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Middletown Human Relations Commission elects new chair, directs draft survey for Beaman School outreach
Summary
At its June 18 meeting the Middletown Human Relations Commission elected Councilman Anthony Gennaro chair and approved a motion directing Commissioner Sanji and Commissioner Debbie Broomerman to draft a student/parent survey to guide outreach at Beaman School; members also discussed shifting a free-haircut program toward hygiene/back-to-school support.
The Middletown Human Relations Commission on June 18 elected Councilman Anthony Gennaro as chair and approved a motion directing two commissioners to draft a student and parent survey aimed at shaping outreach and programming at Beaman School.
The vote to install Gennaro followed nominations from the floor and was carried by voice vote; Howard Saggi served as acting chair for the meeting. Commissioners also nominated and approved a vice chair, and later approved a motion that Commissioner Sanji and Commissioner Debbie Broomerman collaborate to produce a draft survey for presentation at the commission's next meeting.
Why it matters: Commissioners said they need direct input from students and parents before committing to programs previously discussed — including a free-haircut initiative — and suggested pivoting toward basic-hygiene and back-to-school support if surveys show those needs are higher. Collecting survey data will also form the basis for any formal funding requests or partnerships with community groups.
“We should be working on a survey in July so you can send it to students and parents in August and launch it in September,” a staff member said, urging the commission to build a structured questionnaire before seeking funding or partnerships.
Commissioners debated whether the haircut project should continue as previously run or be reshaped. Sanji, a commissioner who reported recent health issues and volunteered to help draft the survey, said the commission should consider hygiene kits — “Maybe they don't have toothpaste or toothbrushes or soap” — and explore partnering with churches and businesses for donations and distribution.
The motion to have Sanji and Broomerman produce a draft was made from the floor, seconded and approved by voice vote. The meeting record shows the motion passed but does not provide a numbered roll-call tally; the commission recorded the outcome as approved.
Members also reviewed two open vacancies on the commission and discussed recruitment channels, including outreach through local churches and students at nearby colleges. Commissioners asked colleagues to forward candidate names to staff for follow up.
The commission agreed to move the July meeting to Wednesday, July 23, 2025, and asked staff to circulate the updated meeting notice. The meeting adjourned at 6:09 p.m.
Notes on names and spellings: the meeting record uses several variant spellings for Sanji (Sajid/Sanjay in different segments) and refers at one point to “Deb Rubin”/“Deborah Ruberman” although the speaker who self-identified used the name Debbie Broomerman; this article uses the self‑identified spelling where available.
