HAAB Minutes 10/19/1994
Minutes
Hispanic Affairs
Advisory Board
Meeting
October 19, 1994
HISPANIC AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD
MINUTES OF MEETING
October 19, 1994
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S
MEETING ROOM
3RD FLOOR, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
COLLIER COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER
NAPLES, FLORIDA
PRESENT:
Anna Rodriguez, Chairman
Don Price
Agnes Vega-Bocock
Yolanda Dustin
VISITORS:
Frank Rodriguez
STAFF LIAISON:
Ramiro Manalich, Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board
The Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board meeting of October 19,
1994, commenced at approximately 6:30 P.M. Due to the lack of a
quorum, an informal discussion was held among the members
present. Prior minutes of the Board could not be approved due to
the lack of a quorum.
The Board Members present concurred that there was a need to
enforce the policy on absences and that a good vehicle to that
end would be the letter that has been drafted by Staff Liaison
Ramiro Manalich and Chairman Anna Rodriguez. This letter will
advise Board Members of the need to comply with the Board of
County Commissioners' attendance pol icy regarding Advisory
Boards. The letter will also request that the members submit a
written excuse for their absence to the Chairman with a copy to
the Staff Liaison.
Anna Rodriguez reported that she and Jennifer Edwards met
with Ramiro Manalich regarding the "hispanic hotline". Anna
reported that Jennifer Edwards had mentioned the availability of
the KANDU and PAL phone lines. Anna's response to Jennifer's
comment was that KANDU and PAL would not be adequate for the
hispanic board purposes since those lines cannot produce an
inventory of the hispanic community's needs for a report to the
Board of county Commissioners; many hispanics have a language
barrier that needs to be addressed by the hotline; the hispanic
- 1 -
hotline would show responsiveness of the hispanic board to the
hispanic community; and the hispanic hotline could be served by
hispanic board volunteers. Anna reported that Jennifer Edwards
indicated that she would confer with the Administrator and/or the
Board Chairman and respond to the hispanic hotline request. Anna
stated that she expected a response in two-to-three weeks.
There was no discussion regarding
Collier County Public Health unit"
absent.
the "Shared Vision For the
since Melinda Riddle was
The members discussed the planned October 26th meeting with
Collier County Commission candidates and Commissioner-Elect
Pamela Mac'Kie. Anna reported that Henry Tribble, Black Affairs
Advisory Board Chairman, indicated that he was planning to show a
video of the Human Rights Commission presentation to the Board of
County commissioners and then follow the video with questions to
the candidates about the Human Rights Commission concept.
Anna stated that she wanted the Hispanic Board to discuss
whether they should attend this meeting since Anna was notified
of the meeting by Mr. Tribble after it had already been planned.
Anna stated it was her concern that it was too early to approach
the candidates to ask them about their position on the HRC. Anna
thought that it was first necessary to develop a relationship
with the elected commissioners.
Yolanda Dustin and Don Price stated that they do not plan to
attend the meeting of the 26th because they agreed that it was
too premature to be raising the HRC and other issues affecting
the Hispanic Board with these commission candidates. Both Don
and Yolanda thought that it would be appropriate to meet with the
elected representatives sometime after the election and after a
relationship had been developed with those commissioners.
It was the consensus of the Hispanic Board Members present
that the Hispanic Board Members should not attend the meeting of
October 26, 1994 with the commission candidates. However, since
the meeting has already been scheduled and advertised, Hispanic
Board Members should feel free to attend as individuals if they
choose to do so. The reason for not attending is that it is the
consensus of the Hispanic Board Members present to discuss this
topic that it is better to develop a relationship with the
elected Commissioners prior to meeting with them about the Human
Rights Commission and/or other Hispanic Board issues. It was the
consensus of the members that the Chairman should send a memo to
this effect to the Hispanic Board Members with a copy to Mr.
Tribble and the invited guests.
Don Price stated his opinion that the Hispanic Board should
be more actively involved with the hispanic community and more
proactive in its mission by scheduling monthly meetings with
mandatory Hispanic Board Member attendance to hear feedback,
complaints, commendations, and recommendations from the community
and to pass these on to the Board of County Commissioners. Don
- 2 -
mentioned as examples the Marco Island Rental Properties that had
required hispanics to wear bracelets and the case involving six
L's as situations where the Hispanic Board could collect
information and make recommendations to the Board of county
commissioners that could help the hispanic community. As a plus,
this process could be done without cost to the Board of County
Commissioners, and could create an inventory of problems in the
hispanic community for the Board of County Commissioners to
address.
Frank Rodriguez mentioned that the Hispanic Board should put
together an agenda or plan of action for addressing needs in the
hispanic community. There should be advertisement of gatherings
with the community and these advertisements should also be in
spanish as well as english. He mentioned that he is working on a
hispanic community network system as a resource that could be
used to tap into the hispanic community.
Don Price suggested presenting to the Board of County
Commissioners a proposal and a document regarding the townhall
approach to fact gathering by the Hispanic Board with a request
for the Board of County Commissioners to respond to any such
report. Don and Anna volunteered to compose a draft of said
document.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted by: <~;
~~iron:;n;{ic!?~)c;,~~L~:<_<- (~:-
Staff Liaison to the
Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board
BY
AFFAIRS ADVISORY
, 1994.
Anna Rodriguez
Chairman of the
rm/df/5077
- 3 -