Loading...
HAAB Minutes 10/02/1996 Minutes Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board Meeting October 2, 1996 HISPANIC AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES OF MEETING October 2, 1996 COLLIER COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER ADMINISTRATION BUILDING THIRD FLOOR, BCC BOARD ROOM 3301 EAST T AMIAMI TRAIL NAPLES, FLORIDA PRESENT: Ramiro Mafialich, Chief Assistant County Attorney, BCC Liaison to HAAB David Correa, HAAB Member Eva Delashrnet, HAAB Member Frank Loney, HAAB Member Frank Rodriguez, HAAB Member Pedro Vazquez, HAAB Member Armando Ayala, HAAB Member Victor A. Valdes Tammy Delashrnet Edgardo Temeiro, HAAB Member Alexis Yarbray Dennis Mitchell ABSENT: Manuel Laso, HAAB Member Mireya Louvier, HAAB Member The October 2, 1996 meeting of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board for Collier County convened at approximately 7:30 p.m. Chairman, Frank Rodriguez welcomed all present, and introduced the members of the Hispanic Board. Motion was made by David Correa, seconded by Armando Ayala and Pedro Vazquez to approve the minutes of April 25, 1996. A unanimous vote was made in favor of said motion. Frank Rodriguez brought up a discussion regarding a pending letter to Naples Community Hospital regarding a prior meeting with hospital representatives about the alleged foreign language restriction policy at the hospital. A draft letter was circulated among the members and discussed. Member Loney expressed a concern regarding Naples Community Hospital still not being open to the use of other languages. Edgardo Temeiro stated that he is still employed by NCH, and that he does not believe there is a clear policy regarding the usage of other languages and how employees should relate to patients and others who speak different languages. He believed an inquiry to NCH was still needed, and that policy clarification should be requested. He thought that the hospital should want to communicate with customers of the hospital in the language that the customers can understand. Frank Rodriguez stated that there were competing concerns regarding the Hispanic Board not having the power to direct business decisions of NCH, while at the same time the Hispanic Board properly insisting that NCH comply with their Mission Statement of service to a multicultural community. Mr. Vasquez saw no justification for NCH's alleged language restriction and Armando Ayala opined that an NCH clarification should be requested by letter. Ayala suggested that the only change to the proposed letter should be at point B regarding a specific request for clarification from NCH as to its specific policy on the usage of foreign languages. David Correa emphasized that everyone should be courteous as to all languages used by others, and that there is a need for clari fication from the hospital once and for all on their language usage policy. A motion was made by Armando Ayala for approval of the proposed letter to NCH with a change at point B to state that if no policy exists, then there is a need to create a policy to clarify the matter for all concerned. His motion included authorization for the Chairman to send said letter. The motion was seconded by Frank Loney, and a unanimous vote was had approving the motion. Frank Rodriguez raised a question as to whether Ramiro Mafialich, Chief Assistant County Attorney and liaison to the Hispanic Board, will have sufficient time to be present for all Hispanic Board meetings. He emphasized the need to continue having the Hispanic Board meetings, even ifRamiro Mafialich cannot attend all of said meetings. Ramiro Mafialich offered the following report: I. Mr. Laso had called-in that he was unable to attend tonight's meeting because of a conflicting work assignment. The Chairman agreed that that was a satisfactory excuse. Ramiro indicated that he could not recall if member Louviere had contacted him with an excuse for not attending this meeting, and he stated that he would check with member Louviere. 2. Ramiro shared the Collier County Public Health Unit's Annual Report, which had been provided by Dr. Polkowski for review by the Hispanic Board. A discussion was held regarding the Public Health Unit, Immokalee and the lack of Hispanics on the Health Unit Oversight Board. Member Temeiro emphasized that Collier Health Services, Inc. and Naples Community Hospital provide most Hispanic health care, and that they need the Hispanic Board's input. Motion was made by David Correa for the Chairman to contact CHSI, CCPHU, and NCH regarding Hispanic input as to health care issues. This motion was seconded by 2 Frank Loney and Edgardo Temeiro, and a unanimous vote was had in favor of the motion. 3. Regarding the liaison to the Hispanic Board, it was the consensus of the Board that Frank Rodriguez should remind Mireya Louviere to prepare a letter to the County Attorney addressing the matter. 4. Ramiro reminded the members that there was a letterhead subcommittee appointed. Frank Rodriguez mentioned that the Black Affairs Advisory Board has already obtained letterhead. He requested that Ramiro check as to how the Black Affairs Advisory Board obtained such letterhead and report back to the Hispanic Board. The next topic discussed was a followup to the March, 1996 discussion regarding Immokalee and youth relations with law enforcement. Frank Rodriguez stated that Immokalee youth had voiced the desire to have a better opportunity for communication with sheriffs officers. It was mentioned that the sheriffs office is currently sending deputies into the schools as a way to bridge the gap with the Hispanic Community. Frank Rodriguez thought that it was necessary to expand this communication link beyond the schools. Armando Ayala stated that some officers used in the communications program in Immokalee are not from the Immokalee community, and that that may be a barrier to communication. A motion was made by David Correa, seconded by Eva Delashrnet, for the Chairman to contact the Sheriffs office to arrange for a meeting between the Board and the Sheriffs Office Youth Relations Division. A unanimous vote was made in favor of the motion. Frank Rodriguez suggested joint meetings between the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Boards of Lee and Collier Counties. A motion was made by member Temeiro for the Chairman to contact the Lee County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board Chairman to explore the possibility of joint meetings. The motion included granting the power to the Chairman to report back to the Hispanic Board with a tentative schedule for meetings arranged with the Chairman of the Lee County Hispanic Board. The motion was seconded by member Ayala and a unanimous vote was made in favor of the motion. Mr. Victor Valdez, Editor of Los Naciones Newspaper, was heard upon his request to make a clarification and explanation regarding a discussion which he had with Officer Kistner of the Collier County Sheriffs Department. Said discussion took place at the Board's scheduled meeting in Immokalee in March of 1996, for which a quorum was not obtained. Mr. Valdez specifically requested that the Minutes mention that Dennis Mitchell of the Sheriffs Department was taping his comments. Mr. Valdes clarified that he would not comment regarding any pending litigation. Mr. Valdes then provided a 16-page handout which he had prepared for the Hispanic Board. Mr. Valdes stated that it was the intent of his comments to dispute Officer Kistner's statements that were made at the Immokalee meeting. Mr. Valdes clarified that he did not implicate Mr. Kistner in public and police statements regarding an incident in which he was kidnapped. Mr. 3 Valdes further stated that his comments tonight were to support his prior statements that Mr. Kistner had lied when he denied Mr. Valdes' accusations about Kistner having Internal Affairs complaints lodged against him. Mr. Valdes mentioned that he had done research into Internal Affairs files and had found that there were two investigations that sustained this conduct by Detective Kistner. He mentioned that as a result of the Sheriffs Internal Affairs investigation, Detective Kistner had been ordered to counseling. Mr. Valdes mentioned that there were other accusations against Mr. Kistner in the Internal Affairs files, some sustained and others not sustained by the Sheriff. Mr. Valdes stated that Mr. Kistner had lied to the public regarding his conduct, as demonstrated by Mr. Valdes' research into the Sheriffs Internal Affairs files. He mentioned that he was aware of at least four cases against Officer Kistner in the Internal Affairs files. Liaison Ramiro Mafialich reminded the Board that they needed to vote regarding Mr. Valdes' request to include these 16 pages of documents with the minutes of this meeting. A discussion developed in which Frank Rodriguez indicated that he was reluctant to add these documents to the minutes, since the Immokalee meeting had only been an informal discussion between Valdes and Kistner, since there had not been a quorum, and no official minutes could exist for said meeting. Mr. Valdes renewed his request for the documents to be part of the record, since Sheriff's Officer Kistner had commented at the meeting in Immokalee in his official capacity. Mr. Valdes also stated that Mr. Rodriguez has a conflict of interest in regard to Sheriffs matters. At this point, liaison Ramiro Mafialich gave a summary of the event that had been scheduled in Immokalee, and stated that no official meeting had occurred due to lack of a quorum. The meeting had been properly noticed. Ramiro Maftalich further clarified that an informal discussion was held in Immokalee because many members of the public had gathered for the meeting despite the lack of a quorum. No official action was taken, but the discussion did take place. A motion was made by Eva Delashrnet to include Mr. Valdes' documents in the minutes of this meeting. Member Temeiro seconded the motion, and a vote with six in favor, and one opposed was had in favor ofthe motion. Frank Rodriguez cast the dissenting vote. Frank Rodriguez mentioned to the Board that there was the need to nominate a new Vice Chair to replace Neil Morales. Armando Ayala made a motion to nominate Frank Loney. Frank Loney indicated that he would refuse said motion. At that point Armando Ayala withdrew the motion. A motion by Mr. Temeiro was made to nominate member Ayala as Vice-Chairman. Ayala indicated he would accept said motion of nomination. Frank Loney seconded the motion. There were no other nominations, and a unanimous vote in favor of the motion was had. In regard to new business, member Temeiro suggested that public comments should be at the beginning of the agenda, so that the public would not have to wait for other discussion to give their five minutes of comment. Frank Rodriguez also thought that a five minute limit warning should be placed on the agenda to inform the public. Mr. Temeiro made a motion for the public comments to be placed on the beginning of the agenda. A discussion was held, and Mr. Tenreiro 4 then withdrew that motion. A motion was made by Mr. Tenreiro to indicate on the agenda that there is a five minute limit per speaker with regard to public comments. The motion also provided that it would be within the discretion of the Hispanic Board, and/or the Chair to allow that time limit to be extended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Correa, and a unanimous vote was made in favor of the motion. The members discussed having the next meeting on Thursday, November 7, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. in either the Board of County Commissioner's meeting room or in Immokalee. The meeting of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board adjourned at approximately 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: ~. -f/l~I1.'~ amiro Mafialich Staff Liaison to the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board APPROVED BY THE HISPANIC AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD ON NOVEMBER 7,1996. Frank Rodrigll Z Chairman of the Bo 5