Human Relations Committee Regular Meeting - May 7, 2026
Human Relations Committee Regular Meeting - May 7, 2026
The Human Relations Committee (HRC) of Mountain View held a regular meeting on May 7, 2026, from 6:34 PM to 7:39 PM. The meeting included approval of previous minutes, updates from ad hoc committees, and a brainstorming session for the Fiscal Year 2026-27 work plan.
Consent Calendar
- The committee approved the minutes from the March 5, 2026 regular meeting by a voice vote (all in favor, none opposed).
Unfinished Business
- Know Your Rights Ad Hoc Committee: Joan (committee member) reported on progress, noting excitement that first-time attendees felt their voices could be heard. The committee is working with the Youth Advisory Committee and other partners to develop training on senior rights, labor rights, and speech/public action rights. They are considering workshops or discussions. A senior resource fair was noted as an opportunity for outreach. Staff member James clarified that the timeline depends on identifying partners to provide legal training.
- Civic Participation Ad Hoc Committee: A committee member gave a brief update. The committee has collected data via a Google form and verbal notes from a previous member, and will organize a working meeting to quantify and analyze the data for future committee guidance.
New Business: Fiscal Year 2026-27 Work Plan Development
- Staff member James presented on the annual work plan process required by City Council Policy 823. The committee reviewed ongoing and carry-forward projects (multicultural festival completed, CDBG/HOME recommendations made, civic participation project ~75% complete, know your rights workshops ~30% complete, LGBTQ+ outreach starting, and climate change outreach removed due to council direction). Staff recommended carrying forward ongoing items and limiting new projects to two, with one starting in the fall and another upon completion of existing projects.
- Committee members brainstormed potential new projects:
- Community stability/affordability (Committee member McDonald): exploring how housing instability affects sense of belonging and civic engagement.
- Whole health survey (Committee member Webb): a long-term survey to gather community feedback on city and HRC performance, including demographics like length of residence.
- Lived experience survey (inspired by Palo Alto HRC): understanding resident experiences.
- Outreach toolkit and tabling (multiple members): develop a kit with tablecloth, elevator pitch, and QR code surveys to increase HRC visibility at community events.
- Women’s contributions celebration (Committee member Smith): an event or display honoring women in Mountain View.
- School engagement (Committee member McDonald): low-effort participation in school events for outreach.
- New parents welcome (Committee member Webb): resource baskets and information for new parents, similar to a Sunnyvale program.
- Child care access study (Vice Chair Lester): examining how lack of child care affects low-income families’ ability to participate in civic life.
- Civil discourse workshop (Committee member Quickbone): a workshop to help community members have constructive conversations across disagreements.
- Committee members also discussed integrating these ideas, e.g., using surveys at tabling events. Staff will analyze proposed projects based on alignment with HRC’s purpose, capacity requirements, and return with a recommendation at the June 4, 2026 meeting.
Committee Comments
- Committee members thanked each other and staff for the successful multicultural festival held the previous weekend, noting good turnout despite weather. Proclamations from the county and House of Representatives were received. The event may be moved earlier in the year to avoid rain.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved for March 5, 2026 meeting.
- Work plan brainstorming concluded: Staff will evaluate ideas and present a recommended work plan at the next regular meeting on June 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM.
- Next meeting: June 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM in City Hall and via Zoom.
Meeting Transcript
All right, at uh 6 34, I'm gonna call into order the uh this meeting of the human relations committee on May 7th, 2026. Um, welcome everybody. Um, and I don't get any. We need to start. I'm ready. All right, um, there are uh for any attendees, there are copies of the agenda available if needed. Um, and I will now ask the principal management panelists to take attendance by roll call. Thank you, Chair. Committee member McDonald. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. I said here, but I guess we'll see. Thank you. Committee member quickbone here. Committee member Smith here, committee member Webb, yeah. Vice Chair Lester here and Chair. Okay, moving on to item three, minutes approval. The minutes for the March 5th, 2026 regular meeting have been delivered to committee members and posted on the city hall board. Would any member of the public like to comment on the minutes? Seeing none. Um, if there are no corrections or additions, a motion is in order to approve these minutes. So moved to second. All right. Um a show of hands or all those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? We will now move on to item four, oral communications from the public. This portion of the meeting was reserved for persons wishing to address the committee on any matter that's not on the agenda. Each speaker has up to three minutes to make their comments. State law prohibits the committee from acting on non-agenda items. For those attending the meeting via Zoom, please use the raise your hand function or star nine on your phone to make a comment. The committee will receive in-person comments first. Seeing none, um, do we have any uh comments coming to it via Zoom? No, all right. Moving on to item five, unfinished business. First, um, we will hear from the know your rights ad hoc committee. Um, who will now present an oral update? Um, I don't think we or I suppose we can do that. Is it particularly um non-city sponsored? Know your rights for a random presence. And um I have to tell you that it was very exciting to see people of all ages. Coming for the very first time to any city meeting, and coming away with the notion that their voices could be heard. Thank you, Joan. I think um let's first we want to hear from the committee members. We'll do a quick update and then if there are any comments. Yeah, yeah, I can do that one. Um, so we've met uh I want to say it was last week. Uh pretty much we're still in communications with the youth advisory committee um and other uh partners with respect to the know your rights training, um, whether it be senior rights, labor rights, and then uh as the youth advisory committee had mentioned probably uh speech rights or yes uh public action. So uh more news for those initiatives to come in the future. Um, are there any committee member questions or comments?
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