HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 1921 - Equity PolicyCity of Tukwila
Washington
Resolution No. I c c)- 1
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, ADOPTING A CITY EQUITY POLICY.
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the great value of diversity of culture,
background, race, language, ability, gender, and other factors; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that societal, environmental, and legal factors,
both historic and present day, have resulted in inequitable access to opportunities and
services for some individuals and groups of people; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is committed to ensuring fair and equitable access to City
services, employment and other core functions; and
WHEREAS, an equity policy provides guidance to the community, staff and elected
officials as to how we work together towards economic, civic and social justice; and
WHEREAS, the City Council agreed to these priorities at the City Council Meeting on
December 4, 2017;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA,
WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
The Tukwila City Council has identified the need for an equity policy to continue the City
of Tukwila's commitment to being an inclusive community that provides equal access to all
City services. The City of Tukwila Equity Policy, attached hereto as Attachment A, is hereby
adopted.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF TH CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, at a
Regular Meeting thereof this i,1 !» day of _?e Or4 kg 1 , 2017.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED:
Christy O'FI: erty, MMC, City CI'-rk
APPROVEDJAS TO FORM BY:
Rachel . Turpin, City Attorney
Attachment A: City of Tukwila Equity Policy
W:\Word Processing\Resolutions\Equity Policy adopted 11-13-17
MN:bjs
Dennis Robertson, Council President
Filed with the City Clerk:
Passed by the City Council:
Resolution Number:
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CITY OF TUKWILA
EQUITY POLICY
2017
I. BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
The Mayor, Council, and staff of the City of Tukwila have a strong commitment to equity in city
government, and they desire that all residents, visitors and employees have the opportunity to
reach their full potential. Societal, environmental and legal factors, both historic and present-day,
have resulted in inequitable access to opportunities and services for some individuals and groups of
people. These include but are not limited to:
• Age
• Physical and/or Cognitive Disability
• Economic Status
• Gender
• Gender Identity
• National Origin/Language
• Race and/or Ethnicity
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
The City of Tukwila values its rich diversity. The majority of people who live in Tukwila are people of
color, and 40% were born in a country other than the United States. More than 80 languages are
spoken in our schools, and 50% of Tukwila households speak a language other than English at home.
We benefit from friends and neighbors with different perspectives and cultures, the variety of
businesses owned by immigrants and refugees, and the community forged when we share foods
from around the world.
While we celebrate Tukwila, we recognize that many in our community do not have equitable access
to services, government, education, employment and other opportunities toward a better future.
More than 20% of our population does not have health insurance, and Tukwila's median household
income is 40% of King County's. 23% of Tukwila households live below the poverty line, and more
than 10% of students in the Tukwila School District currently experience homelessness.
We recognize the role that government can play in breaking down barriers to equitable access to
opportunities. The City's Strategic Plan, adopted in 2012, provides us the guideposts for our work
on behalf of our residents, businesses and guests, and emphasizes partnerships and collaboration.
One of the goals -- A Solid Foundation for All Tukwila Residents -- clearly calls for equitable access to
opportunity for Tukwila residents and serves as the foundation of this equity policy.
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Though we fully acknowledge we have more work to do, the City has made many strides toward
equity. We are proud of our successes and, in some cases, our leadership around identifying and
implementing policies and programs to promote equity. We also realize that we as a city
government have a much longer journey to take in our efforts to be truly equitable in the delivery of
all City services.
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to City elected officials, staff, boards and
commissions, partners, residents, businesses and guests on how the City of Tukwila will actively
promote equitable access to opportunities and services.
III. DEFINITION OF EQUITY
Equity: Eliminating systemic barriers and providing fair access to programs, services and
opportunities to achieve social, civic and economic justice within the City of Tukwila.
IV. POLICY GOALS
In order to achieve equitable access to opportunities and services in the City of Tukwila, the City
adopts the following goals.
1. 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 City's long-term goal that its
workforce reflect the evolving make-up of the community.
2. Community outreach and engagement is relevant, intentional, inclusive, consistent and
ongoing. The City often has important information to share with the community, and often seeks
dialogue with the community. The City will create a community outreach and engagement
toolkit to enable inclusive public engagement that all departments will use when seeking
community participation.
3. All residents and visitors receive equitable delivery of City services.
The City will identify strategies that facilitate equitable access to current and future City services
and facilities, regardless of race/ethnicity, language, ability, gender, age, family status,
geography, and mode of transportation.
4. City government is committed to equity in the decision-making process.
The City will identify strategies to facilitate equitable access to decision-making, where the
decisions themselves -- and the process and context in which they are made -- are transparent.
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5. Equity serves as a core value for all Tong -term plans moving forward.
The City will develop and implement an equity toolkit for City staff, consultants, contractors, and
partners that will provide guidance for the equitable physical development of the city, and other
activities. This goal applies to plans such as but not limited to the Comprehensive Plan,
transportation, infrastructure, strategic plans, etc.
6. The City will build capacity around equity within City government and the broader
community. The City will resource this policy through activities such as but not limited to regular
trainings and workshops, both internal and public, and establishing an Equity Policy
Implementation Committee.
V. IMPLEMENTATION
The City will be accountable for assessing a baseline, developing an implementation plan, and
reporting measurable progress in meeting each of these goals.
1. Equity Policy Implementation and Evaluation Committee
The City will establish a committee that will be responsible for setting baselines, developing the
implementation plan, and reporting measurable progress in meeting the goals of this policy. The
implementation plan should specify staff leads responsible for key elements of the work, and
include how the work will be distributed throughout the agency.
2. Equity and Social Justice Commission
The Equity and Social Justice Commission will monitor the work of the Implementation and
Evaluation Committee, and provide information to the committee, as well as the Council as to
the progress of the policy's implementation.
3. Timeline
The timeline for developing the implementation plan is one year from the adoption of this
policy.
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