Equity Board · Wednesday, April 26, 2023 · City Council Digest

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of March 15, 2023 Special Meeting

packet pp.3–6

Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 03-15-23 Human Services Commission & Page 1 Equity Board Joint Meeting Minutes CITY OF ISSAQUAH Joint Meeting: Human Services Commission & Equity Board 6:30 PM Council Chambers, 135 E. March 15, 2023 MINUTES Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA

Minutes of March 1, 2023 Meeting

packet pp.7–10

Open packet at p.7 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES b) 03-01-23 Equity Board Minutes Page [0000] CITY OF ISSAQUAH Equity Board 6:00 PM Steelhead Room, 235 1st Ave. March 1, 2023 MINUTES SE, Issaquah

4. AGENDA ITEMS

Equity Framework Implementation & Other Equity Updates

Director · Stephanie Johnson, Human Resources · packet pp.23–25

Topics: Equity

Open packet at p.23 ↗

Staff report:

Have I made any assumptions about the cultural identity, genders, abilities, identities 1 and/or background of those impacted by my decision?

5. STAFF REPORT

Mayor, City Council & Other Updates

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager · packet pp.27–30

Open packet at p.27 ↗

Staff report:

This is an active document that will be updated with more specific timelines and details.

6. OTHER BUSINESS / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Terms Expiring & Board Member Transition

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

2787 segments .txt ↗

0:02 ↗ it is

0:05 ↗ April 26th and the City of the support

0:08 ↗ Equity award being

0:11 ↗ we call it the leading to order

0:14 ↗ at 6 15. yes thank you

0:17 ↗ and at this time and the last one we

0:20 ↗ will take an attendance and see who all

0:23 ↗ are present who are in a little more

0:25 ↗ present

0:27 ↗ okay we can do a roll call then and next

0:30 ↗ pretty presents

0:33 ↗ president

0:34 ↗ Tony

0:35 ↗ present

0:39 ↗ present

0:42 ↗ good evening and welcome

0:44 ↗ um and the other board members

0:46 ↗ um uh Shay Fleming is running late she

0:50 ↗ will be here in person in a few minutes

0:51 ↗ and also Christina and Elisa will be

0:54 ↗ joining us online in the next few

0:56 ↗ minutes but they are running late as

0:58 ↗ well and last but not least Rey and

1:02 ↗ um Lucrezia are and they have an excused

1:06 ↗ absence tonight they are traveling

1:08 ↗ they're not available but they will be

1:09 ↗ back next week thank you very much

1:12 ↗ Monica at this time are there any public

1:15 ↗ comments uh no one signed up for public

1:17 ↗ comment

1:18 ↗ did not receive an email

1:23 ↗ thank you very much Monica and right now

1:25 ↗ we will ask for the approval of the

1:28 ↗ minutes from we actually have two

1:30 ↗ minutes or two meetings

1:33 ↗ for proposal so we'll start for the

1:36 ↗ minutes of March 15 2023 was a special

1:40 ↗ meeting with the Human Services

1:43 ↗ Commission and the equity board would

1:46 ↗ anyone like to let's take a few minutes

1:48 ↗ and it'll be the minutes before we can

1:50 ↗ do the plants

1:52 ↗ and Mario are already in the minutes

1:55 ↗ board members I just want to

1:57 ↗ um make a note that we misspelled

2:00 ↗ Christina's name on the March 15 minutes

2:02 ↗ we added an age to Christina so we will

2:05 ↗ make that small adjustment

2:13 ↗ the March 1st meetings

2:24 ↗ another people have had a few minutes to

2:27 ↗ look over the limits

2:28 ↗ on the legal terms

2:35 ↗ of the approve of the minutes

2:42 ↗ yes

2:44 ↗ yes

2:45 ↗ I'm seeing foreign

2:53 ↗ [Music]

2:59 ↗ to just quickly look forward

3:21 ↗ can I ask for the minutes to be approved

3:24 ↗ or they will advance the improved so

3:27 ↗ thumbs up from Kelly and briefly the

3:30 ↗ rules and thumbs up from Tony

3:33 ↗ on zooming

3:36 ↗ Zoo so we can go ahead and approve of

3:40 ↗ those minutes

3:41 ↗ and we'll move on to the next agenda

3:44 ↗ item on our list which is a sustainable

3:46 ↗ purchase and policy I really have a

3:49 ↗ guest speaker

3:51 ↗ David ready here this is sustainable

3:57 ↗ awesome thank you for having me

4:02 ↗ um

4:04 ↗ about a few slides for you tonight and

4:07 ↗ then

4:07 ↗ um some questions for General discussion

4:10 ↗ at the end

4:11 ↗ um but just uh to introduce myself I'm

4:13 ↗ David Reedy I'm the new sustainability

4:15 ↗ coordinator here at the city I started

4:17 ↗ in January

4:19 ↗ um and I'm part of the the two-person

4:21 ↗ sustainability team

4:23 ↗ so the policy background uh this is a

4:28 ↗ policy that was called out

4:30 ↗ as part of the Issaquah uh climate

4:33 ↗ action plan

4:35 ↗ um and so when I started in January this

4:38 ↗ was handed to me as uh something that we

4:40 ↗ could run with

4:41 ↗ um and so right now we're really at this

4:44 ↗ information gathering stage planning for

4:47 ↗ the actual writing of uh this policy or

4:51 ↗ the drafting of a first draft

4:54 ↗ and a sustainable purchasing policy

4:56 ↗ really is is centered around recognizing

4:58 ↗ that the products and services that the

5:01 ↗ city purchases inherently have social

5:04 ↗ environmental and economic impacts uh

5:07 ↗ both at their time of purchase and

5:10 ↗ throughout the life cycle of a project a

5:13 ↗ contract or an item itself

5:17 ↗ and these uh so sustainable purchasing

5:20 ↗ policies have been around for quite a

5:23 ↗ while I put up a few example uh peer

5:28 ↗ jurisdiction that do have similar

5:31 ↗ policies such as King County Shoreline

5:34 ↗ Seattle there are examples of

5:37 ↗ sustainable purchasing policies from

5:39 ↗ across the country and worlds and kind

5:42 ↗ of one interesting note is that most of

5:44 ↗ these policies do happen in kind of

5:46 ↗ larger jurisdictions like Seattle

5:48 ↗ Portland San Francisco

5:51 ↗ um but there are examples of smaller

5:53 ↗ cities such as Shoreline who do have

5:55 ↗ these but so we're kind of in this

5:58 ↗ process and in this information

6:00 ↗ gathering stage part of the the goal

6:02 ↗ here is really thinking about what is

6:04 ↗ Right sizing a sustainable purchasing

6:06 ↗ policy mean for us here at Issaquah who

6:09 ↗ have your purchasing staff and

6:12 ↗ um you know a little bit less resources

6:14 ↗ maybe than a large city like Seattle

6:18 ↗ next slide

6:21 ↗ so

6:22 ↗ um as I mentioned we're really at the

6:24 ↗ beginning of this process

6:26 ↗ um and so right now I've been doing uh

6:29 ↗ conversations with City departments

6:31 ↗ throughout the city so I've had uh talks

6:33 ↗ to roughly 20 different uh folks in the

6:37 ↗ city I'm talking to some peer

6:39 ↗ jurisdictions and then I'm coming to you

6:41 ↗ at the equity board and uh later in May

6:44 ↗ to the environmental boards to get kind

6:46 ↗ of feedback really thinking around uh

6:50 ↗ What uh what it should look like for us

6:53 ↗ here at the City of Issaquah and to kind

6:55 ↗ of solicit some of that feedback before

6:57 ↗ I do any writing to make sure that we

6:59 ↗ are drafting the right policy first

7:03 ↗ so on the uh slide right here I have

7:06 ↗ some examples of

7:08 ↗ um really what uh the sustainable

7:11 ↗ purchasing policy might look like uh for

7:14 ↗ the city of issuwa and kind of what

7:16 ↗ aspects might be included

7:19 ↗ um and I have kind of printed out a

7:21 ↗ whole list of examples from peer

7:23 ↗ jurisdictions across the country of kind

7:26 ↗ of what it what it really looks like uh

7:28 ↗ for those but it could include things

7:31 ↗ like specific criteria to assess uh any

7:37 ↗ purchase or contractor or service that

7:39 ↗ the city enters into to really think

7:43 ↗ about uh are we working with companies

7:46 ↗ that

7:47 ↗ um minimize waste are we working with

7:50 ↗ companies that are using local uh

7:53 ↗ businesses are we making purchases that

7:57 ↗ reduce energy use

8:00 ↗ and there's kind of a whole

8:02 ↗ world of potential things that we can

8:05 ↗ consider

8:06 ↗ in our purchasing uh at the city and so

8:10 ↗ uh yeah so that's kind of some of the

8:13 ↗ the examples of really what might be

8:15 ↗ included in this policy and it really is

8:17 ↗ again going to be mostly a a guidance

8:21 ↗ document to support City staff in making

8:23 ↗ the right decisions as they

8:26 ↗ um as we all in the city make purchases

8:28 ↗ for up to year

8:30 ↗ bye

8:32 ↗ so this slide I included because it is

8:35 ↗ uh quite important to kind of also know

8:37 ↗ what the sustainable purchases

8:39 ↗ purchasing policy is not going to be

8:42 ↗ um and really what these three points

8:44 ↗ are are trying to get at is is

8:46 ↗ recognizing that we're not going to

8:47 ↗ impose a really rigid policy

8:52 ↗ um that doesn't recognize that there are

8:53 ↗ changing circumstances or new knowledge

8:56 ↗ and information about the impacts of our

8:58 ↗ purchasing right so as an example we can

9:02 ↗ put into if we had a more if we had a

9:04 ↗ rigid policy

9:06 ↗ um there might be supply chain issues

9:08 ↗ which would then prevent the city from

9:11 ↗ accessing materials or services and so

9:14 ↗ the idea is really to to make sure that

9:16 ↗ folks understand that we are uh

9:19 ↗ hopefully putting together something

9:21 ↗ that can change and adapt depending on

9:25 ↗ needs depending on community needs and

9:27 ↗ depending on new information around what

9:30 ↗ is good rights um and the way we should

9:33 ↗ move forward

9:34 ↗ next slide

9:36 ↗ I'm sorry

9:39 ↗ um

9:39 ↗ so this is just kind of laying out the

9:42 ↗ rough timeline of what we're looking at

9:44 ↗ here so we're in uh what I have called

9:47 ↗ phase one very originally

9:50 ↗ um and so this is uh Outreach again to

9:53 ↗ boards to uh City departments uh and

9:56 ↗ some peer cities

9:58 ↗ um and then soon uh hopefully in the in

10:01 ↗ June I'm gonna actually draft a first

10:04 ↗ draft of what this policy might look

10:06 ↗ like for the city

10:07 ↗ my goal at that point after drafting

10:10 ↗ this policy is to reach back out to the

10:14 ↗ different city departments and connect

10:16 ↗ again with with those who are interested

10:19 ↗ um I can of course come back to the

10:20 ↗ equity board if that's of interest to

10:23 ↗ really again think about what we drafted

10:26 ↗ if it really is uh the right policy for

10:29 ↗ Isabel if it addresses

10:31 ↗ um all of the the issues and concerns

10:34 ↗ that we want to see

10:36 ↗ and then uh in uh phase four we'll we'll

10:40 ↗ revise the policy and then work to get

10:42 ↗ it uh implemented uh working very

10:45 ↗ closely with our finance team to make it

10:47 ↗ uh implemented in the uh correct way

10:51 ↗ um and there are a few options for that

10:52 ↗ uh

10:53 ↗ so we haven't exactly figured that out

10:55 ↗ but

10:56 ↗ um we're hoping to do this and get it

10:59 ↗ adopted by the end of the year and then

11:01 ↗ we transition into the implementation

11:03 ↗ phase of really thinking around

11:05 ↗ supporting staff you know ongoing past

11:08 ↗ uh this policy is adopted to make sure

11:10 ↗ that folks really understand and uh feel

11:14 ↗ supported in implementing this policy

11:17 ↗ so next slide so this is really my my

11:21 ↗ last slide and I have kind of three

11:23 ↗ questions here that I'm I'm asking uh

11:26 ↗ y'all and the uh environmental board as

11:29 ↗ well and again this is a really kind of

11:32 ↗ just based around getting feedback

11:34 ↗ before I draft the policy to make sure

11:36 ↗ that

11:37 ↗ um we are uh

11:40 ↗ considering uh the different different

11:42 ↗ elements and different perspectives in

11:44 ↗ terms of what we should really be doing

11:47 ↗ with our city purchasing

11:49 ↗ so

11:50 ↗ um we can do this in a few different

11:52 ↗ ways but first off if there are any

11:55 ↗ questions just generally about the

11:56 ↗ sustainable purchasing policy I'm happy

11:59 ↗ to answer those and then I'm happy to I

12:01 ↗ would love to hear input on uh any of

12:04 ↗ these questions

12:08 ↗ what do you think the equity

12:10 ↗ implications are for sustainability

12:13 ↗ yeah so um

12:16 ↗ there's a lot of different ways it's

12:18 ↗ been adopted into different uh

12:21 ↗ jurisdictions

12:22 ↗ um so I have kind of printed out

12:24 ↗ different examples but so they

12:28 ↗ uh can range from things like trying to

12:33 ↗ consider uh the human health impacts of

12:36 ↗ uh materials and services uh purchased

12:40 ↗ but it also can go beyond to thinking

12:44 ↗ about the

12:46 ↗ uh the business practices of

12:50 ↗ organizations and and companies that

12:52 ↗ we're working with right so thinking do

12:54 ↗ they follow Fair labor laws are we

12:57 ↗ trying to work with

12:58 ↗ minority uh women-owned businesses

13:02 ↗ are we trying to work with small

13:04 ↗ businesses um

13:06 ↗ so there's kind of a wideration of what

13:10 ↗ it could be

13:11 ↗ um and so that is part of the uh the

13:14 ↗ reason of coming to this board is to

13:15 ↗ help me think about focusing that a

13:18 ↗ little bit and I think that's what my

13:20 ↗ question comes from because I was at the

13:22 ↗ fair oh great

13:27 ↗ food truck did not have

13:31 ↗ because they're trying to work with them

13:33 ↗ and figure out yes

13:35 ↗ I think what I'm realizing is

13:38 ↗ even for us it's hard right because

13:40 ↗ moving to all sustainable products that

13:43 ↗ can actually be very expensive and so

13:45 ↗ when you are a new business

13:48 ↗ especially a minority business or a

13:50 ↗ small business

13:52 ↗ or a business that just doesn't have as

13:54 ↗ much money and and starting to start up

13:57 ↗ how do we how do we support those small

14:00 ↗ businesses as well as entertain the

14:04 ↗ environment because

14:05 ↗ when you are struggling to just make

14:08 ↗ ends meet sometimes it's easy to find

14:10 ↗ products

14:12 ↗ rather than not into the one for the

14:16 ↗ most sustainable so is there any kind of

14:19 ↗ plan or support in the city because she

14:23 ↗ was very sweet again

14:26 ↗ yes and she was getting on the works

14:30 ↗ that the city has and using that but is

14:34 ↗ that something that can be done more and

14:37 ↗ like how do these so I think my main

14:39 ↗ thing is I would love to see that kind

14:42 ↗ of partnership actually and grow because

14:44 ↗ I need to have small business and how do

14:46 ↗ we support that small business because

14:49 ↗ in my view a lot of the small businesses

14:52 ↗ that is the uh you should be that

14:54 ↗ minority owned or women owned or just

14:57 ↗ small

14:59 ↗ I just want to make sure that we're not

15:01 ↗ losing those people who are trying to

15:03 ↗ make their ends meet absolutely and I've

15:06 ↗ excluded them from the release of

15:07 ↗ getting your contracts are you working

15:10 ↗ in the city because they can't afford it

15:12 ↗ and what were you referencing

15:15 ↗ you're referencing something as

15:17 ↗ assistant

15:18 ↗ oh there was a food truck out there too

15:21 ↗ hopefully because the fair was from 10

15:23 ↗ to two so they were just sending food

15:24 ↗ and they had aluminum foil and plastic

15:28 ↗ forks it was very much

15:31 ↗ [Laughter]

15:38 ↗ that's right

15:40 ↗ yeah no that's a that's a great point

15:42 ↗ and I think uh that is an important part

15:46 ↗ of any policy that we are putting

15:49 ↗ together and that you know where

15:52 ↗ we're going to be asking staff to kind

15:54 ↗ of be holding many different yeah

15:57 ↗ ideas and criteria and perspectives all

16:01 ↗ together when they're making purchases

16:03 ↗ right because when I noticed that from

16:04 ↗ the city they were very considerate of

16:06 ↗ themselves hey that's too expensive

16:09 ↗ and we cannot do it then we're giving

16:12 ↗ ourselves an out but I it's not that I

16:15 ↗ want to give people an out but I want to

16:17 ↗ give

16:18 ↗ businesses an opportunity to be able to

16:21 ↗ get into the game of you know having

16:24 ↗ contracts and not analyzing them because

16:27 ↗ they don't have materials and supplies

16:30 ↗ to

16:31 ↗ to go out early to work with the city so

16:34 ↗ what I'm hearing is making sure that

16:36 ↗ we don't use this policy to then exclude

16:40 ↗ smaller businesses that many a year yes

16:43 ↗ that may or may not have these and it's

16:46 ↗ not that I want them to use plastic

16:47 ↗ forms of course how can it's not that we

16:51 ↗ want to pay for it but is there some

16:52 ↗ kind of

16:53 ↗ Grant or money on something to support

16:55 ↗ those businesses to get supplies so that

16:59 ↗ they can be competitive in this because

17:02 ↗ I would like to see everyone at the uh

17:05 ↗ you know the sideway Market not be using

17:08 ↗ plastic in my perfect world but how do

17:11 ↗ we make sure that that's happening and

17:13 ↗ not exclude vendors and coming and

17:15 ↗ participating because they really could

17:17 ↗ use that income right

17:19 ↗ okay

17:25 ↗ sorry

17:27 ↗ yes thank you so with regard to the to

17:30 ↗ the RFP process

17:33 ↗ um are you willing to take maybe

17:35 ↗ suggestions and input from the equity

17:37 ↗ board and that process as well and a

17:40 ↗ second part question to that is

17:44 ↗ um how when you when you're when the

17:46 ↗ city is actually soliciting for

17:49 ↗ um requests for proposals is it just um

17:52 ↗ I don't know I want to say an

17:54 ↗ advertisement in particular forms or how

17:57 ↗ does that get out to the relevant

18:00 ↗ entities I mean back in the day it was

18:01 ↗ usually in the newspaper so where's the

18:04 ↗ how's that imported right now

18:06 ↗ yeah great uh great question so I would

18:10 ↗ say I'll address the second question

18:11 ↗ first

18:13 ↗ um and the the reason I'll do that is

18:15 ↗ because I don't really know and I think

18:17 ↗ part of that is because uh there's a lot

18:22 ↗ of these efforts aren't centralized at

18:24 ↗ the city partially because we lack the

18:27 ↗ you know the really robust purchasing

18:30 ↗ departments that some uh cities have uh

18:33 ↗ and so I think different departments do

18:37 ↗ it in different ways right and so

18:41 ↗ when we think about the implementation

18:44 ↗ of this policy down the line there is

18:46 ↗ going to be these opportunities of how

18:48 ↗ do we

18:49 ↗ um how do we uh

18:52 ↗ think about how to to share rfps and uh

18:56 ↗ you know those items in in different

18:59 ↗ ways that can then reach uh maybe uh

19:02 ↗ wider businesses more diverse businesses

19:04 ↗ Etc right and then when it comes

19:07 ↗ when you're done I can speak a little

19:09 ↗ bit because I'm a different department

19:12 ↗ I can add to that a little bit and I was

19:14 ↗ eyeballing because I was like I could

19:16 ↗ probably add to that too yeah we have

19:19 ↗ different experts in their room when it

19:21 ↗ comes to equity board input into the RFP

19:24 ↗ process

19:26 ↗ um I believe the answer will be yes if

19:29 ↗ you want to have some of that

19:32 ↗ um

19:33 ↗ uh eyes on uh at least some uh template

19:38 ↗ language

19:39 ↗ um I can't promise necessarily on On All

19:42 ↗ rfps or anything but as part of that

19:44 ↗ implementation of this process we are

19:46 ↗ hoping to build out some template

19:49 ↗ language that can be included in

19:51 ↗ contracts uh and and rfps around

19:55 ↗ environmental responsibility as well as

19:58 ↗ equity and some of these social

20:00 ↗ considerations for companies so that for

20:03 ↗ for many reasons

20:04 ↗ um and partially so that we can try and

20:07 ↗ make sure that the organizations that

20:09 ↗ we're working with are following some of

20:12 ↗ these uh practices so if that is

20:15 ↗ something that is of interest to the

20:17 ↗ equity board

20:19 ↗ um as we develop those templates and I

20:23 ↗ imagine that will come after the

20:24 ↗ adoption of this policy I'd be more than

20:27 ↗ happy to bring things back to you all

20:31 ↗ yes

20:32 ↗ a few things on the RFB process Tony

20:35 ↗ that I would love to chime in uh David

20:37 ↗ was absolutely right there are multiple

20:40 ↗ types of RS rfps because there are

20:43 ↗ multiple departments right so while

20:44 ↗ there is kind of like a

20:47 ↗ um a coordinated tool where different

20:49 ↗ companies can go and sign up so they can

20:51 ↗ receive rfps it really depends on on the

20:56 ↗ domain right like for example public

20:58 ↗ works if they're looking for a

21:00 ↗ construction contractor they're going to

21:02 ↗ go into a different set of where they're

21:04 ↗ gonna either issue that RFP compared to

21:06 ↗ let's say if our human resources

21:09 ↗ department is looking for an equity

21:11 ↗ consultant that's a different domain or

21:13 ↗ whereas Human Services we issue the rfps

21:16 ↗ for the Human Services Grants again we

21:18 ↗ are just looking so that's why there are

21:20 ↗ different things and they can there

21:21 ↗ cannot be a coordinated because it's

21:23 ↗ just super super large however I can

21:25 ↗ also tell you from working in the past

21:28 ↗ two years just on the Human Services

21:29 ↗ rfps there was a large body of work done

21:33 ↗ from not only the content of the RFP the

21:36 ↗ language and how easily translated that

21:39 ↗ could be

21:40 ↗ also to what you just said how we do how

21:44 ↗ do we share that information to make

21:46 ↗ sure that it gets to the right people

21:47 ↗ how do we even offer technical

21:50 ↗ assistance during the RFP process uh how

21:54 ↗ do even we we worked also on like

21:56 ↗ creating questions that don't

21:59 ↗ um

22:00 ↗ um

22:02 ↗ exclude certain groups and smaller

22:04 ↗ non-profit agencies it's when you dive

22:07 ↗ deeper there are just so many steps at

22:11 ↗ every level of the RFP process not to

22:13 ↗ mention even after like you issued RFP

22:16 ↗ and how do you then review the RFP that

22:18 ↗ has a whole set of new equity which is

22:20 ↗ so it's yes it's fascinating and complex

22:24 ↗ at the same time I'm learning a lot in

22:27 ↗ this process okay and I'll add a layer

22:29 ↗ to the onion uh if you actually go to

22:32 ↗ our City website I was just pulling it

22:34 ↗ up um so I could direct you

22:36 ↗ um we actually have a web page on bids

22:39 ↗ rfps and rfqs and we actually use a

22:43 ↗ public purchase Forum so this largely is

22:46 ↗ geared towards

22:48 ↗ um Public Works

22:51 ↗ um and well but there is a shared

22:54 ↗ procurement portal and process for rfps

22:57 ↗ I know you know I have had very few rfps

22:59 ↗ in say HR as an internal service but

23:03 ↗ when I have had them we do have a

23:05 ↗ resource in our administrative Services

23:06 ↗ Department that handles rfps all the

23:10 ↗ time and can put it out on this shared

23:12 ↗ public purchase portal so we we've got a

23:16 ↗ lot of uh miscellaneous things going

23:19 ↗ um but there is certainly to answer your

23:22 ↗ question an opportunity

23:25 ↗ um you know to really look at uh

23:28 ↗ structuring an equitable way in which we

23:31 ↗ do it depending upon the business that

23:33 ↗ we're we're seeking in our piece so I

23:36 ↗ think that piece

23:37 ↗ um it kind of plays into you know Equity

23:40 ↗ framework and what we're going to do

23:41 ↗ city-wide in a great way and

23:45 ↗ um I think it's an area that we need to

23:47 ↗ talk about Citywide absolutely

23:50 ↗ I do have a follow-up if you don't mind

23:52 ↗ to everything that was talked about

23:54 ↗ um

23:55 ↗ so would you say would the three of you

23:57 ↗ say that the current RFP process is more

23:59 ↗ of a I guess I would say a build it and

24:02 ↗ they will come approach meaning the

24:03 ↗ build it is the RFP it goes out in the

24:06 ↗ public form they will come as in terms

24:08 ↗ of the vendors will come in based on

24:11 ↗ them um being let's say registered so to

24:15 ↗ speak for um

24:17 ↗ in the system

24:19 ↗ there's no there's no Outreach to let's

24:22 ↗ say certain business organizations

24:24 ↗ whether it be the minority business

24:26 ↗ um organization I don't know if there's

24:28 ↗ one in Issaquah I know there's one in

24:30 ↗ Seattle but um like Outreach there to

24:33 ↗ like hey sign up for our portal blah

24:35 ↗ blah blah you don't think there's no

24:37 ↗ Outreach

24:41 ↗ I'm sure there is for others like even

24:43 ↗ like with Human Services Grants for

24:45 ↗ example if you remember we haven't we

24:46 ↗ are a two-year cycle this is the year

24:48 ↗ for us to do Outreach and early next

24:50 ↗ year we'll do more Outreach to even just

24:53 ↗ let people know that this is coming

24:54 ↗ right and then just like build up like

24:57 ↗ this is a year where we want to work

24:58 ↗ with smaller organizations to build up

25:00 ↗ that capacity I mean I think that yeah

25:03 ↗ sorry go ahead I think that speaks to

25:06 ↗ kind of some of our earlier points and

25:08 ↗ and longer than set these points around

25:10 ↗ there are different processes at the

25:13 ↗ city

25:13 ↗ um and so as Stephanie mentioned there's

25:15 ↗ some kind of centralized efforts

25:18 ↗ um and there is support within the city

25:20 ↗ to actually build these rfps right we're

25:22 ↗ not starting from scratch but in my

25:25 ↗ conversations with departments across

25:27 ↗ the city

25:28 ↗ um I think one thing that I can say is

25:30 ↗ that different departments do things

25:32 ↗ differently right um

25:34 ↗ Monica has mentioned all the work that

25:37 ↗ Human Services has put into kind of

25:39 ↗ thinking about this process

25:41 ↗ um and then and there are other

25:42 ↗ departments that are are really kind of

25:44 ↗ thinking about this and and some

25:46 ↗ departments are thinking about it more

25:47 ↗ from

25:48 ↗ um you know environmental criteria waste

25:51 ↗ reduction Etc

25:53 ↗ um and then there are departments where

25:54 ↗ this has not really come up yet and part

25:57 ↗ of that is uh because they might not

26:00 ↗ think about it as much and then also

26:02 ↗ some of it is just that uh different

26:05 ↗ departments have different regulations

26:07 ↗ and and laws around how they procure and

26:11 ↗ what they should procure so it's it gets

26:14 ↗ a little bit you know each department is

26:16 ↗ a little different each department has

26:18 ↗ approached it differently and part of

26:20 ↗ this process is really to try and bring

26:22 ↗ folks together and uh help Infuse these

26:27 ↗ processes throughout the city uh with

26:29 ↗ kind of these Equity perspectives and

26:32 ↗ Frameworks as well as the environmental

26:34 ↗ uh Frameworks as well and my it's really

26:37 ↗ I think both Tony it's put it out and uh

26:42 ↗ see what you get in but also uh

26:46 ↗ advertise and seek you know maybe who

26:48 ↗ you you know that you'd like to get a a

26:51 ↗ potential application from so I've done

26:55 ↗ the approach of both

26:57 ↗ um who I know but who do I not know and

27:00 ↗ who am I not getting to I'm relying more

27:03 ↗ on the public side than the direct

27:05 ↗ invitation to apply okay

27:10 ↗ yes yes so um I was looking at the

27:14 ↗ questions you have up on the screen and

27:16 ↗ I'm thinking about from from my

27:18 ↗ experience you've mentioned so

27:21 ↗ environmental social economic impact and

27:25 ↗ cost and so those things are often I

27:27 ↗ think as Lorna was describing like their

27:30 ↗ intention with each other so I think as

27:32 ↗ you're developing you know a policy or

27:35 ↗ guidance uh there should be something

27:38 ↗ that helps people who are using that

27:42 ↗ document

27:44 ↗ prioritize you know and think about

27:46 ↗ because you know when I think about if

27:48 ↗ it's decentralized you have different

27:50 ↗ agencies and I think

27:52 ↗ oftentimes the immediate concern becomes

27:54 ↗ the budget so they want to go what's the

27:57 ↗ cheapest thing right so and if they're

28:00 ↗ trying to work within a budget they're

28:01 ↗ in a most likely try to prioritize cost

28:04 ↗ over everything else so how how can you

28:08 ↗ pull those sustainability environmental

28:11 ↗ goals those social goals Equity goals

28:14 ↗ um in balance with the cost because cost

28:17 ↗ seems to be driving decisions a lot so

28:21 ↗ um I think some sort of decision-making

28:23 ↗ Matrix around that could be really

28:25 ↗ really helpful and um because we know

28:28 ↗ like the true cost of something is not

28:32 ↗ the price tag so what is that long-term

28:34 ↗ cost to the environment to our you know

28:37 ↗ Equity goals to our values so

28:40 ↗ um I think the more you can kind of get

28:42 ↗ tactical and how books can um

28:45 ↗ make decisions that pull those other

28:47 ↗ things in balance that would be really

28:49 ↗ helpful

28:50 ↗ that's a great Point thank you for that

28:55 ↗ um and I just wanted to ask in terms of

28:57 ↗ compliance what the current process

29:00 ↗ might be and how you all will continue

29:03 ↗ to help vendors remain in compliance

29:06 ↗ because I know this a lot of times it's

29:08 ↗ just they'll start in compliance and

29:10 ↗ then they drift based on cost based on

29:13 ↗ you know changes in the economy that

29:16 ↗ kind of thing so is there a plan kind of

29:19 ↗ set forth in that inherently or is there

29:22 ↗ a review process that we can expect to

29:25 ↗ see yeah so that's a great question

29:29 ↗ um

29:31 ↗ I think I am not super familiar with a

29:35 ↗ ton of compliance

29:37 ↗ um

29:38 ↗ uh efforts right now and that's not to

29:42 ↗ say they don't exist at the city but

29:44 ↗ that it's just something that that I'm

29:46 ↗ less familiar with

29:48 ↗ um and I think uh generally the

29:51 ↗ sustainable purchasing policy since

29:53 ↗ it'll be more based on guidance is not

29:55 ↗ going to have a whole lot of compliance

29:58 ↗ teeth to it

30:01 ↗ um that being said especially if we can

30:04 ↗ work to build things into uh rfps and

30:08 ↗ contracts and kind of that broader set

30:10 ↗ of efforts

30:12 ↗ um then there will be

30:14 ↗ the idea and the hope would be there

30:16 ↗ would be the opportunity to say you know

30:19 ↗ you as a company who entered into a

30:22 ↗ contract with us uh you know we have

30:24 ↗ language in in this contract in the RFP

30:27 ↗ process that that said that you were

30:29 ↗ going to comply with these things and

30:31 ↗ you're no longer doing that or that you

30:33 ↗ value these things and you're not doing

30:34 ↗ that and so it

30:36 ↗ allows hopefully the idea would be that

30:39 ↗ it would give staff the ability to then

30:40 ↗ go back to the table with these with

30:42 ↗ companies and say this is something that

30:44 ↗ you committed to and we're not seeing it

30:46 ↗ anymore and so

30:48 ↗ um

30:49 ↗ I am not so familiar with any other uh

30:53 ↗ uh Power we would have in that situation

30:56 ↗ but um that is something that I can look

30:58 ↗ at for sure

31:05 ↗ and I apologize for typing at the same

31:07 ↗ time

31:09 ↗ you guys have music entertainment

31:15 ↗ [Music]

31:19 ↗ summer months come along I start to stay

31:21 ↗ open a little later they get more

31:24 ↗ Daylight and stuff or they're outside

31:27 ↗ more I think yeah

31:30 ↗ as much

31:33 ↗ are there any other questions otherwise

31:36 ↗ I'd love to make time for another

31:39 ↗ presentations

31:44 ↗ the the phases you had listed and so I

31:48 ↗ know like after implementation are you

31:51 ↗ planning to kind of revisit and see how

31:53 ↗ things have been doing with respect to

31:55 ↗ following your guidance to see if

31:58 ↗ there's

31:59 ↗ to improve upon it and to maybe not give

32:02 ↗ it to you but to have it be followed a

32:05 ↗ little before yes that's a a great

32:07 ↗ question and I think that's kind of one

32:09 ↗ of the more complicated aspects that I'm

32:12 ↗ currently working on is um

32:15 ↗ right we'll have this policy and then

32:17 ↗ kind of that that big step that we're

32:18 ↗ thinking about at the same time is

32:20 ↗ really this this implementation of

32:25 ↗ options with our our main purchasing

32:27 ↗ specialist Natalie and then also Dale

32:31 ↗ our uh management analyst I don't know

32:33 ↗ if she's come to y'all before but

32:35 ↗ um in terms of thinking about how do we

32:37 ↗ measure success for this policy

32:40 ↗ um and

32:41 ↗ uh there are going to be some things we

32:44 ↗ can do and some things we can't write I

32:46 ↗ am not going to go through every single

32:48 ↗ p-card purchase that uh everybody at the

32:52 ↗ city makes to make sure that they uh

32:54 ↗ bought recyclable cups or you know

32:56 ↗ whatever it might be

32:58 ↗ um however we are trying to think about

33:01 ↗ perhaps

33:03 ↗ um a system of uh looking at contracts

33:06 ↗ every once in a while and and kind of uh

33:12 ↗ or something to really kind of better

33:14 ↗ understand how our staff implementing

33:18 ↗ this policy and how is it getting in um

33:21 ↗ getting put into their everyday decision

33:23 ↗ making and another piece of this is

33:25 ↗ since this will be more guidance versus

33:27 ↗ very specific requirements for staff

33:30 ↗ um a big part of this is really just

33:33 ↗ focused on staff commitment to it right

33:36 ↗ and so we're only going to succeed with

33:38 ↗ this policy if staff throughout the

33:40 ↗ organization throughout the city are

33:43 ↗ committed to to pursuing

33:45 ↗ um uh social and environmental and

33:48 ↗ Equity considerations into their

33:50 ↗ purchasing and so there is this is going

33:53 ↗ to be a long process after

33:55 ↗ implementation and we're really kind of

33:57 ↗ trying to think out right now what that

34:00 ↗ um measurements of metric and Reporting

34:02 ↗ out is going to look like so nothing

34:05 ↗ concrete on that right now but um

34:08 ↗ we are working on it and if you have any

34:10 ↗ suggestions I'm more than happy to

34:12 ↗ listen to them

34:18 ↗ the work you're doing is fantastic I

34:20 ↗ think that this is like incredible that

34:22 ↗ Issaquah is even adopting and Staffing

34:25 ↗ it

34:25 ↗ I I think that it's really important to

34:29 ↗ tell the community that Issaquah is

34:31 ↗ unique in this and that we're doing this

34:36 ↗ I think that

34:39 ↗ um people really right now want to hear

34:43 ↗ good stuff and this is really good

34:46 ↗ and

34:48 ↗ I also think that internally you should

34:50 ↗ have that same

34:52 ↗ mentality which you probably do you

34:54 ↗ bring it here but like give Awards

34:57 ↗ through I mean like Issaquah gets awards

34:59 ↗ for their sustainability work that

35:02 ↗ they're recognized for and they can be I

35:04 ↗ can say it because it interests me right

35:07 ↗ I can't in the reward a word but I can

35:09 ↗ name what it's for what they did it got

35:10 ↗ it for

35:11 ↗ right and that that is supplier for

35:14 ↗ awards give Awards because

35:18 ↗ it's just Rock Cravings positive at

35:22 ↗ least that's me it's the roots something

35:25 ↗ or they would keep the wrist and Dan

35:28 ↗ keys they were last week or later yeah

35:33 ↗ yes last Monday I'll see I don't even

35:35 ↗ know about falling

35:36 ↗ well spread it yeah that well that one's

35:39 ↗ another two year one yeah

35:41 ↗ yeah

35:43 ↗ Tony

35:44 ↗ sorry for all the questions but I do

35:46 ↗ have one more so I was wondering in

35:48 ↗ terms of policy

35:50 ↗ um in terms of like you know the rfps

35:52 ↗ and the rfqs uh that go out is it

35:55 ↗ possible in the future and I'm not

35:57 ↗ talking near future and probably talking

35:59 ↗ maybe far future to have within the

36:03 ↗ um within the communication and that RFP

36:06 ↗ to have something such as a policy of

36:08 ↗ you know preference given to vendors or

36:11 ↗ businesses who meet our City of Issaquah

36:13 ↗ Equity framework such as maybe in that

36:16 ↗ framework being companies who may be

36:18 ↗ committed to diversity in their hiring

36:20 ↗ practices as well as companies who are

36:24 ↗ um minority owned but basically you know

36:27 ↗ because we we espouse to be a city

36:30 ↗ that cares about Equity that you know

36:33 ↗ wants to put an equity lens on

36:34 ↗ everything that we do and so I think a

36:36 ↗ policy like that if it's not already

36:38 ↗ employed I would love to see that done

36:40 ↗ in the future if it can be

36:44 ↗ yeah that's a that's a great

36:46 ↗ um suggestion uh that is something worth

36:51 ↗ looking at I can't say yes specifically

36:53 ↗ yes or no right now and I think um there

36:57 ↗ are

36:58 ↗ again for different rfps different

37:00 ↗ requirements on what we can and cannot

37:02 ↗ do legally

37:04 ↗ um right it is a conversation that uh we

37:08 ↗ are

37:09 ↗ actively talking about with

37:12 ↗ um with uh folks internally about

37:16 ↗ um really what what we can do preference

37:18 ↗ wise and what we can do in terms of

37:20 ↗ really trying to encourage uh uh City

37:23 ↗ staff to make some of these decisions

37:27 ↗ I

37:28 ↗ I haven't noted down as something that

37:30 ↗ we can uh something that I can kind of

37:32 ↗ try and push forward and I think it's a

37:35 ↗ really good tea up too to what we're

37:37 ↗ going to talk about kind of work plan

37:38 ↗ and update on internal stuff I think

37:40 ↗ that we can address too

37:44 ↗ any last comments thank you thank you

37:48 ↗ all so much for having me this is fun

37:49 ↗ thank you for being here I can vouch for

37:54 ↗ the sustainability team I put on all

37:57 ↗ City Event in March and afterwards I I

38:00 ↗ got the hey Stephanie someone is

38:03 ↗ purchasing that we did for that can we

38:05 ↗ connect on you know uh some of these you

38:08 ↗ know things that are more sustainable

38:10 ↗ and absolutely so they do a really

38:13 ↗ fabulous job

38:14 ↗ um just watching from all lenses so yeah

38:18 ↗ the city is doing amazing job okay was

38:21 ↗ that the March event and I was like

38:23 ↗ prepared I'm very impressed and happy to

38:26 ↗ be proud of people

38:30 ↗ that's great more

38:32 ↗ trying to push things forward as much as

38:34 ↗ we can so and we we can only do so much

38:37 ↗ with the support

38:39 ↗ s and commissions and residents so

38:42 ↗ I really appreciate it

38:45 ↗ um of course thank you all for having me

38:49 ↗ thank you again and go enjoy that song

38:51 ↗ actually

38:57 ↗ thank you quick check with folks online

38:59 ↗ can you see us and uh here as well I

39:02 ↗ know Christina was on there for a moment

39:04 ↗ and then we lost her I'm wondering if

39:06 ↗ she's okay and Helen and Tony

39:09 ↗ oh yeah photography YouTube

39:12 ↗ yeah I'm good on my end yeah

39:19 ↗ oh yeah

39:21 ↗ I turned my camera off because I was

39:23 ↗ drinking my smoothie

39:24 ↗ [Laughter]

39:32 ↗ in contact with Christina

39:36 ↗ yes you are

39:38 ↗ oh she's over the phone

39:42 ↗ okay she's interpreting

39:44 ↗ okay

39:46 ↗ okay the interpreters are interpreting

39:48 ↗ for Christina I think that's what I am

39:51 ↗ interpreting from um

39:55 ↗ corrected I'm not sure but yes okay

40:00 ↗ so Lorna you can continue doing tonight

40:05 ↗ yeah you're fine Edgar I'm sure you did

40:07 ↗ great so yeah thank you well that was a

40:11 ↗ great presentation from David and now we

40:14 ↗ shall move on to a presentation by

40:17 ↗ Stephanie Johnson from the human

40:19 ↗ resource the Human Resources Director

40:21 ↗ regarding the equity framework and

40:23 ↗ presentation

40:24 ↗ another some other Equity updates thank

40:27 ↗ you Stephanie thank you Lorna it's good

40:30 ↗ to see you all I haven't seen you in a

40:33 ↗ while so thank you for having me

40:36 ↗ um I would not say I have a presentation

40:38 ↗ per se but I want to have a conversation

40:41 ↗ I want to give you an update on where

40:43 ↗ we're at and then I hope you'll give us

40:45 ↗ some input as we advance forward so

40:49 ↗ um as you know uh we have worked

40:53 ↗ together a tiny bit at one point in uh

40:57 ↗ bringing some training to this team on

40:59 ↗ an equity framework and then you took

41:02 ↗ that framework and

41:06 ↗ to counsel uh preci and I did that it

41:10 ↗ was actually June of last year

41:13 ↗ um and then Council had said okay well

41:17 ↗ um go pilot it and and bring us uh

41:20 ↗ feedback back

41:23 ↗ um uh one of the things I I want to

41:25 ↗ candidly share is uh the Staffing

41:28 ↗ constraints of 2022 I think all of us

41:31 ↗ could probably turn on the news and see

41:34 ↗ uh it was the the year of the great

41:37 ↗ resignation and I heard someone saying

41:40 ↗ the great job swap as well and so

41:43 ↗ um one of the things I want to tell you

41:45 ↗ over the last year is uh resource

41:48 ↗ allocation in the city we've been

41:50 ↗ working very hard to staff uh positions

41:53 ↗ all throughout the city

41:55 ↗ um since January of last year we have

41:58 ↗ made 138 hires or promotions

42:02 ↗ um we are an FTE count of 275 so that is

42:06 ↗ half our Workforce so that that

42:09 ↗ presented a bit of a challenge for us

42:13 ↗ um in terms of training and advancing

42:16 ↗ the equity framework when we were

42:19 ↗ working so very hard to fill many

42:22 ↗ vacancies in the city

42:25 ↗ um and just get the Staffing up to speed

42:27 ↗ um I will tell you uh as of today we're

42:30 ↗ looking uh really good in terms of

42:33 ↗ city-wide Staffing we have roughly 20

42:36 ↗ positions left open

42:38 ↗ um at a time where that was 50 plus you

42:41 ↗ know that was a little shaky but

42:44 ↗ um one of the things that we've really

42:47 ↗ uh you know struggled with a little bit

42:50 ↗ is resource allocation wanting to

42:54 ↗ advance so much around Equity but then

42:56 ↗ even just having the internal resources

42:58 ↗ to be able to do that

43:00 ↗ um I have been having a lot of

43:02 ↗ conversation with City administrator Bob

43:04 ↗ kowitz about how to ensure that we do

43:08 ↗ have resources uh to advance this work

43:11 ↗ and so

43:13 ↗ um you know you you look to other

43:14 ↗ communities and some have hired a chief

43:18 ↗ Equity officer

43:20 ↗ um the city administrator and I've been

43:23 ↗ talking a lot about while we need

43:26 ↗ resource for somebody to really

43:28 ↗ facilitate and carry this work on we

43:31 ↗ didn't want it to be a one-person

43:32 ↗ responsibility we really wanted it to be

43:36 ↗ the responsibility of everyone in the

43:39 ↗ city although we do need somebody to

43:41 ↗ pick up the pieces and and carry it

43:43 ↗ forward

43:45 ↗ um so having said that

43:48 ↗ um I was authorized uh FTE overhire in

43:52 ↗ HR

43:53 ↗ um I even since January 1

43:58 ↗ um I have three new staff members in HR

44:01 ↗ um one started Monday actually so I have

44:04 ↗ a really fresh third day uh person but

44:09 ↗ uh that is meant to uh give a space that

44:15 ↗ I personally will be taking a greater

44:19 ↗ role in advancing equity in the city

44:21 ↗ um and so I uh as of the last couple of

44:24 ↗ weeks have been assigning I have a a

44:28 ↗ really great labor relations manager in

44:31 ↗ the in the HR department and to help her

44:34 ↗ own growth and development I have been

44:36 ↗ working to train the new staff and hand

44:38 ↗ off some of that day-to-day HR

44:41 ↗ operations so that I can go out in the

44:44 ↗ city in advance equity in a greater way

44:47 ↗ so I wanted to give you a staffing

44:50 ↗ update because it really speaks to kind

44:52 ↗ of the overall picture where

44:55 ↗ um I really would have hoped uh you know

44:57 ↗ I have this list of all the all the

45:00 ↗ accomplishments that we've made

45:01 ↗ internally and I do have a few I do not

45:04 ↗ want you to think that things have been

45:06 ↗ sitting idle but I do think that our

45:08 ↗ staffing picture plays a certainly a

45:11 ↗ role in our ability to carry out you

45:13 ↗ know much of what we've wanted to do

45:17 ↗ I will also tell you that I gave uh in a

45:21 ↗ staff report a very similar update to

45:24 ↗ the city council on March 20th to talk

45:27 ↗ about the Staffing constraints to uh you

45:31 ↗ know make the council aware that we have

45:34 ↗ over hired in HR to create a space to

45:37 ↗ advance this Q2 and forward so if you

45:40 ↗ are interested you know we can link that

45:43 ↗ I don't um depends on if you're very

45:45 ↗ connected to the council calendar or not

45:48 ↗ we will make sure you have that resource

45:50 ↗ very similar update and commitment to

45:53 ↗ the council that we're advancing this

45:55 ↗ work

45:56 ↗ um but in that report one of the things

45:59 ↗ I do want to share is that even though

46:02 ↗ we maybe have not been able to advance

46:05 ↗ all that we have wanted to the level

46:08 ↗ that we have

46:09 ↗ um I am very happy to report that we

46:11 ↗ just pulled our our metrics from that

46:14 ↗ recruitment efforts and over the last

46:17 ↗ year the efforts that we have made in

46:20 ↗ advancing our diversity in hiring our

46:24 ↗ racial uh our racial diversity has

46:27 ↗ increased by six percent this last year

46:29 ↗ and so you know that is really a a a

46:33 ↗ great thing that I get to report while

46:35 ↗ we maybe didn't get you know some of the

46:37 ↗ framework Advanced as much as we have

46:40 ↗ wanted the staff that we are putting in

46:42 ↗ place to help us do that going forward

46:44 ↗ is certainly creating a dynamic for us

46:47 ↗ to do that

46:49 ↗ um one of the things over the last year

46:51 ↗ also

46:52 ↗ um with all that new hiring

46:55 ↗ um we have now embedded over the last

46:57 ↗ year that as a part of the onboarding

46:59 ↗ process for new hires

47:02 ↗ um that they receive four Dei trainings

47:05 ↗ that they are required to complete in

47:08 ↗ their first 90 days you may be all

47:11 ↗ remember that

47:13 ↗ um we talked about this it's been a year

47:15 ↗ ago I think I even gave you the

47:19 ↗ opportunity to try the trainings

47:22 ↗ um so the four are you know preventing

47:24 ↗ discrimination and harassment there's an

47:27 ↗ extended 15-minute piece for

47:29 ↗ responsibility of Supervisors covering

47:32 ↗ unconscious bias workplace diversity

47:35 ↗ inclusion and racial sensitivity and

47:37 ↗ microaggressions in the workplace

47:40 ↗ um so all the hiring that we have done

47:44 ↗ um all those new hires have received at

47:47 ↗ least that Baseline training so that we

47:50 ↗ are you know it's using some same

47:53 ↗ language and understanding the city's

47:56 ↗ commitment to uh Dei work

47:59 ↗ we also do qual 101 we call it you know

48:03 ↗ when you come on board and you're new

48:05 ↗ hire it's all about getting you on

48:07 ↗ payroll and you selecting your benefits

48:10 ↗ and then you do these trainings well

48:12 ↗ sometime in the next quarter after

48:14 ↗ you're hired uh you know we invite you

48:17 ↗ to what we call qua 101

48:19 ↗ and in there you know talk about all of

48:22 ↗ our committees and the ways that you can

48:24 ↗ get involved and you know we're

48:26 ↗ certainly pitching being a part of the

48:28 ↗ equity Committee in a greater way to all

48:31 ↗ of our new hires as well David is a

48:34 ↗ perfect example of that he mentioned in

48:36 ↗ his presentation that he was hired in

48:39 ↗ January you know he raised his hand in

48:42 ↗ the last uh couple of weeks actually and

48:45 ↗ said I'd love to come join and uh we

48:49 ↗ started talking about both of us being

48:50 ↗ here today and you know he's a really

48:52 ↗ good example of of making that

48:55 ↗ communication flow to our new hires to

48:57 ↗ understand how we want to um how we want

49:00 ↗ to advance this work

49:03 ↗ um the other thing that you know you all

49:05 ↗ certainly

49:06 ↗ um had a huge piece in is the uh you

49:10 ↗ know the city council's adoption of the

49:11 ↗ cultural and religious calendar so you

49:14 ↗ know we've been using that internally

49:17 ↗ um my department is responsible for all

49:19 ↗ city-wide Communications and so we are

49:22 ↗ trying to you know uh educate on the

49:26 ↗ cultural and religious calendar

49:29 ↗ um this last month

49:30 ↗ um or April the month I guess we're

49:32 ↗ still in uh you know we did additional

49:35 ↗ communication on Passover and Ramadan

49:38 ↗ internally so that our you know our

49:40 ↗ staff are just getting used to learning

49:42 ↗ more about what uh what you all are

49:45 ↗ doing you know as well and and what

49:48 ↗ we're celebrating in the community

49:52 ↗ some work to do to advance the equity

49:54 ↗ framework

49:56 ↗ um and gonna pick that up in a really

49:58 ↗ great way

49:59 ↗ um it does not mean everything is sad

50:01 ↗ but the Staffing changes and pieces have

50:05 ↗ certainly been a piece of of a

50:07 ↗ restriction from being able to do that

50:08 ↗ in a meaningful way

50:11 ↗ um so uh going forward I you know I'm

50:15 ↗ talking a little bit about a look back

50:17 ↗ but I'd rather talk about what we're

50:19 ↗ gonna do going forward

50:21 ↗ um so the internal Equity committee uh

50:24 ↗ met in January and then took a little

50:26 ↗ bit of a Hiatus

50:28 ↗ um in February March just because of

50:31 ↗ Staffing constraints and q1 and getting

50:33 ↗ people up to speed we just met uh last

50:37 ↗ week and we are scheduling a retreat um

50:40 ↗ we did a doodle poll and that Retreat is

50:43 ↗ uh scheduled for May 26th so we are

50:47 ↗ gonna go to my off site and spend a half

50:51 ↗ day and really dive into our work plan

50:54 ↗ in a greater way

50:57 ↗ um and and determine uh you know how

51:00 ↗ we're going to advance the equity

51:01 ↗ framework but the other items that we

51:04 ↗ need to achieve as well

51:06 ↗ um at last week's meeting

51:09 ↗ um I surfaced and shared uh your work

51:12 ↗ plan the equity boards work plan

51:15 ↗ um there were two particular things that

51:18 ↗ you identified

51:20 ↗ um that you might like to work with

51:22 ↗ either I mean I know police is involved

51:25 ↗ with at least one of them

51:27 ↗ um but how how how we fit together and

51:31 ↗ how that parallels or comports is

51:33 ↗ certainly something

51:35 ↗ um that I don't want to lose sight of is

51:37 ↗ we build our work plan internally and

51:39 ↗ you have your work plan

51:41 ↗ um so that we're on the same Mission so

51:43 ↗ um you're to exploring bias and

51:45 ↗ privilege through data in City

51:46 ↗ departments and Reporting biases I

51:50 ↗ certainly am not losing sight of that

51:52 ↗ when we do talk about work plan on the

51:56 ↗ internal Equity side so that we can you

51:58 ↗ know make sure that make sure we're all

52:01 ↗ Road in the same direction and if if the

52:04 ↗ left or right hand is expect I think the

52:06 ↗ other one that we're able to be there uh

52:09 ↗ you know for each other so

52:11 ↗ um so that's coming up in in May

52:15 ↗ um I will tell you

52:17 ↗ um as much as I want to use the equity

52:19 ↗ committee to help with the equity uh

52:22 ↗ framework training I'm already I'm

52:25 ↗ already starting to do my own

52:27 ↗ formulation of being able to advance

52:28 ↗ that in a greater way

52:31 ↗ um one of the things that

52:33 ↗ um I want you to know is that SLT uh the

52:38 ↗ senior leadership team is made up of all

52:40 ↗ the directors and a few other division

52:42 ↗ managers in the city and we meet every

52:45 ↗ Tuesday

52:46 ↗ at 10 A.M and City administrator Bob

52:50 ↗ kowitz you know has been continuously

52:53 ↗ saying to the team we the senior

52:56 ↗ leadership team need to ensure that we

52:59 ↗ are uh you know

53:02 ↗ we're the change Champions and so we

53:04 ↗ need to be working through piloting this

53:07 ↗ framework so that we can then expect it

53:09 ↗ within our departments so we selected

53:12 ↗ the senior leadership team selected two

53:14 ↗ projects uh to to put the uh Equity

53:19 ↗ framework to use on one is a dog park

53:23 ↗ project which is located just Ironically

53:27 ↗ in this like we're in this room

53:29 ↗ um I I'm internal services so don't ask

53:32 ↗ me what that address is but um yeah

53:36 ↗ um the dog park project and then the

53:39 ↗ inter the economic development plan

53:44 ↗ um at Jen Davis Hayes so we've asked Jen

53:48 ↗ Davis days and Jeff Watling to each you

53:52 ↗ know they have all the knowledge about

53:53 ↗ those projects right and so we've asked

53:56 ↗ them to come to SLT explain you know in

54:00 ↗ in great detail what the projects are to

54:03 ↗ SLT and then uh pilot the framework and

54:06 ↗ then come to SLT and talk to us about

54:10 ↗ um you know Lessons Learned with this

54:12 ↗ until you write off the get-go I will be

54:15 ↗ very transparent the number one uh

54:19 ↗ feedback item that I've received is the

54:22 ↗ amount of the questions 13 of them and

54:26 ↗ not just that that and I don't have it

54:29 ↗ pulled up here but things like what does

54:32 ↗ this mean or do we even have data for me

54:36 ↗ to answer this question right this

54:38 ↗ framework puts you in a mindset and I

54:41 ↗ think it's achieving those things but

54:44 ↗ I'm really rethinking a little bit and

54:47 ↗ will want to work with you all about

54:50 ↗ dwindling that down a bit from 13 and

54:54 ↗ starting a little smaller you know just

54:57 ↗ so that we get used to using something

55:00 ↗ in the city

55:02 ↗ um I also am not remiss in that we have

55:06 ↗ staff attend

55:08 ↗ or do these triliant trainings and then

55:11 ↗ we have them attend deconstructing our

55:13 ↗ bias conversations

55:16 ↗ um that we use Chan and Kelly Ray for

55:18 ↗ and then we've had no after conversation

55:22 ↗ about it and I feel like that after

55:24 ↗ conversation is really really really

55:26 ↗ important and so

55:29 ↗ um my uh my approach to this is is

55:34 ↗ thinking about those things also the

55:37 ↗ fact that I'm not convinced that

55:40 ↗ internally all the staff even know the

55:43 ↗ demographic makeup of the city to even

55:46 ↗ maybe even understand what

55:49 ↗ maybe even education on a marginalized

55:52 ↗ group I know you had that feedback you

55:54 ↗ know at the the council meeting to say

55:56 ↗ hey when we're doing this Equity

55:58 ↗ training we also need to talk about who

56:01 ↗ what is the marginalized group you know

56:03 ↗ so so I

56:05 ↗ I my approach to structuring the next

56:09 ↗ training is going to be small group

56:11 ↗ conversations we can resurface what

56:16 ↗ individuals have learned some some went

56:18 ↗ through those trainings in the beginning

56:20 ↗ of 2021 right others have it fresh

56:25 ↗ um but that we uh we do some small group

56:28 ↗ conversations we talk about what we

56:30 ↗ learned

56:32 ↗ um we talk about the demographic of

56:34 ↗ Issaquah and we start to Pilot a

56:37 ↗ framework maybe using just three five

56:40 ↗ questions

56:42 ↗ um

56:43 ↗ I will say if you all remember when we

56:47 ↗ came out to you to say hey we want to

56:49 ↗ advance an equity framework some of you

56:51 ↗ had used a framework often and a lot and

56:55 ↗ others haven't you of you hadn't and we

56:57 ↗ said let's start with training right so

57:00 ↗ I think you know council did that you

57:03 ↗ all had the opportunity to do that we

57:05 ↗ need to have those small spaces

57:07 ↗ internally to be able to do that because

57:09 ↗ if we just say here's a framework and

57:11 ↗ want everybody to use it I I'm just not

57:14 ↗ convinced we're gonna maybe hit the mark

57:16 ↗ in the way that we want to be very

57:18 ↗ effectively

57:23 ↗ um who has been doing follow-up work

57:25 ↗ because that framework was quite robust

57:28 ↗ and it did need ongoing reminders

57:32 ↗ um

57:33 ↗ points on how to use it so who's been

57:35 ↗ working with you on that kind of

57:37 ↗ training that we do not have an external

57:40 ↗ Equity consultant right now and that's

57:43 ↗ going to be the that approach that I'm

57:45 ↗ talking about about

57:47 ↗ um HR actually uh you know pivoting a

57:51 ↗ little bit to reporting somebody else so

57:53 ↗ that I can dedicate time and work with a

57:55 ↗ consultant if you need it

57:58 ↗ but no but nobody nobody has been taking

58:01 ↗ that framework and doing that follow-up

58:03 ↗ to the degree we we need it to and we

58:06 ↗ want it to

58:07 ↗ and what is your plan I mean I hear that

58:10 ↗ you're saying you're a little pivot but

58:12 ↗ what does that mean are you looking at

58:13 ↗ hiring a new consultant what's your free

58:16 ↗ time frame yeah so I'm going to start I

58:20 ↗ personally am going to start with these

58:22 ↗ small group training sessions internally

58:24 ↗ in the city and we are going to Pilot

58:27 ↗ something very simple like maybe a HR

58:30 ↗ example and then work with a uh I'm

58:33 ↗ gonna work with Department directors to

58:35 ↗ identify a subject that is relevant for

58:39 ↗ that department or work team so I

58:41 ↗ personally am going to be doing that and

58:44 ↗ then if we need to build upon that then

58:47 ↗ we would bring in we would bring in help

58:49 ↗ we've got to start with even just some

58:52 ↗ some conversation in the organization

58:57 ↗ so like what would be an example of a

59:01 ↗ workplace

59:02 ↗ scenario that someone would bring in

59:04 ↗ yeah

59:07 ↗ Amazon Department right and so you know

59:10 ↗ certainly I you know not because I am HR

59:13 ↗ but I think we can all relate to HR

59:16 ↗ related things right you know a hiring

59:18 ↗ practice or something of that nature I

59:21 ↗ think that could be a very Universal

59:23 ↗ example across the city especially

59:25 ↗ because everybody in the city has been

59:27 ↗ recruiting to the level that they have

59:29 ↗ right but then Department specific may

59:33 ↗ be

59:35 ↗ um you all did an Arts I think a public

59:38 ↗ art example right there could be

59:43 ↗ um I was talking with

59:45 ↗ um you know Public Works uh they have a

59:48 ↗ couple of policies

59:50 ↗ um that you know potentially

59:53 ↗ certainly around Transportation I wanna

59:56 ↗ you know there's so much that could be

59:59 ↗ um done we've got to start small right

1:00:03 ↗ and so I don't want to necessarily bite

1:00:06 ↗ off you know some big CIP Project

1:00:09 ↗ without us taking us a low hanging fruit

1:00:12 ↗ item for us to even try the framework

1:00:15 ↗ out so

1:00:17 ↗ um

1:00:18 ↗ it could be

1:00:20 ↗ um you know David here talked about

1:00:23 ↗ um you know purchasing and so we could

1:00:25 ↗ certainly take an approach with you know

1:00:27 ↗ a purchasing item CIP you are gonna all

1:00:32 ↗ hear uh CIP uh presentation next week

1:00:36 ↗ and so I met with Robert to say you know

1:00:39 ↗ how do we how do we use this framework

1:00:41 ↗ within this with cips oh Capital

1:00:43 ↗ Improvement plan

1:00:46 ↗ have a different

1:00:48 ↗ packages

1:00:52 ↗ um oh there are questions online

1:00:57 ↗ sorry I I was I'm not sorry

1:01:00 ↗ that's okay no um a couple of questions

1:01:04 ↗ and thank you um first of all let me say

1:01:06 ↗ thank you very much for sharing with us

1:01:07 ↗ those data points uh facts that that's

1:01:09 ↗ really really great to hear

1:01:12 ↗ um but my question is is in relation to

1:01:15 ↗ I guess the psychology because I kind of

1:01:17 ↗ work in organizational change work

1:01:19 ↗ um part of like what I do is change

1:01:21 ↗ management but with that would you say

1:01:24 ↗ that the framework in it sounds like

1:01:27 ↗ that there's pushback

1:01:30 ↗ would you did you see that push back as

1:01:32 ↗ being

1:01:34 ↗ that the framework is too much

1:01:37 ↗ or is it that it's worthless

1:01:42 ↗ no I definitely don't think people think

1:01:45 ↗ it's worthless

1:01:47 ↗ um I think that our organization isn't

1:01:50 ↗ used to really certain pockets of the

1:01:53 ↗ organization isn't used to using

1:01:55 ↗ anything so how how do we approach this

1:01:58 ↗ I think it's the approach and the

1:02:01 ↗ dedicated space to be able uh to have

1:02:05 ↗ training time and and requirement and

1:02:07 ↗ expectation that we do this right

1:02:09 ↗ there's definitely commitment

1:02:12 ↗ um at the administration level that it

1:02:14 ↗ it is required work and this might be

1:02:17 ↗ difficult conversations and I'll I'll be

1:02:19 ↗ honest with you there's probably pockets

1:02:21 ↗ of the organization that say we don't

1:02:23 ↗ have an issue here in Issaquah why are

1:02:26 ↗ we advancing some of this work it's not

1:02:29 ↗ about problem per se it's about

1:02:32 ↗ knowledge that we need to even give to

1:02:36 ↗ to the internal staff at some level so

1:02:40 ↗ it's been it's been time it's been and

1:02:43 ↗ uh it's certainly been the time with the

1:02:45 ↗ new Staffing to be able to get out there

1:02:47 ↗ and do it in a meaningful way

1:02:50 ↗ um you know to answer your question

1:02:52 ↗ Kelly too about projects I you know

1:02:55 ↗ people are still needing to formulate

1:02:57 ↗ what what is something I would use this

1:02:59 ↗ on isn't anything is it everything what

1:03:01 ↗ are you looking for what are those

1:03:04 ↗ low-hanging fruit things and so

1:03:07 ↗ um certainly any policy we develop in

1:03:09 ↗ the city you know different departments

1:03:11 ↗ do are doing different policies

1:03:14 ↗ um Council too I think is asking staff

1:03:17 ↗ more questions have has this been

1:03:19 ↗ through an equity framework

1:03:23 ↗ um well one thing I want to say too I

1:03:25 ↗ said to Monica today earlier as everyone

1:03:29 ↗ was gathering I said you know what's

1:03:31 ↗ kind of interesting to me as we approach

1:03:33 ↗ this work

1:03:35 ↗ um I really am feeling like as you all

1:03:38 ↗ are growing as a board

1:03:41 ↗ um our staff some of our staff are

1:03:44 ↗ actually using you like a framework

1:03:47 ↗ right you you are actually kind of a a

1:03:49 ↗ pseudo framework in some way coming out

1:03:52 ↗ to ask you questions and I gotta we

1:03:55 ↗ gotta figure out how how that fits into

1:03:57 ↗ this too right what do we need to do

1:03:59 ↗ internally before we bring something to

1:04:01 ↗ the equity board what should we have

1:04:04 ↗ baked what do you all want to see and

1:04:07 ↗ you know I want to I want to tell you

1:04:08 ↗ kind of our approach but I want to Pivot

1:04:10 ↗ this too to what would success look like

1:04:14 ↗ for you me sitting here you know in a

1:04:18 ↗ month in three months in six months in a

1:04:20 ↗ year that we've advanced internally

1:04:24 ↗ um and I I want to make sure that that

1:04:27 ↗ is well represented with what we are

1:04:30 ↗ doing internally

1:04:33 ↗ I think I'm gonna sit stuck on the

1:04:35 ↗ framework because I think when we did

1:04:38 ↗ the framework it was a little bit easier

1:04:40 ↗ for us because there were things that we

1:04:42 ↗ automatically already address and

1:04:46 ↗ consider so I don't know

1:04:48 ↗ if it was really seen as 13 questions

1:04:51 ↗ and so much to think about because it

1:04:54 ↗ was I think designed to make sure that

1:04:57 ↗ assumptions and biases because the whole

1:05:00 ↗ point is to

1:05:01 ↗ start dismantling institutional racism

1:05:04 ↗ right and so you're talking about the

1:05:06 ↗ fact that some people didn't even think

1:05:08 ↗ that there was a problem when this is

1:05:09 ↗ needed and so I think we were trying to

1:05:11 ↗ be very deliberate in making sure that

1:05:14 ↗ all of many different questions were

1:05:17 ↗ being asked and people are really having

1:05:18 ↗ a robust

1:05:20 ↗ um thinking like really pushing them to

1:05:23 ↗ think beyond their their normal thoughts

1:05:25 ↗ their perceptions as to what this

1:05:28 ↗ project what this plan what this

1:05:30 ↗ investment could do for the public so I

1:05:34 ↗ think for me in six to 12 months what

1:05:37 ↗ I'd like to see is I don't think it's

1:05:39 ↗ actually going to happen in six months

1:05:41 ↗ or even 12 months to be honest but I'd

1:05:44 ↗ like to see that there's less pushback

1:05:46 ↗ that people are automatically

1:05:48 ↗ internalizing some of those questions

1:05:50 ↗ like we kind of did when we did our

1:05:53 ↗ training because when we did that

1:05:54 ↗ training I don't know of anyone in this

1:05:57 ↗ group really thought oh my goodness this

1:05:59 ↗ is so robust like a lot of questions

1:06:02 ↗ were already done in a conversation and

1:06:05 ↗ discussion so I would love to go back to

1:06:09 ↗ that because I feel like they're coming

1:06:11 ↗ in and it's very check boxing which

1:06:13 ↗ again goes back against the whole

1:06:15 ↗ concept of equity right because now

1:06:17 ↗ you're going to check equity checkfully

1:06:19 ↗ and so I think there it's it's

1:06:23 ↗ concerning me I think because it feels

1:06:26 ↗ like no but I think

1:06:28 ↗ this is check with you because you're

1:06:31 ↗ talking about like oh there's you know

1:06:33 ↗ it feels like there's some people

1:06:35 ↗ concerned about having to really go

1:06:37 ↗ through the 13 questions when really

1:06:39 ↗ we're asking them to really internalize

1:06:42 ↗ those 13 questions and consider that not

1:06:45 ↗ as a check check rather than hear all

1:06:48 ↗ the things we should have concerned

1:06:49 ↗ maybe this is not a factor but we want

1:06:52 ↗ to really give it some thought and so I

1:06:55 ↗ really want to make sure people are

1:06:56 ↗ slowing down rather than saying let's

1:06:59 ↗ you know throw out some question like

1:07:03 ↗ stay in that yeah and really give it a

1:07:06 ↗ give it some time

1:07:08 ↗ to make sure it works because that's the

1:07:11 ↗ whole point because otherwise we're not

1:07:14 ↗ really doing it with

1:07:16 ↗ um fidelity

1:07:17 ↗ and really it loses the value if we're

1:07:21 ↗ going to say well this question is silly

1:07:23 ↗ like who makes those decisions I

1:07:25 ↗ honestly don't remember his thinking

1:07:28 ↗ that any other questions were not

1:07:31 ↗ valuable but I also remember as

1:07:34 ↗ feeling like these are automatic

1:07:36 ↗ questions a group of very diverse

1:07:39 ↗ individuals would have concerned anyway

1:07:41 ↗ yeah

1:07:45 ↗ yeah I did

1:07:47 ↗ so if I could I think you know I've

1:07:50 ↗ heard like Tony and learn to speak and

1:07:53 ↗ so I think that there's this

1:07:55 ↗ I think there's this over attention on

1:08:00 ↗ the equity framework itself because it

1:08:02 ↗ is a tool and

1:08:05 ↗ I think as Lorna said the tool is not

1:08:07 ↗ hard to apply if you understand the

1:08:09 ↗ foundational Concepts underneath it and

1:08:13 ↗ that's where I think it sits within this

1:08:16 ↗ larger organizational transformation

1:08:18 ↗ that has to happen in terms of

1:08:22 ↗ um so when I think about Equity so I I

1:08:26 ↗ think about a deep Equity framework and

1:08:28 ↗ it's you could Google it but it starts

1:08:30 ↗ with like internal learning people have

1:08:32 ↗ to truly understand uh what racism is

1:08:36 ↗ how it flows and impacts everybody's

1:08:39 ↗ lives they have to also understand how

1:08:42 ↗ interpersonally they show up what power

1:08:45 ↗ and privilege they have

1:08:47 ↗ um and how they interact with colleagues

1:08:49 ↗ then there's this organizational layer

1:08:51 ↗ around policy and practice and

1:08:53 ↗ implementation and then systems and how

1:08:57 ↗ how our work impacts others and so the

1:09:02 ↗ the tool the equity tool is really kind

1:09:04 ↗ of situated in that organizational and

1:09:06 ↗ systemic layer of work

1:09:09 ↗ um but it's hard to apply it if you

1:09:11 ↗ don't have a good foundational

1:09:13 ↗ understanding about what Equity is

1:09:15 ↗ racism

1:09:18 ↗ um and and so I think some of that

1:09:21 ↗ understanding that call to action is

1:09:24 ↗ almost like a requirement that

1:09:25 ↗ leadership needs to have needs to set

1:09:28 ↗ the tone like you said SLT so leadership

1:09:31 ↗ really has to come out with a clear

1:09:33 ↗ stance on what Equity is about the

1:09:35 ↗ intend racism and then

1:09:38 ↗ put some understanding come foundational

1:09:41 ↗ understanding in place for how people

1:09:43 ↗ show up in the culture as well as in the

1:09:45 ↗ work so I think that may be that jumping

1:09:49 ↗ to the framework might be a little hard

1:09:50 ↗ but I think there's also impatience

1:09:52 ↗ because we know racism impacts people on

1:09:55 ↗ their daily lives so

1:09:57 ↗ that's another tension to hold and

1:09:59 ↗ balance but I think

1:10:01 ↗ um

1:10:02 ↗ this is a tool so I I think that without

1:10:05 ↗ it's hard to apply the tool

1:10:08 ↗ um easily like Laura said I think if

1:10:10 ↗ folks understand what the true work is

1:10:12 ↗ it's easier to apply the tool so this

1:10:15 ↗ could be a sticking point in terms of

1:10:17 ↗ the Readiness to adopt the tool yeah

1:10:21 ↗ I thank you both and I well let me let's

1:10:25 ↗ hear something

1:10:27 ↗ oh okay

1:10:29 ↗ um yeah because

1:10:31 ↗ um there are a lot of points that you

1:10:32 ↗ brought up with regards to the board

1:10:33 ↗ that I thought were important because

1:10:36 ↗ um we're looking at

1:10:38 ↗ um I I wanted to know if there were some

1:10:40 ↗ specific questions that kind of stuck

1:10:41 ↗ out that people automatically brought up

1:10:44 ↗ that worked hard

1:10:46 ↗ um and I'm not sure if you can answer on

1:10:47 ↗ this platform or not but

1:10:49 ↗ um if if we could maybe look at what

1:10:52 ↗ people are considering too hard to

1:10:53 ↗ answer because they don't add the data

1:10:55 ↗ to answer it maybe we can help them

1:10:57 ↗ figure out how to look at that

1:10:58 ↗ information yeah um because to Lauren's

1:11:01 ↗ point we did put this together in a very

1:11:04 ↗ concise way that wasn't designed to have

1:11:07 ↗ a box checked

1:11:09 ↗ um on the other side of that coin

1:11:12 ↗ um I wanted to also consider maybe

1:11:14 ↗ there's a possibility we could look at

1:11:16 ↗ specific questions for specific groups

1:11:19 ↗ um not every single question that might

1:11:22 ↗ may not apply to every single group and

1:11:24 ↗ that's not to say that there are some

1:11:26 ↗ that are important and some that aren't

1:11:28 ↗ but

1:11:29 ↗ um if people are worried about the sheer

1:11:31 ↗ number and how they apply all those

1:11:34 ↗ questions it's possible that some of

1:11:37 ↗ those questions don't necessarily need

1:11:39 ↗ to be applied to them and

1:11:42 ↗ it's always hard to say which ones I've

1:11:45 ↗ worked and which ones are but that's

1:11:47 ↗ something that we could possibly look at

1:11:49 ↗ in order to kind of meet

1:11:52 ↗ um some of that Readiness that people

1:11:54 ↗ are struggling with

1:11:55 ↗ um and then lastly

1:11:57 ↗ um when an organization has decided that

1:12:00 ↗ they have reviewed all these questions I

1:12:03 ↗ think that's the time when we should

1:12:05 ↗ have them come in front of the board and

1:12:08 ↗ have them kind of Express what they've

1:12:10 ↗ understood from the framework and if we

1:12:13 ↗ can see that they haven't quite

1:12:15 ↗ understood it then maybe that's a point

1:12:17 ↗ where we can be of more use

1:12:21 ↗ um and and I'm not saying that they

1:12:23 ↗ should be checking boxes but I

1:12:25 ↗ definitely think that there are

1:12:28 ↗ questions that people will say oh well

1:12:30 ↗ that doesn't apply to us so we're not

1:12:31 ↗ going to worry about that in which case

1:12:33 ↗ we may be the eyes that point that out

1:12:37 ↗ um so in in a lot of senses that may

1:12:41 ↗ also help them internalize some of those

1:12:43 ↗ questions and if they've discovered that

1:12:45 ↗ they haven't then we can say okay this

1:12:48 ↗ is why this question is important to you

1:12:50 ↗ and maybe you should consider these

1:12:53 ↗ factors

1:12:54 ↗ um because as Lauren said a lot of us

1:12:57 ↗ are already involved in this work even

1:12:58 ↗ in our businesses so it may be a good

1:13:01 ↗ idea for them to review the framework

1:13:04 ↗ semi answer the questions and they gave

1:13:06 ↗ us an opportunity to review how they

1:13:08 ↗ chosen to answer them

1:13:11 ↗ okay okay

1:13:14 ↗ I think we had to have

1:13:16 ↗ to happen

1:13:20 ↗ Helen if you want to go first I know you

1:13:21 ↗ got it I think you're right your hand up

1:13:23 ↗ so if you want to go first I'll ask mine

1:13:24 ↗ after you

1:13:28 ↗ um she sort of pointed to my question

1:13:31 ↗ which was really if the questions the 13

1:13:34 ↗ and bring them down to a certain number

1:13:36 ↗ I think again back to previous point

1:13:39 ↗ it's it's an internal one and if there

1:13:42 ↗ is if if there is even a thought of

1:13:44 ↗ cutting back the number of questions

1:13:47 ↗ then

1:13:49 ↗ it's it's

1:13:51 ↗ attempting a

1:13:52 ↗ to Think Through It should not take a

1:13:55 ↗ long time I guess it's the apprehension

1:13:57 ↗ is maybe difficult it's one of those

1:13:59 ↗ difficult spaces which is the purpose of

1:14:02 ↗ this activity anyway to get people

1:14:04 ↗ uncomfortable to welcome

1:14:06 ↗ the thought process of change

1:14:09 ↗ and my thought also would be on the the

1:14:12 ↗ recent hiring if there's a mark on six

1:14:15 ↗ percent increase what do the rest of the

1:14:17 ↗ team think about it is that one of

1:14:19 ↗ probably something you could point to

1:14:21 ↗ them did they think through it it might

1:14:23 ↗ be visual like you can see that or

1:14:25 ↗ there's been an increase in diversity

1:14:26 ↗ and these hires but over time will there

1:14:30 ↗ be a change or an A positive impact in

1:14:33 ↗ those hires that then points the team

1:14:36 ↗ towards appreciating you use that sort

1:14:39 ↗ of like your pilot project to sell

1:14:42 ↗ Equity framework and the thought process

1:14:44 ↗ whilst it might be very obvious because

1:14:46 ↗ it's HR and it's it's it's hiring and

1:14:48 ↗ it's visible it will give a good look to

1:14:52 ↗ people outside to say oh yeah there is

1:14:54 ↗ diversity and there's a thought process

1:14:56 ↗ but there are other layers to that with

1:14:58 ↗ other parts of of of the city work that

1:15:01 ↗ might not be visual but are important in

1:15:05 ↗ Impact so then you have that as sort of

1:15:07 ↗ a baseline to get them to get

1:15:10 ↗ uncomfortable with all the 13 questions

1:15:11 ↗ regardless of how long it takes because

1:15:14 ↗ I think the point is to

1:15:16 ↗ get uncomfortable with the thoughts and

1:15:18 ↗ whatever apprehensions they might have

1:15:20 ↗ to get them to then dig in in the years

1:15:25 ↗ to come this this is not a work that's

1:15:26 ↗ going to take two days we all know that

1:15:28 ↗ so they might as well fasten their seat

1:15:31 ↗ belts all of us for that matter

1:15:33 ↗ attend to it however long it takes even

1:15:36 ↗ though we might feel the pressure to

1:15:38 ↗ have visible impacts

1:15:41 ↗ um Stephanie like you want to show that

1:15:43 ↗ there's something that we are doing

1:15:44 ↗ about it but to have a rush into it I

1:15:47 ↗ think befits the purpose

1:15:49 ↗ for the internal work

1:15:52 ↗ that thought process like let's

1:15:54 ↗ appreciate where we're at and what we

1:15:56 ↗ want the city to look like in the years

1:15:57 ↗ to come

1:16:00 ↗ yeah

1:16:02 ↗ thank you

1:16:06 ↗ Tony do you still have a comment I do

1:16:10 ↗ um so two challenging questions and if

1:16:14 ↗ you can be as transparent as possible uh

1:16:16 ↗ and I I totally understand Stephanie if

1:16:18 ↗ you can't say uh if you can't answer it

1:16:21 ↗ um because what I'm going to ask is

1:16:23 ↗ pretty challenging

1:16:24 ↗ what does the SLT actually feel about

1:16:27 ↗ the equity framework and is it possible

1:16:32 ↗ for us or a Cadre or selection of us to

1:16:36 ↗ meet with the SLT

1:16:38 ↗ um not during an equity board meeting

1:16:40 ↗ because I know this would be late for

1:16:42 ↗ the SLT but during the daytime of some

1:16:45 ↗ week three or four of us come in meet

1:16:47 ↗ with the SLT have a conversation have a

1:16:50 ↗ conversation about the equity framework

1:16:52 ↗ would also like to know what the I think

1:16:56 ↗ you mentioned the internal Equity

1:16:58 ↗ committee what do they feel about the

1:17:01 ↗ equity framework and would it be

1:17:03 ↗ possible to meet a number of them as

1:17:06 ↗ well

1:17:07 ↗ yeah

1:17:09 ↗ yeah I'm happy to answer that question

1:17:11 ↗ you know while I certainly can't speak

1:17:13 ↗ for individuals I can speak for you know

1:17:16 ↗ a reflection of what I gather from a

1:17:19 ↗ whole

1:17:21 ↗ um uh very committed very committed to

1:17:25 ↗ wanting to advance this work

1:17:28 ↗ um and on both on both sides and

1:17:32 ↗ wanting actually making a request for

1:17:36 ↗ the resource for us to be able to do it

1:17:38 ↗ because part of it has just been the

1:17:41 ↗ resource and that's kind of why I

1:17:42 ↗ started with that today right so there's

1:17:45 ↗ definitely a

1:17:47 ↗ um overarching commitment to making sure

1:17:50 ↗ that we keep talking about and moving

1:17:53 ↗ and advancing this forward at both SLT

1:17:56 ↗ and

1:17:57 ↗ um at the equity level I'd love for that

1:18:00 ↗ partnership for you guys to come to SLT

1:18:02 ↗ or the internal Equity committee

1:18:06 ↗ um both uh you know that's part of this

1:18:09 ↗ I'm going to call it kind of this reset

1:18:12 ↗ a little bit you know while we while we

1:18:15 ↗ have made some strides there's a lot

1:18:17 ↗ more to make and we're kind of at this

1:18:20 ↗ pivotal you know place to okay now let's

1:18:22 ↗ pick this up

1:18:24 ↗ um you know it's always there's always

1:18:26 ↗ going to be some hurdle right there's

1:18:29 ↗ always going to be some hurdle

1:18:31 ↗ um but we have to you know overcome some

1:18:34 ↗ of those so

1:18:35 ↗ um that yes that's absolutely something

1:18:37 ↗ that we can talk about

1:18:39 ↗ um doing in the the next days and weeks

1:18:42 ↗ ahead I want to come back to

1:18:44 ↗ um a question that Shea answered or

1:18:47 ↗ asked about you know the 13 questions

1:18:50 ↗ and I I don't have them pulled up but

1:18:52 ↗ I'll give you a sample of of of what I

1:18:55 ↗ heard

1:18:56 ↗ there's one as it relates to council the

1:18:59 ↗ city council what you know what

1:19:02 ↗ conversations or what

1:19:04 ↗ um impact uh what what community oh here

1:19:08 ↗ I think it's number um it's four it's

1:19:10 ↗ four yeah four okay four has been one

1:19:13 ↗ that um staff have said how was

1:19:16 ↗ council's past contact involvement with

1:19:18 ↗ marginalized stakeholder communities

1:19:20 ↗ influence or how might it influence my

1:19:22 ↗ decision-making process staff are going

1:19:26 ↗ how do I know what council like where

1:19:29 ↗ would I even find or who do I go ask or

1:19:33 ↗ how do I make sure that I

1:19:36 ↗ um they're they're in I would say a

1:19:38 ↗ little bit of the weeds of like

1:19:40 ↗ where do I even go to to get this you

1:19:44 ↗ know I don't know what council's past

1:19:46 ↗ involvement is or I don't I'm not even

1:19:48 ↗ sure how I influenced that and so we're

1:19:52 ↗ getting a little and this this is small

1:19:54 ↗ sampling right because I'm I I'm telling

1:19:56 ↗ you I we we need to advance this in a

1:19:59 ↗ greater way throughout the organization

1:20:01 ↗ I'm talking the the few people that have

1:20:04 ↗ piloted in some way

1:20:07 ↗ um uh

1:20:09 ↗ I mean I could I could pick out things

1:20:12 ↗ but I'd be kind of picking a couple

1:20:14 ↗ different individuals I think that I I

1:20:17 ↗ heard and I like your approach of saying

1:20:19 ↗ what if we go use it in a couple spaces

1:20:23 ↗ and staff come back here to you all and

1:20:26 ↗ say these were the challenges I had with

1:20:29 ↗ this and why do we you know how how how

1:20:32 ↗ did we not approach this or maybe are we

1:20:35 ↗ thinking too deep or maybe maybe those

1:20:37 ↗ questions aren't pertainable to you for

1:20:41 ↗ your particular scenario right and so

1:20:43 ↗ I'm hearing all this you know we we've

1:20:47 ↗ just gotta

1:20:48 ↗ um I I also can I ask a a question I

1:20:53 ↗ think when I I'm gathering and I don't

1:20:55 ↗ want to assume so I wanna I think I'm

1:20:58 ↗ hearing that the equity board would like

1:21:01 ↗ us not to necessarily start with only a

1:21:05 ↗ couple questions to start broad with

1:21:08 ↗ with education

1:21:10 ↗ um but to not dwindle this down

1:21:14 ↗ um from the place that you think it kind

1:21:16 ↗ of captures a little bit of everything

1:21:18 ↗ uh am I hearing that well that's true

1:21:22 ↗ because even when I look at that

1:21:23 ↗ question of the council in my mind I'm

1:21:25 ↗ actually seeing the word city slash

1:21:27 ↗ Council so I'm looking at not the actual

1:21:31 ↗ members of the council but how has the

1:21:34 ↗ cities interaction with the marginalized

1:21:37 ↗ Staples because very often there is I

1:21:40 ↗ mean to me it's the city council

1:21:42 ↗ represents the city so getting down in

1:21:45 ↗ the knitting like that word like saying

1:21:47 ↗ oh I don't know what the city comes

1:21:49 ↗ about of them so we can't do anything

1:21:50 ↗ but yet I hear feedback from people

1:21:52 ↗ coming to talk to us like well we did

1:21:55 ↗ all of this with the city some water

1:21:56 ↗ like the city came and talked to us and

1:21:59 ↗ yet now they're not listening to what we

1:22:01 ↗ are saying and that to me is the issue

1:22:04 ↗ right because there was conversation

1:22:06 ↗ with these small group owners and now

1:22:09 ↗ their conversation is not being we

1:22:11 ↗ actually had this example of that like

1:22:14 ↗ two months ago but that happened and so

1:22:16 ↗ that's what we're looking at and so we

1:22:18 ↗ asked like what are you doing to go back

1:22:21 ↗ into an earring or researching what past

1:22:25 ↗ conversations occurred because the thing

1:22:27 ↗ that makes people most frustrated is we

1:22:30 ↗ have this conversation three years ago

1:22:32 ↗ five years ago and I said this and

1:22:34 ↗ you're not listening to me and what that

1:22:36 ↗ then does is it causes people to

1:22:39 ↗ disconnect and lose a sense of community

1:22:41 ↗ and so that question was really designed

1:22:44 ↗ it might not be the current Council but

1:22:46 ↗ as a city as a group you know that's who

1:22:49 ↗ they represent what have we done so

1:22:52 ↗ you're right I don't think I think when

1:22:54 ↗ we looked at this and I said that we had

1:22:56 ↗ already internalized so many of these

1:22:58 ↗ questions so we may not have been

1:23:00 ↗ looking at like very specific determined

1:23:03 ↗ wording as someone new looking at this

1:23:05 ↗ and so you said this is a tool so

1:23:07 ↗ sometimes when you're brand new using a

1:23:09 ↗ tool the way you use it is kind of

1:23:11 ↗ awkwardly versus if you're so familiar

1:23:14 ↗ to the tool you're going to know the ins

1:23:16 ↗ and outs and it becomes a stamp to use

1:23:18 ↗ and really get something good out of it

1:23:21 ↗ versus a newly using the tool and

1:23:24 ↗ because of the slowness the awkwardness

1:23:26 ↗ you might not use it to its maximum

1:23:30 ↗ ability to overthink that yes it's like

1:23:33 ↗ it's Community engagement yeah and what

1:23:36 ↗ have we learned from past Community

1:23:37 ↗ engagement yeah and that's where maybe

1:23:40 ↗ we could have

1:23:42 ↗ we know who what exactly what that meant

1:23:45 ↗ and maybe that's where our our bias fell

1:23:47 ↗ because

1:23:48 ↗ we didn't think about the fact that they

1:23:50 ↗ may not know exactly what that meant no

1:23:53 ↗ that's what I was asking about the

1:23:55 ↗ training because they had given the tool

1:23:57 ↗ that they had ongoing

1:23:59 ↗ once you've given something if you don't

1:24:01 ↗ have more support in using a tool as a

1:24:05 ↗ teacher I don't give my students

1:24:06 ↗ information but say hey kids go ahead

1:24:08 ↗ and continue with those like you know

1:24:10 ↗ logarithms I'm not going to be here to

1:24:12 ↗ answer any good questions they're going

1:24:14 ↗ to be mistakes some kids will succeed

1:24:16 ↗ and some won't so how do we make sure

1:24:19 ↗ like is there someone to really nothing

1:24:21 ↗ holding their hands but guiding them

1:24:24 ↗ through that right but I think I think

1:24:27 ↗ something around piloting pilot testing

1:24:30 ↗ the tool is what we're doing and so if

1:24:33 ↗ so I think the idea is that folks

1:24:36 ↗ attempt to answer these questions and

1:24:38 ↗ even note where they're having problems

1:24:40 ↗ right because then because and I yeah it

1:24:42 ↗ doesn't make sense to launch a

1:24:43 ↗ full-scale training on a tool that word

1:24:47 ↗ that needs refinement so this the pilot

1:24:50 ↗ testing could help refine the 201

1:24:52 ↗ simplify it and do those things so I

1:24:56 ↗ think that's part of how to learn what

1:24:58 ↗ to clean up the tool yeah I also think

1:25:01 ↗ you know uh like six if you scroll down

1:25:05 ↗ a tiny bit you know when I feel like we

1:25:08 ↗ need we need to also just have some

1:25:10 ↗ ready readily available answers for

1:25:13 ↗ staff because you know

1:25:15 ↗ um six says how am I convinced that

1:25:17 ↗ reasonable efforts have been made in an

1:25:19 ↗ individualized way to match the needs

1:25:21 ↗ when someone a staff member looks at

1:25:24 ↗ that and they go I'm not convinced about

1:25:26 ↗ what do I do with that you know uh yeah

1:25:30 ↗ okay I'm using the tool but I'm not

1:25:33 ↗ convinced so have we it you know that's

1:25:35 ↗ it the czechwoody not you know what I do

1:25:39 ↗ like that right reasonable efforts right

1:25:41 ↗ and in that sense it's reasonable

1:25:43 ↗ efforts haven't made you're not

1:25:45 ↗ convinced that this is the best but

1:25:47 ↗ you're convinced that the effort has

1:25:50 ↗ been made

1:25:52 ↗ to meet the needs which then goes back

1:25:55 ↗ to question number three or four about

1:25:56 ↗ what have we done in the past yeah and

1:25:59 ↗ access and it's having that conversation

1:26:01 ↗ with the community members so focusing

1:26:04 ↗ on the am I convinced I'm not convinced

1:26:07 ↗ about anything right now right right but

1:26:10 ↗ from what I've heard like I think that

1:26:12 ↗ this is the best answer

1:26:14 ↗ because it's reasonable

1:26:17 ↗ I'm in an odd place right I

1:26:21 ↗ I

1:26:23 ↗ have

1:26:24 ↗ um

1:26:25 ↗ I agree with both

1:26:27 ↗ and I think it has to do with me being

1:26:29 ↗ white and

1:26:30 ↗ right I mean I so I'm like in a weird

1:26:33 ↗ place and I don't even really want to

1:26:34 ↗ talk because I feel like I don't know

1:26:35 ↗ what I'm talking about but I'm gonna say

1:26:37 ↗ I agree with you I think it's too long I

1:26:40 ↗ have always thought that

1:26:42 ↗ and I'm wondering if that has to do with

1:26:44 ↗ the way that I

1:26:47 ↗ I'm what and so I'm just speaking right

1:26:50 ↗ now and that because I agree with what

1:26:53 ↗ you're what's being said here too I

1:26:56 ↗ agree that these questions are really

1:26:57 ↗ important I agree that

1:27:01 ↗ um it's it's gonna take

1:27:03 ↗ a ton of learning to answer these

1:27:05 ↗ questions and that's where I'm kind of

1:27:07 ↗ getting stuck because there's so many

1:27:10 ↗ things that people are not going to know

1:27:12 ↗ and they're going to have to sort it out

1:27:14 ↗ or learn it or figure it out and then

1:27:17 ↗ maybe help others learn it right yeah

1:27:21 ↗ and I do think that that's

1:27:23 ↗ what we're talking about here and that's

1:27:25 ↗ why for me it's too long because there's

1:27:29 ↗ so much learning that's going to have to

1:27:30 ↗ go on

1:27:32 ↗ on the other hand

1:27:34 ↗ all that learning has to happen

1:27:36 ↗ right so see so I recognize that

1:27:44 ↗ um

1:27:46 ↗ I am in agreement that it's a pilot

1:27:50 ↗ I am in agreement that we need to do

1:27:53 ↗ them all

1:27:54 ↗ I also

1:27:57 ↗ I'm just trying to be I think I'm really

1:27:59 ↗ trying to say I'm empathetic that

1:28:01 ↗ because of my background I also want to

1:28:05 ↗ lower to five when I can't figure out

1:28:07 ↗ I'm sitting here figuring out what would

1:28:09 ↗ be cast and I can't figure it out

1:28:11 ↗ see so

1:28:13 ↗ I'm trying to speak

1:28:16 ↗ from a white person's perspective

1:28:18 ↗ literally who is

1:28:21 ↗ trying to

1:28:23 ↗ see things with an equitable View

1:28:26 ↗ yeah we all see the world very

1:28:29 ↗ differently yes our

1:28:30 ↗ experiences that right so

1:28:33 ↗ thank you for that and I think that was

1:28:36 ↗ to your point too you know to say

1:28:39 ↗ um there needs to be a you know a stance

1:28:42 ↗ from leadership and an understanding uh

1:28:45 ↗ at a baseline that even gets the

1:28:48 ↗ conversation started about why right

1:28:51 ↗ [Music]

1:28:51 ↗ um

1:28:55 ↗ yeah please let Christina go first

1:28:57 ↗ Christina

1:29:03 ↗ um

1:29:19 ↗ good afternoon I think that you know

1:29:22 ↗ besides worrying about Equity that much

1:29:26 ↗ I think that uh we should also think

1:29:29 ↗ about the religions and cultures and we

1:29:32 ↗ should focus on listening to them

1:29:41 ↗ listen and really get a deep connection

1:29:45 ↗ with other people

1:29:50 ↗ Communications

1:29:52 ↗ when we do that communication always

1:29:54 ↗ gets better

1:29:55 ↗ and because

1:30:01 ↗ Navidad

1:30:04 ↗ I had an experience with a teacher and I

1:30:08 ↗ she showed me a pair of dye that I've

1:30:11 ↗ never seen a type of diet like that in

1:30:14 ↗ my life before

1:30:16 ↗ um

1:30:25 ↗ and so instead of she tell me or

1:30:28 ↗ explaining to me what type of dye there

1:30:30 ↗ were or where I could go get a pair she

1:30:33 ↗ said oh this thing's this style are too

1:30:35 ↗ expensive for you

1:30:38 ↗ is

1:30:42 ↗ I'll go the

1:30:45 ↗ Como Lopez

1:30:51 ↗ and so I think she had a uh some sort of

1:30:54 ↗ I don't know how to call it uh

1:30:57 ↗ misconception maybe prejudice against me

1:31:02 ↗ is a

1:31:19 ↗ Las personas and you know I I let it go

1:31:23 ↗ you know perhaps just because I'm more

1:31:25 ↗ involved in this Equity thing now and

1:31:29 ↗ you know I didn't want to make a huge

1:31:31 ↗ deal out of it but I think that that's

1:31:33 ↗ what we're missing that uh we uh are not

1:31:36 ↗ listening to people when they're talking

1:31:39 ↗ to us

1:31:53 ↗ [Music]

1:31:55 ↗ I just wanted to share my experience

1:31:57 ↗ with you you know I look at it on a

1:32:01 ↗ healthier or cleaner approach we can

1:32:04 ↗ have we have the example of children you

1:32:07 ↗ know when children are very young and

1:32:09 ↗ they don't have any prejudices they

1:32:12 ↗ don't have any biases maybe perhaps we

1:32:14 ↗ should go to something like that and

1:32:18 ↗ look at it from that point of view thank

1:32:20 ↗ you

1:32:23 ↗ thank you Christina for sharing that

1:32:29 ↗ okay

1:32:31 ↗ um and Tony's clapping

1:32:34 ↗ thank you

1:32:36 ↗ um and um Christina thank you for

1:32:38 ↗ sharing your experience so I really

1:32:40 ↗ really appreciate you doing that

1:32:43 ↗ um and I just want to say Kelly you know

1:32:45 ↗ thank you for always you know looking

1:32:47 ↗ you know putting yourself out there and

1:32:50 ↗ you know just kind of checking yourself

1:32:52 ↗ on so I really really appreciate that

1:32:54 ↗ thank you for having the courage to do

1:32:55 ↗ so

1:32:56 ↗ um

1:32:57 ↗ what I'd like to talk about or not just

1:33:01 ↗ the question about

1:33:02 ↗ um

1:33:03 ↗ one is has the SLT

1:33:07 ↗ you know because leader everything

1:33:09 ↗ starts from the top has the SLT

1:33:12 ↗ um communicated in any way

1:33:15 ↗ the framework

1:33:19 ↗ uh to the organization as a whole like

1:33:22 ↗ from an organizational change management

1:33:24 ↗ what has been the slt's message on the

1:33:27 ↗ framework

1:33:28 ↗ we have not

1:33:31 ↗ all right that's under that's

1:33:32 ↗ understandable okay

1:33:34 ↗ um and so one thing I'd like to make a

1:33:36 ↗ comment about I think we all have

1:33:38 ↗ different feelings about the framework

1:33:41 ↗ um except I'm sure you can detect

1:33:43 ↗ there's some frustration

1:33:44 ↗ um you can probably hear it in my voice

1:33:45 ↗ that there's some frustration and here's

1:33:47 ↗ me coming from an experience as a black

1:33:49 ↗ man and also from a professional who

1:33:52 ↗ works for a software company that's

1:33:53 ↗ worldwide I have to do this on a daily

1:33:55 ↗ basis that's not racial it's not a

1:33:58 ↗ racial component it's a cultural

1:33:59 ↗ component my my audience is your Middle

1:34:02 ↗ East Asia as well as

1:34:05 ↗ um the Americas as well as all the way

1:34:07 ↗ down to South America

1:34:09 ↗ it's so when I see the 13 questions and

1:34:12 ↗ my personal feeling is that it's not

1:34:15 ↗ that hard and so I'm just really just

1:34:19 ↗ not grasping the understanding of the

1:34:24 ↗ audience and everything that the city

1:34:26 ↗ does is not just one racial component

1:34:31 ↗ it's a multiple as far as not just that

1:34:34 ↗ not just racial but also socioeconomic

1:34:37 ↗ it's also

1:34:39 ↗ um physical ability it's also it's many

1:34:41 ↗ different factors that it to me if to

1:34:45 ↗ see like it's not that hard to do so I

1:34:47 ↗ don't understand the kind of pushback on

1:34:50 ↗ it and the way I personally see the

1:34:52 ↗ framework and I'm actually I'm sure my

1:34:54 ↗ fellow colleagues probably see it the

1:34:55 ↗ same way or in different manners

1:34:57 ↗ actually that you can consider it a

1:34:59 ↗ toolbox like one set of tools and you

1:35:02 ↗ can take out the wrench you can take out

1:35:03 ↗ you can use the whole toolbox to build

1:35:05 ↗ whatever you're building a process a a

1:35:08 ↗ product a new initiative so you can use

1:35:11 ↗ every tool in the toolbox to build

1:35:12 ↗ whatever you're building whatever you

1:35:14 ↗ want to build or you could utilize only

1:35:18 ↗ the tools that you need and I feel that

1:35:21 ↗ there's some questions that just in that

1:35:23 ↗ it's just like it's not that hard it's

1:35:25 ↗ like it should be thought about in

1:35:26 ↗ everything that the city does like

1:35:28 ↗ questions 11 through 13 questions one

1:35:32 ↗ through three and I think five

1:35:35 ↗ that should be like

1:35:37 ↗ even before a framework was actually

1:35:39 ↗ made that should have been thought about

1:35:41 ↗ a long time so I I hope my frustration

1:35:45 ↗ doesn't offend you it's not it's I'm

1:35:48 ↗ just I just don't understand Stephanie

1:35:50 ↗ and I'm not directing it at you I just

1:35:53 ↗ don't understand a pushback

1:35:55 ↗ yeah

1:35:57 ↗ and I

1:35:59 ↗ I said I thank you for sharing the

1:36:01 ↗ frustration but no I absolutely do not

1:36:04 ↗ take it um in that vein

1:36:07 ↗ um I don't know that

1:36:09 ↗ I would say pushback is the right word

1:36:14 ↗ and so maybe we need to talk through

1:36:16 ↗ that a little bit because I want to be

1:36:18 ↗ clear that there's not push back to

1:36:21 ↗ advance the equity framework I think

1:36:25 ↗ um we wanted to do it in a meaningful

1:36:27 ↗ way that people understand that it's a

1:36:29 ↗ part of needing to change our culture

1:36:31 ↗ and if we just I think maybe there's a

1:36:34 ↗ bit of a disconnect I'm going to just

1:36:37 ↗ football here and throw this out there

1:36:39 ↗ as a idea that

1:36:41 ↗ um we want to make sure we're thoughtful

1:36:43 ↗ and thorough in doing it and and then

1:36:46 ↗ your perspective of saying it's not that

1:36:48 ↗ hard just answer these questions maybe

1:36:50 ↗ that's where our roadblock is a little

1:36:52 ↗ bit so I don't I we I want to be very

1:36:55 ↗ clear there's commitment to wanting to

1:36:58 ↗ do this and build a culture change we've

1:37:01 ↗ we've actually referenced it against we

1:37:04 ↗ have what we call our salmon values

1:37:07 ↗ um we have salmon values that are core

1:37:10 ↗ values

1:37:11 ↗ they affectionately we have an acronym A

1:37:15 ↗ sustained trust act with Integrity lead

1:37:17 ↗ with respect Master communication own

1:37:20 ↗ action and be engaged and so what we've

1:37:23 ↗ been saying organizationally that we

1:37:26 ↗ need to say more of we haven't taken it

1:37:28 ↗ to the level we need to is this

1:37:31 ↗ framework that this should be

1:37:34 ↗ um this should be a culture driver or

1:37:37 ↗ change very much like the salmon values

1:37:40 ↗ um to where you know we care less about

1:37:43 ↗ people being able to recite them

1:37:45 ↗ orchequity which I'm going to still

1:37:47 ↗ learning word

1:37:50 ↗ but but to the place where you don't

1:37:53 ↗ even need the questions right you just

1:37:56 ↗ to the place you don't need the

1:37:57 ↗ questions you are living this yes and so

1:38:00 ↗ even with the salmon

1:38:03 ↗ you know yes we

1:38:06 ↗ um we had to use This Acronym and talk

1:38:09 ↗ about about what every every detail of

1:38:11 ↗ it meant even though it should be

1:38:14 ↗ somewhat self-explanatory to sustain

1:38:17 ↗ trust and to act with Integrity but we

1:38:21 ↗ had to we had to talk a lot about them

1:38:23 ↗ and what every single thing meant to a

1:38:26 ↗ level before we didn't have to look at

1:38:28 ↗ the acronym anymore and we could we

1:38:31 ↗ could recite it but more important than

1:38:32 ↗ it's we we've lost if we can recite it

1:38:36 ↗ and we're not living it right so I we we

1:38:39 ↗ have talked about similar approach for

1:38:41 ↗ culture change the way that we've

1:38:43 ↗ embedded the salmon values four years

1:38:46 ↗ ago salmon values were not even talked

1:38:48 ↗ about in the city now we've added them

1:38:50 ↗ to Performance Management we've added

1:38:52 ↗ them to the recruitment process well we

1:38:55 ↗ uh we did a staff training around them

1:38:58 ↗ you know and so I'm thinking through

1:39:01 ↗ about that culture change with the

1:39:03 ↗ salmon value is exactly the culture

1:39:06 ↗ change that we need to do with the

1:39:08 ↗ equity framework right

1:39:11 ↗ um so

1:39:14 ↗ I I

1:39:15 ↗ hear you and I I we've got to figure

1:39:18 ↗ that out do I have all the answers no

1:39:20 ↗ but we absolutely have to change that

1:39:22 ↗ culture in that state I just want to

1:39:23 ↗ give kind of an analogy where that was

1:39:26 ↗ even a little difficult to to lift for a

1:39:28 ↗ while okay thank you Stephanie and I was

1:39:31 ↗ just thinking too and I was just kind of

1:39:32 ↗ reading between the lines about let's

1:39:34 ↗ say

1:39:35 ↗ um SLT

1:39:37 ↗ um their thoughts and maybe possible

1:39:39 ↗ feelings about this if they haven't

1:39:41 ↗ communicated it out like hey this is a

1:39:43 ↗ great thing teams we should implement

1:39:45 ↗ this and you should go forward and

1:39:47 ↗ utilize it in these manners in these

1:39:48 ↗ ways so those are really kind of seeing

1:39:50 ↗ that okay if SLT is not doing that then

1:39:54 ↗ one why not two my thought was okay so

1:39:58 ↗ they must not see that any value in it

1:40:00 ↗ so I was just kind of reading between

1:40:01 ↗ the lines so it sounds like from what

1:40:03 ↗ you're saying Stephanie is that that

1:40:06 ↗ once let's say SLT as well as

1:40:11 ↗ um executive level management down below

1:40:14 ↗ that once they see how to utilize it

1:40:18 ↗ that

1:40:20 ↗ it would be communicated out that this

1:40:22 ↗ is something it's kind of like the

1:40:24 ↗ salmon values right like the way you

1:40:25 ↗ talked about that like we just don't

1:40:27 ↗ know how to utilize it yet we we see

1:40:29 ↗ that this is a valuable thing this is

1:40:32 ↗ great shiny new Porsche or Lamborghini

1:40:34 ↗ that's sitting outside City headquarters

1:40:36 ↗ we just don't know how we're going to

1:40:37 ↗ use it use it yet not we're going to

1:40:39 ↗ make it more effective is that basically

1:40:40 ↗ what you're saying

1:40:42 ↗ yes

1:40:43 ↗ um and uh making it available for people

1:40:46 ↗ to test drive

1:40:50 ↗ [Laughter]

1:40:53 ↗ um I I I'm just turning this way because

1:40:56 ↗ I noticed I was like and I want to make

1:40:58 ↗ sure I'm reading the whole room so was

1:41:00 ↗ there

1:41:01 ↗ yeah

1:41:02 ↗ um I wanted to just

1:41:05 ↗ put out some challenges that might be

1:41:08 ↗ able to help support this effort a

1:41:10 ↗ little more because I think

1:41:13 ↗ um in listening to Kelly especially I

1:41:16 ↗ think that a lot of people forget that

1:41:17 ↗ Equity is not just about race yeah

1:41:20 ↗ um and it's if you don't understand the

1:41:23 ↗ dimensions of equity it's hard to go

1:41:26 ↗ beyond race and yes it is a big part but

1:41:29 ↗ it is not necessarily the only part

1:41:31 ↗ there are 26 dimensions of equity that

1:41:34 ↗ have to be addressed at some point

1:41:37 ↗ um and

1:41:38 ↗ making sure that that's understood

1:41:42 ↗ I think that would help people

1:41:44 ↗ understand especially the pilot groups

1:41:46 ↗ help them understand how they need to

1:41:48 ↗ approach these questions

1:41:50 ↗ um and how they can open their minds to

1:41:52 ↗ the questions because let's just say for

1:41:54 ↗ example if they looked at the treatment

1:41:56 ↗ of veterans over the last and how many

1:42:00 ↗ times they come to council or the city

1:42:03 ↗ to ask for certain things maybe that

1:42:05 ↗ would change their perspective on how

1:42:08 ↗ they want to research that or discover

1:42:09 ↗ what has already been said

1:42:12 ↗ um or even our seniors

1:42:15 ↗ um because that's definitely something

1:42:17 ↗ where I'm sure there have been tons of

1:42:19 ↗ conversations and people can actually

1:42:23 ↗ track that information a little bit

1:42:24 ↗ better so maybe taking out or I guess

1:42:28 ↗ not taking out but more so looking

1:42:30 ↗ Beyond race would help in helping people

1:42:33 ↗ understand how to look at equity and

1:42:36 ↗ what this framework is designed to

1:42:37 ↗ address

1:42:38 ↗ and then on the other part I would

1:42:41 ↗ challenge our board to make take a look

1:42:43 ↗ at the framework again

1:42:45 ↗ um because to learner's point we did

1:42:47 ↗ build that language at a time when

1:42:51 ↗ that Equity was such a high priority and

1:42:55 ↗ such a

1:42:57 ↗ touchy subject and everyone was so very

1:43:00 ↗ sensitive about it that maybe the

1:43:02 ↗ verbiage was designed in what we were

1:43:06 ↗ automatically seeing and not necessarily

1:43:08 ↗ where Kelly could understand how it

1:43:11 ↗ would work or someone who hasn't always

1:43:14 ↗ used equity in their thought process

1:43:16 ↗ would understand it and

1:43:19 ↗ um I think that it's fair that we maybe

1:43:22 ↗ take another look and say hey maybe

1:43:25 ↗ there's a question that we might not

1:43:26 ↗ need because even Tony called out

1:43:29 ↗ well the questions and not all of them

1:43:31 ↗ were included and that that says

1:43:34 ↗ something to me

1:43:36 ↗ um and of course yes at this is close to

1:43:39 ↗ my heart and I wouldn't want to shorten

1:43:40 ↗ it but on the same token to your point

1:43:43 ↗ people have to be guided in and you have

1:43:47 ↗ to give them a way to accept the

1:43:49 ↗ information and it we're determined not

1:43:52 ↗ to cut them we at least need to make

1:43:55 ↗ sure that we can help them understand

1:43:56 ↗ how to use them and um

1:43:59 ↗ maybe that's as simple as making sure

1:44:02 ↗ they know what the dimensions are or

1:44:04 ↗ maybe it's as simple as making sure we

1:44:06 ↗ change some verbiage or making sure that

1:44:09 ↗ we um simplify those questions to where

1:44:11 ↗ it doesn't seem daunting and

1:44:14 ↗ um typically when you give people the

1:44:17 ↗ opportunity to take that information in

1:44:19 ↗ digestively then there are less likely

1:44:21 ↗ to say I can't answer this question or I

1:44:24 ↗ don't know what this means

1:44:25 ↗ um

1:44:26 ↗ so hopefully that's not asking too much

1:44:30 ↗ but I do think that maybe it's a it's a

1:44:32 ↗ point where we could all put some

1:44:35 ↗ contributions in that might help

1:44:38 ↗ thank you

1:44:40 ↗ um I I have all kinds of you know

1:44:43 ↗ thoughts you know and you have to look

1:44:45 ↗ at your your team members here too right

1:44:48 ↗ um I'm gonna go back to one of the

1:44:50 ↗ questions around what would this team

1:44:55 ↗ like to see you know advance in a great

1:44:58 ↗ way over the next year right Tony

1:45:02 ↗ um expressed some frustration that it

1:45:05 ↗ might not be that hard we haven't

1:45:07 ↗ actually like gone at it as much as we

1:45:11 ↗ could have internally and uh you know

1:45:13 ↗ resources have been a part of that

1:45:16 ↗ um there's a space to design what that

1:45:18 ↗ training for staff looks like

1:45:21 ↗ um to look back at the questions

1:45:24 ↗ um you know I want to make sure that

1:45:26 ↗ we're all like remember the right in the

1:45:28 ↗ left hand or the rowing in the right

1:45:29 ↗ direction

1:45:31 ↗ um I want to know as we look internally

1:45:35 ↗ what this group who represents since

1:45:38 ↗ this community is expecting happens

1:45:41 ↗ internally

1:45:43 ↗ um over the next you know

1:45:45 ↗ foreign

1:45:47 ↗ [Music]

1:45:58 ↗ questions but I think in my mind if you

1:46:01 ↗ skip a question because it doesn't apply

1:46:03 ↗ who cares I still using the toolbox yeah

1:46:06 ↗ so to me they'll focus on the number of

1:46:09 ↗ questions is not actually relevant at

1:46:12 ↗ all that you answer the questions you

1:46:14 ↗ can't we don't understand it doesn't

1:46:16 ↗ apply you skip it I don't use every

1:46:19 ↗ single tool in my toolbox I don't use

1:46:21 ↗ everything single thing they give me in

1:46:23 ↗ Microsoft Word you know you think

1:46:24 ↗ they're beautiful so you use what you

1:46:27 ↗ can but if someone comes back to you and

1:46:28 ↗ says hey like this was there did you do

1:46:32 ↗ that you're like oh and then you start

1:46:34 ↗ reflecting and building and learning

1:46:36 ↗ like this is where I could have learned

1:46:38 ↗ while incorporating that in my thinking

1:46:40 ↗ and that has put it in there but I think

1:46:44 ↗ to me the questions you

1:46:55 ↗ I'm not standing under they're not

1:46:57 ↗ applying to me but it's the whole thing

1:47:00 ↗ it's there you use what is relevant at

1:47:03 ↗ that time so I think it's the thinking

1:47:05 ↗ of what people are and how they're using

1:47:07 ↗ it needs to be we

1:47:14 ↗ maybe take a stab at it and that's where

1:47:18 ↗ again I said hey you know take a stab at

1:47:20 ↗ it answer what you can come to us and

1:47:23 ↗ let us help you understand what we're

1:47:25 ↗ expecting you to do

1:47:28 ↗ um and and I don't think any of us are

1:47:30 ↗ expecting them to do something that's

1:47:32 ↗ super difficult

1:47:34 ↗ it's not essay questions

1:47:38 ↗ you know he died until the archives and

1:47:41 ↗ history of Issaquah and all of that

1:47:44 ↗ we're not expecting that but we I think

1:47:47 ↗ that it's fair to say that we are

1:47:48 ↗ expecting you to attempt to do it and

1:47:51 ↗ even if you can't answer all the

1:47:54 ↗ questions that's okay because we can

1:47:56 ↗ help you answer those questions and and

1:47:58 ↗ that's where I said it once you've

1:48:00 ↗ started then come to us and let us take

1:48:02 ↗ a look at what you've come up with

1:48:04 ↗ um I think this board is very capable of

1:48:06 ↗ providing Solutions and providing

1:48:09 ↗ Insight that people don't always think

1:48:12 ↗ about sure and we might not even know

1:48:15 ↗ the answer right right it might not be

1:48:16 ↗ answered within that six months and then

1:48:18 ↗ someone's gonna come and say hey you

1:48:20 ↗ didn't do this you're like oh yeah you

1:48:22 ↗ reflect so

1:48:24 ↗ it's the openness to learn yeah I have

1:48:28 ↗ to say something too

1:48:30 ↗ um I I want to make sure that you all

1:48:33 ↗ know our

1:48:35 ↗ um and this is just ownership okay

1:48:38 ↗ um ownership that we haven't piloted as

1:48:41 ↗ much as even we should maybe having this

1:48:44 ↗ big conversation part of it is just not

1:48:47 ↗ even having had the space to go out and

1:48:50 ↗ have all those conversations and have

1:48:52 ↗ people trying so I'm you know I'm

1:48:55 ↗ mentioning a couple of people and

1:48:58 ↗ projects it is not as many voices as we

1:49:01 ↗ I need to bring back and share using it

1:49:04 ↗ so I want to be I want I just want to

1:49:06 ↗ own that that we we we're out of space

1:49:10 ↗ to do that in a greater way and it

1:49:12 ↗ hasn't been done as much as it could

1:49:15 ↗ have been over this last year and I

1:49:16 ↗ think you need to know that

1:49:19 ↗ yeah and I hope it I hope that um that

1:49:24 ↗ it's actually communicated that um it's

1:49:27 ↗ okay to fail at this right because

1:49:29 ↗ you're going to be building something

1:49:31 ↗ you're going to make mistakes like what

1:49:33 ↗ Christina mentioned like you're going to

1:49:34 ↗ be going through this process of the

1:49:36 ↗ framework and just going to just totally

1:49:38 ↗ forget about a religious component or a

1:49:40 ↗ Chase Point you're going to forget about

1:49:41 ↗ what about Tony and his fellow veterans

1:49:43 ↗ in Issaquah like you're just going to

1:49:45 ↗ forget about those things but at least

1:49:46 ↗ make an attempt at least try

1:49:49 ↗ please try because you you thought it

1:49:51 ↗ more than you did before right yeah

1:49:56 ↗ and as a path member I'm just going to

1:49:59 ↗ jump in that even just everyone's

1:50:01 ↗ starting somewhere I think even this

1:50:02 ↗ conversation here was just so valuable

1:50:04 ↗ tonight that even just sharing the

1:50:06 ↗ recording uh so then others can hear the

1:50:09 ↗ input and how highly capable the equity

1:50:11 ↗ board is uh and and providing the tool I

1:50:14 ↗ think even that could be just a good

1:50:16 ↗ starting point right sure for sure

1:50:18 ↗ because that was great great

1:50:19 ↗ conversation for tonight

1:50:21 ↗ trading pattern

1:50:23 ↗ so because I am committed to helping

1:50:28 ↗ advances in a great way I'm gonna come

1:50:30 ↗ more often just to be in the room and

1:50:33 ↗ here

1:50:34 ↗ um to the extent uh you know that I have

1:50:36 ↗ availability to do that so

1:50:39 ↗ um at least for the next couple of

1:50:40 ↗ meetings I I'm just I want to make sure

1:50:43 ↗ that

1:50:44 ↗ um when other if I'm helping to

1:50:47 ↗ facilitate things internally in a

1:50:49 ↗ greater whole I want to make sure that

1:50:51 ↗ I'm paying close attention to what

1:50:53 ↗ you're hearing from other City staff

1:50:55 ↗ what's on the agenda

1:50:57 ↗ um how how you even heard tonight with

1:51:00 ↗ David talking and Monica had one

1:51:02 ↗ experience and I had one experience and

1:51:04 ↗ David has one experience and well

1:51:06 ↗ there's an opportunity here to kind of

1:51:08 ↗ bring this together

1:51:10 ↗ um

1:51:11 ↗ part of that is just hearing right and

1:51:15 ↗ being in the room to have those

1:51:16 ↗ conversations to help uh shape that a

1:51:18 ↗ bit so um I am going to try to see you

1:51:22 ↗ all a bit more in the months ahead

1:51:26 ↗ okay

1:51:27 ↗ thank you for the conversation I agree

1:51:31 ↗ it was very a good one to have and

1:51:34 ↗ um I'm I'm really hopeful that we can

1:51:37 ↗ all work together to keep keep keep this

1:51:40 ↗ moving right

1:51:42 ↗ um keep the conversation go ahead

1:51:44 ↗ passion

1:51:46 ↗ and I hope that we can develop a

1:51:48 ↗ timeline to keep this going okay yeah

1:51:51 ↗ because I think timelines make it

1:51:53 ↗ valuable when you say hey I want to get

1:51:55 ↗ this accomplished by the end of the year

1:51:56 ↗ people tend to move in in a way that

1:52:00 ↗ allows them to get there

1:52:02 ↗ um so I know it can't happen tomorrow

1:52:05 ↗ but I absolutely think we should aim for

1:52:09 ↗ time yeah agreed and that's kind of

1:52:12 ↗ where my question around what what would

1:52:14 ↗ success look like for you guys at a

1:52:16 ↗ certain interval right

1:52:19 ↗ um that you've you know heard from you

1:52:22 ↗ know at least a handful of people who

1:52:24 ↗ have piloted this and tried it or have

1:52:27 ↗ had the conversation at SLT

1:52:30 ↗ um I'm going to take

1:52:31 ↗ um feedback away tonight and try to

1:52:34 ↗ shape um something that I can get

1:52:36 ↗ forward I have I have some thoughts on

1:52:39 ↗ this you know just less on how to

1:52:43 ↗ like

1:52:44 ↗ because again I have

1:52:47 ↗ a different perspective I see some of

1:52:50 ↗ these as you have to build significantly

1:52:53 ↗ like for example the 26 inter you know

1:52:57 ↗ yes right yeah just to identify them and

1:53:02 ↗ to figure out how our relationship as a

1:53:04 ↗ city is is significant work I mean I

1:53:07 ↗ don't think there is a shared Collective

1:53:10 ↗ view on how we work with veterans in

1:53:12 ↗ Issaquah right so right there so you you

1:53:17 ↗ have a couple of Pilots whatever it is

1:53:19 ↗ and you get some shared understanding

1:53:22 ↗ some shared understanding of the

1:53:24 ↗ questions that need a shared

1:53:25 ↗ understanding and then a shared

1:53:27 ↗ understanding of both the output and of

1:53:31 ↗ the question

1:53:33 ↗ right and that to me success is you have

1:53:36 ↗ X number of groups who have a shared

1:53:39 ↗ understanding of what these questions

1:53:41 ↗ are asking them to output and do

1:53:44 ↗ literally you know because that's the

1:53:47 ↗ work

1:53:48 ↗ sure you know and that's part of why I

1:53:51 ↗ said we just need to even have those

1:53:54 ↗ conversations with the staff at a

1:53:57 ↗ foundational level right around some of

1:54:00 ↗ that so

1:54:02 ↗ um yes yes

1:54:06 ↗ okay

1:54:07 ↗ well

1:54:08 ↗ it's 809 and I um we

1:54:13 ↗ important step we could probably keep

1:54:14 ↗ talking about it longer and longer right

1:54:16 ↗ so thank you thank you for allowing me

1:54:18 ↗ to be here yeah and thank you guys for

1:54:21 ↗ the great work that you're doing

1:54:23 ↗ thank you thank you Stephanie

1:54:26 ↗ okay

1:54:33 ↗ from Monica

1:54:35 ↗ Monica thank you board members I have a

1:54:37 ↗ couple of updates for you

1:54:40 ↗ um from from mayor city council and then

1:54:42 ↗ other related updates

1:54:45 ↗ um first of all mayor Paulie will join

1:54:47 ↗ us at the next uh Equity meeting which

1:54:49 ↗ is actually next week this is a reminder

1:54:52 ↗ for all of you as as uh we are just

1:54:55 ↗ having a back-to-back meeting because we

1:54:57 ↗ had to reschedule the meeting earlier in

1:54:59 ↗ the month due to a religious holiday

1:55:03 ↗ um so

1:55:05 ↗ um that's just one brief update in the

1:55:07 ↗ guy I was trying to also

1:55:09 ↗ share my screen to draw your attention

1:55:13 ↗ to our schedule and work plan

1:55:17 ↗ but I am having a hard time with that

1:55:19 ↗ give me just a moment I was so proud of

1:55:22 ↗ myself with sharing tonight and now

1:55:25 ↗ I'm at the end keeping the longer than I

1:55:28 ↗ want to

1:55:30 ↗ okay so just really quick giving you a

1:55:32 ↗ sneak peek at next week's uh meeting we

1:55:36 ↗ are going to be welcoming new board

1:55:38 ↗ members uh we have a tentatively two new

1:55:42 ↗ board members one Youth and one adult

1:55:44 ↗ joining us I'm saying tentative because

1:55:46 ↗ we have a hard time connecting with the

1:55:49 ↗ youth member so surprise one or two

1:55:52 ↗ members coming next week uh

1:55:54 ↗ unfortunately with that we are having a

1:55:57 ↗ good buy and transitioning out board

1:56:00 ↗ member Alyssa it's her last meeting

1:56:03 ↗ today she's not with us actually just

1:56:04 ↗ got a note from her that her work ended

1:56:07 ↗ up being extended so she just finished

1:56:08 ↗ work a few minutes ago I'm hoping that

1:56:11 ↗ we can find a way to to say goodbyes and

1:56:14 ↗ thank her for the amazing work that she

1:56:16 ↗ did but with that as I mentioned mayor

1:56:20 ↗ Polly will come and visit we'll have

1:56:22 ↗ Capital Improvement plan coming back to

1:56:24 ↗ the CIP for short and that is if you

1:56:27 ↗ remember first conversations you had at

1:56:29 ↗ that joint meeting with the other four

1:56:30 ↗ boards and commissions back in February

1:56:33 ↗ then you had some other information that

1:56:35 ↗ was shared with you via email so that's

1:56:37 ↗ coming back to you next week

1:56:40 ↗ and then

1:56:42 ↗ um pretty Alyssa and I have been working

1:56:44 ↗ on a small subcommittee on the recording

1:56:46 ↗ bias

1:56:48 ↗ work plan so we have we are not ready

1:56:50 ↗ yet for too large of a conversation but

1:56:52 ↗ we are hoping to uh to have a brief

1:56:55 ↗ update to you and so we hope that Alyssa

1:56:57 ↗ will continue at least as a resident

1:56:59 ↗ Community member

1:57:01 ↗ um part of that sort of coming in so

1:57:02 ↗ that that work is going to be done and

1:57:05 ↗ then we also have a placeholder for

1:57:06 ↗ human resources as Stephanie said she's

1:57:08 ↗ going to be back here

1:57:10 ↗ um so

1:57:11 ↗ um just drawing your attention to us as

1:57:13 ↗ I'm uh promised to you earlier in the

1:57:16 ↗ year I will keep this updated it's the

1:57:18 ↗ schedule for the year with work plan

1:57:20 ↗ items they change often from week to

1:57:22 ↗ week so every month I'll make sure that

1:57:24 ↗ I put the most updated one in your

1:57:27 ↗ packet and just a quick

1:57:29 ↗ uh not about the packet that I learned

1:57:31 ↗ recently actually not long ago when I

1:57:34 ↗ send you the email that the agenda has

1:57:36 ↗ been published if you remember I also I

1:57:39 ↗ there are always two links there's a PDF

1:57:41 ↗ and there's an HTML I just discovered

1:57:43 ↗ not long ago that the HTML it's just so

1:57:46 ↗ handy because if you click on that you

1:57:48 ↗ can scroll on the agenda and actually

1:57:50 ↗ you have links to each of the

1:57:52 ↗ attachments so if you knew and this is

1:57:55 ↗ all news I apologize I just not long ago

1:57:57 ↗ discovered it and icon and very like oh

1:57:59 ↗ this is the best thing since sliced

1:58:01 ↗ bread

1:58:04 ↗ so um so I just thought I would share it

1:58:06 ↗ so that's not part of the news I'm gonna

1:58:08 ↗ go back to just a few other couple of

1:58:10 ↗ updates for two minutes I know we are

1:58:11 ↗ over time tonight but and I know you're

1:58:13 ↗ always interested in all human services

1:58:15 ↗ related things uh so recently a few

1:58:18 ↗ weeks ago city council approved the two

1:58:21 ↗ hundred thousand dollars in an emergency

1:58:22 ↗ uh funding for

1:58:25 ↗ um rental assistance and that was really

1:58:26 ↗ to bridge the gap for continued need

1:58:28 ↗ that we see so that was approved our

1:58:30 ↗ staff we are working and we finalized

1:58:33 ↗ actually the contracts for that

1:58:35 ↗ um and so we are excited about that

1:58:38 ↗ um also just recently on Monday I was I

1:58:41 ↗ provided an update and I we had a great

1:58:44 ↗ conversation with city council uh

1:58:46 ↗ regarding the emergency housing pilot

1:58:49 ↗ project in collaboration with Motel 6 as

1:58:51 ↗ you may recall we provided some

1:58:53 ↗ information to you on that

1:58:56 ↗ um because we had difficulties finding

1:58:58 ↗ the service provider uh for to take on

1:59:01 ↗ the management for that program we saw

1:59:03 ↗ it um approval from city council to

1:59:06 ↗ allow us to utilize the uh funds for

1:59:09 ↗ those operations to bring in limited

1:59:12 ↗ term positions and actually because we

1:59:14 ↗ are really committed to our to higher

1:59:16 ↗ limited term positions speaking of HR we

1:59:18 ↗ are working with them keeping them busy

1:59:20 ↗ for sure so we are currently in that

1:59:22 ↗ process and I'm happy to report that

1:59:26 ↗ city council was more than than

1:59:28 ↗ welcoming

1:59:29 ↗ um of that idea we are going back in

1:59:32 ↗ mid-mages for the formal approval but I

1:59:34 ↗ don't foresee any huge changes they were

1:59:37 ↗ very very supportive of that and last

1:59:40 ↗ but not least

1:59:41 ↗ um still equity and Human Services

1:59:43 ↗ related we began a conversation with

1:59:47 ↗ City Council on adding new Behavioral

1:59:50 ↗ Health coordinators to the existing two

1:59:53 ↗ staff that we have for homeless Outreach

1:59:55 ↗ and behavioral coordinators just for the

1:59:57 ↗ increased capacity again we will

1:59:59 ↗ continue that conversation with City

2:00:01 ↗ Council in May and so we'll see where

2:00:03 ↗ that goes but we are hopeful and excited

2:00:06 ↗ about all the amazing work and many many

2:00:08 ↗ changes so those are just rehab dates

2:00:11 ↗ for you from mayor city council

2:00:14 ↗ um

2:00:14 ↗ and uh we talked a little bit about

2:00:16 ↗ transition so yes and see you yes I will

2:00:20 ↗ see everyone next week but um be

2:00:22 ↗ prepared to welcome a new member or two

2:00:24 ↗ new members I do have a question will we

2:00:26 ↗ be talking about Dream Team for the next

2:00:28 ↗ next week's meeting or will that be a

2:00:30 ↗ separate group

2:00:32 ↗ it's actually a little bit of both we

2:00:34 ↗ can certainly talk about juneteen at the

2:00:36 ↗ meeting also yes and then I was hoping

2:00:38 ↗ to

2:00:39 ↗ um also create a subcommittee to see

2:00:40 ↗ what we'll do about juneteen um and I

2:00:43 ↗ also wanted to share uh but again it's I

2:00:45 ↗ think a lot larger conversation so

2:00:47 ↗ hopefully maybe we can take some time

2:00:48 ↗ next week to wanted to share some

2:00:50 ↗ feedback that we received from some

2:00:52 ↗ community members regarding some of the

2:00:56 ↗ um proclamations that we do as a city

2:00:57 ↗ some of the events and we do and so I

2:01:00 ↗ think yes we would need to have a

2:01:02 ↗ conversation which I think it might be

2:01:03 ↗ also helpful to have it at the board

2:01:05 ↗ level not just

2:01:07 ↗ so yes let's talk about it next week

2:01:09 ↗ that's okay yeah

2:01:13 ↗ okay okay

2:01:20 ↗ so the next feeling is scheduled for May

2:01:23 ↗ 3rd 2023 and this is our meeting today

2:01:28 ↗ at 8 17.

2:01:36 ↗ thank you

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