Human Rights Commission - April 17, 2025

The Regular Meeting of the Human Rights Commission of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 12:00 p.m., Thursday, April 17, 2025.

Present: Xavier Welty, Cody Severson, Nancy Boyle, Sekou Sirleaf, Kristin Nelson, Carolyn Becraft, Courtney Kronback.
Absent: Aaron Kawreh, Tambah Saah, Zoe Absey, Ritchell Aboah.

Other attendees: John Strand, City Commissioner, Brenda Derrig, City Administration.

Item 1. Welcome and introductions:
o The meeting was called to order by Sekou.

Item 2. Approve or amend agenda:
o A motion was made by Carolyn to approve the agenda.
o A second was made by Nancy.
o The motion passed unanimously.

Item 3. Approval of February 20, 2025 meeting minutes:
o A motion was made by Kristin to approve the minutes of the February 20, 2025 meeting.
o A second was made by Carolyn.
o The motion passed unanimously.

Item 4. Legislative Update:
Kristin provided an update on the current legislative session, noting approximately three weeks remaining in the 80-day session.
House Bill 1144 (Transgender Student Accommodations/Restroom Use):
o Relates to transgender student accommodations and restroom use in public schools, providing a penalty and declaring an emergency.
House Bill 1181 (Gender Usage in ND Century Code and State Records)
House Bill 1540 (Education Savings Account Program / Voucher Bill)
Senate Bill 2400 (Voucher Bill)
Senate Bill 2307 (Library Safety Bill / Censorship Bill)
School Funding:
o A 3% increase per biennium for public school funding has been added back, which is good news after initial concerns of only a 2% increase.
Ranked-Choice Voting:
o Governor signed a bill outlawing ranked-choice voting across the state, going against the will of voters and home rule for municipalities. Commissioner Strand noted that 64% of the population voted for ranked-choice voting.

Item 5. Strategic Planning Discussion:
o Notes from the strategic planning discussion were reviewed and commented on.
o The goal is to have strategic plan documents complete and ready for distribution for the May meeting.
o Courtney drafted a strategic plan with two priorities for consideration that came out of the meeting.
o External-facing: Community engagement, education, event attendance.
o Establishing relationship and connection with the City for collaborative partnership.
o A catchphrase for the strategic plan was not yet decided; members were asked to revisit examples from the PowerPoint presentation for discussion at the next meeting.
o The suggestion for 2025 catchphrase was "Dive in Deeper."
o Courtney confirmed that the Chair's green font text contributions to the strategic plan draft were included.
o Discussion about meeting every other month versus continuing monthly in-person meetings.
o It was agreed to hold a strategic planning meeting Wednesday, May 14th, at noon in the Meadowlark Room.

Item 6. Nonprofit Discussion:
This item was tabled until the next meeting.

Item 7. Xavier Welty/Tenant Advocacy Group:
An update on related tenant right Legislative bills was provided:
House Bill 1272:
o Mandated move-in/move-out inspections with tenant/landlord present.
House Bill 1496:
o Clarified landlord obligations regarding property maintenance and habitable standards.
House Bill 1610:
o Prohibits landlords from charging tenant fees for paying rent using cash, checks or money orders.
House Bill 1395:
o Requires landlords to provide tenants with proof of completed background checks or a receipt for background check fees.
Senate Bill 2235:
o Defines the order in which rent payments are applied under rental agreements.
Senate Bill 2236:
o Regulates late fees on rents under rental agreements to prevent excessive or compounded fees.
Senate Bill 2237:
o Empowered the labor commission to oversee and investigate certain landlord-tenant disputes.
o Note:
o Regulations can be handled by the city (e.g., West Fargo's short-term rental ordinance, Fargo's 60-day notice for move-outs).
o Evictions: Approximately 800 evictions occurred last year in Fargo (over two per day), 98% of those individuals did not have advocacy in court.
o Fair Housing/High Plains: High Plains is attempting to start an eviction program to help people stay in their housing and work with landlords.
House Bill 1272 (Tenant Deposits):
o This bill was a major focus for tenant advocates due to frequent issues with security deposits not being returned. The term "wear and tear" is often undefined, leading to open interpretation by landlords and resulting in disputes over deposit returns for minor scuffs or nail holes. More defined interpretations are needed to address these concerns.
o Community Input: Commissioner Strand emphasized that tenant and landlord issues are prevalent in the community and suggested holding a town hall meeting to invite the public, including both tenants and landlords, to share their concerns and stories. This would help the Commission understand the full scope of the issues.
o Listening Tour: It was suggested that a listening tour could be an alternative or additional way to gather input from individuals who may be hesitant to speak in a public forum.
o Policy Recommendations: The strategic plan includes recommending policy to the City Commission, and the insights gathered from community engagement efforts would be valuable for this.
o Upcoming Town Halls: The Commission plans to host two town halls this year: "Know Your Rights" and one focusing on rental issues.

Item 8. Juneteenth:
Brenda will provide Juneteenth update on June 10th.
o A proposal for this year's Juneteenth event was included in the meeting packet and has been budgeted for this year.
o The HRC will have a booth at Juneteenth and needs to complete the necessary paperwork.
o Additional Participation: Members were encouraged to reach out to Zoe, who is involved in the Juneteenth planning group, to explore opportunities for more extensive HRC participation, such as hosting breakout sessions for youth and adults, or having HRC members speak on panels.

Item 9. Administration Update:
o Fair Housing Pamphlets: Brenda distributed pamphlets from the fair housing group for commission members' use.
o Name Tags: Ryan Netterville created informal name tags for the committee as a gift. While appreciated, these are not the formal name tags the committee has been seeking.

Item 10. Announcements:
o Nancy Boyle's Induction: Vice Chair Nancy Boyle was inducted into the "Tapestry of Inclusion" at NDSU yesterday. Congratulations were extended to her.
o LGBTQ+ Events: Lavender Graduation for queer college students graduating in May will take place next week at MSUM; Kayla Jones (NDSU alum, now at MSUM) will give a presentation on LGBTQ+ issues today at 3 p.m. at NDSU Memorial Union.
o Lutheran Social Services Event: An event sponsored by Lutheran Social Services for new Americans and community members is ongoing at the Fargodome from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
o At-Will Employment: North Dakota is an at-will employment state, but individuals can still bring forward potential wrongful termination claims.
o Department of Labor and Human Rights: It was recommended that people can file a complaint with the state's Department of Labor and Human Rights, which can investigate potential discrimination or wrongful termination.

Public Comments:
o No individuals signed up for public comments.

Adjournment:
o The meeting adjourned at 12:59 p.m.

Next Meeting: Strategic Planning Meeting on Wednesday, May 14th, at noon in the Meadowlark Room.
Next Regular HRC Meeting: June 19th.