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MINUTES Page 10 City of San Leandro City Council, San Leandro Redevelopment Agency and San Leandro Economic Development Agency Joint Meeting-February 7, 2005 By consensus, the City Council approved this recommendation. Councilmember Santos noted that no faith-based community members were in attendance at the Human Relations Committee (HRC) meeting, and he expressed concern as to why they are not participating. He stated that it was his understanding that when the HRC was established, the intent was to work with the faith community on human relations issues. Councilmember Santos suggested that perhaps the committee is no longer needed. Mayor Young stated that when she came on the Council in 1996, she understood that the original committee was formed as an outgrowth of the issues at the high school. The HRC was later re-formed to include the faith- based groups. As chair of the HRC, Councilmember Grant stated that members of the faith-based community have not attended because there is no issue for them to unite around. She noted some of the issues for which they have come together in the past: tensions at the high school, 9/11 and study circles. Councilmember Grant indicated that until there is a situation which requires their attention, they will likely not see a value in meeting with the HRC. She asked if the faith community members still receive meeting notices. Community Relations Representative Kathy Ornelas stated that after the faith community's attendance dropped off, it was the consensus of the committee to discontinue sending meeting notices to them Councilmember Santos noted that when he served on the HRC, there was considerable interest by the faith community in working with the City on various issues. He recalled that Councilmember Garry Loeffler was a strong advocate of the committee working with the faith community. Councilmember Grant noted that the two issues on which Councilmember Loeffler wanted the City and faith community to partner were homelessness and hunger. The April Showers program was created as a result of that partnership and has been continued by the faith community. Councilmember Grant offered to personally contact the members of the faith community that have worked with the committee in the recent past to gauge their interest in working with the HRC. She noted that the members of the clergy that had previously worked with the HRC now seem more focused on economic development than human relations issues. Vice Mayor Badger observed that the HRC had stopped having regular meetings because there were few issues to discuss, and perhaps the faith community stopped attending for the same reason. He recalled the last issue