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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-13 23-078 OrderCITY COUNCIL ACTION Council Meeting Date: Item No: Responsible Dept: Requested Action: Summary Committee Action Meeting Date: For: Against: City Manager City Solicitor Finance Director Map/Lot: Introduced for: Order Committee: Action: Staff Comments & Approvals Date: Item No: Assigned to Councilor: Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion and Human Rights Annual Report, 2022 The Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights for Bangor, Maine was established by the City Council in October, 2020 to reflect the city's core values on inclusion, equity, diversity, and belonging. Since the development of this advisory board, membership has grown to eight appointed voting committee members and four non -voting committee members, comprised of city leaders, advocates, allies, and students. The goal of the committee is to foster and advance a shared culture in the community that promotes the goals of accepting, respecting, and valuing differences, including attributes such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, sexual identity, ability, language, family circumstances and cultural backgrounds. In 2022, three voting members were appointed to the committee: Member Michael Alpert, Member Katie Brydon, and Member Andre Chasse. Two non -voting student members were appointed: High School Student Representative, Sofie Rueter (replacing Student Representative Isabel Kidwell following her June 2022 High School Graduation); and College Student Representative, Rebecca Porter. David Patrick was unanimously elected Chair of the Advisory Committee and Liana Fellis was elected Vice Chair in January, 2022. The additional committee members for the 2022 Advisory Committee included: Member Amy Tidd, Member Matt Dexter, Member Hannah Young. Ex-Officio Non -Voting members present at meetings included Assistant City Manager, Courtney O'Donnell; City Manager, Debbie Laurie; Superintendent James Tager; and City Council Chair, Rick Fournier. In 2022, much of the Advisory Committee's focus was on establishing clear goals, objectives, and annual responsibilities to effectually influence change and equitable outcomes in City government. With the mission of the Advisory Committee being to offer a lens of diversity in city decision making, the committee met with Bangor leaders to provide feedback and recommendations on decision making and directives. In January, the Committee met with Community and Economic Development Officer Tyler Collins. He shared that as a grantee of the Community Development Block Grant, Bangor must affirmatively affirm fair housing to continue to receive funding and that an analysis of impedance would need to be submitted to HUD. The Advisory Committee provided feedback and thoughts on the analysis and how to ensure fair housing practices were being endorsed in Bangor. In February, the Committee met with Director of Code Enforcement, Jeff Wallace; Director of Economic Development, Tanya Emery; and Bus Superintendent Community Connector, Laurie Linscott, to review updates to Bangor's housing code enforcement and the Title IV plan. The Advisory Committee also reviewed the City of Bangor's bid for City Hall renovations and provided feedback to ensure accessibility in its development. In March of 2022, the Advisory Committee met with City Planning Officer, Anne Krieg, to hear about Bangor's Comprehensive Plan and to provide feedback and recommendations on ways the City could better include a diverse range of constituents during the Inventory and Analysis Phase. This was also the month in which the Advisory Committee heard the first update of 2022 from Bangor School Department Superintendent, James Tager; and Bangor School Department DEI Coordinator, Dana Carver-Bialer on the School Department's Diverisity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) work, including survey analysis and school curricula updates. Lastly, in March, the Advisory Committee determined goals for a proposed budget request for the committee's work. In April, the Advisory Committee was introduced to a proposal brought forward by Vice Chair, Liana Fellis, to consider the work to become an Autism Certified City. Members received recommendations based on conversations with other Autism Certified City leaders around the country and determined it would be a worthwhile effort to explore ways in which Bangor could implement trainings and city ordinances to become Autism Certified. During the March meeting, the Advisory Committee also determined areas of potential funding needs and identified that $20k be requested during City Council Budget workshops for three areas of focus from the Advisory Council: • Trainings, Workshops, and Research • Community Events and Outreach • Paid Stipends for instructors and workshop facilitators A recommended budget from the Advisory Committee was submitted on May 10th. On May 18th, Chair Patrick and Vice Chair Fellis presented the proposed budget to the City Council Workshop. The Advisory Committee met for its monthly meeting on May 24th to provide feedback from the budget workshop and to better identify the goals and outcomes of the Advisory Committee. Discussion around whether the Committee should be changed from Advisory to a Committee with more influence (and thus, more reasonable fiscal responsibilities and goals) was started. It was later determined that the Advisory Committee could have more influence by remaining an Advisory Committee and improving organization of monthly meetings and tracking goals and outcomes. From this discussion, it was determined that the overarching goals and outcomes of this committee should be divided into specific areas of focus to drive more actionable results. This includes planning DEIB events, education for City staff, Council, and volunteers, and to provide audits of hiring processes for the City, in addition to reviewing and updating City policies and ordinances. In June, a survey for areas of interest and focus was sent to all active members of the Advisory Committee. The results were reviewed in July, where the committee determined that their efforts should be organized into three categories for focused efforts and outcomes. These areas include: • Policy • Ordinances • Education It was determined that the Advisory Committee's agendas should be split into the three areas of focus and, in following with the City of Bangor's Annual Calendar of Events, the committee could be more proactive and influential in providing timely recommendations and feedback while simultaneously executing committee goals to further inclusion education and diversity events for the city. A sample annual calendar and review of Advisory Committee work was discussed by members in September. City Manager Laurie and Council Chair Fournier provided recommendations and suggestions for ways that the Advisory Committee could better address the needs of the City and meet goals without duplicative action. In October, Superintendent, James Tager; and Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging Coordinator, Dana Carver-Bialer presented their committee's work to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee provided feedback on blind -spots in the School Department's efforts and also asked for ways in which the City's Advisory Committee could be more supportive in driving change. During this meeting, the Advisory Committee identified ways to onboard new members and establish clear goals at the start of the 2023 year and that this organizational improvement could result in more effectual change. Vice Chair Fellis and Member Brydon met to develop an onboarding document for new members and an annual calendar that follows City of Bangor business for the Advisory Committee's work. October was also the first month in which members of the Advisory Committee reported to City Councilors about national DEIB efforts (for example, introducing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month) and sharing ways in which the City of Bangor can honor each monthly DEIB initiative. The expectation was established that members of the Advisory Committee should report monthly DEIB focus areas to City Councilors in an effort to inform and influence equitable and inclusion -focused goals each month. In November and December, the Advisory Committee members established a clear calendar of events for streamlined work with the City of Bangor so that the Committee would be able to identify actionable goals and a timeline of achievements in pre -determined areas. The Advisory Committee reviewed the onboarding documents for new members and approved the working calendar for the committee. In 2023, the Advisory Committee will work from this calendar monthly to initiate change and City engagement for DEI efforts in City-wide events, hiring practices, trainings and education. In 2022, major accomplishments of the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights include: • Funds established in the City Manager's budget for education to be used by the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights for City events, trainings/workshops, and initiatives to drive inclusion and change in Bangor. • Change to City policy that appointed committee members should be able to participate in meetings remotely, creating more equitable opportunities for individuals to join committees without limitations such as transportation, childcare, health, and accessibility. • Clear and manageable outcomes for the Advisory Committee to enact change that aligns with City of Bangor calendar of events, ordinances, and policies. • The development of ad hoc committees which members will be assigned based on interest in an effort to accomplish greater outcomes in predetermined and agreed upon DEIB efforts. • Onboarding resources to more effectually welcome and prepare new members joining the Advisory Committee with clear expectations and outcomes. • Monthly reporting from Advisory Committee members to City Councilors on national DEIB initiatives and recommendations from the committee on ways in which the City of Bangor can meaningfully participate. Goals for the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights include the development of new training initiatives for City staff, Councilors, and volunteers; Inclusion and Awareness Events for Bangor citizens to engage in more accessible opportunities to learn about diversity, equity, and belonging; and to continue to provide feedback and recommendations for the City policies and ordinances to be mindful of inclusive practices and consistently evaluating decisions with a lens of diversity. IN CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY CO 23-078 Passed CITY CLERK