12/7/2021 - Meeting Minutes 1
SALT LAKE CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
This meeting is a discussion among Commissioners and select presenters. The public is welcome.
Items scheduled may be moved or discussed during a different portion of the meeting based on
circumstances or availability of speakers.
This meeting will be an electronic meeting pursuant to the Chair’s determination that
conducting the meeting at a physical location presents a substantial risk to the health and safety
of those who may be present at the anchor location. The Commission Meeting will not have a
physical location and all attendees will connect remotely.
Members of the public may provide public comment by joining through Zoom.
CONDUCTED BY: Chair Esther Stowell
Members of the Human Rights Commission in Attendance:
Commissioner Jason Wessel, District 1, Vice Chair
Commissioner Esther Stowell, District 2, Chair
Commissioner Ivis Garcia, District 4
Commissioner Nicole Salazar-Hall, District 5
Commissioner Shannon Kelly, District 6
Commissioner Shauna Doumbia, District 7
Mayor’s Office Staff in Attendance:
Hannah Vickery, Senior City Attorney
Debbie Lyons, Sustainability Director
Angela Price, Policy Director for Community and Neighborhoods
Susan Lundmark, Transportation Project Manager
Moana Uluave-Hafoka, Equity Manager
Agenda Items
1. Welcome
Chair Stowell read the determination of the Commissioners to meet electronically because
meeting at a physical location presents a substantial risk to the health and safety of those who
may be present at the anchor location.
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• Roll Call
2. Approve and Adopt Minutes
All commissioners motioned and approved minutes from October’s HRC meeting
3. Public Comment (5 minutes)
No Public Comment was made
4. Gentrification Study Update (15 minutes)
• Angela Price, Policy Director for Community and Neighborhoods, will introduce
the consultants that were chosen and share their implementation plan thus far.
Director Price voices that she would like a representative at the outreach event that they are
planning on having.
David Driskell – Project Manager goes through a presentation and outlines the way that
their study is organized mentioning the various community partners that have been working
with them.
“This isn’t just a study this is an action-focused effort to identify things we should be doing
as a city and community to counter the forces of displacement.”
Working on project launches to make sure that the design that they have is allowing them to
collect data properly and accurately
*The team is aiming for a public launch in January 2022, following refinement of
engagement strategy based on initial community input*
Tim Thomas from UC Berkeley continues the presentation by talking about the data analysis
and maps that are used by the group. He describes the process of collecting data on
gentrification, taking it to the public, and analyzing whether the numbers match reality.
The goal is to identify change and create a roadmap with the city to answer these
discrepancies
Chair Stowell thanks David and the team for being chosen and is hopeful for what it will do
to Salt Lake City.
Vice Chair Wessel recommends the group reaches out to the Brown Berets in Rose Park.
Commissioner Doumbia is hoping that the study focuses on all of Salt Lake City and not
solely on one portion of the city.
Tim Thomas explains that the study will investigate the impacts that gentrification is having
on other neighborhoods outside of Salt Lake City, but the actionable items will focus on the
city itself.
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Chair Stowell assumes that the study will also look at gentrification that is currently
happening and not only what is yet to come.
David acknowledges the data lag that there is but is hoping that the engagement that they
have with the community will help bring real time data.
Chair Stowell thanks the group for attending.
5. Annual Open & Public Meeting Act & Ethics Training
(30-40 minutes)
Hannah Vickery, Senior City Attorney provides annual training.
6. Food Equity Presentation (15 minutes)
Sustainability Director Lyons gives a presentation on Salt Lake City’s Resident Food Equity
Advisors Program, a program that was modeled after one in Baltimore and other cities which
engages the community more on food work.
Through the research that was done holistic solutions, solutions that prioritize stigma and
cultivate dignity were made.
From the study, a resolution was drafted which was shared with the chair and vice chair of the
HRC. A 3-page resolution that is going through the final legal review and will go to the council
after.
Chair Stowell asks that if this gets passed how will it look like on the community level.
Director Lyons says that the resolution sets the expectation and calls on the department and the
city to continue to make change on the community level.
Vice Chair Wessel recommends that the commission has a vote on endorsing the resolution or
not at the next meeting.
Chair Stowell believes that schools may be a great way to connect with the community because
they are more approachable.
Discussion on food deserts in Salt Lake City.
7. Review Goals & Priorities (15 minutes)
• Subcommittees
i. CEDAW: C. Wessel, C. Salazar-Hall, C. Kelly
• Vote on CEDAW Ordinance Recommendations to the Mayor
Commissioner Salazar-Hall says the ordinance is stalled because of her
and she is working on finishing up personal work and then will finish
working on CEDAW
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Commissioner Kelly offers subcommittee meeting to take place at her
residence.
ii. Gentrification: C. Doumbia, C. Kelly, C. Esther, and C. Garcia
• Follow-up concerns or meetings with consultants, if necessary
iii. Homelessness: C. Stowell, C. Wessel, and C. Garcia
• Follow-up for Andrew Johnston for subcommittee meeting
8. Discussion/Dialogue about Human Rights Around the World (5-10 minutes)
Vice Chair Wessel: Issue in Myanmar, boycott of the Olympics
Commissioner Doumbia: The US is not boycotting Israel and their treatment of the
Palestinians.
Vice Chair Wessel: The situation in Ethiopia with Tigray is escalating and both sides are
committing human rights violations.
Commissioner Doumbia: Abuses on migrants trying to come to the US as well as those going
to Europe.
The US is continuing the stay in Mexico, policy which is forcing refugees to stay on the
Mexican border leaving them open to abuses by the cartel.
Chair Stowell asks what would happen if they were able to stay in the US, but their
paperwork fails.
Vice Chair Wessel outlines the Unites States obligation by international treaties to allow
asylum seekers into the country while their documentation is processed.
9. Review Human Rights Commission Meetings for 2022:
• Tuesday, January 04, 2022
• Tuesday, February 01, 2022
• Tuesday, March 01, 2022
• Tuesday, April 05, 2022
• Tuesday, May 03, 2022
• Tuesday, June 07, 2022
• Tuesday, July 05, 2022 --- change to 12 (Everyone agreed on change)
• Tuesday, August 02, 2022
• Tuesday, September 06, 2022
• Tuesday, October 04, 2022
• Tuesday, November 01, 2022 --- change to the 8th (Everyone agreed on change)
• Tuesday, December 06, 2022
• Saturday, December 10, 2022 – Human Rights Day Celebration
• https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
10. Human Rights Commission Meetings for 2021:
• Tuesday, January 05, 2021
• Tuesday, February 02, 2021
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• Tuesday, March 02, 2021
• Tuesday, April 06, 2021
• Tuesday, May 04, 2021
• Tuesday, June 01, 2021
• Tuesday, July 13, 2021
• Tuesday, August 03, 2021
• Retreat, August 28, 2021
• Tuesday, September 14, 2021
• Tuesday, October 05, 2021
• Tuesday, November 09, 2021
• Tuesday, December 07, 2021
MOANA ULUAVE-HAFOKA
SALT LAKE CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE
This document is not intended to serve as a full transcript as additional discussion may have
been held; please refer to the audio or video for entire content pursuant to Utah Code 52-4-
203(2)(b). This document along with the digital recording constitute the official minutes of
the Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting on December 7, 2021.