Allentown  
435 Hamilton Street  
Allentown, Pa. 18101  
Minutes  
Thursday, November 10, 2022  
6:00 PM  
5th floor conference room  
Human Relations Commission  
Call to Order: 6:07pm-7:08pm  
Pledge of Allegiance  
Moment of Silence  
Roll Call  
Present: LaTarsha Brown, Queenette Echefu, Jean Raymond-Hoffman, Ciera Villalobos, and Shane´ J.  
Gill  
Excused Absence: Janet Morillo, William Seng, Louis Holzman  
Unexcused Absence: N/A  
Remarks from the Chair/Commissioners: Introduced new student representatives to the commission.  
Courtesy of the Floor: None  
Approval of Minutes  
Motions: Jean Raymond-Hoffman  
Second: Queenette Echefu  
Information Updates  
Banquet Committee: The banquet committee has been dissolved.  
Investigation Committee (Ciara Villalobos and Shane´ J. Gill): Completing draft for previous case  
assigned and edits to be completed tentatively by the next meeting on December 8th, 2022. Two  
questionnaires were received for complaints of discrimination. Information was not sufficient to  
determine whether the investigator could proceed. Reviews were completed and parties will be notified  
of the rationale for the decision by the HRC Investigator.  
Outreach Committee (Louis Holzman, William Seng, and Jean Raymond-Hoffman): Safety Day.  
HRC Investigator: Completing draft for previous case assigned and edits to be completed tentatively by  
the next meeting on December 8th, 2022. Two questionnaires were received for complaints of  
discrimination. Information was not sufficient to determine whether the investigator could proceed.  
Reviews were completed and parties will be notified of the rationale for the decision by the HRC  
Investigator.  
HRC Officer: No updates identified at this time.  
Old Business:  
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Rotation for City Hall Meetings (1st and 3rd Wednesday of the Month) at 6:00pm  
New Business:  
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Partnership w/Allentown School District: We will collaborate with the new Chief of Diversity, Equity,  
and Advancement to explore opportunities in which HRC can advance the district's effort to promote  
DEI in academic, teaching, and training. Our primary focus is discrimination. We would be volunteering  
our time, knowledge, and skills in whatever areas may be requested. This would also include  
commissioners attending interviews for student reps annually, marketing HRC, and assessing  
opportunities to include historically marginalized students in volunteer positions in HRC OR at our  
events as they become available. If you are already employed by the district, this may be a conflict of  
interest and I will explore that further within the next week.  
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Volunteers  
LaTarsha Brown  
Janet Morillo  
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Partnership w/C.A.W.S.-We are creating a volunteer opportunity for youth that are part of the  
Community Alternative Work Services program with the Department of Juvenile Justice.  
Commissioners will serve as mentors to these youth. Youth will be able to participate on committees  
and at events to accumulate hours. These youth will also be able to create events based on their  
interests and problems they identify in the community to learn leadership skills and civic engagement.  
This is a vulnerable population. You will need to passionate about reducing recidivism, social justice  
and advocacy, discriminatory practices in sentencing, and experiences of marginalized youth involved  
with the courts. If you are not committed to these causes, please do not sign up as these youth will be  
depending on us to be their allies. I will be meeting with their director tomorrow, 10/19/22.  
o
Volunteers  
Felicia Strong  
William Seng  
Illianys (Student Rep)  
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Partnership w/Homeless Commission: We are collaborating with the homeless commission to do  
the following: (1) a qualitative research study on experiences of discrimination in housing from the  
perspective of residents/applicants, realtors/property managers, and attorneys in the City of Allentown,  
(2) using these findings to compare to data that the homeless commission has on chronic  
homelessness in the community, (3) advocacy in the community including scheduling dates for 1-2  
hours to visit different sections of the city to interview/record persons suffering from these experiences,  
and (4) creating a proposal and budget to oversee or acquire property under a joint initiative to solve the  
housing crisis. We have explored asking for funding for a hotline to be shared between both  
commissions. There are two pending meeting dates. I will be asking the director about her comfort level  
including commissioners in the next two planning meetings. Nonetheless, if interested, respond.  
o
Updates: Scheduling open forum for landlords, tenants, and legal counsel or advocates involved in  
cases of discrimination  
Anticipated start date is January 2023  
o
Volunteers:  
Queenette Echefu  
Shane´ Gill  
Illianys (Student Rep)  
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Community Partnerships: A team of 2-3 commissioners is needed to begin contacting potential  
partners in our community. Ideally, these persons will also serve on the outreach committee.  
Organizations whose mission and vision aligns with HRC have been identified in the strategic plan. A  
script would be developed to stimulate dialogue. This would include a potential luncheon in council  
chambers as an introduction.  
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Grants Application Process  
Will hold on identifying commissioners  
Will explore potential conflicts of interests and establish expectations and clauses on conflict of  
interest.  
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Partnership w/Delaware Nation (Indian Tribe native to Lehigh Valley): Pending. Meeting on 10/20/22.  
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Shane´ J. Gill  
Jean Raymond-Hoffman  
*Revising ordinances/bylaws: We are considering expanding our ordinances to address salient  
problems in Allentown. These ordinances were written in 1993. This will require at least 2-3 meetings  
for no more than 2 hours each (however, you will need to have read through the ordinances/bylaws to  
be reviewed prior to each meeting). The goal is to present these recommendations during the first  
council meeting in January 2023. 2-3 additional commissioners are needed.  
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Queenette Echefu  
Shane´ J. Gill  
Student Liaison and School Board Representative Role  
Janet Morillo will serve as the Student Liaison  
LaTarsha Brown will serve as the School Board Representative  
Clarification has been provided on the duties and responsibilities of the representative re-elected to  
represent the school board.  
Deferred HRC Applications  
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Motion to Adjourn: Jean Raymond-Hoffman  
Second: Queenette Echefu