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Human Rights Commission Minutes <br />March 10, 2009 <br /> <br />Commissioners Present: Chair David Singleton, Vi ce Chair Marie Oftelie, Philip Crump, <br />Thelma McKenzie, Tam McGehee <br /> <br />Commissioners Excused: Janet Delmore <br /> <br />Others Present: City Manager Bill Malinen; Recording Secretary Sheila Stowell <br /> <br />Call to Order: Chair David Singleton calle d the Human Rights Commission (HRC) meeting to <br />order at approximately 7:05 p.m. <br /> <br />Approve Minutes of January 13, 2009 <br />Member Oftelie moved, seconded by Member Mc Gehee to approve the meeting minutes of <br />January 13, 2009 as presented. Motion carried: 5/0. <br /> <br />Update on Civilian Review Board for the Police Department <br />Member McGehee reported on her research wi th eight other metropolitan suburbs and her <br />finding that each suburb had systems in place, si milar to that of Roseville. Member McGehee <br />said she had issues with this cyclical process. <br /> <br />Chair Singleton said there appeared to be no need to create a comm ission to address law <br />enforcement issues; and he was comfortabl e with the system currently in place. <br /> <br />Member Crump said an independent civilian revi ew board was good to provide transparency, if <br />that was the original in tent; however, he didn’t have input as to how it fit in with existing <br />commissions or with the HRC. He said if the intent was to provide additional transparency, <br />having a disinterested party look at a situation and recommend action, whether binding or not, <br />seemed to achieve that purpose. Member Crum p noted that legal issues would need to be <br />resolved. <br /> <br />Chair Singleton encouraged discussion related to op tions other than creati ng a separate Civilian <br />Review Board for the Police Department. <br /> <br />City Manager Malinen reviewed the history and intent of the Ethics Commission to address <br />citizen concerns with staff or advisory commissioners. <br /> <br />Member McGehee said many things were more easily diffused by having a disinterested group <br />hear a complaint and such a system may avoid lawsuits. Member McGehee suggested a subset of <br />members of the Ethics and HRC to hear such issues and serve in that review function. <br /> <br />Commissioners discussed whether a recommenda tion from the HRC was warranted, reiterating <br />concerns related to legal issues and frequency of complaints. Commissioners noted that while <br />Roseville was not similar in size to Minneapolis or St. Paul, there was a lot going on in the