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HomeMy WebLinkAboutESJ 2026-01-08 Agenda Packet (Special Meeting)Tukwila Equity and Social Justice Commission City of Tukwila — City Hall 6200 Southcenter Boulevard, Tukwila, WA 98188 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Equity and Social Justice Commission meeting will be held on January 8, 2026, at 5:30Pm. Join the meeting video on your computer or mobile app: Click here to join the meeting Participate in the meeting by phone: 253-292-9750, Phone Conference ID: 125 348 618# For in -person, please join us at 5:30PM Tukwila City Hall, 6200 Southcenter Blvd, Tukwila, WA 98188 For assistance during the meeting, please call Jo Anderson, Equity and Social Justice Staff Liaison, at 206-658-7849 M E T Thu s ay, January 2 2 Call to Order 11 Introduction (2 minutes) 111 Approval of Agenda (2 minutes) IV Approval of Minutes, December 4, 2025 (2 minutes) V Written Public Comments VI Business Items • An Ice Breaker 5:3 COMMISSION ACTION ITEM: Commissioners will get to know one another. • Approve Review Group Norms COMMISSION ACTION ITEM: Commissioners to approve group norms. • Review Resolution 1970 Tukwila Equity and Social Justice Commission City of Tukwila — City Hall 6200 Southcenter Boulevard, Tukwila, WA 98188 COMMISSION ACTION ITEM: Commissioners to discuss and comment on/provide recommendations, if any. • 2026 Work Plan COMMISSION ACTION ITEM: Commissioners will discuss and set the work plan for 2026. Relationship building in the community: • Proposed: Supporting community -led programming and cultural celebrations. Awareness, Forums, Trainings: Equity Policy and Accountability: • Proposed: Reintroducing the ESJ Commission to the Council. • Proposed: Providing recommendations on Council actions. VII Miscellaneous VIII Adjournment ESJ Commission Group Norms We share the following values and will look to these norms to guide how we show up and communicate with each other. 1. Each Commissioner represents a lived experience and community perspective. In this space all voices are equally valued and should be included. 2. Stay focused on the Commission's purpose and the topic at hand. 3. Create a welcoming and judgement free space. Presume positive intent and check assumptions. 4. Be curious, ask questions, listen, and seek to understand. 5. Speak freely and respectfully, while being respectful of different opinions. 6. Practice directness and transparency regarding a point of view and disclose when there may be a conflict of interest. 7. Practice cultural awareness; we're representing the whole community and it's a diverse community. 8. Practice self-awareness — take risks and speak up and/or give space for everyone to speak. 9. Accept discomfort, this is where the change happens. 10. Accept non -closure, some things are too big for us to resolve. City of Tukwila Washington Resolution No. I 1 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, RESTATING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO BEING DIVERSE, TOLERANT AND INCLUSIVE, AND REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 1900. WHEREAS, the City of Tukwila is a beautifully diverse community of neighborhoods, residents, businesses and visitors; and WHEREAS, the City of Tukwila considers this diversity to be one of its greatest assets and prioritizes the value of inclusiveness; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 1614 in 2006 reaffirming its commitment to being an inclusive community as a fundamental value; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 1900 in 2016 reaffirming its commitment to being a diverse, tolerant and inclusive community; and WHEREAS, we, as elected representatives of the people, have a responsibility to not stay silent in the face of violence and discrimination against any person; and WHEREAS, the people of Tukwila recognize that people of all cultures, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds all do better when we work together; and WHEREAS, the City of Tukwila promotes civility and strives for a culture where tolerance and solidarity overcome fear and division; and WHEREAS, the City of Tukwila does not tolerate bias, harassment, or discrimination based on race, religion, ancestry, national origin, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, housing status or status with regard to public assistance; and WHEREAS, we advance the principles of non -violence, tolerance, religious freedom, trust and safety, and recognize that these principles are valued by all communities in our City; and W:\Legislative Development\Recommitment to being diverse -tolerant -inclusive final 10-8-19 LH:bjs Review and analysis by Barbara Saxton Page 1 of 3 WHEREAS, all of Tukwila's residents deserve to live in a safe environment free of hate, discrimination and fear; and WHEREAS, we believe in the public sector for the public good, and advancing equity and inclusion is critical to the success of our communities and our nation; and WHEREAS, because hate crimes and incidences of intimidation are on the rise locally, regionally, and nationally, the City Council desires to reiterate their position that all elected officials, whether local, state, or federal, should be leaders in opposing hate speech and especially careful to never use such language in spoken, written, or social media; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Tukwila has historically been, and remains to this day, a welcoming community to people from all over the world, and therefore the City Council reaffirms its commitment to equality and inclusiveness for all residents and visitors to our City. We reject the politics and language of division, bigotry, violence, hate and discrimination. We will fight for the rights, freedoms and interests of all the members of our community no matter what the color of our skin, our gender, the way we worship, where we were born, our sexual orientation, our abilities, or any other identity. Furthermore, we resolve to: 1. Prioritize and promote a welcoming environment for all in our community and recognize the rights of individuals to live their lives with dignity and free of discrimination. 2. Commit to pursuing a policy agenda that affirms civil and human rights and ensures that those targeted on the basis of culture, religion or immigration status can turn to government without fear of recrimination. 3. Engage with individuals and community groups to promote education and dialogue among all community members. 4. Denounce the use of language expressing hate with the intent to strike fear in the hearts of people because of their racial, cultural, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin differences. Section 2. Resolution No. 1900 is hereby repealed in its entirety. W:\Legislative Development\Recommitment to being diverse -tolerant -inclusive final 10-8-19 LH:bjs Review and analysis by Barbara Saxton Page 2 of 3 PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, at a Regular Meeting thereof this 2 I day of 0 c,+010.(A/- , 2019. ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED: Christy O'Flaherty, MMC, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM BY: Rachel B. Turpin, CityAttorney Filed with the City Clerk: I °- / Passed by the City Council: (0-2 VII Resolution Number: le)1/61 Kathy Ho ent Dennis Robertson, Tukwila City Council Verna Seal, Tukwila City Council nn, Tukwila City Council ukwila City Council omas Mc City ouncil Zak Ida Tukwila Cit ouncil W:\Legislative Development\Recommitment to being diverse -tolerant -inclusive final 10-8-19 LH:bjs Review and analysis by Barbara Saxton Page 3 of 3 TTENDEES: Maryan Abdow Jo Anderson Hamdi Diriye Joe Duffle Tukwila Equity and Social Justice Commission City of Tukwila — City Hall 6200 Southcenter Boulevard, Tukwila, WA 98188 EETI TES Thurs ay, ece er , 2 25 5:3 CM Hannah Hedrick Kathy Hougardy CaII to Order II Introduction (2 minutes) III Approval of Agenda (2 minutes) IV Approval of Minutes, November 6, 2025 (2 minutes) V Business Items • An Ice Breaker Commissioners learned more about each other. Commissioners also learned about the Tukwila Historical Society, host site for the meeting. • Review Group Norms Unable to approve due to lack of quorum. The consensus was that the norms reflected the Commissioners values and adequately captured content from previous discussions. • Review Resolution 1970 Conversation about resolution 1970 was folded into the next business item. The Commissioners committed to reviewing the resolution to make recommendations at the January meeting. • 2025 Work Plan Updates and 2026 Goal -Setting Commissioners discussed the importance of aligning to the intended purpose of the ESJ Commission, which stated in the by laws is "to serve in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and City Council for the City of Tukwila. Tukwila Equity and Social Justice Commission City of Tukwila — City Hall 6200 Southcenter Boulevard, Tukwila, WA 98188 The objective of the Commission shall be: 1. To promote understanding that accepts, celebrates, and appreciates diversity within the community. 2. To serve as a resource for the community by providing information and educational forums that will facilitate a better understanding and awareness of social justice and human rights. 3. To provide recommendations to the Mayor and City Council regarding opportunities to increase equity and social justice awareness and promote social justice programs." To this end, Commissioners discussed a 2026 goal to reintroduce the role of the ESJ Commission to the Council, which will include newly appointed and elected Councilmembers. This could be done with visits to Council Committees, for example. This also includes working with the Legislative Analyst, Laurel Humphrey, to understand the relation between the ESJ Commission and the Mayor and Council as an advisory group and what making recommendations would logistically entail. The other goal discussed was to work with partners, such as the Tukwila Historical Society to support community -led programming and cultural celebrations, such as Eid al-Fitr. VI Miscellaneous • The Council is expected to pass an ordinance in late December to remove ESJ Commission Position 1, Councilmember from ESJ Commission membership. This is CM Hedrick's last meeting. • Jo gave an update on the 2025 approved expenditures, including allocations to the Tukwila School District, Still Waters Family Services, and Foster Tukwila Presbyterian Church. Invoices are being processed for payment. • Maryan sought advice on an issue she and her colleagues are addressing with their families.