50 ↗ anybody else

42:53 ↗ and I guess that's not even an option

42:54 ↗ because Monica has to be down here

42:56 ↗ opening the road and that's I mean that

42:59 ↗ could be an option if like I would still

43:01 ↗ be virtually if I'm alone here

43:06 ↗ oh and then we would we would say that

43:08 ↗ the board chair doesn't have to be here

43:12 ↗ yeah you can can we say that Monica

43:14 ↗ doesn't have to be here

43:17 ↗ somebody has to be careful to offer to

43:20 ↗ offer the in-person option

43:22 ↗ I think that would just be too weird

43:24 ↗ for for you to be here and then us

43:27 ↗ what what do you guys think

43:29 ↗ GrubHub

43:32 ↗ while she's sitting here and again I

43:35 ↗ really like the idea we can adopt

43:37 ↗ something try it and decide that in

43:40 ↗ three months we're gonna get back

43:42 ↗ together and evaluate yeah

43:44 ↗ yeah so are you going to put something

43:47 ↗ together and yes send it to us between

43:49 ↗ now and next meeting I I can't yes I can

43:52 ↗ certainly do that I need to prepare some

43:54 ↗ things for the

43:55 ↗ two other boards who kind of provide

43:58 ↗ their input and I need to get back to

44:00 ↗ them with their their next draft so yes

44:02 ↗ we can do that in advance of your next

44:04 ↗ I'll tell you a month goes by quickly

44:08 ↗ yeah so is there any way that

44:13 ↗ that you draft something that everyone

44:16 ↗ accepts

44:18 ↗ for interim so that instead of doing 13

44:22 ↗ different things that okay this is what

44:25 ↗ we have see if it works for you

44:27 ↗ well and then

44:29 ↗ go from there are you talking about the

44:32 ↗ other boards that right yeah and you

44:34 ↗ know initially I think I thought was

44:36 ↗ let's try and standardize this but I I

44:38 ↗ also think that you know these are

44:40 ↗ you're each autonomous groups and you

44:44 ↗ have different Dynamics and different

44:45 ↗ you know different people participating

44:47 ↗ in different some different values even

44:50 ↗ and I think it's really within each

44:52 ↗ group's purview it's something that

44:54 ↗ belongs in your rules and so

44:57 ↗ um each group has talked through this

44:58 ↗ and has come up with something they're

45:00 ↗ comfortable with or is close to that and

45:02 ↗ so it's okay it's okay that there's some

45:04 ↗ variation and the way you did that by

45:07 ↗ giving this it started yeah and then

45:09 ↗ everyone's good kind of falling within

45:11 ↗ this I am going to try I'm trying to

45:13 ↗ though to

45:15 ↗ um as much as possible standardized so I

45:18 ↗ think your rules in the equity boards

45:19 ↗ would be really similar based on the

45:21 ↗ input you've provided so there will be

45:23 ↗ some similarities and then we'll go

45:25 ↗ we'll go from there see see what happens

45:28 ↗ thank you so much for your input thank

45:31 ↗ you so much

45:38 ↗ are you related to the geyser that used

45:40 ↗ to be the coach up at uh skyline no okay

45:43 ↗ I'm not

45:46 ↗ happy to meet another Tuesday

45:52 ↗ [Music]

45:55 ↗ watch

46:03 ↗ [Laughter]

46:12 ↗ thank you

46:14 ↗ okay so Monica you're on next

46:16 ↗ it's hard to go after this conversation

46:20 ↗ thank you Trish

46:22 ↗ um and hello

46:25 ↗ um board members because we were talking

46:28 ↗ about the equity board Commissioners

46:31 ↗ um I wanted to spend a few minutes in

46:34 ↗ providing you a little bit of an update

46:36 ↗ on the

46:38 ↗ 2021-2022 Human Services Grants as we

46:42 ↗ are closing uh that funding cycle and we

46:45 ↗ are working on

46:47 ↗ um developing contracts for the next

46:50 ↗ funding cycle typically we'd like to

46:52 ↗ provide a brief report at the end and to

46:56 ↗ give you some details you have in your

46:58 ↗ packet just a brief report on staff I

47:00 ↗ didn't put together another presentation

47:03 ↗ I thought that maybe we can talk a

47:05 ↗ little bit in person but I'm happy to

47:06 ↗ put the report up it's pretty brief and

47:09 ↗ uh basically one of the reasons why it's

47:11 ↗ pretty briefly said only about half of

47:13 ↗ the course we are able to go through so

47:16 ↗ I'm gonna give you a little bit of

47:18 ↗ information more and as as we are going

47:21 ↗ to go through the new contracts you're

47:23 ↗ going to know that that's how we set up

47:25 ↗ it's a similar pattern how we set up the

47:27 ↗ contracts for the new funding cycle but

47:30 ↗ um in 2021 2022 the the city supported

47:35 ↗ about 57 organizations not organizations

47:38 ↗ the programs

47:40 ↗ um and about half of those typically we

47:44 ↗ provide direct payments to and we

47:47 ↗ intensely

47:49 ↗ um

47:49 ↗ [Music]

47:52 ↗ conduct

47:53 ↗ [Music]

47:54 ↗ um

47:55 ↗ reports reviewings on the other half we

47:58 ↗ put into a pooled

48:00 ↗ um contract with the other cities on the

48:03 ↗ east side so we collaborate with the

48:06 ↗ cities of Bellevue Sammamish Kirkland

48:08 ↗ and Redmond and those organizations are

48:11 ↗ basically organizations that all of the

48:13 ↗ Cities fund for the same programs so

48:16 ↗ it's not it's a way to create some

48:18 ↗ efficiencies with those organizations

48:20 ↗ and so those programs enter into one

48:23 ↗ contract only and the City of Bellevue

48:26 ↗ manages that all of us are responsible

48:29 ↗ for reviewing reports and communicating

48:31 ↗ still with organizations but payment and

48:34 ↗ Contracting thing just goes through

48:35 ↗ those the reason why I want to tell you

48:37 ↗ a little bit more about this so you know

48:39 ↗ the difference is because I would love

48:41 ↗ to get your input on what's best moving

48:44 ↗ forward

48:45 ↗ for this year we do plan on having the

48:48 ↗ similar pattern and not changing

48:50 ↗ anything just because of timing and so

48:52 ↗ again some of the 42 programs that

48:55 ↗ you're from we are funding as a city and

48:57 ↗ you reviewed and made recommendations

49:00 ↗ for about half we are going to keep

49:02 ↗ in-house we are going to administer

49:05 ↗ in-house and then the other half again

49:07 ↗ it's going to go into that cold contract

49:09 ↗ I personally actually express some

49:12 ↗ concerns about this uh this option

49:15 ↗ um to my fellow colleagues on the other

49:17 ↗ cities

49:19 ↗ um in terms of equity I brought it up uh

49:22 ↗ and the reason is that I noticed that

49:25 ↗ it's I think it's a great option for

49:28 ↗ those organizations who are in the pool

49:29 ↗ contract because now I stop having five

49:32 ↗ different contracts with five different

49:34 ↗ cities they only have one but what I

49:36 ↗ noticed is that typically the large

49:38 ↗ organizations and those who had more

49:42 ↗ um

49:43 ↗ structures in place and more financial

49:45 ↗ resources or benefiting from the food

49:47 ↗ contracts whereas smaller organizations

49:50 ↗ that maybe you are more cultural based

49:53 ↗ or were funded only by one of the cities

49:55 ↗ did not have a couple of cities they did

49:58 ↗ not have the opportunity to be in the

49:59 ↗ pool contract so it creates a pros and

50:02 ↗ cons it's great as an idea but if it's

50:05 ↗ not made available to others it's just

50:07 ↗ perpetuates the inequities

50:10 ↗ um so from that perspective would love

50:13 ↗ to have a brief conversation with you

50:15 ↗ and actually that's also the reason why

50:16 ↗ just going back to the report for last

50:18 ↗ year we were not able to review that all

50:21 ↗ the reports because and again another

50:23 ↗ perhaps inequity the contracts that we

50:26 ↗ managed in order to meet our internal

50:28 ↗ Financial deadlines for closing the

50:30 ↗ books we required all the organizations

50:33 ↗ to submit the reports by the 5th of

50:36 ↗ January so they had to

50:38 ↗ um really to them right right after the

50:41 ↗ end of the year whereas all the pool

50:42 ↗ contracts they have by the 15th of each

50:45 ↗ month which was just

50:46 ↗ so they had extra time to review them

50:49 ↗ and so by the time we published the

50:50 ↗ agenda we didn't received yet all those

50:52 ↗ reports from everyone else so a long

50:54 ↗ story to tell you the organizations have

50:56 ↗ been doing a great job overall in uh um

50:59 ↗ always about 90 to 95 of the

51:02 ↗ organizations submit the reports on time

51:05 ↗ and they meet all the contractual

51:06 ↗ requirements as you see in the reports

51:08 ↗ about 93 of them from those that we are

51:11 ↗ able to review uh accomplished that so

51:15 ↗ um for those who were not able to meet

51:16 ↗ goals fully or not submit them on time

51:20 ↗ are really due to staff challenges that

51:23 ↗ they have

51:24 ↗ um or just having new staff not knowing

51:26 ↗ or just still covered related issues

51:29 ↗ that are still lingering but again we

51:31 ↗ did not notice any organization having

51:33 ↗ any ill intent or just you know any

51:36 ↗ fraud or abuse or anything of that of

51:38 ↗ public funds

51:40 ↗ so kind of like that's the beef overview

51:42 ↗ but I'm gonna stop now because I would

51:43 ↗ love to to get your points uh and and

51:46 ↗ thoughts on do you have ideas on kind of

51:48 ↗ like what would be best what not what

51:50 ↗ not would be best as as we are trying to

51:54 ↗ to be more Equitable in our funding

51:56 ↗ process and how we collaborate with

51:59 ↗ organizations I do have a question in

52:01 ↗ that discussion you had with the other

52:03 ↗ cities did anybody else feel the same

52:05 ↗ way you did uh absolutely I think they

52:07 ↗ they understood and they um they agreed

52:10 ↗ with my point and so I think a couple of

52:12 ↗ things that we brought on were what if

52:15 ↗ we move everyone to a food contract and

52:18 ↗ what that means in terms of resources in

52:21 ↗ terms of Staffing Resources and capacity

52:23 ↗ and Financial Resources So currently we

52:27 ↗ as the City of Issaquah we pay an

52:28 ↗ administrative fee to the city of

52:30 ↗ Bellevue for managing in addition to

52:32 ↗ paying the contracts

52:33 ↗ um and so the city of Bellevue has more

52:35 ↗ Staffing Resources so they have one

52:37 ↗ extra staff who just manages the pulled

52:39 ↗ contracts it does slow down the process

52:41 ↗ typically uh because for every uh pulled

52:45 ↗ Contracting the 20 some organizations we

52:47 ↗ also have extra meetings and we need to

52:49 ↗ collaborate with all the city staff to

52:51 ↗ make sure that everyone's on the same

52:53 ↗ page so it's a lot of that management

52:56 ↗ um so that was one idea was like okay

52:58 ↗ well if we move everyone to a pool

53:00 ↗ contracts but then that meant that each

53:02 ↗ of the cities had to contribute more

53:04 ↗ money and more staff and resources to do

53:06 ↗ that

53:07 ↗ um okay so then the other one was then

53:09 ↗ not to have put contracts at all but

53:12 ↗ then again so it's just it doesn't seem

53:13 ↗ like because I'm assuming this level

53:15 ↗ fish I'm assuming the whole reason you

53:18 ↗ have pool contracts is based on that's

53:21 ↗ based on the history of what you were

53:24 ↗ seeing and this was an attempt to make

53:26 ↗ it a more efficient process so it would

53:28 ↗ be it seems like it it seems like that

53:30 ↗ comes with a cost but it would you would

53:34 ↗ be reluctant it sounds like it would be

53:36 ↗ you'd be reluctant to give that up based

53:40 ↗ on how you got to where you are right

53:42 ↗ yes exactly and also to mention I think

53:45 ↗ when the pooled contract idea came about

53:48 ↗ and just to also make things more

53:50 ↗ efficient I think the staff at that time

53:53 ↗ and that was quite a few years ago

53:55 ↗ um created the pool contract also as a

53:57 ↗ way to make it easier for the staff who

53:59 ↗ are managing so organizations that

54:03 ↗ um already had the know-how and had the

54:05 ↗ resources and they knew that they would

54:07 ↗ be easy organizations to work with but

54:09 ↗ were pulling that contract without

54:11 ↗ knowing that unwillingly they were

54:14 ↗ creating inequities and then fairness

54:16 ↗ for that was cool because the people

54:18 ↗ that get lost in this are the so you say

54:21 ↗ you have a marginalized community and

54:23 ↗ you have a an organization or a program

54:25 ↗ that steps in to do something about it

54:27 ↗ but then they don't have the

54:29 ↗ infrastructure necessarily again yeah

54:33 ↗ and you used to be a department of one

54:36 ↗ exactly so that was also especially for

54:40 ↗ some smaller cities uh it was also an

54:43 ↗ age and now you're five but I realize

54:45 ↗ that some like the um Behavioral Health

54:47 ↗ would not necessarily be part of this

54:49 ↗ work right yeah yeah but yeah

54:54 ↗ so

54:59 ↗ so Define full contractors

55:03 ↗ okay so let's say

55:07 ↗ um we have a larger organization who

55:09 ↗ receives has multiple programs and

55:12 ↗ receives funding from the City of

55:14 ↗ Issaquah the city of Bellevue the city

55:16 ↗ of Sammamish Redmond and Kirkland right

55:19 ↗ and each of their commissions funded the

55:21 ↗ same programs

55:23 ↗ okay okay let's say a whole thing right

55:25 ↗ they have several programs and they all

55:27 ↗ receive funding from each of the Cities

55:29 ↗ so instead of us when we now because we

55:32 ↗ are now in the process of creating the

55:33 ↗ contracts for us to

55:36 ↗ um for them to start serving these

55:37 ↗ apartments and for us to pay them

55:39 ↗ instead of the City of Issaquah entering

55:42 ↗ into a contract with them and Sammamish

55:43 ↗ entering into a separate contract and

55:45 ↗ and Bellevue and Redmond they only get

55:48 ↗ into one contract that's going to be met

55:50 ↗ on behalf of all of these five cities

55:52 ↗ that's managed by one city which is

55:54 ↗ about you

55:56 ↗ um request is the funds from Issaquah to

56:00 ↗ go into that pool I guess so Issaquah

56:03 ↗ will pay in the city of Bellevue twice a

56:05 ↗ year a large amount of money that covers

56:07 ↗ the funding for all the people of

56:09 ↗ non-pool organization would probably be

56:11 ↗ something like uh it's called Community

56:12 ↗ Services maybe exactly yes it's about

56:15 ↗ Community Services who now receives

56:17 ↗ funding from uh Issaquah Sammamish and

56:20 ↗ Bellevue

56:22 ↗ um or Redmond and then now they need to

56:24 ↗ enter into three separate contracts yeah

56:26 ↗ so somebody has to figure out

56:28 ↗ percentage-wise

56:31 ↗ how much each city is playing and

56:34 ↗ getting

56:35 ↗ [Music]

56:36 ↗ so what how do you feel about it how do

56:39 ↗ you feel I'm talking about it because I

56:42 ↗ don't think that it's right uh so for

56:45 ↗ now I think we agreed to continue as it

56:47 ↗ is for this year but it doesn't feel

56:49 ↗ right right it just doesn't feel right a

56:52 ↗ little smaller or the smaller

56:53 ↗ organizations so the decision has been

56:55 ↗ made for at least 2023 to continue to

56:59 ↗ continue this way it's gonna be an

57:01 ↗ emphasis put on

57:03 ↗ trying to alleviate this problem that

57:06 ↗ you're seeing this sir

57:14 ↗ thing as is for 2023s just right now we

57:18 ↗ just don't have the time but

57:21 ↗ um

57:22 ↗ we are also we don't want to hurt in

57:24 ↗ this the other organizations that now if

57:26 ↗ we pull out then the organizations are

57:29 ↗ in the food contract yeah you know and

57:31 ↗ so the intent is not to create more

57:33 ↗ upset there but intense would be to

57:35 ↗ support everyone right so you would want

57:38 ↗ to give a a quite a bit notice right

57:41 ↗ before making a change yeah I think for

57:45 ↗ me the bottom line here is that the

57:47 ↗ people that are the marginalized

57:49 ↗ population that receives the services

57:50 ↗ that's really who we should keep in mind

57:53 ↗ rather than

57:55 ↗ um you know who who it is that's doing

57:57 ↗ it or

57:59 ↗ um you know the services is really the

58:01 ↗ most important thing so if if there's a

58:05 ↗ community that's not receiving Services

58:06 ↗ because of this whole thing then that

58:09 ↗ should that then we should do away with

58:11 ↗ the pool well it

58:16 ↗ um

58:17 ↗ but I also I I get your point but I also

58:21 ↗ see how it's it's complex because it's

58:25 ↗ yeah it's not one way or the other it's

58:28 ↗ not a binary right right right

58:31 ↗ um and there has to be a level of

58:33 ↗ accountability because if you you can't

58:37 ↗ just be I mean this is so Cavalry you

58:40 ↗ can't just be

58:41 ↗ throwing money out to organizations and

58:43 ↗ and good programs and not expecting them

58:46 ↗ to be able to report back and it's use

58:50 ↗ of public funds so we have

58:52 ↗ Mr Monica are you actually seeing uh

58:56 ↗ populations that aren't being served

58:58 ↗ because of this cooling thing we don't

59:01 ↗ see at this time and I don't think that

59:03 ↗ we noticed this long enough to have

59:04 ↗ enough information I think the case that

59:08 ↗ um I was thinking about making is if we

59:10 ↗ have a small organization uh Madeline

59:13 ↗ new

59:14 ↗ um mentioned east of hot Community

59:15 ↗ Services it's a small organization 100

59:17 ↗ by volunteers now pays to have

59:21 ↗ um

59:26 ↗ um

59:27 ↗ can can the fact that now they have

59:29 ↗ additional requirements can that put

59:31 ↗ more strain on them not being able to

59:34 ↗ serve the people who needs that um

59:38 ↗ a number of their volunteer hours to

59:42 ↗ fulfilling certain yeah are there more

59:45 ↗ requirements if you're pool than if

59:47 ↗ you're not pulled they are less

59:49 ↗ requirement if you are pulled there's

59:51 ↗ less requirements if you're pulled okay

59:52 ↗ they've made that part more efficient

59:54 ↗ yes because that's more efficient you'll

59:57 ↗ have one scope of work one got it yeah

1:00:00 ↗ one like for example even the city in

1:00:04 ↗ order to enter into a contract with the

1:00:05 ↗ City of Issaquah you need to provide a

1:00:08 ↗ business license for the City of

1:00:09 ↗ Issaquah uh you need to provide

1:00:12 ↗ insurance for the City of Issaquah and

1:00:13 ↗ for the other cities that you're

1:00:15 ↗ receiving funding for if you're in a

1:00:17 ↗ pulled contract you only need to provide

1:00:18 ↗ that to one city and that's the city to

1:00:20 ↗ contract with which is well right yeah I

1:00:25 ↗ have two questions right away that

1:00:27 ↗ brings up yeah inequities yes exactly

1:00:30 ↗ right thank you for explaining that yeah

1:00:35 ↗ I might have missed it so

1:00:38 ↗ at this point

1:00:39 ↗ how have we Revisited who gets in the

1:00:43 ↗ pool and who doesn't get in the pool

1:00:46 ↗ it was Revisited a few months ago to

1:00:49 ↗ include some culture-based organizations

1:00:53 ↗ um because of this concern because of

1:00:55 ↗ this concern yes I'm sorry so that was

1:00:57 ↗ just kind of like a first step we all

1:00:59 ↗ recognized that it's a very half quarter

1:01:01 ↗ step and more needs to be done

1:01:05 ↗ okay

1:01:06 ↗ goodness yeah and so then we with that

1:01:09 ↗ because the city of Bellevue did not

1:01:11 ↗ have Staffing capacity to take on more

1:01:12 ↗ we took off the pool

1:01:15 ↗ pulled some other larger organizations

1:01:17 ↗ but again it's just it was just the

1:01:20 ↗ first step in making a little bit of a

1:01:23 ↗ switch Yeah and for the food

1:01:26 ↗ um the organization that received the

1:01:29 ↗ poor money how do they report let's say

1:01:32 ↗ I put my money in the bowl am I reported

1:01:34 ↗ only for my numbers of my citizen that

1:01:37 ↗ get help no thank you that's so the

1:01:39 ↗ reporting for everyone that is one thing

1:01:41 ↗ that's constant for food and unfold

1:01:43 ↗ contracts because the way

1:01:46 ↗ um they are required to submit the

1:01:48 ↗ reporting on one form in one report form

1:01:52 ↗ to all of the Cities at the same time

1:01:54 ↗ there's a line item for each of the

1:01:56 ↗ Cities so that is the same for pulled

1:01:58 ↗ and non-old okay that yeah it's the

1:02:01 ↗ Contracting the contract requirements

1:02:03 ↗ and the costs that come with Contracting

1:02:05 ↗ that is oh so it's more costly it's more

1:02:09 ↗ costly for the non-pooled yes okay so

1:02:11 ↗ yeah yes because they need to have even

1:02:14 ↗ just they need to provide insurance for

1:02:17 ↗ all the CDs yeah yeah

1:02:20 ↗ so it's almost like you need additional

1:02:24 ↗ Staffing to help support the non-pool

1:02:27 ↗ but additional Staffing would mean less

1:02:29 ↗ money to go to the programs yes

1:02:32 ↗ how could how could theoretically

1:02:35 ↗ everybody be pooled if let's say

1:02:37 ↗ Issaquah Community let's say Issaquah

1:02:39 ↗ Community Services is only getting

1:02:41 ↗ a grant from Issaquah so I had so in

1:02:44 ↗ that case you you don't right so pools

1:02:47 ↗ would mean only for those organizations

1:02:49 ↗ that receive funding from multiple

1:02:51 ↗ cities

1:02:52 ↗ right from one it would be the same

1:02:54 ↗ right so there's no way we could put

1:02:55 ↗ everybody in the pool

1:02:57 ↗ there's no I mean yes there's no way

1:03:00 ↗ um because there are still organizations

1:03:02 ↗ but there are not very many organic

1:03:05 ↗ organic funding just from one city so

1:03:07 ↗ why can't you use the same rules

1:03:11 ↗ for those who are not for like

1:03:14 ↗ okay

1:03:15 ↗ if you if you're

1:03:17 ↗ have a license Issaquah you're good for

1:03:20 ↗ development why can't why because each

1:03:24 ↗ city has these Services

1:03:26 ↗ they're working with that City so the

1:03:29 ↗ fact that you know that they have an

1:03:32 ↗ Issaquah license right it should be good

1:03:35 ↗ enough it's like it's like yeah it's

1:03:39 ↗ like when nurses like

1:03:42 ↗ most nurses reciprocity yeah that

1:03:45 ↗ represent that's the word sorry I can't

1:03:47 ↗ say it but not every state participants

1:03:49 ↗ in that so nurses have a tremendous

1:03:51 ↗ amount of flexibility within this 34

1:03:54 ↗ state I'm making that number up but

1:03:56 ↗ within that 34 State group but if they

1:03:59 ↗ want to go to one of the other states

1:04:00 ↗ they have to pass the nursing board in

1:04:02 ↗ that yeah yeah but then that's your

1:04:04 ↗ point I mean that is something I could

1:04:06 ↗ bring back that's a great retail meeting

1:04:09 ↗ and see if there are any cities who

1:04:10 ↗ would be willing to have reciprocity in

1:04:12 ↗ terms of this yeah basically the city

1:04:14 ↗ governments have their pool that says

1:04:16 ↗ okay we're in this group so we will

1:04:18 ↗ accept from this this if you have a

1:04:21 ↗ business license in Issa Bob will accept

1:04:23 ↗ that in the city of Sammamish or red

1:04:25 ↗ lender well maybe yeah

1:04:29 ↗ either increasing the pool for everyone

1:04:31 ↗ or going away from having the pool all

1:04:34 ↗ together but there have been some

1:04:36 ↗ efficiencies

1:04:38 ↗ yeah so that's I think the idea would be

1:04:41 ↗ right to just open the pool

1:04:43 ↗ if any of the smaller organizations

1:04:46 ↗ complained that are not in the pool well

1:04:48 ↗ I'm not sure that many of them know

1:04:50 ↗ right

1:04:54 ↗ and say okay if there's responsibility

1:04:57 ↗ rules for different city for a specific

1:05:00 ↗ uh type of

1:05:03 ↗ organization someone can say this is

1:05:05 ↗ discriminatory or this is

1:05:08 ↗ Equity too because well I have my

1:05:10 ↗ business although I don't serve these

1:05:13 ↗ commissions why can't I just bring my

1:05:16 ↗ services to the different city unless

1:05:18 ↗ they decide to open it up and say

1:05:21 ↗ um this uh reciprocity is open to all

1:05:24 ↗ the businesses yeah and that becomes

1:05:27 ↗ complex because then the city becomes

1:05:29 ↗ cities with those lines because they

1:05:31 ↗ want to keep their money in their City

1:05:32 ↗ most of the time

1:05:34 ↗ so it's a good idea let's try but I'm

1:05:37 ↗ just saying someone can say hey well

1:05:39 ↗ it's a much bigger a much bigger

1:05:41 ↗ question yes I mean yeah I mean you're

1:05:43 ↗ talking about going upstairs to talk to

1:05:46 ↗ people yeah yeah and I think again each

1:05:49 ↗ City that have the rules in terms of how

1:05:51 ↗ you spend public funds right so yeah

1:05:55 ↗ it's complex I really appreciate it

1:05:57 ↗ we have to come to agreement to go into

1:05:59 ↗ the pool in the first place right so at

1:06:03 ↗ some point it was an agreement that

1:06:04 ↗ we're going to pull this so continue

1:06:07 ↗ working right but it's the organizations

1:06:10 ↗ that can't happen yeah that aren't there

1:06:13 ↗ that can't get into the pool because

1:06:15 ↗ they're not big enough and

1:06:19 ↗ I just feel like the person I feel like

1:06:21 ↗ it would be a shame if you you've tried

1:06:23 ↗ to create a more efficient model process

1:06:27 ↗ and and it's coming up right yeah yeah I

1:06:32 ↗ agree so hopefully Mr cost yes yeah yeah

1:06:37 ↗ actually how unusual a metaphor yeah

1:06:41 ↗ but see it goes It goes back to

1:06:43 ↗ identifying those things that you know

1:06:46 ↗ they were created with big hearts but

1:06:49 ↗ yeah right and knowingly they created

1:06:51 ↗ these inequities that doesn't feel right

1:06:54 ↗ to perpetuate them we need to find a way

1:06:59 ↗ making sure that we can work with the

1:07:02 ↗ other cities to like make an equal or

1:07:05 ↗ make sure that multiple cities have like

1:07:07 ↗ similar rules because that would reduce

1:07:10 ↗ the need for people to even go into the

1:07:12 ↗ pool because if they already have let's

1:07:15 ↗ say the insurance and business contract

1:07:17 ↗ in Issaquah if it's the same exact

1:07:20 ↗ requirements in Bellevue and Sammamish

1:07:23 ↗ then they wouldn't need to go to the

1:07:26 ↗ pool since they already have all the

1:07:27 ↗ resources from one they can just control

1:07:29 ↗ C control V on to the other one so it

1:07:32 ↗ reduced the need to even get into the

1:07:35 ↗ pool in the first place which would

1:07:37 ↗ probably increase efficiency for that

1:07:40 ↗ smaller businesses who feel that it's um

1:07:43 ↗ there's some inequity when they go into

1:07:46 ↗ the pool they might be able to if it's

1:07:48 ↗ same it's the same rules just get this

1:07:52 ↗ basically the set one contract with one

1:07:55 ↗ and then like I said just Ctrl C control

1:07:57 ↗ V it with the others since it's the same

1:08:00 ↗ requirements rules and regulations

1:08:04 ↗ [Laughter]

1:08:16 ↗ thank you

1:08:18 ↗ okay Commissioners oh go ahead well I'm

1:08:21 ↗ just gonna say getting a city to say

1:08:24 ↗ okay you don't need to have a business

1:08:26 ↗ license with us if you have a business

1:08:27 ↗ license with Issaquah all you know

1:08:29 ↗ that's that's like a huge deal it is

1:08:32 ↗ that's a huge deal I mean that has to go

1:08:34 ↗ before City councils and all sorts of

1:08:36 ↗ things that's not an easy thing

1:08:39 ↗ pardon they're doing it with the pool

1:08:43 ↗ for certain size organizations yes

1:08:47 ↗ yes so you know you come back from well

1:08:50 ↗ you're you're you're actually the

1:08:53 ↗ organizations that can afford it are the

1:08:55 ↗ ones that you're not charging but the

1:08:57 ↗ smaller ones are the ones so yeah yeah

1:09:00 ↗ and the way it works with the pool

1:09:06 ↗ the Bellevue it's there's yeah right so

1:09:09 ↗ the only city that we have but you're

1:09:10 ↗ right we don't we fund the organizations

1:09:13 ↗ that are in the pool contract but we

1:09:15 ↗ don't have a direct contract with them

1:09:17 ↗ so then we can't ask for the business

1:09:18 ↗ license for that right but but you're

1:09:21 ↗ right you're absolutely right

1:09:24 ↗ um it's it's it's more complicated so

1:09:27 ↗ thank you though for for

1:09:30 ↗ um brainstorming with me and please

1:09:32 ↗ continue to think if you have other

1:09:33 ↗ ideas I think for now I would like to

1:09:36 ↗ work with with my colleagues um in the

1:09:38 ↗ region to try to see if we can expand

1:09:40 ↗ the pool that seems to be the most

1:09:43 ↗ reasonable

1:09:45 ↗ um to expand it to other organizations

1:09:47 ↗ but if you have other thoughts and

1:09:49 ↗ suggestions and ideas

1:09:51 ↗ what would be the reason why an

1:09:53 ↗ organization for instance will say I

1:09:54 ↗ don't want to get in the pool

1:09:57 ↗ um good point we actually I was thinking

1:09:59 ↗ about this too

1:10:01 ↗ um having a closer relationship with the

1:10:04 ↗ city

1:10:05 ↗ so those that are in a pulled contract

1:10:07 ↗ they don't have as close relationship

1:10:09 ↗ with with all of the Cities right so it

1:10:12 ↗ goes back to relationships so that is

1:10:13 ↗ one reason for why people might not want

1:10:16 ↗ the pool

1:10:18 ↗ but if they only have one city it goes

1:10:20 ↗ directly to Issaquah anyway right it

1:10:23 ↗ does so they do service a car residents

1:10:24 ↗ and we do need to

1:10:26 ↗ um review the reports and if they're

1:10:29 ↗ concerns we need to contact them but

1:10:31 ↗ there's not as much direct communication

1:10:33 ↗ as it is with the other organizations

1:10:36 ↗ that we directly contract with or

1:10:39 ↗ sometimes we get on the phone hey how do

1:10:41 ↗ you want this like it's a

1:10:42 ↗ dessert it's a perfect example harmonic

1:10:44 ↗ I'm working on this we want to change

1:10:46 ↗ our forms how do we track this there's a

1:10:48 ↗ collaborative we work together whereas

1:10:51 ↗ with the post contracts it's like okay

1:10:53 ↗ yes we approve the money or no we don't

1:10:55 ↗ approve because we need to wait on this

1:10:58 ↗ so it's a different type of relationship

1:11:00 ↗ hmm

1:11:02 ↗ great question Pat

1:11:06 ↗ okay

1:11:07 ↗ thank you for the great great

1:11:09 ↗ conversation

1:11:13 ↗ what's that did we help did it help well

1:11:16 ↗ I think yeah I think it was helpful to

1:11:18 ↗ secure and even so some things that I

1:11:20 ↗ didn't think about that you brought up

1:11:22 ↗ and then just trying to see where to

1:11:25 ↗ tackle do we tackle with finance and

1:11:28 ↗ Contracting like procurement that each

1:11:30 ↗ of our individual cities is to see if

1:11:32 ↗ there's something that we can do there

1:11:34 ↗ see if we can expand the pool contract

1:11:37 ↗ and full contracts and see what can we

1:11:40 ↗ do in terms of Staffing and resources

1:11:42 ↗ for that the other stuff is another

1:11:44 ↗ option do we want to try to increase

1:11:48 ↗ amount of founding funding for

1:11:50 ↗ organizations who are not in the pool to

1:11:53 ↗ um

1:11:55 ↗ extra costs yeah

1:11:59 ↗ also provide more overhead yeah

1:12:03 ↗ exactly

1:12:04 ↗ also about mini pools I mean if there's

1:12:07 ↗ 10 organizations like that that just

1:12:11 ↗ work with Issaquah in Bellevue right

1:12:13 ↗ exactly a secondary pool

1:12:16 ↗ I so appreciate you recognizing that and

1:12:19 ↗ bringing it up I think it's just it's a

1:12:23 ↗ Hazard of the industry right yeah so yes

1:12:27 ↗ no thank you but I think yeah I

1:12:29 ↗ appreciate it and actually now I'm gonna

1:12:31 ↗ segue into the next agenda item if I may

1:12:33 ↗ have more bed because as we talk about

1:12:35 ↗ the work plan item for 2023 as a small

1:12:38 ↗ refresher we well one of the

1:12:41 ↗ conversations that we had at our last

1:12:42 ↗ meeting in October was uh to to tell you

1:12:46 ↗ that typically during the off years this

1:12:49 ↗ is the of what we call off years because

1:12:51 ↗ you don't you don't repeat Brands uh we

1:12:53 ↗ encourage you to go and reach out to

1:12:55 ↗ organizations not reach out but go and

1:12:57 ↗ visit organizations we would reach out

1:12:59 ↗ on your behalf but go and visit

1:13:01 ↗ organizations and actually if you do

1:13:03 ↗ decide to move forward with visiting

1:13:06 ↗ some organizations this could be a

1:13:08 ↗ question for you to entertain with them

1:13:10 ↗ with pooled or non-pooled and perhaps

1:13:13 ↗ you can visit a few that are called a

1:13:15 ↗ few that are not pulled learning from

1:13:17 ↗ them

1:13:18 ↗ um and then with that though the one

1:13:20 ↗ question that I was going to bring back

1:13:22 ↗ to you so in October we were talking

1:13:25 ↗ about again the the benefit the pros and

1:13:28 ↗ cons about visiting organizations or

1:13:30 ↗ inviting organizations to come to your

1:13:33 ↗ meetings and also we talked about

1:13:35 ↗ another Equity

1:13:37 ↗ um

1:13:37 ↗ um or inclusion aspect of if you don't

1:13:41 ↗ visit all the organizations are you

1:13:43 ↗ going to be biased at the next funding

1:13:44 ↗ cycle now because you know of your

1:13:46 ↗ organizations so

1:13:49 ↗ um what we were suggesting

1:13:51 ↗ um or a staff we were suggesting at that

1:13:55 ↗ time is that perhaps you can

1:13:57 ↗ decide to visit all the organizations in

1:14:00 ↗ one category right or as I was thinking

1:14:04 ↗ a little bit more about this I had two

1:14:05 ↗ options in mind you can decide to visit

1:14:09 ↗ all the organizations and there are not

1:14:11 ↗ too many of them that are completely new

1:14:14 ↗ to receiving funding from the city this

1:14:16 ↗ funding cycle so they're new or because

1:14:20 ↗ culture-based organizations and uh uh

1:14:23 ↗ focus on inclusion and Equity was a big

1:14:25 ↗ aspect for us you can also decide to

1:14:27 ↗ visit those organizations for a more

1:14:30 ↗ cultural based and historically might be

1:14:33 ↗ smaller and then again just just get

1:14:36 ↗ them some feel for from them in terms of

1:14:38 ↗ what's working what's not working what's

1:14:40 ↗ difficult in terms of funding

1:14:43 ↗ um including pulder and Uncle

1:14:45 ↗ so that's another item I wanted to bring

1:14:48 ↗ up for discussion for you tonight

1:14:51 ↗ okay I can't remember when we talked in

1:14:53 ↗ October I I kind of thought that I'm

1:14:56 ↗ going back to the first question which

1:14:58 ↗ was do we want them to come here or do

1:15:00 ↗ we want to go visit and I thought we had

1:15:02 ↗ come to the conclusion we would want to

1:15:04 ↗ go visit in that movie so that was my

1:15:06 ↗ understanding yes yeah and do these

1:15:09 ↗ visits happen during the day or just it

1:15:11 ↗ just typically during the day now in my

1:15:14 ↗ conversation with some of the

1:15:15 ↗ organizations

1:15:17 ↗ they shared that sometimes they have

1:15:19 ↗ events and they would love to invite you

1:15:22 ↗ to some events this way it feels more

1:15:24 ↗ collaborative and they don't feel like

1:15:26 ↗ they need to prepare us for an audit so

1:15:29 ↗ it doesn't feel so intrusive so we have

1:15:31 ↗ those options and so I put some you know

1:15:34 ↗ there are some organizations that they

1:15:35 ↗ want to just invite you to some this way

1:15:37 ↗ you get to see them in action and see

1:15:39 ↗ what they're doing so these visits then

1:15:41 ↗ aren't just brought to they're something

1:15:43 ↗ you set up ahead of time yes we schedule

1:15:45 ↗ based on so typically yeah I am you know

1:15:50 ↗ [Laughter]

1:15:58 ↗ so typically we would start with this is

1:16:01 ↗ the list depending on what you choose

1:16:02 ↗ this is the list of organizations that

1:16:04 ↗ you're gonna visit depending on what you

1:16:06 ↗ choose and then we create a sign up

1:16:09 ↗ sheet and and send it out to you and say

1:16:12 ↗ hey I'm interested in visiting this

1:16:13 ↗ organization or am I interested in

1:16:16 ↗ visiting this organization and based on

1:16:18 ↗ that then we would reach out to them get

1:16:20 ↗ some times and days that work for them

1:16:23 ↗ get you know availability from you and

1:16:25 ↗ do the match and then typically we we

1:16:28 ↗ say that it's easier to go in pairs of

1:16:30 ↗ at least two uh we ask enough to as you

1:16:34 ↗ know do a formal Quorum

1:16:37 ↗ so you can do two things

1:16:40 ↗ [Laughter]

1:16:49 ↗ there you go you can of course go by

1:16:53 ↗ yourself as well but I think it's

1:16:55 ↗ usually easier to just go to yeah yeah

1:16:57 ↗ and and you come back and at the next

1:16:59 ↗ meeting of the next Commission meeting

1:17:01 ↗ after your visit you come and share with

1:17:03 ↗ with the Commissioners

1:17:06 ↗ no that's it I like the idea of them

1:17:09 ↗ having something already going on you

1:17:12 ↗ know rather than just go and say you

1:17:15 ↗ know what's happening so it has to

1:17:17 ↗ actually take you through a tour rather

1:17:18 ↗ than you can participate or watch so

1:17:22 ↗ what do we need to do to set that up

1:17:25 ↗ uh so I think first thing is to decide

1:17:27 ↗ what organizations or what group of

1:17:30 ↗ organizations you would like to visit

1:17:32 ↗ would you like to visit just the new

1:17:34 ↗ organizations would you like to visit

1:17:36 ↗ the cultural based organizations or

1:17:38 ↗ something totally different maybe you

1:17:39 ↗ want to visit all the behavioral health

1:17:42 ↗ organizations

1:17:42 ↗ but we had our three different groups so

1:17:46 ↗ we looked at like

1:17:48 ↗ like one group would visit the

1:17:50 ↗ home and went through the financial I

1:17:54 ↗ don't know I can remember that the other

1:17:56 ↗ group was yeah so you had the homeless

1:17:58 ↗ Services you had the behavioral health

1:18:01 ↗ um uh and the physical health services

1:18:03 ↗ you had a cultural based organizations

1:18:05 ↗ and then you had other Community

1:18:07 ↗ Resources

1:18:10 ↗ um so I I wouldn't recommend because

1:18:11 ↗ that's all of them that's 42 of vanilla

1:18:13 ↗ programs that would be difficult I would

1:18:15 ↗ recommend choosing one so either you can

1:18:18 ↗ choose let's say our recommendations it

1:18:20 ↗ was either culture-based organizations

1:18:22 ↗ or if you want to just get across all of

1:18:25 ↗ them a little bit choose all the ones

1:18:27 ↗ that perhaps we funded for the first

1:18:29 ↗ time but what about have a mix of okay

1:18:32 ↗ maybe the cultural base and depending on

1:18:36 ↗ how many it turns out to be in the

1:18:37 ↗ cultural base and the new ones in other

1:18:39 ↗ categories yes I like I like say that

1:18:43 ↗ again it's a great idea so we chose a

1:18:45 ↗ cultural based organizations how many

1:18:47 ↗ whatever it is and the new ones only in

1:18:50 ↗ the other categories

1:18:53 ↗ and then next year we rotate

1:18:56 ↗ that's certainly enough

1:18:59 ↗ I'm sure you look at one mainly and you

1:19:01 ↗ make sure that everyone else is

1:19:04 ↗ well-rounded yeah and the new and the

1:19:07 ↗ new organizations know hey we're here

1:19:15 ↗ so and also you build relationships

1:19:18 ↗ I felt like there's a real opportunity

1:19:21 ↗ there yeah that's great well we're

1:19:24 ↗ talking about more time commission wise

1:19:26 ↗ as Commissioners too so

1:19:30 ↗ um it depends on how many volunteered

1:19:34 ↗ to do that then we're looking at uh

1:19:37 ↗ Monica we funded 42 programs right how

1:19:39 ↗ many organizations

1:19:41 ↗ uh I believe that is 30 some I'm sorry

1:19:45 ↗ no 30 30 some 30 something how many

1:19:48 ↗ nodes

1:19:50 ↗ um it's less than ten okay okay

1:19:54 ↗ so all together you have about 15 I

1:19:58 ↗ would say that's probably that's pretty

1:20:00 ↗ good numbers yes even less

1:20:03 ↗ I apologize I wanted to look at that

1:20:05 ↗ before the meeting and I didn't have a

1:20:06 ↗ chance the interesting uh

1:20:08 ↗ scheduled calendar put together when you

1:20:11 ↗ put all that in the one what if you were

1:20:14 ↗ just to send out a list to all the

1:20:16 ↗ Commissioners and have them

1:20:18 ↗ or is this too random just check

1:20:21 ↗ you know first of all how many would you

1:20:23 ↗ recommend we visit in a year

1:20:27 ↗ so definitely I think probably about 15

1:20:29 ↗ it's a Max I I like to keep it on each

1:20:32 ↗ person no not each person each each

1:20:34 ↗ person probably total each person

1:20:37 ↗ probably not more than two three it's

1:20:39 ↗ reasonable for even not to visit more

1:20:41 ↗ than two three organization okay so what

1:20:42 ↗ if you were just to send out a a chart

1:20:44 ↗ and say you know which ones do you

1:20:47 ↗ really want to visit

1:20:48 ↗ yeah so oh oh would you like me to sign

1:20:51 ↗ I can definitely send you all of the

1:20:52 ↗ organizations but I was going to take

1:20:54 ↗ how that can take out just the cultural

1:20:56 ↗ based and new ones and send you this

1:20:57 ↗ with that yeah and then I can of course

1:21:00 ↗ thank you also send you the list and

1:21:02 ↗ it's public we should have it by now on

1:21:03 ↗ the website too with all the

1:21:04 ↗ organizations that we found in case you

1:21:06 ↗ want to visit someone else yeah yeah

1:21:08 ↗ yeah okay so that that's the follow-up

1:21:10 ↗ of absolutely would be to send you the

1:21:13 ↗ list of the organizations and then

1:21:17 ↗ um you can start signing up and say okay

1:21:19 ↗ Commissioners please put your name next

1:21:21 ↗ to the one that you'd like but you're

1:21:23 ↗ thinking of just sending us the new ones

1:21:26 ↗ and the cultural based ones okay yeah

1:21:28 ↗ in addition to I can send you of course

1:21:30 ↗ like all of the organizations you have

1:21:32 ↗ that that's public information anyway

1:21:34 ↗ right so is there any way you can put

1:21:37 ↗ the set the program up so that when

1:21:40 ↗ um Tris checks one that it's not

1:21:42 ↗ available for others to check I can put

1:21:45 ↗ it on SharePoint so then you all see

1:21:47 ↗ everybody it's being checked by two

1:21:50 ↗ people yeah

1:21:53 ↗ yeah

1:21:56 ↗ that sounds great good starting point

1:21:59 ↗ yes

1:22:01 ↗ okay

1:22:02 ↗ great conversation thank you for the

1:22:04 ↗ feedback so that was my main update

1:22:06 ↗ about the work plan items did you have

1:22:08 ↗ the the draft work plan

1:22:11 ↗ um in in your agenda packet the other

1:22:13 ↗ quick question that I have for you

1:22:15 ↗ hopefully it's not going to be or

1:22:18 ↗ um

1:22:19 ↗ up too long of a conversation

1:22:21 ↗ um about a work plan item I'm trying to

1:22:24 ↗ plan for a joint meeting with the equity

1:22:26 ↗ board and I was hoping that we can do it

1:22:29 ↗ in February but the equity board is

1:22:32 ↗ getting pulled into two meetings in

1:22:34 ↗ February so they already have two

1:22:35 ↗ meetings in February I might postpone it

1:22:38 ↗ to either the equity board meetings in

1:22:40 ↗ March and invite you to their meeting or

1:22:43 ↗ invite them to your meeting in March so

1:22:46 ↗ our meeting in March is the 15th when is

1:22:49 ↗ theirs they they always meet on the

1:22:51 ↗ first Wednesday of the of the month

1:22:53 ↗ that'll be March 1st yes so I think my

1:22:57 ↗ question is do you have a preference do

1:22:59 ↗ you have an interest first of all I

1:23:01 ↗ think you would have an interest in a

1:23:03 ↗ joint meeting right yes very much so

1:23:06 ↗ yeah the equity board expressed interest

1:23:08 ↗ in all things Human Services I know that

1:23:11 ↗ we are due for a human services

1:23:12 ↗ strategic Plan update so we thought we

1:23:14 ↗ can just do a plastically board had a

1:23:16 ↗ visit from the Issaquah school district

1:23:18 ↗ and the Issa School District proposed

1:23:20 ↗ some collaboration items and all of them

1:23:23 ↗ were human services related so then I

1:23:25 ↗ said you know there are some great

1:23:27 ↗ connections so their meeting is on the

1:23:29 ↗ 15th of March

1:23:37 ↗ their meetings it's at 6

1:23:40 ↗ same room though I'm out of town March

1:23:42 ↗ 1st so I have to I won't weigh in on the

1:23:45 ↗ whole conversation ours are always on

1:23:47 ↗ the 15th yeah on the third month

1:23:50 ↗ February 3rd Wednesday of February it's

1:23:53 ↗ been almost a year I'll get it done yet

1:23:56 ↗ it's still February 15th February 15 on

1:23:59 ↗ March 15 there because the days stay the

1:24:01 ↗ same yeah is it because of 28 I think

1:24:03 ↗ it's because of the 28 days in February

1:24:05 ↗ right yeah so you're just trying to

1:24:06 ↗ determine availability just just yeah a

1:24:10 ↗ little better you won't be here on the

1:24:12 ↗ 15th of February

1:24:17 ↗ I'm on the plane

1:24:19 ↗ okay so I can gauge stuff we can always

1:24:22 ↗ go to a third option and choosing

1:24:24 ↗ something in the middle maybe you know

1:24:25 ↗ another day in um in March the problem

1:24:28 ↗ is that we are going to end up with the

1:24:29 ↗ room problem but we'll yeah any others

1:24:33 ↗ many Trish that's them good both those

1:24:36 ↗ days you can I think

1:24:42 ↗ I have no idea

1:24:44 ↗ I think there's March February 15 is the

1:24:48 ↗ problem

1:24:49 ↗ yeah I've got something going on in

1:24:52 ↗ March but I don't know dates yet

1:25:12 ↗ yes I'm sorry yeah I'm going to be out

1:25:15 ↗ of town March 1st to the 15th oh yeah

1:25:19 ↗ I might be back in time I don't have my

1:25:22 ↗ itinerary in front of me but I might be

1:25:23 ↗ back in time for our commission meeting

1:25:25 ↗ on the 15th I just that I don't have in

1:25:28 ↗ front of me okay so they'll have March

1:25:31 ↗ 15th seems more reasonable it sounds

1:25:32 ↗ like okay okay we'll keep that as an

1:25:35 ↗ option March 15th and I'll follow up so

1:25:38 ↗ with other emails okay thank you so much

1:25:41 ↗ I know we are running a little bit

1:25:42 ↗ behind Trish so and that concludes okay

1:25:44 ↗ okay so we're gonna move on and I'm

1:25:47 ↗ gonna give my first chair report that

1:25:49 ↗ I've ever given and then you get to give

1:25:51 ↗ a report as well yes yeah okay so um

1:25:56 ↗ are you guys familiar with the voice

1:25:58 ↗ Mentor program in the school district

1:26:01 ↗ I have a voice Mentor yes I am familiar

1:26:04 ↗ okay I'm okay all right as well and yeah

1:26:06 ↗ and you probably saw the announcements

1:26:08 ↗ that went out

1:26:09 ↗ um they are the voice well first of all

1:26:12 ↗ I should explain for those people that

1:26:13 ↗ are familiar with it it started with the

1:26:15 ↗ school's foundation and then I don't

1:26:18 ↗ know how many years I don't know 20

1:26:20 ↗ years ago how long ago I don't know how

1:26:23 ↗ long it's been started a long time ago

1:26:24 ↗ it was it's called schools commission

1:26:25 ↗ yeah it started with us uh foundations

1:26:27 ↗ yeah yeah and then the school district

1:26:30 ↗ thought it was so valuable that they

1:26:31 ↗ just brought it into the school district

1:26:33 ↗ program announced run by the school

1:26:35 ↗ district and it's basically where they

1:26:39 ↗ match a Community member up with a

1:26:41 ↗ student that they feel needs another

1:26:45 ↗ adult presence in their life for

1:26:47 ↗ whatever reason and man when you can

1:26:50 ↗ chime in and say anything you want no

1:26:51 ↗ you're doing great and um it does it's

1:26:54 ↗ not a tutor it's not a tutor it can be

1:26:57 ↗ if you get together with the student and

1:27:00 ↗ the student really wants you to help

1:27:01 ↗ them with a subject or something I'm on

1:27:04 ↗ my second year as a mentor and

1:27:07 ↗ um last year we never pulled out a book

1:27:10 ↗ this all the the student just wanted to

1:27:12 ↗ talk talk talk talk which was great and

1:27:15 ↗ then this year

1:27:16 ↗ um I have actually I have a um

1:27:19 ↗ a Colombian middle school boy he and his

1:27:23 ↗ mom across the Rio Grande I assume

1:27:25 ↗ they're here illegally and

1:27:28 ↗ um we're having a great time he's

1:27:30 ↗ teaching me Spanish I'm teaching him

1:27:31 ↗ English

1:27:33 ↗ um and uh so you know it just you just

1:27:36 ↗ it's just to have another adult presence

1:27:38 ↗ and the school counselors kind of get a

1:27:42 ↗ sense of who can benefit and they will

1:27:44 ↗ make recommendations to I guess the

1:27:46 ↗ parents

1:27:47 ↗ somehow the school counselors kind of

1:27:50 ↗ decide you know I think the student can

1:27:52 ↗ use another adult in their life and and

1:27:55 ↗ then they must reach out to the family

1:27:56 ↗ or something I don't know how involved I

1:27:58 ↗ mean the family must sign off on it

1:28:00 ↗ right at some point but uh I don't know

1:28:04 ↗ if they have I don't know about that

1:28:05 ↗ yeah but anyways not it's not like us

1:28:08 ↗ the students in the school district just

1:28:10 ↗ walk up and say I want to be a voice

1:28:13 ↗ mentee they don't do it doesn't happen

1:28:16 ↗ that you don't self-select I think a

1:28:18 ↗ counselor gets involved but so and you

1:28:21 ↗ would have gotten this email too we just

1:28:23 ↗ we just got an email

1:28:25 ↗ they are in dire need of mentors

1:28:30 ↗ particularly men and particularly men of

1:28:33 ↗ color

1:28:36 ↗ okay and I think I I'm just assuming it

1:28:41 ↗ might have to do with a lot you guys all

1:28:43 ↗ know that the demographics are changing

1:28:45 ↗ and you know that and I had not heard

1:28:48 ↗ this term until about a year ago

1:28:50 ↗ the population of students in the school

1:28:52 ↗ the minority is now the majority yes so

1:28:57 ↗ it's minority majority and you can

1:29:00 ↗ probably speak to this as well too but

1:29:03 ↗ um

1:29:04 ↗ and it's wonderful I mean it's becoming

1:29:06 ↗ when I was talking to this one counselor

1:29:08 ↗ he said the school district really isn't

1:29:10 ↗ prepared because there is so I mean

1:29:12 ↗ we've got ukrainians here we've got um

1:29:16 ↗ tons of Spanish-speaking people

1:29:18 ↗ um and the school district really isn't

1:29:20 ↗ prepared to I mean they are trying to

1:29:23 ↗ figure out how they need to change to be

1:29:26 ↗ able to help all students all students

1:29:31 ↗ so you know one of the things they're

1:29:33 ↗ doing is they're putting out a big plea

1:29:34 ↗ for um I think everybody in this room

1:29:38 ↗ would be a great I think you have to be

1:29:40 ↗ um over 18. I think everybody here would

1:29:42 ↗ be a great mentor and they're

1:29:44 ↗ particularly looking to check my idea

1:29:46 ↗ they're particularly looking for men and

1:29:49 ↗ they're particularly looking for men of

1:29:50 ↗ color Manny I think you'd be great it's

1:29:53 ↗ a shame that Maddie doesn't already have

1:29:54 ↗ you know enough going on in his life we

1:29:57 ↗ just have to get him out of his garage

1:29:59 ↗ where he's making up making all those

1:30:02 ↗ beautiful pieces of woodwork

1:30:04 ↗ um so I'm gonna have

1:30:06 ↗ um because I know I'm not supposed to

1:30:08 ↗ email anybody or you know we're supposed

1:30:10 ↗ to have everything go through Monica I'm

1:30:11 ↗ going to send her something to send out

1:30:12 ↗ to everybody if you want to learn more

1:30:14 ↗ about the program

1:30:16 ↗ so and who who runs this there's two um

1:30:21 ↗ districts and Tina so it's a because

1:30:24 ↗ it's a school district program now yeah

1:30:26 ↗ so the email is actually voice

1:30:29 ↗ issaquah.webnet.edu yeah and the

1:30:32 ↗ commitment is

1:30:33 ↗ um I meet with the student and you know

1:30:35 ↗ you can talk about I mean it with one

1:30:37 ↗ student there's some mentors that have

1:30:39 ↗ six students I meet with one student

1:30:41 ↗ um for 45 minutes one period a week

1:30:45 ↗ so I mean it's not a huge commitment

1:30:47 ↗ and everything has to be done at school

1:30:50 ↗ the boundaries are very very clear and

1:30:53 ↗ you're not supposed to you know exchange

1:30:55 ↗ cell numbers or anything like that

1:31:01 ↗ the Human Services Commission funded the

1:31:04 ↗ program as a Steve funding it was part

1:31:07 ↗ of the non-profit when it was part of

1:31:09 ↗ the Issaquah schools Foundation

1:31:12 ↗ it started building up it got

1:31:14 ↗ transferred back to the city to them the

1:31:18 ↗ school district yeah

1:31:23 ↗ I mean it started with the foundation

1:31:25 ↗ yes it started with the foundation and

1:31:27 ↗ it got transferred to the school yeah

1:31:28 ↗ yeah no I'm sorry you got transferred to

1:31:31 ↗ us because this was such a valuable

1:31:33 ↗ program and

1:31:35 ↗ um yeah so my kids are the help well now

1:31:38 ↗ I don't know yeah I don't I I went to

1:31:41 ↗ the breakfast thing a while back I

1:31:42 ↗ couldn't tell you the exact numbers

1:31:43 ↗ they're having a real they have way more

1:31:46 ↗ students that have been identified for

1:31:48 ↗ support and they can provide one-on-one

1:31:51 ↗ mentors to work for yeah

1:31:54 ↗ um I've had I only have one student I've

1:31:56 ↗ had her since grade three she's a

1:31:58 ↗ sophomore now she has exceptional grades

1:32:01 ↗ take full credit

1:32:04 ↗ um but I I I have to say it's one of

1:32:07 ↗ those for me it's been one of those

1:32:08 ↗ things where I certainly get more out of

1:32:10 ↗ it yeah

1:32:11 ↗ I love it and most of the mentors will

1:32:14 ↗ say that yes and it's just yeah another

1:32:17 ↗ adult present that's all it is yeah I

1:32:19 ↗ think the biggest the hardest thing

1:32:21 ↗ about it in terms of getting more people

1:32:23 ↗ to do it is it it's all on the school

1:32:26 ↗ schedule so it's not like oh my evenings

1:32:29 ↗ are pretty free I can meet with someone

1:32:30 ↗ at you know after dinner it is it is

1:32:33 ↗ Monday through Friday and it is finding

1:32:35 ↗ the time during the day that works their

1:32:38 ↗ schedule so that's the to me that's been

1:32:40 ↗ the biggest challenge

1:32:42 ↗ yeah oh yeah you got a conference room I

1:32:45 ↗ get the conference room I have I have it

1:32:48 ↗ scheduled for the rest of the year and I

1:32:50 ↗ meet the student at 9 45 every Tuesday

1:32:55 ↗ and Manny this is back in 2017 when this

1:32:59 ↗ was still a city project and this was

1:33:01 ↗ again this was seed funding so they were

1:33:03 ↗ starting but they they served 31 youth

1:33:06 ↗ in that year and it's it's hundreds now

1:33:08 ↗ yeah I'm sorry and you know what when

1:33:11 ↗ you get the email from Monica there will

1:33:13 ↗ be links and you can go out and look

1:33:14 ↗ into it yeah

1:33:17 ↗ yeah

1:33:18 ↗ yeah I was good okay so I'm done with

1:33:22 ↗ that and now you're on Preston Okay so

1:33:27 ↗ there's a lot of different

1:33:30 ↗ um there's a lot of different events

1:33:31 ↗ we're starting here at um at yeah but

1:33:35 ↗ but so I'm gonna tell you just a little

1:33:37 ↗ bit about all of them because there's

1:33:39 ↗ like a lot so our biggest one is our

1:33:44 ↗ state of mind conference so this will be

1:33:46 ↗ on March 18th that either one from one

1:33:49 ↗ to four or two to four and this will be

1:33:52 ↗ either at the community center or

1:33:54 ↗ gibsonette which is just like

1:33:56 ↗ 12 steps down and um basically this is

1:34:01 ↗ um we're all going we're all inviting

1:34:04 ↗ speakers from around the community and

1:34:07 ↗ they're going to speak about mental

1:34:08 ↗ health so these can this is going to

1:34:10 ↗ include some of our topics that are

1:34:12 ↗ Stress Management mood substance abuse

1:34:15 ↗ suicide awareness and identity sexuality

1:34:18 ↗ so basically it's just like an awareness

1:34:21 ↗ raising event where people can learn

1:34:23 ↗ about like how learn more awareness

1:34:27 ↗ about the mental health and also learn

1:34:29 ↗ about like resources they can access if

1:34:31 ↗ they are experiencing a mental illness

1:34:34 ↗ so yeah that's one of our biggest events

1:34:37 ↗ and personally one of my favorites

1:34:39 ↗ and um the next event is our

1:34:42 ↗ environmental conference which will be

1:34:44 ↗ on the 25th

1:34:46 ↗ um this is um like state of mind but

1:34:49 ↗ it's more it hasn't ended but it's about

1:34:51 ↗ the environment so it'll include topics

1:34:54 ↗ like agriculture deforestation

1:34:56 ↗ electricity and heat and overfishing and

1:35:00 ↗ there'll be a call of action where

1:35:02 ↗ people can learn about how they can help

1:35:04 ↗ and how they can make a difference is

1:35:07 ↗ that March 25th

1:35:10 ↗ um yes March 25th it's also one to four

1:35:12 ↗ uh

1:35:21 ↗ our mental conference will be held

1:35:23 ↗ online and

1:35:25 ↗ another March one we have a um tree

1:35:29 ↗ planning however this is very like early

1:35:32 ↗ but we're partnering with um a

1:35:35 ↗ organization called Mountain to sound

1:35:37 ↗ Greenways and they help do

1:35:40 ↗ um tree planting events and

1:35:42 ↗ environmental events so we're hoping

1:35:45 ↗ that we can make that a public event so

1:35:48 ↗ people can come down and help plant some

1:35:51 ↗ trees

1:35:52 ↗ and and what day is it

1:35:55 ↗ um it's not planned yeah okay mid mid

1:35:58 ↗ late March maybe early April

1:36:01 ↗ and then nearest one is on February 2nd

1:36:05 ↗ is our Civic engagement meeting and this

1:36:08 ↗ is a conference for students

1:36:10 ↗ specifically and they get to meet the

1:36:12 ↗ mayor and other politicians and they can

1:36:15 ↗ learn about how to make an impact on

1:36:16 ↗ their Community I heard there might be

1:36:19 ↗ an um uh activity where they can create

1:36:22 ↗ like a politicial campaign to get people

1:36:25 ↗ to vote for them

1:36:28 ↗ so you know if you need any ideas then

1:36:32 ↗ you know where to go

1:36:34 ↗ and finally we have different community

1:36:37 ↗ building events for different ages such

1:36:40 ↗ as

1:36:41 ↗ um the Issaquah kids triathlon Harry

1:36:44 ↗ Potter night dog bone donuts and our

1:36:47 ↗ newest one is a pet adoption event and

1:36:49 ↗ these all are like to be determined days

1:36:52 ↗ wow

1:36:54 ↗ with all these events besides the one

1:36:56 ↗ that's virtual

1:36:58 ↗ state of mind

1:37:01 ↗ um we didn't realize that Gibson Ed was

1:37:04 ↗ going to cost so much money to reserve

1:37:06 ↗ so it will either be held at Gibson neck

1:37:09 ↗ if we can get the funds or the community

1:37:11 ↗ center but either way it will be the

1:37:13 ↗ same time and that environmental is held

1:37:16 ↗ online

1:37:17 ↗ um and Civic engagement

1:37:21 ↗ I can't see at the time if we rarely um

1:37:24 ↗ I know that there's posters we have

1:37:27 ↗ posters out and those will tell you

1:37:29 ↗ where it is and we're getting hopefully

1:37:33 ↗ we're going to be able to put it into

1:37:35 ↗ one of the school newsletters so if

1:37:38 ↗ y'all have any kids then you might see

1:37:40 ↗ it in the school newsletter but

1:37:43 ↗ um

1:37:44 ↗ Preston I'm so sorry if you already have

1:37:46 ↗ the pliers or any information that you

1:37:48 ↗ have you can also email it to me and

1:37:49 ↗ I'll share it with the rest of the

1:37:51 ↗ commission yes okay I'll do that because

1:37:54 ↗ I think I have a flower that would be

1:37:56 ↗ great yes that would be great thank you

1:37:58 ↗ and then um

1:38:01 ↗ all Harry Potter night the cat Triathlon

1:38:04 ↗ dodgeball and donuts I think these are

1:38:06 ↗ mostly considered towards

1:38:13 ↗ are supposed to be meant for teens

1:38:22 ↗ today

1:38:32 ↗ [Laughter]

1:38:35 ↗ most of these extra community building

1:38:38 ↗ events will all be held at the community

1:38:41 ↗ center obviously the tree planning will

1:38:44 ↗ not we'll probably find I think Mountain

1:38:47 ↗ December Greenway has a specific like

1:38:49 ↗ location where they help and I think

1:38:53 ↗ that's it for me thank you great thank

1:38:56 ↗ you very much

1:39:04 ↗ be on the commission

1:39:08 ↗ okay and you do you have something more

1:39:10 ↗ just one quick I know we talked a little

1:39:13 ↗ bit about joint meeting with Equity

1:39:14 ↗ board

1:39:15 ↗ just a heads up at the end typically at

1:39:18 ↗ the end of January and um beginning of

1:39:20 ↗ February our city typically starts

1:39:23 ↗ recruitment for new boards and

1:39:24 ↗ Commissioners

1:39:26 ↗ so I'm just wondering if we give heads

1:39:28 ↗ up and also ask around the room

1:39:31 ↗ um if you plan on continuing to staying

1:39:33 ↗ on the commission and your term is set

1:39:38 ↗ to expire please just get in touch with

1:39:40 ↗ me so then you can reapply or for any

1:39:43 ↗ reasons if you plan on stepping down

1:39:45 ↗ because also this is the time to let me

1:39:46 ↗ know so that we can plan for any

1:39:48 ↗ vacancies typically the recruitment as I

1:39:51 ↗ said starts at the end of this month

1:39:52 ↗ early next month then typically we do

1:39:55 ↗ interviews sometimes in March we make

1:39:57 ↗ those recommendations to the mayor in

1:39:59 ↗ April who then appoints new

1:40:02 ↗ Commissioners and those are also valid

1:40:05 ↗ by city council so then the new

1:40:07 ↗ Commissioners start on on May 1st and

1:40:11 ↗ existing terms and Commissioners uh end

1:40:14 ↗ on April 30th and everybody knows where

1:40:17 ↗ I mean I would have to go look at I

1:40:19 ↗ don't know when my term expires

1:40:20 ↗ everybody knows where to go look right

1:40:21 ↗ yeah

1:40:23 ↗ do you have it open right now

1:40:25 ↗ so high map is not here here uh today

1:40:29 ↗ um his term expires this year Pat your

1:40:32 ↗ term also expires this year uh Maury

1:40:35 ↗ also your term expires this year so yes

1:40:39 ↗ if you want to extend yes absolutely do

1:40:41 ↗ it formally uh you're gonna have to

1:40:43 ↗ formally just reapply but thank you for

1:40:45 ↗ letting me know because let me know how

1:40:50 ↗ also a vacancy that we did not feel last

1:40:52 ↗ time and then we also have uh probably

1:40:55 ↗ another vacancy for a math board member

1:40:59 ↗ for a commissioner who was not able to

1:41:01 ↗ attend since June so then that's going

1:41:03 ↗ to be also a vacant position so we have

1:41:05 ↗ two vacant positions automatically

1:41:08 ↗ um

1:41:09 ↗ I thought we actually had three

1:41:12 ↗ three vacancies there's Jamie

1:41:15 ↗ so that's the vacant position oh and

1:41:18 ↗ Jamie's is still there us know that

1:41:20 ↗ you're absolutely right Jane um Jamie

1:41:22 ↗ Jamie's still there I thought that the

1:41:24 ↗ vacant position was genius but you're

1:41:25 ↗ right Jamie's there I saw her name yes

1:41:27 ↗ so you have three positions or

1:41:29 ↗ automatically bacon in understand

1:41:31 ↗ Commissioners that right

1:41:33 ↗ it may decides to step down

1:41:36 ↗ um hopefully not but this is a Great

1:41:38 ↗ Commission would be great one too

1:41:40 ↗ I got the three years already

1:41:45 ↗ man a year 20. my turn is over

1:42:13 ↗ [Music]

1:42:16 ↗ is planning on returning

1:42:19 ↗ um her at the end of February so

1:42:21 ↗ probably you're gonna see her at the

1:42:23 ↗ meeting in March

1:42:25 ↗ and that's that's it concludes anything

1:42:27 ↗ else so if you don't have any

1:42:28 ↗ announcements

1:42:30 ↗ okay anything for the go to the order I

1:42:32 ↗ think we've probably

1:42:34 ↗ interjected some of that throughout the

1:42:35 ↗ meeting anyways okay all right meeting

1:42:37 ↗ adjourned all right thank you thank you

1:42:40 ↗ very much

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