Equity Board · Thursday, November 17, 2022 · City Council Digest

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of September 7, 2022 meeting

packet pp.3–6

Previously discussed: Equity Board · Aug 3, 2022

Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

surrounded around the role of the Equity Board to be advisory to the Mayor and City Council. The ongoing work and role of the equity board will continue to be considered and adjusted as the board continues to create a strong foundation.

4. AGENDA ITEMS

Right to Breathe Committee - Introductions & Opportunities to Collaborate (I, D)

30 min · Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

▶ Watch from 9:14

2602 segments .txt ↗

0:00 ↗ Monica

0:03 ↗ yes good evening everyone

0:07 ↗ know if you want me to turn my video on

0:09 ↗ I can't seem to do it it's a

0:12 ↗ is it off oh I'm sorry to hear that give

0:15 ↗ me just a moment

0:18 ↗ okay good evening everyone good evening

0:21 ↗ board members this is

0:23 ↗ equity board and I'm stepping in tonight

0:26 ↗ to help facilitate as both of our chair

0:30 ↗ and vice chair are absent tonight uh

0:33 ↗ Tony is traveling is out of the country

0:36 ↗ and ashay

0:38 ↗ um has a medical emergency tonight so I

0:41 ↗ wish her the best and hopefully

0:43 ↗ everyone's okay also thank you to board

0:45 ↗ members who are online I know that um

0:47 ↗ there's so many folks who are not

0:50 ↗ feeling the best so thank you for those

0:52 ↗ who are able to join online

0:54 ↗ um so um

0:57 ↗ so with that I think the first typically

1:00 ↗ on our agenda is a quick roll call so

1:02 ↗ I'm happy to move us through that and

1:05 ↗ call out other folks who may be absent

1:07 ↗ or online tonight so uh when I call your

1:10 ↗ name please just say that you're here a

1:13 ↗ quick roll call so starting with Elisa

1:15 ↗ Stewart welcome to Lisa

1:18 ↗ [Music]

1:19 ↗ hi good evening thanks for being here so

1:22 ↗ this has online Helena

1:27 ↗ hi good evening

1:29 ↗ uh Lorna hey and now we can see you

1:32 ↗ welcome

1:36 ↗ oh but now we cannot hear you Lorna call

1:39 ↗ your assistant back my tech assistant

1:42 ↗ came and helped me thank you

1:44 ↗ there you go that's awesome thanks for

1:46 ↗ being here uh Lucrezia

1:50 ↗ here

1:51 ↗ we're here thanks for being here hope

1:54 ↗ you feel better soon

1:55 ↗ uh and Ray good evening good evening

1:58 ↗ we're here in person okay uh Shades

2:02 ↗ absent tonight Tony's accent Tonight

2:04 ↗ Christina welcome Bonas muchas

2:09 ↗ board members Christina is here with us

2:11 ↗ tonight she has her headphones on she

2:13 ↗ hears the interpreters

2:15 ↗ um uh in our headphones so remind me to

2:18 ↗ slow down I always remind everyone to go

2:21 ↗ in the class about them

2:23 ↗ okay Kelly good evening good evening

2:26 ↗ [Music]

2:30 ↗ crumbers we have

2:33 ↗ culture we have folks in attendance we

2:35 ↗ are going to have some public comments

2:36 ↗ next and then we also have guest

2:38 ↗ speakers from right to breed uh James

2:41 ↗ Whitfield and Paul Wally I'm excited to

2:43 ↗ introduce them to you in a few minutes

2:45 ↗ well

2:46 ↗ okay so before we

2:49 ↗ introduce our guest speakers we have

2:51 ↗ public comments and our friends from the

2:53 ↗ baha'isappar here so please join us and

2:58 ↗ I would love to hear from you and give

3:00 ↗ us something

3:02 ↗ um

3:08 ↗ wonderful good evening everyone my name

3:12 ↗ is saba mohanian and if I appear as

3:15 ↗ though I'm looking for every excuse to

3:17 ↗ show up here but yes it's so wonderful

3:22 ↗ to have such a wonderful Equity board so

3:26 ↗ it is you know it's probably true maybe

3:28 ↗ that um looking for an excuse to come

3:30 ↗ here but this time

3:32 ↗ um

3:34 ↗ in in effect we have come here uh for an

3:38 ↗ invitation to to invite everybody on the

3:41 ↗ on the board

3:43 ↗ all the members of the board as well as

3:45 ↗ all the guests

3:47 ↗ um to a dinner party very informal and

3:51 ↗ the purpose of it is to do

3:53 ↗ um to talk

3:55 ↗ about Community Building

3:57 ↗ so that we learn from you

4:00 ↗ um what you see in terms of community

4:02 ↗ but what does it mean to us and it's not

4:06 ↗ going to be a

4:08 ↗ you know academic discussion of of any

4:12 ↗ rigorous study of any kind but it's very

4:15 ↗ informal and it's supposed to be joyous

4:17 ↗ and

4:19 ↗ and for dinner so so the importantly and

4:24 ↗ and you also want to use arts for

4:26 ↗ expression so instead of going into very

4:29 ↗ detailed you know intellectual study and

4:32 ↗ maybe there's going to be some

4:33 ↗ intellectuals

4:34 ↗ um this course who knows but the

4:36 ↗ important thing is joy and

4:40 ↗ um

4:41 ↗ artistic expression so that's that's the

4:44 ↗ purpose of it and

4:46 ↗ um even though I've come to the board

4:48 ↗ but really the purpose of it is to to

4:50 ↗ invite the members so you know all of

4:54 ↗ you are here because you care about this

4:56 ↗ topic so it starts really the board we

4:59 ↗ are inside your your inviting all the

5:02 ↗ members

5:06 ↗ having said everything I I should have

5:09 ↗ said

5:10 ↗ I'm I'm really there we are also hoping

5:15 ↗ um that the youth would play a major

5:18 ↗ role so this invitation is not just to

5:21 ↗ you as members but please bring

5:25 ↗ your kids your uh

5:28 ↗ teenage kids

5:32 ↗ yeah children and so

5:35 ↗ that's what it would make it fun and a

5:38 ↗ real learning because they are the ones

5:39 ↗ that are going to be really taking part

5:41 ↗ in community building so

5:54 ↗ and you know we've been here so happy

5:57 ↗ about the formation of the equity board

5:58 ↗ over the last year and it's almost like

6:01 ↗ a little celebration like a little like

6:03 ↗ uh seasonal since December anyway to

6:06 ↗ have a Social and a dinner that people

6:08 ↗ could come to with their families and

6:09 ↗ stuff and the idea is to talk about

6:11 ↗ building Community like how to do that

6:13 ↗ everybody we all want that question is

6:16 ↗ we don't know exactly how to do that and

6:17 ↗ what does it look like and that's why we

6:19 ↗ thought we could have have some food and

6:21 ↗ social and then break into tables and

6:24 ↗ and just do art and hopefully that's why

6:25 ↗ the teenagers and the kids could be

6:27 ↗ there too and then we could share what

6:28 ↗ we think it looks like and just talk

6:30 ↗ about like that a little bit and

6:31 ↗ celebrate everything that's happening

6:33 ↗ Issaquah and all the aspirations that we

6:35 ↗ have

6:37 ↗ thank you so so much one more thing is

6:41 ↗ that that please

6:43 ↗ um look at this as not just an event

6:45 ↗ that is going to happen once you're

6:47 ↗ hoping to do this as a process actually

6:50 ↗ so as we do it maybe

6:53 ↗ once a quarter or so

6:56 ↗ just a few times a year to do this and

6:59 ↗ see how our you know learning starts to

7:03 ↗ take up from there

7:05 ↗ thank you so much and board members

7:08 ↗ online and those of you who are not here

7:10 ↗ you will receiving email the invitations

7:12 ↗ that we have here in the room and the

7:14 ↗ Chrissy I see your hand up

7:16 ↗ I was just gonna ask for the date and

7:19 ↗ time

7:20 ↗ ah wonderful so

7:23 ↗ Saturday December 3rd

7:26 ↗ 5 PM

7:31 ↗ thank you thank you I have a question or

7:34 ↗ maybe a comments and I don't know if

7:36 ↗ you've considered this already because

7:37 ↗ you mentioned um Youth and so I have a

7:40 ↗ teenage daughter who goes to Issaquah

7:42 ↗ High School and so has there been an

7:44 ↗ attempt to connect with them to see if

7:46 ↗ they can in any way message this out and

7:49 ↗ maybe have more attendees there we lost

7:51 ↗ our our to Representatives who

7:54 ↗ represented our youth who were

7:55 ↗ connection to our youth population so

7:57 ↗ we're hoping to re-establish that with

7:59 ↗ either a student at Issaquah High School

8:00 ↗ or another

8:25 ↗ sure okay

8:28 ↗ thank you so much

8:30 ↗ um

8:31 ↗ and so good evening

8:33 ↗ um can I tell you if I met you before

8:34 ↗ I'm not sure if you are with and we're

8:36 ↗ not

8:37 ↗ um

8:39 ↗ in the same Community my name is

8:45 ↗ two years and before that in business

8:54 ↗ [Music]

8:55 ↗ okay well thank you again for for being

8:58 ↗ here and yeah feel free to stay with us

9:01 ↗ or feel free to to go about yourself

9:05 ↗ okay board members

9:07 ↗ um so that concludes our public comments

9:10 ↗ I don't see anyone else online or in the

9:13 ↗ room

9:14 ↗ um and so with that our next agenda item

9:17 ↗ before we introduce Our Guest it's

9:19 ↗ really quick we have to developed the

9:20 ↗ minutes

9:22 ↗ um if you had any if you have hopefully

9:25 ↗ a chance to review those

9:28 ↗ um please let me know if you see any

9:30 ↗ needs for edits or Corrections

9:33 ↗ um I'll give you a moment to look at

9:35 ↗ those look

9:37 ↗ them over

9:39 ↗ um and if there are no edits then and no

9:44 ↗ objections we can just consider the

9:45 ↗ minutes approved as presented

9:49 ↗ any objections to that

9:52 ↗ I see none

9:54 ↗ and I see none online

9:57 ↗ so okay we'll consider the minutes

10:00 ↗ approved as presented thank you so much

10:04 ↗ so with that we are moving on on the

10:08 ↗ first agenda item of the evening and

10:12 ↗ that is

10:13 ↗ um

10:14 ↗ introduction to the work of the right to

10:16 ↗ greet committee

10:18 ↗ um and opportunities to collaborate I

10:22 ↗ had a chance to meet

10:24 ↗ um

10:25 ↗ the first time the right to be committee

10:27 ↗ and work quite closely with Paul Wally

10:31 ↗ from right to breathe and the Human

10:33 ↗ Services Commission a couple of years

10:36 ↗ ago as we were working on creating the

10:39 ↗ equity board

10:40 ↗ and so I realized that the equity board

10:43 ↗ will did not have a chance yet to meet

10:46 ↗ um with the right to breathe committee

10:48 ↗ and learn about their work in the

10:49 ↗ community and in the region so I thought

10:52 ↗ that as especially as we are putting

10:54 ↗ together our 2023 work plan

10:57 ↗ um I think it it's a great opportunity

10:59 ↗ to hear from Paul and James

11:02 ↗ and really to have a discussion and look

11:06 ↗ into opportunities to collaborate

11:08 ↗ so with that James and Paul I don't see

11:11 ↗ Paul anymore but that there he is

11:13 ↗ welcome

11:16 ↗ uh please I'd love to hear from you

11:21 ↗ oh you want to kick us up sure uh so for

11:25 ↗ those who haven't had the chance to

11:27 ↗ privilege to meet uh my name is Paul

11:28 ↗ bawali I am part of the right to breathe

11:31 ↗ group uh but I'm also somebody who's

11:34 ↗ been active and community on the east

11:36 ↗ side for uh I'd probably say for the

11:39 ↗ last decade or so or more and I am

11:42 ↗ excited to be here and visit with you

11:44 ↗ again uh this is not a new space for me

11:48 ↗ so I'm very happy to be back and thanks

11:50 ↗ for the invite Monica James

11:54 ↗ thank you Paul hello everyone it's good

11:56 ↗ to see uh some faces that I know from

12:00 ↗ other locations uh get to see Kelly and

12:03 ↗ also some folks that I have various

12:06 ↗ relations with relationships with uh

12:08 ↗ here's what we're gonna do I'm going to

12:09 ↗ introduce myself and then I'm gonna

12:11 ↗ spend a little time

12:14 ↗ uh Paul is going to step in and talk a

12:17 ↗ little bit more about the role the right

12:18 ↗ to breathe played uh in encouraging the

12:23 ↗ existence of this board I'll talk a

12:25 ↗ little bit more about

12:27 ↗ um sort of the context of equity at

12:29 ↗ least the way that we think about it

12:30 ↗ from a right to breed standpoint and

12:32 ↗ then we'll save some space for uh for

12:35 ↗ some questions if you got them if you

12:38 ↗ have questions along the way don't

12:39 ↗ hesitate to chime in so my name is James

12:41 ↗ Wakefield uh I am one of the right to

12:44 ↗ brief committee members uh in my day job

12:47 ↗ uh what I do is run a consultancy that

12:51 ↗ is called be culture with my wife we

12:55 ↗ equip leaders

12:56 ↗ to integrate Equity into culture uh from

13:00 ↗ a corporate standpoint a non-profit

13:03 ↗ standpoint also though with cities and

13:06 ↗ communities and we do that locally in

13:09 ↗ other places around the country

13:11 ↗ and so uh that's one of the reasons why

13:14 ↗ after the death of George Floyd

13:17 ↗ um I was a part of a group of people

13:20 ↗ that included Paul and several other

13:22 ↗ people uh I would probably describe as

13:24 ↗ as prominent African-Americans

13:27 ↗ in East King County who came together

13:29 ↗ under this uh intention to ensure safety

13:33 ↗ and respect for black people which is

13:36 ↗ what right to breathe stands for that's

13:37 ↗ that's what we do uh and we do that

13:40 ↗ around three core principles the first

13:42 ↗ is to abolish anti-black

13:45 ↗ uh systemic anti-black racism uh and the

13:50 ↗ reason that we focus specifically uh on

13:54 ↗ uh abolishing uh anti-black systemic

13:57 ↗ racism is clearly uh that specifically

14:00 ↗ is an issue uh and obviously for uh what

14:03 ↗ probably looks like obvious reasons is

14:05 ↗ near and dear to my heart however it

14:08 ↗ turns out that historically speaking

14:10 ↗ when we focus on addressing anti-black

14:13 ↗ systemic racism uh abolishing

14:15 ↗ anti-blackness uh it actually has a

14:19 ↗ positive effect on other marginalized

14:21 ↗ people uh certainly in this country

14:24 ↗ unfortunately the opposite isn't always

14:28 ↗ true

14:29 ↗ unfortunately when we address other

14:31 ↗ issues of racism uh or other isms

14:35 ↗ addressing issues related to

14:37 ↗ marginalized people the same effect

14:40 ↗ doesn't typically accrue to black people

14:42 ↗ in the same way that it does when the

14:44 ↗ opposite happens so one of the reasons

14:47 ↗ that we're so focused on making sure

14:48 ↗ that cities pay attention to it uh is

14:50 ↗ for that reason second is oversight and

14:53 ↗ accountability uh through Equitable

14:55 ↗ decision making we're going to come back

14:57 ↗ to that in a moment but really making

14:59 ↗ sure that nothing happens about us

15:01 ↗ without us ensuring Equity uh through

15:04 ↗ oversight and accountability and then

15:06 ↗ third is de-escalation of the way that

15:09 ↗ rules and laws

15:12 ↗ are enforced against black people and

15:14 ↗ black bodies and so those are the three

15:17 ↗ core principles of the work that we do

15:19 ↗ and then as we engage with various parts

15:22 ↗ of the community whether it's cities and

15:24 ↗ communities or schools and school

15:26 ↗ districts we apply those things to the

15:31 ↗ issues from a system-wide standpoint

15:33 ↗ that are happening uh within those

15:35 ↗ different domains

15:37 ↗ so with that I'll kick it back to Paul

15:39 ↗ you can talk a little bit about the

15:40 ↗ history of our TV uh and Issaquah

15:44 ↗ yeah so I think uh for for some of you

15:47 ↗ who have been here with the equity board

15:50 ↗ from the very beginning we appreciate

15:52 ↗ some folks who I remember from back in

15:55 ↗ the day uh in August 2020 I think that's

15:58 ↗ the earliest recollection I have as far

16:01 ↗ as really engaging uh when the City of

16:04 ↗ Issaquah you know set up the um and this

16:06 ↗ is one that I always have a uh trouble

16:09 ↗ uh saying stating so Monica you may need

16:11 ↗ to help me but they set up the police

16:13 ↗ accountability equity and Human Services

16:16 ↗ action plan I believe that's what they

16:18 ↗ called it if I miss something then my

16:21 ↗ apologies but that was tasked to the

16:24 ↗ Human Services Commission and really

16:27 ↗ about reviewing the role of residents in

16:29 ↗ in City Equity initiatives now during

16:32 ↗ that time we'd already been talking to

16:34 ↗ the city as right to breathe have been

16:36 ↗ talking to the city and that was

16:37 ↗ probably primarily conversations that

16:39 ↗ were going on with the mayor the city

16:43 ↗ manager the chief of police

16:45 ↗ related to the things you know those

16:47 ↗ three priorities that James had talked

16:49 ↗ about whether with the escalation

16:50 ↗ oversight and on and on so we had been

16:52 ↗ having those conversations with the city

16:54 ↗ so Monica reached out to me

16:57 ↗ and talked about you know that the city

16:59 ↗ I mean the Human Services was given the

17:02 ↗ uh this task of reviewing the role of

17:05 ↗ residents uh you know when we were

17:08 ↗ active on the east side wanted to know

17:10 ↗ you know uh at least applying to me that

17:13 ↗ you know you were going to have a series

17:14 ↗ of I believe we were calling them

17:16 ↗ Community conversations at the time uh

17:19 ↗ and we're hoping to lead to some kind of

17:21 ↗ recommendation and so those those

17:24 ↗ conversations I remember we had a few of

17:27 ↗ those conversations and invited a lot of

17:29 ↗ different diverse inclusive group of of

17:32 ↗ City residents and I think are very

17:34 ↗ powerful we had different moderators we

17:37 ↗ had different uh uh sharings from

17:40 ↗ whether it was students just it was it

17:42 ↗ was it was actually

17:44 ↗ very good I would say very good

17:47 ↗ conversations about uh just how Issaquah

17:50 ↗ especially had changed and even for

17:54 ↗ things that I didn't know at the time

17:56 ↗ that you know there were folks who

17:57 ↗ shared about about you know 30 years ago

17:59 ↗ where Issaquah used to be where it was I

18:02 ↗ believe the population was 95 percent

18:05 ↗ white at the time and then you know uh

18:08 ↗ fast forward to just 2019 uh so a year

18:12 ↗ later after we were having a year after

18:14 ↗ we're having this conversation that that

18:16 ↗ population was now 65 percent wide and

18:19 ↗ you know I think it was two percent

18:20 ↗ black and Asian was two percent so

18:23 ↗ basically the city had changed but the

18:25 ↗ city had not really uh uh had anything

18:29 ↗ that had changed recognizing that change

18:31 ↗ and so those conversations were really

18:34 ↗ good this led to I think May about May

18:37 ↗ of 2021

18:39 ↗ uh where you know our recommendation was

18:42 ↗ uh you know was made to the city that

18:45 ↗ included the uh you know the the

18:47 ↗ creation of an equity uh oversight board

18:50 ↗ based on these conversations that we had

18:52 ↗ uh during that time there was still some

18:55 ↗ very active conversation going on with a

18:58 ↗ city with the right to breathe and I I

19:00 ↗ so it was it was always interesting

19:02 ↗ coming back but you hear what the the

19:05 ↗ residents and the citizens of of

19:07 ↗ um of issacral were telling uh the Human

19:10 ↗ Services Commission and this almost

19:13 ↗ disconnects sometimes in the

19:14 ↗ conversations we're having with the city

19:16 ↗ uh where there was about you know how

19:18 ↗ the city engages school districts with

19:20 ↗ SRO program I know that was a big one

19:22 ↗ and we had many uh what I would call uh

19:26 ↗ spicy conversations with uh with the

19:29 ↗ chief of police at the time Scott uh we

19:32 ↗ had more spicy conversations with the

19:34 ↗ mayor uh mayor Paulie at the time

19:37 ↗ related to is there an understanding or

19:40 ↗ you know the level of Education that

19:42 ↗ needed to happen uh but you know the the

19:45 ↗ best thing about all those conversations

19:47 ↗ I may describe them as spicy but uh they

19:51 ↗ were fruitful so they were fruitful that

19:52 ↗ they something came out of it they were

19:54 ↗ fruitful or I would say they were

19:56 ↗ generative uh and I would really allow

19:59 ↗ the city of of Issaquah force uh the

20:02 ↗ times where they said okay we're gonna

20:04 ↗ stop and pause and do a homework or do

20:07 ↗ our education and come back on this

20:09 ↗ issue that you pointed out that seems to

20:12 ↗ be affecting or harming especially

20:16 ↗ people of color in Issaquah that maybe

20:18 ↗ we looked at it from a different

20:20 ↗ Paradigm or a different lens

20:22 ↗ uh but you know in May 2021 I think the

20:25 ↗ city whatever the proposal was the city

20:28 ↗ proposed some revisions if I remember

20:29 ↗ that uh time Monica and I think in

20:34 ↗ um July of 2021 is when I think the

20:39 ↗ ordinance was was submitted to city

20:41 ↗ council and that included all the

20:44 ↗ different things whether it's you know

20:45 ↗ the objectives of the board the

20:47 ↗ membership the rules the staff supports

20:50 ↗ and and the duties of this board

20:53 ↗ um so you know it's it's it's it's very

20:55 ↗ interesting when I look back and I think

20:57 ↗ back when Monica said hey come back

20:58 ↗ again and I look at that Journey but it

21:01 ↗ was a journey it was a labor of love and

21:03 ↗ I have to say that you know for the

21:05 ↗ folks who participated in that I can't

21:07 ↗ say thank you enough I personally don't

21:09 ↗ resign in Issaquah but there was a lot

21:12 ↗ of uh passion and purpose uh exhibited

21:15 ↗ by a lot of folks and for right to breed

21:18 ↗ uh you know we were happy to do the

21:21 ↗ things we do and we were happy that you

21:25 ↗ know of all the cities we worked with

21:26 ↗ and we worked with all the different

21:27 ↗ cities and on the east side you know and

21:30 ↗ we've given credit you know we have a

21:32 ↗ dashboard that James will be talking

21:33 ↗ about here but we give City of Issaquah

21:37 ↗ uh especially the residents a lot of

21:40 ↗ credit for not only

21:43 ↗ um you know understanding their

21:45 ↗ responsibility as citizens of Issaquah

21:47 ↗ and for the whole of Issaquah not just

21:50 ↗ for a subset of isaquans but for

21:52 ↗ everyone in Issaquah and really pushing

21:54 ↗ pushing for this uh equity which we

21:58 ↗ believe I'd write to breathe a shared

21:59 ↗ ownership of all the people who are

22:01 ↗ involved in this in this in this in this

22:04 ↗ work that we do but I am very happy that

22:08 ↗ you know the equity board was

22:09 ↗ established and Not only was it

22:11 ↗ established that we were also invited to

22:14 ↗ participate in the in the interview

22:16 ↗ process so I think I met most of the uh

22:20 ↗ during the the interview process uh

22:24 ↗ again it was a privilege and an honor uh

22:27 ↗ to be a part of that

22:28 ↗ and now I see you guys flying and doing

22:30 ↗ all the things you're doing on behalf of

22:32 ↗ of the city of issaquan all its citizens

22:35 ↗ and I couldn't say you know I'm more

22:38 ↗ prouder of just what has happened in in

22:41 ↗ two short years or two long years

22:43 ↗ depending on pretty sure for Monica it

22:45 ↗ would be two long years uh but I think

22:47 ↗ for me it's two short years but really

22:50 ↗ excited about what the future holds and

22:52 ↗ we're always here to help and and

22:54 ↗ whatever input that we can provide but

22:56 ↗ the work was really not done by the way

22:58 ↗ it really was really done by you and we

23:01 ↗ were along for the journey and I'm

23:03 ↗ extremely happy that I've been in fact

23:04 ↗ we've been invited here again uh you

23:07 ↗ know just to touch base on what's going

23:09 ↗ on in our world and share that with you

23:11 ↗ back to you James

23:13 ↗ foreign

23:15 ↗ so Paul mentioned something that I want

23:19 ↗ to use as the lead end to the next thing

23:21 ↗ I want to talk about which is

23:23 ↗ how we view equity

23:26 ↗ this is the reason that we think what

23:29 ↗ you're doing is so important

23:31 ↗ it's also why don't you think what

23:33 ↗ you're doing is so difficult

23:35 ↗ and requires

23:37 ↗ um a lot of intentionality and care

23:41 ↗ so I'm going to start with this idea of

23:45 ↗ equity and the way I want to do that is

23:48 ↗ by pointing out that as we think about

23:50 ↗ diversity equity and inclusion

23:53 ↗ frequently the equity part is the one

23:56 ↗ that's the least clear

23:58 ↗ so diversity is about differences

24:01 ↗ inclusion is about participation in one

24:03 ↗ way or another

24:04 ↗ the equity part A lot of people will use

24:07 ↗ a lot of different definitions

24:08 ↗ [Music]

24:10 ↗ uh I have found that the clearest and

24:13 ↗ easiest way to understand what Equity is

24:16 ↗ is to think about the word

24:19 ↗ in the context that it's used outside of

24:23 ↗ Dei

24:24 ↗ so an example of that for instance would

24:27 ↗ be when you think about purchasing a

24:29 ↗ house

24:31 ↗ [Music]

24:35 ↗ the bank or mortgage company owns three

24:39 ↗ hundred thousand dollars of that we

24:41 ↗ would say that the homeowner

24:43 ↗ has equity

24:47 ↗ diversity equity and inclusion

24:50 ↗ Stephen the homeowner has two hundred

24:53 ↗ thousand dollars worth of equity

24:57 ↗ the term Equity is used in situations

25:00 ↗ where there's more than one owner

25:05 ↗ same thing is true if you were to think

25:08 ↗ about what's sometimes

25:23 ↗ sorry so um the stock market is also

25:27 ↗ called the equity Market

25:29 ↗ and the reason it's called that is

25:31 ↗ because when you buy shares

25:33 ↗ you're buying Equity shares of a company

25:38 ↗ more than one person owns it

25:40 ↗ now because when you buy Equity shares

25:44 ↗ you're supposed to then have some

25:47 ↗ ability to help set the direction of the

25:49 ↗ company

25:51 ↗ how well or how poorly companies do that

25:55 ↗ but the reality is is when you buy a

25:58 ↗ share an equity share of a company you

26:01 ↗ get to help decide who is on the board

26:03 ↗ of directors

26:04 ↗ you can pick up the side the direction

26:07 ↗ of the company

26:12 ↗ see what Equity is

26:15 ↗ more buy-in from people

26:18 ↗ and when those people have buy-in they

26:21 ↗ get to help set the direction

26:23 ↗ so you all as an equity board we pers we

26:27 ↗ see you as making sure that people in

26:31 ↗ the margins of Issaquah

26:33 ↗ now I can have shared ownership over the

26:37 ↗ direction of the city

26:40 ↗ so as Paul mentioned that

26:43 ↗ um we have worked with lots of different

26:46 ↗ places and been in lots of different

26:47 ↗ conversations we tend to work directly

26:49 ↗ with the Mayors or city managers police

26:52 ↗ um

26:53 ↗ police Chiefs

26:55 ↗ and this is what we're constantly saying

26:57 ↗ is you need to make sure that in your

27:00 ↗ city like don't just talk to right to

27:03 ↗ breathe in your city you have to create

27:06 ↗ structures again this comes back to that

27:08 ↗ second core principle that we mentioned

27:10 ↗ about oversight and accountability

27:12 ↗ that you have to have structures in the

27:14 ↗ city that ensure shared ownership

27:17 ↗ among people in the margins typically

27:20 ↗ people of color

27:22 ↗ and the people who are running the city

27:26 ↗ an equity board Done Right is a gold

27:30 ↗ standard opportunity to do that very

27:32 ↗ thing

27:35 ↗ so that's one of the reasons we think

27:36 ↗ that what you're doing is so important

27:39 ↗ can you repeat that please

27:42 ↗ sure I would say that an equity board

27:45 ↗ done right

27:47 ↗ is a gold standard for ensuring the kind

27:50 ↗ of shared ownership that needs to happen

27:52 ↗ in a city

27:55 ↗ that's one of the reasons we think what

27:57 ↗ you're doing is so important

27:59 ↗ it's also why we think what you're doing

28:02 ↗ is really difficult

28:05 ↗ Community Systems are not set up

28:09 ↗ to pay attention

28:12 ↗ they're set up to pay attention to

28:13 ↗ people in the inner circles

28:15 ↗ and so the way the people get elected to

28:18 ↗ city council

28:20 ↗ uh those people tend to have

28:22 ↗ relationships with and are being

28:23 ↗ supported by people

28:25 ↗ who are who have power in the community

28:29 ↗ those people are connected to the inner

28:31 ↗ circles

28:34 ↗ in Partnership though we have to make

28:35 ↗ sure that something like an equity board

28:36 ↗ exists

28:38 ↗ and that that board has a real

28:40 ↗ relationship

28:43 ↗ a real relationship with the council and

28:47 ↗ the city leadership

28:49 ↗ to ensure that shared ownership is

28:52 ↗ actually happening

28:53 ↗ it isn't just a way to make sure that

28:56 ↗ people in the margins of the community

28:57 ↗ are being listened to there has to be

29:01 ↗ actual partnership

29:04 ↗ it isn't done well and Equity board

29:07 ↗ isn't from our perspective isn't simply

29:09 ↗ a place to collect some input

29:12 ↗ there has to be shared ownership there

29:14 ↗ needs to be a an opportunity for

29:17 ↗ partnership for collaboration

29:19 ↗ to ensure that there is that the people

29:23 ↗ who tend not to be listened to

29:25 ↗ have a mechanism to partner with the

29:29 ↗ people in the inner circles and in this

29:31 ↗ situation we would describe those people

29:32 ↗ as the council and the city leadership

29:35 ↗ now we know that that's really hard

29:38 ↗ we know that that's really hard because

29:40 ↗ they're the ones that wrote the

29:42 ↗ ordinance we know that that's really

29:43 ↗ hard because they're the ones that

29:45 ↗ ultimately ultimately pass the um the

29:47 ↗ the deciding votes we know that they're

29:49 ↗ the ones that ultimately implement the

29:51 ↗ decisions that get made

29:53 ↗ and so one of the things that's so

29:54 ↗ difficult is to both be proud and

29:57 ↗ excited of the fact that there is an

29:59 ↗ equity board and proud and excited of

30:01 ↗ the fact that there's a mechanism that

30:02 ↗ exists to ensure that people in the

30:04 ↗ margins can be listened to

30:06 ↗ and also continue to lean into the

30:09 ↗ important role to be played to ensure

30:12 ↗ that it isn't just a place where ideas

30:15 ↗ are brought up

30:16 ↗ but then real partnership happens

30:19 ↗ and again if we understand that that's

30:22 ↗ difficult because of the way that power

30:23 ↗ dynamics work in cities so one of the

30:26 ↗ reasons that we're here is to vote give

30:29 ↗ you encouragement and say

30:30 ↗ congratulations we're very excited that

30:32 ↗ there's an equity board uh again uh Paul

30:35 ↗ mentioned that we have dashboards we

30:37 ↗ indicate we uh across those those three

30:40 ↗ core principles there are a set of

30:43 ↗ um policy objectives that we that we

30:46 ↗ encourage and having something like an

30:48 ↗ equity board is one of the key pieces uh

30:51 ↗ you're the only city that we've been

30:53 ↗ working with that's actually gone as far

30:54 ↗ as to create an equity board you're one

30:56 ↗ of the only ones I think in the entire

30:58 ↗ state so congratulations

31:00 ↗ some other cities have done some other

31:02 ↗ things we also think are really helpful

31:04 ↗ so that's why they you know get the

31:06 ↗ ratings that they get their other places

31:07 ↗ by the way that aren't doing uh anything

31:09 ↗ and we try and try really hard not to

31:11 ↗ talk too much about them uh

31:14 ↗ but we know that that is also true right

31:16 ↗ so one of the difficult things about

31:18 ↗ making progress is to be able to both

31:20 ↗ appreciate the progress that's been made

31:22 ↗ and continue to be dissatisfied

31:26 ↗ we're not there yet

31:28 ↗ right to hold both of those things in

31:30 ↗ tension uh and again this is one of the

31:33 ↗ reasons why we're so excited uh to be

31:35 ↗ able uh to come and talk to you all to

31:37 ↗ say hey you're doing a great job and uh

31:39 ↗ to the degree that there are things we

31:41 ↗ can do people in the community can do in

31:43 ↗ order to support what you're doing to

31:45 ↗ ensure that that true shared ownership

31:46 ↗ is happening between you all and City

31:48 ↗ leadership or you all in the council we

31:51 ↗ want to make sure that we are here

31:52 ↗ supporting you uh in your work

31:55 ↗ foreign

31:57 ↗ there's more things that could be said

31:58 ↗ however we wanted to make sure that

32:00 ↗ there was some time for Q a and so Paul

32:02 ↗ did I leave out anything before I before

32:04 ↗ we open it up for questions

32:06 ↗ no I think we are ready for questions if

32:08 ↗ you may have any

32:11 ↗ James and Paul thank you so so much uh

32:14 ↗ as I let board members think about

32:16 ↗ questions it's also appreciate having

32:18 ↗ you here uh you know recently I said uh

32:21 ↗ to someone as they are entertaining

32:24 ↗ ideas for how to start equally in their

32:26 ↗ cities and I said you know the reality

32:29 ↗ is

32:30 ↗ um the deeper you go the harder it gets

32:33 ↗ and I think that that's very true and

32:36 ↗ that's where like so appreciate the

32:38 ↗ encouragement that you provide to the

32:40 ↗ equity board that I look forward to

32:42 ↗ actually having the conversation later

32:45 ↗ just in a few minutes after

32:48 ↗ um after this agenda topic because I

32:50 ↗ want to just really get to the core of

32:52 ↗ like how do we get to the Deep core

32:55 ↗ issues that are so so difficult but so

32:57 ↗ important to tackle right and so with

32:59 ↗ that

33:00 ↗ um Luis I see your hand up

33:04 ↗ yeah um

33:06 ↗ I think my question is if we as an

33:09 ↗ equity board were to be successful

33:11 ↗ Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

33:14 ↗ what would that look like

33:18 ↗ oh you want to take that

33:22 ↗ yeah I can so

33:25 ↗ I think we come from a space as far as

33:28 ↗ when we look at overall the bigger

33:30 ↗ broader bigger picture

33:32 ↗ um and you think about people in

33:34 ↗ humanity uh the bigger question is

33:37 ↗ always about

33:39 ↗ is there harm being done to certain

33:42 ↗ folks and usually the harm as James

33:45 ↗ articulated is to the folks on the

33:47 ↗ margin so in my wildest dream as far as

33:51 ↗ uh you know Uber level of success and

33:54 ↗ success there's many different tiers so

33:56 ↗ I think you already vastly successful

33:58 ↗ where you are but I think my Uber level

34:01 ↗ of success is when we know and the

34:06 ↗ people who are up the margins are saying

34:08 ↗ that harm is not being done to them okay

34:10 ↗ so that would be the Utopia of of you

34:14 ↗ know of success as far as that is

34:16 ↗ concerned at least that would be my take

34:18 ↗ on it James's if you want to add

34:20 ↗ anything to that I I would just say that

34:22 ↗ I agree that that's the Pinnacle the

34:24 ↗ step below that is when Farm is being

34:27 ↗ done to people in the margins they know

34:29 ↗ they can come to this board

34:31 ↗ uh and they know that this board would

34:32 ↗ be able to help identify ways to make

34:35 ↗ that arm stop

34:39 ↗ um that would be they know that this

34:41 ↗ board exists and they know that they

34:42 ↗ should come right like

34:43 ↗ but like that's the latter like that's

34:46 ↗ the mountain we need to climb uh is to

34:49 ↗ and but ultimately it's to ensure that

34:50 ↗ we uh stop perpetuating harm against

34:52 ↗ black people and other people in the

34:54 ↗ margins

34:55 ↗ [Music]

35:00 ↗ thank you so much Lucrezia

35:04 ↗ think that in the past we have we as a

35:07 ↗ board have asked

35:10 ↗ and other and the city Representatives

35:14 ↗ for an Avenue for people to actually

35:18 ↗ access the board

35:20 ↗ um so I guess this question is more for

35:22 ↗ Monica Monica where do we stand on that

35:24 ↗ so that people can have access to us

35:28 ↗ uh well Chris here we actually have this

35:31 ↗ item on our discussion next with the

35:34 ↗ work plan item it's actually called out

35:36 ↗ as one of the initiatives proposed for

35:38 ↗ next week next year

35:41 ↗ um so

35:42 ↗ maybe if you're okay with us discussing

35:44 ↗ in more details right after

35:47 ↗ I think that's the work of the

35:48 ↗ prioritization that we need to do with

35:50 ↗ all the initiatives that we have on that

35:52 ↗ list

35:55 ↗ great question

35:58 ↗ pretty

35:59 ↗ um James you mentioned you had a list of

36:02 ↗ policy objectives I'm wondering if you

36:05 ↗ could share you know some of the other

36:06 ↗ ones so we can get a feel for what those

36:09 ↗ could be

36:10 ↗ absolutely

36:12 ↗ so we believe oversight is critical at

36:16 ↗ both the entire city government level

36:17 ↗ which is one of the roles that an equity

36:20 ↗ board can play We also think that um

36:23 ↗ oversight specifically needs to occur

36:25 ↗ within the context of the police

36:26 ↗ department

36:28 ↗ um there it's it's a it's such a

36:32 ↗ uh a specific set of activities even

36:35 ↗ within the context of a city uh that we

36:38 ↗ think that having a really clear

36:40 ↗ oversight function within the context of

36:42 ↗ the police department is really

36:43 ↗ important uh we believe that the you

36:46 ↗ know relationship between the equity

36:48 ↗ board and that oversight uh entity uh is

36:50 ↗ really also very important

36:55 ↗ um one of the board members already

36:56 ↗ brought up we also believe that it's

36:58 ↗ really important to have

37:00 ↗ um an ombudsman type function there's uh

37:04 ↗ where there is an ability for people in

37:07 ↗ the community to be able to identify

37:08 ↗ issues uh that counter to the

37:12 ↗ aspirations and values of the city

37:15 ↗ it turns out that a lot of times people

37:19 ↗ don't communicate the harm that's

37:21 ↗ happening to them because they know it

37:24 ↗ won't rise to the level of a crime

37:28 ↗ function that we sort of have for that

37:30 ↗ at this point in most communities is

37:33 ↗ hate crime laws

37:34 ↗ and unfortunately those are really

37:37 ↗ difficult to prosecute really difficult

37:40 ↗ to win and ultimately I don't think what

37:43 ↗ Issaquah is looking for is to have a

37:46 ↗ threshold which is below Prime

37:49 ↗ Ryan has the experience of people in the

37:51 ↗ margins I think I think is looking for a

37:53 ↗ different kind of experience for people

37:55 ↗ in the community and so a being able to

37:57 ↗ articulate what's the experience that

37:59 ↗ you're looking for for people in the

38:00 ↗ community and then to make sure that

38:02 ↗ there's a mechanism for people to

38:03 ↗ communicate when they're not having that

38:05 ↗ experience through some sort of process

38:08 ↗ that gets collected and communicated to

38:10 ↗ you all and as a a thing that gets to be

38:12 ↗ a part of the conversation that you're

38:14 ↗ having you know with the rest of the

38:15 ↗ city government including the police

38:17 ↗ department we think that that's also uh

38:19 ↗ really critical

38:20 ↗ all I mentioned sros

38:24 ↗ um we actually are not advocating

38:26 ↗ defunding the police we believe that uh

38:30 ↗ policing needs as much resources as

38:33 ↗ necessary to ensure that they have the

38:34 ↗ training uh and are well equipped to be

38:38 ↗ able to do the jobs that they need to do

38:40 ↗ um there may be things that they're

38:41 ↗ spending money on now that they could

38:42 ↗ not spend money on I mean that's

38:44 ↗ certainly not an opportunity

38:46 ↗ um uh to do to do something but that's

38:49 ↗ not a part of what we're doing is

38:51 ↗ necessarily saying that police

38:53 ↗ departments need to be defunded we do

38:55 ↗ though know that

38:57 ↗ um every day that there's an armed

38:59 ↗ officer inside a school

39:02 ↗ that the children in particular in that

39:05 ↗ school are experiencing harm

39:07 ↗ and unfortunately the response that we

39:11 ↗ get when we talk to police departments

39:13 ↗ and City uh leadership about that is an

39:16 ↗ agreement and understanding that that is

39:19 ↗ what's happening that some children

39:21 ↗ simply by being

39:24 ↗ um around armed officers every day do

39:26 ↗ experience psychological harm we don't

39:28 ↗ get very much pushback from that the

39:31 ↗ response that we get is that that's

39:32 ↗ basically

39:33 ↗ an okay cost to pay

39:36 ↗ for the feeling of safety that the

39:38 ↗ majority students get by having those

39:40 ↗ armed officers there

39:41 ↗ and we think that that's not acceptable

39:45 ↗ you simply say it's okay for black

39:48 ↗ children to experience harm because it

39:50 ↗ creates a sense of safety for other

39:52 ↗ people

39:54 ↗ let me give one more example of some of

39:57 ↗ those policy objectives and then I'll

39:58 ↗ respond to your uh to the or we can

40:01 ↗ respond to the next question

40:04 ↗ we also believe that it's really

40:06 ↗ important to have Community facing

40:08 ↗ um education and opportunities to bring

40:12 ↗ people together because one of the

40:14 ↗ things that has become really clear has

40:17 ↗ been clear for a long time it certainly

40:18 ↗ has become clear over the course of the

40:19 ↗ past two or three years is that there's

40:21 ↗ such a disparity in understanding of

40:25 ↗ history and context that members of the

40:29 ↗ broader Community sometimes simply don't

40:32 ↗ know the harm that is being perpetuated

40:35 ↗ uh on people in the margins and black

40:37 ↗ people in particular and so creating

40:39 ↗ Community investing time and energy in

40:41 ↗ community spaces to ensure that people

40:45 ↗ have some understanding of History uh

40:48 ↗ and also an understanding of the actual

40:50 ↗ challenges that are being faced uh is

40:53 ↗ really critical I'll give you one

40:54 ↗ example of that and then I'll move on

40:55 ↗ because it's time to something that

40:56 ↗ we've already brought up most people

40:58 ↗ don't know that in the United States the

41:00 ↗ the history is that slave Patrols in the

41:05 ↗ south

41:06 ↗ so these are men who self-arm themselves

41:10 ↗ in order to chase them

41:12 ↗ and police slaves

41:15 ↗ that is the roots of policing in the

41:18 ↗ United States so those turned into

41:20 ↗ police departments

41:22 ↗ [Music]

41:23 ↗ the history of policing in the United

41:25 ↗ States

41:26 ↗ [Music]

41:30 ↗ it's not okay to subject black people to

41:34 ↗ harm in order to create safety a sense

41:37 ↗ of safety for the dominant Community or

41:39 ↗ for white people

41:40 ↗ that's a reflection of a historical

41:43 ↗ reality it's not just an opinion that

41:45 ↗ I'm expressing in the moment

41:46 ↗ and because people don't have any

41:48 ↗ context that we we tend not to spending

41:51 ↗ the time in the history

41:53 ↗ um at a community-wide level uh we're

41:55 ↗ talking past one another as opposed to

41:57 ↗ having a common set of experiences to be

41:59 ↗ able to build upon in order to move

42:01 ↗ forward

42:06 ↗ thank you James Elisa

42:13 ↗ well at least I think we can still not

42:15 ↗ hear you

42:17 ↗ all right I took my hand down but I

42:19 ↗ forgot to take the mic off

42:22 ↗ um you made you made a statement in

42:24 ↗ there about an ombudsman function for

42:28 ↗ the community to be able to raise items

42:30 ↗ that don't rise to the level of crime I

42:33 ↗ was recently in a session

42:36 ↗ um or presentation by the

42:39 ↗ Anti-Defamation League and one of the

42:41 ↗ things that I really appreciated was

42:43 ↗ they mentioned having a part of their

42:46 ↗ website where they collect incidents

42:49 ↗ then they specifically use that language

42:51 ↗ because they wanted people to be aware

42:53 ↗ that it was important to report things

42:56 ↗ even if they did not rise to the level

42:58 ↗ of crime and so I just wouldn't know if

43:02 ↗ you would drill down a little bit more

43:04 ↗ on some suggestions for how we might be

43:07 ↗ able to accomplish that

43:10 ↗ inside or outside of the equity board

43:12 ↗ but you know just in general how we

43:14 ↗ could accomplish that

43:16 ↗ Paul I'm happy to keep talking but I

43:18 ↗ realize I've been talking for a long

43:19 ↗ time so do you want to I can I can jump

43:21 ↗ in

43:22 ↗ um so some of the things and I would

43:23 ↗ encourage you to look at our website

43:25 ↗ because we do have some of these

43:27 ↗ policies posted but just to your

43:29 ↗ question uh directly you know there's uh

43:32 ↗ you know outside of what you say doesn't

43:33 ↗ rise to a certain level you know looking

43:36 ↗ at just retailers and public

43:38 ↗ accommodations that's one of the things

43:40 ↗ I know we've been talking to different

43:41 ↗ cities about and really talking about

43:44 ↗ okay so especially in the business side

43:48 ↗ you know we for for people of color and

43:51 ↗ if you were not you didn't you were not

43:53 ↗ aware or did not know uh yes you know

43:55 ↗ you could be walking in a store and you

43:58 ↗ know either you're you're seems like

44:01 ↗ you're hounded around as far as what are

44:04 ↗ you doing what are you whatever so we we

44:06 ↗ we have terminology for that you know as

44:08 ↗ far as you know excessive calling out uh

44:11 ↗ you know just uh people you know people

44:13 ↗ on the margin of black people doing

44:15 ↗ their businesses in this business

44:16 ↗ especially businesses doing that we've

44:18 ↗ had examples of that on the east side

44:20 ↗ and really calling it and saying Hey how

44:23 ↗ do we how do we work to make sure that

44:26 ↗ this is not happening you know these are

44:27 ↗ some of the things that happen but uh

44:30 ↗ you know can we pull signage for for

44:32 ↗ patrons to uh to call the ombuds person

44:35 ↗ when these things happen when this this

44:37 ↗ kind of harm is being done to folks who

44:39 ↗ were in their they're in public

44:40 ↗ accommodations or they're in retail

44:42 ↗ businesses uh and if they feel like

44:45 ↗ they're being singled out or followed

44:47 ↗ around or whatever you can you know

44:49 ↗ whatever terminology when you want to

44:50 ↗ use it that there is a place to go and I

44:52 ↗ think James talked about it

44:54 ↗ um

44:55 ↗ a lot about the shared ownership where

44:59 ↗ there is a mechanism to partner with the

45:03 ↗ people in the Inner Circle there is a

45:05 ↗ place where you can go and you know that

45:08 ↗ you can something is going to be done

45:10 ↗ about what's going on and you know for

45:13 ↗ us as far as strategies related to that

45:15 ↗ some of the things we've shared with

45:16 ↗ cities is saying hey you know is your

45:19 ↗ way to track just to your point about

45:22 ↗ tracking businesses that uh uh engage in

45:26 ↗ excessive calling uh and whether if

45:30 ↗ there's a way to terminate their

45:31 ↗ business license based on they

45:34 ↗ continually call on people of color or

45:36 ↗ minority groups uh because for whatever

45:39 ↗ reason whether it's their unconscious

45:41 ↗ bias or their racism or whatever it is

45:43 ↗ uh but those are some of the things that

45:46 ↗ if I just gave an example but you know

45:49 ↗ if you're having an ombudsman we also

45:51 ↗ hope and we've encouraged people to say

45:52 ↗ that there is I mean James mentioned

45:54 ↗ this there's an oversight board that can

45:57 ↗ publish these things there is hopefully

46:00 ↗ a rating so that even as as as people of

46:05 ↗ color are visiting

46:07 ↗ um as visiting these retail business uh

46:09 ↗ they can check out the ratings I know

46:11 ↗ where I don't need to go there if

46:13 ↗ there's going to be some harm or

46:14 ↗ potential harm done to me I can choose

46:17 ↗ not to go there but there is a there's a

46:19 ↗ place for for that to happen I know in

46:21 ↗ Issaquah we had an unfortunate incident

46:23 ↗ some time back and I was very pleased

46:26 ↗ that when I called about that incident

46:28 ↗ this was the uh the cab driver and covet

46:34 ↗ I think we remember that incident

46:36 ↗ um and you know when I called and I was

46:38 ↗ when I heard about it and I called

46:40 ↗ Monica and not only did I call Monica I

46:44 ↗ sent something to the mayor and both of

46:47 ↗ them were right on it to say and here's

46:49 ↗ what we're doing and here's what we're

46:51 ↗ going to do and here's how we're going

46:52 ↗ to react to this

46:54 ↗ um so there is mechanisms and you know

46:57 ↗ for an ombuds person that's one other

46:59 ↗ mechanism or strategy that we promoted

47:01 ↗ or we've gotten behind I don't know if

47:03 ↗ that answers your question of James I

47:05 ↗ may have left something out uh you can

47:07 ↗ add to it

47:09 ↗ was great thank you Paul

47:12 ↗ [Music]

47:13 ↗ so Monica I think we may be over time

47:17 ↗ um

47:18 ↗ thank you talk about this topic for you

47:21 ↗ know for a long time but we want to make

47:24 ↗ sure that we're staying within the what

47:26 ↗ happened so is there anything else we

47:28 ↗ can do for you all before we wrap up

47:32 ↗ board members any other Primal questions

47:35 ↗ we so so appreciate having

47:37 ↗ Paul so so appreciating the conversation

47:40 ↗ thank you so much board members you do

47:43 ↗ have a link to the right to breed

47:45 ↗ um committee's website in your agenda

47:47 ↗ packet if you didn't have a chance to

47:49 ↗ check it out yet please do so

47:52 ↗ um and yes we would love to continue and

47:54 ↗ follow up with you from time to time and

47:56 ↗ we also appreciate your time here

47:58 ↗ tonight both of you

48:00 ↗ best wishes keep up the great work

48:02 ↗ everybody hang in there thank you thank

48:05 ↗ you thank you

48:10 ↗ [Music]

48:11 ↗ support those and thank you also for

48:13 ↗ being here please continue to be here if

48:15 ↗ you would like or feel free what members

48:17 ↗ do you feel like you need we need a

48:19 ↗ couple of minutes of break before moving

48:21 ↗ to the next uh agenda item we have along

48:23 ↗ the next agenda item it's a one hour

48:25 ↗ it's a pretty long I want long

48:27 ↗ conversation with all of us it looks

48:29 ↗ like everyone wants like five minute

48:30 ↗ break

48:31 ↗ okay let's be back here at 6 57.

48:35 ↗ okay thank you so much everyone because

48:42 ↗ resuming the meeting after a short break

48:46 ↗ welcome back everyone

48:49 ↗ um so the next item on the agenda is to

48:53 ↗ uh hoping to have a discussion with

48:55 ↗ Equity board about recent updates uh and

48:59 ↗ it kind of like the past couple of

49:01 ↗ months and then dive deeper into

49:04 ↗ um what I'm hoping is a good

49:05 ↗ conversation on um our a work plan for

49:09 ↗ 2023

49:11 ↗ um just starting with a little bit of

49:13 ↗ overview as today is actually our one

49:16 ↗ year anniversary uh we've been in

49:19 ↗ existence right as an equity board for a

49:21 ↗ year uh this past year you had uh the

49:24 ↗ opportunity to meet quite a lot of

49:26 ↗ groups and a lot of people I think the

49:28 ↗ intent was to give you a chance to meet

49:31 ↗ with some of the city departments to get

49:35 ↗ a better feel and understanding of what

49:37 ↗ the city does how does it operate so

49:40 ↗ then you're better informed as we move

49:42 ↗ forward and dive deeper into the work I

49:45 ↗ also appreciate the conversation that we

49:46 ↗ had we tried to breathe as they are

49:49 ↗ instrumental in in uh in in in this work

49:53 ↗ in the region

49:55 ↗ um also next month as we end the month

49:57 ↗ I'm hoping still to have folks from the

49:59 ↗ Issaquah school district joining us I

50:02 ↗ think they're also such important uh

50:04 ↗ team in the community

50:06 ↗ um I know you are here on a regular

50:07 ↗ basis from other community groups and

50:11 ↗ especially the the Baha'is of Issaquah

50:13 ↗ have been faithful with us for on the

50:15 ↗ journey

50:16 ↗ um but

50:18 ↗ um kind of like all that to say I'm

50:20 ↗ hoping that

50:21 ↗ you you have enough information for a

50:25 ↗ good conversation tonight on what should

50:27 ↗ be prioritized for next year

50:30 ↗ um before we head into that though I'm

50:32 ↗ hoping maybe we can talk for a few

50:34 ↗ minutes uh since we had to cancel our

50:37 ↗ meeting in October I want to kind of

50:39 ↗ like provide an update on kind of like

50:41 ↗ the work that we intention intended

50:43 ↗ initially to do on the equity assessment

50:46 ↗ um and then I know that some of you were

50:48 ↗ also hoping to have a conversation

50:51 ↗ um about our last meeting in October and

50:55 ↗ then there was some follow-up

50:57 ↗ um interesting following up on the

51:00 ↗ conversation that we have with the chief

51:01 ↗ of police so all of that I think ties

51:04 ↗ into actually our work plan because

51:06 ↗ there are certain things on that work

51:07 ↗ plan that I want us to discuss but

51:10 ↗ before I'm gonna dive into

51:13 ↗ um as you may recall we we canceled our

51:15 ↗ meeting in October

51:17 ↗ um because

51:18 ↗ um the the city decided to pause uh the

51:22 ↗ contractual relationship that we had

51:25 ↗ with uh the equity consultant at that

51:27 ↗ time and the work with the equity

51:29 ↗ assessment and one of the reasons

51:33 ↗ um for that pause was the city realizing

51:36 ↗ that we do not want to fall in the Trap

51:39 ↗ of having

51:40 ↗ um somebody from the outside come and do

51:43 ↗ a check the box

51:46 ↗ um assessment that's going to end up

51:47 ↗ into a beautiful work that's gonna stay

51:51 ↗ on the shelf we realize that internally

51:53 ↗ we needed this to happen organically

51:56 ↗ internally from the city and we needed

51:59 ↗ to have buy-in from everyone and so as

52:02 ↗ we pause we're looking like we should we

52:04 ↗ should all have ownership internally in

52:06 ↗ the city

52:07 ↗ um I think we are having internal

52:10 ↗ conversations at the staff of all we

52:13 ↗ even today we had an internal Equity

52:15 ↗ meeting with the equity team

52:17 ↗ our senior leadership team has a retreat

52:20 ↗ in a couple of weeks and so uh

52:23 ↗ discussing the same item on how can we

52:25 ↗ all work together I know the equity

52:28 ↗ boards as it was formed

52:31 ↗ um again in human services initially the

52:34 ↗ role that we were assigned was the

52:38 ↗ community facing initiatives internally

52:40 ↗ our human resources department is taking

52:43 ↗ on the internal Equity initiatives

52:45 ↗ There's an opportunity for the board to

52:48 ↗ also have a say on the internal Equity

52:51 ↗ initiatives and so for us to figure out

52:54 ↗ how much and how what's the best

52:56 ↗ approach for that so we just felt that

52:59 ↗ it's better to take a pause look at

53:02 ↗ internally on how and what to do best so

53:06 ↗ we do something that that's meaningful

53:08 ↗ and not just to check the box assessment

53:11 ↗ so that was the reason for like pausing

53:14 ↗ last minute

53:16 ↗ um and so I think that as

53:19 ↗ we also have the conversation tonight

53:21 ↗ and such great timing conversations that

53:24 ↗ we have with other community members and

53:26 ↗ the city I think we want to naturally

53:29 ↗ work on this together in the next few

53:31 ↗ months and how to best do that and I

53:35 ↗ think you all are going to be

53:37 ↗ instrumental in informing that

53:41 ↗ um

53:42 ↗ so that's one aspect

53:43 ↗ um and then the second aspect and I

53:45 ↗ think we can decide and as we we can

53:48 ↗ dive a little bit into the work plan

53:51 ↗ I'm happy to put it on the screen so we

53:54 ↗ can all see the uh and share it so we

53:57 ↗ can all see it on the screen

53:58 ↗ what you're gonna see it's just an

54:00 ↗ initial phase and you're I intentionally

54:03 ↗ put like three colors because I see

54:05 ↗ three different parts right you're gonna

54:07 ↗ see

54:08 ↗ um and then probably I should share it

54:10 ↗ um you're gonna see the blue section

54:13 ↗ give me a moment to share the screen so

54:16 ↗ everybody Michael why are you bringing

54:17 ↗ that up I do have one question um please

54:19 ↗ go for it so there's a difference

54:21 ↗ between pause and terminate or cancel so

54:24 ↗ the work that Shannon Kelly Ray did was

54:26 ↗ suspended but it's going to restart at

54:28 ↗ some point what's what's happening we

54:30 ↗ work with a different consultant how

54:31 ↗ does that look that's a good question I

54:33 ↗ think all of those are up for discussion

54:35 ↗ so that's what we are discussing at this

54:38 ↗ time and that's also including like even

54:40 ↗ your input like Shannon Kelly Ray had

54:43 ↗ one part of her work was to conduct

54:46 ↗ training at the staff level and board

54:48 ↗ and commission so that was completed and

54:50 ↗ then now with the SS being a bigger and

54:53 ↗ more important diving deeper into all

54:55 ↗ the city departments that's the question

54:57 ↗ I think that everybody and the senior

55:00 ↗ level leadership and all of us need to

55:01 ↗ look at like are we still going to do it

55:03 ↗ with a consultant and is that channel

55:07 ↗ are we gonna do it somehow differently

55:09 ↗ are we going to do it internally

55:12 ↗ um so yeah those I think those are to be

55:15 ↗ discussed and I think input would be

55:17 ↗ appreciated the city is very open to how

55:19 ↗ to do that best where it doesn't feel

55:22 ↗ like an outside work but it's really

55:25 ↗ um

55:25 ↗ something that we all commit to

55:30 ↗ Okay so

55:33 ↗ the I'm still I'm sorry I'm still

55:36 ↗ processing this because I was really

55:38 ↗ stuck struck by um James definition of

55:42 ↗ equity which I hadn't heard sent that

55:44 ↗ way and if we're that Equity board and

55:49 ↗ there's an equity committee for internal

55:51 ↗ and half of our role is internal we

55:55 ↗ should be having an ongoing conversation

55:57 ↗ with the internal Equity board and

55:59 ↗ without it we can't do our jobs that's

56:02 ↗ what became crystal clear to me tonight

56:05 ↗ right that that and so I think that and

56:08 ↗ also I just wanted to also say that

56:10 ↗ having looked at the needs assessment

56:12 ↗ the going out and talking to people I

56:14 ↗ think it's good it's on hold because I I

56:16 ↗ think that there was much more that

56:18 ↗ could be done than what was being done

56:20 ↗ well I have to I have to just one thing

56:22 ↗ I need to push back on one of the things

56:24 ↗ that they said that they were talking

56:26 ↗ about was getting out there yeah so we

56:29 ↗ can't be isolated and with our team for

56:32 ↗ a year now but I am really fascinated

56:34 ↗ and interested in what really brought me

56:36 ↗ here is to listen to the community that

56:37 ↗ surrounds us and that requires that we

56:39 ↗ go out there and talk to people yes I

56:41 ↗ really really feel like if there's an

56:43 ↗ opportunity for us I know we started

56:44 ↗ probing on this a little bit but if it

56:46 ↗ could be a little more strategic on how

56:48 ↗ we do that whether it be a small

56:49 ↗ business and we can uncover that they've

56:51 ↗ been misrepresented in some way or the

56:54 ↗ big organizations that we started with

56:55 ↗ whether it be PCC I made a contact there

56:57 ↗ so if there's a way for us to just get

57:00 ↗ in front of these people and hear their

57:02 ↗ voices and just be able to share amongst

57:04 ↗ access what we've learned and heard I

57:07 ↗ think that's going to be key to our

57:08 ↗ strategy

57:10 ↗ both of you such great comment

57:16 ↗ let's look through what we want to do so

57:20 ↗ then with that we go if it's businesses

57:22 ↗ that we use as a priority let's go and

57:24 ↗ talk with businesses you know

57:26 ↗ um if it's internal and I totally agree

57:28 ↗ Kelly

57:29 ↗ um we should have closer conversations

57:31 ↗ with Equity team and again full

57:33 ↗ transparency what we realize that the

57:35 ↗ city is that we started on two parallel

57:37 ↗ roads and those roads cannot be parallel

57:40 ↗ there together right yes so as we we you

57:43 ↗ know like initially the intent was great

57:46 ↗ because we said it's this is too big of

57:49 ↗ a value to be done by one group or one

57:51 ↗ person let's divide it and you Human

57:53 ↗ Services did the opportunity one you

57:56 ↗ Human Service Human Resources lead the

57:58 ↗ internal one but then we realize like

58:00 ↗ you can't have one without the other

58:01 ↗ right and we started on the parallel

58:04 ↗ Road at the same time last year as we

58:06 ↗ created the equity board it was also the

58:09 ↗ moment when the human resources entered

58:11 ↗ into a contract with our consultant

58:14 ↗ right and so now as we continued on the

58:16 ↗ parallel world and we said it cannot be

58:18 ↗ a parallel Road that's when we said hold

58:21 ↗ on wait a minute we need to somehow

58:22 ↗ marry these two and that's why you even

58:24 ↗ see at the top I have as a placeholder

58:27 ↗ and I need to make this bigger somehow

58:28 ↗ for all of us it's human resources and

58:31 ↗ equity and collaboration I have that as

58:33 ↗ a placeholder I don't have a um

58:37 ↗ time and date when we are going to do

58:39 ↗ that because like he said Kelly that

58:41 ↗ should be kind of like on a regular

58:43 ↗ basis right it shouldn't be

58:46 ↗ um just this month of the year or the

58:48 ↗ other month of the year and I want to go

58:49 ↗ back to what you said because it's super

58:51 ↗ important because I do believe that the

58:53 ↗ community is super important and my job

58:55 ↗ in the past was to do that and my worst

58:58 ↗ fear is what happened in my job and that

59:00 ↗ is we did a great job again feedback and

59:02 ↗ the people over here would listen and

59:05 ↗ that's what I don't want to do I don't I

59:07 ↗ want us to be ready to roll so that when

59:10 ↗ we go out here it comes back here and

59:13 ↗ somebody hears it and does something

59:15 ↗ because if we're not ready then we've

59:17 ↗ just and that patterned to me for years

59:20 ↗ actually that's why I'm more hesitant

59:22 ↗ the people that you were bringing back

59:24 ↗ this yeah ready to to yeah the board of

59:28 ↗ my organization wasn't going to change

59:31 ↗ yeah right and so yeah thank you both of

59:34 ↗ you Elisa we see your hand up

59:38 ↗ uh we can't hear you

59:41 ↗ I think yes I don't know why I keep

59:44 ↗ doing that tonight

59:45 ↗ anyway I just wanted to agree with what

59:47 ↗ things said in the room I think at the

59:49 ↗ right time that it's just really

59:51 ↗ important to get more more feedback I

59:54 ↗ think that I understand the concept of

59:58 ↗ the equity Board of course but I don't

1:00:00 ↗ think that the few of us here on this

1:00:03 ↗ board can represent an entire community

1:00:05 ↗ in in terms of what their feedback would

1:00:08 ↗ be and what their experiences are so I

1:00:11 ↗ mean I just want to Echo what was said

1:00:13 ↗ in the room

1:00:14 ↗ yeah absolutely we do need to hear and I

1:00:17 ↗ think our work needs to be an ongoing

1:00:19 ↗ check-in with the community right

1:00:22 ↗ um and so I think

1:00:25 ↗ with that

1:00:27 ↗ um

1:00:28 ↗ Equity being such a big broad project

1:00:31 ↗ what I want to share when we created and

1:00:33 ↗ lucrecia was part of the creation of the

1:00:35 ↗ equity board one of the conversations

1:00:37 ↗ with Chris said you might recall this

1:00:39 ↗ one of the conversations we had at the

1:00:41 ↗ council the council meeting when we

1:00:43 ↗ created this board was are there any

1:00:46 ↗ other options and should we do something

1:00:47 ↗ different instead of an equity board and

1:00:50 ↗ at that point one of my answers was in

1:00:54 ↗ an Ideal World we wouldn't need an

1:00:56 ↗ equity board because to me when we

1:00:59 ↗ arrive or we are close to arriving

1:01:01 ↗ Equity is going to be embedded in

1:01:04 ↗ everything that all the city departments

1:01:06 ↗ do and everything that every staff does

1:01:09 ↗ that we wouldn't need an equity board so

1:01:11 ↗ in my opinion in an ideal world use an

1:01:14 ↗ equity board are a temporary board right

1:01:17 ↗ for now so that was my feedback for now

1:01:20 ↗ though we are not there we do need an

1:01:22 ↗ equity board right and so with that

1:01:25 ↗ there are so many ways in which we can

1:01:27 ↗ start addressing equity and none of them

1:01:29 ↗ are necessarily wrong or bad but we need

1:01:32 ↗ to start somewhere and when we put on a

1:01:35 ↗ list all the many ways in which we can

1:01:38 ↗ start the list becomes overwhelming and

1:01:41 ↗ that's why I started putting some of the

1:01:42 ↗ things just some of the things that came

1:01:44 ↗ up this year from some of the feedback

1:01:47 ↗ that you provided some of the things

1:01:49 ↗ that came up from some of the city

1:01:50 ↗ departments that are doing next year and

1:01:53 ↗ so the list is long so that's why my

1:01:55 ↗ hope tonight was allow me a few minutes

1:01:58 ↗ to talk you through this and what this

1:02:00 ↗ means and all these are and then if we

1:02:04 ↗ can have a discussion and saying okay

1:02:07 ↗ where do we think it's more important to

1:02:10 ↗ start like you said Ray is it should we

1:02:12 ↗ start with businesses should we start

1:02:14 ↗ with an investment process should we

1:02:16 ↗ start where should we start let's pick

1:02:18 ↗ our top five items that we feel that

1:02:21 ↗ realistically we can tackle knowing that

1:02:23 ↗ there's a lot of work it's not gonna be

1:02:25 ↗ just a meeting right you need to do it

1:02:27 ↗ meaningfully

1:02:28 ↗ um and I would recommend less is more

1:02:30 ↗ right I would rather pick fewer items

1:02:33 ↗ and prioritize and do meaningful work

1:02:37 ↗ than having a very long work plan that

1:02:40 ↗ we don't get accomplished or it's too

1:02:42 ↗ surfacing right

1:02:43 ↗ so am I okay with just talking for a few

1:02:46 ↗ more minutes to show you what's on this

1:02:48 ↗ list so then we can go back into the

1:02:51 ↗ conversation we started

1:02:53 ↗ so on your list it was also published so

1:02:56 ↗ this list and I categorized it in three

1:02:58 ↗ colors the top it's the blue one and

1:03:02 ↗ it's what other City departments have as

1:03:05 ↗ big projects next year coming up where

1:03:09 ↗ they could benefit and they also welcome

1:03:11 ↗ and they want to have an equity input on

1:03:16 ↗ I put the first one I said ongoing we

1:03:18 ↗ would need to have collaborations with

1:03:19 ↗ HR and Equity team

1:03:22 ↗ um however the city does a comprehensive

1:03:25 ↗ Plan update next year so this gets

1:03:27 ↗ updated on a regular basis annually but

1:03:31 ↗ the big comprehensive Plan update which

1:03:33 ↗ is a long 25 year uh plan the biggest

1:03:37 ↗ basically plan within a city gets uh

1:03:40 ↗ updated next year and so uh that team is

1:03:44 ↗ looking for Equity input

1:03:46 ↗ um the uh economic development plan also

1:03:49 ↗ gets updated next year and uh the team

1:03:52 ↗ is going to be looking for input and

1:03:54 ↗ collaboration with the equity uh board

1:03:56 ↗ the transit study another big plan gets

1:04:00 ↗ updated and they're going to be looking

1:04:01 ↗ for Equity input

1:04:03 ↗ Arts commission and equity and arts the

1:04:06 ↗ Arts commission is looking to

1:04:08 ↗ collaborate with the equity board on

1:04:11 ↗ their plan and work

1:04:13 ↗ Human Services strategic plan we just

1:04:15 ↗ adopted it this year the Human Services

1:04:16 ↗ Commission is working and is going to do

1:04:19 ↗ an evaluation and there's an opportunity

1:04:21 ↗ for a joint meeting with the Human

1:04:23 ↗ Services Commission next year to to work

1:04:25 ↗ on the the review for that

1:04:28 ↗ and then two other items that were

1:04:31 ↗ passed this year as um as a result of

1:04:34 ↗ your work uh the city council adopted

1:04:38 ↗ the equity framework that you all worked

1:04:40 ↗ with Channel and Kelly Ray on and um

1:04:43 ↗ also the city council adopted the

1:04:45 ↗ culture and the religious um calendar so

1:04:48 ↗ both of those are in implementation

1:04:50 ↗ phase and those are going to be up for

1:04:52 ↗ review and they're going to require your

1:04:53 ↗ input so these are items that

1:04:57 ↗ um there's not much that we can change

1:04:59 ↗ they're gonna happen with or without us

1:05:01 ↗ and the equity input is going to be

1:05:03 ↗ needed right so when you say Equity

1:05:06 ↗ input do you mean us or do you mean we

1:05:10 ↗ go out

1:05:11 ↗ that I need Clarity on right and so so

1:05:14 ↗ that can be both it's going to be us

1:05:17 ↗ they're gonna be teams are going to

1:05:18 ↗ become to ask for your input and you

1:05:21 ↗ have the option to say here's my

1:05:23 ↗ feedback to what you requested or here's

1:05:27 ↗ my recommendation this is my feedback

1:05:30 ↗ but in order for you to do this right

1:05:33 ↗ you need to go back out to the community

1:05:34 ↗ does that make sense yes that's helpful

1:05:37 ↗ yeah

1:05:39 ↗ great question

1:05:41 ↗ so that's why you have like any time

1:05:43 ↗ somebody comes to you you have that

1:05:46 ↗ that's your role as your role an

1:05:49 ↗ opportunity to say this is what I think

1:05:51 ↗ or I don't have enough information I

1:05:54 ↗ need this and this and this type of

1:05:56 ↗ information to uh to inform you or you

1:06:00 ↗ need to go out to the community you need

1:06:01 ↗ to check in with it this is my

1:06:03 ↗ recommendation

1:06:04 ↗ so like that first X that I'm seeing

1:06:06 ↗ Landing in column C is is February right

1:06:10 ↗ so there's some good there's gonna be

1:06:11 ↗ some sort of strategic Human Services

1:06:14 ↗ strategic plan review that we can look

1:06:17 ↗ at and see and add an equity lens to it

1:06:20 ↗ so there's this document that they're

1:06:22 ↗ going to come out with and they're going

1:06:23 ↗ to look for feedback yeah and one way

1:06:24 ↗ for us to get that feedback is not just

1:06:26 ↗ staying within us it's our role to get

1:06:28 ↗ feedback okay moving more is it to make

1:06:31 ↗ recommendations that they go out to the

1:06:33 ↗ kids so they have their own team that

1:06:36 ↗ that might do that okay

1:06:40 ↗ yeah so that's how like you're not going

1:06:42 ↗ to be able to do it all like pretty sad

1:06:44 ↗ it's gonna make recommendations to the

1:06:46 ↗ staff like you know that that's kind of

1:06:49 ↗ like your role it's almost like train

1:06:51 ↗ the trainer right it's for you to start

1:06:54 ↗ instilling your stuff that might not be

1:06:56 ↗ aware or have the awareness of how to

1:06:58 ↗ apply an equity lens on what they should

1:07:00 ↗ be doing

1:07:01 ↗ right

1:07:04 ↗ okay so this is that so this is that we

1:07:07 ↗ can't change much about this right the

1:07:10 ↗ next section this is where I hope the

1:07:11 ↗ bulk of our conversation is going to be

1:07:13 ↗ tonight it's in the green section and

1:07:16 ↗ these are sorry go ahead can we ask them

1:07:19 ↗ to use the equity framework when they

1:07:21 ↗ hand us the the plan yes okay you can

1:07:24 ↗ even ask in advance to to come prepared

1:07:27 ↗ with having already the equity framework

1:07:29 ↗ worked on that yes

1:07:33 ↗ or if they didn't then you can even do

1:07:35 ↗ the exercise with them

1:07:39 ↗ I see I'm so I'm so excited I think it's

1:07:41 ↗ like and yeah it's we are getting there

1:07:44 ↗ so two sections that's why this is the

1:07:47 ↗ one where I'm hoping to have the bulk of

1:07:50 ↗ the conversation and these are working

1:07:52 ↗ items that were proposed by all of you

1:07:55 ↗ in either meetings that we had together

1:07:57 ↗ in individual conversations that I had

1:07:59 ↗ with all of you or they came up in

1:08:02 ↗ different events that we held this year

1:08:04 ↗ uh and I'm gonna come back to this but I

1:08:06 ↗ just wanted to continue with the

1:08:08 ↗ overview this orange section or whatever

1:08:12 ↗ color shows up on the screen it's the

1:08:14 ↗ cultural events that we as a city

1:08:16 ↗ committed to recognizing and again we

1:08:20 ↗ are going to be working on them

1:08:22 ↗ um regardless right and we can come back

1:08:26 ↗ to them we can add as an equity board

1:08:28 ↗ you can add more but I wouldn't

1:08:29 ↗ recommend taking them off just because

1:08:31 ↗ we can commit it publicly that we are

1:08:33 ↗ going to recognize that

1:08:36 ↗ um but you can have all sorts of roles

1:08:38 ↗ in the cultural events you can have

1:08:40 ↗ direct uh organization and participation

1:08:43 ↗ which you all wonderfully did last year

1:08:45 ↗ for example with quite a few of them you

1:08:47 ↗ can just be attendees you can have all

1:08:50 ↗ sorts of roles in that okay so are we

1:08:52 ↗ okay then now talking about the green

1:08:55 ↗ list

1:08:57 ↗ um and I think what I want to do I want

1:08:59 ↗ to just go through each of them and then

1:09:01 ↗ let's pause and come back to this test

1:09:03 ↗ because I'm hoping to prioritize as you

1:09:05 ↗ see even just with the blue section as

1:09:08 ↗ you see the excess we would be busy

1:09:10 ↗ enough uh just with the blue section

1:09:13 ↗ right

1:09:14 ↗ um that's why I didn't even put any

1:09:15 ↗ dates or proposed anything in the green

1:09:17 ↗ area yet but so

1:09:20 ↗ number one bias in business customer

1:09:23 ↗ service this came up with the June

1:09:25 ↗ meeting juneteen meeting and after where

1:09:28 ↗ African-American uh community members

1:09:31 ↗ feel sometimes followed in the retail

1:09:33 ↗ and businesses it also came up from

1:09:35 ↗ right to breed as being one of their

1:09:37 ↗ priorities

1:09:38 ↗ um um and I think it's um if there's an

1:09:41 ↗ opportunity for us to really

1:09:44 ↗ um

1:09:44 ↗ consider a Community Education event

1:09:47 ↗ where we work with businesses and

1:09:51 ↗ um you know we address bias in customer

1:09:52 ↗ service and in business

1:09:54 ↗ um

1:09:55 ↗ and actually I have some ideas on even

1:09:57 ↗ one to do it for example if you want to

1:10:00 ↗ um just want to say it as we talked

1:10:02 ↗ about the cultural events for example

1:10:04 ↗ coming up in February it's Black History

1:10:06 ↗ Month historically when we did a

1:10:09 ↗ Cultural Events maybe we did a panel of

1:10:12 ↗ conversation or we did some other events

1:10:14 ↗ why not have a trainer be invite and we

1:10:17 ↗ pay for a trainer who does a community

1:10:19 ↗ training with businesses on addressing

1:10:22 ↗ bias in in the business for example

1:10:24 ↗ right so there are ways for us to tackle

1:10:27 ↗ those but so that's one item bias in

1:10:29 ↗ business

1:10:31 ↗ inclusion in public meetings this came

1:10:33 ↗ up with Chrissy I know this came up

1:10:35 ↗ early on on how we best conduct public

1:10:38 ↗ meetings from public comments when we

1:10:41 ↗ have how we best are more inclusive than

1:10:43 ↗ that how we more inclusive in any public

1:10:46 ↗ meetings so there's an opportunity to

1:10:47 ↗ make some recommendations to council

1:10:49 ↗ there

1:10:51 ↗ um then the next one was Alternative

1:10:53 ↗ forms of leadership and structures I

1:10:55 ↗ know Lucas said you brought this up uh

1:10:57 ↗ more times like even when we created the

1:10:59 ↗ the equity board uh do we always have to

1:11:03 ↗ have a chair are there other models out

1:11:05 ↗ there how we conduct

1:11:07 ↗ um uh public meetings and leadership in

1:11:10 ↗ those structures so those are other

1:11:13 ↗ initiatives representation in public

1:11:15 ↗ offices this came back and came came up

1:11:18 ↗ and actually even in conversation with

1:11:20 ↗ mayor Paulie she would like us to to

1:11:23 ↗ take it on if we are interested in how

1:11:26 ↗ do we

1:11:27 ↗ um

1:11:28 ↗ um you know uh have people run for

1:11:31 ↗ office and how do we have representation

1:11:33 ↗ and how do we increase representation

1:11:34 ↗ for

1:11:37 ↗ um Data Tracking and identifying bias I

1:11:39 ↗ think this came up in our conversation

1:11:41 ↗ with uh our chief of police and what

1:11:44 ↗ kind of data is being tracked and how do

1:11:46 ↗ we identify bias so opportunities there

1:11:50 ↗ um I just let the next one here open

1:11:52 ↗ collaboration with Issaquah school

1:11:54 ↗ district since we didn't have them yet

1:11:56 ↗ here as guests and I don't want to put

1:11:58 ↗ words on what they might want to suggest

1:12:00 ↗ in collaborations

1:12:02 ↗ um other Civics 101 civic participation

1:12:06 ↗ how do we conduct uh trainings do we

1:12:09 ↗ want to propose trainings for civic 101

1:12:12 ↗ for the community continuing to have

1:12:14 ↗ those difficult conversations

1:12:17 ↗ redlining and history of racism came up

1:12:20 ↗ again these are all probably training

1:12:22 ↗ opportunities for the community and

1:12:24 ↗ internally for City staff how to report

1:12:27 ↗ bias right this came up also tonight

1:12:29 ↗ with an ombudsman office or other

1:12:31 ↗ mechanisms websites and other ways to

1:12:34 ↗ report bias and then in general board

1:12:36 ↗ development

1:12:38 ↗ so

1:12:41 ↗ um all of these to me when I put them

1:12:43 ↗ down I'm like all of these are super

1:12:45 ↗ super important but realistically

1:12:48 ↗ looking at 12 months

1:12:52 ↗ it seems overwhelming

1:12:54 ↗ um

1:12:56 ↗ so what are your initial thoughts and

1:12:59 ↗ how would you like to go with even a

1:13:02 ↗ criteria for prioritization

1:13:06 ↗ um look crazy I see your hand up

1:13:12 ↗ so I just wanted to clarify

1:13:17 ↗ cultural events I guess I see as more as

1:13:21 ↗ just attending them in general

1:13:24 ↗ and so I don't see them as part of what

1:13:27 ↗ we're trying to do with regards to the

1:13:29 ↗ work plan

1:13:30 ↗ and um but maybe other people feel

1:13:33 ↗ differently about that and that's the

1:13:34 ↗ only thing that I wanted to say so that

1:13:36 ↗ you know we can put those things kind of

1:13:38 ↗ like

1:13:40 ↗ in the parking lot of yes it would be

1:13:42 ↗ nice if we could attend them but

1:13:44 ↗ realistically that's not what our charge

1:13:47 ↗ is

1:13:48 ↗ and so then focusing on the green area

1:13:52 ↗ as well as

1:13:54 ↗ um juggling the blue area

1:13:56 ↗ that's it thank you location for that uh

1:14:00 ↗ suggestion and I'm gonna open it to the

1:14:02 ↗ board for a thought that's absolutely

1:14:04 ↗ something that's doable I know that when

1:14:06 ↗ we created actually the community

1:14:08 ↗ engagement committee that was one of the

1:14:10 ↗ roles assigned and we had actually quite

1:14:13 ↗ a few board members participate actively

1:14:15 ↗ in organizing pride month event

1:14:17 ↗ Juneteenth event but you're absolutely

1:14:19 ↗ right that is something that you can say

1:14:21 ↗ you know you see this path you can

1:14:23 ↗ continue doing those we as an equity

1:14:25 ↗ board we are going to focus on the other

1:14:27 ↗ items and that's absolutely doable and

1:14:29 ↗ that reminded me what I didn't notice

1:14:31 ↗ here is I didn't want to create a work

1:14:34 ↗ plan for the community engagement

1:14:35 ↗ Community because naturally once we have

1:14:38 ↗ the board's work plan then the role and

1:14:41 ↗ the work plan of the community

1:14:42 ↗ engagement committee is gonna naturally

1:14:44 ↗ flow right but yeah great conversation

1:14:47 ↗ great suggestion request yeah how do

1:14:49 ↗ other board members feel are you okay

1:14:51 ↗ with just putting the cultural events in

1:14:53 ↗ the parking lot and not worry about them

1:14:55 ↗ and just worry about

1:14:58 ↗ um really the green and blue list

1:15:02 ↗ I do but I'd like them on the calendar

1:15:03 ↗ like marked off what month it is because

1:15:06 ↗ it helps determine workloads right even

1:15:08 ↗ just showing up right yes right on the

1:15:12 ↗ table there so yeah

1:15:14 ↗ yeah and I would like to add that

1:15:16 ↗ there's an understanding that there are

1:15:19 ↗ cultural organizations

1:15:22 ↗ that can ask or approach us for our

1:15:26 ↗ participation like they had like they

1:15:28 ↗ did this past year right like

1:15:31 ↗ um maybe excuse me

1:15:37 ↗ sorry about that maybe we did organize

1:15:41 ↗ some I can't remember which ones but for

1:15:43 ↗ example

1:15:45 ↗ um the welcoming week and the Hispanic

1:15:47 ↗ heritage events that I attended

1:15:50 ↗ um were ones that were Community

1:15:52 ↗ sponsored and uh Community Driven

1:16:03 ↗ okay

1:16:04 ↗ any other board members are we I would

1:16:07 ↗ say still yes I think we can and we

1:16:09 ↗ don't need to take a final decision

1:16:10 ↗ about the role of the cultural events

1:16:12 ↗ tonight I do still I think it's it's

1:16:14 ↗ great let's let's focus on the green

1:16:15 ↗ list tonight

1:16:17 ↗ um

1:16:19 ↗ any other initial thoughts looking at

1:16:22 ↗ the list

1:16:24 ↗ um

1:16:26 ↗ yeah I have some Facebook

1:16:29 ↗ um I'm thinking of the conversation

1:16:32 ↗ earlier today with the right way to

1:16:34 ↗ bridge box and thinking about which of

1:16:36 ↗ these items

1:16:38 ↗ contribute or can help address harm to

1:16:42 ↗ community members and I think that that

1:16:44 ↗ could be something we would get to

1:16:46 ↗ prioritize so if I were to do that I

1:16:49 ↗ think the one that was tied to the

1:16:52 ↗ police department would be one

1:16:55 ↗ um and I think if any of us see

1:16:57 ↗ opportunities to

1:16:59 ↗ you know work with the Department there

1:17:02 ↗ and I would also think about like the

1:17:04 ↗ school district I think students don't

1:17:06 ↗ hurt regularly

1:17:09 ↗ um those would be kind of two that I

1:17:11 ↗ would speak to that priority about

1:17:13 ↗ trying to minimize harm

1:17:17 ↗ you had there was some Monica there were

1:17:19 ↗ some data that was shared last year to

1:17:21 ↗ really help us understand the lens of

1:17:23 ↗ what's going on here I don't know how

1:17:25 ↗ much that has changed if they're going

1:17:27 ↗ to do a similar one because that was one

1:17:28 ↗ of our first meetings where there were

1:17:30 ↗ some graphs shared about what the

1:17:32 ↗ population and the landscape looks like

1:17:33 ↗ if that's part of that data piece I

1:17:35 ↗ think that should happen early on too

1:17:38 ↗ the demographic data demographic for the

1:17:41 ↗ city yes

1:17:45 ↗ okay

1:17:48 ↗ and I think this more the Data Tracking

1:17:51 ↗ here

1:17:53 ↗ I think here we would want to dive

1:17:55 ↗ deeper than just the demographic data I

1:17:57 ↗ think the demographic data like knowing

1:17:59 ↗ like who's our community and the

1:18:02 ↗ representation I think it's helpful

1:18:05 ↗ um but also with that I think we also

1:18:07 ↗ need to look what's missing right like

1:18:09 ↗ one of the the typical conversations

1:18:11 ↗ that we have like well

1:18:14 ↗ um

1:18:15 ↗ just because only two percent of the

1:18:18 ↗ population is black and African-American

1:18:19 ↗ it doesn't mean that uh that we should

1:18:22 ↗ not focus on that right

1:18:25 ↗ um here and they are tracking I think we

1:18:27 ↗ have an opportunity to look internally

1:18:29 ↗ at the city and what other City

1:18:31 ↗ departments I know the police department

1:18:33 ↗ came up as one but also perhaps even

1:18:36 ↗ other City departments and how do we

1:18:38 ↗ track data and how do we identify bias

1:18:40 ↗ in that data right one of my passions

1:18:43 ↗ and hopefully one day we just finished a

1:18:44 ↗ budget process but can we look at how we

1:18:46 ↗ budget in an equitable manner right

1:18:50 ↗ for example right or like we have we are

1:18:53 ↗ part of our Human Services Division it's

1:18:55 ↗ part of the parks and Community Services

1:18:56 ↗ it's the biggest and largest

1:18:58 ↗ community-facing Department we have

1:19:01 ↗ several divisions from pool Community

1:19:04 ↗ Center Senior Center Pickering barn and

1:19:06 ↗ events all of those Farmers Market all

1:19:10 ↗ of those are Community facing and how do

1:19:12 ↗ we address Equity when we

1:19:15 ↗ communicate every day with the community

1:19:17 ↗ right so how do we track data with who

1:19:20 ↗ do we interact and just if are we

1:19:22 ↗ missing if we don't interact with

1:19:24 ↗ everyone is it is it because that

1:19:28 ↗ that population does not exist or is it

1:19:30 ↗ because we don't know how to reach that

1:19:33 ↗ population right and then when we reach

1:19:36 ↗ that population and let's say there's a

1:19:38 ↗ language barrier what do we do and how

1:19:40 ↗ do we interact with those community

1:19:42 ↗ members to best serve them

1:19:45 ↗ and just give that as an example But but

1:19:48 ↗ so so that's why for Data Tracking I'm

1:19:50 ↗ hoping that we can dive deeper so for

1:19:52 ↗ example if that's one of the items I

1:19:54 ↗ think that's going to be more than just

1:19:55 ↗ the one meeting right we would want to

1:19:57 ↗ have we are fortunate now to have an

1:19:59 ↗ excellent

1:20:00 ↗ um data analysis than business analyst

1:20:03 ↗ that the city invite them work with them

1:20:05 ↗ in between meetings and just have a

1:20:07 ↗ baseline of what kind of data we track

1:20:10 ↗ what and then have a conversation on

1:20:12 ↗ what kind of data are you interested in

1:20:15 ↗ tracking as an equity board and so I see

1:20:17 ↗ it kind of hypers up

1:20:19 ↗ all the time months quite a good big

1:20:22 ↗ project to look into and then

1:20:23 ↗ identifying like oh we see some biases

1:20:26 ↗ here that then are going to inform more

1:20:29 ↗ training needs to be happened changes

1:20:31 ↗ needs to happen and so forth right

1:20:37 ↗ right because yeah we see your hand up

1:20:40 ↗ foreign

1:20:44 ↗ so one of the questions I have is uh in

1:20:48 ↗ the form of an idea

1:20:50 ↗ which would be to maybe lump

1:20:53 ↗ some of the proposed work plan items

1:20:57 ↗ under one header

1:20:59 ↗ and then prioritize them and so for

1:21:01 ↗ example for me it would make sense

1:21:04 ↗ to have Civics 101

1:21:06 ↗ be like the the leading thing that would

1:21:10 ↗ encompass

1:21:11 ↗ discussions around public meetings

1:21:14 ↗ representing representation in public

1:21:17 ↗ meetings

1:21:18 ↗ of the history and information around

1:21:21 ↗ um

1:21:22 ↗ the history of redlining and also how it

1:21:24 ↗ applies today and then also the

1:21:27 ↗ difficult conversations

1:21:30 ↗ and you know and so that way

1:21:32 ↗ we have

1:21:34 ↗ a one like a major thing that we're

1:21:36 ↗ working on and then prioritizing

1:21:38 ↗ underneath that so that

1:21:41 ↗ I guess

1:21:43 ↗ we have like one item that would be

1:21:46 ↗ representative of more than than one uh

1:21:49 ↗ of the different um items that are in

1:21:51 ↗ the work plan

1:21:54 ↗ yeah what are some other thoughts from

1:21:57 ↗ other board members and I know not

1:21:58 ↗ everyone had a chance to to provide

1:22:00 ↗ input yet I don't want to put you on the

1:22:02 ↗ spot but would love to hear from you and

1:22:04 ↗ your thoughts

1:22:06 ↗ um Lorna Helen

1:22:08 ↗ um Elisa Christina

1:22:10 ↗ am I missing someone

1:22:19 ↗ don't want to put you on the spot but I

1:22:21 ↗ also just want to

1:22:22 ↗ be mindful that we want to hear your

1:22:25 ↗ voice too your voice is important

1:22:29 ↗ foreign

1:22:48 ↗ [Music]

1:22:59 ↗ I think it's not just a question of

1:23:02 ↗ forming the connections with the various

1:23:05 ↗ members of the community as was

1:23:07 ↗ mentioned but I think it's also looking

1:23:09 ↗ for a way to maybe initiate those

1:23:13 ↗ conversations or find a way into

1:23:16 ↗ starting those conversations

1:23:18 ↗ foreign

1:23:31 ↗ I'm looking for example my my neighbor

1:23:34 ↗ they are

1:23:35 ↗ sometimes

1:23:37 ↗ looking the activities in the school but

1:23:39 ↗ they are not going to the school they

1:23:41 ↗ are not participating why I'm surprised

1:23:44 ↗ if they are there two children so where

1:23:47 ↗ you are not going to the school they are

1:23:49 ↗ very important in your lives and you are

1:23:51 ↗ you are supporting them you are giving a

1:23:53 ↗ lot of money in the academic school

1:23:55 ↗ because I know many Indians are giving a

1:23:58 ↗ lot of money for the education but when

1:24:00 ↗ they are not going to the school this is

1:24:03 ↗ really important so

1:24:06 ↗ I am trying to understand all the buyers

1:24:10 ↗ are thinking about

1:24:12 ↗ how to make connection with us

1:24:17 ↗ and I think it ties to what Lucrezia was

1:24:19 ↗ saying earlier too it's that Civic 101

1:24:22 ↗ how do you build that Civic engagement

1:24:24 ↗ right yeah for people to participate

1:24:27 ↗ yeah

1:24:28 ↗ thank you great great question

1:24:31 ↗ uh Lorna

1:24:34 ↗ I think one of the main things that

1:24:36 ↗ stuck with me from the right to breeds

1:24:38 ↗ presentation is the ability for the

1:24:40 ↗ public to come to us so we can better

1:24:43 ↗ understand what's going on so it feels

1:24:46 ↗ like in looking at the work plan that

1:24:48 ↗ we're trying to take on a lot and

1:24:51 ↗ something in my world and life I've

1:24:53 ↗ learned is if I take on a lot I don't do

1:24:55 ↗ anything very well and so I'm wondering

1:24:58 ↗ if we need to slow down and I know

1:25:00 ↗ that's really hard sometimes and focus

1:25:02 ↗ on building relationships with the

1:25:04 ↗ community and going out and listening

1:25:07 ↗ and really focusing on fewer items

1:25:12 ↗ so that we know what's going on so that

1:25:14 ↗ people are seeing uh great understanding

1:25:18 ↗ more about the community and the

1:25:19 ↗ community is able to come to us and talk

1:25:21 ↗ about what's going on because

1:25:24 ↗ I don't want to get into some of these

1:25:27 ↗ items like the proposed work plans of

1:25:29 ↗ things like redlining and you know

1:25:31 ↗ in-depth stuff but I don't really know

1:25:35 ↗ what are some of the concerns facing

1:25:37 ↗ being the community members are actually

1:25:39 ↗ facing so having difficult conversations

1:25:43 ↗ some members might be doing it but I

1:25:46 ↗ want to know what what are the drawbacks

1:25:48 ↗ what's going on when they try to have a

1:25:50 ↗ conversation do we like just learning

1:25:53 ↗ more so doing like

1:25:56 ↗ more in needs Community needs work

1:26:01 ↗ first is what I'm really thinking of

1:26:03 ↗ doing

1:26:08 ↗ great thank you Lorna and that's another

1:26:10 ↗ right great comment as we're talking

1:26:12 ↗ about Community needs and we need to

1:26:13 ↗ identify how to best do the big work for

1:26:15 ↗ the community needs and how what should

1:26:18 ↗ there are there some maybe it's not

1:26:22 ↗ correct to call them long hang low

1:26:24 ↗ hanging fruits but are there some other

1:26:26 ↗ things that we can tackle meanwhile so

1:26:28 ↗ we don't are not just stuck in doing

1:26:30 ↗ assessment but still like doing some

1:26:32 ↗ meaningful work meanwhile in the

1:26:34 ↗ meantime right so that's why it's direct

1:26:36 ↗ I heard from

1:26:39 ↗ um pretty I think pretty much proposing

1:26:41 ↗ okay can we tackle Data Tracking and

1:26:44 ↗ collaboration with the Issaquah school

1:26:45 ↗ district right and then Lucrezia

1:26:48 ↗ proposed okay Civic 101 but he is doing

1:26:51 ↗ Compass more so it does feel a little

1:26:53 ↗ bit overwhelming but because it includes

1:26:55 ↗ a lot

1:26:56 ↗ um and I do agree with you Lauren 100 I

1:26:59 ↗ feel I am a big believer in this is more

1:27:01 ↗ I would rather tackle three topics and

1:27:04 ↗ do them right while we are also doing

1:27:06 ↗ more Community assessment I think we do

1:27:09 ↗ need to do those together

1:27:11 ↗ um so I would love to hear from others

1:27:14 ↗ as well what do you all think

1:27:16 ↗ and don't feel the pressure so far I'm

1:27:19 ↗ looking at the time also we have about

1:27:21 ↗ 10 minutes left for this discuss we

1:27:23 ↗ don't need to finalize it tonight right

1:27:26 ↗ um but I'm hoping to do finalize it next

1:27:29 ↗ month right in December to go into at

1:27:31 ↗ the end of the year with a good vision

1:27:33 ↗ of like with a good list of like this is

1:27:35 ↗ what we are going to do so we can start

1:27:37 ↗ tackling those

1:27:39 ↗ um so I think you do have the time to

1:27:41 ↗ let's keep on thinking what what should

1:27:44 ↗ maybe even just we can do an exercise

1:27:45 ↗ where you can all email me your

1:27:48 ↗ preferences and and I can kind of like

1:27:50 ↗ put like um this one got more votes than

1:27:54 ↗ than the other and then come for a final

1:27:56 ↗ conversation in December and say okay

1:27:58 ↗ are we good with this top three or top

1:28:01 ↗ five

1:28:01 ↗ I definitely wouldn't recommend more

1:28:03 ↗ than five even depending on what we do

1:28:05 ↗ even fights inside a lot

1:28:08 ↗ um but at the same time could be doable

1:28:10 ↗ again depending on what you choose

1:28:14 ↗ um

1:28:15 ↗ just for clarification we're not saying

1:28:18 ↗ we're just gonna get rid of these things

1:28:20 ↗ right just saying we're going to

1:28:21 ↗ prioritize the top ones as a group and

1:28:25 ↗ then whatever's left over will be kept

1:28:27 ↗ somewhere correct so that once you

1:28:30 ↗ implement them we can fold them in and

1:28:33 ↗ get to those as well correct yes exactly

1:28:36 ↗ and we are gonna look for leveraging uh

1:28:39 ↗ you know for example as you mentioned

1:28:41 ↗ let's say if there's an opportunity like

1:28:44 ↗ we are there are going to be still other

1:28:46 ↗ things that we do as a staff right let's

1:28:47 ↗ say the cultural events if there's an

1:28:50 ↗ opportunity for us to include something

1:28:52 ↗ from here in the cultural events why why

1:28:55 ↗ not right maybe we can do a training on

1:28:57 ↗ redlining maybe we can do a training

1:28:59 ↗ with businesses so I think I want to but

1:29:01 ↗ yeah they're not going to go away we are

1:29:03 ↗ just like gonna start with the ones that

1:29:05 ↗ we think we should start with they're

1:29:08 ↗ more important to start with right now

1:29:09 ↗ at least I apologize you had your hand

1:29:12 ↗ up and

1:29:13 ↗ yeah just to be clear

1:29:15 ↗ um are you asking us to identify

1:29:18 ↗ um the top three item three items that

1:29:21 ↗ we think we should be working on for the

1:29:23 ↗ next year

1:29:24 ↗ yes

1:29:26 ↗ okay so maybe I guess if we can all

1:29:29 ↗ probably email that to you then we'll

1:29:31 ↗ have that prior to the next meeting then

1:29:33 ↗ we'll have that to work from

1:29:35 ↗ yes certainly we can absolutely do that

1:29:37 ↗ yeah

1:29:39 ↗ and if there are other thoughts tonight

1:29:41 ↗ we have in the next few minutes would

1:29:43 ↗ love to have those as well yeah so I

1:29:46 ↗ think I'm on a community engagement I'm

1:29:49 ↗ I'm hearing a lot of different things

1:29:51 ↗ and I wonder if we need to have more

1:29:52 ↗ conversations about that because

1:29:55 ↗ when I think about it I'm I'm wondering

1:29:57 ↗ who needs to have the relationships with

1:30:00 ↗ the community is it the staff doing the

1:30:03 ↗ direct work with community so do they

1:30:05 ↗ need to be doing the engagement so they

1:30:07 ↗ understand directly what they're hearing

1:30:09 ↗ so they can co-create Solutions and

1:30:12 ↗ respond to feedback or does it do we

1:30:15 ↗ need to be doing the engagement to

1:30:17 ↗ understand for ourselves

1:30:19 ↗ um

1:30:20 ↗ I think that's something we might want

1:30:21 ↗ to just clarify like who should be

1:30:23 ↗ honing the engagement in the

1:30:24 ↗ relationships especially Equity board

1:30:26 ↗ members are kind of going in and out of

1:30:28 ↗ terms and things like that so clearly I

1:30:31 ↗ have an opinion but I'm like I think

1:30:33 ↗ it's a conversation yeah

1:30:36 ↗ thank you for bringing that up and we

1:30:38 ↗ should have more conversation about it

1:30:39 ↗ and I think it's a struggle and it's a

1:30:41 ↗ struggle because you are the equity

1:30:43 ↗ board right being an equity board you

1:30:45 ↗ want to be inclusive so it feels I I am

1:30:49 ↗ trying to put myself in your shoes I

1:30:51 ↗ think it doesn't feel right to make a

1:30:52 ↗ recommendation or being the expert when

1:30:55 ↗ you are kind of like the expert as a as

1:30:59 ↗ who you represent you are the expert and

1:31:01 ↗ so would love to hear other thoughts but

1:31:03 ↗ if if I were as this path to choose it's

1:31:07 ↗ it's the staff who need to build that

1:31:08 ↗ relationship of course you can also

1:31:10 ↗ build a relationship right why not but

1:31:13 ↗ it's it's you that who should be

1:31:15 ↗ teaching this path and recommending the

1:31:18 ↗ staff what to do and how to do it

1:31:20 ↗ because you are already representing not

1:31:23 ↗ necessarily a community but a group you

1:31:25 ↗ are representing yourselves and you

1:31:26 ↗ bring that voice from the community

1:31:28 ↗ already but that is me and telling you

1:31:31 ↗ already my but it's a great great

1:31:33 ↗ question

1:31:35 ↗ Elisa see you back okay so um of the

1:31:39 ↗ green items that are we have on our list

1:31:42 ↗ um is there some place where we have and

1:31:44 ↗ maybe I I just don't have perfect memory

1:31:46 ↗ is there some place where we have

1:31:47 ↗ additional information as to what any of

1:31:50 ↗ these

1:31:51 ↗ um items mean so for example

1:31:54 ↗ um I don't know vocal conversations

1:31:57 ↗ right I could imagine what that might be

1:31:59 ↗ but is there more somewhere

1:32:03 ↗ describing what you mean by that

1:32:07 ↗ and I didn't put more down in words that

1:32:10 ↗ I don't want to just discussed tonight

1:32:12 ↗ but I'm happy to follow up with an email

1:32:14 ↗ to kind of like provide more information

1:32:16 ↗ on kind of like how I defined all of

1:32:19 ↗ these based on based on input that we

1:32:22 ↗ heard right even just just a few

1:32:24 ↗ sentences for each which would help give

1:32:27 ↗ a little bit of color as to what what

1:32:30 ↗ you're meaning

1:32:31 ↗ that can help us to prioritize

1:32:34 ↗ that's a great suggestion thank you so

1:32:35 ↗ much

1:32:38 ↗ and

1:32:39 ↗ um I think it was pretty suggestion

1:32:42 ↗ earlier

1:32:43 ↗ um to also be thinking in terms

1:32:46 ↗ partially in terms of

1:32:48 ↗ um

1:32:51 ↗ um items that hurt

1:32:53 ↗ Community if I'm actually watching what

1:32:56 ↗ you said pretty

1:32:57 ↗ um

1:33:03 ↗ minimizing harm

1:33:05 ↗ correct I thought that was a great idea

1:33:07 ↗ and if any other any other ideas that we

1:33:11 ↗ want to you know keep at the Forefront

1:33:13 ↗ of our minds as we're looking at is

1:33:15 ↗ maybe anybody else throw them in

1:33:21 ↗ sound it sounds like yes having that um

1:33:25 ↗ no harm as as one of the main criterias

1:33:28 ↗ for for evaluating

1:33:31 ↗ um I'm prioritizing the list not

1:33:33 ↗ evaluating but prioritizing and that's a

1:33:36 ↗ great great suggestion

1:33:43 ↗ okay any other thoughts for now

1:33:47 ↗ not trying to summarize them

1:33:50 ↗ making sure that I understand next steps

1:33:54 ↗ for us

1:33:55 ↗ um

1:33:57 ↗ oh Helen oh Helen sorry I didn't see

1:34:00 ↗ your hand up no that's all right

1:34:03 ↗ um yeah I mean just just piggybacking on

1:34:05 ↗ on what um pretty and Alicia have said

1:34:09 ↗ um things that will minimize bias but

1:34:11 ↗ also I think at some point we did say

1:34:14 ↗ what will give us some sort of

1:34:15 ↗ visibility and in like not really just

1:34:19 ↗ for the sake of it but

1:34:21 ↗ I know that we have we've had

1:34:23 ↗ um the the culture events where you know

1:34:27 ↗ people show up but

1:34:28 ↗ in in addition to that maybe

1:34:31 ↗ have having a presence in the community

1:34:34 ↗ so the community knows that this body is

1:34:36 ↗ there and

1:34:38 ↗ these these

1:34:39 ↗ this value that we are bringing to the

1:34:41 ↗ table I don't again

1:34:44 ↗ not just to tick the box but I think our

1:34:47 ↗ visibility and whatever it is that we

1:34:49 ↗ choose to do in terms of the criteria

1:34:51 ↗ for those items for that to be a

1:34:54 ↗ backbone because then in the future it's

1:34:57 ↗ it's not just all of us here talking

1:34:59 ↗ with one or two public members attending

1:35:02 ↗ but how else can we make it known to the

1:35:05 ↗ community that this this exists and

1:35:08 ↗ back to what Lucretia said how can they

1:35:12 ↗ get to us because I think I personally

1:35:15 ↗ have a lot of interactions with

1:35:17 ↗ community members

1:35:19 ↗ and I just don't know the fine line

1:35:20 ↗ between saying this is available the

1:35:22 ↗ support is available this is oh bringing

1:35:24 ↗ some of those things to the board here

1:35:26 ↗ for the next steps to be to be handled

1:35:30 ↗ because like you said we all have

1:35:31 ↗ different communities that we represent

1:35:34 ↗ people find it easier to talk to me

1:35:36 ↗ about things what do I do with that

1:35:38 ↗ information or if they see me and they

1:35:40 ↗ say oh

1:35:41 ↗ who do I go to for a matter like this

1:35:43 ↗ they should know that while I'm in the

1:35:46 ↗ community I can be reached here or

1:35:48 ↗ somebody somewhere I mean I get a lot of

1:35:50 ↗ those I I think whatever will prioritize

1:35:53 ↗ making our relevance known and where to

1:35:56 ↗ go for help for different categories of

1:35:59 ↗ people and we are all represented quite

1:36:02 ↗ quite intensely here to sort of you know

1:36:05 ↗ then then we have presence and in the

1:36:07 ↗ next two three years these these this

1:36:10 ↗ proof to show that there's work that has

1:36:12 ↗ been done and it's not just us knowing

1:36:15 ↗ it with a few people in in the Issaquah

1:36:17 ↗ City staff who know what is going on

1:36:22 ↗ thank you so much Helen you brought up

1:36:25 ↗ the again a different aspect of

1:36:27 ↗ community engagement and why like even

1:36:29 ↗ pretty said why it's so important let's

1:36:30 ↗ discuss more this and more that right

1:36:33 ↗ it's like yeah and going back you're

1:36:35 ↗ absolutely right like how can you create

1:36:37 ↗ that mechanism where you're always in

1:36:40 ↗ relationship in communication with the

1:36:41 ↗ community so you know what's going on

1:36:43 ↗ and have the goals of the community so

1:36:46 ↗ you're better informed love it

1:36:49 ↗ um so yes that's why I think

1:36:52 ↗ and maybe I'm just trying to tell myself

1:36:54 ↗ this to encourage myself but I'm like

1:36:57 ↗ the more we go the deeper we go the

1:37:00 ↗ harder it gets but I do want us that's

1:37:03 ↗ why I want very firm very committed to

1:37:06 ↗ like we also need to let's let's take

1:37:08 ↗ one thing let's go with it let's run

1:37:10 ↗ with it let's make it happen and then

1:37:12 ↗ we'll continue to figure out other

1:37:14 ↗ community uh not just in King's

1:37:16 ↗ engagement but but the other processes

1:37:19 ↗ so summarizing for tonight

1:37:22 ↗ um I'll follow up via email uh with the

1:37:25 ↗ list uh adding some explanation points

1:37:28 ↗ and highlighted a few things based on

1:37:30 ↗ our conversation

1:37:32 ↗ um let's try to finalize this

1:37:34 ↗ in December again the goal is to

1:37:38 ↗ prioritize not to eliminate to

1:37:41 ↗ prioritize three to five items that we

1:37:44 ↗ can tackle next year once we have that

1:37:46 ↗ I'm happy to put together like a more

1:37:49 ↗ in-depth plan and how to go about that

1:37:52 ↗ and then that's going to inform also the

1:37:54 ↗ work of different engagement group but I

1:37:56 ↗ think perhaps maybe for next month do

1:37:58 ↗ you feel like it in addition to

1:38:00 ↗ finalizing which we can do also via

1:38:03 ↗ email and during the meeting just

1:38:04 ↗ finalize the list should we carve out

1:38:07 ↗ more time for how do we Define community

1:38:10 ↗ engagement and what should our role be

1:38:12 ↗ with Community engagement before we just

1:38:15 ↗ have as a community as a committee that

1:38:18 ↗ conversation so pause the meetings that

1:38:21 ↗ we have it's been very broader yeah the

1:38:23 ↗ broader group and all right would you be

1:38:26 ↗ okay with that sure yeah does that sound

1:38:29 ↗ good for all of you also online

1:38:33 ↗ okay thank you thank you thank you so

1:38:35 ↗ much also next month before we go so I

1:38:38 ↗ mean we have now finalizing actually

1:38:39 ↗ that goes into the staff report as I

1:38:41 ↗ mentioned the school district

1:38:44 ↗ um I'm hoping that uh if the schedules

1:38:46 ↗ are confirmed and works we are going to

1:38:48 ↗ hear from the school district uh as

1:38:50 ↗ guests if not we are still going to

1:38:52 ↗ bring them as soon as they can sometimes

1:38:54 ↗ uh there are so many evening meetings

1:38:56 ↗ about the city and School District level

1:38:58 ↗ that it's not always easy to align

1:39:00 ↗ calendars but

1:39:02 ↗ um I'm excited to really build on that

1:39:04 ↗ partnership with

1:39:06 ↗ also next month

1:39:08 ↗ um we do have uh our clerks coming back

1:39:11 ↗ with a refresher and I'm going to

1:39:12 ↗ training but it shouldn't take long so

1:39:15 ↗ um we'll carve out time for this now

1:39:17 ↗ because it's important

1:39:19 ↗ okay

1:39:21 ↗ um board members we have a few minutes

1:39:22 ↗ left I think I had a couple of

1:39:26 ↗ um

1:39:28 ↗ updates for you under staff updates and

1:39:32 ↗ really I only had I believe two of them

1:39:34 ↗ uh one city council adopted the budget

1:39:37 ↗ on the November 7th they adopted the

1:39:40 ↗ budget for 2023 2024.

1:39:44 ↗ um so that

1:39:46 ↗ um kind of like started the city-wide

1:39:48 ↗ work plan which was that list of glue

1:39:51 ↗ that you saw and then

1:39:54 ↗ um I'm trying to remember and just gonna

1:39:55 ↗ use the framework at all

1:39:58 ↗ now the framework is not just on budget

1:40:01 ↗ I don't think it was adopted but yes

1:40:03 ↗ exactly and how can we ask them to do

1:40:05 ↗ that

1:40:06 ↗ uh is there is that part of what we

1:40:08 ↗ could do yeah it's part of what we can

1:40:10 ↗ do yes we can make recommendations to

1:40:12 ↗ City Council on a layer two or what to

1:40:15 ↗ prioritize and how yes absolutely we can

1:40:18 ↗ do that

1:40:19 ↗ yes

1:40:21 ↗ yeah

1:40:22 ↗ got to do it for the leadership yes

1:40:26 ↗ so yes we can make those recommendations

1:40:28 ↗ oh and the the second part was uh

1:40:32 ↗ something fun in case uh you didn't

1:40:34 ↗ notice there's a lighting ceremony

1:40:36 ↗ happening on Saturday

1:40:38 ↗ um with holiday lights

1:40:40 ↗ um I think it's the first attempt at the

1:40:42 ↗ city so if you are available on Saturday

1:40:45 ↗ at 5 00 PM there's gonna be a lighting

1:40:48 ↗ ceremony here downtown Issaquah

1:40:51 ↗ um

1:40:52 ↗ [Music]

1:40:54 ↗ it's actually uh I believe it's on Front

1:40:57 ↗ Street in that

1:40:59 ↗ um

1:40:59 ↗ is it the Shell station Michelle station

1:41:01 ↗ yes okay

1:41:05 ↗ if that's where it was last year so yeah

1:41:10 ↗ look I'm gonna follow up with them but

1:41:13 ↗ yes

1:41:14 ↗ this whole area yeah but it seems like

1:41:16 ↗ um there are businesses involved Village

1:41:18 ↗ together I think they're going to be

1:41:20 ↗ reindeers coming so it should be a very

1:41:23 ↗ funny event

1:41:27 ↗ okay thank you for that under can many

1:41:31 ↗ um report uh the community engagement uh

1:41:36 ↗ committee did not meet Kelly

1:41:39 ↗ um I was hoping I don't know if this is

1:41:42 ↗ appropriate to ask you and if you're not

1:41:44 ↗ prepared don't feel like you want to but

1:41:46 ↗ I believe you are the only Equity board

1:41:48 ↗ representative at the SBA uh meeting

1:41:52 ↗ that recently happened at the business

1:41:53 ↗ level with no I didn't think oh you

1:41:56 ↗ didn't make it okay okay if we wanted to

1:41:58 ↗ I wanted to ask you to see if you had uh

1:42:00 ↗ I'm sorry but I wouldn't have been happy

1:42:02 ↗ to say but no no to provide input so

1:42:04 ↗ recently as you may remember a couple of

1:42:06 ↗ months ago board members we had uh from

1:42:09 ↗ visit Issaquah Christy Gerard was here

1:42:12 ↗ to present and her focus on Equity so

1:42:15 ↗ she

1:42:16 ↗ um organized uh with the chamber they

1:42:21 ↗ organized the training and Equity event

1:42:23 ↗ for businesses in issapa that was

1:42:26 ↗ focused uh focused on

1:42:28 ↗ um how to be

1:42:30 ↗ um

1:42:31 ↗ more welcoming to the lgbtqa community

1:42:36 ↗ so I know that that was well attended

1:42:39 ↗ and it was a great

1:42:42 ↗ time yeah

1:42:48 ↗ yes the high school is doing a play on

1:42:53 ↗ lgbtq

1:42:56 ↗ sounds horrible and it is very teary

1:42:59 ↗ however it is phenomenal and the reason

1:43:01 ↗ it's phenomenal is one is why school's

1:43:05 ↗ doing it but it's on from seven o'clock

1:43:07 ↗ on Friday night and Saturday night it's

1:43:10 ↗ worth seeing because one of the things

1:43:12 ↗ that's super interesting about this that

1:43:14 ↗ every every voice is about interviewing

1:43:17 ↗ people who were you know touched by the

1:43:20 ↗ murder and that includes people you

1:43:22 ↗ don't like

1:43:23 ↗ right so you hear multiple perspectives

1:43:26 ↗ on what occurred in this murder and it

1:43:30 ↗ is incredibly moving and it's also hard

1:43:32 ↗ I'll just make that real clear it's not

1:43:35 ↗ like a Christmasy bun right but it's

1:43:37 ↗ very moving and these kids do a

1:43:39 ↗ phenomenal job

1:43:40 ↗ where is this at Issaquah High School

1:43:44 ↗ from at seven o'clock on Friday night

1:43:46 ↗ and Saturday night it was tonight too

1:43:49 ↗ yeah thank you

1:43:51 ↗ if you have information feel free to

1:43:53 ↗ send it to me yeah yeah

1:43:58 ↗ that's great thank you any other

1:44:00 ↗ announcements board members or any other

1:44:02 ↗ things under other business

1:44:05 ↗ for us tonight any other things that you

1:44:07 ↗ would like to share

1:44:09 ↗ what's the next step on this chief

1:44:17 ↗ I think it's one we we call that under

1:44:20 ↗ Data Tracking but if you would like to

1:44:22 ↗ have something more specific that would

1:44:24 ↗ be a next step right right there was

1:44:26 ↗ some conversation in the background

1:44:27 ↗ around meeting with the chief at least

1:44:29 ↗ so yes we can yes if you would like in

1:44:33 ↗ addition just to have another meeting

1:44:34 ↗ with the chief I know that she also

1:44:36 ↗ welcomed if you would like to reach out

1:44:37 ↗ to do

1:44:39 ↗ um ride-alongs with police or visit them

1:44:42 ↗ if that's an interest we you can either

1:44:44 ↗ so you have a few options we can invite

1:44:47 ↗ back Chief to to a meeting here uh you

1:44:51 ↗ can have a few of you go and visit with

1:44:54 ↗ her and meet the team and do ride-alongs

1:44:57 ↗ and get a better understanding of that

1:44:59 ↗ or we can just tackle data and make

1:45:03 ↗ let's say if we decided Data Tracking

1:45:05 ↗ and identifying bias is one of the

1:45:07 ↗ priorities we can start working and

1:45:09 ↗ Diving deeper in like what kind of data

1:45:12 ↗ we would want to request from the police

1:45:14 ↗ department to share or

1:45:17 ↗ um to try to ask them right or to try to

1:45:20 ↗ understand right so that's how you have

1:45:22 ↗ a few different options and maybe a

1:45:23 ↗ combination of of all might be great

1:45:26 ↗ because it would be great to also build

1:45:29 ↗ a connection in the relationship with

1:45:31 ↗ the police department

1:45:33 ↗ um so yes

1:45:37 ↗ sounds like next week

1:45:39 ↗ yeah when we figure out what we can

1:45:41 ↗ actually do yes yes

1:45:44 ↗ but yeah so that's something that they

1:45:46 ↗ are tracking I can explain a few

1:45:47 ↗ sentences that that's where this started

1:45:49 ↗ right this was one of the topics yeah

1:45:53 ↗ so great other final thoughts

1:46:00 ↗ or things to share now

1:46:02 ↗ that Minister Prince

1:46:08 ↗ um

1:46:11 ↗ thinking about the comment you guys

1:46:13 ↗ brought up

1:46:16 ↗ cuando

1:46:19 ↗ here is

1:46:34 ↗ yes

1:46:37 ↗ that they were tackling discrimination

1:46:40 ↗ against the black community and also the

1:46:42 ↗ people of color but you know also one

1:46:44 ↗ needs to think about not going to the

1:46:46 ↗ extreme and then we start discriminating

1:46:48 ↗ the uh white people

1:46:51 ↗ yeah let's keep the balance

1:46:58 ↗ thank you Christina

1:47:06 ↗ and then yes meanwhile I think

1:47:09 ↗ we

1:47:10 ↗ want to make sure that

1:47:13 ↗ community members that historically

1:47:16 ↗ have been marginalized and discriminated

1:47:18 ↗ against we

1:47:20 ↗ we support them

1:47:22 ↗ right

1:47:24 ↗ so yeah

1:47:27 ↗ it's not an easy job that you have board

1:47:29 ↗ members I know it's not easy

1:47:32 ↗ um and it's gonna take a long time but I

1:47:35 ↗ believe that we can make we can make

1:47:37 ↗ progress

1:47:40 ↗ um okay

1:47:42 ↗ with that

1:47:43 ↗ I think we are on time we can adjourn

1:47:46 ↗ for tonight

1:47:48 ↗ um I look forward to following up and

1:47:50 ↗ then seeing you all in December our next

1:47:52 ↗ meeting it's only in a few weeks it's in

1:47:54 ↗ three weeks so our next meeting is

1:47:56 ↗ December 7th

1:47:58 ↗ um and I think another decision that we

1:48:00 ↗ need to make is uh the meeting in

1:48:03 ↗ January our meeting scheduled in January

1:48:05 ↗ is January 4th it's right after the

1:48:08 ↗ holidays

1:48:10 ↗ um if you choose to have a recess we can

1:48:12 ↗ do that if not we'll just go full speed

1:48:15 ↗ and force we have plenty of stuff to do

1:48:16 ↗ but think about and look at your holiday

1:48:18 ↗ calendar and travel

1:48:20 ↗ and let's discuss

1:48:22 ↗ um that next month okay thank you so

1:48:25 ↗ much have a good evening everyone

1:48:31 ↗ and I put the link for the play in the

1:48:34 ↗ chat

1:48:35 ↗ oh that's great thank you

1:48:37 ↗ um

1:48:39 ↗ can I put a note for you regarding the

1:48:42 ↗ district meeting in the chat too

1:48:44 ↗ for you

1:48:46 ↗ thank you

1:48:47 ↗ thank you so much

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

Open PDF

Attendance

Council / Members (10)

Cristina Abonce

Alisa Stewart

Lorna Gilmour

Hellen Kibenge

Lucrecia Choto

Ray Manahan

Tony Curry (absent, excused)

Shalanda Fleming (absent, excused)

Priti Mody-Pan

Kelly Munn

Staff (1)

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

Guests (4)

James Whitfield, Right to Breathe Committee

Paul Lwali, Right to Breathe Committee

Harry Hughes, Spanish Interpreters

Hilary Hughes, Spanish Interpreters

Recommendations & actions (3)

Sentences extracted from the narrative containing words like recommended, requested, directed, moved, or approved. Best-effort — verify against the full minutes for context.

Board members agreed to have the staff liaison assist with facilitating the meeting.
a) Minutes of September 7, 2022 meeting were approved as presented by unanimous consent.
STAFF REPORT Monica Negrila provided an update on the 2023-2024 adopted Budget by City Council and informed Board members of the upcoming holiday lighting.