City of Sunnyvale
Meeting Minutes - Draft
Human Relations Commission
7:00 PM Online and Bay Conference Room (Room
145), City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave.,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Thursday, September 12, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Syquia called the meeting to order at 7:13 p.m. in the Bay Conference Room.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Chair Syquia led the salute to the United States flag.
ROLL CALL
Chair Nenuca Syquia
Vice Chair Venkata Siva Ramisetty
Commissioner Esther Rosenfeld
Present: 3 -
Commissioner Claudia Camacho
Commissioner Maria Paulina Zapata
Absent: 2 -
Commissioner Camacho’s absence is excused.
Commissioner Zapata’s absence is excused.
Council Liaison Srinivasan (present)
STUDY SESSION
1 24-0971 Continuation of Event: The Immigrant Experience through Storytelling Circles
Equity, Access, and Inclusion Manager, Fernanda Perdomo-Arciniegas, gave a staff report on final logistics for The Immigrant Experience Through Storytelling Circles event. Fernanda discussed the different channels staff used to promote the event and the event agenda. She discussed the online workshop she will be hosting on September 19 for those who need guidance and feedback on their story.
Chair Syquia opened for public comment.
No speakers.
Chair Syquia closed public comment.
Attachment 3
September 12, 2024Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Chair Syquia announced that recruitment is underway for the City’s Charter Review Committee. She provided some details on the Committee and the application and interview processes.
Chair Syquia opened for public comment.
No speakers.
Chair Syquia closed public comment.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Chair Syquia opened for public comment.
No speakers.
Chair Syquia closed public comment.
MOTION: Vice Chair Ramisetty moved and Commissioner Rosenfeld seconded the motion to approve the Consent Calendar.
The motion carried with the following vote:
Yes: Chair Syquia
Vice Chair Ramisetty
Commissioner Rosenfeld
3 -
No: 0
Absent: Commissioner Camacho
Commissioner Zapata
2 -
2.A 24-0967
Approve the Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes of July 11, 2024
Approve the Human Relations Commission Minutes of July 11, 2024 as submitted.
2.B 24-0968 Approve the Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes of August 8, 2024
Approve the Human Relations Commission Minutes of August 8, 2024 as submitted.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
3 24-0076 Evaluate and Consider Adoption of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) Pilot Program (Study Issue)
Affordable Housing Manager, Ernie Defrenchi, provided the staff report and slide
Attachment 3
September 12, 2024Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft presentation on Universal Basic Income (UBI) and General Basic Income (GBI) outlining the context for the pilot study, current programs, outreach efforts, fundamental questions of the program, funding, execution, and next steps for the study issue.
Commissioner Rosenfeld questioned how long the program has been tracked and how City staff measures the success rate. Ernie answered by discussing the City of Stockton’s and University of Tennessee’s success rate of the program and some of the challenges it faced during the pilot.
Chair Syquia questioned if there are any benefits of doing the Universal Income Pilot Program at the county level. Ernie answered that because the County has more funding, a benefit would be that the City of Sunnyvale could work with more agencies. Ernie clarified that the City would want the program to be specific to Sunnyvale residents, which is why the program is not being requested at the county-level.
Ernie confirmed with the Human Relations Commission that the agenda item will be presented to the Housing and Human Services Commission on Tuesday September 17 and they will make a formal recommendation to Council, and Council will be hearing it at the end of October.
Chair Syquia asked what the role of a co-funder and Ernie confirmed that co-funders can propose where they would like the funds to go for a specific program.
Chair Syquia opened the public hearing.
Marie Bernard, Executive Director of Sunnyvale Community Services, spoke in support of the proposed program and highlighted the benefits it will provide to the City and residents of Sunnyvale.
Chair Syquia closed the public hearing.
4 24-0972
Overview of the United Against Hate Week Event
Equity, Access, and Inclusion (EAI) Manager, Fernanda Perdomo-Arciniegas, shared additional information about the events scheduled for United Against Hate Week, including the Allyship two-day Training by Service Never Sleeps CEO and
Attachment 3
September 12, 2024Human Relations Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft Founder Whitney Parnell on September 25 & 26 and the Immigrant Experience by Storytelling Circles on Sunday, September 29. EAI Manager encouraged the commissioners to promote both events and to send her the names of the catalysts and potential storytellers for Sunday’s Immigrant Circles.
EAI Manager Fernanda confirmed with Commissioner Rosenfeld the event time and location for the event.
Chair Syquia opened the Public Hearing.
There were no public comments.
Chair Syquia closed the Public Hearing.
STANDING ITEMS: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES none.
NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS
-Commissioner Comments
Chair Syquia mentioned a Silicon Valley Business Journal event on diverse business owners and founders where Chair Syquia will be a speaker on one of the panels.
-Staff Comments
EAI Manager Fernanda asked Chair Syquia if the Silicon Valley Business Journal event is open to the public and the time and location of the event.
Fernanda announced that staff is in the process of finding a vendor for the community needs assessment and discussed the next steps.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Syquia adjourned the meeting at 8:28 p.m.
Attachment 3