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

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

Open PDF

Attendance

Council / Members (10)

Cristina Abonce (virtual attendee, arrived 6:48)

Alisa Stewart (absent, excused)

Lorna Gilmour

Hellen Kibenge

Lucrecia Choto (absent, excused)

Ray Manahan (absent, excused)

Tony Curry

Shalanda Fleming (arrived 6:22)

Priti Mody-Pan

Kelly Munn

Staff (3)

Monica Negrila, Human Services Manager

Stephanie Johnson, Human Resources Director

David Reedy, Sustainability Coordinator

Recommendations & actions (2)

Sentences extracted from the narrative containing words like recommended, requested, directed, moved, or approved. Best-effort — verify against the full minutes for context.

The Minutes of March 15, 2023 were approved by unanimous consent with suggested edits to correctly spell board member’s name Cristina Abonce.
The Minutes of March 1, 2023 were approved by unanimous consent with no edits suggested.