Transcript: Dover Human Relations Commission Meeting

Chair

It's it's 6:00 and from 6:00 to 6:10 we have a 10-minute open forum. Do we have any guests on online? We'll go ahead and follow the agenda and for the first 10 minutes.

Faust

I'll make the motion, because there's no one here right now, to suspend that open forum until someone comes in or we can pause and continue like we did last time, if that's up to Chairman's approval.

Female Commissioner

I second.

Chair

It's been properly moved and seconded that we will table the forum until we have our guests come in for later comments. We'll move the 10-minute to the towards the end. We will save it for that.

Chair

Yes, sir. Commissioner Lockett, as Commissioner Lockett comes down, we still have a quorum. So with the motion on the floor, it's been properly moved and seconded that we will take the 10-minute forum and we will move it to the end of our meeting. Ready for the question? All ready for the question? Ready for the question? Those in favor?

Faust

Aye.

Female Commissioner

Aye.

Chair

Those that oppose have the same right. Motion carried.

Chair

So I guess we can go right into our our agenda. I'll entertain a motion to adopt the agenda, and then afterwards we will move on adopting the minutes.

Female Commissioner

So moved.

Faust

Second.

Chair

It's been properly moved and seconded that we adopt the agenda for this evening, March 17th, 2026? Yes, with moving the 10 minutes to the end.

Chair

Okay. Everybody had a moment to look at the minutes? I'll accept a motion.

Female Commissioner

I move to accept the minutes from our last meeting.

Faust

Second.

Chair

It's been properly moved and seconded that we accept the minutes from the last meeting. Are we ready for the question? Ready for the question? All those in favor?

Female Commissioner

Aye.

Faust

Aye.

Chair

All those opposed have the same right. Motion carried. That's bad, you know. I was doing some work, my shoulder's a little, that's it.

Chair

Okay, we're going to our committee reports. Our assessment committee, Ms. Mullins did, I talked with Ms. Commissioner Mullins. She has given me a rough draft of assessment that she created, and it's more of a questionnaire. Of course, with her questionnaire, she also when we have response, when she receives responses, she will have some other follow-up surveys as well as questionnaires and more assessment. We have an overall assessment and that is already created and we'll be get a chance to review that when we come for our our report. Okay. Mr. Faust, do you want to speak on any of our the community programs before I get into it?

Faust

Basically, for the commissioners that weren't present, we I got a new batch of 211 cards in. If you need some, let me know. United Way was very helpful so that we can get as many as we need. Commissioner Brinkley and myself dropped some off at some key areas. I dropped some off at the library with my business card, so if they need anything any more, let me know. On the follow-up, some of the things I did, I went to the place on North Dupont Highway, I forget the name of the place...

Robin Faust

the community shelter, the shelter house, the homeless style and all that, and they're telling me that when they call the 211, there's not enough resources or being put on a waiting list um because of federal and state funding. So uh I don't know what else we can do, but brainstorm to see if we can find other resources if 211 is uh lacking funds or exhausted at this time. So uh that's where we stand. Um nothing else to really report.

Chair

Thank you, Commissioner Faust. Um there was a couple of commissioners uh Commissioner Faust and I we visited a couple of um places. Um myself, I had a couple of visits with the NeighborGood Partners downtown. Um I have one tomorrow, and I believe that's at 12:00. Um if you all are available, I know most of you work, um they they also you can go down there and join the table top meeting. That's what they're having.

Robin Faust

Is that the same location we were at for the first meeting, Dr. Sellers?

Chair

No, the the first one was um on Loockerman. This one here is on Governors. Do you know their building?

Male Speaker

Governors and Loockerman?

Chair

No, not Loockerman. It's Governors and...

Male Speaker

The building is down from Division?

Chair

Yeah, Division and New, not Governors. Division and New Street, yes. And the contact person is Nika Taylor, so she'll she'll be um receiving all communications. When you go to the building, it will be locked, so there'll be someone to um to uh open the door and and let you in and greet you, okay? And that's tomorrow at 12:00.

Female Speaker

What time was that?

Chair

12:00.

Female Speaker

Is there parking spaces?

Chair

Um behind that building they have maybe like two or three parking spaces, but most of the public parks on the street. The building is on the corner, so um they don't have a big parking lot for that building.

Female Speaker

Will we be entering on Division Street or New Street?

Chair

I usually park on New.

Female Speaker

No to en- to en- to enter the building, is that on New Street or Division?

Chair

Yes, it's on the New Street side, okay?

Male Speaker

Who is that meeting for?

Chair

Yes, Ms. Ms. Taylor.

Male Speaker

What's that meeting for, sir?

Chair

Um NeighborGood Partners has um meetings with the downtown agencies and and other state agencies to help bring some support uh services to downtown.

Male Speaker

Does that have a correlation with human relations?

Chair

Um they invite us to help with the support. That's what we do. We'll have a 10-minute forum for the public, and you can ask that question. All right? Okay.

Chair

Along with the NeighborGood Partners uh meeting, we also had a visit with um the Dover Coalition, Mr. Commissioner Faust and myself, on that February 19th date, which was a good meeting. It was a good, informative meeting. Um we're waiting to hear back from them to see if um there's some more requests. So if we do, we'll talk we'll talk about that and and we'll decide on some of the issues that they bring forward, okay?

Chair

Um there is there are a couple of other um support agencies, non-profit organizations, that are looking to collaborate uh with us, the Dover Human Relations Commission, um to talk about some of the activities that they want to present um for downtown and some of the support that they want to lend. So I told them also that

Chair

that they might want to show up to the NeighborGood Partners uh meeting as well, not just, you know, here. So I'm sure I'll have a list of uh nonprofits, a couple of companies I have already, but uh there's a couple of more who who who want to uh join in as well. So we'll hear from those those folks. School programs, Ms. White?

Faye White

We haven't been able to meet. Um...

Chair

I know uh last week was some spring breaks for especially higher ed, uh but uh for our local school districts, it wasn't spring break, that is I'm sure that's about to come about uh pretty shortly. So not long, not just spring break, but when the summertime comes, um you know, we should be looking to have something in place before summertime comes. So I've been trying to see what the city might uh be trying to present as far as uh activities and and things for the summer, um cuz we know when once it gets hot and and folks are outside and things are going on. So uh we definitely want to have some things uh set up and scheduled and planned and and and places for uh some of our young folk that we were talking about. The Saturday Academy with um the library having um uh the nonprofit organizations come in to teach the financial literacy, uh also to um speak on mental health in the youth, and uh um there's there's an agency that wants to come in and talk about arts, performing arts, and things like that in the city. So that's coming up and they'll be coming to fill out the intake form and and see if how they can receive support from us, not financial cuz I already told them that, you know, we can't we're not allowed to give financial uh support in that that way, but we can help out when it comes to like being able to uh probably capture venues and and being approved to have things, particular places. So we have to look out for that. Uh that's how we can lend our our space. We can lend space, that's what we're looking at. Okay, Bishop Bismillah, did you have anything you want to add too? Good to see you Bishop, Commissioner Bismillah. 'Kay, um of of course, the bylaws, Commissioner Brinkley had printed out. Uh hopefully um you had a chance to review some of them. Uh Commissioner Brinkley, did you want to comment on the bylaws?

Commissioner Brinkley

Um just as last meeting, I would like to update our bylaws um to make our role clearer to ourselves and in the community. Um the last time that they were updated was in 2004, and they need an update. Um as soon as co-chair's schedule um allows and my schedule will allow, I would like for us to have that meeting so that we can just update these bylaws because it it's needed.

Chair

Commissioner White?

Faye White

I think some of them can stay in the in the order in which they are in.

Chair

Say it again?

Faye White

I feel that some of them can stay in the order in which they are in, and then if there's need to be anything need to be revised, um...

Chair

Did you take a look at it? The The bylaws, um the details in the bylaws, there are some changes, but the order is pretty much going to be the same. Um what we're really looking at is the terminology out of date for the procedure of the uh Commission, okay? Cuz there's some things that the Commission doesn't work with anymore, okay?

Faye White

My apologies. In a year or more...

Chair

All right. If you look at page 11 on the with the bylaws, I'm not I I think you all should have them. Everybody should have one. If you look at page 11 on the bylaws, Article 5, it talks about committees, especially in that area right there we want to look at. Uh we want to make sure that that verbage is going along with the committees that we are now operating under. Please if you when you can take the time to uh go over at least uh that Article 5 section and make some comments for the committees.

Chair

Uh for the finance, we have not uh made any major purchases at all. Um I think the last purchase was Commissioner Brinkley's uh shirt. And everybody should be okay as far as your um your cards. If you need more business cards, commissioner cards, uh just let Ms. Warren know, and the 211 cards.

Commissioner

211 cards only take about four business days to get, so if I know we're running short, I can always ask for more stock.

Chair

Okay. So we still have the same we still have uh funds in in that budget. Let's look at Old Business.

Chair

So we're uh um this is the point uh on our Old Business where we will have a discussion uh regarding the um vacant buildings. Um so we have with us this evening Ms. Sharon Duca, assistant city manager, and I do believe uh Ms. Duca, how you doing this evening?

the assistant

Very good. Thank you, sir.

the assistant

Um good evening, members of the Commission. My name is Sharon Duca. I'm the assistant city manager for the City of Dover. Um I did review the minutes from your December 16th meeting where this item was originally discussed. I have also reviewed the information in the packet that Mr. Hugg provided to the City Clerk's office uh regarding the va- vacant building list as of February. Um it actually showed um our vacant building cases that Code Enforcement currently has on the books.

the assistant

Um in general, there are approximately 130 vacant buildings at any given time um in the City of Dover. Um it should be noted that these properties that were provided to you are not owned by the City of Dover. Um they are private properties.

the assistant

Um if there was interest in any of them, um in order for the City to purchase them, Council would need to ap- approve and fund that purchase. Um and then they would need to approve donation of that property um to whatever entity was part of the project.

the assistant

Um I would also like to note that it's important to ensure that any property is properly zoned for the use that would be proposed um before proceeding with purchase to make sure it's an appropriate uh choice. So that being said, I'm more than willing to answer any questions, or um I'm here for the evening.

Chair

Commissioner Faust.

Faust

Ms. Duca, when does when can the City take possession of a building? Can we take domain over it if they're behind on taxes after a certain amount of time and be uh forfeited if the uh citizen can't pay taxes or it's in disrepair? Can the City take uh domain over that property?

the assistant

Um you actually hit on two different opportunities there. Um one with the taxes, they go to sheriff sale um after so many cycles of taxes not being paid. Um so it would depend upon whether um anyone else went for that

Sharon Duca

property is whether the city would wind up with that property or not.

Alan Faust

Does the city like to foreclose on it and if it's an area that they can use to, uh, support business or, you know, housing or something like that, do...

Sharon Duca

Um, in general, I don't think, um, it's been looked at before as to whether, uh, the city would get into the business of, uh, retaining properties and maintaining them there, um, or trying to, you know, support the community to, uh, purchase them. Uh, usually, or historically, the intent has been to try to get our money back on what we put into the property or the amount of money we lost in taxes.

Sharon Duca

Um, the other category that you brought up, um, is usually related to dangerous buildings. Um, if they wind up going before Council, and the property owner doesn't deal with it, they wind up getting, um, demolished by the city, and that cost of the demolition becomes a lien on the property. Um, it depends upon the order of liens that are existing on the property as to how ours rank. Um, so sometimes, depending on how that property goes, it could wind up, um, an issue for the city as well in order to retain- regain that money. But I think a lot of it has to do with philosophy on, um, how the city wants to proceed.

Chair

Commissioner Brinkley.

Sara Brinkley

Thank you. So, um, I think initially when we discussed this in December, it was touching base on how many city-owned vacant buildings there were instead of, you know, regular civilian homeowner, the, uh, buildings there were. Do you know how many city vacant buildings that are not being used that could potentially be used for, let's just say a homeless shelter or a community center or something that the community can benefit from?

Sharon Duca

Um, based upon the last time city properties were reviewed, we did not have any vacant buildings owned by the city. Um, there, I believe there's still some remaining vacant property, um, but I would need to review that again looking at the size of the parcel and things of that nature if they would be of any benefit.

Sara Brinkley

Thank you.

Sharon Duca

You're welcome.

Chair

Do we have any other questions? Commissioner Faust?

Alan Faust

Ms. Duca has answered my questions thoroughly. Thank you, ma'am, and thank you for coming out tonight.

Sharon Duca

It's my pleasure.

Chair

Very good.

Sharon Duca

May I ask a question?

Chair

You sure can.

Sharon Duca

Um, would you like me to proceed then with looking at the, uh, vacant properties for the city to see what size they are to report back?

Chair

Yes, please.

Sharon Duca

Okay.

Chair

Greatly appreciate it.

Sharon Duca

Thank you very much.

Chair

Thank you. Commissioner Brinkley.

Sara Brinkley

Are there buildings that the city has that I guess businesses or establishments are in that the city is not making a profit from?

Sharon Duca

Are you referring to if we lease out a building to another entity of that nature? Is that your question?

Sara Brinkley

A building where there's no financial gain for the city.

Sharon Duca

Um, I can verify this when we look at city properties, but as far as I know, every property that has a building on it is used for a city function.

Sara Brinkley

Final question is, is there any possibility to retrieve or obtain a list of, and I don't know how many city properties there are, um, but kind of like a short-scale list of city properties that are being utilized in its entirety?

Sharon Duca

Um, yes, I can actually work with our GIS department and run a list. Um, I believe we have a field that's associated with which department or, um, entity of the city that utilizes

Staff Member

that property or uh how we maintain it, so I can run through that. Um, I can try to have it for your next meeting, but it may take a little bit longer than that depending on how the list is sorted. I have to check the fields.

Commissioner

Thank you. And if it's overwhelming, then you know, disregard it. But if it's something that can be pulled up and printed, I don't want to put more on you. But if it's something that's, you know, you guys can just sit there and quickly just print it out, then I would say yes. But if it's overwhelming to where it's taking too much manpower, um, then I would digress.

Staff Member

I am for sure that they're definitely in the GIS system. It can be outputted as a spreadsheet, the city city buildings or uh city properties. So I would just need to make sure that information you're interested in is also is also contained on there.

Commissioner

Thank you.

Staff Member

You're welcome.

Commissioner

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Chair

Okay. Um, I don't have any new business to bring to the table. Does anybody have any new business? First district? Second district? Fourth district? Third district? Okay. I'll entertain a motion to, um, open up our uh public forum.

Commissioner

Make a motion to open the public forum.

Commissioner

Second.

Chair

It's been properly moved and seconded that we open up our public forum. That was moved from the beginning. Anybody ready for the question? Anybody ready for the question? All those in favor?

Commissioners

Aye. Aye.

Chair

All those opposed have the same right. Motion carried. It is 6:30. We will go into our 10-minute public forum. So our our first uh guest that we do have, uh Mr. Muhammad, would you like to come up? And and then um I see we have another guest from um the Neighborhood Partners Association.

Mr. Muhammad

Uh in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, I bear witness there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger. I greet everybody in the greeting words of peace of as-salamu alaykum, which means peace be unto you.

Commissioner

Wa alaykumu s-salam, brother.

Mr. Muhammad

All right, sir. Uh appreciate Brother Sudler coming to the last coalition meeting and Mr. Faults, but I'm still baffled and confused about the purpose of the human relations. I'm listening to y'all about what's hearsay about projects and houses, and I just don't see it. This is not what gave birth to this. Reggie Handy got killed by the police. It gave birth to this, and it's like we're leaving the agenda because one thing about politics, it always have a tendency, like Magic Johnson did in the Lakers, make you look left, but I'm really going right. And nobody else came to the coalition. I don't know what Rev. Lot did, even though I know he's still going to read it. I don't—listen, this has really got to get serious round here. If it's just a come here, come to you all on the 17th or the 3rd, cuz I did call you, but you didn't call me back, but Mr. Faults called me back. This is just a third of month meeting, and then after that we go our ways, I don't know what Rev. Lot do for the community anymore, I know he was a correctional officer also. But man, y'all got to tighten up. What is going on? It's real issues out there. Like you should be teaching the public, the people, about their fundamental rights. Don't care if it's the Delaware Constitution. What are y'all doing? You sound like the City Council meetings that I continue to come to. It sound like it's all one big ball rolling in one, and I'm on these panels as a commissioner, quote-unquote, for status, quote-unquote, of who I am. Don't see none of y'all in the community

Public Commenter

Out from Roddy Village to New Street, to Governors, Queen, that's where I be at every day, every other day. What is really the purpose of the Human Relations? What are y'all doing? I really need to know! Now we do got another meeting this Thursday the 19th at Owl Nest 35, and we take everybody's intellect that can help us grow to become better, the means make our community a safe and decent place to live. It was my cousin who just got shot out there at Country Club, where her children beefing with D-side children. They innocent in her... Her husband was innocent, but he got a bag now that he got to walk around carry. She got shot in the shoulder, but she paralyzed. What is the purpose of the Human Relations? What are we really doing? Reginald Handy got killed by cops out Calvert Green, and I don't see no relationship in this. Every time I come down here, it has nothing to do with those types of situations. It really don't! It's rhetoric.

Public Commenter

Being a politician, being a side show... scratch where you don't itch, laugh when the joke ain't funny, handkerchief head, whatever Malcolm X taught us what it is. This is what I see, and I'm like, really? If you're not going to tighten up, everybody need to dismiss yourself, cause I can form a crew that can come in here and run the Human Relations. That's easy, if you follow the policies and the aim and the purpose of what the Human Relations is for. But if you're just going to come down here and make your credentials good and has continued status quo, according to the biblical, that means nothing. What man shall lose his life shall gain his life, what man shall gain his life shall lose his life. What is the purpose of the Human Relations and when are y'all going to function at that capacity? Go ahead, bro.

Commissioner

All right, to get some clarification. When, after I had the conversation with you, Travis Southern was notified. And like explained to you directly, the Human Relation Board goes anywhere we're invited. You know, we don't Most of our people work, I'm retired, my colleague to the left of me is retired. We'll come out anywhere we need to be. The bottom line, we are fact finding. We don't make policy. We don't make laws. If someone puts in a complaint, it goes through the attorney. As it comes to us, we fact find and submit our recommendations and information we gathered to the city. We're not shucking anything. I'm retired. I have no goals to do to help the com- just my goal is to help the community. I'm not gaining anything. We get no stipends, we get no prestige. The only thing I got is business cards and this shirt.

Commissioner

So we are devoted to the community. And when you said you had your meeting, Dr. Sudler and I made sure we were there. Because we didn't know about you. Once we found out you wanted us there, we came. If you have a meeting this Thursday, the same place, what time, I'll be glad to come this Thursday. But, you know, we're doing the best we can. We have limitations what we can do. We don't make policy or law. That's mayor and council. And if I was talking out of turn, not saying something correctly, please, my colleagues, the commissioners, please correct me.

Commissioner 2

He's telling you the correct thing. This commission is I understand what you're saying about Reginald Handy, and rest in peace to Reginald Handy and his family. You know, however, the commission's sole purpose is not to

Travis Holmes

to address the Reginald Hannan situation, that has moved on to the Delaware State Human Relations Commission. So if you want to continue with, um, you know, fighting for Reginald Hannan and the police doing something to Reginald Hannan, then the recommendation is to speak with the State Attorney General's office. Because to come here to the City of Dover and complain about the City of Dover, you see, you keep coming back, and it's a repeated cycle. So if you want to move forward, the recommendation regarding the Reginald Hannan situation and things being done about that, you would want to see the State Attorney General's office on that aspect. When it comes to the Dover Human Relations Commission, you're not going to see us all together in the community at one time, because that's creating a quorum, and we're not allowed to do that. We would have to put some type of, that's just City policy. So if you, if you want to look to replace us, you have that right. It's nothing wrong with that. I invite that. That's good to get more people involved. Healthy competition is good. Next, um, another thing, we don't get paid, and I am in the community. Just last Wednesday, I fed more than 30 of, uh, underrepresented and folks who needed that. And I do that at Mount Zion with my own money. So, uh, I did make those explanations at the meeting that we came to. I won't be able to make the next one, but I will be at some others. I have some things that I'm already obligated to for on that next, uh, 19th that you were talking about. However, I do plan to come and make some more. I spoke with, uh, Brother Stratton, um, and I'm real familiar with him, and I'm sure that we'll have some more dialogue. Thank you for coming out tonight.

Commissioner

Travis?

Travis Holmes

Yes, sir.

Commissioner

Say something?

Travis Holmes

Yeah.

Commissioner

My understanding is that the Dover Human Relations Commission's job is to identify or, if, when identified, to prevent discrimination. And a person that feels that they've been discriminated against, or have an issue, they fill out a form from, by the, to the City, and then they're, that's referred to the Dover Human Relations Commission for hearing and to try to come up with a resolution. I've been on the Commission for years, and I'm still waiting for a discrimination piece to be filed for us. The way I see it, and I know discrimination takes place, but we haven't had anyone that was able to file a complaint and get it to our Commission for us to work on.

Travis Holmes

And let me, let me, um, say something to that. This can help you and help us. The process, the intake form you can find here, uh, on paper, but you can also find that intake form online. If you download it offline, fill it out, and you send it in, it goes to the City Clerk's office first. It's the, it goes through the City Clerk's review. I don't know who, who reviews those intake forms, but then there is a decision on if that intake form should go to the Dover Human Relations or not. We don't even get to see the initial hand-in. And and and I have a problem with that myself. So that's why I said this is where you might be able to help us, because I think we, even if they say that, you know, this is not a case for you, which they have the right to do, that's that's the procedure, that's the bylaw--

Travis Holmes

that's that's their rules. If they say this is not a case for you, I still feel that we have the right to see what they want us to look at. Whether we're able to rule on it, uh make a decision on it, recommendations or not, we still need to see what the people want us to know.

Travis Holmes

And we don't, and and now we don't get that chance. And I and I don't have no problem saying it. If it's the intake form came in last week, I don't know nothing about it. So if it's some things you want to see done, I'm going to ask you to start with the intake form so we can see where some where we having some problems with this process.

Travis Holmes

Because the truth of the matter is they have now we are only able to review policies and procedures for fairness within the city.

Travis Holmes

If you have a business and you have to work with the city, right, whether you have to pay for business uh license, your taxes, um permits, any of those things, and you feel they're treating you wrong,

Travis Holmes

it's intake form time. It needs to come to us, and we need to address the city, the policies, the procedures with City Council. They're the ones who want to have the ultimate decision, City Council, Mayor, and and all of them.

Travis Holmes

We don't have no decision, but it's us who bring it to the to make sure we bring it to light. And we can't bring it to light if we don't see it. You see what I mean? So that's what I'm asking for.

Commissioner

Travis, the the other piece—

Travis Holmes

Yes.

Commissioner

is as people file intake forms highlighting what their concerns are, where they feel discriminated against, blah blah blah, it goes back to the city. The city attorney also reviews it, and the city attorney has the option of stopping it or sending it forward to the Dover Human Relations Commission for resolution.

Travis Holmes

And and I and and I'm not looking to change that. What I want look to change is we need to still know. We still need to know because they have that right. We we don't get paid. This is not our job. And then you have the city has their attorney, and he knows more legality than anybody here.

Travis Holmes

But still, if our form is being filled out, we need to know what's on that form.

Unknown Speaker

Yes, sir. We need to know the community concerns.

Gene

What time is your meeting on Thursday? Is it the same location?

Travis Holmes

Same location, 6:00.

Gene

6:00. Would you like me to come again, sir?

Travis Holmes

Of course.

Gene

I'll be there this Thursday at 6:00.

Travis Holmes

I enjoyed the last one. We missed you.

Gene

I got delayed in Las Vegas. My truck broke down. Had to fly back. Oh my gracious.

Travis Holmes

I'm glad you made it back safely.

Gene

Thank you.

Travis Holmes

Yeah.

Public Commenter

I'm sorry. Um I did want uh because I remember uh before February uh the question were asked as to uh what I'm doing in the community. I just prefer um I'm very busy. Um you know, we put the complaint form in place when we bring up Richard Herron. I was the original person that was involved in that whole case from beginning all the way through with family and etc. concerning that. Now, um I'm assisting with home with homeless and hope. Uh I have we have a system in place where we help people whether they uh reentering into the community, uh we assist homeless people, primarily work with men, occasionally women.

Speaker

That's every single day. We are feeding people. We provide food for people every single day. And not only that, are we housing people? But we are dealing with black-on-black crime every single day.

Speaker

Now, I'm I'm, uh, very visible and active. I'm not I don't put a lot of emphasis on being in the public eye with the news media, with social media, or any of that.

Speaker

Well, I do know that, uh, there's a a error that if if we're all going to really work with resolving some issues that are here in the city, we have to deal with people not committing crime.

Speaker

Now, uh, we have to deal with people respecting other people's property. We have to deal with those kinds of things and and not, uh, react. If no one's committing crime, there's no need for the police to be on the scene.

Speaker

And and on on New Street, we have this where we work, I deal with property owners. Most people on New Street, they're Black, and they own their property. They're taxpayers, but then they don't get the respect. And who do they not get the respect from? We don't have a problem with the police. Who are we actually having problems with?

Speaker

Now, we have a lot of coalitions, we have a lot of things and organizations. And you ask me, where am I? I ask you, where are you? The same people that sell drugs sell them every day. They have their system in place as to how they go about doing it, and they respect one another.

Speaker

Now, uh, so there are some things that we, yes, that we can do, there are things in place that, uh, as it'd be made known that can enhance what we're doing. But they're but they're the reason we exist is because we are active in the community.

Speaker

Now, if you want to know what some things that are going on, then again, I I do meetings, but I'm I'm not I'm just not in ready. I want to be engaging in public meeting, because there are some, uh, dirty laundry that we need to we need to address without the public being in presence.

Speaker

Now we're not addressing the addressing those things. Now you you know, uh uh, you you you say where where where am I, and where am I busy? Wherever there are hungry hungry people, we get food from the USDA that we feed constantly. People come in and out. We assist people in whatever way we can, with getting in from...

Speaker

...we even assist people with getting their LLC, starting their own business, with things that they that they are capable of doing. So we're busy doing something. I don't I'm not, then again, I'm not interested in being out in forefront.

Speaker

I'm not interested in, uh, conducting meetings, meeting with the mayor, with the public involved. I'll meet with the mayor, but I'm but I'm not, uh, interested in meeting with all the public, uh, notifications.

Speaker

See, because there are a lot of things that we can do that the coalition and that others are not involved in. Yeah, yeah, you you you react, but the proactive aspect of it, I have to ask you, where are you? See...

Speaker

When when, uh, young kids can't get to a place where they can enter school to further their education because their the parents don't have $200 to get them a ticket, what then? Where are you? We are engaging in those things in helping parents to to extend the education of their children, see. Now, so so, uh, I'm I'm aware of all I've gone to so many meetings, you know, I'm aware of all of those of of all the meetings, uh, that are that are taking place. And so, uh, I'm easy to find. I have an office on New Street, and I'm there. I'm not there as much as I used to because there are other individuals that are that are assisting me. Well, uh, when you ask the question of of us being in existence because of, yeah, we are here because of that Reggie Hall. We've met once and once. There are complaint forms. We got that from following the example of something that they were doing in Arizona, and we brought it here, and revised it. And it's available. So if if the complaint form If you know of some situation, then uh give them that complaint form. You give them the complaint form, there's protocol and procedure with it. And if that's not being utilized for the purpose of which it was put in place, then we have have something that we can address. But I I want I want you to know that there are individuals that are busy and that are actually doing things in the community. If it wasn't, look at what for certain things would be much, much, much worse. And that you know, uh, do what we want to do is, we want to, uh, deal with individuals that is in our community that have that feel the liberty to break going to someone's house and to shoot someone up. You know, we want to deal with it. It existed prior to it happening. So we don't want to be the individuals that find out about it after it happened. We want to know about it before it happened. And I'm I'm face-to-face with you saying that it can be done, because it is being done. It can be done on a larger scale with the coalition, and with everyone that, uh, that saying that we want to make improvement, we want the community to be safer. Who do we want to be safer, and and from who? If you want to hook Now I got to have back surgery, but I tell you what, if you want to hook up with me for a day, and you want to walk in the shoes that I'm walking in for a day, I want you to do that. And at the end of the day, then we can talk.

Speaker

We have a hand from our NeighborGood Partners.

Reginald Daniel

Uh, good evening, everyone. Uh, to those who may not know me, my name is Reginald Daniel. I am one of the, um, community engagement specialists at NeighborGood Partners Restoring Central Dover program. Uh, in listening to the previous conversation, um, what I think might be beneficial is, as the gentleman before me was talking about, is really focusing in on bringing the community into the Human Relations, uh, Commission. And not just that, um, especially us partnering

Public Commenter

is giving the opportunity to teach the civic process, because it is a very confusing thing to understand. And the way I think about, the way I try to describe it to the people I work with, is that a lot of what we see, what we're taught as young children is the process of city council, mayor, governor, president is actually a spiderweb of interlocking points, and that if you don't fully understand the process, or at least where how one point links to another, then you get these points and periods of frustration of not understanding how we're making that meaning and effectuating change.

Public Commenter

And listening to what you were saying about how this program or this commission was to address a very specific problem, and yet the intake form that you've brought in, you are not at liberty to see or even be informed about, is to me a critical failure, not on your part, but a critical failure of policy.

Public Commenter

So maybe then one thing that would work is to bring the gentleman and the commission, or and the coalition, into these meetings, and let's have a conversation of what can we do to advocate to the City Council or the City of Dover that the Human Relations Commission needs to have access to these intake forms. How do we streamline the intake forms to be, have greater ease of access? How do we make them more reliable, not reliable, how do we make them more accessible to the residents of our community who may not be as tech-savvy, who may not have reliable access to smart devices? How do we continue to bring them in and walk them through the process?

Public Commenter

The way I look at this to try and help visualize it with the people I work with is where a lot of people we work with have technical skills. They either work trades, or they have lived some variety of manual trade all their lives. Where I've grown and been educated in the administrative point, what we're seeing here is a disconnect in skill set, where we're trying to bring our, where we should be bringing our community to understand the skill set that they need to be successful, to be advocates in such a way that while we still have that energy and that fire, we understand the quiet part. The famous adage I've always heard is that there's a lot of people who want to die for a revolution, but not a lot of people who want to do the dishes. That, what can we do to make sure people even know where the kitchen is? How do we get started on cooking before we look at the finished product?

Public Commenter

So, to you, Bishop Mott, we thank you for all that you do, and I've worked with you from time to time and seen you out on New Street. And where can we advocate for where we have an issue with the homeowners who are having their properties damaged? What can we do to partner with our community and our community leaders to ensure that those properties are maintained? But then how do we also address the social determinants of health, that a lot, not a lot of people have access to reliable and affordable housing?

Public Commenter

Last week at the Council Committee of the Whole, there was a entire presentation on the development of tiny homes and the discussion of reforming how our zoning laws work so that we can put more than one property on an acre, or even less than an acre, which would help get...

Mr. Daniel

the homeless off the street and into places that they can call their own, that they can take pride in, that they can build up. That when we have people who first and foremost have a place of stability and peace, then we can begin the recovery process. So, then, I ask to those of you who are in attendance in the Commission, and to those in the audience with me, let's find a way to work together on this. But especially, let's find a way to first and foremost make sure that the Human Relations Commission has access to the intake form and that we advocate to City Council that we need to have that access, we need to have that awareness, and we need to streamline the process so that each and every one of us can reliably and safely engage with our community.

Chair

Thank you, Mr. Daniel.

Commissioner 1

Mr. Chairman, I'm just thinking, uh do you think it would be uh appropriate for us to start making sure that the uh intake forms placed in some locations where people might feel more comfortable with going and getting the proper assistance to fill it out?

Chair

I think that would be a good idea, since it's already a a form that's placed in the public. It's on the World Wide Web. I think that uh we can be able to print that form out and put it in public places as well.

Commissioner 1

So all the individuals that are are players, uh even with the Neighborhood Good—

Chair

They can have some intake forms. I think that would be fair.

Commissioner 1

And the, uh damn Coalition.

Chair

They have some. I gave two of them this evening.

Commissioner 1

Yeah, and then it can be known that we have no problem with the forms, but at the same time we're making known that uh we have placed the form where uh individual that had a problem, they have easy access to it. And they'll also have the help there to uh fill the form out.

Chair

I think uh places like the uh post office would be good. Just like they have a public bulletin and they have public announcements, and the public post office is a place for public announcements, so...

Commissioner 2

How about entering the city, like city of Dover station, place one of the bins up there, uh City Hall where they come for the information desk, when they pay their taxes, see if we can leave uh... You got a little file there. People can see, you know, the little thing saying Human Relations Commission forms, etc.

Chair

Right, and we can go a little bit deeper than that. We can place it in places like churches.

Commissioner 2

That's a good idea. Synagogues.

Wanda Fleming

I wanted to clarify the intake form is completed by an individual who may be feeling that he's discriminated against or some other reason. And when it goes when it's turned back in to the city, it's reviewed not to keep it from the Human Relations Commission, but to take the complaint and see if another agency within the city, another department, could handle the situation more quickly or better. So, it's not something that they're doing to keep stuff from getting to us. It's just reviewed by the city and put in the appropriate place.

Chair

Commissioner Fleming, we all agree right with you. Um I think we're talking about—

Roy Sudler, Jr.

about beyond that point when they make the decision uh whether it should be for another city agency to take care of, um the Dover Human Relations Commission should be notified that they had an intake form asking about this concern and it was uh uh appropriated to a different agency. That type of notification.

Commissioner

Right. That would help us.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Yes, that would help us um definitely with uh being able to see uh where we fare in the community, what people um think we might be able to do. Uh we also would get an idea of the concerns in the community and what people are thinking about. It's um not to uh say that the city is doing us wrong, we're not here for that. We're here to say that we should also have notification if the form, if somebody wants to contact the Dover Human Relations Commission, we need to know. If it's been if it's been directed um to uh appropriate um committees and and and persons outside the Dover Human Relations Commission, we need to know. Anything that comes on that form, we need to know. We don't need to have to have the ability to make the approvals or make the decisions on anything, but the notification knowing that somebody is trying to communicate with us regarding this concern in the public, we need to know, absolutely.

Commissioner

I think one of the uh problems is being intimidated uh with the intake form. Not everybody's not really uh able to articulate or get the right words. That's why I'm thinking that if it's in a location where they can get proper assistance with it, that perhaps uh they will be more apt to utilize it.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Mhm, like the Neighbor Good Partners.

Commissioner

Yes, right.

Daniel

Uh yes, sir, like Neighbor Good Partners, cuz we have an office that's right on the intersection of Division and New Street. Uh part of our mission is teaching civic education. Uh the forms, the programs like that, is something that I know how to do. I would be more than willing to teach people the process.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Sounds good. Tomorrow will I see you?

Daniel

Uh, I believe so, at the Thriving Pathways.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

What time?

Daniel

It's uh 8:30 to 4:00, and I'll be tabling around 1:55 p.m.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Where do we have it at the building?

Daniel

Um, I believe at the main building. I'm not quite sure. I think most of the staff will be at the Thriving Pathways in valleys.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Okay, sounds good. Thank you, Mr. Daniel.

Daniel

You're welcome.

Female Speaker

Commissioner Sudler, if I may, I just want to put it out there that perhaps we could utilize the library to have a seminar ourselves, not creating a quorum, to where we are inviting the public out to learn about the process and how to complete the form in the library on a specific evening.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

You have a date and time for that?

Female Speaker

I can look at my calendar. It is busy, it's very busy, I'll be honest with you, but I would be interested in assisting with that or

Roy Sudler, Jr.

I have a couple of um gentlemen from a couple agencies that uh were putting together the the Saturday Academy program that will bring those particular uh uh, you know, services and things like that. It can be it can still be implemented the same.

Female Speaker

I think that would be a great idea.

Roy Sudler, Jr.

Okay, it's 7:05, um

Chair

Commissioner Washington, do you have anything to bring to the table?

Commissioner Washington

Nothing additional, thank you.

Chair

Commissioner White.

Faye White

I just want to piggyback on the forms. And filling out the forms, how do we know successfully how many has been successfully taken care of?

Chair

We don't know.

Faye White

No, but we should we should. For some reason, if the Clerk uh going to make a decision on when the uh individuals come in with the complaint form and we we don't know whether or not it was really acted on that individual that came with the complaint, that's what I'm saying.

Faye White

So, what success do we know that has been actually taken care of over the over the years? We never heard that.

Faye White

So just going for City Clerk to look at the uh form to address the issue that someone has a complaint, how do we know that it was taken care of?

Chair

We don't.

Faye White

Then we should find out because it doesn't make sense to continue to have someone to fill out a form, go to the City Clerk, come to the Dover Human Relations, and the individuals are still not being uh heard. That's That's the way that I feel. And I've been sitting here for a long, long time, and I have not seen or heard any success of someone being actually taken care of. And I think it's about time that it needs to be addressed and acted on, and taken care of as soon as possible.

Faye White

Because you can't continue to fill out a form when there's a lot of people that don't even know how to fill the form out. And going to City Clerk, if they don't feel that it should be addressed, then that individual that came forward hasn't received an answer.

Chair

Um, we are going to look at the process. I don't I don't think it's just solely goes straight to the uh Clerk's Office, but uh they also have to allow others to review it in the city. So we'll we'll look at some things.

Commissioner Washington

If I may just- If I may, this is one of the reasons why I feel like the bylaws need to be updated, because maybe this is something that we can place in the bylaws and have it implemented. So, the sooner the better that we update these bylaws or try to amend them, I think it'll be more beneficial.

Chair

Thank you, Commissioner White. Commissioner Whitt, do you have anything to bring to the table?

Commissioner Whitt

No.

Chair

Good to see you this evening, Commissioner Whitt.

Commissioner Whitt

Good to hear from you this evening, Commissioner...

Chair

Thank you. Commissioner Fleming, glad to have you here.

Michael Fleming

Glad to hear from you as well.

Chair

Commissioner Fleming.

Michael Fleming

I was wondering, based on the discussion, perhaps we could invite this one of the city clerks or the person that receives the intake form to come share with us what the procedure is. In other words, how do they determine whether another branch, another section uh is better equipped to handle the problem, or how does it get to us?

Chair

I believe it gets referred to the the attorney, the City's attorney, and he looks to to see which, uh, under example, if someone says there's a filing on police brutality, that'll go to the Chief of Police for investigation. If there's someone for zoning,

Faust

should have go to the zoning board. So, uh, we get after he clears it, we've seen, uh, you know, forms that were filled out that were saying this has been turned over to this department to be addressed because it wasn't, did not fall under our purview. So, my understanding, it comes to the City Clerk's office, she prints it out, sends it to the attorney, the attorney sees if it fits our criteria and it comes to us, or it gets forwarded to the correct, uh, department to address.

Brinkley

Commissioner Faust, I just want to say that you are correct, because I do remember when, uh, Councilwoman Hall gave a report for the Human, uh, her report addressed two reports that she received. One of them was for the Human Relations Commission, the other one was something that was involving the police department and was not within our purview. So I do- which was not within their purview, back calendar year, um, so I do agree with you.

Chair

Commissioner Faust?

Faust

I have nothing else to add, but if, uh, Commissioner, uh, Brinkley, uh, if you need help for the, uh, intake form, you know, for the library, reach out to me and I'll assist any way possible if I can.

Chair

Okay. I don't- I do not have anything, um, really to bring to the table. Thank you for coming out this evening. Glad to hear from everybody. Um, if we don't have any questions, um, I'd like to return back to you a negative 12 minutes, and, uh, you should be good. I'll take a motion to adjourn.

Faust

Make a motion to adjourn.

Brinkley

Second.

Chair

It's been properly moved and seconded that we adjourn for the evening. All those in favor?

Brinkley

Aye.

Faust

Aye.

Chair

All those opposed, have the same right. Motion carried, meeting is adjourned.