ESJ 2018-07-11 Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 15, 2018 Dear Mr. Ekberg and Mr. Cline, On behalf of the Equity and Social Justice Commission, we are writing to make recommendations regarding the Equity Policy Implementation Plan. We applaud the City for developing the Equity Policy last year, and applaud the Council for approving it by resolution last December. As the City begins work on an implementation plan, we strongly recommend the following. 1.Hire a neutral, third party consultant who is an expert in equity work to help the City develop the Equity Policy Implementation Plan. The City is lucky to have many employees that are committed to advancing equity and inclusion policies and practices, and who have had training on the subject. However, having a third party to facilitate the conversation and advise the City on the Implementation Plan is crucial because implicit bias is at the core of equity and inclusion work. We often cannot see the unintended consequences of our policies, decision-making, and actions, and we need someone from outside the organization that can help us hold up a mirror and see what needs to change and how. 2.Hire an outside firm to advise the City in replacing the Human Resources Director function, and include representatives from the Equity and Social Justice Commission on the hiring committee for the position. The first goal of the Equity Policy adopted by Council by resolution in December of 2017 is, “Our City workforce reflects our community. The City will identify strategies around recruitment and hiring, and personnel policies that provide equitable opportunities for existing employees, and support the City’s long-term goal that its workforce reflect the evolving make-up of the community.” The Human Resources function is critical in achieving this goal. We strongly recommend that the City hire a consultant with proven results in helping organizations hire diverse candidates who are committed to promoting equitable recruitment, hiring, and promotional practices and training and development opportunities. We also request that representatives from the Equity and Social Justice Commission be invited to serve on the hiring committee for the position, and have the opportunity to review interview questions. Thank you for taking the time to consider our recommendations. We would be happy to meet with you in th person at our next Commission meeting which is scheduled for July 11, 2018 at 5:15 pm in the Hazelnut Conference Room, or another day and time that work for you. We realize this conflicts with a See You In the Park event, but it was the best option for our group in order to not cancel the July meeting. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, 8