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Home My WebLink About05-06-2026 HRC Agenda Package Human Relations Commission AGENDA Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo The Human Relations Commission holds in-person meetings. Zoom participation will not be supported. Attendees of City Council or Advisory Body meetings are eligible to receive one hour of complimentary parking; restrictions apply, visit Parking for Public Meetings for more details. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Public Comment prior to the meeting (must be received 3 hours in advance of the meeting): Mail - Delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Address letters to the City Clerk's Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, 93401. Email - Submit Public Comments via email to advisorybodies@slocity.org. In the body of your email, please include the date of the meeting and the item number (if applicable). Emails will not be read aloud during the meeting. Voicemail - Call (805) 781-7164 and leave a voicemail. Please state and spell your name, the agenda item number you are calling about, and leave your comment. Verbal comments must be limited to 3 minutes. Voicemails will not be played during the meeting. *All correspondence will be archived and distributed to members, however, submissions received after the deadline may not be processed until the following day. Public Comment during the meeting: Meetings are held in-person. To provide public comment during the meeting, you must be present at the meeting location. Electronic Visual Aid Presentation. To conform with the City's Network Access and Use Policy, Chapter 1.3.8 of the Council Policies & Procedures Manual, members of the public who desire to utilize electronic visual aids to supplement their oral presentation must provide display-ready material to the City Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Contact the City Clerk's Office at cityclerk@slocity.org or (805) 781-7114. Pages 1.CALL TO ORDER Chair Kasprzak will call the Regular Meeting of the Human Relations Commission to order. 2.PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA The public is encouraged to submit comments on any subject within the jurisdiction of the Human Relations Commission that does not appear on this agenda. Although the Commission will not take action on items presented during the Public Comment Period, the Chair may direct staff to place an item on a future agenda for discussion. 3.CONSENT Matters appearing on the Consent Calendar are expected to be non- controversial and will be acted upon at one time. A member of the public may request the Human Relations Commission to pull an item for discussion. The public may comment on any and all items on the Consent Agenda within the three-minute time limit. 3.a CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES - APRIL 1, 2026 HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES 5 Recommendation: To approve the Human Relations Commission Minutes of April 1, 2026. 4.BUSINESS ITEMS 4.a DE-ESCALATION TRAINING FROM THE CA COMMUNITY CONFLICT RESOLUTION UNIT 11 Recommendation: Receive and file a training from the Community Conflict Resolution Unit of the California Civil Rights Department entitled “De-Escalation and Navigating Difficult Conversations.” 4.b GRANT REPORT REVIEW WORKSHEET INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 13 Recommendation: Receive an overview of the new Grant Report Review Worksheet. 4.c 2026-27 HUMAN SERVICES GRANT REPORT REVIEWER SELECTION 19 Recommendation: Designate and approve Grant Report Reviewer assignment roles for each of the grant recipients of the 2026-27 Human Services Grant. 5.PUBLIC HEARINGS Note: Administrative decisions by the Human Relations Commission may be appealed to the City Council in accordance with the appeal procedure set forth in Chapter 1.20 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code. 6.COMMENT AND DISCUSSION 6.a STAFF & COMMISSIONER UPDATES AND AGENDA FORECAST Receive a brief update from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Matt Pennon and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Admin Specialist Sam Vethavanam. 7.ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Meeting of the Human Relations Commission is scheduled for June 3, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. LISTENING ASSISTIVE DEVICES are available -- see the Clerk The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7410. Agenda related writings or documents provided to the Human Relations Commission are available for public inspection on the City’s website, under the Public Meeting Agendas web page: https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor- and-city-council/agendas-and-minutes. Meeting audio recordings can be found on the City’s website: http://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=60981&dbid=0&repo=CityCl erk 1 Human Relations Commission Minutes April 1, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo Human Relations Commissioners Present: Commissioner Jennifer Chassman Browne, Commissioner Vincent DeTurris, Commissioner Jenn Fields, Commissioner Esmeralda Parker, Vice Chair Catuih Campos, Chair Angie Kasprzak Human Relations Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Stephanie Carlotti City Staff Present: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Matt Pennon, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrative Specialist Samantha Vethavanam 1. CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Human Relations Commission was called to order on April 1, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Vice Chair Campos. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Public Comment: None. --End of Public Comment— 3. CONSENT 3.a CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES - MARCH 4, 2026 HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES Motion By Commissioner Fields Second By Commissioner DeTurris To approve the Human Relations Commission Minutes of March 4, 2026. Ayes (6): Commissioner Browne, Commissioner DeTurris, Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Parker, Vice Chair Campos, and Chair Kasprzak Absent (1): Commissioner Carlotti Page 5 of 20 2 CARRIED (6 to 0) 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS 4.a REVIEW OF THE 2026-27 HUMAN SERVICES GRANT SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL Review the preliminary recommendations from the Human Services Grant Review Subcommittee and provide a recommendation to the City Council for final approval. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Admin Specialist Samantha Vethavanam presented the staff report and responded to Commission inquiries. Public Comment Andrea Keisler Kathryn Dickinson Crystal Locarnini Nicolina Galante Dianna Votaw Heather Townsend Rick Gulino Gary Petersen Sam Gottlieb Marina Bernheimer Lawren Ramos --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Chair Kasprzak Second By Commissioner DeTurris Action: Make the following funding reallocations to the Human Services Grant Subcommittee recommendations to send to City Council for approval:  Family Care Network, Inc. – Reduce funding by $4,000  Housing Authority of SLO (HASLO) – Reduce by $500  Lumina Alliance – Reduce by $500  SLO Food Bank – Reduce by $500  Mujeres de Acción – Fund at $5,500 Ayes (6): Commissioner Browne, Commissioner DeTurris, Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Parker, Vice Chair Campos, and Chair Kasprzak Absent (1): Commissioner Carlotti CARRIED (6 to 0) Page 6 of 20 2 Motion By Commissioner Parker Second By Commissioner Fields Action: Approve the remaining preliminary recommendations from the Human Services Grant Review Subcommittee to send to City Council for approval.  Community Action Partnership SLO – Fund at $10,000  CASA of SLO – Fund at $10,000  Family Care Network, Inc. – Fund at $10,000  SLO Food Bank – Fund at $14,500  HASLO – Fund at $14,500  Jewish Family Services of SLO – Fund at $10,000  LTC Ombudsman of SLO County – Fund at $5,000  Lumina Alliance – Fund at $14,500  Restorative Partners – Fund at $15,000  Shower the People – Fund at $15,000  SLO Noor Foundation – Fund at $10,000  Womenade SLO, Inc. – Fund at $6,000 Ayes (4): Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Parker, Vice Chair Campos, and Chair Kasprzak Noes (2): Commissioner Browne and Commissioner DeTurris Absent (1): Commissioner Carlotti CARRIED (4 to 2) 5. BUSINESS ITEMS 5.a 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT REPORT REVIEWER SELECTION Designate and approve Grant Report Reviewer assignment roles for each of the grant recipients of the 2025-26 DEI High Impact Grant. DEI Manager Matt Pennon presented the staff report and responded to Commission inquiries. Public Comment: None. --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Commissioner Parker Second By Commissioner Fields Page 7 of 20 3 Action: The Commissioners selected the Grant Report Reviewer Assignment roles for each of the grant recipients of the 2025-26 DEI High Impact Grant. Ayes (6): Commissioner Browne, Commissioner DeTurris, Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Parker, Vice Chair Campos, and Chair Kasprzak Absent (1): Commissioner Carlotti CARRIED (6 to 0) 5.b REVIEW 2026-27 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT FUNDING PRIORITIES Review and provide feedback as necessary on the proposed 2026 -27 DEI High Impact Grant funding priorities. DEI Manager Matt Pennon presented the staff report and responded to Commission inquiries. Public Comment: None. --End of Public Comment-- Motion By Chair Kasprzak Second By Commissioner Browne Action: The Commissioners recommended the removal of #4 and instead embed this proposed update into #1-3. Ayes (6): Commissioner Browne, Commissioner DeTurris, Commissioner Fields, Commissioner Parker, Vice Chair Campos, and Chair Kasprzak Absent (1): Commissioner Carlotti CARRIED (6 to 0) 6. COMMENT AND DISCUSSION 6.a STAFF & COMMISSIONER UPDATES AND AGENDA FORECAST Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager Matt Pennon and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Admin Specialist Sam Vethavanam provided the following update of upcoming projects:  Next month: CCRU training and Grant Report Reviewers for the 26- 27 HSG  Contracts for recent grants sent out soon Page 8 of 20 4  Belonging Beyond the Binary  Targeted outreach for Citywide Single Vote Commissioner Fields provided the following updates:  AAPI SLO Festival: May 3, 2026  Earth Day: April 18, 2026  Arab American Heritage Month: April 9, 2026 and April 25, 2026  SLO Tenants Union: April 12, 2026  Letter Writing & Advocacy: April 5, 2026 Chair Kasprzak provided the following updates:  Beaver Festival: April 11, 2026  Community Block and Fair for Autism: April 26, 2026 7. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the Human Relations Commission is scheduled for May 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. _________________________ APPROVED BY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION: XX/XX/2026 Page 9 of 20 Page 10 of 20 Item 4a Human Relations Commission Agenda Report For Agenda of: 5/6/2026 Item Number: 4a FROM: Samantha Vethavanam, DEI Administrative Specialist Phone Number: (805) 781-7064 E-mail: svethava@slocity.org SUBJECT: DE-ESCALATION TRAINING FROM THE CA COMMUNITY CONFLICT RESOLUTION UNIT RECOMMENDATION Receive and file a training from the Community Conflict Resolution Unit of the California Civil Rights Department entitled “De-Escalation and Navigating Difficult Conversations.” BACKGROUND In July 2025, staff from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion received an email from a senior mediator with the California Community Conflict Resolution Unit. They wrote to staff to provide information about the services they can provide and discuss ways their organization could collaborate with the City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC). In November 2025, City staff met with the Community Conflict Resolution Unit (CCRU) staff, who explained their services. The CCRU sits within the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and works with communities and local and state public bodies to constructively manage or resolve conflict and minimize or eliminate the potential for hate- motivated violence impacting communities. All CCRU services are free and provided when requested or accepted due to a hate - or discrimination-related community dispute, disagreement, or difficulty. Services include:  Designing conflict resolution processes  Facilitating processes to ensure meaningful community engagement  Mediating conflict (problem-solving conversations managed by a neutral third party)  Providing education and training  Providing consultations (answering specific questions and providing information about how to reduce community conflict related to discrimination and hate) After the November discussion, City staff felt the most appropriate way to connect the CCRU and the HRC was through providing a training for the HRC on de-escalation tactics, given that, as Commissioners of the City of San Luis Obispo who also make grant funding recommendations, they may often be faced with difficult conversations or questions from Page 11 of 20 Item 4a the public. The training provided by CCRU staff will be entitled “De-Escalation and Navigating Difficult Conversations” and it will address how to de-escalate tense situations by using active listening, “I” statements, and framing, reframing and re -direction. The training will also discuss best practices to prepare for difficult conversations, including self - awareness, cultural awareness, and situational awarenes s. The training will be approximately an hour and a half. Page 12 of 20 Item 4b Human Relations Commission Agenda Report For Agenda of: 5/6/2026 Item Number: 4b FROM: Samantha Vethavanam, DEI Administrative Specialist Phone Number: (805) 781-7064 E-mail: svethava@slocity.org SUBJECT: GRANT REPORT REVIEW WORKSHEET INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW RECOMMENDATION Receive an overview of the new Grant Report Review Worksheet. BACKGROUND The Human Relations Commission (HRC) is tasked with reviewing grant applications for City grants related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging and providing funding recommendations to City Council for final approval. Once funding recommendations are approved by City Council and grant programs are implemented, the HRC is then tasked with reviewing and providing feedback on the grantees’ mid-year and final program reports. This provides the Commissioners with the opportunity to dive deeply into grant initiatives recommended by them, approved by City Council, and funded by the City. As noted to the Commissioners and to the public during the April 1, 2026, HRC meeting, the Commissioners have recently shifted from acting as liaisons for individual grant recipients to being Grant Report Reviewers. Under this updated approach, Commissioners will focus on reviewing grant reports and program summaries to support informed discussion of program outcomes, community needs, and emerging trends during HRC meetings. As a part of this, staff from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have created an HRC Grant Report Review Worksheet (Attachment A) to help guide the Commissioners as they review grantee’s mid-year and final program reports. The worksheet will not only ensure consistency in review but will also provide clarity on what the City’s priorities for the grants are. The HRC Grant Report Review Worksheet consists of seven (7) main sections that largely mirror the sections in the reports that grantees must submit. These sections include:  Program Overview, which asks for a summary of the program activities  Outcome and Metrics, which asks what outcomes were achieved Page 13 of 20 Item 4b  Community Impact, which asks about the benefit to the City  Access & Belonging, which asks if the report demonstrates efforts to support inclusion and belonging  Challenges or Barriers, which asks about the grantees barriers during the reporting period  Emerging Needs or Trends, which asks if the grantee highlighted any community needs important for the HRC to note  Key Takeaways for HRC Discussion, which asks Commissioners to choose three (3) important points to share For final program reports only, there will be a section for an overall program reflection. ATTACHMENTS A - HRC Grant Report Review Worksheet Page 14 of 20 HRC Grant Report Review Worksheet Reviewers Role and Lens of Grant Report Human Relations Commissioners review grant reports to support discussion about program outcomes, community needs, and emerging trends related to City-funded programs. In this role, Commissioners apply the Commission’s lens of inclusion, access, and belonging to help identify how programs are supporting the well-being of the community and where service gaps or opportunities may exist. Organization Name: Grant Program: ☐ Human Services Grant ☐ DEI High Impact Grant Report ing Period: ☐ Mid -Year ☐ Final Grant Year : Grant Report Reviewer: 1. Program Overview Briefly summarize the program activities reported. • What services or activities were delivered? • Who was served? Notes: Page 15 of 20 2 2. Outcomes and Metrics Based on the report submitted, what outcomes were achieved? Examples may include: • number of participants served • programs delivered • community engagement activities • partnerships developed Notes: 3. Community Impact How does this program appear to benefit the City of San Luis Obispo community? Consider: ☐ Addresses a gap in services ☐ Supports historically underserved communities ☐ Improves access to resources or opportunities ☐ Strengthens community connection or belonging Notes: Page 16 of 20 3 4. Access & Belonging Did the report demonstrate efforts to support inclusion, access, and belonging within the program? ☐ Yes ☐ Some evidence ☐ Not clearly addressed Notes: 5. Challenges or Barriers Did the organization report any challenges or barriers during this reporting period? Examples: • staffing challenges • demand exceeding capacity • program implementation barriers Notes: 6. Emerging Needs or Trends Did the report highlight any community needs or trends that may be important for the Commission to note? Page 17 of 20 4 Notes: 7. Key Takeaways for HRC Discussion What are the three most important points to share during the Commission meeting? 1. 2. 3. Final Program Reports Only, Overall Program Reflection Based on the report, what stands out most about the program’s impact this year? Page 18 of 20 Item 4c Human Relations Commission Agenda Report For Agenda of: 5/6/2026 Item Number: 4c FROM: Samantha Vethavanam, DEI Administrative Specialist Phone Number: (805) 781-7064 E-mail: svethava@slocity.org SUBJECT: 2026-27 HUMAN SERVICES GRANT REPORT REVIEWER SELECTION RECOMMENDATION Designate and approve Grant Report Reviewer assignment roles for each of the grant recipients of the 2026-27 Human Services Grant. BACKGROUND The Human Relations Commission (HRC) is tasked with reviewing grant applications for the City’s Human Services Grant and providing funding recommendations to City Council for final approval. The Human Services Grant program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that promote the economic and social well -being of the San Luis Obispo community. For the 2026-27 Fiscal Year, the main funding priority is preventing and addressing homelessness. More specifically, the City will prioritize funding services that do the following (not listed in order of importance):  Provide permanent housing solutions that can prevent homelessness or serve those experiencing homelessness  Provide homelessness prevention activities that can prevent homelessness or serve those experiencing homelessness  Provide interim housing solutions that can prevent homelessness or serve those experiencing homelessness  Provide non-housing solutions that can prevent homelessness or serve those experiencing homelessness Secondary priorities, not listed in order of importance, include:  Hunger and malnutrition prevention  Supportive physical and mental health services for those in need  Services for seniors, veterans, and/or people with disabilities in need  Supportive, developmental, and care services for children and youth in need  Services encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusivity in marginalized communities, including access to language services Once funding recommendations are approved by City Council and grant programs are Page 19 of 20 Item 4c implemented, the HRC is then tasked with reviewing and providing feedback on the grantees’ mid-year and final program reports. This provides the Commissioners with the opportunity to dive deeply into grant initiatives recommended by them, approved by City Council, and funded by the City. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the 2026 -27 Human Services Grant funding recommendations from the HRC after this agenda will be posted but before this meeting is scheduled to occur. If approved as is, the HRC will decide on Grant Report Reviewer roles for a total of fourteen (14) non-profit organizations. Final grant awards will be announced during the meeting. Page 20 of 20