Equity Board · Wednesday, March 2, 2022 · City Council Digest

1. CALL TO ORDER

Board Membership

packet pp.3

Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

EQUITY BOARD Staff Liaison Monica Negrila, Human About Services Manager Created in 2021, this board is to support and Email cultivate the voices of the diverse communities in Issaquah by advising the Regular Members Mayor, City Council and City departments on 2022 - Cristina Abonce the City’s plans, policies, regulations, and 2023 - Megan Reichley* programs related to equity initiatives. 2023 - Alisa Stewart 2024 - Lorna Gilmour 2024 - Hellen Kibenge Membership 2024 - Lucrecia Choto The Equity Board is comprised of nine 2025 - Ray Manahan regular members, with four-year terms; 2025 - Tony Curry and three alternates, with two year terms. 2025 - Shalanda Curry Initial terms of the board are staggered. All member are appointed by the Mayor and subject to confirmation by the City Council. Alternate Members Terms expire April 30 of the year listed. For 2022 - Jacob Rubenstein* more…

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of February 5, 2022

packet pp.5–8

▶ Watch from 5:25 Open packet at p.5 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 02-02-22 Equity Board Minutes Page [0001] CITY OF ISSAQUAH Equity Board 6:00 PM Virtual Meeting Wednesday, February 2, 2022 MINUTES

4. AGENDA ITEMS

Equity Board Framework - Review of Proposed Options (D)

Director · 45 min · Stephanie Johnson, Human Resources · packet pp.9–36

Topics: Equity

▶ Watch from 3:43 Open packet at p.9 ↗

Staff report:

Equity Board Framework – Review of Proposed Options MARCH 2 ND , 2022 EQUITY BOARD MEETING

Community Engagement & Member Proposed Conversations Related to Equity (D)

55 min · Tony Curry, Equity Board Vice Chair Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager · packet pp.37–55

Topics: Equity

▶ Watch from 4:29 Open packet at p.37 ↗

Staff report:

Community Engagement & Member Proposed Conversations FEBRUARY 2, 2022 EQUITY BOARD MEETING

5. STAFF REPORT

Updates from Mayor and City Council

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

3224 segments .txt ↗

0:02 ↗ alrighty so if you're ready we're going

0:03 ↗ to go ahead and call this meeting to

0:05 ↗ order um today

0:07 ↗ is

0:08 ↗ i can't believe it's already march 2nd

0:12 ↗ um wednesday and it's 602 or should i

0:15 ↗ put it at 603 since technically which

0:17 ↗ turn 602 603.

0:20 ↗ and we are ready to start our

0:23 ↗ uh our monthly

0:24 ↗ bor uh issaquah equity board meeting

0:28 ↗ um so i'll provide you with a little bit

0:30 ↗ of

0:31 ↗ uh housekeeping rules for us just to

0:34 ↗ make sure that we help everyone have a

0:36 ↗ good experience here

0:38 ↗ because we are doing virtual meetings as

0:40 ↗ a result of some of the coveted

0:43 ↗ protocols that we've experienced

0:45 ↗ um so

0:46 ↗ first and foremost we're going to ask

0:48 ↗ that everyone um please speak clearly

0:51 ↗ and pause frequently um just to help if

0:55 ↗ we need any interpretation and i don't

0:57 ↗ think we have our interpreters tonight

0:58 ↗ because christina's not here

1:01 ↗ mute your microphones when you're not

1:02 ↗ speaking and if you have some technical

1:04 ↗ issues please just let us know so we can

1:06 ↗ help you through those

1:09 ↗ all righty and um i want to give

1:11 ↗ everyone

1:12 ↗ um just a quick second here so we can

1:14 ↗ move into

1:16 ↗ our roll call um

1:19 ↗ i

1:20 ↗ know that christina is not available

1:23 ↗ tonight

1:24 ↗ um however uh if you could just give us

1:27 ↗ a quick here if you're here um and we'll

1:29 ↗ kind of go from there

1:31 ↗ um megan rightly

1:35 ↗ here

1:36 ↗ thank you and welcome

1:38 ↗ elisa stewart

1:41 ↗ i see you thank you

1:43 ↗ lorna gilmore

1:45 ↗ thank you

1:47 ↗ um helen

1:49 ↗ keeber binge ki binge

1:52 ↗ i always butchered her last name i'm so

1:54 ↗ sorry

1:56 ↗ and i think she's not here for tonight

1:58 ↗ um lucretia choto who is also excused

2:01 ↗ from tonight

2:02 ↗ uh or no i'm sorry not lucretia she's

2:04 ↗ here isn't she

2:07 ↗ i don't see la gracia here quite yet no

2:10 ↗ okay um well uh i haven't heard anything

2:13 ↗ on her so i'll assume that she might be

2:14 ↗ joining us late um ray manahan

2:18 ↗ here

2:19 ↗ thank you

2:20 ↗ um tony curry um i noticed he was not

2:23 ↗ here as well nope i'm here i'm here oh

2:26 ↗ you are here okay great i see you okay

2:28 ↗ welcome sorry about that i didn't i

2:30 ↗ didn't see you right away no no it's all

2:32 ↗ good

2:34 ↗ all right and then you have shea fleming

2:35 ↗ and that's me

2:37 ↗ um jacob rubenstein are you here right

2:40 ↗ here

2:41 ↗ all right

2:42 ↗ and pretty um marty pan am i saying that

2:46 ↗ right creepy foodie pan

2:48 ↗ moaty pan thank you

2:51 ↗ and kelly munn

2:52 ↗ here

2:53 ↗ thank you we're happy to have everyone

2:55 ↗ here tonight um i believe we do have a

2:58 ↗ quorum so we are ready to go ahead and

3:01 ↗ start um

3:04 ↗ we will take a brief moment to look at

3:06 ↗ the agenda if you haven't already has

3:08 ↗ everyone had a moment to look at the

3:10 ↗ agenda for tonight

3:13 ↗ alrighty does anyone have any

3:15 ↗ suggestions on changes that we need to

3:17 ↗ make

3:21 ↗ um i may have not seen it on the agenda

3:24 ↗ so it may be there but i would love a

3:26 ↗ debrief on the event that was held

3:30 ↗ yes and i don't think it was actually

3:32 ↗ written in however um we did plan to

3:34 ↗ debrief on the event

3:37 ↗ no worries there but monica do we need

3:38 ↗ to notate that for

3:41 ↗ tonight's agenda it's gonna be included

3:43 ↗ in the second agenda item on the one

3:46 ↗ that we will just discuss like how we do

3:48 ↗ community engagement and cultural

3:49 ↗ conversations so we will include that

3:51 ↗ there

3:52 ↗ okay that's a great suggestion anyway

3:54 ↗ yeah

3:55 ↗ yes thank you

3:56 ↗ um well if we have a consensus um on the

4:00 ↗ in any other changes i'm sorry let me

4:03 ↗ back up here do we have any other

4:05 ↗ changes that we need to make

4:10 ↗ i don't see anyone questioning

4:11 ↗ themselves so i think we'll go ahead and

4:14 ↗ uh assume that aside from the debrief on

4:18 ↗ the cultural conversation we um have an

4:21 ↗ agenda that's set and i am the words

4:24 ↗ escape me for the correct phrase i need

4:26 ↗ to announce

4:30 ↗ uh okay i think you're good you don't

4:32 ↗ need to announce anything you can just

4:33 ↗ move perhaps to the approval of the

4:35 ↗ minutes um for the agenda yes i'm sorry

4:38 ↗ that's the words reporting i was looking

4:40 ↗ for um let's go ahead and approve the

4:42 ↗ minutes unanimously

4:44 ↗ um with the

4:46 ↗ uh

4:47 ↗ i guess notification that we'll have a

4:49 ↗ debrief on the cultural conversation

4:54 ↗ yeah so the minutes um in in your packet

4:57 ↗ you also have the minutes from last um

5:01 ↗ uh last month's meeting and so those are

5:03 ↗ the ones that perhaps you would like to

5:05 ↗ review for a minute and and if there are

5:07 ↗ no corrections to the minutes and then

5:10 ↗ definitely you can approve them

5:11 ↗ unanimously um or if there are any

5:14 ↗ corrections that you propose to the

5:15 ↗ minutes um then but it sounds like

5:18 ↗ there are no corrections i don't think

5:20 ↗ we have any corrections at this point

5:22 ↗ yeah all right with no corrections then

5:25 ↗ we can approve the minutes unanimously

5:29 ↗ alrighty so first on our agenda for

5:32 ↗ tonight we are actually going to do a

5:35 ↗ review of the proposed options and

5:38 ↗ stephanie who has so graciously joined

5:40 ↗ us tonight is going to present that for

5:42 ↗ us stephanie are you ready

5:45 ↗ i'm ready thank you well i think i'm

5:47 ↗ ready if monica's my co-sharing of

5:51 ↗ powerpoint tonight so

5:53 ↗ we'll tag team this will help me

5:55 ↗ give me just a moment yes

5:58 ↗ awesome thank you stephanie we're so

5:59 ↗ happy to have you again tonight thank

6:01 ↗ you i am really happy to be here i'm

6:04 ↗ glad we're continuing this conversation

6:14 ↗ okay i see the powerpoint up so um and i

6:19 ↗ i did i hear correctly that um

6:23 ↗ our interpreters are not online tonight

6:25 ↗ so i will talk slow however not as

6:29 ↗ needed as much as if we had interpreters

6:32 ↗ okay thank you i just want to make sure

6:34 ↗ um because i know we we need to ensure

6:36 ↗ for that when they are here so

6:39 ↗ um okay so we are here this evening uh

6:43 ↗ to discuss uh the conversation that we

6:45 ↗ started a month ago today

6:48 ↗ february 2nd i believe

6:50 ↗ on a equity board framework

6:54 ↗ here to talk to you tonight to really

6:56 ↗ facilitate a conversation

6:59 ↗ i'm going to go ahead and

7:00 ↗ have monica advance the slide so i don't

7:02 ↗ give too much introduction before the

7:05 ↗ next slides probably say the exact same

7:07 ↗ thing

7:08 ↗ um so we're returning uh tonight to seek

7:11 ↗ your input on the creation

7:15 ↗ we hope to get to a place of piloting

7:17 ↗ and implementing an equity framework in

7:19 ↗ the city uh but we are uh we were really

7:23 ↗ interested in your input into this

7:26 ↗ process

7:27 ↗ next slide please

7:31 ↗ so we will be looking for your direction

7:34 ↗ at the conclusion of tonight uh we're

7:36 ↗ really wanting you to provide feedback

7:38 ↗ on the proposed equity framework models

7:41 ↗ that we showed you this far

7:43 ↗ i'm going to you know remind you of

7:45 ↗ those i think they were in your packet

7:48 ↗ and then decide on next steps next slide

7:51 ↗ please

7:54 ↗ so it was february 2nd to keep myself

7:56 ↗ honest here that we were

7:59 ↗ talking about a couple of different

8:01 ↗ different uh specific items uh work

8:04 ↗ related that the city has

8:06 ↗ worked on to date

8:09 ↗ at the february second meeting we spent

8:11 ↗ quite a bit of time reviewing the

8:13 ↗ history of the equity training for city

8:15 ↗ employees and city council before we

8:18 ↗ called the meeting to order tonight we

8:20 ↗ were

8:20 ↗ some of us were talking about the

8:22 ↗ trulian assignments um so you all have

8:25 ↗ seen some exposure to some of the things

8:27 ↗ that uh the city's uh staff have seen so

8:31 ↗ far

8:32 ↗ um we started to talk and we summarized

8:35 ↗ the work conducted on the equity

8:37 ↗ framework to date i know that was kind

8:39 ↗ of towards the end of the

8:42 ↗ meeting last time so we kind of somewhat

8:44 ↗ rushed a little bit to at least give you

8:46 ↗ the background but we're really here

8:48 ↗ tonight to really get more into the

8:50 ↗ weeds of that

8:51 ↗ next slide please so just to recap um we

8:55 ↗ did present two

8:57 ↗ uh equity framework options

9:00 ↗ um both what we call a step model and a

9:03 ↗ postcard model

9:05 ↗ um i think those are names that we've

9:06 ↗ internally given those two types

9:09 ↗ uh we had looked at the market we're

9:12 ↗ always looking at what is everybody else

9:15 ↗ doing what you know do we need to create

9:17 ↗ a wheel here do we not let's take uh the

9:20 ↗ best of what's out there and make it

9:22 ↗ relevant for issaquah and so

9:25 ↗ um we introduced a few things that we

9:27 ↗ had gathered in this process this is the

9:30 ↗ step model um that seattle has

9:33 ↗ implemented

9:36 ↗ next slide please

9:38 ↗ renton has a step model

9:42 ↗ next slide please

9:45 ↗ portland

9:47 ↗ and if i'm

9:48 ↗ not mistaken portland uses a combination

9:51 ↗ of both the step model and the postcard

9:55 ↗ model

9:56 ↗ oh and that's the next slide monica

9:58 ↗ thank you

9:59 ↗ um so also some postcard models um this

10:02 ↗ is portland the next slide uh shows us

10:07 ↗ one from shannon kelly ray who we had

10:11 ↗ acknowledged at the last meeting that

10:13 ↗ the city is currently consulting uh with

10:16 ↗ for training and other things as a chief

10:19 ↗ equity officer where we don't have that

10:22 ↗ full-time position on staff currently

10:26 ↗ also in the next slides uh we have an

10:29 ↗ example from bonita horn

10:31 ↗ i think many of you know these

10:33 ↗ consultants and the work that you all do

10:36 ↗ um but also uh

10:38 ↗ both shannon and benita have presented

10:42 ↗ to city council and we walked a little

10:44 ↗ bit through that but um they've given us

10:46 ↗ examples of tools as well

10:49 ↗ next slide please

10:51 ↗ so really the heart of what we really

10:53 ↗ want to get to tonight and what we're

10:55 ↗ seeking your input on and i'd love to

10:58 ↗ facilitate a conversation around is

11:01 ↗ which equity framework proposed do you

11:03 ↗ prefer

11:04 ↗ and why

11:06 ↗ um monica you know has told me a little

11:08 ↗ bit about you know various backgrounds

11:10 ↗ amongst you all that bring you to this

11:12 ↗ committee and i think you all have

11:15 ↗ probably in your travels seen a bunch of

11:18 ↗ different

11:19 ↗ uh options and have uh input into that

11:23 ↗ so you know uh we presented two things

11:26 ↗ um step and postcard and some samples

11:30 ↗ but which equity framework uh do you

11:33 ↗ prefer and why

11:35 ↗ and then what other information do you

11:37 ↗ need uh from us or the administration um

11:41 ↗ people before we're asking you to

11:43 ↗ provide a recommendation and input to

11:45 ↗ the mayor and city council uh so that we

11:48 ↗ advance this work in in creation of a

11:50 ↗ framework and i pause there because i

11:52 ↗ know that was kind of a brief summary

11:54 ↗ but i see i think we have a couple

11:56 ↗ questions and comments

12:00 ↗ yes pre-p if you're ready you can come

12:02 ↗ off mute and go ahead and ask your

12:04 ↗ question yeah thank you and stephanie i

12:07 ↗ really appreciated the presentation of

12:09 ↗ those different models

12:10 ↗ um my my question as i you know think

12:13 ↗ about uh

12:14 ↗ the different frameworks presented here

12:16 ↗ is really wanting to understand how do

12:18 ↗ you all see using

12:21 ↗ this framework like is it for proposed

12:23 ↗ legislation for programming for

12:27 ↗ budget proposals for new investments

12:29 ↗ just trying to get a sense of how you

12:31 ↗ see using it so we can

12:34 ↗ you know get a sense of how to advise

12:35 ↗ here

12:36 ↗ sure that's a really good question

12:39 ↗ because i'm not sure we

12:40 ↗ know what we don't know

12:42 ↗ um i imagine that there's probably a

12:46 ↗ combination here and i would really like

12:48 ↗ to know you know input i think the

12:50 ↗ administration would like to

12:53 ↗ see input um from this

12:56 ↗ uh from this board

12:57 ↗ on um

12:59 ↗ what you see that vision to be as well

13:01 ↗ because i think we're in the space where

13:03 ↗ we get to collaborate together to build

13:05 ↗ what that is

13:06 ↗ um i can tell you from some original

13:09 ↗ conversations with council

13:11 ↗ you know they they liked the idea that

13:14 ↗ there is a

13:15 ↗ tool

13:16 ↗ uh within the city

13:18 ↗ so that uh you know administration and

13:21 ↗ staff as we are looking at programs and

13:24 ↗ um

13:26 ↗ just all the different business that

13:28 ↗ each department does we run very

13:30 ↗ different lines of business in the city

13:33 ↗ that we have a tool that the internal

13:34 ↗ staff can use

13:37 ↗ um

13:38 ↗ and then have used a lens or a framework

13:42 ↗ so that then when you know that work

13:45 ↗ then goes before them as you know the

13:47 ↗ legislative body

13:49 ↗ that they then have a tool

13:51 ↗ and is it similar is it different you

13:54 ↗ know um i think that's where we get to

13:57 ↗ create this so you know i would love the

14:00 ↗ input from you all if you've used uh

14:03 ↗ examples of this if you've seen what

14:05 ↗ works well what maybe doesn't but i do

14:08 ↗ envision that uh you know that we could

14:12 ↗ adopt one or multiple tools depending

14:15 ↗ upon who the audience is so long as we

14:18 ↗ understand we're all rowing in the same

14:19 ↗ direction

14:20 ↗ i i hope that

14:22 ↗ gives you some

14:24 ↗ some bit but but we haven't pre-baked

14:27 ↗ that

14:33 ↗ thank you so much for that response

14:34 ↗ stephanie preethia i hope that answered

14:36 ↗ your question

14:39 ↗ um i just had a quick comment because um

14:41 ↗ i personally like the step model just

14:44 ↗ because i think it speaks to the

14:45 ↗ psychology of people

14:47 ↗ um how we like to see things in steps

14:50 ↗ and in an order that we can follow um

14:53 ↗ and i also think it gives us a rubric to

14:56 ↗ uh check when we do implement those into

15:00 ↗ processes like law making and and things

15:02 ↗ like that so um i'm hoping that that may

15:05 ↗ be our option however i'm open to

15:08 ↗ all options

15:16 ↗ you know one thing that i do want to add

15:18 ↗ to is just that comes to mind is

15:21 ↗ you know this is continuous it doesn't

15:23 ↗ mean we adopt something and we're you

15:26 ↗ know it's in stone forever because i

15:28 ↗ think that you know matter

15:30 ↗ no matter what we do we make some

15:31 ↗ recommendations

15:33 ↗ and you know we we improve as we go

15:36 ↗ and so you know i know that um sometimes

15:40 ↗ a starting place of a little simplicity

15:43 ↗ and some piloting and testing goes a

15:46 ↗ long way

15:47 ↗ so i think if we put you know this is

15:49 ↗ stephanie opinion but and i want yours

15:52 ↗ more than my and offering my own but i

15:55 ↗ do think that you know there is a space

15:58 ↗ for

15:59 ↗ something that is very you know easy to

16:02 ↗ understand and usable in a space that we

16:05 ↗ haven't had something in is a aqua yet

16:07 ↗ so i just i want to offer that

16:09 ↗ perspective um you know because i think

16:12 ↗ there's a long you know you can look at

16:15 ↗ a seattle and a king county and they've

16:17 ↗ had programs and things in place for a

16:19 ↗ really long time and and have been doing

16:22 ↗ this a long time and so i think there's

16:24 ↗ some value in in creating something but

16:27 ↗ but making it user friendly you know for

16:30 ↗ for us um starting and advancing this

16:32 ↗ work

16:35 ↗ thank you stephanie and we have a

16:37 ↗ question from ray if you're ready

16:39 ↗ i am uh thank you stephanie for coming

16:41 ↗ back um

16:43 ↗ if i were a question and just a comment

16:46 ↗ i as i scanned these again because i

16:48 ↗ enjoyed getting to understand these

16:50 ↗ models um last month uh the portland one

16:53 ↗ stuck out to me just because of its

16:54 ↗ simplicity one it's able to capture

16:57 ↗ things in a very

16:58 ↗ um easy manner in page 16 and then once

17:02 ↗ we do that we're able to dive in a

17:03 ↗ little bit more with some of the details

17:05 ↗ on page 17.

17:06 ↗ and the other more of a question is

17:09 ↗ because these cities have had a head

17:11 ↗ start from us

17:13 ↗ i'd be curious to see if we do select

17:16 ↗ one come to a consensus on some of the

17:18 ↗ successes that they've had and some of

17:20 ↗ the challenges

17:21 ↗ um

17:22 ↗ and then obviously with the differences

17:25 ↗ between our our just size right of city

17:28 ↗ comparing issaquah to a portland or

17:30 ↗ seattle i'm sure there's lots of

17:32 ↗ complexities that we might not be

17:33 ↗ exposed to

17:35 ↗ so by by understanding what's going on

17:37 ↗ there can we just ask ourselves is that

17:39 ↗ really going on here um and this is

17:41 ↗ something that we need to be aware of so

17:43 ↗ again just uh

17:45 ↗ from my opinion the portland one stuck

17:46 ↗ out but the ability to to

17:49 ↗ ask additional questions based on what

17:51 ↗ they've done thus far

17:53 ↗ and compare it to our community would

17:55 ↗ be of interest to me

18:00 ↗ thank you for that i appreciate that um

18:02 ↗ you know that would take um some time

18:04 ↗ which we you know i think one of the

18:06 ↗ things that you know one of the

18:08 ↗ questions i posed is what all do you

18:11 ↗ need from us to

18:13 ↗ you know to get to a space where we're

18:16 ↗ ready to present something to city

18:17 ↗ council and so um a takeaway for me

18:20 ↗ tonight is if we would like some of that

18:22 ↗ data from other cities and what works

18:25 ↗ well we'll need the time to gather that

18:28 ↗ okay thank you

18:33 ↗ thank you so much right for that

18:34 ↗ question that was a really great one

18:36 ↗ um does anyone else have any questions

18:39 ↗ or comments that they'd like to present

18:46 ↗ thank you kelly please come on you can

18:48 ↗ join us

18:49 ↗ i'm sitting here there are probably

18:51 ↗ people here who are

18:53 ↗ more experienced at this than me

18:56 ↗ but i would say i have not worked under

18:59 ↗ a framework in the past

19:01 ↗ we

19:02 ↗ we kind of did and not very well

19:06 ↗ was because of implementation problems

19:10 ↗ so how you do it to me is way more

19:12 ↗ important than the probably the

19:14 ↗ framework itself

19:15 ↗ so i'm just going to say that

19:17 ↗ and i don't feel qualified in saying

19:20 ↗ what others should be doing

19:22 ↗ to me

19:24 ↗ they should be deciding whoever's

19:26 ↗ because it's to me since i'm unclear on

19:28 ↗ who's using it i mean we should be using

19:30 ↗ it also and i've been toying with should

19:32 ↗ we be using one of them right now

19:35 ↗ so i'm trying to sort out

19:38 ↗ is it in the best i'm not sure why we're

19:41 ↗ doing it and the staff themselves are

19:43 ↗ not are doing it because they have to

19:45 ↗ they're the ones who have to do it

19:51 ↗ you know kelly i think that's a great

19:52 ↗ point

19:53 ↗ um

19:55 ↗ stephanie do you have a response to that

19:57 ↗ and then i think we have a comment from

19:59 ↗ preethi

20:01 ↗ you know i i'm struggling with a comment

20:03 ↗ on that one kelly it is absolutely a

20:05 ↗ great point

20:06 ↗ um i want to go on back to something you

20:09 ↗ said and maybe just kind of ask

20:12 ↗ for those of you that have used this

20:14 ↗ because you know i this is learning

20:16 ↗ learning ground for me too you know

20:18 ↗ certainly as a hr professional and we

20:21 ↗ look at equity from a certain you know

20:24 ↗ perspective absolutely that's embedded

20:26 ↗ in a lot of what we do in hr but when

20:29 ↗ we're talking about

20:30 ↗ um programs versus hiring or other

20:34 ↗ things you know i don't have that direct

20:36 ↗ experience myself and so you know you

20:39 ↗ said you know there's some on this call

20:41 ↗ that maybe do and maybe have applied a

20:43 ↗ framework and i'm just curious if um you

20:46 ↗ know for those on the call tonight um

20:49 ↗ that have used a framework and if you

20:51 ↗ have input to what has worked well some

20:54 ↗ lessons learned um it kind of you know

20:57 ↗ goes back to you know ray's question in

21:00 ↗ terms of asking other jurisdictions so i

21:04 ↗ think i think the the foundation of a

21:07 ↗ framework from my perspective is asking

21:09 ↗ a lot of questions right just in general

21:12 ↗ okay what's before us who's affected how

21:14 ↗ could this you know it's it's kind of

21:16 ↗ those five why's what where who when why

21:19 ↗ how our decisions and so i think

21:22 ↗ i i would really like to know

21:25 ↗ who maybe has used one

21:27 ↗ what has worked well and and do we need

21:29 ↗ to go seek more input

21:35 ↗ thank you for that stephanie and i think

21:36 ↗ that's a lot for us to think on

21:38 ↗ um i know preethi has a comment and then

21:41 ↗ we'll follow that with monica and we'll

21:43 ↗ see if we can come up with a solution

21:44 ↗ here

21:46 ↗ so um stephanie in response to your

21:48 ↗ question um i work in a jurisdiction

21:50 ↗ that has a tool like this that's similar

21:52 ↗ to the step models

21:54 ↗ and

21:55 ↗ um

21:56 ↗ and i think this is

21:58 ↗ what prompted my first question which

22:01 ↗ was like how do you see using this

22:02 ↗ because it can be um

22:05 ↗ i think my observation of its use is

22:07 ↗ that it can be overly burdensome

22:10 ↗ um in terms of like doing inadequate um

22:14 ↗ or inappropriate equity analysis

22:18 ↗ and so i think um

22:20 ↗ and i

22:21 ↗ i think figuring out

22:23 ↗ in what what

22:25 ↗ context to use it and then doing that

22:27 ↗ trial and error testing it out so then

22:30 ↗ you all can figure out you know what

22:31 ↗ makes sense for certain

22:34 ↗ programs services investments whatever

22:36 ↗ that it is that you would like to apply

22:38 ↗ this

22:39 ↗ framework to

22:40 ↗ um

22:42 ↗ the

22:43 ↗ i think

22:45 ↗ fundamentally like the tool

22:48 ↗ shouldn't be a replacement for really

22:51 ↗ having

22:52 ↗ uh

22:53 ↗ equity thinking baked into how how you

22:56 ↗ do the work so sometimes it takes the

22:58 ↗ tool to build that muscle and the

23:00 ↗ practice so that you don't need to

23:02 ↗ really have an explicit tool anymore so

23:05 ↗ um it's a little chicken and egg but i

23:07 ↗ think the tool will help

23:09 ↗ as part of the journey so i would say um

23:11 ↗ i i personally like actually both like

23:14 ↗ what ray was saying both of those

23:16 ↗ portland models the step model as well

23:18 ↗ as the postcard bottle because i think

23:20 ↗ that there is um

23:23 ↗ as part of an anti-racism or an equity

23:26 ↗ and social justice journey there's also

23:28 ↗ a need to do some internal reflection on

23:30 ↗ how you're approaching the work as you

23:32 ↗ do the work and i like how that the

23:34 ↗ postcard model of the portland

23:36 ↗ uh

23:38 ↗ urban league

23:39 ↗ gets to that but i think in terms of

23:42 ↗ simplicity to follow especially for like

23:44 ↗ external related policies

23:46 ↗ and programs the step portland step

23:49 ↗ model might make the most sense so i

23:51 ↗ could say it vary depending on what

23:53 ↗ you're applying it to

23:57 ↗ really great thank you for that and i

23:59 ↗ think that it's kind of you said it much

24:01 ↗ better than what i was trying to say in

24:03 ↗ terms of like starting small and

24:05 ↗ building as we go and piloting some

24:08 ↗ things and figuring out what works right

24:10 ↗ so thank you for that

24:12 ↗ thank you

24:14 ↗ thank you so much preeti and i see laura

24:17 ↗ lorna and alyssa both have comments so

24:20 ↗ lorna if you would please come off you

24:22 ↗ and go first and then alyssa you will

24:24 ↗ follow um and then followed by monica

24:28 ↗ hi everyone so in my work we recently

24:32 ↗ about three years ago

24:34 ↗ we've been doing equity work in the

24:35 ↗ district

24:37 ↗ about three years ago

24:43 ↗ just really quickly i'm sorry i'm having

24:45 ↗ a hard time hearing lorna it are others

24:50 ↗ okay yes i think we're all struggling to

24:52 ↗ hear you a little bit

24:53 ↗ okay let me see if i can increase my

24:56 ↗ volume can you

24:58 ↗ can you hear me now

25:01 ↗ that's a little better getting much more

25:02 ↗ sound thank you okay thank you

25:06 ↗ and my thoughts what i was saying was um

25:08 ↗ we've been doing equity in the district

25:10 ↗ for about five years and it was only

25:12 ↗ about three years ago that we adopted an

25:14 ↗ equity framework

25:15 ↗ and that's because and so this is going

25:17 ↗ to i believe kelly's comment as to who

25:20 ↗ makes the framework

25:22 ↗ and you know how like should they be

25:25 ↗ making their own framework versus

25:27 ↗ somebody else

25:28 ↗ what we realized that at the department

25:31 ↗ in making the framework was really

25:32 ↗ helpful because

25:34 ↗ um they needed more guidance so giving a

25:36 ↗ framework that everyone could follow and

25:38 ↗ everyone was on the same page was really

25:41 ↗ helpful

25:42 ↗ and so um i really think that having a

25:45 ↗ framework to give the organization

25:48 ↗ start out with is a great step towards

25:51 ↗ this work

25:52 ↗ also i really like the step model from

25:55 ↗ portland because it's very detailed

25:57 ↗ so it's very a lot of scaffolding

26:00 ↗ and

26:01 ↗ you can have something a little bit less

26:04 ↗ capable of your questions less

26:06 ↗ cumbersome

26:07 ↗ so to speak but the thing is until the

26:09 ↗ organization and until people within the

26:11 ↗ organization

26:12 ↗ are very familiar with working with

26:15 ↗ and thinking and having equity as

26:18 ↗ part of sorry as having equity is part

26:22 ↗ of the normal part of their their

26:23 ↗ thinking process and this it's not

26:26 ↗ intuitive to many people right now

26:28 ↗ so to help train them and to help make

26:32 ↗ it

26:32 ↗ more of an uh an intuitive process where

26:35 ↗ they can know what kind of thoughts to

26:37 ↗ have i think having something more

26:39 ↗ detailed is better and that's why i like

26:42 ↗ the the framework the portal in step

26:44 ↗ model just because

26:46 ↗ it really asks you to think about all of

26:48 ↗ these different things and so until the

26:50 ↗ organization has become more um

26:54 ↗ more part of the second nature we need

26:56 ↗ something that is more robust and more

26:58 ↗ detailed and as stephanie said over time

27:02 ↗ why we can change that but honestly over

27:04 ↗ time what's going to happen is we're

27:06 ↗ going to internalize

27:07 ↗ those steps i think

27:09 ↗ and in the equity framework the other

27:11 ↗ one someone mentioned

27:15 ↗ that it depends on how you follow it

27:17 ↗ how you use it and what we've had to do

27:20 ↗ is

27:20 ↗ train on how to use them what it could

27:23 ↗ look like but it is a lot of training on

27:26 ↗ what that means and how that looks like

27:28 ↗ and what questions to ask

27:31 ↗ so that it is really your following and

27:33 ↗ you know it's

27:34 ↗ it needs just the heart of the

27:38 ↗ purpose of the equity framework rather

27:41 ↗ than just check if we

27:43 ↗ think oh yeah i did it

27:44 ↗ it's not really

27:46 ↗ uh robust enough so doing that training

27:49 ↗ or the framework is going to be as

27:51 ↗ critical

27:52 ↗ as creating the framework but very often

27:54 ↗ people don't know what that means and

27:57 ↗ what that would look like for their

27:59 ↗ situation in their department

28:04 ↗ as each department uses it the people

28:07 ↗ within that it are different levels in

28:09 ↗ the equity journey

28:10 ↗ and so it's really hard for them

28:13 ↗ to look at it with that eye unless

28:15 ↗ they're all

28:17 ↗ using the same framework and then we're

28:19 ↗ working alongside with them

28:21 ↗ go through that framework for the first

28:23 ↗ couple instances

28:28 ↗ thank you wow there there was a lot in

28:30 ↗ there that i think um was really good

28:32 ↗ information um as you were talking i'm

28:35 ↗ reminded that city administrator bob

28:37 ↗ kowitz says um that people really

28:39 ↗ support which they themselves get to

28:41 ↗ help create and so i think that's a

28:43 ↗ reflection of you know a lot of what you

28:45 ↗ just said in asking those internal

28:48 ↗ questions along with asking the equity

28:50 ↗ board along with asking the council that

28:52 ↗ it's a it's a really cohesive effort

28:54 ↗ right i do think there's value in

28:56 ↗ starting with a recommendation for

28:58 ↗ something and coming back and

29:00 ↗ continually asking ourselves is it

29:02 ↗ working is it working in the way

29:05 ↗ it needs to be meaningfully working not

29:07 ↗ just to have a toolkit right

29:10 ↗ so thank you for all of that lorna

29:17 ↗ thank you so much lorna and alyssa are

29:20 ↗ you ready

29:22 ↗ sure um really briefly i just wanted to

29:25 ↗ say that i think kelly made some

29:27 ↗ comments earlier um regarding those of

29:29 ↗ us who have not used the framework and i

29:32 ↗ would be one of those people and also

29:34 ↗ feeling a little bit like i'm not quite

29:36 ↗ qualified to make that determination

29:39 ↗ i think it might help me to better

29:42 ↗ understand if we

29:44 ↗ you know just had some more examples of

29:46 ↗ ways in which we would apply each of the

29:48 ↗ frameworks what it would actually look

29:49 ↗ like something a little bit more

29:50 ↗ concrete

29:52 ↗ to understand that and to preach this

29:54 ↗ point earlier just to also probably help

29:57 ↗ us to

29:58 ↗ make sure that whichever framework is

30:00 ↗ chosen doesn't become

30:02 ↗ overbearing um um by having just some

30:06 ↗ practical examples with us actually um

30:08 ↗ using either the frameworks

30:12 ↗ thanks

30:14 ↗ so elisa thank you i have a question uh

30:17 ↗ because you know one of

30:19 ↗ our key questions is what does this

30:22 ↗ equity board need to really make a

30:24 ↗ recommendation of the council to move

30:26 ↗ forward

30:27 ↗ you know we all came to you

30:29 ↗ with

30:30 ↗ um what has brought us to this point and

30:33 ↗ date uh so far and that included that

30:36 ↗ the city council was able to do an

30:38 ↗ equity framework training

30:40 ↗ sounds like amongst this team there are

30:42 ↗ some that have used one and we've shown

30:46 ↗ different models

30:47 ↗ but i guess i posed the question back to

30:50 ↗ you

30:51 ↗ do you find

30:53 ↗ would you find that if we offered this

30:55 ↗ team

30:56 ↗ to

30:57 ↗ have that same training um whether we

31:00 ↗ use shannon or benita or whomever gave

31:03 ↗ the council the same training and to use

31:06 ↗ some real practical examples

31:08 ↗ um if that would be really beneficial to

31:11 ↗ this team um in an effort to train you

31:14 ↗ all to be able to you know give that

31:16 ↗ recommendation in a meaningful way so

31:18 ↗ i'd be curious to know if that this team

31:21 ↗ really thinks that that would be a

31:22 ↗ beneficial thing to to be able to give a

31:25 ↗ recommendation

31:30 ↗ and tony did you want me to say your

31:31 ↗ comment or would you like to

31:34 ↗ give it to us sure i don't mind giving

31:36 ↗ to you um yeah i was just saying that um

31:38 ↗ you know i think having that framework

31:40 ↗ having that tool i think it'll be highly

31:42 ↗ beneficial but it's kind of one of those

31:44 ↗ things that

31:45 ↗ i guess we won't know until we actually

31:47 ↗ started utilizing it

31:50 ↗ yeah absolutely

31:52 ↗ thank you tony i also think it's

31:54 ↗ important for us to recognize that this

31:56 ↗ is a

31:57 ↗ sort of living document

31:59 ↗ so it's going to evolve and change as we

32:01 ↗ continue through our steps in this work

32:03 ↗ um

32:05 ↗ and uh having been one of those people

32:08 ↗ that has a little an idea of how these

32:10 ↗ frameworks are used um

32:13 ↗ i think that

32:14 ↗ it's it's more important that we focus

32:16 ↗ on what the end goal is for the

32:18 ↗ framework versus

32:20 ↗ the

32:21 ↗ um initial

32:23 ↗ steps because the initial steps are

32:25 ↗ going to change as we

32:27 ↗ as we use them um and we may find that

32:30 ↗ it's not a great framework to use during

32:34 ↗ law making or we may find that it's a

32:36 ↗ great framework to use during

32:38 ↗ any proposal so it kind of just really

32:41 ↗ depends on what we start with and then

32:44 ↗ we can

32:45 ↗ develop that process to evolve to

32:47 ↗ something that we can use

32:49 ↗ universally

32:54 ↗ and i didn't see any other comments but

32:57 ↗ i see some people thinking uh do we have

33:00 ↗ anyone else that has a comment or a

33:01 ↗ question

33:07 ↗ yes alyssa please very very

33:12 ↗ um respond back to stephanie your

33:14 ↗ question about training yes

33:16 ↗ i i think for for those of us who have

33:19 ↗ not used the framework before i think

33:21 ↗ that you know any type of training that

33:23 ↗ you could direct us to would be helpful

33:29 ↗ thank you for that i want to make sure

33:31 ↗ you all have the tools you need before

33:33 ↗ we

33:34 ↗ you know present tools to others that

33:36 ↗ were we're not super confident in

33:38 ↗ ourselves right and so you know in

33:40 ↗ whatever way we can help you with that i

33:42 ↗ want to make sure

33:43 ↗ those those things are in place because

33:45 ↗ it's it's

33:47 ↗ it's a marathon not a sprint right and

33:49 ↗ so i think that's important for us to

33:51 ↗ keep in mind

33:54 ↗ all right and creepy i see you have a

33:56 ↗ comment as well

33:57 ↗ yeah so i think um so stephanie i was

33:59 ↗ kind of reflecting on your question just

34:01 ↗ now um i think

34:04 ↗ so and you've heard from the group like

34:06 ↗ it's kind of hard to imagine how the

34:08 ↗ tool could be used without

34:11 ↗ seeing it in action so i don't know if

34:13 ↗ that means we need to like kind of

34:16 ↗ give a go ahead now or whether there's

34:18 ↗ an opportunity to perhaps kind of test

34:21 ↗ it in a couple of situations and then we

34:24 ↗ could see maybe

34:26 ↗ a write-up of how

34:28 ↗ how the process was followed

34:31 ↗ and i think just kind of seeing how it

34:33 ↗ would be applied in a real situation

34:37 ↗ um would help us understand the value

34:42 ↗ that it could provide and help us really

34:46 ↗ give some more concrete feedback so i

34:49 ↗ would say like that into i think the

34:51 ↗ second question you had asked like what

34:52 ↗ do we need in order to move forward i

34:54 ↗ think that that's

34:55 ↗ probably something i would say i would

34:57 ↗ need

34:58 ↗ to be more helpful

35:01 ↗ thank you

35:03 ↗ thank you creepy um and monica i know

35:05 ↗ you've been patiently waiting would you

35:07 ↗ like to come off you can give us your

35:08 ↗ comment

35:10 ↗ thank you so much i know no worries at

35:12 ↗ all and uh board members it's just also

35:14 ↗ great to listen to your questions and

35:16 ↗ great comments i think my brief comment

35:18 ↗ is is a little bit about

35:21 ↗ um

35:22 ↗ the fact that this is a new board and i

35:24 ↗ had a chance to meet all of you uh

35:26 ↗ before um

35:28 ↗ starting and launching the board and i

35:30 ↗ think um it's just um i it's such a

35:34 ↗ pleasure to listen to you as you work so

35:36 ↗ well together and as you make

35:37 ↗ recommendations and you're just so

35:39 ↗ professional and it's just so so nice to

35:42 ↗ hear that and i think my words of

35:44 ↗ encouragement are please don't feel uh

35:47 ↗ be afraid to ask what you need in order

35:50 ↗ to take a decision

35:51 ↗ um and also

35:53 ↗ don't feel that you

35:57 ↗ need to be an expert to provide your

35:59 ↗ input um equity i feel like it's such a

36:03 ↗ important topic and it covers so much

36:05 ↗ right what you bring to this board is

36:08 ↗ your personal or your prefer

36:09 ↗ professional or both experiences right

36:12 ↗ and so um you are the ones who to

36:15 ↗ provide an equity lens um on on various

36:18 ↗ topics this is one of them right we are

36:21 ↗ probably gonna have at some point we are

36:23 ↗ gonna hear from transportation and we

36:25 ↗ might also hear from um our development

36:28 ↗ we might hear we are gonna hear from

36:30 ↗ different fields that that you're you're

36:33 ↗ always gonna feel like i'm not an expert

36:35 ↗ in that and i think my just love

36:37 ↗ encouragement to you is yes ask for what

36:39 ↗ you need to take that decision but also

36:42 ↗ bring don't don't be shy bringing your

36:43 ↗ equity lens like from from that equity

36:46 ↗ lens i loved kelly's comment and lorna's

36:48 ↗ comment yes like

36:49 ↗ you don't want to do things with other

36:51 ↗ people who are going to be involved

36:52 ↗ right so that those are the exact

36:54 ↗ comments that that that we as staff are

36:57 ↗ seeking and stephanie is seeking and and

36:59 ↗ other staff will be seeking from you so

37:01 ↗ that was all the comments because it's

37:02 ↗ like i see how humble you are and yet so

37:05 ↗ professional and it was just like please

37:07 ↗ don't be shy don't be afraid ask those

37:08 ↗ questions they are all great questions

37:10 ↗ and you bring so much to the table so

37:12 ↗ thank you

37:15 ↗ thank you so much for that monica i

37:17 ↗ think those words of encouragement will

37:20 ↗ will definitely help the team

37:23 ↗ uh go ahead and take the chance and you

37:25 ↗ know the worst that can happen is that

37:27 ↗ it doesn't work the way we planned it

37:30 ↗ and we move forward and we try again

37:32 ↗ with something that works better we've

37:34 ↗ all seen uh plans that we thought were

37:37 ↗ good initially and didn't necessarily

37:39 ↗ work out so i think that um keeping our

37:42 ↗ minds open to the fact that we can

37:44 ↗ always change

37:46 ↗ these things is is important so thank

37:48 ↗ you monica i appreciate that um and

37:51 ↗ helen thank you i see you're here so um

37:53 ↗ did you uh have any questions or

37:55 ↗ comments at this point

37:58 ↗ thank you

37:59 ↗ all righty does anyone else have

38:01 ↗ questions or comments this is such a

38:03 ↗ great topic and i know it's really hard

38:05 ↗ so we want to hear from everyone

38:11 ↗ so

38:12 ↗ um

38:14 ↗ i'm wondering if we should do the

38:16 ↗ portland model ourselves on this

38:23 ↗ kelly i think that's a great idea

38:25 ↗ i mean we don't know

38:27 ↗ what we don't know until we try it

38:30 ↗ and if we can develop a model that works

38:33 ↗ for issaquah based on the portland model

38:36 ↗ we win and

38:38 ↗ no one has to do a whole lot of hard

38:39 ↗ work

38:41 ↗ we don't necessarily have to reinvent

38:42 ↗ the wheel here we have some really good

38:44 ↗ examples that we can follow

38:47 ↗ i selected the i said portland because

38:50 ↗ that's what kept coming up right people

38:52 ↗ had

38:53 ↗ stronger feelings and i about what was

38:55 ↗ good i and i think it would be awesome

38:57 ↗ for us to go through the process

38:58 ↗ ourselves because then we know what

39:00 ↗ we're talking about

39:03 ↗ i love it

39:05 ↗ to add on here

39:06 ↗ i think that it is a really good balance

39:09 ↗ between you know it allows us to be

39:11 ↗ really flexible in having enough detail

39:14 ↗ to reach all situations but also kind of

39:16 ↗ create our own framework to fit our

39:18 ↗ community to kind of go on off of what

39:20 ↗ was off of what ray was saying earlier

39:22 ↗ so i think this would be a really good

39:23 ↗ starting point to kind of pilot that

39:26 ↗ plan

39:27 ↗ further in the future for us

39:30 ↗ thank you

39:32 ↗ great comments

39:34 ↗ everyone else please feel free to join

39:35 ↗ in i was seeing a lot of thumbs up can i

39:38 ↗ can i even take kelly's uh suggestion uh

39:43 ↗ one one one thought further if i can

39:46 ↗ miss tongue twisting um

39:50 ↗ what if

39:52 ↗ because i feel like this is morphing to

39:54 ↗ okay we want a training we

39:56 ↗ there's a general census we kind of like

39:58 ↗ the portland now let's try that out

40:01 ↗ um based on monica's comment of you know

40:04 ↗ the work that you know could come before

40:06 ↗ you coming from very different

40:09 ↗ areas in the city with very different

40:11 ↗ topics you know if we do kind of target

40:15 ↗ that as a sample that we train on that

40:17 ↗ we take two very diverse

40:19 ↗ um bodies of work and try it a couple of

40:23 ↗ times say because if you try it on one

40:24 ↗ thing and and it works well

40:27 ↗ and then you go to apply it somewhere

40:29 ↗ else on an entirely different topic like

40:32 ↗ oh this doesn't go quite the same way so

40:34 ↗ just to kind of have that contrast and

40:36 ↗ comparison on two different areas of the

40:38 ↗ city i don't have fully baked exactly

40:41 ↗ what those two would be i think our

40:43 ↗ consultants you know that would do some

40:45 ↗ training could offer us um

40:48 ↗ that opportunity i think that when

40:50 ↗ bonita walked us through something she

40:52 ↗ gave a recruitment example

40:54 ↗ when shannon walked us through um

40:57 ↗ something she

40:58 ↗ um gave us a parks uh

41:02 ↗ board kind of decision so those were

41:05 ↗ very two different distinct things and i

41:07 ↗ think there's value in in uh in

41:10 ↗ different topics

41:12 ↗ do you would you find that as well if we

41:14 ↗ were to structure such a training for

41:16 ↗ you

41:22 ↗ okay looks like we have lots of thumbs

41:24 ↗ up going on

41:26 ↗ well and shay i gotta say you know she

41:29 ↗ says hr topics are always a great start

41:32 ↗ i mean i'm kind of biased there but

41:36 ↗ but yeah no i'm kidding it's kind of

41:38 ↗ easy to relate to let me say

41:42 ↗ all of us have at one point

41:44 ↗ interviewed for something

41:47 ↗ all of us at one point have

41:49 ↗ had a point where we didn't feel

41:51 ↗ included or we felt like we were leading

41:53 ↗ the charge and we wanted to bring others

41:55 ↗ in i'm sure so

41:57 ↗ i can say that i i believe that that's a

42:00 ↗ great place to start and something that

42:01 ↗ we can all relate to

42:03 ↗ right

42:06 ↗ okay i i know we had scheduled about 45

42:09 ↗ minutes of time it's 6 44.

42:12 ↗ um

42:13 ↗ i i want to make sure i you know walk

42:16 ↗ away with all the input and questions

42:19 ↗ answered but i do believe i

42:22 ↗ i got the direction that i needed in

42:25 ↗ terms of

42:26 ↗ what you all need

42:28 ↗ in order to make a recommendation you

42:30 ↗ know in the days and weeks and months

42:32 ↗ ahead to city council and that starts

42:34 ↗ with a training i think it's an

42:36 ↗ opportunity for you all to connect and

42:38 ↗ use something and a couple different

42:40 ↗ topics but we also got some really good

42:42 ↗ feedback on um what we sensed to be kind

42:46 ↗ of the one that still cap stuck out um

42:49 ↗ so i i think i have what i need but i

42:53 ↗ guess i would just before you're able to

42:54 ↗ get onto your other agenda topics just

42:57 ↗ want to make sure if there's anything

42:59 ↗ else that anybody has input to

43:02 ↗ and

43:03 ↗ uh if i can answer any questions

43:15 ↗ all right well

43:17 ↗ we'll have to look at a date

43:20 ↗ we'll have to figure if that's your

43:22 ↗ regularly scheduled meeting

43:25 ↗ um

43:27 ↗ boy we're already at march so that's

43:28 ↗ april isn't it

43:30 ↗ um so if that's our regularly scheduled

43:32 ↗ meeting in april i'll work with monica

43:35 ↗ um you know to communicate with you all

43:39 ↗ as i uh you know contact a couple

43:41 ↗ trainers i guess that's my other

43:43 ↗ question do you have a preference on a

43:45 ↗ trainer

43:52 ↗ i would say no because i think that you

43:54 ↗ all

43:55 ↗ already chose your trainers and we

43:57 ↗ should be learning the same from the

43:59 ↗ same person that's also teaching you um

44:01 ↗ so that way we kind of know what context

44:03 ↗ we're learning in um and we're not

44:05 ↗ getting different information from

44:07 ↗ different chain trainers um

44:09 ↗ so i would be on board with that um

44:12 ↗ considering that that work has already

44:14 ↗ been done

44:16 ↗ great thank you

44:17 ↗ um yeah we have those resources i think

44:19 ↗ there's a lot of value in us you know um

44:22 ↗ learning along the same lines and so

44:25 ↗ um i'll certainly tap into those

44:27 ↗ resources that we have in place

44:30 ↗ if you have other input you know please

44:32 ↗ feed that through monica she can reach

44:34 ↗ me or you're always you know i'm always

44:36 ↗ available on city email um always a

44:38 ↗ pleasure to come visit i appreciate the

44:40 ↗ time

44:41 ↗ and i will see you again in short order

44:44 ↗ boy a month flew by so um i'm sure uh

44:47 ↗ the same will be true at the next

44:49 ↗ meeting so i appreciate all your time

44:54 ↗ thank you so much stephanie we

44:56 ↗ appreciate you joining us you're welcome

44:58 ↗ to stay if you'd like or drop off if you

45:00 ↗ feel comfortable

45:01 ↗ thank you

45:04 ↗ all righty if we are ready we can

45:06 ↗ actually um

45:08 ↗ let's see is everybody doing okay right

45:10 ↗ now do we need to take a quick break

45:12 ↗ before we move to the next agenda item

45:16 ↗ i see head nods no all right i think we

45:18 ↗ can go ahead and move forward then um

45:21 ↗ our next agenda item is community

45:23 ↗ engagement proposed conversation with

45:26 ↗ tony uh tony would you like to step in

45:28 ↗ and start the conversation or i guess

45:31 ↗ restart the conversation for us

45:34 ↗ i guess i can do that if i can figure

45:37 ↗ out how to hit the mute button or the

45:38 ↗ unmute button but yes uh i guess let's

45:41 ↗ continue on with that conversation uh

45:43 ↗ give me a second and i'll share my

45:45 ↗ screen here and we'll continue on with

45:47 ↗ that

45:47 ↗ yeah go ahead tony and shay um i

45:49 ↗ apologize for interrupting um shay would

45:52 ↗ you be okay if we pause just for a

45:54 ↗ moment for public comments

45:57 ↗ um yes that would be great do we have

45:59 ↗ some members i would like to check in

46:01 ↗ with someone we have one attendee um and

46:04 ↗ i would like to check if they would like

46:05 ↗ to make a public comment

46:07 ↗ uh julian um welcome would you are you

46:11 ↗ interested in making a public comment

46:13 ↗ tonight i'm gonna meet you and i can

46:15 ↗ also bring you up as a panelist

46:17 ↗ welcome would you like to introduce

46:19 ↗ yourself

46:20 ↗ yeah hi i'm just listening in tonight

46:24 ↗ okay thank you so now interested in

46:25 ↗ making a public comment then

46:28 ↗ okay

46:29 ↗ okay welcome

46:31 ↗ thank you for being here

46:33 ↗ um

46:34 ↗ hey we do not have other um

46:37 ↗ residents who have signed up for public

46:38 ↗ comments so i think that that can

46:41 ↗ be it's them for tonight

46:44 ↗ um

46:45 ↗ awesome thank you well we thank you for

46:47 ↗ joining us we appreciate it um again

46:50 ↗ we'll go ahead and try to move to the

46:52 ↗ next um agenda item

46:54 ↗ uh tony are you ready

46:57 ↗ i am ready shay

46:59 ↗ yes all right let's get started all

47:02 ↗ right let's get started so when we last

47:04 ↗ talked in our

47:05 ↗ community conversation uh we talked a

47:08 ↗ lot about of course equity um but uh

47:11 ↗ give me a second i'm having a little bit

47:13 ↗ of an issue with sharing my screen right

47:15 ↗ now from that last presentation that we

47:16 ↗ gave so i am having a little bit of a

47:18 ↗ problem here so give me just a minute

47:21 ↗ um

47:22 ↗ honey i can assign you the the role of

47:25 ↗ um um and sharing the material if you

47:28 ↗ would like um before you go into that

47:30 ↗ detail would you like to have a higher

47:33 ↗ level conversation on how we have kimchi

47:36 ↗ engagement and the conversations or

47:38 ↗ would you prefer to go through your

47:40 ↗ presentation and then we leave

47:42 ↗ the yeah let's have a higher level

47:43 ↗ conversation no let's do that let's do

47:45 ↗ those have a higher level conversation

47:47 ↗ about

47:48 ↗ the community conversations and how

47:49 ↗ important they are um excuse me

47:53 ↗ of course

47:54 ↗ can you hear me

47:55 ↗ yeah

47:56 ↗ sorry

47:57 ↗ sorry about that okay so um of course we

48:01 ↗ had our one of our first community

48:02 ↗ conversations last uh last last month

48:05 ↗ camp february went by so fast already

48:07 ↗ been able to say last month uh for black

48:09 ↗ history month um a number of two

48:12 ↗ different uh community conversations um

48:15 ↗ one was a a panel session in which we

48:17 ↗ talked about the importance of black

48:19 ↗ history month uh the other conversation

48:22 ↗ uh i really wouldn't say this

48:23 ↗ conversation more of an event we had

48:24 ↗ some fun night with uh trivia uh with uh

48:27 ↗ a great game and just uh just going

48:30 ↗ through and learning some things about

48:32 ↗ black history month and

48:34 ↗ the the community conversations i think

48:37 ↗ are very very important to of course um

48:40 ↗ for learning you know not not only just

48:42 ↗ learning about let's say

48:45 ↗ each other but also learning about our

48:47 ↗ community and what they think about

48:49 ↗ certain topics that may have been

48:51 ↗ involving inequity and of course that

48:53 ↗ leads to the equity conversation that we

48:55 ↗ had

48:57 ↗ i believe that was in december when we

48:58 ↗ had that first conversation about equity

49:00 ↗ and so really just all lead into that

49:03 ↗ lens of

49:04 ↗ of an understanding of what equity means

49:08 ↗ to to each other and to everyone um but

49:10 ↗ before i begin that presentation i'm

49:12 ↗ having a little bit of a problem i would

49:13 ↗ like to actually um you know throw it to

49:17 ↗ uh to to you guys in an open-ended

49:19 ↗ conversation as far as

49:21 ↗ equity

49:22 ↗ as i go through my technical issues and

49:24 ↗ i'm having right now

49:27 ↗ let me just ask a quick question

49:28 ↗ as far as equity is concerned

49:31 ↗ what is it that is important to you

49:34 ↗ about equity and then i will get this

49:36 ↗ ready to go

49:41 ↗ i'd be happy to start if um no one else

49:44 ↗ wants to start

49:46 ↗ um i think that it's really important

49:48 ↗ that equity

49:49 ↗ is

49:50 ↗ um

49:51 ↗ i don't want to say necessarily tailored

49:54 ↗ but adjustable

49:56 ↗ um specifically because everyone's

49:58 ↗ equitable needs is they're not going to

50:00 ↗ be the same um

50:02 ↗ much like the the photo that we've all

50:04 ↗ seen

50:05 ↗ some people like baseball some people

50:06 ↗ don't and so we we may not need to get

50:09 ↗ them you know a standing space to see

50:11 ↗ over the fence

50:13 ↗ um

50:14 ↗ and we want to try to expose everyone to

50:18 ↗ a different belief system as well

50:21 ↗ because a lot of people choose what they

50:23 ↗ want to do or what they want to see in

50:25 ↗ equity based on

50:27 ↗ what they know so if we're not sharing

50:29 ↗ those belief systems and

50:32 ↗ giving people a better understanding of

50:34 ↗ those i think that limits how we can

50:36 ↗ make things equitable

50:39 ↗ absolutely

50:40 ↗ great comment shay

50:42 ↗ all right and um i saw alyssa next and

50:45 ↗ then ray

50:46 ↗ um but feel free to jump in as soon as

50:48 ↗ you see someone finish

50:51 ↗ i think i think just be backing off for

50:54 ↗ what you just said shay it's more about

50:57 ↗ going directly to that community and

51:01 ↗ understanding what it is that they need

51:03 ↗ rather than assuming what they need or

51:06 ↗ want

51:07 ↗ so that everyone has a voice at the

51:09 ↗ table and you know we're not just

51:13 ↗ thinking that we're being equitable by

51:15 ↗ deciding for other people without giving

51:17 ↗ them a voice of their own

51:23 ↗ very great comment thank you alyssa um

51:26 ↗ and ray are you ready

51:28 ↗ i am yeah

51:29 ↗ you know one of the things that

51:30 ↗ fascinated me about one of our earlier

51:32 ↗ meetings was the the sharing of

51:34 ↗ demographics what what what what makes

51:37 ↗ up issaquah as far as the population and

51:41 ↗ from there have an understanding of

51:42 ↗ where the majority lies and when we talk

51:45 ↗ about equity what are the needs of those

51:47 ↗ communities that are larger than others

51:50 ↗ in addition to other important topics

51:52 ↗ like homelessness uh is this i'm sure

51:54 ↗ the city takes this into consideration

51:55 ↗ but perhaps we can have that on our

51:57 ↗ radar if we know that there's a lot of

52:02 ↗ middle eastern families in one area or

52:04 ↗ the needs of a south asian fat or larger

52:06 ↗ south asian community so those things

52:09 ↗ that really fascinated me is what

52:11 ↗ what makes the what what is the makeup

52:14 ↗ of our

52:15 ↗ immediate surroundings it's fun to show

52:17 ↗ that

52:20 ↗ and great i just want to finish that

52:22 ↗ thought by saying what's the makeup and

52:25 ↗ making sure that our decisions are are

52:29 ↗ using that data

52:30 ↗ so we know that but if we then just kind

52:33 ↗ of ignore that data

52:35 ↗ and

52:36 ↗ make decisions that aren't consistent

52:38 ↗ with that

52:38 ↗ then you know that's not helpful so i

52:41 ↗ agree definitely having the data looking

52:44 ↗ at it but then you really using that

52:46 ↗ data and incorporating it into our

52:48 ↗ decisions

52:53 ↗ thank you and appreciate if you're ready

52:54 ↗ to give your comment

52:56 ↗ sure so when i think about equity i

52:58 ↗ really think about um undoing the impact

53:01 ↗ of structural racism over 400 years of

53:04 ↗ u.s history

53:06 ↗ so um and i guess not just

53:09 ↗ racism but thinking about um oppression

53:12 ↗ of other groups of people in our society

53:17 ↗ and so that you know means uh

53:21 ↗ like i think other folks have said you

53:23 ↗ know raising the voices of those most

53:25 ↗ impacted in our communities and putting

53:28 ↗ power and

53:29 ↗ access to power and decision making in

53:31 ↗ their hands for uh the solutions that

53:34 ↗ work the best for them

53:39 ↗ and uh oh before i speak i'll let megan

53:42 ↗ go please

53:45 ↗ um

53:46 ↗ so when i think about equity and what

53:48 ↗ that means i think of equal opportunity

53:51 ↗ and how are we giving those marginalized

53:53 ↗ minority groups that equal opportunity

53:55 ↗ what services are out there to help

53:58 ↗ uplift those and give them access to all

54:00 ↗ the resources the world has available

54:03 ↗ um so i think that's something that's

54:05 ↗ important when we're considering uh

54:07 ↗ diversity and inclusion work for sure

54:12 ↗ thank you so much megan

54:14 ↗ and um i just kind of wanted to

54:15 ↗ piggyback off of everyone in that um i

54:18 ↗ think it's important to acknowledge too

54:20 ↗ that we aren't going to be able to um in

54:24 ↗ terms that i use at work boil the ocean

54:26 ↗ right

54:27 ↗ so we need to be okay with the fact that

54:29 ↗ we may not be able to reach every person

54:32 ↗ we're trying to reach it is a long

54:35 ↗ journey and it can be very emotional and

54:38 ↗ we need to make sure that we are taking

54:40 ↗ care of ourselves as well

54:42 ↗ and doing having the best intent

54:46 ↗ is kind of how we start um and

54:49 ↗ recognizing that we may not be able to

54:51 ↗ reach everyone that we'd like to reach

54:53 ↗ we just want to try to do as much as we

54:55 ↗ can in the capacity that we can um and

54:58 ↗ sometimes that means we may end up

55:00 ↗ disappointing some people um but

55:03 ↗ we have the intention of making sure

55:05 ↗ that we can try to reach everyone in our

55:08 ↗ community in a better way

55:11 ↗ yeah to kind of add on to what you said

55:12 ↗ there i think like one of the most

55:14 ↗ important things about equity like you

55:16 ↗ said how we can't get to everyone and so

55:18 ↗ we may have to like have priorities is

55:20 ↗ that equity is like ever it's always

55:22 ↗ changing so we're always going to have

55:24 ↗ to like reevaluate our priorities and

55:26 ↗ like the specific like equity

55:27 ↗ initiatives we want to take in a

55:29 ↗ reference to like the marginalized

55:30 ↗ community and it even kind of goes back

55:32 ↗ to what ray was saying about like

55:34 ↗ evaluating the demographics around us

55:36 ↗ because like that's always changing

55:37 ↗ obviously and so it's okay it's like um

55:41 ↗ a step we take now in terms of equity

55:43 ↗ that doesn't make as much sense in a

55:45 ↗ year and we kind of have to change our

55:47 ↗ priorities and reevaluate what we want

55:49 ↗ to do

55:52 ↗ thank you so much jacob that was such a

55:54 ↗ great comment

55:55 ↗ does anyone else have any comments or

55:57 ↗ questions before we allow tony to go

55:59 ↗ ahead and

56:00 ↗ present for us

56:05 ↗ such great stuff great work team

56:09 ↗ oh and i see tony's ready thank you so

56:11 ↗ much

56:16 ↗ yes i am ready and my mute button is

56:18 ↗ finally working correctly now so um i

56:21 ↗ think when we last talked we were of

56:23 ↗ course talking about uh when we were

56:25 ↗ having our let's say equity board

56:28 ↗ conversation about equity so to speak

56:31 ↗ we

56:32 ↗ we talked about

56:34 ↗ the

56:36 ↗ this particular slide here

56:39 ↗ you know what let me i'm sorry you can't

56:41 ↗ really see what's on this slide but

56:44 ↗ we we got to hear we talked a lot about

56:46 ↗ um viewing the lens of equity from the

56:49 ↗ lens of maybe someone who has a little

56:50 ↗ bit of privilege or a lot of privilege

56:52 ↗ in the case of this picture

56:54 ↗ we're able to actually see

56:56 ↗ um you know what's going on in a

56:58 ↗ baseball game versus someone who's got

57:00 ↗ maybe a a a huge amount of privilege

57:03 ↗ where they can see the absolute

57:05 ↗ everything that's going on and versus

57:07 ↗ someone who's not being able to see

57:10 ↗ um

57:11 ↗ anything um and then that involves of

57:13 ↗ course a lot of you know how does equity

57:15 ↗ look you know

57:17 ↗ does equity look like equality i mean

57:20 ↗ this is like what the reality is the

57:21 ↗ reality of the situation is many people

57:24 ↗ aren't able to

57:27 ↗ to to view the world to experience the

57:30 ↗ world be in the world like others um and

57:32 ↗ we had a long conversation about that

57:34 ↗ and everyone gave their opinions and had

57:36 ↗ some great things we didn't get to this

57:38 ↗ part here and i think this is what our

57:41 ↗ with our fellow issaquahns i'm not sure

57:43 ↗ what we call ourselves but our um

57:46 ↗ our our fellow community our fellow

57:49 ↗ members of the community

57:51 ↗ sometimes equity is confused i think

57:53 ↗ with equality

57:55 ↗ and i mean what does that look like i'm

57:57 ↗ going to just kind of you know we're

57:58 ↗ starting to have a great conversation um

58:02 ↗ tonight on um equity but what about

58:04 ↗ equality i mean

58:06 ↗ what do you see is do you see equality

58:08 ↗ as something that

58:10 ↗ is

58:12 ↗ subjective do you see it as something

58:14 ↗ that that you know equality exists in

58:17 ↗ our culture and climate and city you

58:19 ↗ know is it enough what are your thoughts

58:29 ↗ um and i would say that

58:32 ↗ we are seeing more

58:34 ↗ equality for sure

58:36 ↗ um there are a lot of people starting at

58:39 ↗ a good point however

58:42 ↗ that doesn't necessarily mean that we've

58:44 ↗ addressed all their needs um as the

58:46 ↗ pitcher demonstrates you know um the

58:50 ↗ last little gentleman there he may need

58:53 ↗ an extra step that we're not providing

58:56 ↗ um and it's about providing those

58:58 ↗ options i think to make sure that we can

59:02 ↗ meet everyone's needs everyone has the

59:04 ↗ ability to

59:06 ↗ feel the the equity in our community and

59:09 ↗ not necessarily that we um

59:12 ↗ just work to make it equal across the

59:14 ↗ board because equal across the board is

59:16 ↗ never going to be equal for everyone

59:20 ↗ absolutely

59:22 ↗ yeah some and so i i can't remember who

59:25 ↗ coined the phrase that basically

59:27 ↗ equality is not equity and i think you

59:29 ↗ know

59:30 ↗ back in the 60s at the the fight i mean

59:32 ↗ i was just a little kid in the late in

59:35 ↗ the late 60s but of course i had i knew

59:37 ↗ nothing of it until the 70s and 80s and

59:40 ↗ the thought was always about equality

59:42 ↗ like everyone's equal everyone's equal

59:43 ↗ everyone's equal but

59:45 ↗ yeah in my in my opinion it's like you

59:47 ↗ know equality is

59:49 ↗ it was good for its time

59:51 ↗ but it's not enough for today

59:54 ↗ any other thoughts from anyone

59:58 ↗ all right i think last time

1:00:00 ↗ um when we were having this conversation

1:00:03 ↗ i want to say it was kelly who made a

1:00:05 ↗ great comment which was

1:00:07 ↗ tear the fence down i don't want to be

1:00:09 ↗ at the fence you know why

1:00:12 ↗ why are we talking about how well these

1:00:13 ↗ folks can see over the fence when all

1:00:15 ↗ those other people get to sit in the

1:00:16 ↗ stands

1:00:18 ↗ and

1:00:19 ↗ i just thought that was such a great

1:00:20 ↗ comment and it really it really does

1:00:23 ↗ speak to

1:00:25 ↗ what what we're really trying to get to

1:00:27 ↗ so in the stands everyone is sitting in

1:00:29 ↗ a seat many times the stands are

1:00:31 ↗ elevated so that the person sitting you

1:00:34 ↗ know behind you their seat is a little

1:00:36 ↗ bit further raised so that you're not

1:00:39 ↗ the person in front of them isn't

1:00:40 ↗ blocking your view they're not all at

1:00:42 ↗ the same level but they're all in a

1:00:44 ↗ position to where they can see the game

1:00:46 ↗ um

1:00:47 ↗ you know together and experience it

1:00:50 ↗ together

1:00:51 ↗ um and and i think i think that's where

1:00:53 ↗ we're trying to get to that's where we

1:00:55 ↗ need to get to

1:00:57 ↗ and that you know it isn't it isn't that

1:01:00 ↗ those seats in the in the bleachers are

1:01:02 ↗ are all the same levels that were equal

1:01:04 ↗ right

1:01:05 ↗ but they all afford everyone an

1:01:07 ↗ opportunity

1:01:08 ↗ to

1:01:11 ↗ to participate together

1:01:18 ↗ great comment

1:01:22 ↗ any others i can't see chat

1:01:25 ↗ unfortunately so

1:01:26 ↗ i have no idea if i should move on

1:01:29 ↗ um lorna would please come off me

1:01:33 ↗ so to me as a parent um i think i looked

1:01:36 ↗ at equality and equity in the length of

1:01:38 ↗ the mom

1:01:39 ↗ for me

1:01:40 ↗ i was always raised that

1:01:43 ↗ parent should always love all their

1:01:44 ↗ children i

1:01:45 ↗ strongly believe that

1:01:47 ↗ and i make sure that

1:01:50 ↗ i never favor one child yet

1:01:52 ↗ that's equality

1:01:54 ↗ but equity is what i give each child

1:01:58 ↗ one of my children her love language is

1:02:00 ↗ more in touch and the other one is more

1:02:02 ↗ from service

1:02:04 ↗ so i am not going to love give them

1:02:08 ↗ both the same thing

1:02:09 ↗ i am going to give them what they need

1:02:12 ↗ so for me equity is more about giving

1:02:14 ↗ people and meeting people at where they

1:02:16 ↗ are and what they need

1:02:18 ↗ not really giving everyone everything

1:02:20 ↗ equally because they might not need that

1:02:23 ↗ thing

1:02:24 ↗ so we're always looking in me when i

1:02:26 ↗ look at equity it's meeting people at

1:02:28 ↗ where they are and making sure that

1:02:30 ↗ their needs they need there's no

1:02:32 ↗ barriers for them to get what they need

1:02:36 ↗ artificial or

1:02:38 ↗ otherwise

1:02:39 ↗ oil barriers and getting the baby that

1:02:42 ↗ means equity

1:02:46 ↗ fantastic thank you lorna that was a

1:02:49 ↗ great

1:02:50 ↗ comparison

1:02:54 ↗ so before the next comment i just wanted

1:02:56 ↗ to bring up this particular slide

1:02:57 ↗ because as lorna was speaking to it as

1:02:59 ↗ everyone was speaking to it before i

1:03:00 ↗ could um bring up my presentation

1:03:03 ↗ and this involves of course uh the

1:03:05 ↗ reason why we have we want to have

1:03:07 ↗ cultural conversations you know we want

1:03:09 ↗ to have those um you know i'm hoping to

1:03:12 ↗ you know we can do something like a

1:03:14 ↗ cultural conversation not just based on

1:03:16 ↗ okay it's black history month or

1:03:19 ↗ um or latino history month or hispanic

1:03:21 ↗ history month or jewish history month

1:03:23 ↗ would love to actually continue to have

1:03:25 ↗ equity conversations and conversations

1:03:28 ↗ that are cultural based on

1:03:31 ↗ many different cultures i mean uh jane

1:03:33 ↗ elliott had um

1:03:35 ↗ i was watching some um some content that

1:03:38 ↗ she had put out years ago jane elliott

1:03:39 ↗ is uh she does a lot of work and equity

1:03:41 ↗ she's done

1:03:43 ↗ a lot of work in

1:03:46 ↗ and and educating others to

1:03:48 ↗ uh racism and to um the history of the

1:03:51 ↗ united states and where we've actually

1:03:53 ↗ come from as a as a country and she's

1:03:56 ↗ done some great um i don't i want to

1:03:58 ↗ call them social experiments but uh i i

1:04:00 ↗ definitely invite you guys to look her

1:04:02 ↗ up sometime uh there's a lot of great

1:04:04 ↗ content out by her but she mentioned

1:04:05 ↗ something about that uh

1:04:07 ↗ she said that you know the united states

1:04:09 ↗ of america

1:04:10 ↗ we call ourselves a melting pot and we

1:04:12 ↗ really shouldn't be a melting pot i mean

1:04:15 ↗ we really should be a salad bowl you

1:04:17 ↗ know if we put everything in a melting

1:04:19 ↗ pot um you know i think probably a lot

1:04:21 ↗ of people like fondue i love fondue um

1:04:23 ↗ but you know you put your you put your

1:04:25 ↗ all your different ingredients you might

1:04:26 ↗ want in a melting pot they all meld

1:04:28 ↗ together and they all become this one

1:04:30 ↗ thing but that involves in like you know

1:04:32 ↗ assimilation right i mean many many

1:04:35 ↗ years ago we never really talked about

1:04:36 ↗ assimilation we all just kind of came

1:04:39 ↗ to the united states in some way shape

1:04:41 ↗ or form um either by voluntarily or by

1:04:45 ↗ force but we we're all here um but we

1:04:48 ↗ should be a salad bowl because it's like

1:04:49 ↗ a salad like you know i'm a i i'd love

1:04:52 ↗ i'm a meat eater but i do love salad but

1:04:54 ↗ what's in the salad you know you've got

1:04:55 ↗ your great lettuce you've got some

1:04:57 ↗ peppers you've got some carrots you've

1:04:58 ↗ got all of these great things maybe some

1:05:00 ↗ croutons and they all just kind of meld

1:05:03 ↗ together but they all have their own

1:05:06 ↗ likeness and culture and and greatness

1:05:09 ↗ and weaknesses and when we

1:05:12 ↗ i think if we can always think about

1:05:14 ↗ equity in terms of that

1:05:16 ↗ then i think that you know whether it be

1:05:18 ↗ racial whether it be social economic

1:05:22 ↗ whether it be

1:05:23 ↗ um

1:05:24 ↗ being able-bodied or not able-bodied and

1:05:26 ↗ many other different ways whether even

1:05:28 ↗ sexual orientation but

1:05:31 ↗ that's what that's what i love about

1:05:32 ↗ what we do

1:05:34 ↗ and what we want to do for our community

1:05:36 ↗ uh in terms of equity

1:05:39 ↗ but i would like to know

1:05:41 ↗ from you guys i mean i kind of breezed a

1:05:43 ↗ little bit about cultural conversations

1:05:45 ↗ but i want to ask you what a little bit

1:05:47 ↗ about this picture here

1:05:49 ↗ what do you think is b would be the

1:05:51 ↗ hardest individual in this picture

1:05:53 ↗ to

1:05:54 ↗ [Music]

1:05:55 ↗ convince that equity is important

1:06:02 ↗ i see alyssa's ready

1:06:06 ↗ sorry it does touch on this picture um

1:06:09 ↗ it was really uh piggyback off of what

1:06:11 ↗ lorna was saying um before which is in

1:06:14 ↗ terms of

1:06:15 ↗ giving each of your children what they

1:06:17 ↗ need not necessarily giving them equal

1:06:19 ↗ but giving them what they need

1:06:21 ↗ and and that's kind of what this picture

1:06:22 ↗ to me speaks to is that you know to me i

1:06:25 ↗ think of our country as a team

1:06:27 ↗ and i want the team to be successful i

1:06:30 ↗ want the whole country to be successful

1:06:31 ↗ i want everyone in it to be successful

1:06:34 ↗ and it's not helpful

1:06:36 ↗ if i don't give each team member what

1:06:40 ↗ they need in order to be the most

1:06:42 ↗ successful

1:06:44 ↗ and

1:06:45 ↗ you know while the person who isn't

1:06:48 ↗ standing on a box you know might

1:06:50 ↗ interpret that as oh i didn't get what

1:06:52 ↗ they got

1:06:54 ↗ i think that there's there is a complete

1:06:57 ↗ mind shift and culture shift that we

1:06:58 ↗ have to do

1:07:00 ↗ that that makes us all see each other as

1:07:03 ↗ a team and say okay if we both have what

1:07:06 ↗ we need in order to be the most

1:07:08 ↗ successful then we're all better

1:07:12 ↗ off for it

1:07:17 ↗ very good alyssa i like that comment

1:07:19 ↗ thank you so much alyssa

1:07:20 ↗ and to kind of piggyback off of what

1:07:23 ↗ alyssa said um

1:07:25 ↗ i think the

1:07:26 ↗ person um

1:07:28 ↗ in in the front is going to have the

1:07:30 ↗ hardest time because much to your point

1:07:34 ↗ no one wants to feel like they have to

1:07:35 ↗ give up something even if it is for the

1:07:38 ↗ greater good or for everyone else to

1:07:40 ↗ have something

1:07:41 ↗ um

1:07:42 ↗ and that's just the nature of our

1:07:44 ↗ society and changing that mindset or

1:07:46 ↗ changing those belief systems

1:07:48 ↗ is is where um i tend to focus my

1:07:51 ↗ efforts because sometimes your belief

1:07:54 ↗ systems may not be what you think

1:07:56 ↗ um i i often have to remind people that

1:07:59 ↗ um

1:08:00 ↗ making room for others doesn't

1:08:02 ↗ necessarily mean that we're gonna take

1:08:03 ↗ anything away from you

1:08:05 ↗ um

1:08:06 ↗ and

1:08:07 ↗ that does still mean that their

1:08:09 ↗ sacrifice but their sacrifice on all

1:08:11 ↗ ends um the person that needs the extra

1:08:14 ↗ help has to reach up a little higher or

1:08:16 ↗ has to ask a little bit more

1:08:18 ↗ the person that um is inviting them in

1:08:22 ↗ has to give a little more um it's like i

1:08:25 ↗ i

1:08:26 ↗ generally kind of compare it to the

1:08:29 ↗ introvert and the extrovert the

1:08:31 ↗ extrovert's ready to jump out and invite

1:08:33 ↗ everyone in but the introvert needs to

1:08:35 ↗ feel a connection with that person to

1:08:37 ↗ feel like they're welcomed

1:08:40 ↗ or they need a little bit more

1:08:41 ↗ encouragement to say come on over we

1:08:44 ↗ want to hear your ideas

1:08:46 ↗ and that can be difficult

1:08:52 ↗ good you know before the next

1:08:53 ↗ comment i'm just going to throw

1:08:54 ↗ something else in there and we're going

1:08:55 ↗ to talk more about cultural

1:08:56 ↗ conversations but when i look at this

1:08:58 ↗ picture um and i see you know let's say

1:09:01 ↗ from how

1:09:02 ↗ let's say we started the conversation in

1:09:04 ↗ terms of reality and you got this

1:09:06 ↗ gentleman that's on the left-hand side

1:09:08 ↗ he's got three boxes right and then the

1:09:10 ↗ person here well we'll just say they've

1:09:12 ↗ got one box nothing changed for them in

1:09:15 ↗ terms of equity but

1:09:17 ↗ like you know the individual in the far

1:09:19 ↗ left in terms of equity could view it

1:09:21 ↗ like you were saying shay and you were

1:09:22 ↗ saying alyssa and lorna you mentioned as

1:09:24 ↗ well could see it as like you've given

1:09:26 ↗ all of my boxes away you've given like

1:09:29 ↗ two of them to

1:09:30 ↗ to this other person and just

1:09:33 ↗ eradicated one or the other one um

1:09:36 ↗ but how do you think that we should we

1:09:37 ↗ should have cultural conversations to

1:09:39 ↗ turn that mindset around

1:09:46 ↗ so we'll keep the other comment that was

1:09:47 ↗ out there like which will be the hardest

1:09:48 ↗ person so if anyone wanted to comment on

1:09:51 ↗ that um and

1:09:52 ↗ but you know the second part of the

1:09:54 ↗ question would be you know how do you

1:09:56 ↗ how do you have a how do you have

1:09:58 ↗ cultural conversations with this type of

1:09:59 ↗ individual

1:10:02 ↗ and i think kelly would like to try me

1:10:04 ↗ in for us first on that one

1:10:07 ↗ this is kind of complex in my head so

1:10:10 ↗ bear with me

1:10:11 ↗ but uh

1:10:12 ↗ i'm really struck with the what elisa

1:10:14 ↗ has been saying over and over

1:10:18 ↗ that is incredibly important and that is

1:10:20 ↗ that it

1:10:21 ↗ to me it might be not the person

1:10:25 ↗ who on the left

1:10:27 ↗ it might be the person we can't see who

1:10:30 ↗ tells everybody what to do

1:10:32 ↗ that that's the person we've got to get

1:10:34 ↗ to because if we're telling the guy on

1:10:36 ↗ the left that he's going to lose

1:10:38 ↗ something we're saying it in a way we're

1:10:40 ↗ doing it in a way where that

1:10:43 ↗ result that's a mess

1:10:46 ↗ if we're giving the one box to the

1:10:48 ↗ person in the middle but they don't even

1:10:50 ↗ want to be there

1:10:52 ↗ then we messed it up and then we give

1:10:54 ↗ two boxes to

1:10:56 ↗ the gentleman on the far right

1:10:59 ↗ who is feeling now like well i got too

1:11:01 ↗ much i maybe have been could have done

1:11:03 ↗ one you see what i'm saying it's like

1:11:05 ↗ the hardest person to me

1:11:08 ↗ is the people who are really well

1:11:09 ↗ intentioned but aren't thinking this

1:11:12 ↗ through are not

1:11:13 ↗ they're not asking what is needed to get

1:11:16 ↗ back to elise's point

1:11:18 ↗ and that that is the hardest because we

1:11:20 ↗ there's an awful lot of us who are out

1:11:22 ↗ there including myself at different

1:11:24 ↗ points in my life who are trying to fix

1:11:26 ↗ things and making it worse

1:11:33 ↗ kelly that was so prolific um that's

1:11:37 ↗ that's a lot to think on

1:11:40 ↗ because yes we are all good attention

1:11:43 ↗ and sometimes good intentions don't

1:11:45 ↗ necessarily get us where we need to go

1:11:51 ↗ were there any other comments that

1:11:52 ↗ someone would like to jump off mute

1:11:54 ↗ any other comments in chat shape

1:11:57 ↗ um yes i see lorna has a comment please

1:12:00 ↗ lorna come off mute

1:12:03 ↗ the scarcity model i think is the

1:12:05 ↗ hardest

1:12:06 ↗ that's exactly where i see the most

1:12:09 ↗ number of people

1:12:11 ↗ fight back on equity

1:12:16 ↗ one of the things

1:12:17 ↗ let me stop you just really quickly

1:12:18 ↗ we're still str well i'm struggling to

1:12:21 ↗ hear you and i really want to hear what

1:12:22 ↗ you have to say

1:12:23 ↗ sorry i turned my volume down because

1:12:25 ↗ otherwise it's too loud for me

1:12:27 ↗ uh so my

1:12:28 ↗ the comment

1:12:29 ↗ on um tony's first question about

1:12:33 ↗ would be the hardest would be for the

1:12:34 ↗ person who's not getting the bug because

1:12:36 ↗ of the scarcity model

1:12:38 ↗ thought that people have you know nobody

1:12:40 ↗ wants

1:12:41 ↗ um

1:12:42 ↗ everyone believes oh many people believe

1:12:44 ↗ that resources are scarce

1:12:46 ↗ and very often when we offer resources

1:12:48 ↗ to people when um you talk about equity

1:12:52 ↗ people get frustrated because they feel

1:12:54 ↗ like

1:12:55 ↗ some families that wouldn't get or some

1:12:56 ↗ people are going to get an unfair number

1:12:58 ↗ of extra

1:13:00 ↗ resources but it should always be equal

1:13:03 ↗ number of resources and so scarcity i

1:13:06 ↗ think is one of the biggest things and

1:13:07 ↗ that's what we'd always have to teach

1:13:10 ↗ and share with the person who doesn't

1:13:12 ↗ have a box why didn't you get a box

1:13:15 ↗ and somebody else got two and what does

1:13:18 ↗ that mean so that that is the hardest

1:13:20 ↗ part

1:13:21 ↗ so it's more like we want to

1:13:24 ↗ we have to figure out how to help people

1:13:27 ↗ get what they need and help them realize

1:13:29 ↗ that resources are

1:13:31 ↗ not going not as scarce and how do we

1:13:34 ↗ help them understand that

1:13:36 ↗ it exists especially for people or

1:13:39 ↗ situations when

1:13:41 ↗ resources are scarce you know

1:13:43 ↗ so what does that mean so that 20 year

1:13:45 ↗ question was really hard and something

1:13:47 ↗ that i struggle with all the time

1:13:49 ↗ people really push for equality

1:13:53 ↗ because that's what we have been

1:13:54 ↗ programmed to believe in this country

1:13:56 ↗ especially

1:13:58 ↗ versus equity which is a very different

1:14:00 ↗ concept and underlying

1:14:02 ↗ fundamentally underlying concept

1:14:04 ↗ especially in a country where it was all

1:14:06 ↗ people are created equal

1:14:08 ↗ so we want to treat all our kids equal

1:14:11 ↗ we want to give everyone equal resources

1:14:13 ↗ but now what does it mean that they're

1:14:15 ↗ saying

1:14:16 ↗ give people what they need

1:14:18 ↗ which might not always be an equal

1:14:22 ↗ they don't have the best answer for that

1:14:23 ↗ is just something that feels struggling

1:14:29 ↗ thank you so much for their comment

1:14:31 ↗ lorna

1:14:32 ↗ um you make such great points

1:14:35 ↗ because i almost wonder if we start with

1:14:38 ↗ equity

1:14:39 ↗ um or if we start with equality much too

1:14:42 ↗ um similar to what preethi said where do

1:14:44 ↗ we start um is do we put the egg first

1:14:47 ↗ or the chicken

1:14:50 ↗ because i'm wondering if

1:14:52 ↗ we

1:14:53 ↗ how might we make this a little bit of

1:14:56 ↗ both right um can we give everyone a

1:14:59 ↗ small box to

1:15:01 ↗ say that it's equal and then

1:15:03 ↗ um

1:15:04 ↗ allow

1:15:06 ↗ though everyone to tell us what they

1:15:08 ↗ need um and then it to me it's really

1:15:12 ↗ important that we come from a place of

1:15:13 ↗ abundance

1:15:14 ↗ because um i think

1:15:17 ↗ we as humans don't realize how much we

1:15:19 ↗ actually have

1:15:21 ↗ and how much we could actually still

1:15:23 ↗ share and still have

1:15:25 ↗ um and that's that's a really hard

1:15:28 ↗ concept to put into people's minds um

1:15:33 ↗ but

1:15:34 ↗ i uh i'm sorry alyssa i saw you had a

1:15:36 ↗ comment would you please come off mute

1:15:38 ↗ and share with us

1:15:41 ↗ so

1:15:41 ↗ i think i think and i i can't remember

1:15:44 ↗ exactly what tony your question was but

1:15:47 ↗ i think i remember my response to it

1:15:49 ↗ which was that

1:15:51 ↗ you know i think part of helping the

1:15:53 ↗ person understand that they're not

1:15:57 ↗ losing something

1:15:58 ↗ is helping them understand the trade-off

1:16:00 ↗ so we're looking at you know a very

1:16:02 ↗ simplistic picture here

1:16:04 ↗ and the reality is that

1:16:07 ↗ you know by not giving that assistance

1:16:10 ↗ what am i doing i'm paying more in tax

1:16:12 ↗ money perhaps

1:16:14 ↗ to

1:16:15 ↗ fund

1:16:18 ↗ fixing the homelessness problem

1:16:20 ↗ because i'm not willing to give as much

1:16:22 ↗ money towards say education

1:16:25 ↗ or to mental health issues so

1:16:28 ↗ you know i'm still paying i'm still

1:16:30 ↗ losing

1:16:32 ↗ by by not wanting to give that resource

1:16:37 ↗ i am giving a resource it's just the

1:16:39 ↗ question of where am i giving it

1:16:41 ↗ in in the real situations so

1:16:44 ↗ by in other words by

1:16:46 ↗ not

1:16:47 ↗ um

1:16:48 ↗ having equity

1:16:50 ↗ and

1:16:50 ↗ not oh giving people what they need in

1:16:53 ↗ order to be successful

1:16:56 ↗ i therefore am actually hurting myself

1:16:59 ↗ i'm hurting the team but i'm hurting

1:17:01 ↗ myself too

1:17:02 ↗ because now i have to

1:17:04 ↗ contribute even more resources to deal

1:17:07 ↗ with other issues that are not dealt

1:17:10 ↗ with

1:17:11 ↗ if that makes sense

1:17:13 ↗ that totally makes sense absolutely

1:17:18 ↗ such a great point alyssa such a great

1:17:20 ↗ point yeah a lot of great thinkers in

1:17:23 ↗ our group

1:17:25 ↗ so true

1:17:27 ↗ please anyone else i didn't see a

1:17:29 ↗ comment and

1:17:31 ↗ for a question in the chat

1:17:33 ↗ um monica do you have any remarks for us

1:17:38 ↗ i'm just enjoying and again just blown

1:17:40 ↗ away by um just

1:17:42 ↗ um thoughtful and insightful

1:17:46 ↗ conversations you're having um

1:17:48 ↗ so yeah just yeah um once we um complete

1:17:52 ↗ the topic towards the end would love to

1:17:54 ↗ continue conversation with you and tony

1:17:56 ↗ on um kind of like planning and

1:17:59 ↗ continuing i think

1:18:01 ↗ um community level conversations and

1:18:03 ↗ within the boards i would love a few

1:18:05 ↗ minutes to discuss that but only once we

1:18:08 ↗ finish this

1:18:10 ↗ just great great topic so thank you

1:18:14 ↗ and tony before you proceed i'd like to

1:18:15 ↗ just take a quick pause to just check

1:18:17 ↗ and see how check in with the group see

1:18:19 ↗ how everyone's doing are we all okay

1:18:23 ↗ anyone need a break a bio break or

1:18:25 ↗ anything

1:18:28 ↗ all right lovely tony please continue

1:18:30 ↗ all right

1:18:31 ↗ so

1:18:32 ↗ i think it was

1:18:34 ↗ i think was kelly who you mentioned that

1:18:36 ↗ you know basically i think you were the

1:18:37 ↗ first person to mention tearing down the

1:18:38 ↗ walls and i believe helen you were the

1:18:41 ↗ first person that mentioned it when we

1:18:42 ↗ started this conversation in december

1:18:44 ↗ you mentioned that if the wall where it

1:18:46 ↗ was just gone that would be

1:18:49 ↗ a

1:18:50 ↗ a perfect thing and i agree you know we

1:18:53 ↗ want to be able to tear down the wall so

1:18:55 ↗ that um

1:18:57 ↗ so you know if the wall is torn down

1:19:00 ↗ then no one loses anything and whether

1:19:02 ↗ that i'm not sure if that can happen in

1:19:04 ↗ our generation maybe not the next one

1:19:07 ↗ but maybe the one after that if we keep

1:19:09 ↗ doing the work that we started to do and

1:19:12 ↗ we keep energizing the community with um

1:19:15 ↗ uh and that's why it's very important

1:19:17 ↗ for us to have like cultural

1:19:19 ↗ conversations with within our community

1:19:22 ↗ and those cultural conversations like

1:19:23 ↗ what we did

1:19:24 ↗ in february with black history month and

1:19:26 ↗ getting the community involved in these

1:19:29 ↗ conversations um and it's not just about

1:19:32 ↗ learning let's say and then february

1:19:33 ↗ about black history but just learning um

1:19:37 ↗ about each other you know because if we

1:19:39 ↗ can learn about each other

1:19:41 ↗ not just from a personal sense but our

1:19:43 ↗ shared history you know and that you

1:19:45 ↗ know italians are there's you know we're

1:19:48 ↗ we're all americans that italians have

1:19:50 ↗ their unique culture culture you know um

1:19:54 ↗ people from the middle east they have

1:19:55 ↗ unique we all have our unique cultures

1:19:58 ↗ however we all are striving for the same

1:20:00 ↗ thing as for all these walls to be torn

1:20:03 ↗ down to be liberated from that so we can

1:20:05 ↗ all view life and then experience life

1:20:08 ↗ and be in life uh the the

1:20:11 ↗ in a way that we can all not only enjoy

1:20:13 ↗ life but we can also enjoy each other in

1:20:15 ↗ our uniqueness

1:20:17 ↗ but i don't want to just preach on this

1:20:19 ↗ i mean just the the last question is do

1:20:22 ↗ you think it's possible do you think in

1:20:24 ↗ a two-part question do you think that

1:20:27 ↗ community conversations that we can have

1:20:30 ↗ monthly with the community

1:20:32 ↗ and engaging with the community do you

1:20:34 ↗ think that that will be helpful in one

1:20:37 ↗ tearing down some of these walls but

1:20:39 ↗ also finding um out from each individual

1:20:43 ↗ whether it be demographic or

1:20:44 ↗ socio-economic

1:20:46 ↗ demographic like what each group needs

1:21:00 ↗ i feel like i'm talking too much but i

1:21:02 ↗ really really want to comment on this

1:21:03 ↗ because i just think that

1:21:04 ↗ [Laughter]

1:21:07 ↗ i think it's hard to imagine what

1:21:09 ↗ liberation looks like for our country

1:21:10 ↗ because our country is constantly

1:21:12 ↗ evolving

1:21:13 ↗ um

1:21:15 ↗ and i think that when

1:21:18 ↗ we put all these great minds together

1:21:20 ↗ like we have here

1:21:22 ↗ we

1:21:23 ↗ come up with a starting point we come up

1:21:25 ↗ with a goal

1:21:27 ↗ but that goal is forever changing

1:21:30 ↗ so

1:21:32 ↗ we have to open our minds to the

1:21:34 ↗ possibility

1:21:35 ↗ that nothing is going to be stagnant in

1:21:39 ↗ this work and that we are going to have

1:21:43 ↗ to build our resilience to continue to

1:21:45 ↗ do it and we're going to have to teach

1:21:47 ↗ others to continue to do it um i often

1:21:50 ↗ compare our work to you know singing to

1:21:52 ↗ a choir

1:21:53 ↗ we want to teach everyone these words so

1:21:56 ↗ that they can mimic

1:21:57 ↗ this song and

1:21:59 ↗ put forth an effort to make a change

1:22:02 ↗ in unison versus us trying to

1:22:05 ↗ be siloed in making the change so i um

1:22:12 ↗ i still have hope that it's possible

1:22:14 ↗ it's just really hard to figure out how

1:22:16 ↗ to get there

1:22:19 ↗ and um ray i saw you were next please

1:22:21 ↗ share

1:22:23 ↗ yes ah god tony this is a hard one it's

1:22:26 ↗ just

1:22:27 ↗ it's a wonderful presentation just a

1:22:29 ↗ couple comments i had seen a similar

1:22:31 ↗ presentation with my employer a very

1:22:33 ↗ large employer but they didn't have

1:22:36 ↗ i should say we our our organization

1:22:38 ↗ didn't have slide 5 and 10 on there it

1:22:41 ↗ was very odd it was good conversation

1:22:43 ↗ but it was missing that so

1:22:44 ↗ um i wanted to share that with you

1:22:47 ↗ because the message is delivered

1:22:48 ↗ differently i guess um with different

1:22:50 ↗ audiences and to stick on this slide and

1:22:53 ↗ what is possible

1:22:56 ↗ love it love love the whole concept of

1:22:58 ↗ liberation but we live in a capitalist

1:23:00 ↗ society where

1:23:02 ↗ those players and that organization

1:23:04 ↗ needs to make a profit so tearing down a

1:23:06 ↗ wall so

1:23:08 ↗ folks can watch the game is is is going

1:23:10 ↗ to be um

1:23:11 ↗ what stuff you say it's going to be a

1:23:13 ↗ marathon and not a sprint it needs to

1:23:15 ↗ have it needs to be some really good

1:23:18 ↗ valid conversations knowing who your

1:23:20 ↗ target audiences are and i think that's

1:23:22 ↗ we do have an opportunity to do that

1:23:24 ↗ here in issaquah um absolutely i was

1:23:26 ↗ going to my daughter's basketball game

1:23:28 ↗ at jessica high school and i get

1:23:29 ↗ irritated that they charge us five

1:23:31 ↗ dollars to go see our child play

1:23:32 ↗ basketball and stuff like that it's just

1:23:35 ↗ it's just conversations that you need to

1:23:36 ↗ have but again the the

1:23:38 ↗ the capital society that he lives in can

1:23:41 ↗ make it make it that marathon

1:23:43 ↗ absolutely

1:23:46 ↗ great comment right nice

1:23:50 ↗ yes i think that really just shows

1:23:52 ↗ alyssa's point you

1:23:54 ↗ um

1:23:55 ↗ you don't want to give up anything but

1:23:57 ↗ you pay for it in another way

1:24:00 ↗ and that's hard for some of us to do

1:24:05 ↗ and it's interesting how how each

1:24:07 ↗ individual um

1:24:09 ↗ sees these uh slides like

1:24:12 ↗ whether it be some people can view it

1:24:14 ↗ and they see it from a socioeconomic

1:24:16 ↗ standpoint some people see it from a

1:24:19 ↗ a racial

1:24:21 ↗ standpoint or cultural and others see it

1:24:23 ↗ from a able-bodied

1:24:26 ↗ standpoint so it's very interesting how

1:24:28 ↗ each individual views these slides and

1:24:30 ↗ um

1:24:31 ↗ and then but it it's great to know that

1:24:34 ↗ we have a great group in this equity

1:24:36 ↗ board of great thinkers who want to get

1:24:38 ↗ to this point but you know we'll figure

1:24:40 ↗ it out to how to get here together

1:24:43 ↗ that's right

1:24:44 ↗ pretty would you please come off mute

1:24:46 ↗ and give us your comment

1:24:48 ↗ yeah so i i kind of lost my thread for a

1:24:50 ↗ moment so i think i was responding to

1:24:52 ↗ tony's question around like the cultural

1:24:55 ↗ conversations in the community and

1:24:57 ↗ and um so

1:25:00 ↗ if i think about you know the theory of

1:25:02 ↗ change i have in my head around this

1:25:03 ↗ work and it's

1:25:05 ↗ you have to raise awareness you have to

1:25:07 ↗ educate folks on like

1:25:10 ↗ why equity is needed you know starting

1:25:12 ↗ with

1:25:14 ↗ you know systemic racism things like

1:25:16 ↗ that

1:25:17 ↗ um but i think there has to be actions

1:25:20 ↗ tied to it because you know

1:25:23 ↗ we've been talking for a really long

1:25:24 ↗ time so i think we have to

1:25:28 ↗ put

1:25:29 ↗ those conversations into action in some

1:25:32 ↗ way

1:25:33 ↗ so i think that that's just the one

1:25:35 ↗ thing i'm kind of tired of talking about

1:25:37 ↗ things and i just want to move to act

1:25:40 ↗ yes

1:25:45 ↗ i love it

1:25:46 ↗ i think that's a a great point

1:25:49 ↗ we all have to have some skin in the

1:25:50 ↗ game right and be prepared to do some

1:25:53 ↗ things in order to make these changes

1:25:54 ↗ happen

1:25:56 ↗ um alyssa i saw you had another comment

1:25:58 ↗ and lorna i saw you have one as well

1:26:01 ↗ yeah i just wanted to say tony your

1:26:03 ↗ question was is it possible to get to

1:26:05 ↗ that liberation slide and i think we do

1:26:09 ↗ have um i i think that we have you know

1:26:12 ↗ both a positive and a negative history

1:26:14 ↗ in this country but i think that part of

1:26:17 ↗ the positive history if we look at has

1:26:19 ↗ been over the long term the history of

1:26:22 ↗ all the immigrant groups who have come

1:26:23 ↗ here

1:26:24 ↗ and who are now

1:26:25 ↗ leading and you know

1:26:27 ↗ you look at some of the leaders of our

1:26:30 ↗ major corporations and and where they've

1:26:33 ↗ come from where their families have come

1:26:35 ↗ from and what their story has been

1:26:38 ↗ and i think that we have lots of

1:26:40 ↗ examples of of ways in which yes it's

1:26:43 ↗ possible we

1:26:44 ↗ have some groups

1:26:46 ↗ today that still need to be able or

1:26:49 ↗ enabled maybe to make that journey but i

1:26:52 ↗ think that we we definitely can do it

1:26:55 ↗ and i think we have examples of groups

1:26:57 ↗ who have have actually done it

1:26:59 ↗ so

1:27:00 ↗ i'm hopeful

1:27:02 ↗ me too

1:27:08 ↗ and please lorna come off you we're

1:27:10 ↗ eager to hear your comment

1:27:13 ↗ i'm still struggling as to what

1:27:14 ↗ liberation means

1:27:16 ↗ and if you just take away the offense

1:27:18 ↗ does that mean that it's gonna get bad

1:27:21 ↗ and we've had you know i can

1:27:24 ↗ my mind's not gonna talk about it in

1:27:26 ↗ actual examples but situations where

1:27:28 ↗ we've taken away

1:27:29 ↗ barriers

1:27:31 ↗ fences

1:27:32 ↗ and it really didn't solve the problem

1:27:34 ↗ because there's still certain

1:27:36 ↗ inequities that were there

1:27:38 ↗ i think back on a presentation a

1:27:40 ↗ performance i went to watch a couple

1:27:42 ↗ weeks ago

1:27:43 ↗ where you know everyone had great seats

1:27:45 ↗ and yet right before the performance

1:27:47 ↗ started a really tall woman sat right in

1:27:49 ↗ front of me and then i couldn't see the

1:27:51 ↗ performance that i paid for

1:27:53 ↗ and so you know what what does that mean

1:27:55 ↗ and i thought well this is unfair i as a

1:27:57 ↗ short person i should have been able to

1:27:59 ↗ sit further up you know in the

1:28:02 ↗ audience

1:28:03 ↗ i thought well what about people who

1:28:05 ↗ can't see very well what would happen to

1:28:06 ↗ them and they were tall and so there are

1:28:08 ↗ just so many different barriers and it

1:28:11 ↗ goes back to the fact that

1:28:12 ↗ not everybody is equal we have different

1:28:15 ↗ heights we have different visual

1:28:18 ↗ uh abilities we have different edu like

1:28:20 ↗ abilities of maybe learning disabilities

1:28:23 ↗ or different abilities

1:28:24 ↗ and so it is really hard to just be

1:28:27 ↗ equal or to just give everyone like take

1:28:31 ↗ down all the barriers if you're not

1:28:33 ↗ actually addressing equity in the sense

1:28:35 ↗ of

1:28:36 ↗ meeting people as to where they are and

1:28:38 ↗ what they

1:28:40 ↗ i think no matter what it's still some

1:28:42 ↗ kind of equity part just the belief that

1:28:45 ↗ equity is

1:28:46 ↗ giving everyone access and opportunity

1:28:49 ↗ that still

1:28:51 ↗ plays a role even in liberation

1:28:54 ↗ because liberation just as is is really

1:28:57 ↗ not going to solve the problem

1:28:59 ↗ for some people in many situations

1:29:02 ↗ i think that's where i'm i'm still

1:29:04 ↗ struggling with just

1:29:05 ↗ we do is that the best for our society

1:29:08 ↗ or do we still consider equity in what

1:29:11 ↗ people need

1:29:18 ↗ thank you so much for that comment lorna

1:29:21 ↗ and uh it almost makes me wonder um

1:29:26 ↗ if we need to think more presently

1:29:29 ↗ um we often think about what happens in

1:29:31 ↗ the future or what we can do for the

1:29:33 ↗ future

1:29:34 ↗ um

1:29:35 ↗ and

1:29:36 ↗ sometimes that

1:29:39 ↗ impedes our ability to

1:29:40 ↗ [Music]

1:29:42 ↗ help in the moment

1:29:44 ↗ if that makes sense

1:29:48 ↗ but um i did see rey's comments and ray

1:29:51 ↗ would you like to give us your comment

1:29:52 ↗ or would you mind if i gave it

1:29:56 ↗ oh no please i just wanted to share with

1:29:58 ↗ you yes um he mentioned that we should

1:30:00 ↗ tear down the walls and fill in the

1:30:02 ↗ holes or remove the blocks and he was

1:30:04 ↗ excited to do it with this group and i

1:30:06 ↗ think we have a great group to kind of

1:30:08 ↗ make that happen to put some of that

1:30:10 ↗ action into place

1:30:11 ↗ um

1:30:13 ↗ it's hard to say what's going going to

1:30:15 ↗ be the right answer

1:30:16 ↗ but i think we don't get to any answer

1:30:19 ↗ if we don't try

1:30:23 ↗ absolutely

1:30:26 ↗ and monica saw you raise your hand

1:30:30 ↗ thank you tommy um again

1:30:32 ↗ board members is just just so so um

1:30:35 ↗ humbling and um rewarding to listen to

1:30:38 ↗ you all and i think speaking of action i

1:30:40 ↗ think this might be um a good

1:30:42 ↗ opportunity to to let's talk a little

1:30:45 ↗ bit about how do we apply everything to

1:30:48 ↗ issaquah how do we move to action

1:30:50 ↗ um i think um you you as a board have

1:30:54 ↗ such an important role in this city

1:30:56 ↗ um and i think um in many ways it's it's

1:31:00 ↗ up to us as a board um

1:31:03 ↗ to um to start um turning things into

1:31:07 ↗ action right

1:31:08 ↗ and i think the city leadership is

1:31:10 ↗ looking for us

1:31:11 ↗ to

1:31:12 ↗ to provide recommendations suggestions

1:31:15 ↗ so if if allowable i would love for us

1:31:18 ↗ to start a little bit of a conversation

1:31:20 ↗ on this

1:31:21 ↗ um

1:31:22 ↗ and so is that okay can i share a few

1:31:25 ↗ thoughts on this and perhaps continue

1:31:27 ↗ the conversation with all of you um yes

1:31:30 ↗ so i wanna step back a little bit um

1:31:33 ↗ let's let's start with um with the

1:31:35 ↗ beginning right we launched in november

1:31:37 ↗ um and so i can't believe it's march

1:31:40 ↗ and i feel like time is flying and at

1:31:43 ↗ the same time i feel like you as a board

1:31:45 ↗ you accomplished already so many things

1:31:47 ↗ and yet so little right we can look at

1:31:50 ↗ so many different things right

1:31:52 ↗ um but

1:31:53 ↗ now that you are a few meetings in into

1:31:56 ↗ this now you um you are working already

1:32:00 ↗ together and i think initially when tony

1:32:02 ↗ suggested this great great topic in

1:32:04 ↗ december i think the the intent behind

1:32:08 ↗ it if i'm if i'm not mistaken tony was

1:32:10 ↗ on one end it's important we need to

1:32:12 ↗ have these conversations but it was also

1:32:15 ↗ as you were a newborn it was also

1:32:18 ↗ intentional in in helping you all

1:32:21 ↗ learn one another

1:32:23 ↗ learn your thinking how you work with

1:32:24 ↗ one another right

1:32:26 ↗ and so

1:32:27 ↗ um then at the same time then we started

1:32:29 ↗ adding action items we were you know um

1:32:33 ↗ asked to provide recommendations so now

1:32:35 ↗ before we know it you are providing

1:32:37 ↗ recommendations things are happening and

1:32:40 ↗ that's why i would love to pause a

1:32:41 ↗ little bit and talk about the different

1:32:43 ↗ things that we are doing and how are we

1:32:45 ↗ working as a board right so on one end

1:32:48 ↗ we meet once a month and um we've been

1:32:52 ↗ um receiving

1:32:54 ↗ some assignments uh we also received one

1:32:57 ↗ large assignment from from them

1:32:59 ↗ from mayor paulie in in creating a gap

1:33:02 ↗ analysis and really learning about what

1:33:05 ↗ the city is doing internally and

1:33:06 ↗ externally so that is still on our topic

1:33:09 ↗ for the next few months for you to

1:33:10 ↗ really learn about each of the

1:33:12 ↗ departments at the city and about other

1:33:14 ↗ um

1:33:15 ↗ um equity initiatives in the city so

1:33:17 ↗ that's one bucket and at the same time

1:33:20 ↗ we are also going to work on creating an

1:33:21 ↗ actual work plan right for the board so

1:33:24 ↗ that's kind of like we are still

1:33:25 ↗ developing that that's one bucket on the

1:33:27 ↗ other end like tony um

1:33:30 ↗ um recommended early on um there was

1:33:33 ↗ this interest to have conversations at

1:33:36 ↗ the board level and perhaps at the

1:33:38 ↗ community level either in parallel or

1:33:41 ↗ together on these very difficult

1:33:43 ↗ conversations right and and i really

1:33:46 ↗ loved um pretty's comment on like being

1:33:49 ↗ tired of conversations let's move to

1:33:51 ↗ action

1:33:52 ↗ and that's where like at the same time

1:33:54 ↗ like what what does issaquah need and

1:33:57 ↗ my if i'm allowed to have my opinion i

1:33:59 ↗ think we need a little bit of both right

1:34:01 ↗ um at the issaquah level the community

1:34:03 ↗ level

1:34:04 ↗ they are just so

1:34:06 ↗ many different opinions and i think

1:34:08 ↗ there are so many pockets where we still

1:34:10 ↗ need to have those conversations to

1:34:11 ↗ bring people along but i also want us to

1:34:14 ↗ have those actions right

1:34:16 ↗ so all of this starts feeling like

1:34:19 ↗ this is another different bucket that

1:34:22 ↗ could be one or multiple buckets on how

1:34:24 ↗ we go about this right

1:34:25 ↗ so

1:34:26 ↗ at some point it almost feels like

1:34:28 ↗ overwhelming so much to do and so little

1:34:30 ↗ time because you are meeting once a

1:34:32 ↗ month and in two hours i as a staff

1:34:34 ↗ liaison as i'm

1:34:36 ↗ having requests so stephanie is now

1:34:38 ↗ working with us on the framework and we

1:34:40 ↗ got the culture and religious calendar

1:34:42 ↗ and we are still work trying to work on

1:34:43 ↗ a work plan it feels like we just

1:34:45 ↗ there's not enough time right um and at

1:34:48 ↗ the same time you're a volunteer board

1:34:51 ↗ so then how how do we go about all of

1:34:54 ↗ this

1:34:55 ↗ um and i think it's one of the meanings

1:34:58 ↗ uh again when we are in a rush we didn't

1:35:00 ↗ have much time to talk

1:35:02 ↗ but we did say that perhaps do we want

1:35:04 ↗ to create a subcommittee um

1:35:07 ↗ that maybe focuses just on community

1:35:10 ↗ engagement and maybe on these

1:35:11 ↗ conversations

1:35:13 ↗ that

1:35:14 ↗ at least

1:35:16 ↗ there's no requirement on one end to

1:35:18 ↗ have the entire board involved because

1:35:20 ↗ everybody's busy

1:35:22 ↗ but perhaps we have a small subcommittee

1:35:25 ↗ with three four

1:35:26 ↗ members and

1:35:28 ↗ uh maybe they can work on one community

1:35:30 ↗ conversation just like we did with black

1:35:32 ↗ history month and maybe in a couple of

1:35:34 ↗ months uh we we choose another event and

1:35:38 ↗ we have other three four board members

1:35:40 ↗ maybe not the same so then

1:35:42 ↗ one we offer more opportunities for

1:35:44 ↗ every member to participate but also we

1:35:46 ↗ don't just um

1:35:48 ↗ create heavy lifting for uh just a

1:35:51 ↗ smaller number of board members

1:35:53 ↗ um

1:35:55 ↗ so i'm i'm throwing out a lot of ideas

1:35:58 ↗ on kind of like what are options for us

1:36:00 ↗ um

1:36:01 ↗ and then again you can you can create

1:36:03 ↗ multiple subcommittees they don't have

1:36:05 ↗ to be permanent they can be just short

1:36:07 ↗ term uh you you can you know work on

1:36:10 ↗ like maybe a subcommittee could be on

1:36:12 ↗ working on okay how can we turn into

1:36:14 ↗ action things and just come back to the

1:36:16 ↗ larger board to to make recommendations

1:36:19 ↗ um or we can just keep it to one month

1:36:21 ↗ meaning no more no less no subcommittees

1:36:24 ↗ and just um still it's going to take us

1:36:26 ↗ a longer time to really learn

1:36:29 ↗ uh about

1:36:31 ↗ the city and create

1:36:33 ↗ really a landscape analysis and an

1:36:36 ↗ action plan and all of that so i'm gonna

1:36:38 ↗ shut up because i shared so many

1:36:40 ↗ thoughts in a few minutes and would just

1:36:42 ↗ love to hear your thoughts on

1:36:44 ↗ how now that you are what four or five

1:36:47 ↗ months into

1:36:48 ↗ this new board what are your thoughts on

1:36:50 ↗ how we do how do we

1:36:54 ↗ go you can see

1:36:56 ↗ monica and you're so motivating so thank

1:36:59 ↗ you so much for that i saw ray had a

1:37:01 ↗ comment first um and i think helen also

1:37:04 ↗ had one um

1:37:07 ↗ so ray please

1:37:08 ↗ yeah thank thank you monica i agree you

1:37:11 ↗ know we're five months in and i think

1:37:13 ↗ action is is going to be um needed soon

1:37:16 ↗ um question and then a comment

1:37:18 ↗ i know mayor paulie brought us because

1:37:20 ↗ she wants us to develop this but i think

1:37:22 ↗ we all come into this with our own

1:37:25 ↗ um um

1:37:27 ↗ reasonings for why we want to be here

1:37:29 ↗ like for me as i work in healthcare so i

1:37:33 ↗ there's health care equity is really

1:37:34 ↗ important to me and i get educated on

1:37:36 ↗ things like that so perhaps there's an

1:37:38 ↗ opportunity at the next meeting to just

1:37:41 ↗ have each one of us speak and say what

1:37:43 ↗ brought you here what is it that and

1:37:45 ↗ then if there's a common denominator

1:37:46 ↗ whether that be health equity or

1:37:48 ↗ education

1:37:49 ↗ or um homelessness what what really

1:37:53 ↗ drove you to want to be in the committee

1:37:55 ↗ i think we're going to find some common

1:37:56 ↗ denominators there and perhaps from

1:37:58 ↗ there start to narrow down on where the

1:38:00 ↗ focus needs to be but i think i think i

1:38:02 ↗ want to hear from my other um colleagues

1:38:05 ↗ here what really brought them here and

1:38:06 ↗ where do they want where do they want us

1:38:08 ↗ as a group to take action and we might

1:38:10 ↗ uncover some common denominators

1:38:17 ↗ thank you so much ray i think it's so

1:38:19 ↗ important that we we definitely

1:38:21 ↗ realign with our motivations here

1:38:25 ↗ that's so

1:38:27 ↗ so important in knowing our capacity for

1:38:29 ↗ this work because it takes a lot it does

1:38:32 ↗ take a lot

1:38:34 ↗ um

1:38:35 ↗ and uh sometimes it can be a little

1:38:37 ↗ harder

1:38:38 ↗ than it is when we start

1:38:41 ↗ so

1:38:42 ↗ definitely i i think that that's a great

1:38:44 ↗ idea and i think we should definitely do

1:38:46 ↗ it um and i'm sorry helen were you ready

1:38:49 ↗ or did you have a comment

1:38:52 ↗ there we go

1:38:54 ↗ there we go hi um yes i mean i've i've

1:38:58 ↗ had us doing some domestic stuff

1:39:00 ↗ in and out um but coming out from

1:39:04 ↗ um

1:39:05 ↗ the community just to comment on tony's

1:39:07 ↗ what what what what are we

1:39:11 ↗ calling community and to what

1:39:12 ↗ conversations are inviting them to i

1:39:14 ↗ mean just the the time that we've met

1:39:16 ↗ and from the last one we had

1:39:18 ↗ how many have attended and are we going

1:39:21 ↗ to be preaching to the choir is it is it

1:39:23 ↗ just going to be us and what what what

1:39:26 ↗ is the reach and how how do we make the

1:39:28 ↗ rich wider than just us and this group

1:39:31 ↗ and and and do we start with an action

1:39:33 ↗ that then attracts

1:39:35 ↗ the community to to these conversations

1:39:37 ↗ without it getting heated i just felt

1:39:39 ↗ like the last time we had it that was

1:39:41 ↗ last month that the black history month

1:39:43 ↗ at some point the conversation got a

1:39:45 ↗ little bit heated and i don't i

1:39:47 ↗ personally wasn't comfortable with

1:39:49 ↗ everyone who was in there and it it if

1:39:52 ↗ we can find a way to not make it our our

1:39:55 ↗ nature to not make it our brand so that

1:39:57 ↗ even the conversations that come up in

1:40:00 ↗ the future become attractive to the

1:40:02 ↗ community the wider community and it's

1:40:04 ↗ not just us

1:40:05 ↗ the next meeting we had at seven that

1:40:07 ↗ the the the

1:40:09 ↗ trivia was mostly us

1:40:11 ↗ again

1:40:12 ↗ how are we going to attract those who

1:40:14 ↗ don't know this stuff to then come and

1:40:16 ↗ be a part of it

1:40:18 ↗ do we start with an action that gets

1:40:20 ↗ everybody

1:40:22 ↗ not to think that oh this is a group

1:40:23 ↗ that's going to sort of know what it's

1:40:25 ↗ going to be and it's going to be a

1:40:26 ↗ heated conversation that's not going to

1:40:28 ↗ happen or is it going to be a one action

1:40:30 ↗ whether it is

1:40:31 ↗ i don't know what it would be but a soft

1:40:34 ↗ landing and then we get them in and and

1:40:36 ↗ and then we can get to

1:40:38 ↗ whatever those heated conversations are

1:40:41 ↗ and then back to monica the committee

1:40:43 ↗ obviously i think the smaller the group

1:40:45 ↗ that the more leg work we will make um i

1:40:49 ↗ i think again at this time of day we all

1:40:51 ↗ have a long day if we pocket in two

1:40:54 ↗ weeks of a one-hour meeting in a small

1:40:57 ↗ committee of three we might move forward

1:40:59 ↗ faster and um

1:41:01 ↗ get things done a little sauna

1:41:08 ↗ thank you so much helen and i appreciate

1:41:10 ↗ that feedback because i i don't know

1:41:12 ↗ that everyone had a chance to see our

1:41:14 ↗ last community conversation

1:41:17 ↗ and if you haven't i would highly

1:41:19 ↗ encourage you to do so um because i

1:41:22 ↗ think it really taught us so much um

1:41:25 ↗ about what is actually in our community

1:41:28 ↗ and um

1:41:30 ↗ who we can affect and who we haven't

1:41:31 ↗ affected yet and to helen to your point

1:41:34 ↗ um

1:41:36 ↗ these kind the conversation was

1:41:37 ↗ uncomfortable at some point um luckily

1:41:40 ↗ all of our panelists were well prepared

1:41:42 ↗ and they were armed to be able to

1:41:45 ↗ support the conversation in a productive

1:41:48 ↗ way

1:41:49 ↗ um

1:41:50 ↗ and even teach some of those who weren't

1:41:52 ↗ necessarily ready to take in the

1:41:55 ↗ information which i think is important

1:41:57 ↗ we have to

1:41:59 ↗ we can't just sing to the choir we have

1:42:01 ↗ to have

1:42:03 ↗ those tough conversations with those

1:42:05 ↗ people who are going to combat our

1:42:07 ↗ belief systems because

1:42:09 ↗ those are the people that are going to

1:42:11 ↗ make the difference and those are the

1:42:13 ↗ people that are actually in the majority

1:42:15 ↗ um

1:42:16 ↗ at this point we are are the minority

1:42:19 ↗ here we are trying to make a change that

1:42:22 ↗ is hard for a lot of people and um

1:42:26 ↗ that is going to involve a lot of

1:42:29 ↗ discomfort um on all sides um

1:42:32 ↗ i can see helen's you know discomfort

1:42:35 ↗ with the combativeness that occurred

1:42:37 ↗ there

1:42:39 ↗ but i also saw tony's comfortability

1:42:42 ↗ with explaining what was going on um

1:42:44 ↗ similarly i saw amber's comfortability

1:42:47 ↗ with being able to explain that this is

1:42:49 ↗ not just about race or it's not just

1:42:52 ↗ about our past it's about our future and

1:42:54 ↗ how we move forward um

1:42:57 ↗ and i think that

1:42:59 ↗ that is going to

1:43:01 ↗ put us in a place where we are going to

1:43:02 ↗ have to constantly

1:43:04 ↗ be

1:43:05 ↗ learning and we have to constantly

1:43:09 ↗ motivate ourselves to keep fighting this

1:43:12 ↗ fight when it's uncomfortable when it's

1:43:14 ↗ hard and when it doesn't feel right and

1:43:16 ↗ when we're worried that people are going

1:43:17 ↗ to be upset because unfortunately we're

1:43:20 ↗ just not going to make everyone happy um

1:43:23 ↗ and i know that

1:43:25 ↗ our goal is to see everyone happy and

1:43:28 ↗ thriving

1:43:29 ↗ um but it's

1:43:30 ↗ i don't want to say it's impossible but

1:43:32 ↗ it's definitely going to be

1:43:33 ↗ uncomfortable

1:43:35 ↗ um megan please i saw that you had a

1:43:38 ↗ comment and i see tony has one too so

1:43:40 ↗ please um join in and come off mute

1:43:45 ↗ yeah actually um

1:43:47 ↗ something that we're doing at issaquah

1:43:49 ↗ high school that was just introduced to

1:43:51 ↗ our school um that really talks about

1:43:53 ↗ not having arguments about what may seem

1:43:56 ↗ as controversial or very tough topics to

1:43:58 ↗ talk about but

1:43:59 ↗ really focusing on having really good

1:44:01 ↗ conversations and to gather that data of

1:44:04 ↗ what do we need to do to improve

1:44:06 ↗ um the conditions of our society so

1:44:09 ↗ currently right now in the class we're

1:44:10 ↗ talking about the justice system and how

1:44:13 ↗ around like police perform and

1:44:15 ↗ we've had really really good

1:44:17 ↗ conversations with the youth on

1:44:20 ↗ what do they feel we need to do we've

1:44:22 ↗ also done our own research about um what

1:44:26 ↗ other places have been doing so i just

1:44:28 ↗ want to let you all know that you know

1:44:29 ↗ the youth is actively trying to change

1:44:32 ↗ our mindset and how we approach these

1:44:35 ↗ different things and really getting used

1:44:37 ↗ to the idea of being uncomfortable

1:44:39 ↗ being comfortable with being

1:44:40 ↗ uncomfortable in those situations so i

1:44:43 ↗ just wanted to share that with y'all

1:44:47 ↗ thank you so much megan and it's always

1:44:49 ↗ such a surprise to me to see what you

1:44:51 ↗ all are doing in high school middle

1:44:53 ↗ school like

1:44:55 ↗ um

1:44:56 ↗ this is our future talking here like how

1:44:58 ↗ cool is that right

1:45:01 ↗ um yes i'm sorry tony i saw you had a

1:45:03 ↗ couple of comments would you like to

1:45:04 ↗ share

1:45:06 ↗ yeah i'm just gonna um piggyback off the

1:45:08 ↗ comment you just made shay um megan

1:45:10 ↗ like something like it must be in the

1:45:12 ↗ water in the school districts across

1:45:14 ↗ america because you guys generation is

1:45:16 ↗ so much more engaged and

1:45:20 ↗ doing what is right than i think

1:45:22 ↗ probably any generation that's ever

1:45:23 ↗ existed so

1:45:25 ↗ no no pressure but we're hoping for a

1:45:27 ↗ lot of

1:45:28 ↗ your age group and um so keep doing what

1:45:31 ↗ you're doing um

1:45:33 ↗ so i i think the community conversations

1:45:35 ↗ are a good way to um really to start

1:45:37 ↗ bringing our work into action it's a

1:45:38 ↗ good it's a good um passive and yet

1:45:41 ↗ reactive way of engaging the community

1:45:44 ↗ into this kind of work and then because

1:45:46 ↗ if we can't get the community on board

1:45:48 ↗ with us

1:45:50 ↗ um then any action would we try to take

1:45:52 ↗ in terms of equity it's really going to

1:45:54 ↗ be hard to to digest and i think that uh

1:45:58 ↗ having a subcommittee and however those

1:46:00 ↗ subcommittees look and like monica said

1:46:01 ↗ i don't think it needs to be one

1:46:03 ↗ subcommittee i think it's um it's

1:46:06 ↗ probably gonna have to be two or

1:46:08 ↗ possibly three different subcommittees

1:46:10 ↗ in some other different types of fashion

1:46:11 ↗ on how we structure that that can be a

1:46:14 ↗ good way of

1:46:16 ↗ of doing this work to um uh in issaquah

1:46:20 ↗ and hopefully inspiring other cities

1:46:22 ↗ that are close to us to do the same

1:46:24 ↗ thing

1:46:28 ↗ thank you so much tony for that comment

1:46:31 ↗ such great comments please everyone give

1:46:34 ↗ us your feedback we would love to learn

1:46:36 ↗ a little bit more about how you feel

1:46:38 ↗ about these community conversations

1:46:40 ↗ um because we're leading them right and

1:46:43 ↗ well not we as just us but

1:46:48 ↗ um at some point we're all going to have

1:46:51 ↗ um a vested interest in some of these

1:46:53 ↗ conversations and i think that knowing

1:46:56 ↗ that we're going to find

1:46:58 ↗ so many different kinds of people that

1:47:00 ↗ aren't necessarily represented in this

1:47:03 ↗ group

1:47:04 ↗ um

1:47:04 ↗ it's going to be shocking and we want to

1:47:08 ↗ make sure that everyone is ready

1:47:10 ↗ not only that but we want to make sure

1:47:12 ↗ that you're ready to bring people in

1:47:15 ↗ with

1:47:16 ↗ the knowledge that you have and the the

1:47:19 ↗ presence that you can bring and the i

1:47:22 ↗ know monica picked us all for a good

1:47:24 ↗ reason so we have to be able to

1:47:28 ↗ share that with the world and um

1:47:30 ↗ i i

1:47:32 ↗ i'm hoping that we can get there pretty

1:47:34 ↗ quickly because much like everyone else

1:47:36 ↗ i'm eager to take some action

1:47:41 ↗ yes um and i'm sorry uh

1:47:43 ↗ i see kelly you have a comment would you

1:47:45 ↗ please share with us

1:47:48 ↗ um i'm gonna i'm going back to monica's

1:47:51 ↗ original

1:47:52 ↗ question and that is i definitely would

1:47:55 ↗ do anything to help move us forward more

1:47:58 ↗ rapidly if it means another meeting a

1:48:00 ↗ month i know a lot of the commissions do

1:48:02 ↗ meet twice a month a subcommittee

1:48:05 ↗ whatever it takes i'm in let me just

1:48:07 ↗ make that clear

1:48:09 ↗ and then

1:48:10 ↗ on the on the idea of community

1:48:13 ↗ conversations and building on what

1:48:15 ↗ monica had said about our own work and

1:48:17 ↗ how far we've come and we have

1:48:20 ↗ the

1:48:21 ↗ work this work is being done in issaquah

1:48:23 ↗ it's really kind of interesting to watch

1:48:25 ↗ i mean the school district is doing a

1:48:27 ↗ phenomenal job at trying to do it i mean

1:48:29 ↗ we've got lorna talking about it and

1:48:31 ↗ i've been watching it for a few years

1:48:33 ↗ there are other organizations here who

1:48:35 ↗ are and i think that if we really were

1:48:38 ↗ going to do community conversations in a

1:48:40 ↗ way that's effective we we work together

1:48:42 ↗ we work we get those organizations

1:48:44 ↗ together so that we're doing it like a

1:48:46 ↗ system so that everybody sees there's

1:48:48 ↗ this system that's shifting not just

1:48:51 ↗ individuals

1:48:53 ↗ so

1:48:54 ↗ we can do this but we're gonna need more

1:48:55 ↗ meetings

1:48:58 ↗ thank you so much kelly and i think

1:49:00 ↗ sometimes knowing the commitment is hard

1:49:04 ↗ because everyone everyone's struggling

1:49:07 ↗ with time right now so

1:49:09 ↗ you know if you can make an additional

1:49:11 ↗ commitment i encourage you to do so i'm

1:49:14 ↗ ready too kelly let's do it

1:49:18 ↗ all right and i think pretty did you

1:49:20 ↗ have a comment i saw you next

1:49:23 ↗ um i think megan

1:49:25 ↗ was ahead of me oh gotcha i'm sorry

1:49:28 ↗ megan i missed you please come on you

1:49:31 ↗ worried about me

1:49:33 ↗ megan i apologize i'm gonna jump in

1:49:35 ↗ because i would like if if you're okay

1:49:37 ↗ with that it would be helpful to hear

1:49:39 ↗ ray's comment and again i'm sorry for

1:49:41 ↗ being the taskmaster here especially

1:49:44 ↗ since we have attendees um it's

1:49:46 ↗ important they they don't have access to

1:49:48 ↗ the chat so they can see um your

1:49:51 ↗ comments yeah that was my bad i directed

1:49:53 ↗ it um to megan and i should have just

1:49:55 ↗ asked the whole group i was fascinated

1:49:58 ↗ about the work that was going on at

1:49:59 ↗ issaquah high school i mean talk about a

1:50:01 ↗ peer that may have a jump start on it

1:50:03 ↗ because they've been focused on it

1:50:05 ↗ before we have um did they walk away

1:50:08 ↗ with understand and laura you probably

1:50:10 ↗ have some insight into this did they

1:50:11 ↗ come away with understanding where the

1:50:13 ↗ priorities are

1:50:15 ↗ with our community based on the work

1:50:17 ↗ that's been done that was the question

1:50:18 ↗ that i posed to um banking

1:50:21 ↗ well i think what's so interesting about

1:50:23 ↗ the class and the way the teacher has

1:50:24 ↗ structured it is like me i'm on a lot of

1:50:27 ↗ my peers were very new to equity work

1:50:31 ↗ and what does it really mean to be

1:50:32 ↗ equitable and what does equality mean

1:50:34 ↗ and so i think we're really developing

1:50:36 ↗ those opinions and she's our teachers

1:50:39 ↗ giving this us this format to one pick

1:50:41 ↗ the topics we're really getting into

1:50:43 ↗ uh we get to choose that we kind of get

1:50:45 ↗ to choose what are the the guidelines

1:50:48 ↗ and the boundaries we take in these

1:50:50 ↗ really good discussions um

1:50:53 ↗ so i think

1:50:55 ↗ we haven't quite developed that equity

1:50:57 ↗ lens per se but we're working towards it

1:50:59 ↗ i think that's our goal and ultimately

1:51:02 ↗ again to how do we have good respectful

1:51:04 ↗ conversations while also speaking our

1:51:06 ↗ mind and being comfortable to have that

1:51:08 ↗ opinion as well

1:51:09 ↗ okay thank you

1:51:16 ↗ alrighty thank you so much for that and

1:51:18 ↗ um

1:51:19 ↗ are we ready to go to pre-t

1:51:21 ↗ um

1:51:23 ↗ and i'm sorry i got a little lost in the

1:51:25 ↗ conversation here so yes um

1:51:29 ↗ preethi if you're ready please come off

1:51:31 ↗ you

1:51:32 ↗ uh yeah so i was i was thinking about um

1:51:35 ↗ you know monica's question around

1:51:37 ↗ subcommittees and um

1:51:39 ↗ i

1:51:40 ↗ i think having like a community

1:51:42 ↗ engagement or you know community

1:51:45 ↗ conversation subcommittee would be a

1:51:47 ↗ really

1:51:48 ↗ um

1:51:49 ↗ i think it would be valuable to have

1:51:51 ↗ some dedicated folks just thinking about

1:51:53 ↗ it um

1:51:54 ↗ earlier today yeah i was having a

1:51:56 ↗ conversation with someone and

1:51:59 ↗ it really highlighted

1:52:01 ↗ this idea of

1:52:02 ↗ making sure that we're calling people in

1:52:05 ↗ and not calling them out

1:52:08 ↗ and

1:52:09 ↗ i think that takes skill and talent and

1:52:12 ↗ it gets back to

1:52:14 ↗ i think megan and other folks were

1:52:15 ↗ talking about like how do you how do you

1:52:18 ↗ respectfully share your opinion and

1:52:20 ↗ respectfully disagree with others in

1:52:23 ↗ order to advance the conversation

1:52:25 ↗ because if no one is willing to lean

1:52:27 ↗ into hard topics we're not going to make

1:52:29 ↗ any progress

1:52:30 ↗ and i

1:52:32 ↗ that is so important so hard to do that

1:52:35 ↗ i think yeah we need some dedicated

1:52:37 ↗ energy on that i don't think it can just

1:52:39 ↗ happen really quickly and on the fly

1:52:45 ↗ thank you so much creepy and then i just

1:52:47 ↗ wanted to comment that i think that our

1:52:49 ↗ team did a really good job during that

1:52:51 ↗ cultural conversation because there were

1:52:54 ↗ if you haven't seen it you should

1:52:56 ↗ because it

1:52:57 ↗ it definitely there were definitely some

1:52:58 ↗ hard topics and there was definitely

1:53:01 ↗ some hard feelings and then some really

1:53:03 ↗ soft ones that overshadowed that tough

1:53:06 ↗ part um and that's where we make

1:53:10 ↗ progress um

1:53:13 ↗ here and um i see tony you have a few

1:53:15 ↗ more comments and

1:53:16 ↗ kelly has a question

1:53:18 ↗ um tony would you mind if kelly went

1:53:20 ↗ first

1:53:25 ↗ mine mine's way off topic though

1:53:28 ↗ my i'll just say it mine is do we have a

1:53:31 ↗ ukrainian cultural group or

1:53:34 ↗ group of people individuals in issachar

1:53:37 ↗ and if so

1:53:39 ↗ what could we

1:53:42 ↗ make a suggestion to the city to do to

1:53:44 ↗ support them

1:53:46 ↗ it's the beginning we take action

1:53:51 ↗ great question

1:53:53 ↗ because i think this is all kind of top

1:53:55 ↗ of mind for everyone at this point

1:53:59 ↗ there's a pretty strong uh community of

1:54:01 ↗ eastern europeans um

1:54:04 ↗ russian and ukrainians both

1:54:07 ↗ and

1:54:08 ↗ we can try to reach to someone for sure

1:54:11 ↗ to connect um

1:54:13 ↗ yeah

1:54:17 ↗ yeah and there are also some non-profits

1:54:19 ↗ supporting specific cultures um

1:54:23 ↗ so

1:54:23 ↗ yeah i'm happy to do a little bit of

1:54:26 ↗ research and try to connect with someone

1:54:28 ↗ i guess my question to to be more clear

1:54:31 ↗ is

1:54:32 ↗ what is the city

1:54:34 ↗ going to do

1:54:35 ↗ to support

1:54:37 ↗ community members again and i understand

1:54:39 ↗ they could have russian nationalists

1:54:40 ↗ here

1:54:41 ↗ right i understand it's a dicey however

1:54:46 ↗ it's also important

1:54:48 ↗ that we step up

1:54:50 ↗ yeah

1:54:52 ↗ so at this point i think we've been in

1:54:54 ↗ communications our human services uh

1:54:56 ↗ side of me um and we've been in

1:54:57 ↗ communication with our emergency

1:54:59 ↗ management department um

1:55:02 ↗ there's there are conversations about

1:55:04 ↗ supporting refugees right uh nothing

1:55:06 ↗ concrete at this time we do have a

1:55:08 ↗ couple of meetings with some of the

1:55:09 ↗ non-profits who support refugees

1:55:12 ↗ and immigrants and to look at the needs

1:55:14 ↗ um so in the past we've been connecting

1:55:17 ↗ um you know volunteers with with those

1:55:19 ↗ who support and making those connections

1:55:21 ↗ and the times also their allocations of

1:55:24 ↗ funds at this point there's

1:55:26 ↗ nothing concrete in place but we are

1:55:28 ↗ looking at you know evaluating that

1:55:30 ↗ right

1:55:33 ↗ um

1:55:34 ↗ and so again i i'm also very happy to do

1:55:37 ↗ some more research and come back to the

1:55:38 ↗ equity board if this is something that

1:55:40 ↗ um there's an interest definitely we can

1:55:42 ↗ bring this forward as early as next

1:55:44 ↗ month for sure

1:55:47 ↗ um

1:55:50 ↗ awesome and tony i saw you had a couple

1:55:52 ↗ of things would you mind sharing with us

1:55:54 ↗ yeah i'll be brief since we're short on

1:55:56 ↗ time i was just thinking that um

1:55:58 ↗ and i

1:55:59 ↗ heard a lot of it from everyone

1:56:00 ↗ commenting i i think we definitely need

1:56:02 ↗ to actually have a multiple committees

1:56:04 ↗ um

1:56:06 ↗ and my thoughts would be a planning

1:56:07 ↗ committee which would you know look at

1:56:11 ↗ the calendar of cultural um things that

1:56:13 ↗ are going on throughout the year and

1:56:15 ↗ maybe

1:56:16 ↗ planning let's say certain things

1:56:17 ↗ whether it be community conversation

1:56:19 ↗ about what we're going to do in that

1:56:21 ↗ particular month and then another

1:56:22 ↗ subcommittee who would be more

1:56:24 ↗ interested in not the planning end but

1:56:26 ↗ more interested in the execution and

1:56:28 ↗ being involved in that event whatever

1:56:30 ↗ way it looks like you know after this

1:56:32 ↗ new normal is over with and whether that

1:56:34 ↗ be involved in person table event

1:56:35 ↗ somewhere or virtual conversations or

1:56:39 ↗ whatever we decide to do so

1:56:42 ↗ and i guess if we're going to do that i

1:56:45 ↗ think it's

1:56:46 ↗ incumbent of all of us to kind of think

1:56:48 ↗ like where do we see ourselves fitting

1:56:49 ↗ into this type of mold

1:56:54 ↗ thank you so much for that tony and i

1:56:55 ↗ think that's a an important distinction

1:56:57 ↗ that

1:56:58 ↗ um

1:56:59 ↗ everyone know that they all have the

1:57:01 ↗ ability to contribute in different ways

1:57:03 ↗ and

1:57:04 ↗ you may not want to be on a committee

1:57:06 ↗ but you may be able to help execute with

1:57:08 ↗ panelists or execute with presentations

1:57:11 ↗ or any of that so um definitely

1:57:14 ↗ we want to utilize everyone's talents

1:57:18 ↗ monica so you had a comment please

1:57:21 ↗ yes no thank you great great

1:57:22 ↗ conversation and input

1:57:25 ↗ i'm leaving with quite a few notes here

1:57:28 ↗ i'm so so excited to uh to hear all the

1:57:30 ↗ suggestions

1:57:31 ↗ uh with with your

1:57:34 ↗ approval let's continue this

1:57:35 ↗ conversation next month um i think um

1:57:39 ↗ i think it all it eventually is gonna

1:57:41 ↗ tie together so i do see um an interest

1:57:44 ↗ in

1:57:44 ↗ perhaps uh creating one or multiple

1:57:47 ↗ subcommittees um really love from from

1:57:50 ↗ the planning to uh to the conversation

1:57:53 ↗ side of things to the execution so um

1:57:55 ↗ definitely i think that's one

1:57:57 ↗ direction i really love the rey's

1:58:00 ↗ comment early on about just having an

1:58:03 ↗ opportunity to refresh and get to know

1:58:05 ↗ one another now that you're a few months

1:58:07 ↗ in right like what was your motivation

1:58:09 ↗ what drove you to to be on this board

1:58:11 ↗ and just seeing if there are action

1:58:14 ↗ items that might come up that way all

1:58:16 ↗ right and they were just all of you had

1:58:17 ↗ so many um things about how do we

1:58:20 ↗ attract people i love helen's comments

1:58:22 ↗ about you know how do we build that uh

1:58:26 ↗ that capacity to attract more people um

1:58:29 ↗ so many many things with that and i

1:58:31 ↗ think that also ties into if you

1:58:33 ↗ remember a couple of months ago we were

1:58:35 ↗ trying to

1:58:36 ↗ start

1:58:38 ↗ getting to know that landscape right

1:58:40 ↗ let's invite i would like to start

1:58:41 ↗ inviting um those things that you're

1:58:43 ↗ talking about yes there are things

1:58:45 ↗ happening in the community let's get to

1:58:46 ↗ know them right let's invite the iso

1:58:49 ↗ equity cultural group let's invite the

1:58:50 ↗ student body who's working at the school

1:58:52 ↗ district on the equity uh let's invite

1:58:55 ↗ all those who are doing work in the

1:58:57 ↗ community let's invite them and let's

1:58:58 ↗ get to know them so i would love to

1:59:00 ↗ start scheduling those um

1:59:04 ↗ i also would love to invite internally

1:59:06 ↗ at the city the leaders from each

1:59:08 ↗ department right you had a presentation

1:59:10 ↗ from the parks and community services

1:59:12 ↗ director but we have 10 other

1:59:13 ↗ departments right wouldn't that be nice

1:59:15 ↗ for you to also really get a good

1:59:17 ↗ understanding of what the city is doing

1:59:19 ↗ and what are the opportunities there to

1:59:21 ↗ create action items so perhaps from from

1:59:23 ↗ that i just this was what we are talking

1:59:26 ↗ about i think it's gonna take another

1:59:27 ↗ six months to just to do that kind of

1:59:30 ↗ like um

1:59:31 ↗ informational

1:59:33 ↗ um and information gathering um

1:59:36 ↗ item

1:59:37 ↗ right so

1:59:39 ↗ i'm gonna try to put my thinking hat on

1:59:42 ↗ would love to continue the conversation

1:59:44 ↗ with all of you i think this has i found

1:59:45 ↗ it very helpful and i think together we

1:59:47 ↗ can um we can come up with something are

1:59:50 ↗ we okay we're just continuing this next

1:59:52 ↗ month and perhaps then really either

1:59:54 ↗ create subcommittees or

1:59:55 ↗ doing that yeah yes i think i saw a lot

1:59:58 ↗ of hands up so i think we're all on

2:00:00 ↗ board and just to kind of let you all

2:00:03 ↗ know it is 802 so we are actually

2:00:06 ↗ approaching the end of our meeting um

2:00:09 ↗ did anyone else have a comment or a

2:00:11 ↗ question

2:00:12 ↗ or just want to give us your feedback on

2:00:14 ↗ how we can make our board more effective

2:00:19 ↗ just a question monica is there um is

2:00:23 ↗ is a city allowing in-person meetings

2:00:24 ↗ anytime soon with the

2:00:27 ↗ great question thank you ray i was

2:00:29 ↗ hoping that i can have two more minutes

2:00:30 ↗ of your time to provide with a couple of

2:00:32 ↗ updates uh and and part of that staff

2:00:35 ↗ report section of our agenda and that

2:00:37 ↗ was one of them so

2:00:39 ↗ actually the city uh staff we returned

2:00:42 ↗ to work this week uh so we are in person

2:00:45 ↗ um the city provides for flexibility so

2:00:48 ↗ the the minimum requirement for staff is

2:00:50 ↗ to be for those who who can work from

2:00:53 ↗ home the minimum requirement is to be in

2:00:55 ↗ the office for at least one day a week

2:00:57 ↗ there are of course certain departments

2:00:59 ↗ that need to be there all the time

2:01:01 ↗ um

2:01:02 ↗ the next step is for civic council to

2:01:05 ↗ start providing in-person meetings and

2:01:07 ↗ that will happen next week for the first

2:01:09 ↗ city council meeting they will be in

2:01:11 ↗ person um and then following that the

2:01:14 ↗ hope for boards and commissions to

2:01:15 ↗ provide in-person meetings is scheduled

2:01:17 ↗ tentatively for

2:01:19 ↗ may

2:01:20 ↗ um of course we are looking into uh

2:01:22 ↗ providing that a hybrid model so it's

2:01:25 ↗ gonna be both in person and um online uh

2:01:28 ↗ but more to come on that

2:01:31 ↗ um and if i'm allowed for one more

2:01:34 ↗ update um thank you um just wanted to

2:01:38 ↗ update you all if you may remember you

2:01:40 ↗ received an email from me a week or so

2:01:42 ↗ ago

2:01:43 ↗ um about the culture and religious

2:01:45 ↗ calendar and that you all helped create

2:01:49 ↗ actually we had a council presentation

2:01:51 ↗ last night on that

2:01:52 ↗ and just wanted to report back that the

2:01:54 ↗ city council was very very open to

2:01:57 ↗ having and starting to incorporate it as

2:01:59 ↗ a pilot see how it's going to work

2:02:02 ↗ so um just wanted to give you a kudos

2:02:04 ↗ and a big shout out that your very first

2:02:07 ↗ um item is moving along and it's gonna

2:02:10 ↗ move forward to implementation so um

2:02:13 ↗ congratulations for that um and thank

2:02:15 ↗ you um so there are certain action items

2:02:18 ↗ that you already are doing and um

2:02:22 ↗ with that even i would love to actually

2:02:23 ↗ following this meeting to forward you an

2:02:25 ↗ email uh we even just started uh small

2:02:28 ↗ steps um but the cd staff have an

2:02:31 ↗ internal newsletter we call it the

2:02:33 ↗ chronicle

2:02:34 ↗ and so we created we started

2:02:37 ↗ um

2:02:38 ↗ a monthly

2:02:39 ↗ opportunity to just send articles on

2:02:42 ↗ what's happening for that month so i'm

2:02:44 ↗ gonna share we just um

2:02:46 ↗ started the one for march uh

2:02:48 ↗ highlighting holy highlighting women's

2:02:52 ↗ history month and also highlighting um

2:02:55 ↗ developmental disabilities month so just

2:02:58 ↗ opportunities for staff to to learn more

2:03:02 ↗ um so um

2:03:05 ↗ just again kudos what you do matters

2:03:07 ↗ quite a bit so thank you

2:03:09 ↗ thank you so much monica those are such

2:03:12 ↗ great updates i'm so excited to see

2:03:15 ↗ we're already getting stuff done

2:03:18 ↗ um i would ask does anyone else have any

2:03:21 ↗ questions comments that they want to put

2:03:23 ↗ out there for us

2:03:27 ↗ all righty if not i think we've reached

2:03:29 ↗ the end of our meeting so i want to

2:03:32 ↗ thank you all for joining us tonight uh

2:03:35 ↗ your work is so valuable and so

2:03:36 ↗ important and we're so happy you could

2:03:38 ↗ be here

2:03:39 ↗ um and we will adjourn for now

2:03:45 ↗ thank you everyone

Minutes for this meeting haven't been published yet. Council and committee minutes are approved at the next meeting and embedded as a consent-calendar attachment in that meeting's agenda packet — they will appear here once that next packet is processed.