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Human Rights Commission Minutes October 16, 2013 Page 5 of 9 Vice Chair Brisbois suggested the Community Conversation take the place of the November meeting. She was not in favor of holding the meeting on a weekend, given the upcoming holidays. Ms. Lohman encouraged the Commission to hold the Conversation on a weeknight. Chair Grefenberg said the Program Planning Committee would consider holding the Conversation on Wednesday, November 20, the Commission's next meeting date. Chair Grefenberg called fof a five- minute recess at 7:20 p.m. Chair Grefenberg reconvened the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Karen Initiative Current status report: Chair Grefenberg reported on the two meetings he and other Commissioners had with the leadership of the Karen Community in Roseville, in part as a follow -up to the Commission's Strategic Plan adopted last spring. The second meeting, he indicated, had also involved Roseville officials Pat Trudgeon and Jeanne Kelsey, the Director of the Roseville Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Grefenberg continued that now he was viewing the Human Rights Commission's involvement with the Karen Community no longer as a one -shot program or an event, but as an Initiative which focuses on developing a collaborative relationship with this most recent immigrant community to arrive in Roseville. In effect, he added, the HRC was finding this relationship was more of a mentoring and learning experience for itself, and hope that relationship would be of some value to the Karen's leadership, the Karen Organization of Minnesota. The HRC did not want to tell you what to do or form your opinion, but to give you advice on how to be effective at City Hall. The Commission would like to hear some of the problems your community may be facing, he concluded. Discussion: Chair Grefenberg welcomed Chong Vang, Executive Director of the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM), and asked him to introduce his staff present to the Commission. Chong Vang introduced himself, Eh Tha Khu and MuLa, a high school student at the Fairview Alternative School. Mr. Vang- thanked the Commission for their time this evening. He explained the Karen Initiative was working to invite refugees into the community of Roseville. Grefenberg also referred the Commission's attention to the October 10th document entitled Next Steps of Karen Initiative which he indicated he had reviewed with Mr. Vang and secured his agreement with. He suggested this could serve as an outline for future discussions with KOM, but first asked Mr. Vang provide the Commission with further information on the concerns of the Karen community.