Ann Land and Bertha Henschel Memorial Funds Commission Meeting – January 31, 2024
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Ann Land and Bertha Henschel Memorial Funds Commission Meeting – January 31, 2024
The Ann Land and Bertha Henschel Memorial Funds Commission held a regular meeting on January 31, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Complex, 915 I Street, Sacramento. The meeting was called to order by President Talbott Smith at 5:31 PM. Commissioners present: Beckman, Ellis, Hinojosa, Ruhl (arrived at 5:35 PM), Yanez, Zamanudin, and President Smith. Absent: Chan and Korbs. The commission approved the November 15, 2023 minutes, discussed and provided direction on grant award procedures, assigned 2024 site visits to commissioners, received semiannual reports, and elected officers for calendar year 2024. One public comment was received on a matter not on the agenda.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (File ID: 2024-00156): The commission passed a motion (6-0, with Commissioners Chan, Korbs, and Ruhl absent) to approve the meeting minutes from November 15, 2023.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Christian Rodriguez (CEO, 501c3 nonprofit for disabled individuals): Spoke during Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda. He described his organization providing adaptive equipment and Paralympic sport programs for physically challenged individuals in Sacramento County. He noted current lack of gym availability in Sacramento and requested networking and assistance from the commission to find city park and rec facilities for their programs.
Discussion Items
- Item 2 – Procedures for Awarding Grants (File ID: 2024-00431): Commissioners reviewed and commented on the grant award process used in November 2023. Discussion included whether to require all applicants to give oral presentations (as done previously) or only when commissioners had questions. Several commissioners supported the streamlined approach (only questioning applicants when needed), noting it saved time and was similar to other grant processes. Concerns were raised about potential disparaging comments toward one applicant. Staff clarified that city staff pre-screen only for completeness, not for eligibility criteria (e.g., pet food requests still come to commission). Commissioners also discussed revisions to the semiannual reporting form to clarify that “use of funds” covers only the current six-month reporting period, to avoid confusion with full-year reporting. Direction was given to staff to modify the form (e.g., add clarifying text) and to present updated procedures for approval at a future meeting. No formal action was taken.
- Item 3 – Assignment of 2024 Site Visits (File ID: 2024-00425): The commission reviewed a list of 25 grant recipients for 2024. Commissioners self-selected three site visits each, with Commissioner Korbs assigned the remaining four (absent). The motion (passed 7-0) designated commissioners to visit each grantee site and set a due date of June 30, 2024 for submission of site-visit reports (noting June 30 is a Sunday; staff clarified reports due that date are acceptable). Commissioner Yanez suggested May or June visits to allow grantees to have spent some funds.
- Item 4 – Semiannual Reports for July–December 2024 (File ID: 2024-00426): Staff reported that eight grantees had not yet submitted their semiannual reports; two additional reports were received during the meeting, leaving six outstanding (Salvation Army, Sierra Service Project, River City Food Bank, My Sister’s House, Freedom Through Education Campus, and Community Against Sexual Harm). Several commissioners expressed concern about non‑compliance and suggested consequences such as withholding second‑year payouts or adjusting future grant eligibility. As the item was for receive and file only, no action was taken, but the commission agreed to agendize a discussion on enforcement at the next meeting.
- Item 5 – Selection of President and Vice President for Calendar Year 2024 (File ID: 2024-00446): The commission elected officers. President: Commissioner Talbott Smith was nominated by Commissioner Yanez and seconded by Commissioner Zamanudin; the motion passed unanimously (7-0). Vice President: Commissioner Sheila Ellis was nominated by Vice President Zamanudin and seconded by Commissioner Yanez; the motion also passed unanimously (7-0). Both terms begin at the next regular meeting.
- Commissioner Comments – Ideas and Questions: Commissioners discussed the meeting start time. Commissioner Yanez requested moving the start time back to 3:30 PM from 5:30 PM, citing safety and traffic concerns. Other commissioners noted that 5:30 PM accommodates those with full‑time jobs. Direction was given to staff to inquire with the City Clerk’s office about possible earlier start times. President Smith also reminded commissioners to mark all 2024 meeting dates on their calendars to avoid rescheduling due to lack of quorum.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the November 15, 2023 meeting minutes (consent calendar).
- Provided direction to staff to revise the semiannual reporting form to clarify current reporting period and to bring back updated grant procedures for formal approval at a future meeting.
- Passed a motion assigning 25 site visits to commissioners and setting a June 30, 2024 deadline for site‑visit reports.
- Received and filed the semiannual reports; agreed to place a discussion on enforcement of reporting requirements on the next agenda.
- Elected Talbott Smith as President and Sheila Ellis as Vice President for calendar year 2024.
- Staff will explore the feasibility of an earlier meeting start time and report back to the commission.
Meeting Transcript
Mr. President, staff is ready when you are. Thank you. Good afternoon and welcome to the Ann Land. Good afternoon and welcome to the Ann Land and Bertha Henschel Memorial Fund Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, President Smith. Commissioners, please unmute your microphones for roll call vote. Or sorry, for roll call. Commissioner Beckman. Here Commissioner Beckman is present. Commissioner Ellis. Here. Commissioner Inojosa. Here. Commissioner Corbes. Commissioner Corbes is absent. Commissioner Yannis. Here. Commissioner Zemanuuden. Present. I'm sorry, that was Vice President Zemanuden. City Manager Chan is absent. President Smith. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Thank you. I'd like to remind members of the public in the chambers that if you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker ship, speaker slip when the item begins. You'll have two minutes to speak once you're called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments. To the original people of this land, the Nassayan people, the Southern Maidu Valley, Plains, Miwok, Patwan Winton peoples, and the peoples of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today an active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation. Thank you, Mr. President. I have no speaker slips for the consent calendar. Thank you. Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item? Consent calendar is just the approval of the minutes. No one's interested in speaking then. Is there a motion and a second for uh to pass the ex the consent calendar? I motion I move to um accept the consent calendar as is. Is there a second? Second.
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