Near the end of Monday’s regular meeting of the Henderson City Council, member Mary Emma Evans expressed a concern for Henderson’s Hispanic population.
Addresses her remarks primarily to City Manager Ray Griffin, she asked if there was any [employee] in the city who can speak Spanish when Spanish [speaking] customers come in.
Evans asked if the city has “concentrated” on hiring a Hispanic.
Evans also asked how close the city is to hiring a city clerk. She expressed that she does not want the eventual hire to be someone she has never met.
The position of city clerk is hired by and supervised directly by the city council.
Griffin, responding to the Hispanic issue first, said he was not aware of any Water Department employees who speak Spanish.
“How can they come here and transact business if we can’t understand them?” Evans responded.
Griffin said that the city would have to look at the issue.
Evans also commented that she sees lots of Hispanic people on trial. She asked how “we can arrest them if we can’t communicate with them”.
Griffin commented that he is not sure that the city is equipped to be bilingual at all levels that interface with the public.
Member Garry Daeke suggested that Griffin examine the issue and determine if there is a need. Evans insisted that there is a need.
Daeke questioned the need and cost of what Evans appeared to be angling for.
Responding to the question about a city clerk, Griffin said that the lead candidate told him on Monday that she was not interested, putting the process “back to square one”.
Griffin told Evans that he had promised that the council would meet potential city clerks a few months ago and that he would honor that promise.